Eubank Joins HAT

Chuck Zimmerman

Andy EubankHoosier Ag Today has increased their staff with the addition of Andy Eubank. Maybe we’ll see some agriblogging from the HAT team now.

Hoosier Ag Today is proud to announce the appointment of Andy Eubank as Vice President of Operations. Eubank will join HAT President Gary Truitt in hosting and producing agricultural programs that are aired on 30 radio stations across the state. “Andy’s more than 30 years of experience in radio will make him a valuable part of the HAT team,” said Truitt. Most recently Eubank served as Vice President and General Manager of WSAL and WLHM in Logansport, IN.

Eubank will assume his position in early December and will be based in HAT’s new branch office and studio located in West Lafayette, IN. He has a long history of working with local farmers and farm organizations as well as extensive involvement in local civic and charitable organizations. “He shares our passion for serving the people of rural Indiana and will make a great addition to the team,” said Truitt. The addition of Eubank will give HAT the largest farm broadcast team based in Indiana.

Media

Show Me Some Schmap

Chuck Zimmerman

Many of the pictures I take out and about the country have been getting used by various publications, newsletters and websites. Here’s a unique one than I was happy to allow to use a couple of the photos I took at this summer’s CMA Music Festival. It’s called Schmap. They’re basically travel guides. They needed some photos for their Nashville Map.

The site lets you create widgets like this one for your website so I thought I’d post one here that has my photos they used in it. When you go to the site there’s a photo album than includes a few of the ones I took.

Uncategorized

Heinze and Slagle at Beef Board

Chuck Zimmerman

Lynn HeinzeI’m still getting caught up on email from the last couple weeks so I’ve been meaning to let you know what those of us at NAFB’s Trade Talk already know and that’s that Lynn Heinze is now on board with the Cattlemen’s Beef Board as well as Melissa Slagle. That would be the Melissa that posts here on AgWired btw.

The Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) will strengthen its efforts to keep cattlemen informed about how their checkoff dollars are being invested and the results of those investments with the addition of two new members to its staff. Lynn Heinze, formerly vice president of information for the U.S. Meat Melissa SlagleExport Federation, is the new executive director of communications for CBB, and Melissa Slagle is its new trade media manager. Both veterans of agricultural communications, Heinze and Slagle join the CBB staff as the checkoff Board transitions management of producer communications from a contracted effort to a CBB staff responsibility.

“We are extremely pleased to have Lynn and Melissa complete the Beef Board team,” Chief Executive Officer Tom Ramey said. “Lynn has been working on behalf of the checkoff for many years –through his previous roles with the U.S. Meat Export Federation and, prior to that, on the producer communications team for the beef checkoff – so he’s returning home, in a sense. Read More

Ag Groups, Beef

Farmers in Midwest Have New Reason to Invest Ethanol Crops

Laura McNamara

Washington Group InternationalThe Midwest is getting three new ethanol production plants. Washington Group International has received $150 million worth of cost-reimbursable contracts from E85 Inc. for the construction of E85’s first three ethanol plants in the Midwest region.

E85 Inc.Washington Group will provide procurement, construction, commissioning, and start-up services for the facilities in Wahoo, Neb., and Red Oak and Council Bluffs, Iowa. Each of the facilities will be capable of producing 110 million gallons of ethanol per year. The corn-based ethanol will be blended with unleaded gasoline to create motor fuel, and the plant will produce commercially viable products in corn gluten feed and meal, corn germ, and wet and dry distiller grains with solubles.

Work on the Wahoo plant started in late September; work on the other two plants is planned to begin during the fourth quarter of 2007. A peak construction force of more than 300 is expected at each site. E85 will invest over $750 million in the three facilities.

Agribusiness, Corn, Ethanol, Farming

Mix It Up This Holiday Season

Laura McNamara

The American Culinary FederationThe American Culinary Federation wants holiday cooks and chefs to experiment in the kitchen this holiday season. That’s why the organization is offering new, tantalizing recipes for those who are a bit more adventurous.

During the holidays, cooks confuse tradition with monotony. Every year, it’s the same menu. Offer your readers new recipes that will give them cause to celebrate. The American Culinary Federation is making available several holiday recipes complete with jpg art.

Hanukkah:
— Crispy Potato and Goat Cheese Salad with Basil Oil and Aged Balsamic Vinegar
— Olive Oil Poached Halibut with Oven-Dried Tomato and Roasted Eggplant
— Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Strudel

Christmas:
— Pan Seared Duck Breast with Glazed Root Vegetables, Celery Puree and Orange Sauce
— Espresso Rubbed Venison Tenderloin with White Corn Pudding

New Year’s Eve:
— Maui Shrimp Cocktail with Coconut Cocktail Sauce
— Creme Brulee with Honeyed Raspberries
— Raspberry Martinis

To receive any or all of these recipes contact Dan Macdonald at (800) 624-9458, ext. 113 or e-mail at dmacdonald@acfchefs.net.

Food

Chins Sing Carols

Chuck Zimmerman

The ChinsThe Chins are back at Sundog and they’re ready to sing your favorite Christmas carol.

I picked Silent Night to start with. Just enter in your song and let them sing it for you.

We’re trying to get into the holiday spirit and thanks to our friends at Sundog for helping us out.

Let me know how you’re trying to get into the holiday spirit on your website and I’ll feature it here.

Agencies

Zimfo Bites

Melissa Sandfort

  • Ag Leader Technology, Inc. introduced the GPS 1500, a low-cost high-accuracy GPS receiver, ideal for use in DirectCommand™, SeedCommand™ and harvesting operations using AutoSwath™. AutoSwath is used to automatically turn sprayer boom sections or planter sections on and off based on field maps or already applied/planted areas and to automatically adjust swath width of combines during harvest. The GPS 1500 is an all-in-one antenna/receiver system with sub-meter accuracy. In addition to planting, application and harvesting operations, the GPS 1500 can also be used for tillage, data logging or general mapping.
  • The 2008 Women Managing the Farm Conference is scheduled Feb. 8-9 at the Grand Prairie Hotel and Conference Center in Hutchinson, Kan. Titled “Celebrating Ag Women,” the conference is designed for women who are sharing agribusiness decisions with their farmer or rancher husband and for women who have either inherited – or are purchasing – a farm or acreage or choosing agriculture as a career. Early registration for the two-day conference is $75 and due Feb. 1, 2008; registration after that date is $90. A partial (one-day) registration is $50. Registration information can be found here.
  • John and Christine Augustine are the recipients of the 2007 Farmer of the Year Award from the Arizona Farm Bureau (AZFB). The award was presented during the AZFB annual meeting on Nov. 8 in Carefree, Ariz. The Augustine family manages two plant nurseries in Maricopa County, Ariz., and operates a ranch in Young, Ariz., plus have farm operations in Iowa. John Augustine is the first person to hold a patent on plants in Arizona for developing the Desert Blaze and Phoenix Bird varieties, trees his nursery specifically developed for the Arizona climate.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Corn Commentary on YouTube

    Chuck Zimmerman

    If you want to learn the facts about water usage and corn then Rick Tolman, NCGA CEO, will fill you in. This is a short video interview I did with Rick at the recent NAFB Convention. I shot several while I was in their booth. It was pretty dark in the Trade Talk room so a light is now on my “need” list. But it works. These are all content for Corn Commentary.

    Isn’t it amazing how many uses we can come up with for the content we create?

    Ag Groups, Corn, Video

    Iowa Woman Recognized for Promoting Farm Safety

    Laura McNamara

    Farm Safety 4 Just KidsVoters nationwide are nominating their picks for 6th Annual Volvo for life Awards and one of the semifinalists is an Iowa woman being recognized for promoting farm safety and health. Marilyn Adams has been selected as one of the nation’s top 40 heroes for her creation of a non-profit organization that works to educate children about farm safety and health.

    Twenty years ago, Marilyn Adams faced every mother’s greatest fear. Her eleven-year old son, Keith, suffocated in a gravity flow wagon while helping with the first full day of harvest on the family’s farm in Iowa. Determined to find a constructive outlet for her grief, she was inspired to create a non-profit organization working to educate children about farm safety and health. Today, thousands of volunteers across the United States and Canada work to keep rural kids safe and healthy. Adams is now in the running to be named “America’s Greatest Hometown Hero” in the 6th Annual Volvo for life Awards — an annual, nationwide search for real-life heroes across America.

    In 1987, Adams founded Farm Safety 4 Just Kids and set out on a mission to promote safe farm environments and eliminate farm-related child health hazards, injuries and fatalities. A report by the National Safety Council found that children between the ages of five and 14 were 66 percent more likely to be injured in a farm accident than adults aged 45 to 64.

    Farm Safety 4 Just Kids’ contribution to the farm safety movement has helped to reduce the number of agriculture-related fatalities among children in the United States. Farm families now have additional programs and educational materials highlighting the dangers that children can encounter on farms, and information about how to avoid them. Farm Safety 4 Just Kids now has 137 chapters throughout North America. Through her visits to rural schools, media appearances, testimony before government agencies and in Congress, Adams has spread her farm safety message across the country.

    Forty semi-finalists have been selected. You can vote for the final winners at www.volvoforlifeawards.com. Three finalists will receive $100,000 charitable contributions and the grand prize winner receives a Volvo car every three years for life.

    Ag Groups, Education, Equipment, Farming

    Getting Back in Action

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Hello from the central part of the country. I’ve been a little lazy on posting this weekend I admit. It doesn’t mean nothing has been done though. I’ve been doing some new creative backups of hard drives and computers and a number of other interesting things to get ZimmComm New Media ready for a gangbuster year coming up. We’ve got new recording stations in our offices for one thing. We do a lot of over the phone interviews so that was something I’ve been wanting to do.

    This week I’ll be out and about but of course you’ll be able to keep up with all the action here.

    I think I mentioned that I’ve upgraded to Leopard on my Mac and I just used Time Machine to back up this computer to a new hard drive I bought. I spent a lot of time this weekend doing antivirus scans on my PC’s and backing them up. That’s something I don’t have to do on the Mac!

    Uncategorized