Today the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance released the results of a survey they conducted in July/August. They surveyed 2,417 consumers and 1,002 farmers/ranchers, both on a nationwide basis. The graphic below shows a comparison of the top five things consumers want more information about with the top five things farmers/ranchers think are most important to educate consumers about. You …
IFAJ Visits Claynook Farms
IFAJ members learned about the dairy business in Canada this week right on the farm. In this case we were at Claynook Farms visiting with Wayne and Dennis Wagler. The conversation with the dairy operators covered just about every topic you could imagine from genetics to marketing. I recorded part of a conversation with reporters in which I asked about …
Putting a Face on CommonGround
What is not to like about finding CommonGround? National Corn Growers Association Communications Manager Cathryn Wojciki recently did a post on Corn Commentary about how farmers can start a conversation with a simple photo. From Main Street to MTV, everyone is talking about food. Unfortunately, this conversation does not often include the people who grow it. CommonGround Conversations creates a …
Canadian Potatoes Debut for IFAJ Dinner
During pre-IFAJ Congress activities we were treated to dinner in downtown Guelph at the Woolrich Arrow. We were also being used in an experiment with a local potato grower. Here’s Kevin Smith, Smoyd Potato Farm, holding some of his product while he talked to us about a new variety we were to have served with our dinner. So we ate …
Find the Data Offers Crop Comparisons
Here’s a cool on-line tool that offers yield and production comparisons of various crops by county. I received an email a few weeks ago from the guy who built the tool for a comparison engine called “Find the Best,” and also FindtheData.org. Woody Robinson is a recent graduate of the University of California Santa Barbara who now works for FindTheBest, …
Heat Beats the Corn Crop
The hot, dry summer has taken a toll on the corn crop, according to the latest USDA forecast. The estimate for corn production this year is now 12.5 billion bushels, down 3 percent from the August forecast but still more than last year and would still be the third largest corn crop in history. Yields are expected to average just …
Pioneer Offers Local Resources to Improve Profitability
Pioneer Hi-Bred’s big announcement at the 2011 Farm Progress Show was a new program focused on evaluating innovative production practices on a local basis through a national network of agronomy trial managers (ATMs). “The focus is really local,” says Curt Clausen, Pioneer agronomy sciences director. “It’s really about local crop management, innovation and knowledge.” Pioneer is doubling the number of …
Farm Progress Show Field Demo Hosts
I was out watching the field demos in the hot sun yesterday and was pleased to meet the hosts of the demo plots Dawn and David Brix. “We take care of about 225 acres that we use for combine and tillage tune up and then Tuesday and Wednesday during the shows we have demos out there,” David told me. They …
Growing Blackberries in the Midwest
We see so much focus on corn and soybean row crop farming at the Farm Progress Show that it was refreshing to learn about growing blackberries! We also got to eat some of my favorite berry. Of course I remember coming home from picking in our patch where I grew up covered with scratches and picking out thorns. Things are …
Illinois Farm Bureau is Proud GROWMARK Parent
As GROWMARK enters its 85th year, the Illinois Farm Bureau (ILFB) is proud to have watched the cooperative grow into something bigger and better over the years. “The GROWMARK system started under the auspices of Illinois Farm Bureau years ago, so we’re kind of the parent of the organization,” said ILFB president Philip Nelson at the cooperative’s annual meeting last …