The panel of farmer CEOs at the Bayer CropScience Ag Issues forum were pretty funny guys, in addition to being sharp businessmen. The “How Today’s Farmer CEOs are Reshaping Modern Ag” panelists were (left to right) Chad Leman, co-owner of Leman Farms hog operation in Illinois; Jeremy Jack, partner at Silent Shade Planting Company in Mississippi; and Bruce “Onion Man” …
Zimfo Bytes
FERN is pleased to announce a new partnership with veteran agriculture reporter Charles “Chuck” Abbott, who will produce a daily round up of top agriculture news to be called “FERN’s Ag Insider by Chuck Abbott.” Pork producers Dr. Howard Hill from Cambridge, Iowa, Dr. Ron Prestage from Camden, S.C., and John Weber, from Dysart, Iowa, were elevated to the post …
20,000 Meals Packaged by FFA Members at Gin Show
In just a short amount of time these FFA students packaged 20,000 nutritious meals for the Mid-South Food Bank during the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show held in Memphis, TN. This doubles the number of meals put together last year. The endeavor was part of an outreach program by Kids Care. The Mid-South Food Bank was founded 1981 and is …
WWE Hall of Famer Visits Gin Show
Jerry “The King” Lawler, WWE Hall of Fame member, was on hand during the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show at the AgXplore booth. He was there to work with a good friend of his who is president and CEO AgXplore, Barry Aycock. Those fortunate to stroll by the AgXplore booth were greeted by the WWE wrestler who was available for …
Farm Bureau Kicks Off ‘Our Food Link’ Program
Farmer and rancher members of Farm Bureau from around the country officially kicked off the organization’s new “Our Food Link” program in conjunction with a conference for state leaders of Women’s Leadership and Promotion & Education programs. “Our Food Link is a year-round program that county and state Farm Bureaus use to provide consumers of all ages and backgrounds with …
Bayer CropScience CEO on What the World Needs
Once upon a time, all the world needed was love, sweet love – but life is a little more complicated these days. The theme of the ninth annual Bayer CropScience Ag Issues forum was “What the World Needs” and topics included water security, communications, innovation, pollinators and sustainable farmers. At the end of the two-day event, Bayer CropScience president and …
Vilsack at NFU Announces Small Farmer Help
During an appearance at the National Farmers Union (NFU) convention in Santa Fe, New Mexico today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new and expanded efforts to connect smaller farmers and ranchers with USDA resources that can “help them build stronger businesses, expand to reach new and larger markets, and grow their operations.” In a press conference from the NFU convention …
Ginners Unite at Farm Show
During the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show, Chuck spoke with Robert Royal, a cotton farmer and operator of Midnight Gin in Midnight, MS. Robert is also the past President of the Southern Cotton Ginners Association. “It’s been a wild ride in the cotton market with acreage. Grains have taken a huge chunk out of cotton acreage that was traditionally a …
New Poll Finds Farmers Less Optimistic
A new poll of Iowa farmers finds less optimism about the financial picture of agriculture this year. The Agri-Pulse Farm Opinion Poll, launched last month in partnership with the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), found that farmers expect to see weaker financial returns in 2014 and will adjust their expenditures – spending less on fertilizer and equipment but more on crop …
The Wild Radish Song
I like radishes. But like some folks in Australia, not the wild kind. A parody of the Gotye hit “Somebody I used to know” by agronomic consultant Bill Long, who farms on the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia as well as consults to a number of farmers in the region. This is a farmer’s lament on attempts to control wild …