Social Connections to GROWMARK

Cindy Zimmerman

GROWMARK and FS are excited to make it easier than ever to make connections on social media.

growmark-connect“We are excited to add social features to our website,” says GROWMARK Corporate Digital Strategic Development Manager Heather Thompson. “Users will now see the ability to like and follow GROWMARK and FS right on our homepage.”

That includes links to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo and Pinterest. “We launched GROWMARK.com in a redesigned version just before we started actively pursuing social media so we didn’t have the chance to incorporate a lot of social features,” said Heather, noting that instead of doing another complete redesign, they just added those features into the website.

Heather says that social media has proven to be a great tool for them to connect with the members and customers. “We really enjoy the opportunity to connect with people on a more personal level than we had in the past with traditional media,” she said.

Listen to my interview with Heather here: Heather Thompson, GROWMARK

Audio, FS System, GROWMARK, Media, Social Media

Opinions on Committee Farm Bills

Talia Goes

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Are so-called “ag gag” bills fair?”

Our poll results: Fifty-two percent said No, forty-one percent said Yes and seven percent said I Don’t Know. So most of you feel that ag gag bills are not fair. Do you think answers would be different if we called them “See Something, Say Something” laws?

chart

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What’s your opinion of committee farm bills?” The Senate Agriculture Committee voted 15-5 to approve their version of a 2013 farm bill. And according to House Ag Committee Chairman, Frank D. Lucas, “The work of the Agriculture Committee, including reauthorizing the Farm Bill, affects every American; ensuring that our farmers and ranchers have the tools they need to produce an abundant and affordable food and fiber supply is as important to our country as national defense.” Let us know what you think.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by New Holland Agriculture.

ZimmPoll

Ag Committee Chairs Visit with NAFB

Chuck Zimmerman

Senator Debbie StabenowAn optimistic Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman met with farm broadcasters on Wednesday morning, the day after her committee passed a new farm bill called the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013. “This is the biggest jobs bill we will pass in any Congress,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). “It’s time to get it done.”

Stabenow says the majority of the bill they passed out of committee is virtually the same as last year and she believes they addressed the concerns of southern producers. “I think we have a strong coalition and have really produced what I think my friends down the hall should just take as the commodity title,” she said.

The senator talked about the amount of savings in the bill, concerns about the nutrition title, what they did with cotton in the bill, and conservation compliance. Overall, Senator Stabenow is optimistic about getting a farm bill soon, and that combined with new immigration policy, will be a “positive one-two punch for producers.”

Please feel free to download, listen and share: Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow

Representative Frank LucasHouse Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) met with the farm broadcasters just shortly before his committee began markup of their bill and said he was “as wound up as an 8 day clock” and expected it to be a long day but maybe not quite as long as last year’s 15 hour session. “But I would note that we had approximately 100 amendments a year ago, as of this morning we have approximately 100 amendments this time,” he said.

Lucas says the bill will go to the House floor this year “a dramatic improvement over a year ago” but he does expect it to be “a struggle we’re prepared to engage in and we’re prepared to move forward on.”

Chairman Lucas said it’s important to look long term in the farm bill. “Farm bills are not necessarily about this year or next year or year three,” he said. “Farm bills are about making provisions for year four or year five, when the wheels come off.”

Please feel free to download, listen and share: House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas

2013 NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album

Find more NAFB Washington Watch interviews on AgNewsWire.AgWired.com.com

Audio, NAFB

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

Senate Ag Committee Passes Farm Bill

Cindy Zimmerman

In just a few hours with almost no changes, the Senate Agriculture Committee voted 15-5 today to approve the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013.

senate-committee“This bill reflects agriculture’s cuts from the sequester and goes beyond that in spending reductions by making tough decisions and setting priorities that make sense for farmers, families, and taxpayers,” said Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich).

“It’s going to save off the baseline $24 billion over the life of the bill,” said Ranking Member Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) “We’ve made some reductions. We’ve streamlined and consolidated programs. There is also significantly less mandatory money authorized for energy programs than in the 2008 Farm Bill.”

Among the five senators who voted against the bill was Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) “I still want to pass a Farm Bill and provide long-term certainty to farmers, ranchers, and their families in Kansas and across the country,” said Roberts. “However, as it stands at this point today, this is not a reform bill. This is a rearview mirror bill.”

The bill is expected to move to the Senate floor next week.

Farm Bill, NCGA

Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack Meets with NAFB

Chuck Zimmerman

NAFB Meets Ag Secretary VilsackThis morning U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack met with attendees of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Washington Watch. As is a “tradition” now, he posed with us in the USDA office building. He then spent quite a while talking with us and answering questions. You can find more photos in my online photo album.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom VilsackOf course the focus of his opening remarks and first few questions was on the farm bill and the versions in both the House and Senate. He seems to favor the Senate version and you’ll hear his reasons during the session. I think he was very relaxed and willing to answer all questions during what must be a busy time as new legislation is being debated this week.

There is a lot of good stuff in here but I don’t have time to try to summarize it all. The Secretary addresses not only the farm bill but COOL, APHIS decision on 2-4-d/Dicamba tolerant traits and interestingly, public/private sector partnerships/investments.

Please feel free to download, listen and share: Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack Mtg. with NAFB

2013 NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album

Find more NAFB Washington Watch interviews on AgNewsWire.AgWired.com.com

Audio, NAFB, USDA

Farmers Trial Monsanto FieldScripts

Cindy Zimmerman

We first told you about Monsanto’s FieldScripts last fall at Farm Progress Show. Now we will be hearing much more from farmers using it on a trial basis in the field.

This planting season, more than 150 farmers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota are trialing the first offering from Monsanto’s Integrated Farming SystemsSM (IFS) research platform – FieldScriptsSM. With FieldScripts planted on more than 8,300 acres in Illinois, Ground Breakers® farmers there are impressed with how FieldScripts revolutionizes variable rate planting.

FieldScripts integrates Monsanto’s understanding of hybrid performance with the data farmers provide about their individual fields to identify the best hybrids and provide a variable rate planting prescription for each field. The process is led by FieldScripts Certified Dealers, delivered through the FieldView® Plus app on the farmer’s iPad®, and executed with precision equipment on the planter.

Ground Breakers farmer Mark Sturtevant in Carroll County, Ill. has planted several fields with FieldScripts and is excited about bringing together Monsanto’s knowledge of hybrid performance in multiple yield environments with the latest planter technologies, “If we can harness this technology, we’ll be able to increase our yield and profit potential. We’re working to put the right seed, at the right amount, on every acre. FieldScripts is a step in the right direction for the industry.”

While many farmers own variable rate planters, there has not been a simple and accurate way to utilize them. Traditionally, variable rate seeding has been based on soil type or normalized yield, but these methods fall short of revealing the true picture of what is happening in the field or providing a means to plant accurately using that information.

FieldScripts allows the farmer to accurately plant a lower seeding rate in lower-yielding areas of the field, and a higher seeding rate at higher yielding areas of the field, maximizing the yield potential of every seed. Monsanto research has shown that FieldScripts delivers a 5-10 bushel per acre yield advantage across the field as a whole, as compared with fields not planted with FieldScripts. In 2014, Monsanto plans to launch FieldScripts that will be delivered to farmers through FieldScripts Certified DEKALB® seed dealers.

Read more from Monsanto.

Farming, Precision Agriculture

Taking on Activists in the Courtroom

Jamie Johansen

aaa-13-132_edited-2 Unfortunately, when dealing with the threat of activist groups it is hard to avoid the courtroom. During the Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit we heard from those who have seen first hand the legal ramifications of activist tactics.

John Simpson, partner at Fulbright and Jaworski LLP, shared how he fought back for his client for 13 years and tips for those courtroom battles. John represented Feld Entertainment, who produces the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The team was victorious and ASPCA paid Feld Entertainment a $9.3 million settlement.

John doesn’t refer to these groups as activists, he says they are special interest groups with a radical agenda. He also stressed that they will attack you at the local, state and national levels. They will not only attempt to take action in the courtroom, they will attack the legislative, science and vet labs, in the media and your very own business.

Listen to or download my interview with John here: Interview with John Simpson

Listen to or download John’s complete presentation here: John Simpson - Presentation

Check out 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 Activists, Animal Agriculture, Audio

Senate Farm Bill Markup Today

Cindy Zimmerman

NAFB Washington WatchThe Senate Agriculture Committee meets this morning to consider the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013, their version of a “Farm Bill.” Yesterday, farm broadcasters meeting in Washington D.C. had the chance to interview a number of representatives from various agricultural and renewable fuels organizations and most of them had something to say about what the House and Senate have in their respective draft bills.

American Soybean Association director and farmer from Delaware Richard Wilkins said they are pleased to see that both bills allow some flexibility for growers. “They both contain provisions that allow the soybean grower to choose which type of “safety net” they feel works best for them,” he said.
Interview with Richard Wilkins, American Soybean Association

Chris Galen with the National Milk Producers Federation says both drafts contain the Dairy Security Act and he expects the Senate to pass this proposal which they support, but on the House side there is another proposal being offered which they oppose. “Basically it would turn farmers into takers of government welfare because it would not allow the marketplace to correct quick enough,” he said.
Interview with Chris Galen, National Milk Producers Federation

Bob Dinneen with the Renewable Fuels Association says there is an energy title in the Senate draft. “And we hope to be able to have some funds in that to allow USDA to continue to make funding available for blender pumps and do some other things for future technologies,” he said.
Interview with Bob Dinneen, Renewable Fuels Association

Colin Woodall with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says as far as they are concerned, they would rather not be in the farm bill at all. “Our number one priority was to make sure there was not a livestock title in either bill, right now there’s not so we’re happy with that,” he said.
Interview with Colin Woodall, National Cattlemen's Beef Association

2013 NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album

Find more NAFB Washington Watch interviews on AgNewsWire.AgWired.com.com

Ag Groups, ASA, Audio, Dairy, Farm Bill, NAFB, NCBA, RFA

Farm Bill Top Issue at NAFB Washington Watch

Cindy Zimmerman

As both the House and Senate Agriculture committees are marking up their versions of a farm bill this week, that was the number one issue for farm broadcasters meeting in the nation’s capitol for their annual Washington Watch.

nafb-ww-thatcherMary Kay Thatcher with the American Farm Bureau Federation sees few major differences between the two committee drafts released last week. “If you look at all the titles, except commodities and nutrition, they’re fairly similar – there isn’t really a nickel’s worth of difference in conservation, research, rural development or specialty crops,” she said. Even the commodity titles she thinks are more similar this year than last, but there are differences in nutrition. “I still think the food stamp program is going to be the big ticket that’s going to hold us up in getting this thing done.”

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Mary Kay here: Interview with Mary Kay Thatcher, AFBF

nafb-ww-doggettJon Doggett with the National Corn Growers Association says their top priority with the farm bill is risk management and crop insurance, which is why they joined with a number of other agriculture and environmental groups last week in hammering out a compromise to support tying conservation compliance and crop insurance but oppose means testing or payment limitations. “We worked out some common sense language that makes this a very workable program for growers that offers them plenty of opportunity that if they inadvertently get out of compliance they can quickly get back in,” he said. “In return, we have an assurance from the conservation community that they will be with us to protect the funding for crop insurance.”

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jon here: Interview with Jon Doggett, NCGA

The Senate farm bill mark up is scheduled for Tuesday and the House on Wednesday.
Link to Senate farm bill page.
Link to House farm bill draft.

2013 NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album

Find more NAFB Washington Watch interviews on AgNewsWire.AgWired.com.com

AFBF, Audio, Farm Bill, NAFB, NCGA