Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What’s your favorite Super Bowl party food?” The XLIX Super Bowl is a wrap and so is our most recent ZimmPoll. Chips and dip topped the charts, but wings were a close second. I couldn’t agree more with those who responded to our poll. I love chips and dip of any kind. I have …
USDA Offers Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Grants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is giving beginning farmers and ranchers a little help getting started. This news release says $18 million in grants to educate, mentor, and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers are being made available through the the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). “As new farmers and ranchers get started, they are …
Fertilizer Safety Alliance Announced
Here is the list of organizations involved with today’s alliance signing to advance fertilizer safety. The Agricultural Retailers Association The Fertilizer Institute International Fire Fighters Association National Volunteer Fire Council Ammonia Safety and Training Institute Fertilizer Safety and Health Partners Alliance Occupational Safety and Health Administration Environmental Protection Agency In the photo is Chris Jahn, President, TFI; Dr. David Michaels, …
WOTUS Interpretive Rule Withdrawn
The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have at least ditched part of the WOTUS rule. The Interpretive Rule Regarding the Applicability of Clean Water Act Section related to the proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) was officially withdrawn by EPA and the Corps in a memo last Thursday, January 29. Congress requested asked for …
Budget Proposes One Food Safety Agency Under HHS
President Obama’s proposed budget released today would combine USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other agencies’ efforts into a single agency under Health and Human Services (HHS). Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spent much of a 45 minute press conference about the budget talking about and defending that proposal. “What the president is asking …
Deere Kicks Off Drive Green Events for 2015
In what has become an annual tradition across the country, hundreds of local John Deere dealerships are again hosting Drive Green Demo Days events. This year’s Drive Green events will focus on the tractor buying experience, not only giving guests the opportunity to check out a wide variety of equipment and implements, but also the many different attachments that are …
New “The Food Journal and Food, Nutrition & Science”
This week we’re going to learn about a new publication that has been created by a partnership between The Lempert Report and The Center for Food Integrity. I spoke with Phil Lempert, founder of Food Nutrition & Science and CEO of The Lempert Report, to learn what the target of this new publication is. He says The Food Journal and …
Pope Francis Calls Farming a Vocation
Pope Francis put agriculture in focus this weekend when he met with a group of managers from the National Confederation of Direct Cultivators. His comments reflected on two main areas, poverty and hunger and protection of the environment. BTW. I love this photo of him from the L’Osservatore Romano. Here are a few excerpts from his comments “There is no …
Zimfo Bytes
The Great American Wheat Harvest film will make its television premiere on WQPT (Quad Citiies PBS) on Feb. 3 at 7:00PM. The True Source Honey Certification Program applauds special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, for the announcement that they have seized significant amounts of illegal honey in …
NFU Accepting Applications for Beginning Farmers Institute
The National Farmers Union (NFU) is now accepting applications for its 2015 Beginning Farmers Institute (BFI). This news release from the group says the program is open to individuals who are new to farming, in the process of transferring an operation from a relative or non-relative to themselves, or contemplating a career in farming or ranching. “The Beginning Farmers Institute …