Thoughts From First USFRA Food Dialogues Panel

Chuck Zimmerman

Here are our first panelists from the New York Food Dialogues backstage after their session was completed this morning. I visited with almost all of them before we moved on to the next panel. They were tasked with talking about Media, Marketing and Healthy Choices.

Richard is a New York vegetable farmer. He says it was a little daunting to be up on the stage here at the Times Center. I can relate! He says the whole concept of the Food Dialogues is a good one and a correct one. He believes that “at no time in our history has agriculture done a better job than it’s doing today.”

You can listen to my interview with Richard here: Interview with Richard Ball

Next up during our first break today I spoke with Kat Kinsman, managing editor, CNN Eatocracy and Debbi Beauvais, RD, SNS, New York School Nutrition President and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson. Kat says she’s rarely happier than when she’s talking with farmers. She got a Twitter message during the session inviting her to a farm and says she’s going to “do it.” Debbi says we’re not doing a good job of marketing all the great things we’re doing, both farmers and those preparing school meals.

You can listen to my interview with Kat and Debbi here: Interview with Kat Kinsman & Debbi Beauvais

I had a great conversation with panelists Carolyn O’Neil, MS, RD, WebMD and Craig McNamara, California organic farmer. Carolyn says that by providing people with more and better information about their food and where it comes from they can make better choices about what they eat. Craig talked about how important it is to be transparent as a farmer. He wants people, especially young people to come out to the farm to make a connection with nature and learn more. He welcomes people to visit his farm.

You can listen to my interview with Craig and Carolyn here: Interview with Craig McNamara & Carolyn O'Neill

All media and well, just anyone, is free to use my photos and share: 2012 USFRA Annual Mtg. & Food Dialogues Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Food, USFRA

USFRA New York Food Dialogues Underway

Chuck Zimmerman

The New York Food Dialogues is now live on the web. Here’s our panel being led by Ari Velshi, CNN chief business correspondent.

Just before we got started I visited with U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance board member Doug Wolf, National Pork Producers Council. This is his first visit to New York. He says the “agenda is laid out that we can present some good true stories of real life situations in agriculture.”

You can listen to my interview with Doug here: Interview with Doug Wolf

All media and well, just anyone, is free to use my photos and share: 2012 USFRA Annual Mtg. & Food Dialogues Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Farming, Food, USFRA

USFRA Board Meets and Ready for Food Dialogues

Chuck Zimmerman

The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance board is in session in New York City. I’m in the audience right now and will be featuring some thoughts from various members of the board while I’m here. We’ll be taking a break to attend The Food Dialogues which will be a live web stream featuring three different panel discussions. It will start at 10am eastern time and conclude at 3:30pm. The panel topics include: Media, Marketing and Healthy Choices; Your Toughest Questions Answered on Antibiotics in Your Food; Your Toughest Questions Answered on Biotechnology (GMOs) in Your Food.

To get some perspective from a couple of the USFRA board members I spoke with Weldon Wynn who represents the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and Craig Uden who represents the Federation of State Beef Councils.

Weldon says New York and the east coast is “where the people are.” He says we’re here to “let the nation know what safe and unique farm products that we do have.”

You can listen to my interview with Weldon here: Interview with Weldon Wynn

Craig says there are so many people who are so far removed from the production of food that there is a big need to provide them with good information. He says “We’re going to sit down with these folks on today’s Dialogues and show them what modern agriculture is about.”

You can listen to my interview with Craig here: Interview with Craig Uden

I’m collecting photos from the USFRA board meeting and Food Dialogues here: 2012 USFRA Annual Mtg. & Food Dialogues Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, USFRA

The Water Stops Here

Melissa Sandfort

Part way through the summer, irrigating using surface water was put to a halt because of the drought. For more than 1,100 farmers in Nebraska, that meant no more water to their crops. The saving grace for our state was that the marching orders affected only irrigation systems that used surface water, mostly rivers and creeks, and not systems that used wells. And more than 90 percent of Nebraska’s irrigation uses well water.

No doubt though, this was the worst drought farmers had seen in more than 25 years and when you mention the farm conditions of the 80s to Nebraskans, they shake their head and “remember the hard times”. So in comparison this year was really bad.

As I drive around to do my everyday activities such as running kids to school and/or daycare, going to the bank (which is 18 miles away!), or getting gas at the co-op, I like to look around at things I see on a regular basis that other folks might not know about.

This is one of those things. It’s an irrigation stop. Meaning, when the center pivot gets to the end of its path, it’s programmed to go back across the field. But every once-in-a-while you get a runaway pivot. These metal bars are placed at the edge of a field to stop the pivot tires and prevent them from ending up in a ditch or on the highway or in a creek.

To some, it may just look like an old football goalpost hanging out in the middle of nowhere but they really do serve a purpose.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Caroline Batcheldor Wins Charles Eastin Award

Melissa Sandfort

Caroline Batcheldor, Phenix City, Ala., has been awarded the second annual Charles Eastin Outstanding Service Award from the National Farm-City Council. The award is presented to an outstanding individual who has contributed to Farm-City activities as an advocate for accurate communications between rural and urban audiences.

The award is in honor of Charles “Charlie” Eastin, DVM, who played a fundamental role in Farm-City activities. A National Farm-City Council board member for many years, Charlie was especially active in planning and initiating Farm-City events in the Lexington, Ky., region.

Batcheldor, retired from dairy farming in Russell County, Ala., has worked tirelessly and relentlessly for the local Farm-City Committee for more than 50 years, recruiting new members and seeing that veteran members are involved each year.

For the past 25 years, she has been directly responsible for arranging the annual Farm-City breakfast. Working with the local Chamber of Commerce, she has helped build the event to between 150-180 participants every year, bringing together local rural and urban citizens to celebrate the value of agriculture to the community. She also organizes the Farm-City Poster and Essay Contest for the annual breakfast, supervising student and teacher involvement and recognition.

Those interested in nominating candidates for the 2013 Charles Eastin Outstanding Service Award can do so by going to the National Farm-City Council website for nomination rules and the application form.

Agribusiness

Dairy & Beef Issues Addressed At Global 500

Jamie Johansen

In just two and a half weeks Lexington, Kentucky will once again open it’s doors to dairy farmers and beef producers from across the world. These agriculturalists are coming together for Alltech’s Global 500. The Alltech community offers an opportunity to find answers to your questions.

What are the modern challenges of animal production?
Where to invest?
How to target performance and profitability?
What is the future of farming?
Can sustainability be achieved?

I am excited to attend this years event and during the National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s Trade Talk I had a chance to talk with David Butler, Web Marketing Manager for Alltech. He offered insite to the upcoming event and shared what hot topics will be discussed.

“Global 500 is unique because we have progressive dairy farmers and beef producers from all over the world that come to Lexington, KY to spend three days. They get to hear some great speakers, some real industry experts, but more than that we have discussion dinners where they can share ideas and share some challenges. An opportunity for US dairy farmers to find out how their colleagues in Europe are dealing with some of the environmental regulations there that we may see here eventually.”

“Cow comfort, of course is always a big thing. Mycotoxins are a big issue this year because of the drought in the US. We will be talking about ways to manage that. And things like mineral execration and other sorts of challenges that make it really tough for farmers, especially with large herds.”

Alltech is also holding a Farms In Focus photo contest to be judged during Global 500. Snap a photo of what dairy farming means to you and submit at Alltech.com/farmsinfocus. Share via Facebook and Twitter, get all your friends to vote during the event for a chance to win $300.

Listen to my interview with David here: David Butler - Alltech

2012 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Alltech, Audio, BASF, Beef, Dairy, NAFB

National Biodiesel Board Elects Governing Board

Melissa Sandfort

National Biodiesel Board members selected their trade association leadership, electing three returning governing board members and four new members to serve on the leadership committee to lead America’s advanced biofuel.

Officers elected to lead the board are:
• Gary Haer chairman, Renewable Energy Group, Inc.
• Ed Ulch, vice chair, Iowa Soybean Association
• Ron Marr, secretary, Minnesota Soybean Processors
• Steven Levy, treasurer, Sprague Operating Resources

Biodiesel board members also voted to fill seven board member spots. Board members elected to the Governing Board included treasurer Steven Levy and:
• Greg Anderson, Nebraska Soybean Board
• Jennifer Case, New Leaf Biofuels
• Mike Cunningham, ASA
• Brandon Foley, Sanimax
• Tim Keaveney, HERO BX
• John Wright, Owensboro Grain Company

Bob Metz, Robert Stobaugh, Kris Kappenman, Ed Hegland, and Jim Conway also continue to serve on the Governing Board.

Agribusiness, Biodiesel

Cleaner Soybean Fields, Higher Yields

Melissa Sandfort

Faced with the challenge of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth pigweed, many Southern farmers have looked to the LibertyLink® soybean system as a possible solution, even if that means giving up yield potential.

However, a soybean systems trial program conducted by Monsanto in the Delta this season has demonstrated that farmers who plant Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® soybeans – and utilize Monsanto’s Roundup Ready PLUS™ Weed Management Solutions – can have just as clean, or even cleaner, fields than the LibertyLink soybean/herbicide system and higher yield potential.

The Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybean system had an average yield advantage of 6 bushels per acre compared with the LibertyLink system in the trial program. Results were based on 20 farmer side-by-side plot locations in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky and the Missouri Bootheel during 2012. At current soybean prices of about $15 per bushel, that 6-bushel-per-acre yield advantage equals additional revenue of $90 per acre for the Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield system versus the LibertyLink system.

For 2013, the side-by-side trial program will be expanded to the central Midwest, where many farmers are facing challenges with waterhemp and marestail. Trial plots are planned in eastern Kansas, central Missouri, southern Illinois, southern Indiana and Ohio.

Agribusiness, Soybean

Important Cattlemen Issues For 2013

Jamie Johansen

From the farm bill to educating consumers, the beef cattle industry shares many of the same concerns facing agriculture as a whole. I talked with a couple of producer representatives at last week’s National Association of Farm Broadcasting Trade Talk about hot topics for cattlemen going into 2013.

Don Pemberton, Chairman of the NCBA Policy Division is also a beef farmer from central Missouri. He truly understands the ups and downs of the beef industry and brings a personal passion to his role at NCBA. Don discussed not only his outlook for the cattle markets and the Farm Bill, but how the recent drought affected him and his neighbors.

“We are doing what we can do from the Washington D.C. office. We need this Farm Bill passed, we are working with all of our counterparts to get congress to pass the Farm Bill. The version that passed the Senate, we are fine with. The version that passed the House Ag Committee, we are fine with. So, now that the election is over with I hope they can put politics aside and come together and get the Farm Bill passed before 2013.”

Listen to my complete interview with Don here: Don Pemberton - NCBA

Craig Uden, Chairman of NCBA’s Federation Division, works with all 45 beef councils across the country. He shared how Beef Checkoff dollars are going to educate influencer groups. These people consist of those vocal in social media, nutritionists, dietitians and others who really need to understand the difference between what beef is today and what they learned as a child.

“One thing we have seen with less numbers is less dollars. We have had to become very efficient. We have had very good organizational meetings to dive down and see where we need to be. One thing is we always want to get the money where the people are. How do we do that? We are working with a lot of influencer groups out there. The money comes in will be appropriated by the Beef Operations Committee and a lot of that will be directed to the state beef councils who are part of the federation to host influencers for tours. That has been very successful because a lot of people are removed from beef production and don’t understand how the cattle are raised and processed.”

Listen to my complete interview with Craig here: Craig Uden - NCBA Read More

Audio, BASF, Beef, Education, Livestock, NAFB, NCBA

What food are you thankful for?

Melissa Sandfort

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How do the election results make you feel?”

Our poll results: Thirty-two percent said disgusted; twenty-six percent said happy; fifteen percent said afraid; nine percent said sad; seven percent said mad; five percent said depressed/suicidal and four percent said apathetic. So, it looks like there were a wide range of emotions as the votes were being tallied but an almost 50/50 were disgusted while the others were happy. Pretty even with how the election turned out!

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, ” What’s your favorite Thanksgiving food?” Turkey will most likely bless the tables of many, but does your family have a special Thanksgiving food that just makes your taste buds dance? Let us know!

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

ZimmPoll