Agri-Pulse Open Mic this week features Bob Stallman, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation. In this interview, Stallman reflects on his tenure as leader of the nation’s largest general farm organization and many of the changes that occurred. Stallman discusses accomplishments in the last session of Congress and identifies ominous challenges still facing the industry on Capitol Hill and …
New Foundation Launched by @USFRA
The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) has launched a new foundation with a mission of furthering agricultural education and understanding of agriculture among America’s consumers including young people and millennials. The U.S. Farming and Ranching Foundation (USFRF) is the result of a collaborative effort led by the agriculture and food industry to expand the dialogue with consumers regarding food …
Agri-Pulse Open Mic with ASTA CEO Andy LaVigne
Agri-Pulse Open Mic this week features Andy LaVigne, CEO of American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). The seed industry is among many groups hoping Washington will approve legislation to establish a national voluntary GMO labeling standard. In this in-depth interview, Andy LaVigne discusses industry implications if Congress fails to develop national guidelines to override state statutes and how the Trans-Pacific Partnership …
A Thirsty Land Update
Early in 2015 documentary film maker Conrad Weaver got into the field to start his latest project, Thirsty Land. He has been in states from Kansas to California filming the drought situation and meeting with many farmers to learn about the effect the drought has been having on rural communities. This morning I spoke with Conrad to find out how …
Last Days to Play LibertyLink Real Yield Game
Farmers are already winning by playing the Bayer CropScience LibertyLink Real Yield Game. But the game ends 12/31/15 so get your game on! I spoke with winner Karl Fictum, Wisconsin, and asked him how he learned about the LibertyLink Real Yield Game. He was searching around the Bayer CropScience website and it “popped up” at him so he played the …
ZimmCast on LibertyLink Campaign
If you have been listening to farm radio at all in the last couple of months you have probably heard the Real Yield radio spots that have been running featuring real farmers from around the soybean producing part of the country talking about their experience with the Bayer CropScience LibertyLink system. In this edition of the ZimmCast, we talk with …
ZimmCast on AgVocating with Bayer CropScience
Welcome to ZimmCast number 495! Wow, just five more until we hit the big 5-00! This week’s ZimmCast is from last week’s American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) CSS 2015 and Seed Expo and it’s about AgVocating, a word that has become a part of the agricultural dictionary in the past couple of years and has a pretty obvious meaning combining …
Why Agribusinesses Should Have a Crisis Plan
A recent ZimmComm poll asked the question, Does your agribusiness/operation have a crisis communications plan?” and I was surprised and honestly a bit disturbed as a former public relations person, that so many respondents didn’t believe a crisis communications plan was necessary. And this in light of the rise in undercover videos, avian flu outbreaks, meatless Mondays, (cow farts causing) …
ASTA FuSE Blazing New Trails
The American Seed Trade Association’s Future Seed Executives (FuSE) subcommittee is blazing new trails for 2016. FuSE chair Sarah Neuharth with DuPont Pioneer says the goal of the committee is to educate and support seed industry professionals with fewer than seven years of seed industry experience. “I think a lot of people don’t understand or recognize that FuSE can be …
#ARA15 Continues To Grow
Leroy Startz, Chair of the ARA Conference Planning Committee since 2009, spoke with Chuck Zimmerman while at the ARA Conference & Expo in Palm Desert, CA recently. After wrapping up a busy week, Startz was pleased with the overall event. He highlighted the importance of early planning to put together a successful, relevant week for ag retailers. Early planning helps …