Earth Day Skeptic Says Get Positive

Chuck Zimmerman

My “Face of Climate Change” says, “Why all the hysteria?” At least that’s what I would be thinking if you took a picture of me after mentioning the theme of this year’s Earth Day. I’m a skeptic when it comes to man made global warming or that man can and should try to change it. I’m not a skeptic of …

Ag Groups, Farming

Get Your FarmOn

Chuck Zimmerman

Hey folks let’s FarmOn! Now, I know that’s not real easy these days, especially for young people who want to get started. Here’s an organization that’s trying to help. The FarmOn Foundation is compiling a number of online resources while also conducting social media awareness campaigns like #FARMVOICES. We’ll learn all about it in this week’s program. I had a …

Ag Groups, Audio, Farming, Social Media, Social Networking, ZimmCast

Telling the Story of The Great American Wheat Harvest

Chuck Zimmerman

Here’s a great looking group of custom harvesters. This is from the U.S. Custom Harvesters booth at Commodity Classic. I met another one of these road warriors that will be featured in the upcoming film documentary, “The Great American Wheat Harvest.” He is Dan Misener, second from the right. Dan’s business is Misener Family Harvesters which has been in business …

Ag Groups, Farming, Harvest, Wheat

FarmOn and Make Your #FarmVoices Heard

Chuck Zimmerman

This April 22 a group of young agricultural enthusiasts want you to FarmOn. The organization is inviting farmers and consumers to connect through the power of social media. Farmers are asked to post a photo and a thought to Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter about their experience as a farmer, attaching the hashtag #FARMVOICES. Let your picture/post answer one of the …

Ag Groups, Farming, Social Media, Social Networking

AgFanatics Talk About the Markets

Cindy Zimmerman

In the newest AgFanatics podcast, our friends Cory and Nick give some explanation as to what has caused the significant retreat in grain prices, after last Thursday’s USDA report. What does the future hold and what could we see in next Wednesday’s WASDE report? Tune in to find out! The AgriVisor AgFanatics podcast is updated twice weekly and can be …

Farming, GROWMARK, Markets

2014 International Year of Family Farming?

Chuck Zimmerman

During our weekly AgChat session last night several folks interjected messages about a United Nations sanctioned initiative called the 2014 International Year of Family Farming, Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth. So I had to look at it and can’t say I like what I see. If you click around their website you’ll see some pretty mixed messages. There …

Ag Groups, Farming, International

World Backup Day

Chuck Zimmerman

Happy Easter which is falling on World Backup Day. Have you taken the pledge? The World Backup Day Pledge I solemnly swear to backup my important documents and precious memories on March 31st. I will also tell my friends and family about World Backup Day – friends don’t let friends go without a backup. It is very important that you …

Farming, Technology

MGEX Commentary on Plantings Report

Cindy Zimmerman

A little more corn, a little less soybeans, more wheat and a lot less cotton – that summarizes the USDA 2013 Prospective Plantings report out today. Corn growers intend to plant 97.3 million acres of corn for all purposes in 2013, up slightly from last year and 6 percent higher than in 2011. If realized, this will represent the highest …

Audio, Farming, USDA

BASF Promotes Comprehensive Pest Management

Cindy Zimmerman

Behind every successful grower is science and strategy – both of which come together in a comprehensive pest management program, as BASF Technical Crop Production Specialist AJ Woodyard helped explain during the recent BASF Science Behind event. The program also featured farmers Randy Dowdy of Georgia and Kip Cullers of Missouri. AJ emphasized that each farmers challenges are different, leading …

Audio, BASF, Commodity Classic, Farming