Farm Foundation Talks Farm Bill Conference

John Davis

farmfoundationlogo3The farm bill is coming closer to becoming reality, as Congress is about to start the legislation’s Conference Committee. Our friends at Farm Foundation will take a look at how work is progressing on the bill and how the outcome may effect the nation’s food and agriculture system during its next free forum, Wednesday, Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. EST at the National Press Club, in Washington, D.C.

The Forum panel: Moderating the panel will be former Texas Congressman Charlie Stenholm. Five panelists will present perspectives on the legislation:

Joe Outlaw of Texas A&M University, will give an overview of farm bill policies.
Michael Dimock of Roots of Change, will address the impact of legislation on food systems and consumers.
Helen Jensen, an agricultural economist at Iowa State University, will examine issues surrounding the nutrition title of the legislation.
Jon Scholl of the University of Illinois and former president of American Farmland Trust, will discuss conservation programs.
Kip Tom of Tom Farms, will provide a producer perspective.

To participate in this free forum, sign up here.

Agribusiness, Farm Bill, Farm Foundation

House Passes Water Resources Bill

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. House of Representatives proved Wednesday that it can agree on some matters and get legislation passed in a bipartisan way.

wrrdaBy an amazing 417 to 3 vote, the House passed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), a bill that includes provisions to update locks and dams on the nation’s transportation waterways critical to agricultural trade.

The House quickly worked its way through 24 amendments to the bill during the day and passed the legislation by dinner time, adjourning for the day on Thursday so members can attend the funeral of Rep. Bill Young (R-FL) who passed away late last week.

Two representatives from Illinois are particularly pleased with their contributions to the Water Resources Reform and Development Act or WRRDA overwhelmingly passed by the House Wednesday evening. Democrat Cheri Bustos says the bill includes a bipartisan provision that will help improve aging locks and dams through public private partnerships.Rep. Cherie Bustos (D-IL)

Republican Rodney Davis says reform matters and he was proud to be a part of crafting WRRDA. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL)

Audio

Checkoff Changes Marketing Direction in FY14

Melissa Sandfort

BeefForDinnerMillennials and other beef consumers can now see and hear the tantalizing sights and sounds of “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” messages without putting down their mobile devices or leaving the comfort of their keyboards and social-media circles.

That’s thanks to a Sept. 25 decision by the 20-member Beef Promotion Operating Committee to make a major shift in strategic direction for the checkoff’s promotion and marketing efforts. Beginning this month, digital marketing will lead the way in sharing beef’s message about nutrition, health and research and creating a forum for consumers to publically share and celebrate their love for beef.

In recognition of the importance of marketing via electronic devices — such as smartphones, tablets, cell phones, computers and consoles – the committee approved the shift from an print and radio campaign to digital marketing via multi-media beef messages on email, blogs and social networks.

Using geo-tracking, the checkoff can send marketing messages to a very tight target audience whose preferences, food likes and lifestyles fit the checkoff’s target audience. In other words, the checkoff can pinpoint exactly who it wants to reach with beef messages.

The ability to geo-target means that producer and importer investments in the checkoff will be focused tightly on consumers who are most likely to move the needle on beef demand. Social and digital media provide the beef checkoff a clear and focused way to deliver beef-centric information, enabling consumers to select and prepare beef enthusiastically.

Agribusiness, Beef, Marketing

People Who Love Bugs Who Eat Bugs

Chuck Zimmerman

Pest ManagementThe past president of the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation, Tamara Leigh, shows off her Bekina Boots in this photo with several researchers. Tamara was presenting them with a thank you gift for taking time to meet with us. We were assembled in the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre during a stop on our CFWF farm tour. The Centre conducts research into integrated pest management, horticultural practices and nutrient management in berries, field crops and greenhouse vegetables.

One of the presenters is Dave Gillespie who spoke on his research as a guy who likes bugs who eat bugs. He mainly did this through answering questions.

You can listen to the presentation here: Pest Management Research

2013 Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation Photo Album

Audio, Crop Protection, International

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Continuing its investment in the future of agriculture, Syngenta is proud to recognize Christian Mignano of the University of Florida as the 2013 recipient of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) education scholarship.
  • A Philippine trade team will be in North Dakota October 23-24 to learn more about this year’s hard red spring wheat crop and visit with public and private wheat breeding companies.
  • DuPont Pioneer and Cargill announced they will work with farmers near Cargill’s facility in Sidney, Ohio, to grow Pioneer brand soybeans with the Plenish high oleic trait in 2014.
  • The Agricultural Marketing Service’s Fruit and Vegetable Program invites you to take part in a series of free, interactive webinars on our many programs and services.
Zimfo Bytes

What You’re Not Being Told About Food Production

Chuck Zimmerman

Animal Ag Alliance ReportToday the Animal Agriculture Alliance hosted a teleconference with various third-party experts to discuss industry improvements presented in the report “Advances in Animal Agriculture; What the Center for a Livable Future, Pew Commission and Others Aren’t Telling You About Food Production.” (pdf)

Third-party experts on the call included:

Dr. Richard Raymond, former Under Secretary, Food Safety Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Dr. Scott Hurd, former Deputy Acting Under Secretary, Food Safety, USDA
Dr. Janeen Salak-Johnson, PhD, University of Illinois, Associate Professor Animal Science
Dr. John Glisson, DVM, MAM, PhD, Retired Department Head of Population Health and former Head of the Department of Avian Medicine, University of Georgia; Vice President, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association
Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Extension Specialist, Department of Animal Science, University of California Davis

You can listen to the press conference here: Animal Ag Alliance Press Conference
Experts discussed the progress made by the animal agriculture industry in the areas of responsible use of antibiotics, environmental sustainability, and animal well-being, and they vehemently disagreed with the former Pew Commissioners’ assessment of the animal agriculture industry.

“We are providing the safest and most affordable food supply in the world,” said former USDA Under Secretary Dr. Richard Raymond. “The words—like antibiotic resistance—that groups like the Pew Commission and others toss around are meant to inflame the American public and dis-inform them.” Read More

Ag Groups, Animal Activists, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Food

Let’s Have a Boston Food Dialogues

Chuck Zimmerman

Food Dialogues BostonLet’s have a food dialogues and let’s have it in Boston. That’s my next stop. This Thursday you can watch the live stream of the USFRA Food Dialogues on the web and follow along via Twitter with the hashtag #FoodD and of course, here on AgWired.

Increasingly, consumers are hearing they should be concerned about the size of farms, and may be making purchasing decisions without understanding how food is grown and raised on farms of any size. U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA®) will address the differences, and similarities, between large and small farms, at its next Food Dialogues® event, which will be held in Boston at The State Room on Thursday, October 24. The event will stream live online at www.FoodDialogues.com.

Timed to Food Day, the Food Dialogues: Boston event, “Farm Size: Does It Really Matter?” will feature a panel of farmers, ranchers and food pundits, including moderator Alan Bjerga (noted food author and Bloomberg News reporter) and Michael Jacobson (Food Day founder and executive director, Center for Science in the Public Interest).

The panel will explore farm size and ownership and will explore how media and popular culture can impact how both large and small farms are perceived by consumers.

Ag Groups, Food, USFRA

NCGA Chair is TATT Roundable Alumni

Cindy Zimmerman

I was happy to see National Corn Growers Association Chairwoman Pam Johnson of Iowa at the World Food Prize symposium last week and interested to find out that she was a Truth About Trade and Technology Global Farmer Roundtable alumni.

wfp-pamPam had a seat at the global roundtable in 2010 and she was pleased to reconnect with some of her fellow alumni during the symposium. “There were 20 of us from all over the world,” she said. “We’re all still working and engaged in agriculture in some way to be a leader and to explain why it is biotechnology is so important as a tool for food security.”

Pam was also very pleased with the focus on agricultural biotechnology at World Food Prize this year with the winners all being scientists who have pioneered its development. “Biotechnology is size neutral, it’s good for everyone,” she said, adding that World Food Prize is a great place “for the personal stories and the truth to get out.” Interview with NCGA Chair Pam Johnson

2013 TATT Global Farmer Roundtable photos

2013 World Food Prize photos

Audio, Biotech, Corn, NCGA, Technology, World Food Prize

Commodity Classic and AG CONNECT Expo Join

Cindy Zimmerman

agconnectThe Association of Equipment Manufacturers, the National Corn Growers Association and the American Soybean Association today announced a new collaborative venture that joins two leading industry trade show experiences – Commodity Classic and AG CONNECT Expo & Summit – “to provide an even better world-class experience and gathering place for all segments of agriculture.”

Commodity Classic LogoCommodity Classic is a joint venture owned by the National Corn Growers Association and the American Soybean Association, with National Association of Wheat Growers and National Sorghum Producers participating as affiliates. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) owns and produces AG CONNECT Expo & Summit.

The inaugural event will be held March 3-5, 2016, in New Orleans. The Commodity Classic shows scheduled for 2014 and 2015 will take place as planned. The AG CONNECT experience will join Commodity Classic 2016 and the new combined show will continue to meet on an annual basis.

Read more here.

The organizations involved held a press conference to make the announcement this morning, featuring comments from:
Bill Schuermann, American Soybean Association executive director
Charlie O’Brien, senior vice president of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Martin Barbre, corn farmer and president of the National Corn Growers Association
Danny Murphy, soybean grower and president of the American Soybean Association
Rob Kolb, vice president global business development, GEA Farm Technologies

Classic/AG CONNECT press conference
AEM, Audio, Commodity Classic, Corn, Events, Soybean

Kenyan Researcher Honored at World Food Prize

Leah Guffey

DSC_1615Brilliant, well-spoken and pretty as a doll, Dr. Charity Kawira Mutegi was everyone’s darling at the World Food Prize symposium last week.

The 38-year-old researcher from Kenya received the 2013 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation, in recognition of her efforts to find the cause and a solution to a deadly outbreak of aflatoxicosis in 2004-05 which killed 125 in eastern Kenya.  Her relentless research led to solutions fending off future outbreaks and securing the region’s crop of maize.

Dr. Mutegi and her team are eradicating aflatoxin, a naturally occurring mold, a major concern for farmers, and toxic to people who directly or indirectly consume it.  The way she accomplishes this is by using the non-toxic form of the fungus which has a competitive advantage over the deadly strains.  Dr. Mutegi says this is just one way to rid her country of the disease which has killed hundreds.

You can listen to a portion of Dr. Mutegi’s press conference at the 2013 World Food Prize here Dr. Charity Mutegi remarks
2013 World Food Prize photos

Audio, Corn, International, Research, World Food Prize