Former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who is now president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), is hopeful about the future for the nation’s dairy industry despite current struggles. “Domestic consumption of dairy products has, for the first time in a long while, equaled the production of dairy,” said Vilsack during a Newsmaker Session at the NAFB …
#NAFB19 is 76th Annual Meeting of Farm Broadcasters
“The Engine That Drives Agriculture” is the theme for the 76th annual convention of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) being held this week in Kansas City. The 2019 Convention got underway Wednesday with three newsmaker sessions, various NAFB committee meetings, and the NAFB Scholarship Awards Luncheon. Still lots more in store for the rest of this week, with …
Survey: Women in Ag Seek Leadership Opportunities
A recent survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) confirms that a high percentage of women in agriculture already advocate for the industry, but they are looking for more leadership opportunities at all levels. “There’s still quite a group out there that we need to engage to become involved and I think they just need to know that we …
WASDE Lowers Wheat, Corn and Soybean Forecasts
The latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report from USDA has lower production and reduced use in the outlook for wheat, corn and soybeans. Wheat supplies are decreased 42 million bushels, based on updated production estimates for the states resurveyed following the NASS Small Grains Summary, issued September 30. Adjustments to production in these States, where significant acreage …
Opportunities Exist with Veterans for Cannabis
The CBD industry is a significant opportunity for veterans, not only when it comes to treating medical challenges but also when it comes to finding purpose professionally after serving, according to Joshua Littrell, founder and CEO of Veterans for Cannabis. Littrell was at the Inaugural Florida Industrial Hemp Conference in Orlando, where the group shared its purpose and product line …
Intergro Helping Farmers Grow Their ‘Hempire’
Farmers attending the inaugural Florida Industrial Hemp Conference in Orlando had lots of questions about growing hemp as a commodity crop. Intergro was one company providing some answers for them. Intergro CEO Joe Gordhamer told farmers that if they have experience growing other crops, they can grow hemp. He said the potential use for the hemp is important, suggesting growing …
ZimmCast 629 – Farming Hemp in Florida
This week I attended the inaugural Florida Industrial Hemp Conference & Expo in Orlando. Hemp has become a hot topic in agriculture today since so many states have created legislation allowing it to be grown and more are in the process. That includes my home state of Florida. I asked all the people I spoke with or interviewed during the …
Secretary Perdue Talks Mexico Trade
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue led a trade mission to Mexico this week to investigate new opportunities with our nation’s largest bilateral trading partner and second-largest export market for agricultural products. The secretary was joined by the heads of six state departments of agriculture: Bryan Hurlburt of Connecticut, Celia Gould of Idaho, Joseph Bartenfelder of Maryland, Chris Chinn of …
Ethanol Powered Jeep Wrangler Debuts in Vegas
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Kenny Hauk of Hauk Designs unveiled a new project at the 2019 SEMA Show in Las Vegas this week that highlights the benefits of higher ethanol blends in high performance vehicles – a Flex Fuel Jeep Wrangler with more than 1,000 horsepower using a high-octane, low-carbon fuel containing up to 85 percent ethanol (E85). …
Hemp Research Important to Production Progress
Hemp research is moving quickly in order to support industrial production of the crop, according to Jerry Fankhauser, Industrial Hemp Program Logistics Coordinator, Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, UF-IFAS. “We’re moving as quickly as we can into a commercial environment with less than a year’s worth of research data. That’s a tall order,” said Fankhauser, who spoke at the inaugural Florida …