As the Nation reflects on the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks on New York, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania, one of our good friends is partnering with a charity to give military families a place to stay while loved ones are in the hospital. “For three years now, we have had a partnership where we honor our veterans …
Vilsack Talks Farm Bill, RFS with Growth Energy
There’s an old Chinese proverb that’s also considered a curse: “May you live in interesting times.” This morning, members of the Growth Energy Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C. heard that from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, as he explained how it’s “interesting” that Congress seems to have its priorities turned around, with lawmakers working to change Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) …
Farm Foundation Tackles Rural Internet Connectivity
Walk down the street in most major American cities today, it’s pretty easy to get a high-speed wireless Internet hook-up. But move away from the city lights and into rural America, and it’s a different story. Too many farms lack real access to the web … ironic considering how much more reliant agribusiness has become on the Internet. Our friends …
MyAgCentral: Getting All Info in One Place
Recently, we told you about a new cloud-based precision data service called MyAgCentral.com. During the recent 2013 InfoAg Conference, Chuck was able to catch up with Steve Cubbage, the President of Prime Meridian, a company behind MyAgCentral.com and find out a little more. “It’s a subscription-based service for growers, retailers and service providers that brings technology together,” Steve said. “There’s …
Farm Foundation Publishes Farm Bill Perspectives
You need information, especially when it comes to one of the most important pieces of legislation this Congress will consider: the Farm Bill. That’s why our friends at Farm Foundation, NFP and the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy (NCFAP), have put together a series of essays by thought leaders in ag and rural America called Perspectives on the …
Monsanto Part of CTIC Conservation Efforts
Monsanto was one of the sponsors on the recent Conservation Technology Information Center tour in Livingston County, Ill., and Chuck caught up with the company’s Emilio Oyarzabal, who said the CTIC’s work is very important to Monsanto and its customers. “We need agriculture more than ever,” Emilio said, but he added that farmers are being accused of doing environmental damage. …
Investing in Illinois Soil’s Wealth
“The wealth of Illinois is in her soil, and her strength lies in its intelligent development.” That quote was from one of the first presidents of the University of Illinois almost 200 years, but attendees of the recent Conservation Technology Information Center tour in Livingston County, Ill., heard it reiterated by Jean Payne, President of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical …
Case IH’s Long History with CTIC
Case IH has a long history with the Conservation Technology Information Center, so it just makes sense that they were an overall sponsor and sponsored dinner one evening during the tour in Livingston County, Ill., at Rooster Heaven, a hunting club near the Vermilion River. Chuck caught up with Alan Forbes with Case IH, who serves on the CTIC board …
Farmers Want to Save Nitrogen, Too!
Contrary to what seems to be reported many times, farmers don’t want to see their field nutrients washed on down the river to contribute to some “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico. “Farmers don’t want nitrogen to leave their fields. They want it in their corn crop,” explained Tim Smith during the recent Conservation Technology Information Center tour in …
CTIC Tour Host Big Believer in Filter Strips
Healthy soils are products of good management practices. And topping the list of practices for Terry Bachtold (shown getting an appreciation present for all his hard work of hosting), one of the host farmers for last week’s Conservation Technology Information Center tour in Livingston County, Ill., is using filter strips. “I’m a big believer in filter strips,” he exclaimed. “Whether …