Delays from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the processing of visas for farm workers are fast approaching crisis proportions, increasing the threat that crops will rot in the field on many farms this year, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall said in a media conference call this week. …
Rhea + Kaiser Bring On Seven New Staff Members
Rhea + Kaiser (R+K) has added seven new staff members to their Naperville, Illinois integrated communications agency. Dustin Gerdes will serve as the Manager of Analytics and Customer Engagement, growing the field to better target and engage R+K’s clients. He comes from Groupon and earned an undergraduate degree in marketing and psychology from Eastern Illinois University and an MBA from …
Everyday is #EarthDay for Farmers and Ranchers
It was 1970 when the first Earth Day celebrations were held in thousands of schools, colleges and communities across the United States. It now is observed in 192 countries, and coordinated by the nonprofit Earth Day Network, chaired by the first Earth Day 1970 organizer Denis Hayes, who calls it “the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by more …
Will FSMA Produce Regs Prove Costly to Small Farms?
Most of us involved in agriculture have become familiar with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that was introduced in 2011 as the FDA’s new method of regulating the growth, harvesting, and processing of agricultural goods. While the aim of this new regulatory system is to increase food safety and reduce the prevalence of foodborne illness, there are some aspects …
Growing Global Solutions to Grow Better Agriculture
A new non-profit organization, Growing Global Solutions, has been formed to help agricultural organizations improve their efficiency. Industry veterans Janice Dahl and Jim Butler have founded the organization together with the goal of working with top-tier organizations that want to evaluate progress and reach peak efficiency. With expertise specifically in agriculture, the pair decided the industry would benefit from an …
Media Stats – They Impact Us All
Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “ What do you do about statistics?” Media statistics used to be simple to calculate. Then social media came along and it’s not simple anymore. Companies and agencies still want to know if their advertising and messages are being seen and heard, but with the myriad of different ways that information is shared across …
New @USFRA Board Members
The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA®) has elected three new board members, representing the American Farm Bureau Federation, Cattlemen’s Beef Board and Indiana Soybean Alliance. Scott VanderWal, a third generation family farmer from Volga, SD, is vice president of AFBF and president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau. His family operation includes corn, soybeans, beef cattle feeding and custom …
AEM Debuts Smartphone Game
“I Make America” is the new smartphone game from The Association of Equipment Manufacturers. The app was created to engage and educate the public on manufacturing issues that affect this election cycle. The game can now be downloaded through the Apple Store, Google Play and the Windows Store. Users participate in ag equipment-themed challenges, followed by multiple choice questions that test …
#ZimmieZebra Has a New Home
I know the suspense is killing everyone. But have no fear…the wait is over! We are ready to announce the zelfie winner who gets to provide a new home for #ZimmieZebra. Congrats to Samantha Bock and her ‘Jungle Love’ tweet. Our goal with this contest was to find Zimmie a new home, but a chance of true love is just …
Vilsack Traveling to Japan, Vietnam
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has made plans to attend the G7 Agriculture Ministers Meeting in Niigata, Japan. Following the meeting he will then travel to Vietnam to highlight the agricultural relationship between the two countries and point out the importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership to the each as well. At the G7 meeting, Vilsack and other participating ministers will discuss …