Members of the U.S. House of Representatives have resorted to unconventional means to try and force a farm bill to the floor for a vote. Congressman Bruce Braley (D-IA) formally filed a “discharge petition” on Thursday in an effort to bring the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act passed by the House Agriculture Committee on July 12 to …
Rally Calls for Farm Bill Now
About 500 people turned out for the Farm Bill Now rally near the Capitol on Wednesday, which featured members of Congress as well as representatives from a number of the nearly 100 organizations who make up the coalition calling for a comprehensive, five year food, farm and jobs legislation before the current bill expires at the end of this month. …
STAR Energy Making Fuel Tanks Sparkle
A dirty tank can make even the best of fuel less than optimum, which is why GROWMARK STAR energy was demonstrating a high efficiency fuel tank cleaning process at the 2012 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa. Curt Snyder with STAR Energy demonstrated the cleaner, which can run in any size tank from 500-1000 gallons. “It has a pressurized nozzle …
Monsanto FieldScripts Changing Testing Programs
Monsanto’s new FieldScripts service, the first from their Integrated Farming Systems, is changing the company’s pipeline and testing programs. During our media visit at the Monsanto Huxley, IA location we learned more about this from Tracy Klingaman. In the video below you’ll see him talking in front of one of their field trial plots. Here’s how FieldScripts will work: The …
Become a Carbon Farmer
Do you ever sit around your kitchen table and contemplate other crops you might like to grow? Here is a novel idea – grow carbon. What you ask? Growers across the country are becoming carbon farmers as highlighted in the documentary film Carbon Nation. The film touts itself as a “climate change solutions movie that doesn’t even care if you …
IFAJ Master Class
Want more reasons to support IFAJ? How about the annual Master Class held prior to the IFAJ Congress? The Master Class started this year with a ‘Getting Familiar Evening’ followed by peer-to-peer workshops on Monday and Tuesday. The agricultural journalists represent nine countries. They are: Burkina Faso: Inoussa Maiga Burundi: Jean de Dieu (John) Ininahazwe Congo: Roger Vutsoro Gambia: Sang …
Farm Progress Show Field Demos
Weather has prevented a full schedule of field demonstrations during the Farm Progress Show for a couple of years now. Not so this year. We had a nice breeze to tone down a hot day in the field today during the show. Corn harvest demonstrations began at 11am and there were crowds on hand to watch the large combines, tractors …
Talking About Farmers
Usually I do the interviews but sometimes I become the interviewee. That was the case yesterday when Michael Libbie stopped by the Farm Progress Show media tent to find out what we were hearing from farmers. Here’s what I had to say. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts in comments. 2012 Farm Progress Show Photo Album
I’m Farming and I Grow It
The Agvocacy 2.0 Training would not of have been complete without a surprise performance from the Peterson Farm Boys. Their YouTube video, “I’m Farming and I Grow It” went vial this summer and has almost reached 7 million views. Greg and Nathan Peterson not only performed but took time out of their busy schedule to talk with us about why …
Wine Making in Sweden
Wine making in Sweden? You betcha. During the 2012 IFAJ Congress some of us toured Blaxsta Vineyard. We also sampled a merlot while we were there. The grapes for this particular wine came from Canadian vineyards of French stock. Blaxsta Vineyard is located near Stockholm and is about as far north as you can grow grapes to make some good …