Blackberries as Alternative Midwest Crop

Chuck Zimmerman

During the Farm Progress Show I sat down and visited with Richard Barnes, Trellis Growing Systems, to talk about how and why he got started growing blackberries and a whole system now for other farmers. He says he started growing blackberries about eleven years ago on the family farm. Like a lot of growers, he had problems with his trellis …

Farm Progress Show, Video

Equine Agvocate

Chuck Zimmerman

When I noticed the Gator on Valentina’s Macbook Pro during my Agvocacy 2.0 breakout I had to meet a fellow Florida Gator. She is from Florida and attended the University of Florida to study animal science, specifically equine industry. Valentina is getting her MBA and plans to be in farming in the future. She came to Agvocacy 2.0 to learn …

Audio

Liking Ag Leader Technology On Facebook

Chuck Zimmerman

If you want more friends on Facebook all you’ve got to do is ask. That’s what Ag Leader Technology (Precision Pays sponsor) was doing in their new permanent Farm Progress Show building this week. Here’s Lori Costello (left) and Katie Beeler with the t-shirts that are part of the I like Ag Leader Technology promotion. I talked with Katie about …

Ag Leader, Audio, Farm Progress Show

Farm Progress Show Progress

Chuck Zimmerman

I have to confess that working in air conditioning beats the 102 degrees in the media tent around noon yesterday! It may have been a cooker out there but this year’s Farm Progress Show was great in a lot of ways. Attendance seems fantastic and with the great weather all of the demonstrations were able to run as scheduled. This …

Audio, Farm Progress Show, GROWMARK

Remembering Gary McKenna

Chuck Zimmerman

I was very saddened to learn of the passing of Gary McKenna this week. There are a number of people who made a big impression on me when I was just getting into the agrimarketing world many years ago and one of them was Gary. I’ve only seen Gary very infrequently in recent years but he was one of the …

NAMA

Noonish With Plenish

Chuck Zimmerman

Yesterday Cindy and I got to have a great noon lunch courtesy of Chef Charlie Baggs and Pioneer Hi-Bred. Chef Charlie was doing cooking demonstrations using Plenish, high oleic soybean oil which has “0g trans fat, less saturated fat and the highest amount of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat available in soy.” He cooked us some excellents brats with carmelized onions, peppers …

Farm Progress Show, Food, Video

Final Day of Farm Progress Show Heating Up

Chuck Zimmerman

Welcome to day three, the final day, of the 2011 Farm Progress Show. The sun is up and it’s going to be a hot one with a high forecast at 103 degrees. Drink plenty of water and get your sunscreen on. This photo is from high on top of the Brock grain bin next to the New Holland Media Tent. …

Farm Progress Show

ZimmComm Team at Farm Progress Show

Chuck Zimmerman

This is the ZimmComm Team at work early this morning in the Farm Progress Show media tent. Thanks to Willie Vogt for capturing the moment. Well we have done some interviews, shot some video and collected lots of photos today. We took off a little early to clean up, get some blogger fuel and now we’re working on all this …

Farm Progress Show

Gene Hemphill Honored for 25 Years With FPS Media Tent

Chuck Zimmerman

There’s been a media tent at the Farm Progress Show for twenty five years and Gene Hemphill, New Holland Agriculture, has sponsored and supervised it for all of them. He gets everything set up and that includes early morning coffee and donuts. Whatever the ag media need, they know they just ask Gene. Well today the Farm Progress Show officially …

Audio, Farm Progress Show, New Holland

Farm Progress Show Update

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s a beautiful day in the Farm Progress Show neighborhood and to get an update on how it’s going I spoke with Willie Vogt, Editorial Director, Farm Progress Companies. Willie says the first day was huge. Exact numbers are not known yet but with today traditionally being the biggest day for attendance this year’s show has some potential to maybe …

Audio, Farm Progress Show