While most of the seed decisions have come and gone for the 2010 growing season, farmers are always thinking about the next year and marketers are always thinking about how to encourage farmers to buy their seed. This year, Successful Farming (SF) conducted a seed study, (and they also do a Farmer Insight Study each year) one that they have …
Zimfo Bytes
Join the American Agricultural Editors Association for a Webinar on Tuesday, May 11, 2 p.m. CST — Headline Writing Creativity vs. Practicality: One sings on the printed page, the other draws readers to the Web. Contact Linda Smith (lsmith@farmjournal.com) for more information. The Agribusiness Association of Iowa has donated $100,000 to Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences …
EPA Approves First ‘Refuge-in-the-Bag’ Seed Product
DuPont made history this week when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted approval for the first “refuge in the bag” with commercial registration of Optimum® AcreMax™ 1 insect protection for Pioneer® brand corn hybrids. “This decision is not only a regulatory milestone, but also great news for corn growers,” said Paul E. Schickler, president — Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business. …
iPhone App For Humane Foodies
I’m pretty sure most AgWired fans like a good steak or hamburger and some, myself included, like a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Right? We support our farmers and ranchers and that includes meat producers of all types. We know that in order to be successful they have to take good care of their animals. That’s partly why we …
How Farmer Insights Can Improve Your Marketing
For those of you in the agriculture business, you probably have spent countless hours wondering what farmers are thinking and how best to reach them. Well, there is no need to wonder any longer, now you can just know. How? Through Successful Farming’s Farmer Insight research. Here is a quick fact: did you know that farmers under the age of …
Buy Triscuits, Grow Your Own Garden
I was in the grocery store last night and just happened to find myself in the cracker isle when a box caught my eye. It was the new branding for Triscuits. What struck me was that NabiscoWorld is now promoting “home gardening” on the box. When you look at the back of the box there are instructions on how to …
An IFAJ Congress Retrospective
Thanks to that volcanic ash cloud I could not attend this year’s IFAJ Congress in Ostend, Belgium. To get a retrospective from someone who did attend I spoke with IFAJ President, Mike Wilson, Editor, Farm Futures. Mike found the event inspirational in a number of ways and wrote about his experience on the IFAJ website. To start with, he marveled …
Record Crop Progress
Record planting progress continued around the country last week, despite the rain, and corn planting is breaking records. USDA reports that 68 percent of the corn crop was planted by Sunday. That’s 28 percent more than the five year average and five percent more than the previous record for this time of year in 2004. Emergence is at 19 percent, …
Bayer CropScience Completes Expansion Project
Bayer CropScience has announced the completion of their $15 million expansion of the company’s Muskegon, MI crop protection manufacturing site. You’ve got to love getting pictures with a release! Area elected and civic officials joined company global and local executives for a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate completion of the two-year project. The expansion is adding 10 full-time employees at the …
Live Stream of LPC/AAEA Midwest Workshop
The Livestock Publications Council and AAEA are live streaming their Midwest Regional Workshop right now. Just got the notification. At the last minute we were able to go ahead and stream today’s workshop in Des Moines. Join us now as Crystal Young discusses videography. Followed by a tremendous line up of speakers. Post Update: There were up to 70 people …