New Holland Helping Farmers and Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

cnh-club-kacherFarmers who provide corn for ethanol plants can get special discounts on New Holland equipment and help the ethanol industry at the same time.

New Holland district sales manager Bob Kacher says their American Ethanol Producers Club is an initiative they developed two years ago with Growth Energy to help both growers and the ethanol industry. “It offers the opportunity to reinvest back into the ethanol industry through the purchase of New Holland products,” he explained during an event this week at the Absolute Energy biorefinery near Lyle, Minnesota. “The producers are part of the club by their contracts and the amount of grain they sell to the ethanol producing plants and that membership allows them discounts off New Holland equipment that they purchase through their local dealer, and in turn New Holland reinvests back into the support and promotion of ethanol.”

Producers can qualify for club membership if they have a current contract with an ethanol plant for at least 10,000 bushels, supply at least 50,000 bushels per year or purchase at least 280 tons of distillers grain, or be a board member or major investor in an ethanol plant. Bob suggests producers contact their local ethanol plant or Growth Energy for more information.

Find out more in this interview: Interview with Bob Kacher, New Holland
New Holland American Ethanol Producers Club photo album

Audio, Equipment, Ethanol, New Holland

Ethanol’s Positive Impact on Rural Economy

Cindy Zimmerman

Nearly 200 area farmers attended a New Holland American Ethanol Producers Club event Wednesday at Absolute Energy, an ethanol biorefinery located near Lyle, Minnesota.

schwarkThe event, which was the 12th held at ethanol plants around the country this year, was designed to introduce producers who provide corn for the plant to the partnership between New Holland, Growth Energy and American Ethanol that offers equipment discounts. It also encouraged those farmers to communicate with their members of Congress the importance of maintaining the Renewable Fuel Standard.

“Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association – they’re working tirelessly every day in support of agriculture and the ethanol industry,” said Absolute Energy president and CEO Rick Schwark. “But there’s nothing like the grower talking to his congressman. It really does have an impact.”

Absolute Energy is a 125 million gallon per year ethanol plant on the Iowa-Minnesota border. Schwark says they additionally produce about 350,000 tons of distillers grains and 4.5 million gallons of corn oil annually – and they help boost the local economy. “We started in 2006, we’re owned by 470 local residents – 75% of those folks are farmers – we’ve had great economic success here and we’re very proud that those economic dollars are staying here in our local community,” he said.

Listen to or download my interview with Rick here and watch the video below of his remarks at the event: Interview with Rick Schwarck, Absolute Energy
New Holland American Ethanol Producers Club photo album

Agribusiness, Audio, Equipment, Ethanol, New Holland, Video

What is Conservation Agriculture Worth?

Jamie Johansen

CTIC Dialogue6The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) Dialogues are right around the corner. The panel discussion will focus on the economic and ecological benefits of agricultural conservation systems. Conservation tools, measurements for economic and ecological benefits, long-term economic returns and their effects on producers’ decision-making processes and conservation trends that will affect agriculture in the next five years are all topics the panel will cover.

Agricultural conservation systems could hold solutions for several of the issues we are facing in agriculture, such as a growing population and the loss of land for agriculture. Conservation agriculture enables producers to do more with less while protecting water and air quality, improving the soil, providing habitat for wildlife, contributing to a healthy community and producing high-yielding crops for our nation’s feed, fiber and fuel.

The event will take place October 21 from 3:30-5:30pm in Washington, D.C. at the Rayburn House Office Building, room 2168.

Panelists will include:
– Suzy Friedman – Director of Agricultural Sustainability, Environmental Defense Fund
– Josh Maxwell – Senior Professional Staff, House Committee on Agriculture
– Ray McCormick – Producer, Indiana
– Jean Payne – President, Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association
– Wallace Tyner – Professor of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University
– Sara Wyant, Moderator & President, Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.

For more information visit www.ctic.org/CTICDialogues or call 756-494-9555.

Conservation, Environment, Events

Celebrate National Teach Ag Day

Jamie Johansen

TAG-day-13-webToday is National Teach Ag Day. One day out of 365 to celebrate school-based agricultural education and to encourage agricultural education advocates to share with others the great career opportunities in agricultural education.

The national ag holiday is for anyone who wants to share the story of agricultural education’s importance and effectiveness in the United States and also encourage students to consider careers as agricultural educators. Anyone who want to participate can find a variety of resources to help them talk about agricultural education at naae.org/teachag.

Many FFA chapters and state FFA organizations will host activities including capitol rallies, special lessons, community activities and much more. The Teach Ag website is a clearinghouse of resources to help teachers and advocates. These free resources include a video, suggested teaching activities, games and giveaway items.

The Teach Ag Campaign is an initiative of the National Council for Agricultural Education, led by the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE). It is sponsored by the CHS Foundation and CSX as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

Help celebrate the day and tune in to the celebration which will be streamed live from 1-3pm eastern. And don’t forget to participate via social media. On Twitter follow @Teach_Ag and use the hashtag #taglive13. You can also checkout their Facebook page.

Education, FFA

Mmmmm, Bacon!

Jamie Johansen

bacon-bowl-logo2The inaugural Bacon Bowl, presented by Petit Jean Meats, is just a month away. Saturday, October 26, in Fayetteville, Arkansas at the Northwest Arkansas Mall is the day to see if your personal bacon-inspired dish is worthy of a trip representing the Bacon Bowl at the 6th Annual New Orleans Food Fest. Spots are going fast for the event so sign-up as soon as possible to secure a spot for your entree or dessert.

Bacon Bowl and Petit Jean Meats is supporting Youth Bridge, a local non-profit agency that plays an important role in communities across North Arkansas and gives area young people the confidence, education and interpersonal skills they need to face today’s problems and tomorrow’s challenges.

At the competition you can also take in the Dallas Cowboys Grill Team, who will be on hand offering grilling demonstrations. Reality TV star, Adam Pock from Big Brother Season 13 will be one of the celebrity judges. As a lover of bacon, Adam actually had a bacon-themed wedding and can give some tips you if too are interested in tying the knot “bacon style.”

Other competitions throughout the day include the Great Day Farm Egg Toss and the Petit Jean Meats Pig-Out bacon eating contest.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, September 27 at the Northwest Arkansas Mall and in Macadoodles in Springdale, Arkansas. For more information visit baconbowl.net.

Pork

Beef Checkoff Sets FY2014 Plan of Work

Talia Goes

BeefCheckLogo_w_TagThe Cattlemen’s Beef Board will invest about $38.5 million into programs of beef promotion, research, consumer information, industry information, foreign marketing and producer communications in Fiscal Year 2014, if the recommendation of the Beef Promotion Operating Committee is approved by USDA, following review by the full Beef Board.

In action concluding its two-day meeting in Denver this week, the Operating Committee — including 10 members of the Beef Board and 10 members of the Federation of State Beef Councils — approved checkoff funding for a total of 18 “Authorization Requests,” or proposals for checkoff funding in the fiscal yearbeginning Oct. 1, 2013. The committee also recommended full Beef Board approval of a budget amendment to reflect the split of funding between budget categories affected by their decisions.

The committee had to cut about $1 million total from proposals to meet budget requirements and, in the end, cut a total of $1.15 million.

Just one proposal submitted was cut completely, and that was a $100,000 request from the National Livestock Producers Association to help tell the beef story to consumers through participation on the established “America’s Heatland” program on public television.

The remainder of the cuts was achieved through reductions in budgets for the following programs: North American Meat Association’s veal promotion, “Moms, Millenials and More” communcation program, foreign marketing program, and Authorization Requests.

For the full report click here.

Agribusiness, Beef, NCBA

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

    Zimfo Bytes

  • National Ag Day is March 25, 2014, and there is still time for you to align your organization with this high-profile event.
  • Grain Systems Inc., a global brand of AGCO , announced that it has purchased Johnson System Inc., a leading manufacturer of catwalks, towers and support structures based in Marshall, Michigan.
  • As part of an organization-wide revitalization of its communications and outreach efforts, the American Soybean Association unveiled the newly-redesigned SoyStats.com.
  • JCB’s North American dealer network continues to expand with the addition of Deep South JCB.
Zimfo Bytes

A Big Bowl o’ Ice Cream

Melissa Sandfort

As summer draws to a close, I look back (once again) and think where did it go? When we were kids, I thought the summer months went by in a flash, but maybe that’s because I was stuck at home with a long “to do” list that my mom religiously wrote each morning before leaving for work. It included dreadfully awful items like dusting, vacuuming, water the plants, burn the trash and so on. I wished that one day she’d just write, “Do whatever you want today!”

I’m still waiting for that note.

But another thing I remember about summer nights was homemade ice cream. Dad would haul the ice and salt downstairs to the shower room, mom would gather the remainder of the ingredients and my brother and I would take turns cranking.

Not so different from back in Grandpa’s day. Listen as he reminisces.

Listen to Grandpa explain

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

GROWMARK Names Scholarship Winners

Cindy Zimmerman

fs-growmarkForty-six college students from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin recently received help to continue their college educations from GROWMARK as recipients of scholarships aimed at promoting higher education in agriculture and business.

“GROWMARK invests in future talent by providing more than $44,000 in scholarships annually,” said Ashley McClintock, GROWMARK university relations manager. “We are committed to education and personal development, and the GROWMARK Scholarship Program allows us to recognize the future leaders in agriculture and business.”

GROWMARK has been supporting college students with scholarships since the early 1960s. Today, they are awarded to students majoring in agriculture or accounting at 16 universities and colleges. Each educational institution is responsible for the selection process and awarding scholarships.

See the names of all the winners here.

Listen to an interview with Ashely here: Interview with Ashley McClintock, GROWMARK

Agribusiness, Audio, Education, GROWMARK

Former San Juan Biofuels Facility Selling at Lender Owned Auction

Talia Goes

REVISED Maas-300x600-Dove-Creek-9-13-2Maas Companies of Rochester, Minn., will liquidate the former San Juan Biofuels Oilseed Crush Facility located in Southwestern Colorado at a Lender Owned Auction.The auction will be conducted on-site at the plant, 7099 CR H, Dove Creek, Colorado on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 10 a.m. The auction offers on-site and internet based bidding opportunities.

San Juan Biofuels was originally a local coop targeting biodiesel production from sunflower oil.Due to the economic conditions the biodiesel plant equipment was never purchased.The coop altered its focus to include: food grade vegetable oils, animal feed, renewable heat, electricity and wood pellets.The plant operated until 2011, and now the equipment is ready for a new owner.The auction will sell the plant for sale in bulk lots, including over 70 lots of equipment, two buildings and ancillary equipment selling in bulk lots or as an entirety with a land lease or to be moved.The real estate is on a long term lease with Dolores County Development Corporation, buyers are encouraged to contact the auction company to explore the land lease opportunities.

A complete package detailing the bidding process is available by contacting the auction company directly at 507-285-1444.Information can also be found at the company’s website: www.maascompanies.com.

Agribusiness, Biodiesel