We All Care About the Drought

Chuck Zimmerman

HuffPost LiveThis evening I was proud to be the skeptic in an episode of HuffPost Live titled, “Who Cares About Drought?”

A drought of historic proportions continues to grip much of the U.S. We discuss the impact of drought and how innovative water supply solutions can create jobs and stimulate the economy.

I actually don’t think I was really a skeptic, at least when it comes to the fact that we had a major widespread drought in 2012 and that there are all kinds of innovative solutions being worked on to better manage our water supply. What I am skeptical about are the hysterical emotion-driven claims that were made last fall about exorbitant food prices and that climate change was the reason we had last year’s drought. I believe this is the link to the archive of the program if you’d like to watch.

I mentioned that innovative companies like Monsanto and Dupont Pioneer are developing new technologies like drought resistant crops to address this situation where it exists. That hit a nerve with a couple of my fellow panelists. Ideas they presented included water harvesting and local food movements which I see nothing wrong with and would encourage. Several tweets were displayed that included one about desalinization plants. That struck a personal nerve with me since my father-in-law designed those plants all over the world!

In the end the episode skeptic was not moved from what he believes in. But as I said earlier, I think we had more we agreed on than not.

Farming, Food, Media

Smartphone Apps to Manage Herd Records

Chuck Zimmerman

Who would have thought just a few years ago that seeing farmers in the field managing information with their phones would be common place? As this video clip from Certified Angus Beef shows, mobile devices are embraced by farmers and besides helping save them time they are also helping their consumer customers have more confidence in the food they produce.

Barb Downey operates a commercial and registered Angus herd in Kansas. An active mobile technology user, she shares her experience on how these tools can provide more convenient opportunities for beef producers to manage herd records. This video news is provided by Certified Angus Beef LLC and the American Angus Association. Visit www.CABpartners.com or www.angus.org for more information.

Ag Groups, Apps, Video

Put Some LabelBling on Your Groceries

Talia Goes

YLfreshLabelBling, a new line of high impact labels by Yerecic Label, uses new techniques to create an upscale look at an affordable rate for fresh produce growers, packers and shippers. The line focuses on the use of eye-catching visuals such as holographic films, sparkle inks and embossing to draw attention and interrupt the shopper as they carry out their shopping mission.

Many brands have the misguided idea that bold innovative packaging is too expensive. LabelBling proves that you can distinguish a product’s visual appeal significantly without overspending. The original and innovative designs help to differentiate the product in the clutter of colors in the produce department.

Advertising, Agribusiness

Nutrient Management with Late Planting

Cindy Zimmerman

fieldwaterPlanting progress continues to be slowed by wet and cold weather in most of the major corn producing states.

According to USDA, just 5% of the U.S. corn crop was planted as of Sunday, only a percentage point of difference compared to the previous week. Last year at this time, nearly half the crop was in the ground and normally at least 30% should be planted by now. All 18 major corn producing states are behind the five year average and five have nothing in the ground yet. Another half dozen have less than 3-4% planted.

grandinJohn Grandin, Senior Field Sales Agronomist at GROWMARK, Inc. says that while planting is definitely running behind normal in the Corn Belt, it’s nothing to worry about just yet.

“We’re not behind the eight ball as far as we’ve missed out on all the growing degree days,” said Grandin, who adds that field work is progressing in his area of Iowa.

Grandin stresses the importance of sticking with the original plan when it comes to nutrient management. “If the original plan calls for spring-applied anhydrous ammonia, then stick with spring-applied anhydrous ammonia,” he said.

However, Grandin points out the possibility of burning corn roots or even killing the seedling if application is followed too quickly by planting. “We can manage that by putting the anhydrous ammonia on at an angle to the direction of row planting,” he said. That will help decrease the possibility of free ammonia being trapped in the knife track as a result of wetter soils. “We don’t want to be planting directly on top of the anhydrous knife track for any length of row.”

Listen to this interview with Grandin to find out more: GROWMARK agronomist John Grandin

Audio, Farming, Fertilizer, GROWMARK

ISU Seeks Input on DDGs

Joanna Schroeder

cattle eating distillers grainsIowa State University is conducting a survey of livestock producers use of feed-related co-products from ethanol production (distillers grains). The survey is focused on the beef, dairy, swine and poultry sectors. It is being funded by a coalition consisting of the Renewable Fuels Association, the Distillers Grains Technology Council and the Corn Utilization Councils from Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska.

“The feedback gained from the survey will be used to help improve co-product quality, which can help livestock producers with their feed costs and livestock performance,” said Kurt Rosentrater, a professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, who is leading the effort.

Livestock producers are invited to take the survey online until June 19, 2013.

Agribusiness, Biofuels, Ethanol

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

Dollar General Honors Moms as “Every Day Heroes”

Talia Goes

Maria SeguraIn recognition of moms who do extraordinary things every day for their families and communities, Dollar General is partnering with Procter & Gamble to honor a Florida mom as its official Every Day Hero for May. As part of its Every Day Heroes program, Dollar General will feature Maria Segura in a campaign thanking moms in Dollar General communities across the country. Segura will be featured in a national marketing campaign, including a spotlight in May on Oxygen’s “Live Out Loud” on-air vignette and in People magazine.

Segura came to Florida from a family of immigrant farmworkers and with the help of the Family Literacy Academy of Immokalee, a Barbara Bush Foundation program, she has pursued her education. She has received her G.E.D and Associate’s Degree and is now pursuing her bachelor’s degree in education, and she also put two children through college.

In honor of Maria Segura and literacy volunteers everywhere, Dollar General is making a $10,000 donation to the Family Literacy Academy to help the organization fulfill its mission of providing full-service literacy to farmworker families with young children.

Agribusiness

Weed Scouting Critical for Resistance Control

Cindy Zimmerman

Scouting is more popular than ever to help farmers to be prepared.

BASFA recent BASF poll showed nearly 80 percent of growers are changing their weed management programs to head off herbicide-resistant weeds – and with resistance confirmed across 31 U.S. states, a good scouting technique is a must for every field.

“Understanding the biology of the weeds already present in the field is the first step for farmers to gain control of their weed problems,” said Luke Bozeman, Technical Market Manager, BASF. “But scouting is equally important, and keeping an eye out for weeds that may have survived an early-season application is critical.”

Scouting has evolved from a task to a science. While there are many new technologies and custom weed identification tools that farmers, crop scouts and company agents use to quickly and accurately identify common weeds in their fields, traditional scouting techniques are still critical. Moving in a diagonal pattern across fields is the best approach to capturing accurate data of persistent weeds and gaining a broad sample survey.

Timing is essential for effective weed control and scouting should be done early in the growing season. As weeds get bigger they become more difficult to control and can continue to grow and produce seed. This can keep soil weed seed banks high and increase weed problems next year, contributing to crop competition and yield loss.

To find out more, visit AdvancedWeedControl.basf.us.

basf-awc

BASF, Farming, weed management

Red River Farm Network App

Chuck Zimmerman

Red River Farm Network AppThere’s now an app to get your Red River Farm Network.

The RRFN app delivers the power of the Red River Farm Network agriculture journalism team to your fingertips. Farm news, weather, market analysis, agronomy information and the latest RRFN broadcast is now available anytime, anywhere.

“At the Red River Farm Network, we’re reporting agriculture’s business,” said Mike Hergert, president, RRFN, “Our new smartphone app complements the information available on our 17 radio partners.”

DuPont Pioneer is the title sponsor for this innovative tool. With a simple click, the resources of DuPont Pioneer are available to growers on the RRFN app.

The features of the RRFN app include the latest radio broadcast and news headlines. World Weather, Inc. ag meteorologist Drew Lerner, who provides agriculture forecasts on the Red River Farm Network, will be featured on this app. In addition, agronomic information and commentary from leading market analysts will be found on the RRFN app.

The Red River Farm Network app can be downloaded from the Apple Store or from Google Play.

Apps, Media

Most Important Word in Social Media: Why

John Davis

nama13-steve“Everyone” has a Facebook page (or Twitter account or LinkedIn page, etc.), but is it the right social media decision? That’s the question Steve Hershberger, principal and co-founder of the social media company ComBlu, posed during one of the breakout sessions at the 2013 Agri-Marketing Conference recently in Kansas City.

“One of my favorite tools in my toolbox is the word ‘Why?'” Steve told Cindy during an interview at the meeting. “When people say, ‘We have to be on Facebook,’ my question is, ‘Why?’ ‘Well, because all of our competitors are on Facebook.’ ‘Well, why do you have to?” What you have to get them to is a defendable decision that they can back up using empirical data,” such as measurement of their customer sets and what Facebook delivers. And he adds that the right social media strategy will vary from company to company. “Never let the tactics drive the outcome.”

Steve’s company, ComBlu, has been around since 2003 and views the business as less about social and more about an enterprise, leaving behind what he calls “empty calorie” marketing. He said that after asking “Why?” companies need to consider social media as a tactic and look at how to create an overall social strategy over longer periods of time. He added that for those just starting in the social media and strategy realm, they need to eliminate fear and doubts by focusing on just a few things.

“When you’re focused on doing too many things, you move into the analysis-paralysis phase, because you don’t necessarily know what you’re doing. If you hone it down to just a few key items that you’re focused on, you tend to do them better.”

Listen to Cindy’s interview with Steve here: Interview with Steve Hershberger of ComBlu

2013 Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

Audio, Media, NAMA, Social Media