New Holland Invites Media to First in the Field

Jamie Johansen

new-holland-ag-13-030-editedNew Holland Agriculture’s First in the Field event has taken place throughout the month of July. The event is designed to train and educate dealers on new products, but ag media had the opportunity to take it all in as well.

While enduring the heat in southern Texas, ag media spent the morning going through six checkpoints. Each station dug deep into the products new elements, gave a visual for hands on learning and time for some q & a. After a lunch of chicken and beef fajitas, we boarded vans to head out in the field. Ride and drive stations were set-up to allow for an up close and personal view of all the new bells and whistles.

During the event I chatted with Mike Cornman, New Holland Hay and Forage Segment Marketing Manager, about the importance of this event and how their innovative technology for 2014 will be desired by farmers across North America.

“As we prepare for season 2014 we have several new products when it comes to hay and forage equipment and felt it necessary to spot light that equipment, but not only tell the media about the equipment but have an opportunity for them to use the machines in the field and see them as they are cutting and baling hay.”

Listen to my interview with Mike from here: Interview with Mike Cornman

View photos from the event here: 2013 New Holland Ag Media Event Photo Album

Audio, Beef, Dairy, Forage, Hay, Media, New Holland

Pioneer See the T Photo Contest

Chuck Zimmerman

Pioneer See the TGot some T’s? Take a picture and submit in the Dupont Pioneer See the T Photo Contest.

The “See the T” photo contest has just launched as a fun tie-in with the arrival of the new Pioneer® brand T Series soybeans.

Just “Find a T, Snap a T and SubmiT” photos of T’s, on or around your farm, then upload them to the “See the T” website.

The 8-week contest runs from J​uly 29–S​eptember 20, 2013. All submitted photos will be sorted and judged, with bi-weekly prizes of Certified Angus Beef® brand T-Bone steaks going to the winners.

Bi-weekly winners will then be eligible for a chance to win the grand prize: a deluxe Weber gas grill.

So go exploring. See and snap as many T photos as possible. Tantalizing T-Bones and a killer Weber gas grill could be in your future.

Agribusiness, Pioneer, Soybean

On the Top of the World

Melissa Sandfort

20130725_101605You’ve all seen the famous “Titanic” scene where the star-crossed lovers are on the bow of the boat, arms outstretched, and Jack’s character yells, “I’m the king of the world!” The movie writers must have been inspired by a farm kid. That’s my theory anyway.

Why do I say that?

Because they probably caught an 8-year-old farm girl on top of a grain bin like this, arms outstretched, hair blowing in the wind, feeling like she was on top of the world. It’s not THAT high off the ground, but when you’re only 4 ½ feet tall, it seems like half-way to the sky.

I was that girl. I used to spend hours up there, and as I drove by these bins on my way home the other day, I thought, “Just another ag structure that dots the countryside that city folk don’t get the opportunity to enjoy”.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Engage Energize Empower at NAMA Fall Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

2013 NAMA Fall ConferenceThis fall you can Engage, Energize and Empower at the National Agri-Marketing Association Fall Conference. The conference provides outstanding professional development opportunities to help you take your career to the next level. Registration is now open.

Agri-marketers are always looking for opportunities to learn more … to challenge themselves and get better at what they do. The NAMA Fall Conference does all that and more. Take advantage of this chance to reconnect with colleagues and clients and sharpen up your skill set before the end of the year.

You’ll find presentations on mobile digital strategy and dealing with data storage in the Cloud. The ag topics are also anything but run of the mill. We’ll be talking policy and climate change.

So get ready to engage with high level content and high level leadership … energize your career and amp up your professional development … and empower yourself to take it to the next level.

Sponsorships are now available for the Fall Conference. If you are interested in sponsoring a session, please contact Jenny Pickett at jennyp@nama.org or call 913-491-6500.

Ag Groups, NAMA

MAIZALL Announces Board and Website

Cindy Zimmerman

An organization uniting corn growers of North and South America has elected officers and unveiled a new website.

maizallThe International Maize Alliance (MAIZALL) was formed in May between the corn industries of the United States, Brazil and Argentina with the goal of addressing key issues concerning food security, biotechnology, stewardship, trade and producer image. MAIZALL is composed of MAIZAR, representing Argentina producers and the maize supply chain; ABRAMILHO (Brazilian Association of Corn Producers); the National Corn Growers Association, and the U.S. Grains Council.

Newly elected officers of MAIZALL are Julius Schaaf (United States), President; Sérgio Luis Bortolozzo (Brazil), 1st Vice President; Alberto Morelli (Argentina), 2nd Vice President. The MAIZALL board of directors is composed of three directors each from Argentina, Brazil, and the United States.

MAIZALL also announced its public website at www.maizall.org. The website will provide background information on MAIZALL, including the memorandum of understanding between the organizations; its Board of Directors and the major objectives.

Ag Groups, Corn, Grains, International, NCGA, USGC

Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Rep. Dave Loebsack

Cindy Zimmerman

New on Agri-Pulse this week:

open-micCongressman Dave Loebsack, who recently hosted Rep. Collin Peterson, the ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, in his southeastern Iowa district, explains why he and other Democrats could not support the split farm bill that passed the House a few weeks ago with only GOP votes. Loebsack is quite concerned about failure to get a farm bill through Congress this year and cites his concerns for agriculture if the current one-year farm bill extension expires.

Listen to the Agri-Pulse Open Mic interview with Rep. Dave Loebsack here.

Agri-Pulse

Most Have Some Ag Apps

Talia Goes

zp-nhOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How many ag-related apps do you have?”

Our poll results:

· 1-5 44%
· None 31%
· 5-10 16%
· More 6%
· 10-15 3%

That means that almost 70% of you have at least one ag-related app. And the number of ag-related apps for smart phones and tablets continues to grow – from news and information, to markets and products, you name it. Find out more about what’s out there in this recent ZimmCast.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Do you think cellulosic ethanol can be commercialized?” For those of you who may not know, cellulosic ethanol is a biofuel produced from wood, grasses, or the inedible parts of plants. It is a major part of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) with the goal of using more non-food sources to make biofuels. Some recent announcements include a plant in Vero Beach, Florida and a new bolt-on process to allow existing corn ethanol plants to produce ethanol from the cellulosic parts of corn. But some call it a “phantom fuel” that will never come to fruition – what do you think?

ZimmPoll is sponsored by New Holland Agriculture.

ZimmPoll

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Farm Market iD announced that the Farm Market iD Database has been updated with 2012 crop year data.
  • Smithfield Foods is on track to complete an industry-leading goal of phasing out individual gestation stalls in favor of group housing for pregnant sows at all company-owned sow farms by 2017.
  • DuPont and Pannar Seed Limited closed on a transaction in which DuPont Pioneer acquired majority ownership in Pannar, a South Africa-based seed company with operations throughout Africa and in other parts of the world.
  • Syngenta is set again to expand its Innovation Center in Research Triangle Park, N.C., USA.
Zimfo Bytes

AgriVisor Helps Market Grain to Maximize Profitability

Cindy Zimmerman

Grain marketing in today’s world means diversification and minimizing risk to maximize profitability, and AgriVisor helps farmers do just that. Account manager Cory Winstead says there are several ways they work with farmers. “We work directly with brokerage services and then since 1973 AgriVisor has been putting out general advice with recommendations,” he said. They also work with elevators, offering different products and services that farmers can utilize.

Cory says the grain markets continue to be volatile. “Last year we had the drought which really created volatility in the market,” he said. “This year we still had weather issues like the wet spring … a weather market always creates a lot of volatility.”

The biggest rule for marketing grain is don’t put all your eggs in one basket. “Have a diversified plan,” said Cory. “Know your cost of production so you can make an educated sale at a profitable level.”

Check out the different products and services offered by AgriVisor on agrivisor.com and listen to my interview with Cory to find out more: Interview with Cory Winstead, AgriVisor

Audio, Farming, Grains, GROWMARK, Marketing

New Holland Dealer Training

Jamie Johansen

new-holland-ag-13-116-editedNew Holland Agriculture has spent a good part of the summer in the great state of Texas training their dealers from across North America. The training has taken place in Houston, where the temps are high and the humidity is even higher. But that hasn’t stop dealers from taking advantage of the two-day training opportunity.

The dealers rotate through six checkpoints where each new product line is announced. Details are given about changes and additions, but the most important part of the training is the chance for dealers to get behind the wheel and actually run the equipment themselves.

I spoke with Abe Hughes, Vice President of New Holland, North America, recently when they invited ag media to their training facilities in Houston, TX. Abe shared with me how growth, creating smart products and continuing partnerships are the three most important avenues New Holland has set out to accomplish.

“I’m just really excited to be sharing our seven product launches that we’ve got for the dairy and beef segments. It’s really exciting being here in Texas with you guys from the media so you can see them and hear from our experts. Then get in the field and use the equipment. We are also sharing this with all of our dealers. We have been here for five weeks training dealers and employees.”

“What I find amazing is 89 million cattle are actually out there being raised for beef and dairy. New Holland is probably providing feed for most of those cattle every single day. The more we can train people in making better hay, the better nutrition that forage is going to have for the farmer and that means better beef and dairy we are going to have on our table.”

Listen to my interview with Abe from here: Interview with Abe Hughes

2013 New Holland Ag Media Event Photo Album

Audio, Beef, Dairy, Hay, New Holland