Foro PAIS Promotes Argentina’s Soy Complex

Cindy Zimmerman

ifaj13-foropaisForo PAIS – Productores Agro Industriales de Soja – was born in 2011 with the purpose of promoting the Argentine soy agro-industry and we learned more about it during the IFAJ 2013 Congress.

Foro PAIS Communications and Institutional Relations Director Dr. Adrián Figueroa says soybean production is a huge industry for Argentina. “Soybean production in Argentina in the last ten years has permitted this country to be the first exporter in biodiesel, soybean meal and soybean oil,” he told us.

One of the main reasons for this is Argentina’s large and technologically advanced crushing facilities near to the ports and production areas. “We have huge plants that can produce almost 20,000 tons per day,” he said. “All the arable land is close to the industry sector so in terms of transportation, the cost is so low.”

Listen to my conversation with Dr. Figueroa here: Interview with Adrián Figueroa, Foro PAIS

2013 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

Coverage of the 2013 IFAJ Congress is sponsored by Novus International and Dupont Pioneer
Audio, IFAJ, International, Soybean

Students at NAMA Fall Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

Students at NAMA Fall ConferenceThe NAMA Fall Conference is a great place for professional improvement for agrimarketers who want to take their career to the next level. It’s also a good place for students to achieve the same thing.

At this conference I visited with three students from the University of Illinois, (L-R) Kelley Fornoff, Ben Rakes and Ellen Reeder. I asked them why they are attending and what they hope to get out of this conference. They told me that they are here to get professional experience, learn what’s new in the agrimarketing world and to network with professionals. Good reasons!

Listen to my interview with the students here: Interview with Students

2013 NAMA Fall Conference Photo Album

Audio, Education, NAMA

Iowa Board of Regent Head Promotes Ag Education

Cindy Zimmerman

fps13-rastetterThe president of the Iowa Board of Regents is a great promoter of agricultural education in the United States as “Today’s Solution for Tomorrow’s World.”

Bruce Rastetter visited the 2013 Farm Progress Show last month to talk about the importance of agricultural education and the vast number of career choices available for students of all backgrounds. “I think the biggest fields are agronomy, plant sciences, the animal science area is growing because of world protein demand, but it’s really the technology, the innovation and the ability to use science to create greater yields,” he told me.

Rastetter says Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture has record enrollment this fall, fourth largest in the country, and nearly every single student has a job by the time they graduate, “with the majority of them having five offers by December of their senior year.”

He believes that it is important to promote agricultural education to students with non-ag backgrounds. “I think we can do it by talking about job opportunities in the world,” said Rastetter. “If it wasn’t for Norman Borlaug there would be a couple billion of people that would have died in the world. We need to make sure that we encourage an education system that develops the next Norman Boraug for the world.

Listen to my conversation with Bruce from Farm Progress Show: Interview with Iowa Board of Regents president Bruce Rastetter

2013 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Coverage of the 2013 Farm Progress show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience, Growmark and New Holland
Agribusiness, Audio, Education, Farm Progress Show

Coach Billick on Elements for Success

Chuck Zimmerman

Brian BillickA former NFL head coach had no problem waking us up as our morning keynote speaker at the 2013 NAMA Fall Conference. Brian Billick, Super Bowl winning coach for the Baltimore Ravens and now an analyst for Fox Sports, talked to us about “The Essential Elements for Success.” He has lots of sports stories to go along with it.

I spoke to him before his remarks and he shares a few words of wisdom for leadership that includes “connecting the dots” and how important your interconnectivity with the team or the work force is. He says it’s particularly important in today’s world of social media.

Listen to my interview with Brian here: Interview with Brian Billick

2013 NAMA Fall Conference Photo Album

Audio, NAMA

The Food Dialogues Come to Missouri

Jamie Johansen

The Food Dialogues: MissouriThere is no question that Americans have questions about how their food is grown and raised. U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) has responded to this need and produced Food Dialogues. The events have taken place all over the United States and sparked educated conversations about our nation’s food.

Tomorrow Food Dialogues come to Missouri. USFRA along with Missouri Farmers Care will host the state’s panel discussion in Columbia, MO. The event brings together panelist on both sides of the spectrum and gives a chance for the media, along with consumers, to ask questions and get educated answers. Moderator for both panels will be Tom Bradley, Wake Up Columbia’s radio talk show host.

In panel one, animal welfare will be the talking point and will target livestock handling and issues that have arisen in recent years.

Panelists:
Mark Mahnken, Grass-fed Cattle Farmer and Owner, Missouri Legacy Beef
Chris Heins, Dairy Farmer, Heins Dairy
Alan Wessler, DVM, Vice President, Feed Operations and Animal Health of MFA Incorporated
Chris Chinn, Hog Farmer and USFRA Faces of Farming and Ranching Winner
Don Spiers, Ph.D., Professor of Environmental Physiology and sponsor of the University of Missouri Animal Welfare Club, University of Missouri
Travis Tucker, Owner, Bleu Restaurant

In panel two, conversation will encompass hi-tech vs. low-tech and will focus on the need for conventional and organic agriculture to work together to meet consumer demands.

Panelists:
Blake Hurst, Farmer and President of Missouri Farm Bureau
Jim Thomas, Vegetable Farmer and Chairman, and Past President, Missouri Organic Association
Fanson Kidwaro, Ph.D., Department Chair of Agriculture, University of Central Missouri
Dan Shaul, State Director, Missouri Grocer’s Association
Kevin Wells, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Genetics, University of Missouri.
Jennifer Polniak, MS, RD, LD, CDE, Clinical Dietitian and Diabetes Educator at Boone Hospital Center

The best thing about these dialogues is that they are streamed online for all to view and join in. You can watch the event via live-stream here. The event is from 2:00p.m. to 5:15p.m. CDT at Reynolds Journalism Institute.

The Food Dialogues will also take place in Raleigh, North Carolina tomorrow. Panel one asks, “What’s on My Plate?” and panel two questions, “Who is My Farmer?” Dialogue starts at 10:00a.m. EDT.

Education, Farming, Food, USFRA

FMC Announces Contest Winner

Cindy Zimmerman

fmc-winnerFMC Agricultural Solutions has announced the grand prize winner in the 2013 “Stand & Be Heard Anthem Singing Contest.”

After two rounds of online voting, a judges’ panel review and delivering a powerful, nationally-televised performance of the National Anthem on RFD-TV, Noelle Goodson from Fayette, Ohio will now receive the grand prize of a $10,000 scholarship. More than 30,000 online votes were submitted during the finalist phase.

“This whole experience has been amazing. Going to Nashville was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done,” said Goodson. “Thank you, FMC, for the scholarship prize. I’m already planning to put it toward my second year of college.”

fmc-contest-1Goodson has been involved in FFA since eighth grade and this past year, she served as chapter president. She has sung the National Anthem for sporting events throughout high school, including the Division IV State Boys Varsity Basketball Championship game at The Ohio State University. Goodson plans to attend Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich.

In its second year, the FMC “Stand & Be Heard Anthem Singing Contest” received more than 220 video entries from 4-H, FFA, student NAMA and other agricultural education students in 31 states. More than 60,000 votes were received during the initial round of online voting at www.FMCcrop.com/contest, to determine a field of semi-finalists. As a new feature this year, a panel of five judges representing ag-education and music industry organizations hand-selected the four finalists.

Listen to Noelle’s beautiful voice here. Thanks to FMC for showing the world that Rural America’s Got Talent!

Agribusiness, FMC

Bayer Says ‘Good-Bye’ to Bugs

Jamie Johansen

chuck-fps-hallInsecticides Product Manager for Bayer CropScience, Lee Hall, spoke with Chuck during the recent Farm Progress Show. They discussed the expansion of Belt throughout the United States and what is coming down the pipeline in terms of insecticides for the company. Lee also stressed the importance of rotational use in insecticides and that it is one factor growers tend to forget.

“Belt is a product that has been on the market for the last four years. It was introduced in 2009 for primarily cotton, corn and soybeans. It has been accepted, adopted very quickly in the southern United States where the farm-scape has really changed in the last few years. We are seeing more and wider adoption of Belt in geographies North of the Mason Dixon where resistance to pyrethroids has become more prevalent and theres a rotational tool that is needed for control of caterpillar pests. And that’s what Belt does.”

Listen to Chuck’s complete interview with Lee here: Interview with Lee Hall

2013 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Coverage of the 2013 Farm Progress show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience, Growmark and New Holland
Audio, Bayer, Farm Progress Show, Insecticides

2013 NAMA Fall Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 412The 2013 NAMA Fall Conference is underway in St. Louis and attendance is great with about 200 registered! That’s the most since sometime way back when it was the Issues Forum and held in Washington, DC. How many of you remember that?

Sara SteeverThe Chair of the Fall Conference Committee is Sara Steever, Paulsen Marketing. We sat down at the end of the first day to talk about this year’s program and what is new at her agency. Our program has some unique breakout sessions and we’re still getting a healthy dose of leadership encouragement too. I hope you’ll take a few moments to listen in on my conversation with Sara and if you’re not here this year perhaps we’ll see you next fall.

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: NAMA Fall Conference

I’ve got lots of photos to share with you from the conference as well: 2013 NAMA Fall Conference Photo Album

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsors, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong and Monsanto, Roundup Ready Plus, for their support.

Agencies, Audio, Marketing, NAMA, ZimmCast

Growth Energy Praises New Holland Biofuels Support

Cindy Zimmerman

fps13-growth-cnhAt the 2013 Farm Progress Show, representatives from Growth Energy were pleased to be part of the New Holland Club Blue event for dealers and customers.

“New Holland is a fantastic company, they produce top notch equipment, but they also are willing to step up for rural America,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis. “What we’ve seen over the last few years is New Holland take the lead in promoting biofuels.”

Buis says Growth Energy members participate with New Holland on promotional deals – in fact, one will be held next week at Absolute Energy plant in Lyle, Minnesota.Interview with Tom Buis, Growth Energy

Growth Energy co-chairman retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark praised New Holland’s support for national security. “New Holland is the first, most visionary and innovative company (that) saw what this ethanol movement means for America, for national security and for American prosperity,” said Clark, who adds that company vice president Abe Hughes, who serves on the Growth Energy board, has been a real leader in helping reach out to the American farmer. Abe is pictured here at the Farm Progress Show with Wesley and Tom.Interview with Wesley Clark, Growth Energy

2013 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Coverage of the 2013 Farm Progress show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience, Growmark and New Holland
Audio, Equipment, Ethanol, Farm Progress Show, New Holland

BIVI Introduces FLEXcombo HSB Swine Vaccine

Talia Goes

boehringer-ingelheim-logoBoehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI), has made it easier to vaccinate swine against porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, two of the most economically important swine diseases, in a single injection with FLEXcombo.

Because every swine herd is unique, FLEXcombo, one of the products in the FLEX Family of vaccines, allows producers and veterinarians to customize vaccination programs based on their specific disease problems and management protocols. Each FLEXcombo package contains a 250-mL bottle of Ingelvac CircoFLEX® and 250 mL of Ingelvac MycoFLEX® vaccine in a 500-mL headspace bottle for mixing. This provides a total of 500 mL of the mixed vaccine, enough to vaccinate 250 head with a single 2-mL injection.

According to Sarah Jorgensen, FLEX brand manager for the BIVI Swine Division, the new FLEXcombo package makes it practical for veterinarians and producers to mix and administer the vaccine to pigs three weeks of age and older to protect against PCV2 and mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in a single injection.

The single 2-mL injection of FLEXcombo gives producers the ability to reduce stress on both pigs and people while decreasing labor costs. Additionally, a reduced number of injections offers greater Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) benefits.

Agribusiness, Animal Health, Boehringer Ingelheim