New NCGA President Meets Press at NAFB

Cindy Zimmerman

Pam Johnson of Floyd, Iowa has been president of the National Corn Growers Association for just over a month now and Thursday she had her first real opportunity in that position to “meet the press” at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB).

Pam is the first woman president of NCGA but she takes exception to the idea that she is a “token” in a man’s world. “I’m a sixth generation farmer and I come from a long line of strong men AND women,” she said. “Just like anybody else, male or female, I had to work very hard, learn a lot, work together and compromise and come up through the chain.”

Pam says there is lots more opportunity for farm women to get involved in leadership positions than ever before. “I’ve got a lot of respect for women in agriculture, young and old,” said Pam, noting the great enthusiasm she witnessed at the Executive Women in Agriculture conference last year in Chicago.

Pam’s goals as president for NCGA are very simple. “To bring all that I am and all that I’ve learned to this position and be the best president that I can be for NCGA. That means that I will continue to advocate for the policies that we worked very hard to develop and advocate for our priorities as we move forward into this new year,” Pam said.

I also talked with Pam about her crop this year, how farming has changed in six generations on her farm, and the 2013 Commodity Classic.

Listen to my interview with Pam – one of dozens done Thursday with farm broadcasters! Interview with Pam Johnson

2012 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Audio, BASF, Corn, NCGA

Cowgirl Up! Let’s Go Ranching

Jamie Johansen

With Christmas just around the corner, this just might be the perfect stocking stuffer for the little one in your life. The twins have brought you another educational story of life on the ranch.

Sheridan and Rianna Chaney are proud to bring you the fourth book in the “The Chaney Twins’ Ag Series.” This book, “Cowgirl Up! Let’s Go Ranching” follows the girls’ experiences with ranch life in America’s Heartland. The girls’ adventures keep young readers engaged and smiling. What began as a project in school lead the Chaney twins on one the greatest, fun-filled educational journeys of their lives that they are now happy to share. The eight-year-old girls sat down with this fourth book in “The Chaney Twins’ Ag Series” and helped their Mom write the text.

All four books are full of captivating full-color photos by professional photographer and the books co-creator Kelly Hahn Johnson. The text is geared towards preschool and elementary-aged children and has been widely used by Farm Bureau groups and Ag in the Classroom programs. This series serves as a great educational tool for all, whether your children have been born or raised on the farm or are still learning where their food comes from.

The books and lesson plans have been added to the USDA National Resource Directory for Agriculture in the Classroom. Lessons plans are available in free downloadable form at www.pabeef.org. Books are $12 each, or $40 for the four-book “Bundle” special, plus shipping. Special discounts are available for larger orders for ag groups.

For more information or to place an order, call Rebecca at 301-271-2732, email her at chaneyswalkabout@aol.com, Or place an order directly from the web site at www.Rebeccalongchaney.com.

Education, Farming

ASFMRA Accreditation Opens Doors

John Davis

A common them at the recent 83rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and AgroNomics Conference & Trade Show was how important ASFMRA accreditation and education is.

“The [Accredited Farm Manager, AFM accreditation] opens doors, provides credibility to the manager, is an industry-wide identity for that member, and it helps sell yourself when visiting with clients,” said Mike Krause, who works at Hertz Farm Management in Omaha and serve as chair of ASFMRA’s Management and Consulting Education Committee. He added that the networking possibilities through ASFMRA pay for themselves 10 times over. Plus, he said his organization is aware of the demands on people’s time and designs course materials to meet those educational needs as efficiently as possible. “Time is short for everybody. What we have is the right course material that’s specific to the daily needs of our members, and we utilize that material with examples so they get the most for their money in the shortest amount of time.”

Krause encouraged all members to seek out that accreditation, calling it a “complete” program.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Mike here: Interview with Mike Krause, AFM

2012 Agronomics Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

Agribusiness, Audio

Investors Look to Farmland as Tangible, Stable Asset

John Davis

With the ups and downs of the stock market in the past few years and the boom in the rural economy, institutional investors are looking at farmland as a tangible, stable asset to have in their portfolio. At the recent 83rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and AgroNomics Conference & Trade Show, Steve Kenney with the Hancock Agricultural Investment Group in Des Moines, Iowa talked about how investors are seeing ag areas as an obvious choice.

“Institutional investors are now taking a look at this asset class as a way to have stable income flow, steady returns to offset their liabilities from their pensioners. It helps to mitigate some of the volatility in their overall pension,” Kenney explained. He said interest is being driven by the volatility in stocks and bonds and the troubles in the commercial real estate market. “It’s a tangible asset. It’s something they can go out and kick the dirt… no pun intended.”

Kenney added that they can invest in annual crops, like row crops, or permanent ones, such as timber, or both, but the row crops offer less risk. He said the institutional investors are beginning to carve out a real asset portfolio, and farmland is part of that package. Kenney counsels that investors need to look at a long-term approach to this investment… at least 10 years and probably closer to 20-30 years.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Steve here: Interview with Steve Kenney, Hancock Agricultural Investment Group

2012 Agronomics Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

Agribusiness, Audio

USB Ensures Safe, Sustainable & Secure Food Supply

Jamie Johansen

The 2012 Trade Talk during the National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s annual convention served as another successful opportunity for agriculture organizations to share what they are doing to serve their customers and the consumer.

An example of this was when I sat down with Bob Haselwood, Treasurer for the United Soybean Board and Kansas crop farmer, at the recent event. Bob shared with me how USB is working to ensure that the U.S. soy industry and its customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate. He also discussed ways they are helping fund educational endeavors to stimulate the conversation about agriculture.

“The United Soybean Board wants to help increase the profitability for soybean farmers. We’ve got several key areas we work in based on our long-term strategic plan and that is we want to work in meal, oil, customer focus and freedom to operate.”

“One of the big things we do is help fund United States Farmers & Ranchers Alliance. Several organizations are big in that and we are one of the big sponsors of that. USFRA is one way to get dialogue started with consumer groups so we can get our story across and show we do have a safe, sustainable and secure food supply.”

Listen to my interview with Bob here: Bob Haselwood - USB

2012 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, BASF, Education, NAFB, Soybean, USB, USFRA

Farm Foundation Blog Addresses 2050 Challenges

John Davis

How do you feed the expected world population of 9 billion people by the year 2050? Our friends at Farm Foundation are taking on that challenging question, hopefully with some good answers through their new blog, AgChallenge2050.org.

“It’s an opportunity for more people to be involved in the conversation,” said Mary Thompson, Farm Foundation’s Vice President, Communications, adding there are four key areas of consideration: role of science and technology in agriculture, farm and food policy, adaptability resistance, and human capital needs in agriculture and the food system. “We have contributors who will be twice a week posting new ideas and new perspectives in those four areas, and we will encourage all types of stakeholders to come in and be part of the conversation.”

And don’t forget, Farm Foundation has another one of their forums coming up this Wednesday, November 14th looking at what the recently completed election means to agriculture, food and rural policies. It will be held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC and webcast for the very first time. Click here for more information.

Listen to Cindy’s interview with Mary here: Mary Thompson, Farm Foundation

2012 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Farm Foundation, Media

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

Zimfo Bytes

New NAFB Officer Team

Cindy Zimmerman

This good looking trio will be the new officer team for the National Association of Farm Broadcasting in 2013.

From left to right they are: President-elect Janet Adkison of KMZU Radio in Carrollton, Missouri; President Mark Oppold of RFD-TV; and newly-elected Vice President Susan Littlefield of KZEN Radio in Columbus, Nebraska.

I talked with Susan last week after she won the election for vice president about some of her goals in the coming three years. “The broadcasters that I’ve talked to, no matter the size of their entity, they want a level playing field,” Susan said, noting that they want to be able to market and promote themselves better to clients and agencies. Another issue important to Susan is helping farm broadcasters talk to consumers more. “We kind of dabble in it here and there, but I think we really need to take a stand and say this is what happens behind that gate on those farms.”

Susan has been an NAFB member since 1996 and has worked her way up through the ranks to get to the position of vice president.

Listen to my interview with Susan here: New NAFB Vice President Susan Littlefield

2012 NAFB Convention Photo Album

NAFB

Honoring NAFB President Tom Steever

Chuck Zimmerman

The NAFB president’s banquet Friday night honored Tom Steever of Brownfield Ag News who received toasts and more than a few little roasts for his distinguished career as a farm broadcaster and officer for the National Association of Farm Broadcasting.

A hoarse Orion Samuelson emceed the dinner, which provided lots of laughs in itself, such as a quip that he was doing a great imitation of Max Armstrong. Orion hired Tom many moons ago as an anchor for the quickly defunct Channel Earth, a 10 month episode of Tom’s life that was the butt of several jokes during the evening, but to which Tom himself noted “he would do it all again” even knowing how it would end.

Brownfield’s entire staff of ten broadcasters was there for the banquet and it is worth noting that while this Missouri-based farm network is the biggest and one of the nation’s oldest, this is the first time a Brownfielder has served as president of NAFB. His boss Cyndi Young, pictured here getting a buss from Tom, could hardly contain her pride and praise for him. She had almost nothing but good things to say about Tom, unlike his first boss who hired him at KSOO and related a couple of classic stories to prove what a “dork” Tom was and still is.

To make up for Cyndi’s flowing praise, and in honor of Tom’s love of music, her husband Jim Puyear composed and performed a tribute to Tom at the dinner, complete with plenty of wise cracks about those in attendance and some not. Just a warning – it does contain a few blue words just to make Tom blush!

2012 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Media, NAFB, Video

Bidner is Syngenta’s Pro Farm Manager of the Year

John Davis

A veteran farm manager from Illinois has been named Syngenta’s in North America Professional Farm Manager of the Year for 2012. Brent Bidner, accredited farm manager and vice president of Hertz Farm Management, Inc., has been providing professional farm management services for Hertz for 24 years. The Monticello, Ill. resident manages more than 18,000 acres across Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Colorado.

Bidner’s approach to managing clients’ land includes taking care of the land the same way he would if he owned it himself. “I look at it as a long-term, not just a short-term, investment,” said Bidner. “My goal is to leave it for the next generation in better shape than it was when I took over management of the property.”

His careful management and innovative approach has paid off for long-term client, Kenway Farm. “Through a number of improvements, Brent has increased our corn production nearly 12 percent and soybean production by 10 percent when you compare pre-management averages to recent averages,” said Paul Gorden, president of Kenway Farm in Blue Mound, Ill.

“Professional farm managers play a crucial role in agriculture today,” said Brent Rockers, district manager for Syngenta. “At Syngenta, our goal is always to help farmers increase yield and return on investment by growing more with less. Dedicated farm managers like Brent are a key partner working with us to accomplish the exact same thing for their clients.”

In addition to honoring Bidner, Syngenta made a $1,000 donation in his name to the 4-H Memorial Camp in Monticello, Ill.

Syngenta