Category Archives: Video

Ryan Goodman Receives Inaugural Comm Award

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Ryan GoodmanHe’s Agriculture Proud. He’s Ryan Goodman, Manager of Communications for the Montana Stockgrowers Association. The photo is from when Ryan was teaching a blogging class at the 2011 Agvocacy 2.0 Conference.

The Montana Stockgrowers Association is proud to announce that Ryan Goodman, MSGA Manager of Communications, is the inaugural recipient of the 2013 Communicator of the Year award, presented by Alliance to Feed the Future and CropLife America. The award recognizes effective and innovative new voices that are enhancing the public dialogue about modern food production through multi-channel communications, including social media.

“Montana Stockgrowers knows how lucky we are to have Ryan Goodman on the team,” say Errol Rice, MSGA Executive Vice President. “His accomplishments in the agriculture communications world are outstanding and he brings that innovation to MSGA and Montana’s ranching community.”

“The simple truth is that I have a passion for the cattle industry and the community of folks involved in producing our food,” says Goodman. “America’s farmers and ranchers have a compelling story to tell. Whether it is our hard work, resilience, sense of community, or passion to keep improving upon our skills, I am proud to be a part of a community focused on agriculture, and I am proud to receive this award.”

Further, Goodman, author of the blog Agriculture Proud says, “Blogging and using social media is a way to continuously tell the story of agriculture. The heart of social media is about building relationships with individuals, not only of our like mind, but to branch out to other circles.” Goodman also offers a farmer’s perspective through video vignettes he posts to his blog and on YouTube, and he has contributed several blog posts to CNN’s Eatocracy blog.

Happy World Soil Day

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World Soil DayGot soil? Go outside and dig your fingers in it. It’s World Soil Day!

Here’s a message from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service on how important healthy soil is and how using conservation practices like no-till can help farmers take better care of their land.

When soil is heavily tilled, the stalks from the previous crop are chopped, and the top several inches of soil structure are disturbed. Conventional thought suggests this fluffing action allows for better seed placement, but Ray Archuleta, NRCS conservation agronomist, said that no-till systems, especially when combined with cover crops, are better – and lead to healthier, more drought-resistant soil.

Archuleta, who works at the agency’s East National Technology Center in Greensboro, N.C., said no-till has significant financial benefits for producers, too.

“No-tillage can save thousands of dollars every year in fuel, labor and equipment maintenance,” Archuleta said. “The key is to let the soil organisms do the work.”

Here’s a message from the FAO and the Global Soil Partnership.

The Chicago Farmers Rebrands Farmland Fair

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chi-farmThe Chicago Farmers annual Farmland Investment Fair has been rebranded for 2014 as simply “The Farmland Fair” with a continued focus on the connection of social media and farmland investment.

The Chicago Farmers 2014 Farmland Fair – “Where People Come To Learn, Connect and Understand Farmland” – will be held on February 1, 2014 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Joliet Junior College’s Weitendorf Ag Facility. The Fair will feature social media expert Jeff Korhan, author of “Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business,” which delivers proven methods for converting social marketing best practices into profitable outcomes. Korhan is a small business marketing specialist who helps businesses use social media and internet marketing to create exceptional customer experiences that accelerate business growth.

Farmland Fair co-chairman Jeff Martin notes that The Chicago Farmers organization has been helping people with an interest in farmland connect face-to-face with each other since 1935. “This year we’re going to teach people how to connect and learn about farmland on-line and further increase their business opportunities on the farm,” said Martin, who is a past president of The Chicago Farmers, a farmer from Mount Pulaski, Illinois and nationally-recognized expert on conservation practices. Interview with Jeff Martin, The Chicago Farmers

Read more here and watch one of Jeff’s videos from The Chicago Farmers website below where he talks about the fair.

Looking Ahead to ASFMRA Agronomics Vision 2015

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With the conclusion of the Agronomics Vision 2014 conference and American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers annual meeting, it is time to look forward to next year. To do that I sat down with Fred Hepler, President-Elect, AFM, AAC of Cottonwood Management in Edmond, Oklahoma. Next year it will be Fred’s meeting and he’s excited about it already. The conference will be in Tucson, AZ, October 27 – November 1, 2014.

Fred told me that although new technology was on the program at this year’s conference it will be even more prevalent next year with an expanded look at unmanned aerial vehicles and their use as a tool for managers, consultants and appraisers. You can learn more about his plans for next year’s program in our interview.

You can listen to my interview with Fred here: Interview with Fred Hepler

Agronomics Vision 2014 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

Summer Education for ASFMRA

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Jeff Berg, ARA, and Past President of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, talked about the ASFMRA Summer Education Week program during Agronomics Vision 2014 in Reno, NV. He told me that ASFMRA has a net increase of about 86 new members this year which is a big increase for the organization. Sounds like the ways that the organization is encouraging young people to get into the industry are working. It’s a great time to get into the business due to the changing demographics in the United States. ASFMRA chapters are sending representative to college clubs and classes like ag econ. He calls farm management, consulting and rural appraisal the best kept secret in agriculture.

Summer Education Week will take place July 13 – 17, 2014 in Des Moines, IA.

You can listen to my interview with Jeff here: Interview with Jeff Berg

Agronomics Vision 2014 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

Watching Out For ASFMRA In Washington

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Stephen Frerichs, AgVantage, LLC, works with the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers on its Leadership Institute in Washington, Dc. He attended the Agronomics Vision 2014 conference to provide a Farm Bill update and learn about what this year’s priorities are for ASFMRA.

I sat down with him to talk about the work he does with ASFMRA members when they visit Washington, DC for the annual Leadership Institute.

You can listen to my interview with Stephen here: Interview with Stephen Frerichs

Agronomics Vision 2014 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

ASFMRA Award Winner

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The American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) recognized Gary Thien, AFM, ARA, Thien Farm Management, Inc., with the 2013 D. Howard Doane Award during the 2013 ASFMRA Annual Meeting in Reno, NV.

The D. Howard Doane Award is held in great esteem in the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. It is given annually to a member or non-member who has demonstrated such qualities and outstanding contributions in the field of agriculture with emphasis on farm management and rural appraisal.

Gary Thien AFM, ARA, graduated from Iowa State University in 1974 and started managing farms in western Iowa for the Council Bluffs Savings Bank. That same year he attended an Iowa Chapter meeting of the ASFMRA and became a member shortly thereafter.

Learn a little bit more about Gary in this interview I did with him during the Agronomics Vision 2014 Conference.

You can listen to my interview with Gary here: Interview with Gary Thien

Agronomics Vision 2014 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

USFRA Update on Farmland Movie

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nafb13-usfra-lunzConsumers want to see a face of where their food comes from and that is one thing the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) has tried to provide. USFRA was on-hand during NAFB’s Trade Talk and Cindy spoke with them about their desire to continually start the conversations about food and farming across the country.

Lisa Lunz, USFRA Board Member, has been involved with all aspects of the organization’s endeavors. She is a corn and soybean producer from Northeast Nebraska. Her involvement on the Nebraska Soybean board is what lead her to USFRA. In the short time USFRA has been in existence, Lisa is truly proud of the dialogue they have been able to start and the wide-spread conversations people are having about the food they eat and produce. She describes USFRA as a movement not an organization, because change doesn’t happen over night. The success of the Food Dialogues is a testament to the need for these conversations to take place globally.

“We need to acknowledge consumers questions, answer those questions and give them an opportunity to understand what we do.”

The latest USFRA outreach activity was the release of trailer and website for the new film Farmland. The documentary is a work in progress. Director James Moll, has interviewed, conducted research and is now almost ready to announce the families featured in the film. This winter the film will be finalized and sent to film festivals. The coveted national debut will come in March 2014. The film is supported by USFRA, but not a USFRA production.

“Part of the reason why we thought this project was so important was because there are a lot of documentaries out there about a lot of different subjects, but there is not one about the next generation of farming. I think they have found a great director, that is a great listener and wanted to learn more too. As he went out and interviewed these famers and ranchers he has had an opportunity to learn also. He is an award winning director and so it has given us a great opportunity to create something that hopefully we can use as an educational tool and something that will spark conversations about food.”

Listen to Cindy’s complete interview with Lisa here: Interview with Lisa Lunz, USFRA Board Member

2013 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Farm Management Training by ASFMRA

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There are so many ways that the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers provide education for their members. One of those is an accelerated ag land management program which has brought the traditional and typical classes together into a three week course. These are for seasoned professionals instead of those just entering the field. I spoke with Mike Krause, Hertz Farm Management, about the program.

Another program is Summer Education Week. It moves around the country year to year. In includes core education for both the farm management/consulting and rural appraisal sides of the industry. The program will take place in Des Moines, IA in 2014.

You can listen to my interview with Mike here: Interview with Mike Krause

Agronomics Vision 2014 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

ASFMRA Leadership Institute Program

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Besides certification programs the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers also has a Leadership Institute. Let’s learn all about it from Merrill W. Swanson, ARA of Dugger, Canaday, Grafe, Inc, in San Antonio, TX. Merrill has moved into the role of First Vice President of the ASFMRA. He also serves as the Co-Chair of the Government Relations Committee which has been conducting this annual leadership program for about 20 years. The program is sponsored by Dupont Pioneer. Merrill has attended four of the institutes.

Approximately 30 members are selected each year to go to Washington, DC for the program where they learn about how to navigate and communicate with the politicians and regulators making decisions about policies that affect their business. Attendees range in age and experience across all members of ASFMRA. It’s a week long program.

You can listen to my interview with Merrill here: Interview with Merrill Swanson

Agronomics Vision 2014 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

Halderman Farm Management Continues to Expand

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As you know, Halderman Farm Management has been the sponsor of our coverage of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers Agronomics Conference for two years now. We greatly appreciate their support and to learn more about how things are going for the company I visited with Howard Halderman again at this year’s conference.

Howard says things are going well in the eastern corn belt and they are continuing to expand their services. He says recently they’ve started representing some large investment groups and building portfolios of farm land for them. He says this work has led them to various parts of the country and has emphasized the need for the Agronomics conference with the networking opportunities it provides. Listen in on our conversation to learn more about what’s going on in the industry.

You can listen to my interview with Howard here: Interview with Howard Halderman

Agronomics Vision 2014 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

Prince Agri Sponsors Dairy Nutrition Symposium

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Dr. Robert CorbettThe opening speaker at the Penn State Dairy Cattle Nutrition Workshop pre-conference symposium, sponsored by Prince Agri Products, was Dr. Robert Corbett, Dairy Health Consultation. His focus was on how nutritional and management practices can have a major impact on a dairy cow’s immune system during the transition period. I spoke with him after his presentation.

He says that minimizing stress in close-up and fresh cows is important in supporting their health, milk production and reproductive efficiency. He also noted that dairy cows experience a suppressed immune system at parturition, caused by the release of the stress hormone, cortisol, which makes them more susceptible to mastitis and a host of other health disorders. Elevated blood cortisol, he explained, causes white blood cells, known as neutrophils, to lose their ability to fight infections.

Listen to my interview with Dr. Corbett here: Interview with Dr. Robert Corbett

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Iowa Corn Growers “Fill Up on Me’ Sweepstakes

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iowa-corn-growers-association-77948544A new multimedia campaign features four Iowa corn farmers called ‘Fill Up on Me’ Sweepstakes. The statewide campaign from the Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board includes TV, online, print and radio advertisements focusing on ethanol/economic development, products from corn to ethanol process and conservation practices found on the farm.

“We are proud of the outstanding farmers we have in Iowa,” said Shannon Textor, Market Development Director for Iowa Corn and the staff person responsible for ethanol marketing. “We picked just four Iowans for the campaign, but we have thousands more great Iowa farmers that we could have chosen to feature.”

The campaign is already underway and will continue through December 14th. The farmers range in age, experience and have different farming techniques, but their passion for agriculture is clearly the same.

Meet the farmers:
- Mark Recker, Arlington, IA
- Brent Drey, Sc City, IA
- Pam Johnson, Floyd, IA
- Bill Couser, Nevada, IA

The ‘Fill Up on Me’ Sweepstakes includes a fuel giveaway and other ways to get involved on the issue of ethanol. For more information on the campaign check out IowaCorn.org.

ASFMRA Speaker Interviews

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Last week I posted podium remarks from Monsanto’s Dr. Robert Fraley and from California Secretary of Agriculture, Karen Ross at the Agronomics Vision 2014 conference in Reno, NV. After their presentations I sat down with them for a short interview which focused not only on their presentations but in more personal detail about what they see for the future. Feel free to click and watch or listen.

You can listen to my interview with Dr. Fraley here: Interview with Dr. Robert Fraley

You can listen to my interview with Karen here: Interview with Karen Ross

Agronomics Vision 2014 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

New ASFMRA President

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ASFMRAThe new president of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers is Jim Rickert, AFM, ARA co-owner of Western Agricultural Services. I visited with him at the Agronomics Vision 2014 conference taking place in Reno, NV, to find out what his goals are for his year as president.

Rickert, AFM, ARA is the co-owner of Western Agricultural Services, with his wife Mary, since 1981. Their son James Rickert joined the family business in 2004. Jim is a member of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and provides farm and ranch management services on over 50,000 acres in five counties in Northern California. Western Agricultural Services also offers appraisal and real estate brokerage services. Jim received his ARA designation in 1975 and his AFM designation in 1979.

You can listen to my interview with Jim here: Interview with Jim Rickert

You can find photos from the conference here: Agronomics Vision 2014 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

14 Billion Bushels of Corn!

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harvestDespite all the challenges that faced farmers this season, the nation’s corn crop is on track to be a record high 14.0 billion bushels, according to the new crop production report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

NASS revised the planted corn acreage downward in the new report, but increased the yield estimate to average 160.4 bushels per acre, with corn growers in 18 states forecast to reach record yields this year. Soybean production is forecast at 3.26 billion bushels, up 3 percent from the previous forecast and up 7 percent from last year.

Mike Krueger of The Money Farm gave a good overview of the new production estimates, as well as the new supply-demand report out from USDA, during today’s Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) Crop Report Conference Call. Listen to or download that here: MGEX November Crop Call

After a slow start, the 2013 harvest is pretty much back on schedule in most of the country, but it seems late compared to last year’s record pace. As of Sunday, USDA reports 73 percent of the corn crop was harvested, two points ahead of average, but more than 20% less than last year at this time. The soybean harvest is 86% complete, which is a bit ahead of normal, and only about six percent behind last year.

Found this YouTube video from Cross Implement in central Illinois using Luke Bryan’s Harvest Time to help celebrate this special time of year!

Farmland – The Movie

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USFRAAward-winning filmmaker James Moll has announced the release of his first trailer for the new film called “Farmland.”. The documentary chronicles the next generation of American farmers and ranchers from across the United States.

You can view the trailer and additional information about the film at farmlandfilm.com. Mark your calendars for Spring 2014 when the film is released for the public.

“I make documentaries because it’s a thrill to explore new topics and meet people that I might not otherwise cross paths with,” said Moll. “While making Farmland, I found myself immersed in a community of some of the most hard working, passionate people I’ve ever met. This film isn’t just about what it’s like to be a farmer, it’s about a way of life. It’s also about a subject that affects our lives daily.”

Most Americans have never stepped foot on a farm or ranch or even talked to the people who grow and raise the food we eat. Farmland will take an intimate look at the lives of farmers and ranchers in their ’20s, all of who are now responsible for running their farming business.

Through this film you’ll step inside the world of farming for a first-hand glimpse into the lives of young farmers and ranchers. Learn about their high-risk/high reward jobs and passion for a way of life that has been passed down from generation to generation, yet continues to evolve.

The film is being produced with the generous support of the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA®)

Rep. Kristi Noem Unplugged

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kristiRep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) took advantage of last Thursday’s bonus day off from Congress to head back west and meet with some of her peeps at the AgFirst Farmers Cooperative in Aurora, SD.

Noem, who is a member of the farm bill conference committee scheduled to begin meeting this week, kicked back with a couple of the coop members and talked informally about differences between the House and Senate bills. She also talks about the value of ethanol production to cattle producers in her state.

As a farmer and rancher herself, Rep. Noem looks relaxed and comfortable in her jeans and boots with her normally perfectly-styled locks hidden under a ball cap.

Anti-GMO Activist on Display

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Here’s an interesting video clip of Michael Pollan doing an interview. For those of you who don’t know of him, he’s a very anti-GMO activist who claims to be a journalist. This clip pretty well negates the journalist part when he brags about writing for the New York Times, “But when I wrote about food I never had to give equal time to the other side. I could say whatever I thought and offer my own conclusions.”

It’s also interesting to hear him lament about the “industry” finally fighting back against the kind of misinformation he propagates. He specifically mentions the Food Dialogues like the one that took place yesterday in Boston.

There’s a good Forbes article about this interview you might enjoy.