The Agricultural Retailers Association Conference & Expo started off with yesterday’s annual golf tournament and is in full swing today with a general session followed by breakout sessions in two tracks, Operations and Executive. Once again the conference chair is Leroy Startz, ING Capital, who has chaired the conference for the past eight years. I visited with him today before …
Company Culture Can Greatly Influence Productivity
Author Maggie Hammond, special to AgWired More and more companies – including many agriculture companies big and small – are realizing the importance of having a strong and positive company culture. A good company culture can turn employees into brand ambassadors, improve productivity and create a pleasant working environment for everyone involved in the business. Washington State University compiled a …
CommonGround Celebrates Six Years
CommonGround is celebrating its sixth year of connecting urban and suburban women with farm women who wish to tell the story of agriculture. The program, supported with checkoff dollars from the National Corn Growers Association of and the United Soybean Board, began with 15 female farmer volunteers from five states. Now the program boasts nearly 200 farm women from 19 …
Big Year for Deere
It’s been a big year for John Deere, as Product Marketing Manager Doug Felter can tell you. For starters, there was the addition of the Nutrient Applicator – a first for Deere. Growers and retailers are already putting it to good use this fall, applying P&K, among other nutrients. The exact apply nozzle is another advancement for the company. “It …
#HamsAcrossAmerica Encourages Giving
This Giving Tuesday, the Pork Checkoff is encouraging pig farmers to pay-it-forward with a new holiday campaign called #HamsAcrossAmerica. This first annual event encourages farmers and others involved in the pork industry to show their appreciation for friends, family and neighbors through the gift of ham – in the form of gifts or donations of ham or ham-based products. “For …
Demand for #Ag Management Specialists Increasing
Author Maggie Hammond, special to AgWired The economy is improving rapidly these past couple of years, with agriculture being one of the industries that powered the shift towards a better economy in general. The industry itself is expanding rapidly. Larger corporations with multiple farms and ranches across the country, along with smaller farms and family-owned businesses, are bumping up production …
Pastures For Pollinators is a Winner
A new clover seed mixture developed by Grassland Oregon (GO) is a win-win for livestock producers and the environment. Pastures for Pollinators is a seed blend including a variety of flowering annual clovers that could help enhance pollinator habitat nationwide, according to GO co-founder Risa DeMasi. “There are 400 million acres of pasture ground in the U.S., and it happens …
Farm Foundation Forum on New Farm Bill
The current Farm Bill may not expire for two years yet but the process of making a new one is already starting to get in motion. The “Next Farm Bill: What are the Agendas?” will be the topic for the Farm Foundation® Forum this Wednesday, November 30. Invited to present perspectives from their respective stakeholder groups are: • Chuck Conner, …
#IFAJ17 Heading to South Africa
“Africa – it’s time” is the theme for the 2017 International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) World Congress April 2-8 in Gauteng- and the Western Cape of South Africa. Why South Africa? For the world to feed the estimated population of 9 billion people by 2050, an increase of at least 70% in production will be required. At present the …
Wisconsin Christmas Tree Arrives At White House
While close to 350 million Christmas trees are growing on farms throughout the country, a Christmas tree from Wisconsin made its way to the White House Friday where it was presented to First Lady Michelle Obama. The 19-foot Balsam-Veitch fir was presented by Dave and Mary Vander Velden, owners of Whispering Pines Tree Farm in Oconto, Wisconsin. The Vander Veldens …