Southeastern States Hire New Advertising Sales Rep.

Talia Goes

19The Livestock Advertising Network (LAN) has been named the new national advertising representative for state cattlemen’s associations across the Southeast. LAN will currently be representing the Alabama Cattleman, Carolina Cattle Connection, Georgia Cattlemen, Cow Country News (Kentucky), and Tennessee Cattle Business. These 6 states will represent a circulation of over 37,400 producers.

The Livestock Advertising Network will be coordinating all of the national advertising sales for these publications. LAN is owned by the Southeastern Livestock Network, a joint venture of 11 southeastern states who came together in 2002. The states have worked extensively over the years on legislative issues, cattle source and age verification and they are looking forward to working together on other projects like this.

This will create an advertising outlet to reach organizations representing approximately 160,000 beef cattle farmers raising almost seven million head of cattle across 6 of the southeastern states. Not to mention create an even tighter bond among these state organizations.

The Livestock Advertising Network will be managed by Carey Brown, who has over 10 years of experience with the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association. Visit LAN online at livestockadvertisingnetwork.org.

Advertising, Agribusiness, Livestock

AgEagle Tractor Tuff Robotic Aircraft

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 405Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

AgEagle LogoIn this week’s program we’re going to learn about a new term for UAV’s or unmanned aerial vehicles. I had a conversation with Bret Chilcott, AgEagle, who refers to them as “robotic aircraft” which are tractor tuff.

Here’s a photo of an AgEagle robotic aircraft product which is a fixed wing device. As you’ll hear Bret say in the program, they chose that design on purpose.

WELCOME TO AGEAGLE LLC

We help growers increase yields.

AgEagle Robotic AircraftOur “tractor tuff” ™ robotic aircraft captures images from 400 feet above the ground of crops giving growers a cost effective method to identify areas of concern early. Near real time images provides rapid information so important decisions can be made to enhance plant growth.

Images can be captured in normal light as well as NDVI or vegetation index (plant stress) using near infrared light.

Our robust system is designed specifically for agricultural use. The robotic aircraft is robust and built “tractor tuff!” The AgEagle system can capture images of 620 acres in as little as 20 minutes.

AgEagle aerial imaging systems will be available in the spring / summer of 2012.

If you would like to learn more about how the AgEagle can help increase the yield of your crops, please drop us a note under the contact us tab.

Thank you.

Team AgEagle LLC

Neodesha, KS

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: AgEagle Robotic Aircraft

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

Agribusiness, Audio, ZimmCast

Panera Bread’s Lazy Response to Offensive Promotional Campaign

Chuck Zimmerman

Panera EZChickenIt looks like Panera Bread has heard from the countryside. However, to date, their response has been lazy at best. Earlier this week Carrie Mess brought to our attention the Panera Bread campaign all about the EZChicken which implies that farmers raising chickens and using antibiotics are lazy. It has launched a grassroots campaign on Facebook and Twitter. Just follow #PluckEZChicken. So what is Panera’s response? Here’s one they’ve put on Facebook:

We truly didn’t mean to offend the farming community with the posts and apologize for how the campaign was received. We have incredibly strong and personal relationships with our farmers and we could not be the company we are today without their hard work. We appreciate the feedback on how EZ Chicken was received and are removing all references to it from our posts on Facebook and Twitter.

You’ll also be interested to read about Carrie’s phone call with Michael Simon, Chief Marketing Officer for Panera.

So, what do you think? Just because they deleted the Twitter EZChicken account and took down some images doesn’t seem to be much of a response. The website still has the pill capsule EZChicken with inflammatory language. I’d like to see a blind taste test to see if antibiotic free chicken tastes better like Panera claims. How about you? Do you know of any such research?

I visited with the manager of my local Panera this afternoon. I asked him if he was aware of the new Panera EZChicken campaign. He said that he thought he’d seen something about it on the internet. I asked him if chicken raised antibiotic free tastes better than chicken that might have been treated with antibiotics. He said that he had no idea and that the chicken they serve has always tasted the same to him. So, I guess there’s not much communication at the store manager level on things like this.

Animal Activists, Food, Wackos

The News is Out at Ag Media Summit!

Melissa Sandfort

Insights WeeklyAg Leader’s marketing communications team will be hitting the trade show floor at the upcoming Ag Media Summit, the largest meeting in the United States of the ag industry’s top writers, editors, photographers, publishers and ag communicator specialists. And there to get the news out about Ag Leader’s new video, website redesign and product offerings will be Jenna Royer, marketing communications manager.

Royer says Ag Leader is excited about a new video, debuting at Ag Media Summit.

Listen to Royer explain

In May, Ag Leader also revamped their website. Hear more from Jenna about new functionality of the site.

Listen to Royer explain

And of course, Royer will be on hand to educate editors about some of Ag Leader’s products and services.

Listen to Royer explain

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Ag Leader, Agribusiness

Senate Ag Committee Approves USDA Nominees

Cindy Zimmerman

usda-nomineesThe Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee this week unanimously approved the nominations of Krysta Harden to serve as deputy secretary of agriculture and Robert Bonnie to serve as under secretary for natural resources and the environment.

Harden has been nominated to succeed Kathleen Merrigan in the second-highest post at USDA Bonnie, while Bonnie, who has been a senior advisor to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, would succeed Harris Sherman in the post of natural resources under secretary.

During the confirmation hearing, Harden pledged to get a farm bill implemented as soon as Congress gets one done. “We’re ready. Y’all send us a farm bill, we’ll get it done in a timely and early manner and I hope to be leading that effort,” she said in response to questioning from Sen. Saxby Chambliss from her home state of Georgia.

Chambliss asked Bonnie about efforts to combat the rise of glyphosate-resistant pigweed. “This is a challenge across the country,” said Bonnie who noted that they are seeing some results from a Natural Resources Conservation Service pilot program. “This is a perfect example of where NRCS programs can both work on critical natural resource conservation challenges and improve the productive capacity of our farmers and ranchers to produce food and fiber.”Chambliss questions Harden and Bonnie

Audio, USDA

Jason Weller Appointed Chief of NRCS

Chuck Zimmerman

Jason Weller, NRCSCongratulations to Jason Weller on his appointment as Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service where he has served as acting chief the last eight months. Jason is pictured at the recent CTIC Conservation in Action Tour. Here are some notes from the notice about his appointment.

As Acting Chief, Jason has moved swiftly to transform NRCS’s Administrative Functions; support the expansion of innovative programs and initiatives including landscape conservation initiatives, regulatory certainty, soil health and market-based programs; and raise the external profile of the world’s premier private land conservation agency.

Jason brings to NRCS a longstanding commitment to and understanding of the agency. He served as a staff member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture where he provided oversight and crafted bills to fund NRCS programs. He served on the House Budget Committee staff where he helped construct NRCS’s budget. And he worked at the Office of Management and Budget where he was NRCS’s budget examiner. All of these skills and experiences are serving the agency well today.

Conservation, USDA

About Time to Wing it in Buffalo, NY

Chuck Zimmerman

Beef Ag Media SummitIt’s almost time for the annual Agricultural Media Summit. This image of a good looking steak from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board really makes me wish I as going. But I’ll be doing ag media duty at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally while Cindy and our summer intern Maggie will be at the Ag Media Summit. So we’ve got it covered!

If you’re looking for the best place to promote your company or organization’s products and services, then you’ll want to be at the 15th Annual Ag Media Summit in Buffalo, New York, August 3-7, 2013. This annual get-together, the largest meeting in the United States of the ag industry’s top writers, editors, photographers, publishers and ag communicator specialists, begins with pre-meeting events on Saturday, August 3, followed by the AMS program August 4-7. We invite you to participate as a sponsor or an exhibitor at our InfoExpo or both, and be a part of this important agricultural media event.

Ag Media Summit

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

New Addition to Novus Enzyme Solutions Portfolio

Talia Goes

novisNovus International, Inc. and Verenium Corporation announced the name of their new phytase enzyme product, CIBENZA PHYTAVERSE. This new innovative phytase is specifically designed to unlock more of the hidden nutritional value in phytate for improved animal growth and well-being.

The two companies, which entered into a strategic partnership in 2011, designed CIBENZA PHYTAVERSE to have specific performance characteristics that offer significant advantages over current phytase products. These performance characteristics include:

  • High in vivo activity under gastric conditions for sustained performance
  • Improved activity at low substrate concentrations to maximize phytate hydrolysis
  • High gastric stability for activity throughout the upper gastrointestinal tract
  • High intrinsic thermotolerance and pelleting stability
  • Improved bioavailability due to the elimination of the need for thermo protective coatings

Animal trial results have demonstrated the superior performance characteristics that CIBENZA PHYTAVERSE provides, based on standard metrics such as weight gain, feed conversion ratios and phosphorus mineralization (tibia ash) versus other available phytase products. These results indicate that inclusion of CIBENZA PHYTAVERSE in monogastric diets can provide improved nutrition and economics to the animal feed industry.

Novus and Verenium expect to launch this product in certain geographical regions beginning in 2013.

Agribusiness, Animal Health, Novus International, Veterinary

MyAgCentral: Getting All Info in One Place

John Davis

infoag-13-steve-cubbageRecently, we told you about a new cloud-based precision data service called MyAgCentral.com. During the recent 2013 InfoAg Conference, Chuck was able to catch up with Steve Cubbage, the President of Prime Meridian, a company behind MyAgCentral.com and find out a little more.

“It’s a subscription-based service for growers, retailers and service providers that brings technology together,” Steve said. “There’s a lot of technology out there ,and it’s growing every day, and really to manage that, we felt there was a need to have one site for growers to go to to manage their modern farm.”

Some examples Steve cited was pulling together center pivots control and grain monitoring. He said so many different precision data services serve certain areas, so instead of having the farmer try to keep track of a dozen different websites where the information is stored and analyzed, they can go to one place, MyAgCentral.com and access everything.

“MyAgCentral consolidates that into a single web-based interface, and on top of that, it is also a repository that the grower controls for his own precision ag data that they can go to and disseminate out to their retailers or precision ag team.”

Steve said good collaboration between companies is helping make it easier. Right now, MyAgCentral.com is browser based, but there are ways to use apps to move data from a cloud account to the website through a mobile device. In addition, he points out that his site provides farmers with a place to store all that information as an extra backup, like a safe deposit box, as well as making it easier to share original data.

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Steve here: Interview with Steve Cubbage, Prime Meridian and MyAgCentral.com

2013 InfoAg Conference Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Internet