A popular session at the American Farm Bureau annual meeting yesterday was “Grassroots Engagement with Social Media,” featuring some of the trailblazers in the SM world for agriculture. Florida Farm Bureau president John Hoblick introduced the session, which was moderated by AFBF’s Mace Thornton (@AFBFMace on Twitter). “I think of social media as being the equivalent of the green revolution …
Mike Rowe Answers Spokesman for Ag Question
Here is a video clip of Mike “Dirty Jobs” Rowe at the American Farm Bureau Federation press conference prior to his appearance at the closing general session. Roger Ward with WLDS in Jacksonville, Illinois asked him the question about whether he would be willing to be a spokesperson for agriculture. By the way, recording audio or video during Mike’s appearance …
Mike Rowe – Advocate for Agriculture
When asked if he would consider being a “spokesperson” for agriculture, Mike “Dirty Jobs” Rowe said, “I don’t think American agriculture needs a spokesman, I think they need an advocate. And the advocates I believe they need are people like me who have shown a long term addiction to chewing and swallowing.” Mike was kind enough to meet with the …
Farm Bureau Awards
The closing general session of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) annual meeting is the time for awards and entertainment. The organization’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award, was presented to University of Illinois agriculture professor Robert Thompson. “An economist by trade, Robert Thompson’s heart and soul is agriculture,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “There is no doubt …
AFBF Show Goes On
Neither freezing rain, nor snow, nor sleet has stopped the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting from going on today in Atlanta. The shuttle buses have stopped running, the media reception is canceled, but there are still plenty of people here attending sessions and finishing interviews and presentations for YF&R awards. Conferences this morning included animal welfare and crops outlook, …
AFBF President Meets the Press
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) president Bob Stallman fielded questions from the press for 40 minutes on Sunday afternoon at the annual meeting in Atlanta, covering a wide variety of topics. Several questions centered on the legal action AFBF intends to take against EPA over the regulation of the Chesapeake Bay total maximum daily load (TMDL), a so-called “pollution diet” …
Korean Free Trade Optimism
Korea’s ambassador to the United States is optimistic that Congress will pass the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement when it is submitted by the president. Han Duk-soo spoke at a town hall forum sponsored by American Farm Bureau during the Ag Connect Expo on Saturday and then held a press conference, accompanied by AFBF’s Congressional Relations Director Chris Garza. “The momentum …
Chambliss Welcomes Farm Bureau to Georgia
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) welcomed the huge American Farm Bureau crowd of farmers and ranchers from around the country to his “sunny, warm” home state. “Y’all from North Dakota and Montana brought your weather with you,” he joked, as a winter weather watch is in effect for the deep south with the potential for ice and snow over night. Chambliss, …
50 Years of Membership Growth for American Farm Bureau
To the tune of the “Rocky” theme song, American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman showed off a special membership jacket made just for him to celebrate 50 consecutive years of membership growth for the general farm organization at 92nd annual meeting opening general session on Sunday. “American Farm Bureau membership stands at 6,279,813 member families,” Stallman said proudly during …
Agriculture’s Incredible Shrinking Footprint
American agriculture has a great story to tell of increasing productivity while at the same time decreasing its environmental footprint. The first of the Town Hall Forums held Saturday at AG CONNECT Expo in the Successful Farming Innovations Theater was “The Shrinking Environmental Footprint of Agriculture” which was moderated by former National Resources Conservation Service chief Bruce Knight, a third-generation …