USDA announced today that 639 individuals and businesses in 43 states and the Virgin Islands have been selected to receive $35 million in grants and loan guarantees for renewable energy systems or to improve energy efficiency in farm and business operations. On hand to make the announcement here at the Farm Progress Show was our USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development, Tom Dorr. I had hoped to have webcast the press conference but we had internet “issues.”
That’s why I try to always have an audio recorder going too. So you can listen to Secretary Dorr, including the Q&A afterward. The whole file is about 9 minutes long.
You can listen to Sec. Dorr’s press conference here:
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The USDA Crop Production Report is out. It forecasts reductions in corn, soybeans and cotton but wheat is pretty much unchanged. I expect we’ll see lots of spin today.
I interviewed two of my favorite people at the Ag Media Summit and have saved those interviews for this week’s program. First up, you’ll find Jerry Harrington, Pioneer Hi-Bred. He talks about how he helps agricultural journalists connect with agronomists so they can get the word out and help producers, “grow more corn and soybeans.”
Then I talk with U. S. Under Secretary of Rural Development, Tom Dorr, about the latest in his world. It includes the development of a major biorefinery loan program. He says they’re working to make loans available by the end of the year. He also speaks about the re-authorization of the broadband loan program. Tom says that they’ve already loaned nearly $7 billion to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America. That’s fueling a lot of competition which should just increase the pace of development.
The program this week ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. Since we’re talking about broadband you get to listen to “Outside The Internet” from Messian Dread. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 182 (16 min MP3)
Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:
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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
Cows wearing headsets. Uh. Right. I want to know if they can subscribe to farm podcasts.
The same Global Positioning System (GPS) technology used to track vehicles is now being used to track cows.
But Agricultural Research Service (ARS) animal scientist Dean M. Anderson has taken tracking several steps further with a Walkman-like headset that enables him to “whisper” wireless commands to cows to control their movements across a landscape—and even remotely gather them into a corral.
He and his colleagues realize this is a highly futuristic technology, but they can envision a time when these technologies will be affordable and useful for a range of applications, from intensive animal operations to monitoring and controlling the movements of some wildlife species and even household pets.
The commands vary from familiar “gathering songs” sung by cowboys during manual round-ups, to irritating sounds such as sirens and even mild electric stimulation if necessary to get cows to move or avoid penetrating forbidden boundaries.
Cindy and I got up early this morning and left Tampa for Orlando where we’re attending the Florida Farm to Fuel Summit. I think this is the third one.
We missed our old friend Charlie Bronson, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, although he’ll be here later this afternoon. We did see him on video though.
Right now our U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Ed Schafer, is speaking. I’ll add a link to some audio after his remarks and press availability. The Secretary is here to speak on Food, Conservation and the Energy Act of 2008.
I’ll be traveling home later today but we’re getting to spend the morning here which is when all the very important people are speaking anyway.
What we know and what we need to know was Peggy Caswell’s, USDA-ERS, topic here at the Farm Foundation Transition To A Bio Economy conference. She says we need to know things about how farmers or the providers of biofuels and feed stocks are going to have to change the way they do business. She used the example of having to look at different types of contracts and financing.
She said that ethanol companies are going to need a consistent and reliable source of product and that farming by nature is very variable. So farmers will be taking big risks and that’s why contracting will be necessary. She also calls for a lot more research, something we heard earlier in the program from other speakers.
You can listen to my interview with Peggy here:
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My good friend Tom Dorr, USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development, was our opening speaker for day two of Farm Foundation’s Transition To A Bio Economy conference. He was glad to see the golden ZimmComm microphone once again! We visited for a while before the session got started.
He says that rural policy is more important and timely a topic now than it has ever been, especially as we’re coming off the finalization of the 2008 Farm Bill. Some reasons include the huge growth in the deployment of broadband internet access and the demand for food and energy. With growth in rural communities people are starting to think differently when it comes to policy issues like conservation.
He pointed out that 95 percent of all rural income is off farm and that there haven’t been any new jobs in agriculture in recent years. So he says we need to look at unique uses of local resources for development but that development creates demands on infrastructure like water and sewer. He says that by meeting goals of replacing oil with renewable energy sources we’re creating a significant rural investment opportunity. So the question he poses to communities is “Are they willing to step up?”
Dorr has a long history with the Farm Foundation since he was a member of the round table prior to his appointment in Washington, DC. He also talks about the Foundation’s rural development opportunity tours and one that’s planned for this summer in Europe where he’ll be participating in a farmer to farmer dialogue.
You can listen to my interview with Tom here:
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We had USDA Rural Development represented here at the Transition To A Bio Economy conference by Tony Crooks. He works with their rural business cooperatives program and has done a lot of work with communities in the area of ethanol and biodiesel.
The challenge he says we have today in rural communities is the large capital outlay to get a biorefinery started so USDA is looking at creative ways to help them. He highly suggests that a community have a community development plan so they can better decide if a plant would be in their best interest. Ways that USDA Rural Development can help is with grants and guaranteed loans. He says they’re looking for communities who need financial assistance, especially in the second generation cellulosic area.
You can listen to my interview with Tony here:
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I really enjoyed getting to talk with our USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development, Tom Dorr, this evening. He was our keynote speaker at the CUTC.
He told corn growers and all the attendees that they’re doing a great job. He also said that there are challenges ahead like the recent Grocers Association attack on ethanol. He says that’s making it difficult to get the facts out to the media.
He points out that we’ve been through substantive increases in demand before like back in the early ’70’s with the Russian grain robbery that led to fears about escalating food prices. He said that no good deed goes unpunished and that we’ve had the good side of the cycle and now we’re going to have to suffer through the other side. He says it’s difficult to fight a well financed opponent that’s less inclined to deal with facts as opposed to dealing with emotion.
Here’s my interview with Sec. Dorr:
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Wow. What a morning here at the BASF Media Summit. After doing some live video streaming, interviews, pictures and recordings we got to have lunch with USDA Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Bruce Knight.
Bruce talked about the farm bill of course. He used a description from a story in the Washington Post which called the current proposal “an overstuffed turkey.” When he was asked about so many farm groups coming out in support of the proposal he basically said that if he was a special interest group he’d be pretty pleased with it too. However, he said that just because a lot of groups support it, that doesn’t make it good for Americans.
You can listen to Sec. of Ag Schafer voice one of them here:
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I’m curious if any radio stations or networks use these. It was my experience before getting out of farm broadcasting on air that psa’s didn’t get used much. Is it worth taxpayer dollars to produce and distribute them anymore?
Okay, this is my last post with Secretary Schafer here at the NAFB Washington Watch. While I was streaming it live, taking stills and recording audio I also shot a video clip so you can see what the room is like when we meet here in the USDA board room.
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:
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The board room here at the USDA Admin Building is a great place to have a meeting.
Here’s farm broadcasters participating in the NAFB Washington Watch program. It’s a very intimate setting and besides having a mult box to plug our audio recorders into we get to ask lots of questions. I’m recording our sessions and will be editing out some audio to post later.
One of the highlights of meeting with our Secretary of Agriculture is getting out picture taken with him.
Here’s the whole NAFB group with Sec. Schafer just a few minutes ago on a break before we went back into session.
This afternoon we’ll be going out to USDA’s Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. That’s a first for the NAFB Washington Watch and it will be my first time visiting the center.
Here’s our Secretary of Agriculture speaking to the NAFB group here at their Washington Watch program a few minutes ago.
You’ll notice the Macbook Pro sitting in front of him. That was streaming his remarks live on AgWired Live TV using the built-in camera and microphone.
Here’s what it looked like on the Mac screen from my vantage point. You can still watch the event since I also recorded a portion of it.
I’m posting from the Mac while our next group of speakers from USDA is speaking. This group includes FAS, FSA and RMA.
I just completed the first test of AgWired Live TV with the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Ed Schafer, addressing members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. I didn’t have time to pre-advertise it but I did record his opening remarks which you can watch here. I think you’re going to be seeing more of the future of farm broacasting.
The NAFB Washington Watch program is about to start their visit with Secretary of Agriculture Schafer here at the USDA Admin Offices. Here’s the BARN broadcasters Andy Vance and Lindsay Hill with the Secretary.
Actually they’re all filtering in to the board room now so I’ve got to go. More to come.
Podcasting is becoming more mainstream all the time. Now USDA’s FSIS is using this great new media communications tool.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today launched a series of educational podcasts tailored to address food safety and education issues for consumers and other stakeholders.
As a part of the Agency’s ongoing outreach efforts to small and very small establishments, FSIS will initially focus on providing small and very small plant owners, operators and employees with important information through the use of podcasts.
Subscribers will receive the latest additions through an RSS feed, or Web feed collector, with news and information about Agency work to ensure public health protection through food safety. FSIS podcasts will be short, factual audio and video files featuring scientists, policy experts and other specialists.
To listen to individual podcasts or sign up for a free subscription, visit http://www.fsis.usda.gov. For assistance or details concerning FSIS podcasts, please send an e-mail to podcast@fsis.usda.gov.
USDA Rural Development is at it again, helping bring AgWired to rural America in high speed (as well as all ZimmComm online communications projects). Thank you Sec. Dorr for all you do!
SDA Rural Development Under Secretary Thomas C. Dorr today announced that Open Range Communications, headquartered in Denver, Colo., has been approved to receive a $267 million loan from USDA Rural Development to provide broadband service to 518 rural communities in 17 states.
This partnership will address the significant need to deploy wireless, portable broadband connectivity to improve service in considerable portions of rural America. The commitment by USDA and Open Range represents one of the largest public-private investments for broadband service by the federal government.
This unique set of services will provide cutting-edge Wi-Max technology that transmits wireless data in areas not serviced by cable or DSL technologies. Open Range plans to offer affordable, wireless high-speed broadband service to underserved and unserved areas. (more…)
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer has appointed nine members and nine alternates to the American Egg Board for the 2008-2009 term. All members and alternates will serve 2-year terms. The board administers an egg research and promotion program authorized by the Egg Research and Consumer Information Act of 1974.
The board is composed of 18 members and 18 alternates representing six regions. The Secretary of Agriculture selects appointees from egg producers nominated by organizations representing the egg industry.
Reappointed members and alternates, by region, are:
North Atlantic states - Kurt H. Kreher, Clarence, N.Y., member; Jerry Kil, Ledyard, Conn., alternate.
South Atlantic states - Richard L. Simpson, Monroe, N.C., member; Jacques Klempf, Jacksonville, Fla., member; James H. Brock, Braselton, Ga., alternate; Robert B. Pike, Nashville, N.C., alternate.
East North Central states - Joseph J. Maust, Pigeon, Mich., member; Gregory S. Herbruck, Ada, Mich., alternate. (more…)
After his speech Secretary Schafer met up with the press near the media room.
You might find this more interesting than his speech since he gets to respond to specific questions. He fielded quite a few relating to the recent meat recall and made the point over and over that “the rules will be followed.” He said that although he doesn’t agree with the Humane Society on tactics and on a lot of what they do, he appreciates them bringing the problem with the plant in question to USDA’s attention. Nice politically sensitive statement. I might have worded it differently. But that would be why I’m not electable.
You can listen to Secretary Schafer’s press conference here:
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AgWired coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: and
The Farm Progress Show had all the weather we could handle. But that's typical isn't it? We've got lots of pictures for you. We, being, Laura McNamara and Chuck.
Aggie Lancer
Laura McNamara interviewed Aggie-Lance creator and founder, Mark Jewell.
They talk about the new company and what Mark's trying to do which includes providing an online opportunity for companies to connect with free lancers.
USDA announced today that 639 individuals and businesses in 43 states and the Virgin Islands have been selected to receive $35 million in grants and loan guarantees for renewable energy systems or to improve energy efficiency in farm and business operations. On hand to make the announcement here at the Farm Progress Show was our USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development, Tom Dorr. I had hoped to have webcast the press conference but we had internet “issues.”
and 
I interviewed two of my favorite people at the Ag Media Summit and have saved those interviews for this week’s program. First up, you’ll find Jerry Harrington, 
Cindy and I got up early this morning and left Tampa for Orlando where we’re attending the 
What we know and what we need to know was Peggy Caswell’s, USDA-ERS, topic here at the Farm Foundation Transition To A Bio Economy conference. She says we need to know things about how farmers or the providers of biofuels and feed stocks are going to have to change the way they do business. She used the example of having to look at different types of contracts and financing.
My good friend Tom Dorr, USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development, was our opening speaker for day two of Farm Foundation’s Transition To A Bio Economy conference. He was glad to see the golden ZimmComm microphone once again! We visited for a while before the session got started.
We had USDA Rural Development represented here at the Transition To A Bio Economy conference by Tony Crooks. He works with their rural business cooperatives program and has done a lot of work with communities in the area of ethanol and biodiesel.
I really enjoyed getting to talk with our USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development, Tom Dorr, this evening. He was our keynote speaker at the CUTC. 
Wow. What a morning here at the BASF Media Summit. After doing some live video streaming, interviews, pictures and recordings we got to have lunch with USDA Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Bruce Knight.
At NAFB’s Washington Watch we all received psa’s from NASS for the 
Okay, this is my last post with Secretary Schafer here at the NAFB Washington Watch. While I was streaming it live, taking stills and recording audio I also shot a video clip so you can see what the room is like when we meet here in the USDA board room.
The board room here at the USDA Admin Building is a great place to have a meeting.
Here’s the whole NAFB group with Sec. Schafer just a few minutes ago on a break before we went back into session.
Here’s our Secretary of Agriculture speaking to the NAFB group here at their Washington Watch program a few minutes ago.
Here’s what it looked like on the Mac screen from my vantage point. You can still watch the event since I also 
The NAFB Washington Watch program is about to start their visit with Secretary of Agriculture Schafer here at the USDA Admin Offices. Here’s the 
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer has appointed nine members and nine alternates to the 
After his speech Secretary Schafer met up with the press near the media room.
Laura McNamara interviewed Aggie-Lance creator and founder, Mark Jewell.
