USDA and EPA Release Honey Bee Health Report

Cindy Zimmerman

usda-beesThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released a comprehensive scientific report on honey bee health. The report states that there are multiple factors playing a role in honey bee colony declines, including parasites and disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure.

“The challenges are complex and there is no smoking gun,” said Sonny Ramaswamy, Administrator of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. “It is imperative that we take action to address the factors contributing to the decline in honey bees and the continuing impact that our farmers and honeybee producers are facing as well.”

“It’s a critical issue that affects virtually every American,” said Acting EPA Administrator Bob Perciasepe. “The report we’ve released today is the product of unprecedented collaboration, and our work in concert must continue. As the report makes clear, we’ve made significant progress, but there is still much work to be done to protect the honey bee population.”

When it comes to the issue of pesticide exposure, the report says that more research is needed. Other countries are moving to ban the neonicotinoids class of insecticides over fears that they are the cause of the honey bee decline. Asked why the United States doesn’t just ban the pesticide, “We let science drive the outcome of our decision-making,” said Jim Jones with the EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “There are non-trivial costs to society if we get this wrong. These are products that not only provide meaningful benefits to the farmers who use them, but they then generate benefits to consumers as well for affordable in the United States and they also are compounds that, as a general matter for human health and the environment, are preferable to the alternative.”

Link to full report.

A press conference featuring government officials and stakeholders in the honey bee industry was held to explain the report’s findings. In addition to Ramaswamy and Perciasepe, those on the call included:
Dr. May Berenbaum, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Zac Browning, Beekeeper
Steve Bradbury, EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
Dr. Jeffery Pettis, Bee Research Lead, USDA Agricultural Research Service

USDA/EPA Honey Bee Report press call
Agribusiness, Audio, Environment, USDA

Soybean Executive Named NAWG CEO

Talia Goes

palmerLongtime soybean industry executive Jim Palmer has been named chief executive officer of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG). Palmer was selected by the NAWG Board of Directors after a search process led by the NAWG officers and grower-leaders of the National Wheat Foundation, NAWG’s affiliated charitable organization.

He will officially begin work with the Association and Foundation as of June 1, though he plans to meet with NAWG’s grower-leaders and staff throughout the month of May.

Palmer has worked in administrative roles for national and state agriculture organizations for the past 30 years, most of that time in the soybean industry. From 1997 until early 2012, he worked as the executive director for the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. Earlier in his career, he was engaged in commercial agriculture credit and was the staff lead during the development of the United Soybean Board, the national soybean checkoff. Since leaving Minnesota Soybean, he has worked as an independent management and development consultant with agriculture companies around the United States.

Agribusiness, NAWG, Wheat

Paving the Way

Melissa Sandfort

Three years ago when we moved from Denver back to my rural hometown in Nebraska, I had driven to town to go to the bank and on my way out, noticed that the clock read 5:00 p.m. I immediately thought, “Oh no, leaving town right during rush hour.”

Then I laughed out loud. Rush hour in a town of 3,500 people with two stoplights…the worst that could happen is I get stuck behind a slow-moving tractor.

That instantly triggered another memory from my childhood: Each time we’d be driving down the highway and find ourselves following a piece of farm machinery, whether it be a tractor or combine, us kids would complain and say, “Aw, dad, go around him! He’s going SOOOO slow!”

Can’t you just hear the whining from the back seat?

My dad’s usual response? “Don’t complain about farmers. They paid for these roads.”

I didn’t know how true that statement actually was until I heard my grandpa tell the story about mud roads and how farmers were responsible for maintaining them.

Listen to Grandpa explain

So the next time you get stuck behind a farmer on the highway, just relax and take the opportunity to just drive a bit slower for a while and take in the scenery. And give a thank-you wave as you go around him so he knows you appreciate the roads you’re driving on!

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Brennan Heading Farm Foundation Development

John Davis

brennan1Our friends at Farm Foundation, a group that has work in agriculture, food systems and rural communities, has tapped Tim Brennan as their new Director of Development.

“We are excited to welcome Tim to the Foundation staff,” says Jay Armstrong of Armstrong Farms, Muscotah, KS, Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

“This is a dynamic time for the Foundation as demand for our high-quality, objective program work continues to grow. Tim’s expertise in fundraising will be crucial to the Foundation’s ability to expand the depth and reach of that programming.”

“The Foundation is uniquely positioned to help public and private decision makers understand evolving issues and demands that are shaping the future of the industry,” says Neil Conklin, President of Farm Foundation, NFP. “Tim will formalize a fundraising strategy and bring valuable experience to strengthen and broaden relationships in the Foundation’s networks.”

Brennan has 20 years in fundraising, most of that in higher education. He was the Associate Director of Alumni Relations for the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business, now the Booth School of Business and the Director of Alumni Relations and Marketing for Northwestern University’s School of Law, as well as the University of Chicago’s Executive Director of the Chicago Society and Director of Development at the Law School and the Senior Director of Alumni and Constituent Relations at the University.

Farm Foundation

Animal Ag Alliance Stakeholders Summit Kicks Off

Jamie Johansen

aaa-13-062-editedThis morning kicked off the 12th Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit here in Washington, D.C. or more specifically Arlington, Virginia. This year’s topic of discussion was on “Activist at the Door: Protecting Animals, Farms, Food & Consumer Confidence.” The Animal Ag Alliance is focused on connecting, educating & protecting and that is exactly what this conference is all about.

Today we have heard from all aspects of the agriculture community as well as a few outsiders who gave us a perspective we needed to hear. Tomorrow’s panel will continue with the same dialogue focused on animal welfare within the agriculture industry.

If you were unable to attend the event you can follow the #AAA13 on Twitter or view the live coverage here, provided by Alltech.

Soon I will have audio interviews uploaded and ready to listen to, but until then here are some photos from the event. 2013 Animal Ag Alliance Stakeholders Summit Photo Album

Coverage of the Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit is sponsored by National Pork Producers Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Animal Agriculture, Education, Food, Meat, NPPC

Generations of Family Farming

Talia Goes

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Does celebrity media attention sway your purchasing/listening/watching decisions? (e.g. Carrie Underwood supporting HSUS)”

Our poll results: Sixty-four percent said No, sixteen percent said Yes, eleven percent said Carrie Underwood Who, seven percent said Depends on the Celebrity, and two percent said Other. It looks like our audience doesn’t make decisions based on what media coverage of so called “celebrities.” How about you? Do you think differently? Let us know.

Untitled

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “How many generations are you removed from the farm?” With fewer and larger farms in the United States, not as many people are involved in production agriculture as 40 years ago. What is your family connection to farming? Let us know.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by New Holland Agriculture.

ZimmPoll

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

Conquer with Cadet Sweepstakes

Talia Goes

cadetFMC Agricultural Products Group announces the Conquer with Cadet Sweepstakes, inviting growers to visit www.FMCcadet.com and listen to the personal stories of corn and soybean growers who have had success with best practices while using Cadet herbicide. Online participation will be rewarded with a chance to win a John Deere Gator utility vehicle.

In addition to the John Deere Gator grand prize, five first place winners will receive a $250 Home Depot gift card. An additional 20 people will receive $100 Home Depot gift cards as a second place prize. Entries must be submitted by May 30 in order to be eligible for prizes.

Agribusiness, FMC, John Deere

Regional Farm Mom Winners

Talia Goes

MonsantoFrom Alaska to Florida, Maine to Hawaii, many people took the time to share what makes their favorite farm mom so special. Now, American Agri-Women and Monsanto have selected five regional winners. Votes will help determine this year’s national winner, to be announced on Mother’s Day.

Each regional winner was awarded a $5,000 cash prize from Monsanto. Online votes cast on AmericasFarmers.com before May 12 – Mother’s Day – will determine the winner of the national title and recipient of an additional $5,000 prize.

The 2013 regional winners are:

  • Northwest Region: Aimee Hachigian-Gould, Ulm, Mont.
  • Southwest Region: Mary Ann Bansen, Ferndale, Calif.
  • Midwest Region: Tina Hinchley, Cambridge, Wis.
  • Northeast Region: Sue Roehm, Leesburg, Ohio
  • Southeast Region: Betty Rosson, Louisa, Va.
Agribusiness

Discussing Open Data for Agriculture Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 393Data, data, data. I wonder how many times that word was used at this week’s G-8 International Conference on Open Data for Agriculture? A lot I’m sure. Well, I was not there but Paul Welbig, Raven Industries was.

Paul WelbigHere’s a photo of Paul on the left with Dr. Aboubacar Diaby, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. They are holding an African corn planter.

The conference concluded after participating countries created some action plans for what to do next. You can find those on the website and even more information. A focus of the efforts being made to make more agricultural data sets available to the world wide community is to create resources that will help people in developing countries and where there is a real need for advanced food production. So you might like an example of how this has already been done in other areas. Paul shares a couple of examples that were given at the conference like GPS which exists because of data shared and now used in so many beneficial ways which includes precision agriculture.

Learn more about what was discussed in this week’s conference in my conversation with Paul: Open Data for Agriculture

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

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our Subscribe page.

Audio, Farming, Precision Agriculture, USDA, ZimmCast