Zimfo Bytes

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    Zimfo Bytes

  • The illinois.coop website, created by the Illinois Cooperative Council ICC), has information about what cooperatives are, the Council’s activities, and an award application for cooperative leaders.
  • Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker James Moll has unveiled an advance trailer and website for his latest film, Farmland, a feature length documentary follows the next generation of American farmers and ranchers, examining the lives of farmers and ranchers in their 20s, in various regions across the US.
  • Mosaic Co. announced it plans to sell its Argentina and Chile operations.
  • The Ram Truck brand celebrated the passion ignited around its “Year of the Farmer” initiative by presenting Clay Sapp, 2012-2013 National FFA President, with a $1 million donation at the 2013 National FFA Convention & Expo in Louisville, Kentucky, Oct. 30.
Zimfo Bytes

Great Turnout for 2013 National FFA Convention

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ffa emblemRick Pitino told thousands of FFA members from across the country packed into Freedom Hall Wednesday that pressure and problems are good things.

Pitino opened the 2013 National FFA Convention & Expo, an event that in its 86th year has drawn more than 56,000 FFA members from all 50 U.S. states to Louisville for four days. His motivational address focused on the importance of interpersonal communication in achieving career and life success.

During convention, nine general sessions will gather FFA members together at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Students will have countless opportunities to engage exhibitors from more than 450 corporations, organizations and colleges through Friday at the Expo inside the center. Other events will be held at venues downtown, in suburbs and beyond.

News, features and more from the 2013 National FFA Convention & Expo will be published on FFA.org and on Twitter at #igniteFFA. Portions of the event are being streamed live on iHigh.com. The convention ends Saturday after national delegates representing FFA in all 50 states elect a new, six-member National FFA Officer team for 2013-14.

Agribusiness, FFA

Catfish on the Farm Bill Conference Plate

Cindy Zimmerman

catfishCatfish was a word only heard once in the first farm bill conference committee meeting, giving some hope that it might be one of the less contentious issues in completing the legislation.

“We’re certainly hopeful of that,” says Gavin Gibbons of the National Fisheries Institute, which has been actively engaged in the push to repeal the USDA catfish inspection program that was included in the 2008 farm bill. Repeal language is included in the House version of the bill and Gibbons says it would have been in the Senate bill as well “except that they stopped debate on amendments before they got to the catfish amendment.”

The only mention of the catfish program during the conference committee meeting on Wednesday came from Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) who said he would “strongly prefer” to keep the USDA inspection program. At least two members of the committee, Reps. Mike McIntyre (D-NC) and Filemon Vela (D-TX), were among 76 House members who signed a letter to conferees last week supporting a repeal.

Besides concerns that the program is duplicative and wastes taxpayer dollars, a bigger issue is the trade implications. Gibbons says this week trade officials from Vietnam notified Secretary of State John Kerry and members of Congress that the U.S. can expect “WTO-sanctioned trade retaliation” if the program is not repealed. “It’s also generating issues with China,” he said. “They specifically mentioned U.S. ag exports as bearing the brunt of that retaliation.”

Listen to my interview with Gavin here: Gavin Gibbons, National Fisheries Institute

Audio, Farm Bill

Chance to Design the AMS Logo

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ui_headerLogoHere’s your chance to design the logo for the 2014 Ag Media Summit and pocket the money! This contest is open to any AAEA or LPC member or ACT student member of either organization.

Things to consider for the logo:
It’s the 16th annual event.
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Dates: July 26-30, 2014
Theme: Rev It Up! AMS 2014

Keep in mind this logo is used in a variety of mediums from signage to the website to giveaways so don’t make it so complicated that it does not reproduce well. Also it’s a good idea to design it so it looks good in black and white too.

NEW: Ag Media Summit is now a registered name so the ® must appear on the logo.

Deadline for submission: Friday, November 8 2013 • 5 pm CDT

Please submit as a pdf but keep it so that you can modify it slightly if the committee requests that (ultimately we will need to have it in vector art form). You may submit as many entries as you wish. Send all entries to: dianej@flash.net. Please put in subject line: YOUR NAME and 2014 LOGO ENTRY

Advertising, Ag Media Summit, Agribusiness

Biggest Threat to Farm Bill?

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zp-nhOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, ”Does farm size matter?” On Food Day, Oct. 24, 2013, the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance hosted a panel, “Farm Size: Does It Really Matter?” at the State Room in Boston to discuss the differences and similarities between large and small farms, and how farm size and ownership affect consumers’ food-purchasing decisions. You can watch the full video here to see if the panelists agreed with what most of you thought: size doesn’t matter as long as it’s sustainable.

Our poll results:
· No, as long as sustainable – 38%
· No, all are needed – 35%
· Yes, it’s big vs. small – 15%
· Yes, bigger needed to feed growing population – 10%
· Other – 3%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What’s the biggest threat to getting the farm bill done?” Is nutrition the hang-up, or is it agriculture? Let us know!

ZimmPoll

Soil Sampling This Fall

Melissa Sandfort

Insights WeeklyAs we move deeper into the fall and harvest wraps up in some areas, growers and ag-professionals shift their focus towards other fall activities, like soil sampling. Ag Leader’s SMS Desktop and Mobile Software can assist with this activity helping you setup soil sampling sites and navigate to those while in the field. After you have collected these samples and acquired the results from the lab, many of us use this data to create site specific fertilizing prescriptions either based on our own formulas or those of a state university like…Iowa State, Kansas State, Purdue, Mississippi State, Ohio State and many other Universities publish.

Luke James, Ag Leader Software Sales Manager, gives us an overview of how the software works when it comes to soil sampling to create variable rate fertilizer prescriptions.

Listen to James explain

The SMS Software can also help you create these types of prescriptions by utilizing SMS Basic’s Prescription Editor or the SMS Advanced Equation Writer.

James says it’s all an effort to help farmers be more efficient and precise.

Listen to James explain

Please contact our software support team if you have any questions at 515-232-5363 or SMSsupport@agleader.com. Have a great fall!

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Ag Leader, Agribusiness

Farmland – The Movie

Jamie Johansen

USFRAAward-winning filmmaker James Moll has announced the release of his first trailer for the new film called “Farmland.”. The documentary chronicles the next generation of American farmers and ranchers from across the United States.

You can view the trailer and additional information about the film at farmlandfilm.com. Mark your calendars for Spring 2014 when the film is released for the public.

“I make documentaries because it’s a thrill to explore new topics and meet people that I might not otherwise cross paths with,” said Moll. “While making Farmland, I found myself immersed in a community of some of the most hard working, passionate people I’ve ever met. This film isn’t just about what it’s like to be a farmer, it’s about a way of life. It’s also about a subject that affects our lives daily.”

Most Americans have never stepped foot on a farm or ranch or even talked to the people who grow and raise the food we eat. Farmland will take an intimate look at the lives of farmers and ranchers in their ’20s, all of who are now responsible for running their farming business.

Through this film you’ll step inside the world of farming for a first-hand glimpse into the lives of young farmers and ranchers. Learn about their high-risk/high reward jobs and passion for a way of life that has been passed down from generation to generation, yet continues to evolve.

The film is being produced with the generous support of the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA®)

Ag Groups, Audio, Farming, USFRA, Video

Annual Deer Hunt

Chuck Zimmerman

Hunt Camp MorningOh what a beautiful morning at the Crystal Pig Hunt Club or the CPHC. Howdy from the 2013 Rustler Hunt. Yep, there’s a hashtag for that – #RustlerHunt.

We’ve got a beautiful work day started here at the CPHC and of course I’ve got photos. here’s where you can find them.

Crystal Pig Hunt Club Rustler Hunt Photo Album

They include a very wet first work day and first camp out and work days. Now I’m adding photos as we prepare to hunt some deer and I’ll be updating when time allows. It’s an annual thing but we’re more organized than ever as the hunt has moved from Missouri (20 yrs.) to Georgia.

The CPHC has it’s own website which is the final stages of development. I’ll be blogging there along with several of my hunt buddies when time allows.

So, why are we calling it the Rustler Hunt? You’ll find out more after today but the quick story is that our good friends at New Holland have loaned us a Camo 4-seater Rustler for this year’s event. Can you say “Sweet woods ride, dude?” Yes indeed. Thank you New Holland!

Agribusiness, Hunting, New Holland

#FarmBill Trends on Twitter

Cindy Zimmerman

fb-confPeople actually seemed to be paying attention to the first House Senate Conference Committee meeting on the farm bill Wednesday. #FarmBill was a trending topic on Twitter for awhile during the meeting. There were lots of tweets on the King amendment regarding interstate commerce of agricultural products since HSUS is opposed to it, and also plenty of #SNAP comments. There have also pretty fair number of stories on why the farm bill matters in the mainstream media, creating some hysteria about milk being $9 a gallon if they can’t get a farm bill done.

Here are some of the top tweets during the farm bill conference:
Stabenow kicks off #FarmBill conference: “It’s been a long time in coming, but we are here.”
House Ag. Chairman Lucas “It may take days and weeks… but we can do it. We have to do it.”
@SenatorLeahy says he could show everyone “the scars” of seven farm bill conferences.
Rep. Collin Peterson says conference committee will get a #farmbill done if they are left alone to do their work.
Pat Roberts: “… and the lesser prairie chicken. God bless the lesser prairie chicken.”
Sen. Roberts: “We’re going to lose credibility if we don’t get this #farmbill done. We have to get this bill done.”
Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) on farm bill: This has been going on too long. It’s long past time to finish this farm bill.
Sen. Tom Harkin “This is my eighth farm bill I’ve worked on.”
Only in D.C. would #FarmBill be trending. What happened to #whatever?
Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN): “You can’t eat websites.” #farmbill
@ConawayTX11 says on #farmbill “We better not screw up crop insurance.
Rep Schrader calls King Amendment and House GOP nutrition proposals “poison pills” #farmbill
Rep McGovern, D-Mass: “I am willing to be flexible, I am willing to compromise…But I will not support a #farmbill that makes hunger worse”

Listen to a montage here: Farm Bill Conference Quotes

Audio, Farm Bill

It’s a Mailbox!…It’s a Birdhouse!…

Melissa Sandfort

imageIT’S A LITTLE FREE LIBRARY!

(This “Story/Retirement Project” is for Mom and Dad (Melissa’s Grandpa and Grandma). They not only instilled in me the love of reading, but even more importantly, they taught me about the joy that comes from doing things for other people and sharing what I am fortunate enough to have.)

This week Aunt Jeanette writes:

There is finally a library in Edgar, Neb., albeit a “little” one! Two good friends (who also happen to be retired elementary teachers, avid readers and sisters-in-law!) decided it was time to do something about the lack of reading material available in Edgar and the surrounding rural area.

One of the most important things a parent can do for a child is encourage them to read. Everyone reads something every day of their lives. Reading to or with your child also provides valuable time together. Our hope is that the Little Free Library will provide those opportunities.

After doing research and reading newspaper articles, Vicki Shaw and Jeanette Shaw decided to purchase and set up a “Little Free Library.” The library was ordered during the summer, arrived in late summer, and was installed by Sandy Creek Secondary Principal Jason Searle with the help of his son, Luke. Vicki and Jeanette added the books and the library will soon be open for business!

Since we are planning on this being a successful venture, we have ordered a second library, which will enable us to separate children’s books from adult’s books.

When you visit the “Little Free Library” located just east of 702 8th St., you will find an assortment of books for everyone. All Vicki and Jeanette ask is that you treat the books and library with respect and return the books in a timely manner for others to enjoy.

Happy Reading!

Until we walk again …

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