During the National Agricultural Aviation Association convention I met aerial applicator Kyle Scott, Scott Aviation (right). Kyle sponsored Justin Mook, 2012 NAAA/BASF Agricultural Aviation Scholarship recipient, pictured on left. Kyle is Treasurer of the NAAA and has been in the aerial application business for over twenty years. He’s been a member since the beginning of his career in the industry.
I asked Kyle why he sponsored Justin for the scholarship. Justin used to be a customer of his who always wanted to be a pilot. Kyle says that when Justin’s farm dried up due to drought he talked with Kyle about getting into the business and has been working on the ground for Kyle since then. Kyle says the scholarship is very important as a way to attract young people to get into the aerial application business. There is a significant investment in getting your license and going through the educational process and the scholarship helps make that possible.
You can listen to my interview with Kyle here: Interview with Kyle Scott
2012 NAAA Convention Photo Album
In addition to Secretary of State, President Obama now has another cabinet member to replace. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lisa Jackson announced today that she will be leaving her post with the president’s new term. “I will leave the EPA confident the ship is sailing in the right direction, and ready in my own life for new challenges, time with my family and new opportunities to make a difference.”
President Obama praised Jackson for her service and said that “under her leadership, the EPA has taken sensible and important steps to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink.”
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, pictured here with Jackson during pictured here during a tour of a Renewable Energy Group (REG) biodiesel plant in April 2011, is sorry she is leaving the cabinet.
“Lisa Jackson has served our country well as she balanced improving the environment and the health of the American people – while ensuring our country’s economic competitiveness – because they are intrinsically linked,” said Vilsack in a statement today. “Throughout her tenure, she listened to stakeholders, including farmers and ranchers, and took their concerns into account while considering policies that impacted rural America. She was a friend to me and to those who live and work in rural America and her leadership will be missed.”
Under Jackson the EPA has come up with several initiatives considered to be unfriendly to agriculture, including the landmark declaration that carbon dioxide is a pollutant that can be regulated under the Clean Air Act, and controversial limits on nutrient pollution flowing from several states into the Chesapeake Bay.
Jackson has not said what her next move will be and there has been no indication from the administration yet of who might replace her.
Pennsylvania’s agricultural industry joined forces to create the Today’s Agriculture exhibit at the Pennsylvania Farm Show complex. That exhibit has been expanded and will be ready for folks to see starting January 5, 2013. There will be a media unveiling on January 2nd from 10am to noon.
What is Today’s Agriculture exhibit?
Today’s Agriculture is an exhibit constructed within the Farm Show Complex showcasing Today’s Agriculture, including livestock for meat and milk; crops for feed; farm machinery; and on-farm conservation management.
How big is the Today’s Agriculture exhibit?
The exhibit’s total display area is more than 13,000 square feet, including a specially constructed 84-foot long x 48-foot wide barn that will house the farm animals.
Why did Pennsylvania agriculture join forces to bring Today’s Agriculture to life?
The best way to understand livestock and crop production is to visit a farm, view the systems, and ask questions. Farmers know it’s not practical to bring every Farm Show visitor to all the different commodity farms in Pennsylvania. Instead, they want to bring the farm to the public with the construction of the Today’s Agriculture exhibit. Farm Show visitors will see animals, in their typical housing environment. To feed those animals, farmers need to harvest crops with sophisticated farm machinery. The crops and machinery also will be on display, with farmers available to answer questions during the show. Read More
Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, ”What kind of Christmas tree do you have?”
Our poll results: Fifty-one percent said artificial tree; thirty-three percent said real tree; eleven percent said none and four percent said other. It looks as though the majority of you have allergies to real trees like my family!
Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “How would you rate 2012? 1 = Poor, 5 = Excellent” There were a lot of big news items this year: the Olympics; Presidential election; Hurricane Sandy; the death of Whitney Houston; the new iPad and iPhone. But how did the headlines affect your year? Did it make it a stellar year or just a ho-hum kind of year? Let us know, and Happy New Year!
ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.
Here is the next installment from Monsanto’s series of videos with farmers using Acceleron Seed Treatment products. In it you’ll see dealer Mike Rentschler and farmer Richard Bilstein of Atkinson, Neb.
Acceleron® Seed Treatment Products are the only seed treatments designed to help maximize performance potential in Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® Soybeans. Learn more about how Acceleron® Seed Treatment Products can get your Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® Soybeans off to a strong start.
Here’s some Happy Holiday cheer from AgCareers.com.
AgCareers.com would like to wish you the best of the holiday season. We would like to thank you for your support of AgCareers.com and the agriculture industry. We wish you peace, safety and joy this Christmas and in the year to come!
We invite you to try our “Name that Christmas Carol” game. Match the ‘pretentious version of the title of the song’ with the classic Christmas tune!
We’re almost there. Christmas 2012!
Here’s a Merry Christmas from Prosperity Ag & Energy Resources.
Wishing you every happiness this holiday season and throughout the coming year! Thank you for your support. We look forward to another prosperous year in 2013!
You can find the greeting with photos online.
