Homeownership Month Reflects USDA Homebuilding Efforts

Laura McNamara

USDA Rural Development USDA Rural Development spotlights its roll in homebuilding efforts this June, National Homeownership Month. Thomas Dorr is the Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development. He says programs sponsored by USDA Rural Development have enabled rural residents to have their own abode to call home.

“For nearly 60 years, USDA Rural Development has helped rural Americans with the blueprint to become a homeowner,” Dorr said. “In the most recent year, we helped 43,000 rural families achieve the American dream of homeownership.”

This year’s Homeownership Month highlights the close partnership of USDA Rural Development with partner organizations through financial and technical assistance by direct and guaranteed loan programs. Volunteers in the Mutual Self-Help housing program are also recognized for helping future homeowners build their own houses under the direction of an experienced construction supervisor. Through community building events, almost 1,500 families built their own homes last year, earning 25 percent credit through “sweat equity.”

USDA is hosting more than 100 events nationwide during June to underscore the Administration’s commitment to providing Americans with safe, affordable housing:

Recognition of the 100th Mutual Self-Help home built for Rural Development by a Wichita, Kansas, faith-based organization working with the state Rural Development office for affordable housing options; Maine’s fourth grade student essay contest, “What A Home Means To Me;” Celebration of a new home in Sulphur, Louisiana, where USDA-guaranteed lenders provide single-close construction loan and permanent financing; A three-day house raising for a lower-income family in Kentucky to mark the 25th anniversary of a community-based nonprofit and its volunteers; Recognition of 13 lenders in Michigan partnering with Rural Development to close a record $2 billion in guaranteed homeownership loans.

USDA Rural Development’s mission is to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for rural residents. Rural Development has invested more than $76.8 billion since 2001 for equity and technical assistance to finance and foster growth in homeownership, business development, and critical community and technology infrastructure. More than 1.5 million jobs have been created or saved through these investments. Further information on rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office or by visiting USDA’s Web site.

USDA

Brownfield Gets More Air Time

Laura McNamara

Brownfield Listeners in Indiana who want to catch up on ag news now have two new affiliate radio stations to tune to in Fort Wayne, IN. Both 1250-AM and 102.9-FM are offering Brownfield’s comprehensive daily farm radio program at 5:45 am and 1:25 pm Monday through Friday. Brownfield says the shows will address local issues within the northeast Indiana market:

Station President Lloyd B. Roach will host The Fort Wayne Farm Show targeting farmers in northeast Indiana. Roach hosted The Chester County Farm Show for nine years on his radio station WCOJ-1420-AM in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Roach says because he grew up on a 280-acre dairy farm, he has “real insight” into what farmers need in the way of daily information.

In addition to agribusiness news, markets, weather and feature programming provided by Brownfield, The Fort Wayne Farm Show will include locally generated news and commentary.

WGL-FM-102.9 operates 24 hours a day with 6,000 watts. WGL-AM-1250 operates 24 hours a day with 2,500 watts and has served Fort Wayne continuously since 1923.

Brownfield, founded in 1972, includes America’s largest farm radio network, providing commodity and livestock reports, agribusiness news and other feature programming to more than 270 radio stations across the Midwest. Brownfieldagnews.com features news, markets, weather, event coverage and ag-related features. Brownfield also offers “Agriculture Today,” a daily email newsletter providing readers with a snapshot of what is happening in agriculture.

Farm Shows, Media

DirectCommand™ For Direct Control

Laura McNamara

DirectCommand™ PotashIt’s precision farming with point-blank control. Ag Leader Technology Inc. is now offering DirectCommand™ for strip-till applicators. The manufacturer of precision farming equipment says the system meets all strip-till application needs through direct oversight for granular and liquid products.

DirectCommand™ for strip-till applicators monitors bin level and fan speed sensors, maintains accurate application rate by controlling servo or PWM hydraulic valves, and supports multiple product prescription rate control all through the InSight™ display. DirectCommand not only runs all your air cart bins,but also controls anhydrous at the same time. The system provides fan speed monitoring with user defined high and low speed limits and an option to shut off product dispense if fan speed falls below a minimum setting. There are also static and in-field calibration routines. The InSight DirectCommand system makes strip-till applicators easy to run by providing all the desired functions in one system.

AutoSwath™
The AutoSwath™ feature automatically shuts off product application as the strip-till applicator enters and exits previously applied areas,this is especially useful around point rows and field borders where over-application and skips are most likely to occur. The InSight display can record multiple sub-boundaries within a field for use by the AutoSwath feature around terraces and waterways. This enables AutoSwath to automatically turn product application on and off when passing in and out of these field areas. An on-screen coverage map showing skips and overlaps as small as one foot provides visual verification the system is doing its job.

Smart Report™
The simple to use Smart Report™ feature helps meet product application record keeping needs when performing strip-till application. Enter the temperature,wind speed,EPA number and soil condition (temperature and moisture) and the InSight display creates a report as a PDF file on a memory card – including a map with legend,total volume/area applied as well as other system and user supplied data. The Smart Report is an easy to use record keeping solution for all application operations.

About Ag Leader Technology
Ag Leader is a pioneer and recognized technology innovator of precision agriculture hardware and software. Located in Ames,Iowa the company manufactures and markets industry leading precision farming technology designed to help growers make smart,profitable business decisions. Founded in 1992 the company has achieved consistent growth and expansion by providing value-based products that help growers and ag professionals achieve and maintain a successful operation. For more information visit: www.aglead.com

Farming, Technology

Listen To Food Podcast Slowly

Chuck Zimmerman

Whole Foods MarketHere’s a podcast you might want to add to your iTunes/iPod about food. It’s the Whole Foods Market Podcast. They’re “Exploring the world of natural and organic foods…one podcast at a time.” I haven’t listened to this episode yet but it sounds worthwhile. I like the idea of slowing down, especially when it comes to food. In any event, here’s another example of how to apply podcasting to reach a consuming audience. How many of our commodity checkoff groups are doing this??

Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket, today debuts an exclusive in-depth interview with Carlo Petrini, founder and driving force behind the Slow Food organization, in a podcast conversation on the Company’s web site (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/podcasts). Having Petrini as a guest speaker kicks off a new series of interview-style podcasts for Whole Foods Market focusing on conversations with today’s leading thinkers about food and environmental issues facing our world.

Originally started by Petrini as a protest in response to the opening of a major fast-food restaurant in his native Italy, the Slow Food movement seeks to catalyze a shift toward a sustainable food system, preservation of regional food traditions, and a rediscovery of the pleasures of the table and a more harmonious rhythm of life. A passionate spokesperson and writer on how food can connect us to the earth and each other, he was recently included in Time magazine’s list of “European Heroes” as one of today’s great innovators.

“We are thrilled to kick off our new interview-style podcasts with such an inspirational food revolutionary,” said Paige Brady, podcast host and social media director at Whole Foods Market. “Carlo Petrini has changed the way many people — from foodies to farmers — think about eating. The central principles he lays out for us to take back control of our food, which revolve around quality, environmentally sustainable production and social justice, are very much in line with the mission our company was founded on more than 25 years ago.”

If you’re not equipped yet you can download this episode here (mp3 file).

Audio, Food, Podcasts

New Self-Propelled Sprayers From John Deere

Laura McNamara

4930 Self-Propelled SprayerJohn Deere is calling the new 30 Series Self-Propelled Sprayers its new line-up of intelligent-application equipment. The 4730, 4830 and 4930 Series Self-Propelled Sprayers set new standards for John Deere in sprayer performance, versatility and productivity. The company says its new line of sprayers is also supported by John Deere Commercial Application Dealers (CAD) and the Application Support Dealer (ASD) network.

“We’ve put together a complete family of self-propelled sprayers to meet the productivity demands of all markets, from growers to commercial applicators,” says Craig Weynand, product marketing manager, John Deere Des Moines Works. “And all the sprayers are loaded with integrated performance-enhancing technology which includes precision guidance, mapping and variable rate software. These machines truly are the most efficient sprayers ever built by John Deere.”

The 4730 Sprayer, rated at 245 horsepower, leads the line-up by delivering 20 more horsepower than the previous model to better handle rolling terrain, hillsides, and tough field conditions. It features 800 gallons of solution capacity and a new, factory-installed 100-foot boom, which is designed to lay flat in transport for better visibility and comfort for the operator. The 4730 Sprayer also features an improved front entry for easy access into the temperature-controlled, operator-friendly cab. Read More

Equipment, John Deere

Throw Him A T-Bone For Father’s Day

Laura McNamara

Beef for Father's DayThe Catttleman’s Beef Promotion and Research Board urges consumers to “bring the beef” this Father’s Day. The Board says barbecues have been a Father’s Day tradition since its founding in 1972 when Richard Nixon signed the day into public law. Father’s Day is by nature “a prime time for cookout,” for the Board.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 74 million Americans participated in a barbecue last year. The census added that it’s “safe to assume” that many of them took place on Father’s Day. In many cases, dad is in charge of his own cookout, which often means burgers and steaks sizzling on the grill.

Although the summer grilling season hasn’t officially arrived, beef sales were up 2 percent in March (compared to 2006), totaling more than $1.4 billion, according to FreshLook Marketing. Following last year’s beef checkoff-funded grilling campaign, total beef dollar and pound sales were up three percent and six percent respectively. Grilling cuts made up 67 percent of beef dollar sales during the 2006 national grilling promotion.

“Father’s Day has been a significant holiday for the beef industry for many years,” said Don Stewart, vice chairman of the Joint Retail Committee. “Checkoff-funded promotional programs such as the Summer Grilling campaign have helped incrementally increase beef sales in the retail channel.”

The checkoff will fund an aggressive 2007 summer grilling campaign, reaching more than 100 million consumers through newspaper inserts and retail partnerships with A.1. ® Steak Sauce and Marinades, Samuel Adams® beer and Sutter Home® wine. A special Father’s Day promotion includes first-time partners, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (promoting Wisconsin Cheese) and Edwards® Frozen Pies.

The beef industry has long celebrated the links between Dads, beef and Father’s Day. Fifty-two years ago, the American National CowBelles (now the American National CattleWomen) launched a nationwide Beef for Father’s Day promotion that is still held in many communities across the United States. A signature gift to a new dad was a beef roast, weighing the same as the new baby. One of the group’s early promotional tag lines was, “Keep Pappy Happy with Beef.”

Agribusiness, Beef

FarmPolicy.com Publisher Blogging From Europe

Chuck Zimmerman

Charles Ray and Ursula SoyezFarm Policy blogger Keith Good is really getting into it and doing a great job. I’ve been watching him blog from a European trip he’s on sponsored by the German Marshall Fund (EU Journalism Study Tour).

He’s posting pictures like this one of Ursula Soyez, a Program Officer with the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and Charles Ray of South Dakota Public Broadcasting on a train from Brussels to Amsterdam.

You can even hear an interview that Ursula produced while they were traveling on the train that includes audio with Keith.

We’re proud of what Keith’s doing. He’s a great example of what you can do with new media tools and a passion for a topic.

Farm Policy, International

Moscow – Hog Industry Revival

Harry Siemens

IMG_3942.jpgHarry Siemens – Jim Long, President, and CEO, Genesus Genetics reports in his weekly hog letter how the hog industry is revitalizing in Russia. He and his Genesus group participated recently in the VIV Moscow trade show.

“It’s an exciting time for the Russian Pork Industry,” says Long. “After twenty years of little or noJim LOng - 1.jpg investment in infrastructure, the levels of capital required to rejuvenate the Russian pork industry is in the billions of dollars.”
He says Russian pork production is beginning to recover in this country of 150 million people, but has to double its capacity to return to the production levels of just 10 to 12 years ago. The Russian government is stepping up with support from low interest loans and the political will for the establishment of swine production. The windfall of $60 oil and high natural gas prices is driving the Russian economy and this is creating a higher personal income. Statistics indicate Russia is one of the leading countries in the world as far as percentage of disposal income spent on meat, approximately 7.5 percent compared with the USA at about 1.5 percent. Read More

International

How About Using More Internet Video

Chuck Zimmerman

The Kelsey GroupI think some of the first people I spoke to about YouTube just laughed and I think they were laughing at me and the whole idea of uploading simple little videos to an internet site that makes them public. Well read on here and see if I’m crazy. The Kelsey Group just released the results of a survey they conducted which says “59 percent of those surveyed claimed to watch online video, and more than half said they engage in some sort of response activity, such as visiting a Web site, going to a physical location or making a purchase.”

So I’m sure that the skeptic out there will say that’s not farmers. Uh, wrong. We don’t know how many farmers but I guarantee you that farmers are included because they’re people and part of the overall population. Besides, if you’re trying to reach non-farmers then I hope you’ll think that this is a new option or channel of communication for your arsenal. How about a video podcast and use YouTube as part of the distribution mechanism? And keep in mind that Apple TV will be able to stream videos from YouTube. Are you keeping up?

According to the report, production companies such as Spot Runner and TurnHere offer to produce and distribute video ads for small businesses at price points that are significantly lower than those of traditional advertising, bringing video advertising within the grasp of many small businesses for the first time. The report reasons that the value of video may be easier to comprehend for many small businesses compared with some forms of online performance-based marketing.

Additional conclusions offered in The Kelsey Group’s online video report include:
— Small-business video advertising can combine the traditional strengths of pull-based directional marketing, the Internet’s targeting capabilities, and the emotional and dramatic power of television. Given the demographics of broadband users, the online audience reached by these ads would also be well-educated, affluent and more likely to engage in pull-based content retrieval.

You can find an executive summary of their white paper on the subject online.

Internet

Healthy Canadian Animals

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-121 - Healthy Canadian AnimalsAs Canadian Animal Health Institute president says, “Healthy animals make for healthy humans.” You can hear her point of view on that in this week’s program. You can also hear a song from Ric Seaberg called “Hog Line” from the Podsafe Music Network.

Jean Szkotnicki is the president of the CAHI and in my interview with her at their annual meeting she talks about how they market to their members. One of the key ways is through events like their annual meeting where I was on the program to talk about blogging and podcasting. I asked her if she’s ready to start the CAHI blog and she said she would certainly be thinking about it.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 121 (17 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:

zimmcast121-5-31-07.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.

Ag Groups, Audio, International