I’ve also got a photo album started from the conference: 2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

Traffic was up nearly 8% on Agwired this year to a grand total of just about 198,000 unique visitors – we should break 200,000 pretty easily in 2012. We had a total of 1790 posts this year, including more than 600 with audio. We posted over 17,000 photos on Flickr and 121 videos on YouTube that were viewed over 111,000 times.

The most viewed photo album this year was Farm Progress Show at nearly 7200, followed by National Biodiesel Conference, Sturgis, NAMA, and AGCONNECT Expo which are all around 4-5,000.

The most popular YouTube video of the year was the unveiling of the John Deere Subcompact 1 Series at National Farm Machinery Show, which has been viewed nearly 39,000 times. Four videos from the John Deere new product launch were viewed collectively over 40,000 times and the unveiling of the New Holland skid steer at NFMS was viewed nearly 16,200 times so far. Other popular videos included the Mike Rowe press conference at the American Farm Bureau annual meeting, ethanol at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and choppers opening the 2011 Farm Progress Show.

Most popular ZimmCasts of the year were Humane Farm Animal Care; Beltway Beef; Irish Agriculture Journalism, Precision Earth and Gibbs & Soell.

According to page views, the most popular stories of the year on AgWired were:
iPhone vs Android
Thanksgiving Dinner Still a Bargain
John Deere product launch
NAFB president killed
Becks Hybrid choppers
Ron Paul tops ZimmPoll
Remembering Derry Brownfield
New Holland Construction Introduction
GIPSA dominates Senate hearing

Our greatest blessings are too numerous to count – our readers, our sponsors and clients, our freelancers and other friends who make every day of the year wonderful! Best wishes to all for a healthy, happy, prosperous and blessed new year!

It’s sand and surf in the sunshine state. Time for a little R&R. The way we look at it, we’re guaranteed a white Christmas!

But that doesn’t mean you’ll be missing anything on AgWired during the holidays. Far from it in fact. Just add the AgWired App to your favorite iOS or Android device and keep up on the latest.

This was not an easy task. It took me about a month to get it the way I wanted it, including photos from events throughout this past year and getting as many dates for the major ag events included. Not sure how it would actually look in person, we ordered a limited quantity to give as Christmas gifts to some of our clients.

We think they actually came out pretty sweet and now we are wondering if there is any interest among AgWired readers to get their very own copy.

You can order your calendar here: Order 2012 ZimmComm Ag Events Calendar.

The cost is $20 each plus $2 shipping/handling.

I got a notice from the casting company looking for “the hardest working women in America to celebrate the tough women who aren’t afraid of disgusting, terrifying, or even backbreaking labor. Women who are proud to be Wonder Women!”

They gave a few examples – mining, roofing, hanging from scaffolding, installing power lines, deep sea fishing, fighting fires, working in sewers, slaughterhouses – but not farming or ranching! I think ladies of the ag persuasion need to apply and show these folks the real Wonder Women of this world!

The application form can be found at wonderwomencasting.com.

As part of its annual tradition, PNC Wealth Management also tabulates the “True Cost of Christmas,” which is the total cost of items gifted by a True Love who repeats all of the song’s verses. This holiday season is the most expensive year ever: very generous True Loves have to fork over $101,119.84 for all 364 gifts, a 4.4 percent increase compared to last year.

You can find a handy table with costs listed and compared to 2010 here (pdf). Only the three French Hens, Eight Maids-a-Milking, Nine Ladies Dancing, and 10 Lords-a-Leaping were the same price as last year. Need the lyrics? Try here.

We like Thanksgiving cards so I thought I’d share this one from the National Association of Farm Broadcasting.

We’ve got a lot to be thankful for today.

For starters, we can’t say enough how much we appreciate our clients and sponsors. Your support means more than we can say. We also thank everyone in the ZimmComm community. We’ll continue to strive to bring you our best. We’re also thankful to America’s farmers and everyone involved in the production/processing/distribution of food.

For that we give #FoodThanks!

I interviewed one of those researchers, Dr. Mike Owen, during the NAFB Trade Talk in the Syngenta booth. He says his role was to investigate the issue of herbicide resistance. He says the information basically reinforces what most people already knew about the impact of using glyphosate resistant crops with glyphosate to the exclusion of a lot of the other tools in the agricultural toolbox. He says farmers are still in denial about this issue. They need to diversity in weed management! You can find a number of links on this subject posted by Dr. Owen here.

Listen to my interview with Dr. Owen here: Interview with Dr. Mike Owen

According to a release from Syngenta (pdf) on this subject:

U.S. consumers and society benefit from atrazine and other triazine herbicides by up to $4.8 billion per year, due to increased yield as well as decreased producer costs and reduced soil erosion, according to new studies released today in Kansas City.

In addition, the U.S. economy benefits from atrazine and other triazine herbicides by as much as $22 billion over a five-year period. Benefits to farmers and consumers from the triazine herbicides include increased corn, sorghum and sugar cane crop yields, lower weed-control costs, significantly reduced soil erosion and less carbon released into the atmosphere. Atrazine and the triazine herbicides account for as many as 48,000 American jobs in corn production alone.

You can watch the AgriTalk program with all the researchers, as they share highlights of the new data, documenting atrazine’s impact on weed management, crop yields and jobs.

2011 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Allie says the Network is a place where events can be live streamed and archived, using the services of iHigh. A recent example is the FFA Convention. You can find all the sessions in the archives. She says that they can help any company or organization set up there own page to do this for their events.

Listen to my interview with Allie here: Interview with Allie Hembree

2011 NAFB Convention Photo Album

So, I’m back at ZimmComm World Headquarters getting back into civilization and agriblogging mode. The woods are a wonderful and peaceful place to get away from it all. However, I’ve got numerous interviews to share with you from the NAMA Trends in Agriculture Conference as well as the NAFB Convention.

So there will be quite a bit of activity on AgWired prior to the Thanksgiving Day holiday.

You can find the NAMA Trends in Agriculture Agenda here.
Follow on Twitter – #NAMATrends

The NAFB Convention agenda here (pdf).
Follow on Twitter – #NAFB

Also, if you are attending the NAFB convention and want to know more about using your smartphone for broadcasting purposes, plan to sit in on Chuck’s session on Wednesday at 3:15pm.

We’ll be seeing you from Kansas City!

We’ve got very marginal internet access so I’ll be a little “quiet” over the weekend. But things will ramp back up after getting home on Monday.

Right now it’s time to start getting ready for another day of exercise and good fellowship!

I never studied Steve’s life but I’ve been fascinated by his business and the products it produces. I have an iPhone/iPad/Macbook Air/iMac. I use them every day and they just plain work. As many of us Mac addicts like to say, “You can do everything on a PC that you can do on a Mac. It’s just more fun on a Mac!” I’m sure it’s more fun because Steve took risks and put his customer first, deciding to make something they want, not what he thought they wanted. That’s a lesson for all of us. So, that’s it I guess. We’ll miss you Steve but I’ve got a feeling that Apple will live on and continue your legacy.

We got to know Shannon when he was with the U.S. Grains Council. In fact, I traveled with him on a trip to Morocco, Egypt and Jordan. You really get to know people when you travel like that. I didn’t have a room for a night at our hotel in Egypt and Shannon immediately offered to let me share his which I did. He was our main guide throughout that trip and kept us all together and on time. He is already missed.

Shannon left USGC to serve as Director of Membership for the National Farmers Union for the past year or so.

Here is the official obituary and details:

Shannon R. Schaffer, age 41, died on Saturday, September 17, 2011. He was the beloved husband of Sheri Schaffer; father of Ashton Schaffer; son of Ronald and Fae Schaffer and brother of Meredith Gulseth (Mark) and Emily Fisher (Alex). In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to an education fund being established for his son, Ashton at T. D. Bank, 308 Maple Avenue, East, Vienna, Virginia 22180.

Funeral services will be held Friday September 23 at 3:00 pm at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Vienna, VA. You can share memories of Shannon on the Tributes.com website.

The Renewable Energy Group (REG) acquired the former SoyMor production facility earlier this year, which is now known as REG Albert Lea, LLC. The company will be celebrating the grand re-opening of the plant with members of the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, as well as state and local dignitaries, on Monday morning.

Minnesota is a leader in the biodiesel industry, being the first state to require that all diesel fuel contain a two percent blend in 2005, and has since increased to a five percent blend. “Increasing the amount of biodiesel in our fuel allows us to take advantage of a renewable fuel made right here in Minnesota,” said Ed Hegland, former National Biodiesel Board Chairman and Minnesota farmer. “I’m proud to live in a state that is leading energy innovations and taking part in valuable solutions like biodiesel.”

“With nationwide demand for biodiesel growing steadily through implementation of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) and Minnesota’s continued biodiesel consumption leadership, we expect to quickly ramp up production at REG Albert Lea, LLC,” said REG’s CEO Jeff Stroburg when the purchase of the plant was finalized. “With a foundation in agriculture and expertise in domestically-produced, renewable energy, REG is proud to bring green-collar jobs to this rural economy while supporting ag producers in Minnesota and across the Midwest.”

REG was already the largest biodiesel producer in the United States and the acquisition of REG Albert Lea brings the REG owned/operated total to more than 210 million gallons per year. REG was the general contractor and manager for the 30 mmgy refined vegetable oil feedstock biodiesel plant which originally began production in April 2005. Distribution of biodiesel at the facility started late last month. REG filed for filed an initial public offering in July.

I received an email a few weeks ago from the guy who built the tool for a comparison engine called “Find the Best,” and also FindtheData.org.

Woody Robinson is a recent graduate of the University of California Santa Barbara who now works for FindTheBest, which he describes as “an objective, socially curated comparison engine that allows you to find a topic, compare your options and decide what’s best for you.”

He says that not only is the crop comparison tool “pretty fun to play around with,” it can also offer farmers some insight into crop production in various regions of the country. “Using data from the USDA, crops are compared using several categories (state, county, harvested, production, yield, etc). These categories can also be filtered to narrow crop search results,” Woody says. “It does provide an interesting perspective for the diversity of American farming.”

Check it out here.

The weather here on the final day of set up is beautiful. Let’s hope it stays that way although the forecast is for it to turn much warmer by Thursday. The ZimmComm team is on location and Cindy’s off getting our first interview with the Illinois Corn Growers.

I’ve got a photo album in the beginning stages but you can bet it will be full by the end of the show. 2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

We have had two days of scorching heat but we did get some fish to bite. Our cooler had more in it yesterday but for the dog days of summer we felt pretty good about it. This afternoon we’re switching gears and going out scalloping before calling it quits. If you’re interested we’ve got some photos online here.

If you’re ever over this way and need a good guide then call Captain Edward Thomas, T.G.I.F. Charters. Cappy knows where to go and when. We highly recommend him.

It’s nice to have a couple days away from the agriblogging highway. Tomorrow we’ll be homeward bound and then off to another adventure on Monday.

The big star of the show on Independence Day is the fireworks and they did not disappoint us in Jefferson City. The fireworks are set off across the Missouri River from the state capitol building and there are people in pretty much every square inch of ground you can watch from on both sides of the river.

The Capitol City boasts one of the largest fireworks displays in the State! Plan to bring the entire family to watch the spectacular from the north lawn of the State Capitol. Be sure to tune in your radio to listen to the choreographed music accompanying the display on Jeff 104. This is the highlight of the Salute to America Festival and you won’t want to miss it!

Here are some photos from this evenings activities: 2011 Salute To America Celebration

If you peer inside our kitchen cabinets, you’ll instead see plastic cups with lids, plastic plates and refillable cups from a gas station. Yes, we have ceramic place-settings and glass drinkware, but since we have an almost 3-year-old, the dinner table is usually adorned with non-breakable items.

This is a cut-glass condiment set, made for vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. I can picture this as the centerpiece on a beautiful table with a hand-made lace tablecloth, where the silver has been polished, the butter is neatly placed on its own silver platter, and the girls wear dresses to dinner.

Definitely not the dinner scene at my house.

Don’t get me wrong – we sit down and eat dinner as a family, we enforce table manners, and if I’m at home, the TV isn’t allowed to be on while we eat. We just have wooden salt and pepper shakers and the butter comes in a plastic tub.

This condiment set reminds me of a more formal time, where prim and proper were the foundational manners of every good girl. I guess if I preserve some of that mindset, it’s that we sit down as a family and have meaningful conversation. That’s what will stand the test of time in my mind, not the container the salt and pepper were in.

Until we walk again …

The AgriSafe Network is a national nonprofit organization that represents health professionals who provide agricultural occupational health and safety services to farmers and their families.

To help out with this mission, AgriSafe has developed a social business venture based on the sale of safety products. “Without spending any additional dollars companies can assist farm families by choosing AgriSafe as the vendor for safety equipment,” said Outreach Coordinator Janie Boyer. “100% of the proceeds support AgriSafe’s non-profit work.”

For more information on the AgriSafe Network, go to www.agrisafe.org.

These little “tree crickets” show up periodically. According to a map and information on Cicada Mania I think we’ve got Brood IV XIX. These are 13-year cicadas and they are loud and proud.

How loud? Here’s a few seconds of sound I recorded just now with my iPhone from the same tree I shot the photo. You can also hear a nearby highway. Cicada Sound

Now, that will either put you to sleep while you lie in your hammock or else it will grate on your nerves and force you to put your ear buds on and crank up your favorite Pandora station.

NCBA was joined by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), American Soybean Association (ASA), National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and National Pork Producers Council (NPPC). NCBA President Bill Donald started it all off by saying that the pending trade agreements are long overdue and the unprecedented delay is putting U.S. agriculture at a competitive disadvantage.

“Members of Congress, prepare your yes votes and push all three of these agreements across the finish line,” Donald said. “This is a powerful stimulus package for the American people, a stimulus package that will not cost the American taxpayers one damn dime.”

To put in perspective how long the trade agreements have been sitting on the shelf, NAWG CEO Dana Peterson noted that Twitter was just a baby, and that babies born when they were signed are entering kindergarten.

Here are opening statements from the conference: Ag Trade Press Conference

For the first time recent USDA 2010 Dietary Guidelines are advising Americans to eat eight ounces of seafood rich in omega-3s per week for brain and heart health. The average American currently eats about 3.5 ounces of seafood per week. Wild Alaska salmon is a high quality protein and a premier source of long-chain omega-3s containing generous amounts of vitamin D, vitamins B6, B12, and selenium.

Alaska is home to over 90% of the wild salmon in North America, and five different species.

Visit www.wildalaskaflavor.com for dozens of healthy Alaska salmon recipes including: Grilled Alaska Salmon with Avocado and Papaya Spinach Salad or Spicy Alaska Salmon Wraps.

It looks like I have come to an end of my agri-blogging highway for AgWired.com. Well, maybe not an end, but at least a detour. For the next year, I won’t be able to provide you with periodic updates as I have accepted a new job.

I have been offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go to Afghanistan to help the Afghans start a radio journalism/production program, so they can get good information to the people of that country and not just what some mullah wants to tell them. Don’t worry about my safety; I’ll be warm and safe and dry in the cozy confines of Kandahar Air Base, protected by the finest collection of fighting men and women the world has ever seen. I only hope that my efforts will make their jobs a little easier and help Afghanistan recover from decades of war and strife.

In the meantime, I hope to check in from time to time and give you a glimpse of our efforts there.

I can’t tell you how much I have appreciated Chuck’s and Cindy’s efforts and opportunities they have afforded me. They are true friends. I also feel confident that between them and their pool of talented, sophisticated freelance journalists, they’ll continue to educate the world about the importance of American farmers and ranchers.

Thank you again for your readership, and I hope we can see each other again down that agri-blogging highway.

John

In this ZimmCast you can listen to my conversation with Mike Gustafson, Deer’s Landing Communications, …sure-footed marketing and advertising. Mike explains the ABEF Vision2020, saying that it focuses on fund raising to provide more opportunities to create scholarships and assist student NAMA chapters.

On a personal level Mike says that he’s been a NAMA member for “a long time.” He’s seen many students move through the student organization and become professionals. He says the ABEF helps keep them engaged so they continue working in NAMA.

Listen in on our converstation in this week’s program: Deer's Landing Supports ABEF

This week’s program ends with some music from Music Alley. It’s called “Mr. Business Man” by The Babylon Cowboys.

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsor, Growmark, locally owned, globally strong, for their support.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our Subscribe page

With its territory already blanketing the entire state of Illinois and quickly expanding in states like Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Wisconsin and the Dakotas, MyWay RTK executives sought a proven industry expert to oversee the company’s continued growth.

As General Manager, Hill’s primary role will be facilitating the expansion of the MyWay RTK territory and working with industry representatives to implement the latest MyWay RTK offerings.