The U.S. Department of Agriculture today did something it has never done before – adjusted its official October acreage and production estimates for six field crops. “There has never been a complete reissue of a crop production report, with a lock up and with the secretary’s briefing,” said Joe Prusacki with USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service. USDA revised the numbers …
Ag Cash Income At All Time High
One of our distinguished guests at today’s Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeast Farmer of the Year luncheon was Mark E. Keenum, USDA Under Secretary, Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service. If you’re interested in hearing about the economics of what’s going on in agriculture then you may want to listen to him. His full comments are only about 12 minutes. However, I’m …
Ag Secretary Addresses AEM Ag Executives
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer discussed some of the big issues facing agriculture today and in the future during an address to agribusiness company executives meeting in St. Louis Thursday for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers AgExecutive Forum. Two primary issues he addressed were trade and renewable energy, as well as the importance of the financial rescue plan passed by …
USDA Awards $35 Million For Renewable Energy
USDA announced today that 639 individuals and businesses in 43 states and the Virgin Islands have been selected to receive $35 million in grants and loan guarantees for renewable energy systems or to improve energy efficiency in farm and business operations. On hand to make the announcement here at the Farm Progress Show was our USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development, …
ZimmBite – USDA Crop Production Report
The USDA Crop Production Report is out. It forecasts reductions in corn, soybeans and cotton but wheat is pretty much unchanged. I expect we’ll see lots of spin today. ZimmBite – USDA Crop Production Report on 12seconds.tv
Pioneering Rural Internet
I interviewed two of my favorite people at the Ag Media Summit and have saved those interviews for this week’s program. First up, you’ll find Jerry Harrington, Pioneer Hi-Bred. He talks about how he helps agricultural journalists connect with agronomists so they can get the word out and help producers, “grow more corn and soybeans.” Then I talk with U. …
Cow Tunes
Cows wearing headsets. Uh. Right. I want to know if they can subscribe to farm podcasts. The same Global Positioning System (GPS) technology used to track vehicles is now being used to track cows. But Agricultural Research Service (ARS) animal scientist Dean M. Anderson has taken tracking several steps further with a Walkman-like headset that enables him to “whisper” wireless …
Florida Farm to Fuel Summit
Cindy and I got up early this morning and left Tampa for Orlando where we’re attending the Florida Farm to Fuel Summit. I think this is the third one. We missed our old friend Charlie Bronson, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, although he’ll be here later this afternoon. We did see him on video though. Right now our U.S. Secretary of …
Research Needed For Ethanol Company Success
What we know and what we need to know was Peggy Caswell’s, USDA-ERS, topic here at the Farm Foundation Transition To A Bio Economy conference. She says we need to know things about how farmers or the providers of biofuels and feed stocks are going to have to change the way they do business. She used the example of having …
Talking Rural Policy
My good friend Tom Dorr, USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development, was our opening speaker for day two of Farm Foundation’s Transition To A Bio Economy conference. He was glad to see the golden ZimmComm microphone once again! We visited for a while before the session got started. He says that rural policy is more important and timely a topic …