Seven has always been considered to be the perfect number, so it’s no surprise that there are seven factors that make up the combination for consistent high yielding corn crops. A new website looks at “The Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World,” based on the research of University of Illinois plant physiologist Dr. Fred Below. Dr. Below has been …
Farmers Educate NAMA Boot Camp
National Agri-Marketing Association Boot Camp attendees heard directly from the farmer this morning. The first item on the agenda was a producer panel moderated by Tom Hudson, Successful Farming. Tom says it was very interesting to hear what types of media influenced these farmers. One thing that came through loud and clear was how important local information is. They want …
Update on BIVI 3FLEX
It has been on the market for less than a year, but Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica’s 3FLEX™ swine vaccine is already gained wide acceptance among producers. At the BIVI Swine Health Seminar in North Carolina last week, Dr. Greg Cline gave an update on the acceptance of the 3-way vaccine to combat Porcine Circovirus, Mycoplasma Hyopneumoniae AND PRRS. “The acceptance and …
NAMA Boot Camp Networking
The kickoff event on the NAMA Boot Camp program was a dinner and program on networking. Our presenter was Becky Johnson, Fleishman-Hillard. Becky made us get to know each other at our tables. She said that networking can be likened to the idea of six degrees of separation since we all probably have something in common. We also did some …
NAMA Boot Camp Preview
The 2011 NAMA Boot Camp is underway. To get a preview of the program I spoke with Erin Nash, Osborn & Barr, Vice Chairman for the conference. Erin says we’ve got a lot packed into the program which includes hearing from farmers themselves. She says “We design Boot Camp to offer not only an introduction but introductory information to the …
International Joint Commission Chair Attends CTIC Tour
One of the participants on the 2011 CTIC Conservation In Action Tour in northwest Ohio last week was the chairman of the International Joint Commission (IJC), Lana Pollack. The IJC was established by the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty to monitor the rivers and lakes along the border of Canada and the United States and aid the governments of the two …
PRRS Vaccine Reduces Viral Shedding
New results from a trial done in Minnesota show that the PRRS modified live virus vaccine appears to reduce viral shedding. The trial results were presented at last week’s Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Swine Health Seminar in North Carolina by Dr. Joel Nerem of Pipestone Vet Clinic. “What we found was that vaccinated pigs shed virus for fewer days and for …
Bringing Young People Back to the Ranch
Robbie Baird LeValley is a fourth generation Colorado rancher whose ranch has been in the family for a long-time. She hopes it will continue to be in the family for many years to come and operates her business with this goal in mind. I had the chance to speak with her for a bit during the last day of the …
See the Difference Between Tilled and No-Till Soil
One of the stops on the 2011 CTIC Conservation In Action Tour in Ohio last week was the farm of Todd Hesterman in Napoleon, Ohio. Todd has employed continuous no-till on his 450 acre corn, soybean and wheat operation for 22 years and used yield mapping for more than 14 years and is a strong advocate for doing what he …
Weatherbill Supplementing Federal Crop Insurance
Jeff Hamlin is the Director of Agronomic Research for Weatherbill. At the Ag Media Summit I met Jeff and learned “what is Weatherbill?” Jeff says “We provide weather insurance that pays farmers for the types of bad weather events that cost them yield.” He says their product is designed to work along with the federal crop insurance as a supplement …