The Acting Chief of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Jason Weller, welcomed attendees to the Conservation Technology Information Center, 2013 Conservation in Action Tour, being held in Illinois. We got to talk for a few moments this evening and hopefully will have another chance tomorrow on the tour. I asked him how important a farm bill is to a …
iPad-Conrolled Drones at Landmark
Taking your iPad out in the field to fly a drone sounds like a lot of fun. It definitely is for an agnerd! This “fun” activity is becoming a business task more and more. The agronomists at Landmark Services Cooperative are getting in on the fun by using tablet-controlled drones for field scouting. One of the advantages this provides is …
iCropTrak Mobile Farm Management
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. In this week’s program we’re going to meet the new sponsor of the AgWired App, iCropTrak. We really appreciate their support and hope you’ll check out what they’re doing. To learn all about it I spoke with Aaron Hutchinson, President and one of the founders of Cogent3D, Inc. The company has also pioneered other …
Updated John Deere 5E Series Utility Tractors
The John Deere 5E Series of Utility Tractors have received a major update. Here are some of the details. John Deere has updated its entire lineup of 5E Series Utility Tractors (45-100 horsepower) with new Interim Tier 4 engine models and more cab / open operator station and transmission options. This new 5E Series Tractor line now includes the new …
GROWMARK Sees Demand for New Grain Dryers
Almost a year ago, GROWMARK’s Total Grain Marketing (TGM) location at Neoga, Illinois completed installation of a groundbreaking mixed airflow grain dryer. with the help of Chief Industries, United Kingdom. Now, GROWMARK Commercial Grain Systems Project Manager Paul Brooks says they are working on constructing another one in Kearney, Nebraska where it will be used for drying organic grains such …
Surprising Acreage Report from USDA
Despite the challenging planting conditions this spring USDA is saying that farmers have planted even more corn than last year and the most acres in 77 years, according to Friday’s Acreage report. Corn planted area for all purposes in 2013 is estimated at 97.4 million acres, up slightly from last year. This represents the highest planted acreage in the United …
Rural Radio Dream Realized
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. In this week’s program we’ll learn more about the newly announced Rural Radio channel on Sirius XM. I visited with Randy Bernard, CEO, Rural Media Group, who says that a full time satellite channel of rural news and information has been a dream of Patrick Gottsch, Founder of Rural Media Group, Inc, for years. …
Corn Growers Provide Trade Negotiation Advice
During a House Committee on Small Business hearing this week in Washington, National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson provided policy recommendations for the U.S. Trade Representative on growing export opportunities, particularly the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). “Agricultural producers succeed when industry and government work side-by-side,” NCGA President Pam Johnson said during …
Senate Passes Immigration Reform
Unlike last week’s farm bill vote in the House, it was no real surprise to see the Senate pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation Thursday by nearly the 70 vote margin supporters had predicted. And the email reactions from agriculture groups are coming in fast – again, unlike last week when prepared statements on farm bill passage had to be furiously …
John Block Reports
One of my all time favorite U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture is John Block. Here he is speaking on a panel at last fall’s NAFB convention. John is currently Senior Policy Advisor in the law firm of Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Matz PC and serves on numerous boards. He also produces a long running commentary, John Block Reports from Washington. His …