Washington Watch gives NAFB members an opportunity to sit down with folks inside the Beltway and get an update on some of the major issues of concern to agriculture.  After Monday’s meetings broadcaster’s had a chance to delve deeper into the hot topics during Issues Forum.

Tuesday we visited USDA where we heard from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.  He touched on topics from the lack of planting progress this spring to the heartbreaking Birds Point New Madrid levee.  I think one of the most important items addressed was the decision to allow crop insurance protections for those affected by the Birds Point New Madrid levee situation (see Cindy’s post earlier this week).  We wrapped up Tuesday with a luncheon at the National Press Club with Former Secretary of Agriculture and Former Representative Larry Combest.  Tuesday afternoon left time for some Hill visits.  I had the opportunity to chat with my Representative, Aaron Schock, and his staff.  It’s always a good feeling to leave discussions with the confidence that the agriculture industry is in good hands.  Wednesday morning concluded with visits from several of ag’s biggest supporters in the Longworth Building.

One of the most touched on topics in DC this past week was the issue of trade.  I had the chance to speak with American Farm Bureau Federation’s Trade Specialist Chris Garza about the current pending free trade agreements.

Garza thinks there is light at the end of the tunnel…

Steve says that AUSD is a coalition of 5 farm groups that include corn and soybean growers, pork producers, cattlemen and SD Farm Bureau. They were set up to educate the public about agriculture and particularly livestock production in SD. He says they want people to know that farmers have a message to get out to people which is that they’re working everyday to produce a safe, reliable source of protein. He wanted to emphasize that agriculture has changed significantly and in ways that aren’t always easy to see from the highway.

You can listen to my interview with Steve here: ww-09-ausd.mp3

NAFB Washington Watch 2009 Photo Album

Unlike the weather, not only is everybody talking about climate change, but they are trying to do something about it – and the concern is that farmers could get caught in the storm. According to National Corn Growers Association Public Policy Director, Rod Snyder, climate change has emerged as one of the top priorities in this Congressional session and pressure is being put to bear to get some kind of legislation passed. “We’re taking a look at the legislation as it’s being drafted now and one of the things that we are closely watching is to make sure that agriculture is not part of the ‘capped sector,’” says Snyder. “We are going to try to ensure that our farmers is not regulated under a cap because our emissions are very diffuse, much like a non-point source situation, and it would be very expensive for the government to try and regulate our sources of greenhouse gas emissions.”

Listen to my interview with Rod here: ww-09-snyder.mp3

NCGA’s Jessica Bennett is actively involved in the regulatory issue of increasing the blend level for ethanol allowed in gasoline to 15 percent. “As corn growers, ethanol is top priority for our association,” Bennett said. “We’re quickly approaching a ten percent blend wall of ethanol that can be blended into conventional gasoline and we need to move beyond that.”

The Environment Protection Agency is currently seeking comments on a waiver that would allow blends of up to 15 percent. “We’re encouraging all of our growers to go to the legislative action center on our website to submit comments to EPA to encourage the granting of that waiver application,” said Bennett. In the first week after the comment period was opened, over 300 comments were submitted to EPA by corn growers.

Listen to my interview with Jessica here: ww-09-bennett.mp3

Up first after opening comments is Mark Maslyn, Executive Director, Public Policy, American Farm Bureau Federation. He’s seen here getting all fired up in an interview with Tricia Braid Terry, RFD Radio. That’s what we need in our nation’s Capitol these days, passionate spokespersons for agriculture.

Mark speaks about the mixed results of the opening month’s of our new administration. He says some things are encouraging and some are troubling which you might say about most administrations. On the troubling side he mentions the environment and proposed increased rules and regulations. Climate change regulations are something he thinks should not be ruled on until a lot more questions are answered. On the encouraging side he’s pleasantly surprised at moves on international trade.

Next up in the program is an interview with Ken Hobbie, President/CEO, U.S. Grains Council. I hadn’t spoken with Ken in quite a while so I asked him to tell us what’s new with USGC. We started off talking about the potential impact of H1N1 on demand and Ken says he hopes that consumers will listen to the fact and we can move past it. Another thing that Ken says they’ve invested a lot in is distillers dried grain promotion internationally.

This week’s program ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. It’s a song titled, “Pearls and Swine”, by Drunken Prayer. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 218 (20 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:Interviews with Mark Maslyn and Ken Hobbie - ZimmCast 218

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes

The United Soybean Board was a major sponsor and had people on hand like Rick to address issues like animal agriculture and the impact of animal rights groups. The reason for this Rick says is because domestic animal production agriculture is the number one customer for domestically produced soybean meal (over 96%). He agrees that if animal rights groups who want to end animal agriculture are successful it will change the whole industry since many elements are very interdependent.

Some other issues important to USB from a production standpoint include soybean rust, soybean quality and soybean yield.

You can listen to my interview with Rick here: ww-09-usb.mp3

NAFB Washington Watch 2009 Photo Album

You can listen to our group interview with Christian here: ww-09-holmes.mp3

NAFB Washington Watch 2009 Photo Album

I asked what’s new at AFT. Jim started out by saying, “We’re the No Farms/No Food people.” He says that people are waking up to the fact that farms provide a lot of value to communities in the area of heritage and environmental benefits. Dennis says that from his perspective farmers need to be really involved in water quality and climate protection. There is legislation being worked on right now and he thinks farmers need to be educated and involved.

You can listen to my interview with Dennis and Jim here: ww-09-aft.mp3

NAFB Washington Watch 2009 Photo Album

On hand was John Howard, NRA National Instructor Trainer. He says they’ve got 58,000 registered instructor/trainers across the country. John says that their base is in the rural areas. I learned that NRA was founded to improve the marksmanship skills of soldiers and citizens. So he teaches that along with safety. He says that NRA wants people to utilize their second amendment rights responsibly.

You can listen to my interview with John here: ww-09-howard.mp3

NAFB Washington Watch 2009 Photo Album

We gave Larry another thank you last night at dinner by presenting him with an NAFB commemorative edition tractor (to add to his collection). Larry is pictured with his wife Christine.

So we give Larry big thanks for helping us out and getting us in and out of USDA one more time during the early part of this transition year.

NAFB Washington Watch 2009 Photo Album

Harkin pointed out that he’s the only person to ever serve as chairman of the Senate Ag Committee 3 times. His remarks touch on a lot of subjects important to agriculture and I thought I’d just go ahead and post them here for you. Please feel free to download and use.

You can listen to Senator Harkin here: ww-09-harkin.mp3

You can also download his remarks with this link (mp3 file).

NAFB Washington Watch 2009 Photo Album

Julie says this is a great opportunity, especially for farm broadcasting newcomers, to dip their foot in the water (interviewing DC politicos). She says she’s in “sponge mode” which means she’s listening and learning so she can better serve her listeners back home.

Julie also has the honor of receiving a Pam Jahnke nickname which is Peaches. You’ll find out why when you listen to her interview.

You can listen to my interview with Julie here: ww-09-mcpeake.mp3

NAFB Washington Watch 2009 Photo Album

NCGA Vice President of Public Policy Jon Doggett answered lots of questions about the program that was part of the 2008 Farm Bill and represents a fundamental reform in the farm safety net. “It is based on revenue rather than just a price trigger,” Jon explains. “It’s really more of a risk management tool than a price support.”

Jon says the program gives farmers an alternative and they have lots of time to research whether it is a good option for them, since the sign up period runs through August 14. NCGA has developed an on-line ACRE Resource Center website where farmers can get more information about the program and even calculate payments.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jon about ACRE here: ww-09-doggett.mp3

NAFB Washington Watch 2009 Photo Album

I was surprised that he didn’t mention swine flu in his remarks but he does address the issue in the question and answer session. Before he arrived we were instructed not to ask anyone except him about this issue. I understand that they may want to have some control over who speaks for USDA on this issue but can’t ever remember being told what we can or cannot ask and of whom. Interesting way to treat the press.

Several of us were live tweeting the morning’s session. I had to leave early since I needed internet access and my aircard couldn’t pick up a good signal in the USDA building. Some of us need to multitask you know.

So for now I’ll leave you with the full audio, including questions and answers.

You can listen to Secretary Vilsack here: ww-09-vilsack.mp3

You can also download his remarks with this link (mp3 file).

NAFB Washington Watch 2009 Photo Album

I had an opportunity to ask a question and although I had many like, “Why do you use your name to suggest that you’re affiliated with local humane societies and animal shelters when you really aren’t?” However one of my Twitter followers sent in a couple of questions and I posed one of hers. She’s a farm wife in Tennessee and here’s what she wrote.

I have so many questions for Mr. Pacelle and other animal rights activists. My first question would be how he plans to help those families he is so strongly trying to put out of business or are we to try and find a new way of life, a new home, a new life style? We’ve heard it before, but farming isn’t just a job – it’s a passion. We certainly don’t do it because we’re getting rich. We do it because we love the land, the animals, and the work. The attack on animal agriculture is really an attack on the entire ag industry as we are inter-dependent on one another.

I’m posting his answer to my question to see if you can understand what he said. I think he got a little defensive and avoided a direct answer. Feel free to post your thoughts.

You can listen to my question of Wayne and his answer here: ww-09-hsus.mp3

Wayne claims the organization has over $200 million to work with so I would suggest that agriculture take them seriously. Their emotional pitch is very seductive as evidenced by the number of celebrities who publicly support them and all the folks giving them money. But rather than be afraid of them I think we have a great opportunity to get out and use the new social media forms of communication to battle the sensationalized, isolated stereotypes these groups employ so effectively. Farming is a way of life and we wouldn’t have the great country we have today if if wasn’t for the American farmer. I think that’s a story the public wants and needs to hear and I encourage farmers in particular to tell and show it. I am seeing more and more of them doing it too.

Post Update: At the request of several followers I’m posting the full comments and question and answer session for you to listen to here. Basically, it is a good idea to know what the enemy says directly from their mouth. Please let others know so they can hear this. Agriculture as a way of life is very threatened by groups like HSUS and I think you’ll hear that very clearly.

You can listen to the full session here: ww-09-hsus-remarks.mp3

NAFB Washington Watch 2009 Photo Album

So, farm broadcasters like Gary Cooper, Southeast AgNet, get out their recorders and get to work. I think I did at least 10 interviews of my own which I’ll be posting here in coming days. There are a number of new photos in the online album of these NAFB members at work.

To get a better understanding of what the level of conversation is like in the room I shot a short video clip of it right when things got started.

NAFB Washington Watch 2009 Photo Album

Roger’s presence was very timely when you consider some of the things going on in Nebraska and in Washington, DC right now that are affecting farming. I spoke with Roger after the luncheon, which was sponsored by the United Soybean Board. He says they want farm broadcasters to join with A-FAN to tell the farm story since there are so many organizations and efforts that are working tear down the industry. I think that’s what all NAFB’ers do so he had a very open audience. We spoke about the use of social media which allowing farmers to tell their own story even though it’s not really their nature to do so. He says that if farmers don’t do it they’ll be in trouble in the future. Roger says he’s learning Facebook now and hopes to tackle Twitter next.

You can listen to my interview with Roger here: ww-09-berry.mp3

You can also download the interview with this link (mp3 file).

NAFB Washington Watch 2009 Photo Album

Besides discussing NAFB business it’s another opportunity to network with counterparts in the farm broadcasting world. I spoke with NAFB members Ken Root, WHO, and Jeff Nalley, Cromwell Ag Network. I first asked them why they attend. Ken says it’s the best meeting they have to gather news and interact with people in the industry. Jeff says the reality is that “it’s about relationships,” that farmers depend on them to “know” the news and this program helps them do that. They also talk about some of the items on the program like tonight’s dinner remarks from HSUS.

You can listen to my interview with Ken and Jeff here: ww-09-root-nalley.mp3

I now have a photo album started for the event so you can see what’s going on: NAFB Washington Watch 2009 Photo Album

Over the next couple days I’ll be covering the meeting which gets kicked off with a lunch sponsored by the United Soybean Board. Then this afternoon we’ll be talking with representatives of many farm groups at the Issues Forum.

So getting back to Pam Jahnke, seen here in the board meeting that’s taking place as I post this, she tells us about the NAFB Washington Watch program. She says this is a great opportunity for farm broadcasters to get face to face with policy makers and obtain good programming material to take back home. I brought up the “T” word and Pam admits that a lot of people are looking to Twitter these days for information. She’s on Facebook now but still hasn’t created a Twitter account. I’ll be glad to help her with that though.

This week’s program ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. It’s a song titled, “My Babe”, by The Brymers. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 217 (13 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:Interview with Pam Jahnke - ZimmCast 217

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes

The WX Channel said 92 degrees when I landed. That’s hotter than I’ve been in since last summer.

I’m ready to meet up with some NAFB peeps to see what all is on everyone’s mind. Swine flu sure popped up on the radar fast. Already lots of rumor floating around and I’ve heard more than one reporter call it a “crisis.” I hate that word.

As Tricia Braid-Terry, RFD Radio Network, pointed out in an email, you can find the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention tweeting about it. You can search the Twitter hashtag #swineflu for a lot more. The CDC has a “What’s New on Swine Flu” site up too.

The National Pork Board has issued a statement about the subject too:

Amid public concern about the reports of swine influenza in humans, the National Pork Board wishes to reassure the public that pork is safe and will continue to be safe to consume. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has posted this statement on its Web site (cdc.org/swineflu):

Nonetheless, the National Pork Board is encouraging pork producers to maintain strict biosecurity procedures on their farms.

If you’d like to get a little flavor for just one situation these folks have gotten involved in you might want to check out Amanda’s post, “HSUS In Nebraska” and the comments posted so far. Feel free to weigh in btw.

I’ll be getting in to DC late on Sunday and the program will get started on Monday. Our annual Issues Forum session is that afternoon, where we get to meet with representatives of most of the ag groups with local offices. Then on Tuesday we’re off to USDA where we’ll meet with Secretary Vilsack and other departmental leaders. On Wednesday we’ll meet at the House office building with a list of senators and representatives.

I’m planning to live stream our USDA session which will start at 8:15am. So check in here at that time to get a Washington Watch viewpoint.

And for you tweeters, please remember to use the #NAFB hashtag in your tweets!

Michael and Joe also delved into energy issues, renewable fuels and where all that fits in with public policy. Joe says the National Biodiesel Board is aiming to have biodiesel replace five percent of the national supply of diesel fuel. He says that is equivalent to the amount of diesel the U.S. if refining and importing from in Iraq. In other words, he says the National Biodiesel Board is aiming to replace the diesel fuel we get from Iraq.

Some critics arguing against renewable fuels point out that the alternative fuel sources will never fully replace the need for oil. But, Joe says that’s not the point, “That’s like saying if you can’t do everything than you shouldn’t do anything.” Joe says The National Biodiesel Board simply doesn’t share that frame of thought. That’s why it has launched the BioTrucker Fuel Card. The card offers card holders cash price on all biodiesel fuel at 5,000 participating locations and special discounts at select truck stops all without any transaction fees. Those interested can sign up for the card at BioTrucker.com.

Both Michael and Joe lauded the farmers that make up the nation’s ag industry. Joe says agriculture is a powerful industry that fosters cutting-edge, technological innovation. “Ag is slow to move but powerful to respond,” Joe said.

You can listen to the entire broadcast of the Dave New Show with Michael and Joe here:
cma-08-xm.mp3

I also got some videos of Michael and Joe while they were singing and strumming their guitars. You can watch the videos here:

2008 CMA Music Festival Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the CMA Country Music Festival is sponsored by:

Besides my interview with Sarah, this week’s program ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. It’s called “Song Writers With No Issues” by The Dubois. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 169 (13 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:zimmcast169-5-5-08.mp3

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes

At the Washington Watch Issues Forum I also got to interview AFT President, Ralph Grossi. (Jennifer took the picture.) As you might guess, we talked about the farm bill. Ralph explained how AFT has been involved in the farm bill process for over 2 years. One of the things he says they’ve been able to do is bring people to the table to discuss the legislation who might not have otherwise.

You can listen to my interview with Ralph here: nafb-ww-grossi.mp3

So you may be wondering, what is MMS? Here’s the definition.

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is a new standard in mobile messaging. Like SMS (Short Messaging Service), MMS is a way to send a message from one mobile to another. The difference is that MMS can include not just text, but also sound, images and video. It is also possible to send MMS messages from a mobile phone to an email address.

* Text (formatted with fonts, colours, etc)
* Images (JPEG, GIF format)
* Audio (MP3, MIDI)
* Video (MPEG)

Just when you thought you had text messaging figured out.

While I’m on the subject of “new” you should check out this post on “From the X Degree.” via Teaching Online Journalism This is about how you/me/your customer is and will be consuming news or perhaps your own company’s information.

You might want to say that we’re just “early adopters” and that somehow this means that since not everyone in America is doing this or consuming this then perhaps it’s not something your company or news organization should be doing. Tempting if you’re afraid of the future I guess. However, it is the future of journalism and how people will be and are consuming information.

This second picture is thanks to NAFB Executive Director, Bill O’Neill, who caught me Tuesday right before Sec. Schafer showed up for our Washington Watch meeting.

Today’s a travel day for the agriblogger. I’m looking forward to some email catch up on the plane and a little analysis of some of the new things we’re doing like AgWired Mobile and AgWired Live TV. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

For you aspiring new media ag journalists I thought I’d summarize a one person multi event coverage week. Here’s some stats from the last few days:

370 digital photos, 215 of them loaded into 2 Flickr sets
15 audio interviews/press conference recordings
2 live video/audio streamed press conferences
1 YouTube video
posting/udpating on 5 different blogs
1 recorded/edited podcast
2 client site media production training sessions
12 mobile service story updates

Not too bad for an old guy, eh? If I can do it, then I know that you can do it too. Need help, just give me a call.

NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album

RFA Press Conference Photo Album

The Senator told us that he expects (hopes/dreams) that we’ll actually have a farm bill by today or tomorrow after the House and Senate conferees spent all day yesterday, including meeting with the Administration, on hammering out a final agreement. We’ll see. However, he did provide the group with quite a few numbers and statistics on what we should expect from the final bill.

I asked him what specialty crop producers could expect and you can hear his answer here: ww-08-harkin-specialty.mp3

NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album

Here’s the happy, smiley group as we walked up the hill past the Capitol to this building.

We’re going to be here all morning and fortunately my AT&T card is working like a charm! The photo album is up to date so feel free to visit and get a better sense of what this group is doing in Washington, DC.

NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album

Our emcee for dinner was Tom Brand, KFEQ, who was formally announced by Ken Root, WHO. The photo was taken with my camera by Leah Guffey, WFMB.

Sponsors include the National Farmers Union and The Fertilizer Institute. This is a unique restaurant which not only serves an excellent meal experience but is focused on purchasing products from farmers.

Agraria Restaurant is owned by and sources the highest quality products from family-farmers across the country. Enjoy our modern American cuisine derived from the families whose passion for farming not only provides the wholesome ingredients presented on our menu, but also embodies the very fabric of the American way of life.

NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album

I know there’s a story about the huge table that we sit around but I just don’t remember it. If you know the source for the table please leave a comment.

You can download and listen to the first 10 minutes of the Secretary’s remarks here: Secretary Schafer’s Remarks (10 min MP3)

Or listen right now with this link:ww-08-schafer-remarks.mp3

NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album