Agricultural organizations are celebrating the official repeal of a rule that they have been fighting since 2015 – Waters of the United States, better known as WOTUS. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler and Department of the Army Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works R.D. James announced that the agencies are repealing the rule and “recodifying the …
ZimmCast 622 – Future of InfoAg Conference
In this week’s program I speak with Quentin Rund, PAQ Interactive and Lara Moody, The Fertilizer Institute (TFI). Quentin has been involved with organizing and running the InfoAg Conference since it started in 1995. He talks about this year’s conference which is doing very well on attendance in spite of the challenging planting season the midwest has had. Lara talks …
Soil Health Institute Releases Progress Report
Based on data from the 2017 U.S. Census of Agriculture, the Soil Health Institute (SHI) has released PROGRESS REPORT: Adoption of Soil Health Systems. The analysis includes a state-by-state breakdown of changes in adoption from 2012 to 2017 for cover crops and no-till production. Cover crop and no-till practices both support biological activity in the soil. Cover crops are particularly …
Farm Groups Defend Crop Insurance Budget
Sixty organizations, including a majority of the nation’s farm groups, sent a letter this week to the House and Senate Budget Committees, as well as Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, urging them to protect crop insurance during the budget process in recognition of its central importance to farmers and the rural economy. “Cuts to crop insurance during this difficult time for …
ZimmCast From Cattle Industry Convention
This week’s program contains some audio from last week’s Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show. After looking at what’s coming up on our calendar I share a couple of excerpts from the press conference with Secretary of Ag Sonny Perdue and then from Terry Bradshaw’s speech. Sonny talks trade and Terry talks cows. I had no idea he had …
Secretary Purdue Rings Bell for Agriculture
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday afternoon, along with agriculture industry representatives both on and off the podium. “The farmers, ranchers, foresters and agricultural producers across America contribute a great deal to the American economy,” Secretary Perdue said. “I’m pleased to be here today, at the center of …
The Cake is Cut at 20th #2018SPGC
Cindy and I are peanut grower blogging from the Sandestin Resort in Miramar Beach, FL where peanut farmers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi have gathered for the 20th annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference. Of course we’re taking photos, doing interviews and posting content onto the Southern Peanut Growers Conference Blog. While families were rolling in yesterday to register I …
U.S. Wheat Associates Introduces New Website
U.S. Wheat Associates introduced a new look and organization to its website this week. “The new website emphasizes the importance of the U.S. wheat farmers we represent, their overseas customers and the reputation of U.S. wheat as an essential ingredient in hundreds of wheat foods around the world,” said USW Assistant Director of Communications Amanda Spoo. “The site is now …
Animal Ag Alliance Responds to Animal Rights Groups
The Animal Agriculture Alliance has shared reaction to the most recent gathering of the Animal Rights National Conference, held June 28 through July 1 in Los Angeles. The event was organized by the Farm Animal Rights Movement and sponsored by Mercy for Animals, The Save Movement, Compassion Over Killing and The Humane League, along with other animal rights extremist groups. …