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Talia Goes

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  • USPOULTRY’s Women’s Leadership Conference will be held August 22-23 at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Amelia Island, Florida, and will focus on providing essential techniques for professionals to cultivate and improve their leadership skills and effectiveness.
  • The Smithsonian National Museum of American History is seeking farmers’ help in telling stories of the innovation and experiences of farming and ranching across the United States.
  • broadhead received six 2013 Telly Awards during the 34th annual film and video competition for work done for Almond Board of California, The Mosaic Company and USDA APHIS.
  • Missouri Farmers Care announced it is partnering with USFRA to hold The Food DialoguesSM: Columbia on September 19, 2013 at the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri.
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Swine Link Wrap-Up

Joanna Schroeder

Boehringer Ingelheim (BIVI) held a networking event for women in the swine industry last weekend and overall the event was a great success. To learn more about Swine Link, I spent some time with Lara Sheeley, senior associate director of BIVI who moved from BIVI Australia to lead the swine brand team in the U.S.

Lara Sheeley BIVISheeley said that Swine Link evolved from another group geared toward women in the swine industry called Sweet on Swine. Over the years, Boehringer Ingelheim has sponsored networking events to really get women in the swine industry to be able to network and meet each other and learn from each other. This event took a different form and focused on women in leadership in the agriculture and the swine industry. She noted that there are not a lot of opportunities for women in leadership to network both in the ag industry and the swine industry and so they focused this event on meeting this need.

When Sheeley took the job, she thought it would be a challenge because she moved from the companion animal side of the business to the production animal side of the business. But she soon discovered that another challenge was moving into an industry with few women in leadership roles, including at BIVI. She said she could really relate to what many of the speakers said, especially Jane Fallon with Cargill Pork, having moved from one side of the business to the swine side of the business.

Swine Link is an ongoing networking group and Sheeley says BIVI plans to host more events over the next few months. Examples include breakfast networking meetings or receptions during industry events. So keep your eyes out for Swine Link news.

Listen to my interview with Lara Sheeley here: Swine Link Wrap-up

Check out the photos from the event in the Swine Link photo album.

Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pork, Swine

2013 InfoAg Conference Sets Record Attendance

Chuck Zimmerman

Steve Phillips IPNIIt’s all good at the 2013 InfoAg Conference on precision agriculture. Attendance is at a record above 1,100 at current count. Two years ago it was at 700! And now the conference is moving to every year and will be in St. Louis, MO in 2014, Union Station Hilton, July 1-3.

Steve Phillips, Southeast Region Director for the North American program of the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI), the host organization for the InfoAg Conference, welcomed us to this year’s event this morning and I visited him on a break. He says that the increase in attendance is something they are seeing at other precision conferences where exhibitor participation is up, sponsorships are up and media coverage is up. With the pace of new technology introductions and adoption a decision was made to go to every year to keep up. A big attraction this year are unmanned aerial vehicles which I still call drones. Several companies are exhibiting them and I hope to visit with them before the event ends.

You can listen to my interview with Steve here: Interview with Steve Phillips

FYI. Internet access is sparse to say the least in the convention hotel so I’ll be posting mostly after the conference this year.

2013 InfoAg Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Precision Agriculture

Farm Bill Expected to Go to Senate Today

Cindy Zimmerman

News out of Washington this morning is that the House will send its farm-only version of the farm bill over to the Senate today to begin the conference process.

deb-stabenowSenate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) held a conference call with reporters on Monday urging the House to take that action before time runs out. “We’ve got only six legislative weeks before the current farm bill expires,” she said, noting that adds up to only 24 legislative days. “I’m willing to take whatever the House gives us and work with with the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee” to put things back together to get bipartisan support for a bill.

The House passed a farm bill without a nutrition title last Thursday and Stabenow says that approach will not work. “We could not pass that through the Senate, nor would the President of the United States sign that kind of bill,” she said. “That would be a very short term approach.”

Stabenow says because the Senate bill included a nutrition title it can be put back in the final bill in conference and there are people on both sides who understand the need to have both. “We’re not going to negotiate with the extreme elements of the House (who think) we shouldn’t have a safety net for families or for farmers,” she said.

Sen. Stabenow answers questions about the nutrition title and the impact of the bill passed by the House in regard to permanent law.

Listen to or download press conference here: Senator Debbie Stabenow 7-15-13

Audio, Farm Bill

Case IH’s Long History with CTIC

John Davis

ctic-13-alan-forbesCase IH has a long history with the Conservation Technology Information Center, so it just makes sense that they were an overall sponsor and sponsored dinner one evening during the tour in Livingston County, Ill., at Rooster Heaven, a hunting club near the Vermilion River. Chuck caught up with Alan Forbes with Case IH, who serves on the CTIC board and explained why his company has been so involved with the group for the past 30 years.

“Really, they just have a culture and attitude of conservation that really fits what we believe in at Case IH when it comes to preserving the water, the air, natural resources. Culturally, it fits us.”

Alan says the Indian Creek watershed project, which looks to address preventing runoff into the area’s creeks and rivers, represents a best-in-class initiative for conservation.

“Lots of people talk conservation about what we could do, what we should do, but here producers are putting together real-world initiatives that are providing benefits, not only in the watershed, but some of the best practices witnessed here are being exported nationwide and across North America. It’s a real good effort and it’s something that Case IH is happy to be a part of,” he said.

Alan added that Case IH’s push into precision farming equipment falls in line with this whole conservation theme, helping farmers make sure they have the right inputs in the right quantities in the right places. And the CTIC tour expands that into making sure those inputs STAY where they are needed.

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Alan here: Interview with Alan Forbes, Case IH

2013 Conservation in Action Tour Photo Album

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, Case IH, Conservation, CTIC

InfoAg Conference Underway

Chuck Zimmerman

2013 InfoAg ConferenceThe 2013 InfoAg Conference is underway in Springfield, IL. It’s time to learn what’s new in the precision ag realm and I’ll be doing that for the next couple days courtesy of our sponsor, Ag Leader Technology.

This three day conference is brought to us by the International Plant Nutrition Institute. It has grown so much that it will be moving to an annual conference instead of every other year. Attendance is a record this year and I’ll find out actual numbers later. I’ve been told there over 200 more registered than last conference.

I have a photo album started for the conference. Feel free to view and share: 2013 InfoAg Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Precision Agriculture

Chicks Rockin the Swine Industry

Joanna Schroeder

Dr Abby HardingThere are hundreds of women rockin the swine industry and there is no better place to meet some of these women than during a Swine Link event. Swine Link is a network for women, by women and sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, and is focused on women in agriculture and especially women in the swine industry. Several women took on Des Moines, Iowa on July 12-13, 2013 including Dr. Abbey Harding, a swine vet working with Lowe Consulting.

I had a chance to get to know Dr. Harding a bit over the weekend and asked her how she became a swine vet. Like so many other vets, she knew she wanted to be a vet for small animals since she was young, but after working with production animals and enjoying the experience, she shifted gears. She said since joining the swine industry, she has discovered that she really enjoys the travel and working with the people in the industry, including other swine vets.

Dr. Harding said she came to Swine Link through an invitation from Dr. Erin Johnson. She mentioned that the event has been a great experience for her and has really enjoyed getting to know the other women who participated. She said it was also great to put a face to a name, such as Dr. Marie Culhane, with whom she has been corresponding one various swine issues.

She encourages other women to participate in Swine Link and gave a piece of advice for others: “Get out of your comfort zone. Try new things.” Schools are time to take advantage of different opportunities and she encourages women and men alike to try out swine medicine.

Listen to my interview with Dr. Abbey Harding here: Chicks Rockin the Swine Industry

Check out the photos from the event in the Swine Link photo album.

Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pork, Swine

A Few Words From 2 Swine Industry Mentors

Joanna Schroeder

Historically the swine industry has been dominated by men, but over the past few years, the dynamic is changing as more women join the industry. Yet despite the accomplishments women have made in the workforce over the past 100 years, it can still be challenging to be a woman in a male dominated world. That is one reason why Boehringer Ingelheim (BIVI) launched Swine Link, a network for women by women.

This past weekend, BIVI hosted an event for several swine vets and other women in the industry to help them network among their peers as well as offer them some educational opportunities. Two women came in from North Carolina, Dr. Melissa Billing and Dr. Jessica Seate both with Murphy-Brown.

Dr Mellisa BillingI asked Dr. Billing about her experience as a female in the swine industry as well as one of the most important things she took away from the weekend. She knew since she was six that she would be a vet, but it wasn’t until vet school that she decided she wanted to land a job in the swine industry. Dr. Billing is unique in that when she began in the industry, her boss was a woman and she really looked up to her as a role model to show her the way in the industry and profession. She said that she really enjoyed interacting with other women in the industry and getting to know other professionals.

Listen to my interview with Dr. Melissa Billing here: Advice from Dr. Melissa Billing

Dr Jessica SeateDr. Jessica Seate was one of the newest vets in the swine industry and unlike many of her colleagues, she knew she wanted to be a swine vet since undergrad. She said she has some really great professors and mentors at Michigan State University who really helped her pursue her goal of practicing swine medicine. She said that her entry into the field hasn’t been that difficult, but what has been challenging is working with older growers who are set in their ways, to introduce new management tools and ideas. Dr. Seate said she enjoys participating in events such as Swine Link because it gives her the ability to bounce ideas of other professionals.

Listen to my interview with Dr. Jessica Seate here: Advice from Dr. Jessica Seate

Check out the photos from the event in the Swine Link photo album.

Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pork, Swine

Farmers Want to Save Nitrogen, Too!

John Davis

ctic-13-tim-smithContrary to what seems to be reported many times, farmers don’t want to see their field nutrients washed on down the river to contribute to some “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Farmers don’t want nitrogen to leave their fields. They want it in their corn crop,” explained Tim Smith during the recent Conservation Technology Information Center tour in Livingston County, Ill. Tim is a managing agronomist for Cropsmith and a Certified Crop Adviser. He also used to work for the University of Illinois developing ways to improve nitrogen use efficiency in crop production and helped develop the Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test (ISNT) to improve nitrogen recommendations for corn. During the tour, he presented information about their demonstration plots in the Indian Creek watershed. “Anything we can do to demonstrate and show them how they can be more efficient, they’re very interested in, and it’s also good for the environment. So I think it can be a real win-win.”

Tim said this has been a real good group to work with, and he’s impressed by the large number of farmers in that area participating and the questions he’s heard on the CTIC tour.

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Tim here: Interview with Tim Smith, Cropsmith

2013 Conservation in Action Tour Photo Album

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, Conservation, CTIC

Cover Crops Improving Soil Health

Chuck Zimmerman

Roger Windhorn USDA-NRCSWhen I attended the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Tour last year it was in the middle of the drought and the ground was so dry that Roger Windhorn, USDA-NRCS, couldn’t even find moisture when he dug a soil pit. Different situation this year since he found water about 30 inches down on the Bachtold farm.

Roger was giving a presentation on soil health giving us an up close and personal look at how cover crop roots grow and contribute to improve the soil. You’ll be able to see it yourself in the video and listen to him explain.

2013 Conservation in Action Tour Photo Album

Ag Groups, Conservation, CTIC, Video