Join the Masters & Mavericks at AG CONNECT 2013

Cindy Zimmerman

If there is any farmer who can be called both a Master and a Maverick, it’s Kip Tom. As a Master, Kip values the tried-and-true methods that have brought high-yield harvests, but as a Maverick, he seeks opportunities for calculated entrepreneurial risk-taking that could provide even greater results. It’s an approach that keeps him on the cutting edge of innovation as he farms 16,000 combined acres in Indiana and Argentina.

Kip is one of the AG CONNECT Masters & Mavericks – the kind of farmer who will benefit from attending the third AG CONNECT Expo and Summit, coming up January 29-31 in Kansas City. “Farmers evolve in the way they source information, they make decisions based upon that information,” Kip said in an interview last week at NAFB Trade Talk. “When I go to a show, I want to be able to look at the product that company is making or that service they’re providing and I want to connect with the engineer that designed it, I want to connect with someone in the marketing/supply chain, so we can make decisions.”

Kip says what makes AG CONNECT different is that there are more real farmers looking for real ideas to use on their operations at home. “It gives you a great opportunity to peer network with these people, along with the 50 some educational programs going on at AG CONNECT,” said Kip, noting the programs cover a wide range of topics with something for everyone.

Started as a complement to the Agritechnica show held every two years in Germany, AG CONNECT attracts a large number of producers from other countries. “You come to this event and you’re going to be rubbing shoulders with producers from Argentina, Brazil, across Europe, part of Asia and Australia,” Kip said. “What that does is drive participating companies like John Deere, Agco, CNH, to really bring out the best of the best of their talent.”

If you are a Master and/or a Maverick in your agriculture-related field, AG CONNECT invites you to not only attend the Expo, but also to share your ideas and experiences with others in an on-line conversation. To join Masters & Mavericks, just visit the show website at www.agconnect.com and follow the link to answer a few questions and upload a photo. Even better, a brief personal video talking about issues facing today’s agriculture is highly encouraged. Everyone who joins Masters & Mavericks will receive their own web page, an AG CONNECT gift and complimentary registration for AG CONNECT 2013.

Listen to my interview with Master/Maverick Kip Tom here: Kip Tom on AG CONNECT

2012 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Audio, NAFB

A Voice For Custom Harvesters

Jamie Johansen

U.S. Custom Harvesters, like many other agricultural organizations, represented themselves well at the recent National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s Trade Talk. Tracy Zeorian, President, and Kent Braathen, Vice President of U.S. Custom Harvesters, shared the history of the organization and how they are providing a voice for custom harvesters across the country.

“Our organization is comprised of all custom harvesters: combines, silage choppers and cotton pickers. We were formed in 1983. Prior to that we really had no voice for our industry. Our industry began basically during WWII’s Harvest Bargade. It was time for somebody to start something and have a voice for custom harvesters.”

“We’ve got an issue we really want to try and get changed with our fuel tanks. We have worked on this for almost 22 years and that is our #1 issue we would like to push forward and try and get changed. We are only able to haul up to 119 gallons of diesel fuel with our class A CDL. We are trying to get it up to 1,000 gallons.”

The mission for this growing organization is to advance the cause of the members of the corporation by representing and promoting the harvesting industry; to positively influence government and regulatory agencies; to enhance the relationship between custom harvesters, their clients, and service providers to the industry and the general public; to manage the changing lanscape within the industry while enhancing the profitability of custom harvesters and their customers.

U.S. Custom Harvesters cover northern Texas in early May, then head to south central Kansas, eastern Colorado, central South Dakota and northern North Dakota. Then it is time to head south again for the fall crop harvest.

Listen to my interview with Tracy & Kent here: Interview with US Custom Harvesters

2012 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, BASF, Equipment, Farm Machinery, Harvest, NAFB

Ag Group Leaders Trade Talk on Policy

Cindy Zimmerman

ZimmCast 373Having the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual meeting start the day after a presidential election gives leaders of agricultural organizations plenty to talk about at Trade Talk.

In this edition of the ZimmCast, we hear from farmer leaders, lobbyists and staff members with eight different agricultural and renewable energy organizations commenting on the election, farm bill, fiscal cliff and other related issues.

Chuck, Jamie and I did about 65 interviews total at Trade Talk this year and we would have liked to have done more but there’s just not enough time! In this podcast, we have comments from Bob Stallman with American Farm Bureau, Luther Markwart with the American Sugarbeet Growers Association, Tom Buis of Growth Energy, Missouri cattle producer Don Pemberton on the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association board, National Corn Growers VP for Public Policy Jon Doggett, Bob Dinneen with the Renewable Fuels Association, US Grains Council CEO Tom Sleight, and US Wheat Associates farmer leader Dan Hughes.

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: Policy Comments from NAFB Trade Talk

2012 NAFB Convention Photo Album

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.

AFBF, Audio, Corn, Ethanol, Farm Bill, NAFB, NCBA, NCGA, RFA, ZimmCast

New ‘Extreme Beans’ App

Melissa Sandfort

Ever wonder whether it’s worth it to apply a fungicide? How about the most cost-effective seeding rate? The national soy checkoff has put that information in the palm of your hand.

A new app developed by the United Soybean Board includes two calculators that help farmers plan for their next crop. One helps users determine whether the yield benefits of various input combinations justify the costs. The other uses the main maturity rates for a farmer’s region, the cost of soybean seed and an estimated price of the soybeans at the time of sale to determine an optimal seeding rate based on a percentage of return.

The app also includes documents and videos that describe the research behind each tool.

The Extreme Beans app is available for Apple iPhone and Android-enabled smartphones and other devices. Farmers can easily find it in their device’s app store by simply searching by the title.

Agribusiness, Apps, Soybean, USB

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