USDA Forecasts More Corn and Soybeans

Cindy Zimmerman

The harvest may be running a little slow right now, but USDA expects a bit more corn and beans in the bins than they did a month ago, adding to the already record forecasts. Corn production is now forecast at 14.5 billion bushels, up almost one percent from the previous forecast and four percent more than last year. Corn yields …

Corn, Grains, Soybean, USDA

Grains Council Helping Exports Rebound

Cindy Zimmerman

With a record corn crop being harvested, exports are more important than ever. The United States exported more than 11 percent of the U.S. corn supply to over 100 countries in the 2013/2014 marketing year, which U.S. Grains Council president and CEO Tom Sleight says is a nice recovery from lost market share after the drought of 2012. “Now it’s …

Audio, Corn, Exports, Grains, USGC

CFWF Photography Workshop

Cindy Zimmerman

Improving photography skills was the goal of a post-conference workshop for the Canadian Farm Writers Federation last weekend. Photographer Elaine Shein with DTN/Progressive Farmer took close to 20 participants around the Legacy Garden behind the PEI Farm Centre and through the Royal Forest on the east side of the Crops and Livestock Research Centre grounds. Our Canadian correspondent Trudy Kelly …

Photography

Farm Journal Foundation Announces New CEO

Cindy Zimmerman

The Farm Journal Foundation has hired its first full-time Chief Executive Officer, replacing Board President Charlene Finck. Finck has led the Foundation since 2011, while also serving as Senior Vice President, Editorial at Farm Journal Media. The Foundation has named Tricia Beal as the new CEO, responsible for advancing the organization’s mission and growing its anti-hunger platform, Farmers Feeding the …

Agribusiness, Food, Media

Best of NAMA Deadline Friday

Cindy Zimmerman

Have you entered your best this year in the Best of NAMA yet? If not, you better hurry because the deadline is tomorrow, October 10. The Best of NAMA awards program honors the best work in agricultural communications. Actually, the best of the best, since companies/agencies must first qualify through regional competition in order to advance to the national level. …

NAMA

AgChat Foundation’s New Executive Director

Cindy Zimmerman

Jenny Schweigert is the new full time executive director for the AgChat Foundation. Schweigert will focus on advancing ACF’s mission by leading the fundraising campaigns that will support new workshops, educational series, and conferences, like the 2014 Cultivate & Connect Conference. She will also work with the ACF’s Board of Directors to build broad awareness of ACF across agriculture and …

Uncategorized

Ebola and ISIS on Borlaug Dialogue Plate

Cindy Zimmerman

Ebola and ISIS will be among the seemingly non-food related crises that will be discussed at the upcoming 2014 World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue. The President of Sierra Leone is scheduled to give a keynote address, Ministers of Agriculture from Sierra Leone and Liberia are slated to participate in a key panel on agriculture in Africa, and Kanayo Nwanze of …

Food, World Food Prize

USDA Spotlights Emerging Bioeconomy

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a new report, “Why Biobased?” outlining current literature that explores opportunities in the emerging biobased economy. The report is a precursor for a more comprehensive economic study planned for release by the USDA BioPreferred program and will focus on the economic impacts of the biobased products industry. “This new report presents the …

USDA

Global Water For Food Conference Preview

Cindy Zimmerman

Mobilizing new data gathering capabilities to improve global water and food security is the subject of the sixth annual Water for Food Global Conference, hosted by the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska in association with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Oct. 19-22 in Seattle, Wash. This year’s conference theme, “Harnessing the Data …

Audio, data, Food, Precision Agriculture, Water

What the Heck is Certified Humane?

Cindy Zimmerman

This press release from PR Newswire caught my attention this morning – “What is a Certified Humane® turkey and where can you find one for this Thanksgiving?” Okay, I’ll bite – what is a certified humane turkey? According to the release from Certified Humane and Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC): A Certified Humane® turkey is a turkey raised on a …

Animal Activists, Food, Poultry