Last Rose of the Season

Melissa Sandfort

I love harvest. I love October. I love the changing of the leaves. I love cooler weather. However I do not love how dry the landscape looks once all those beautiful things are gone. Until spring rolls around again, there’s a certain lack of color that just seems dull and dare I say depressing?

A week ago, my son and I went to the park because it was a 75-degree day and we had to take advantage of it. We ran across wooden bridges, played on the swings, and I even went down the slide a couple (37) of times. We walked up to a little 10-pew chapel at the top of the hill and growing at its entrance was maybe the last rose of the season. It seemed so welcoming.

But the door was locked. Drat.

This year the typical “Memorial Day flowers” were blooming in April, the corn was knee-high by June 1 (you know, knee-high by the 4th of July), and now the last rose is about to lose its bloom. Should we expect snow next week?

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Feed Company Success Drivers

Chuck Zimmerman

The O.H Kruse Dealer Appreciation Day included a series of educational and information presentations throughout the day. Besides inviting dealer customers to an event to say thank you the company wanted them to come away with valuable information that will help them in their businesses.

One of the presenters is David Parker, Adayana Business Group. David talked on the subjects of “Selling Value in a Commodity World” and “Key Success Drivers of the 21st Century.” I talked with him to learn what he wanted attendees to take away from his presentations. One of those things is how retailers differentiate themselves from all the others to create an advantage in a very crowded market. When it comes to success drivers David says some of them include a focus on operational efficiency, doing an annual strategic plan, a focus on people and a real sales focus.

Listen to my interview with David here: Interview with David Parker

O.H. Kruse Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Feed, O.H. Kruse

The Story of an Egg

Cindy Zimmerman

When it comes to feeding a growing world population, it just may be the little things that make all the difference.

Elanco president Jeff Simmons gave an “egg-cellent egg-xample” at the 2012 World Food Prize last week of how just one egg a day can change lives. He calls the egg “a simple solution to food insecurity.” Watch the video below of Jeff explaining why one little egg can be so important to a family facing hunger challenges.

You can also find out more about the story of an egg and how Jeff’s family is faring on a month-long “hunger challenge” by following him on Twitter – @JeffSimmons2050.

View the World Food Prize Photo Album here.

AgWired coverage of the World Food Prize is sponsored by Elanco
Elanco, Food, Poultry, Video, World Food Prize

Heifer International at World Food Prize

Cindy Zimmerman

ZimmCast 370The World Food Prize is all about feeding the world, especially the hungriest of the hungry in developing nations. One organization taking part in the 2012 World Food Prize last week was Heifer International, which has been helping hungry and disadvantaged people around the globe feed themselves for over 70 years.

In this week’s ZimmCast, we hear from Heifer International president and CEO Pierre Ferrari, about how this organization started from the concept that people who are hungry can be helped more if you give them a cow rather than just milk. One of the great things about Heifer International is that there are so many ways to get involved and do something to help, from donating $10 or $20 to buy a goat or a flock of chickens for a family, to being a major corporate sponsor like Elanco, which also sponsored our coverage of the 2012 World Food Prize.

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast to learn more about Heifer International: ZimmCast with Pierre Ferrari

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.

View the World Food Prize Photo Album here.

AgWired coverage of the World Food Prize is sponsored by Elanco
Audio, Elanco, Food, Livestock, World Food Prize, ZimmCast

FMC Announces Contest Winner

Melissa Sandfort

FMC Agricultural Products Group announces Lexi Sistrunk from Oak Grove, La., as the grand prize winner in the “Stand & Be Heard Anthem Contest.” After two voting phases, Sistrunk will receive the grand prize of a $10,000 college scholarship.

The three runners-up include: Allison Nohre from De Pere, Wis.; Jessica Smith from Picayune, Miss.; and Katie Wesler from Birmingham, Ala. They will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship.

The youngest entrant in the contest at 13 years old, Sistrunk has been involved in 4-H since she was in the fourth grade. Her father was the 4-H agent for years and now serves as the local ag agent, which led to her involvement in 4-H. She is active in showing goats, chickens and horses, and also participates in cooking contests. Sistrunk sings in many town festivals and is currently taking voice lessons.

Agribusiness, FMC

Illinois Farmers Featured on Anderson Live

Melissa Sandfort

On their farm in Maple Park, Ill., fourth-generation corn and soybean farmers, Mike and Lynn Martz visited recently with one consumer to answer her questions about organic and non-organic farming methods, and how biotechnology is used in food production.

Long Island, N.Y., mother of three, Christine, toured the Martz’s 6,000+-acre farm last week and talked extensively with the husband-wife team about why and how they grow and raise America’s food. The discussion included answers about sustainability, the difference between organic and non-organic farming methods, and the price difference between the two products. Also addressed was the use of biotechnology in food production.

This Fall, the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) is working with Anderson Live to coordinate sit down visits with farmers and ranchers to have their questions about how food is grown and raised answered. On Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012, the show followed Christine’s visit to the Martz’s farm to have her questions answered. The Anderson Live team launched an online contest where viewers can submit their food-related questions for the chance to be featured on the show, attend The Food Dialogues: New York and have USFRA arrange for a farm or ranch visit to have their food-related questions answered. This viewer’s experience at The Food Dialogues: New York and their conversation with a farmer will be featured on the Anderson Live show Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012.

To enter the contest, viewers simply need to go to www.andersoncooper.com/page/usfra and submit their question about how food is grown and raised.

Agribusiness, Farming, USFRA

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • DuPont Pioneer and Bunge North America announced they will work with farmers near Bunge’s facility in Delphos, Ohio, to grow Plenish high oleic soybeans in 2013.
  • More than 20 leading companies in the seed industry are working collaboratively within AgGateway to improve eBusiness processes, a project called “Seed Connectivity II”.
  • David Riemersma of Butterball Farms, Inc. was elected President of ABI, and two new officers were seated.
  • Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed four members to serve on the Popcorn Board.
Zimfo Bytes

How Important is the Rural Vote?

Melissa Sandfort

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Have our efforts to educate consumers about agriculture been successful?”

Our poll results: No one said Yes, real improvement; fifty-two percent said Yes, but long way to go; thirty-five percent said No, minimal impact; three percent said No, no impact; and ten percent said Waste of time. It looks like many believe there’s room for improvement and our work is far from being done.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “How important will rural vote be in election?” It is a challenging time in agriculture for thousands of farmers and ranchers across the country. As the rural population goes to the poll booth to cast their vote for the candidate they believe supports farmers and ranchers, how important do you think their votes are? Let us know.

And remember, Election Day is Tuesday, November 6, 2012. Go cast your vote!

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

ZimmPoll

O.H. Kruse is Pet Food Can-Do Company

Chuck Zimmerman

O.H. Kruse Grain & Milling customers not only toured their Goshen, CA feed mill but also the new nearby pet food facility. Our tour guide was Ed Cooper, VP, Operations, Perfection Pet Foods.

Ed says they broke ground on the plant only a little over a year ago. Their goal is to build the most state of the art pet food production facilities with a focus on food safety and good quality products. They make a wide variety of products that are made to meet the specific needs of their customers. Ed says they are proud of how they handle the food safety issue and being a can-do instead of a can’t-do company. The facility is being built in two different phases and ultimately will be able to produce up to 320 thousand tons per year.

Listen to my interview with Ed here: Interview with Ed Cooper

O.H. Kruse Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Feed, O.H. Kruse

Touring O.H. Kruse Goshen Feed Mill

Chuck Zimmerman

Dealer customers of O.H. Kruse Grain & Milling got to tour their Goshen, CA facility today. It’s just part of the the first ever O.H. Kruse Dealer Appreciation Day.

Our tour guide for this stop was Danny Reitsma, Warehouse Manager. Danny led a group of us on golf carts around the facility and introduced us to different employees who talked about their particular part of the operation.

Danny says that on the bulk side of things they handle between 200 to 250 truck loads a day. On the packaging side they do between 15 to 20 truck loads a day. He says they are very busy and love being busy. Learn more about the facilities and some of the features it offers in my interview with Danny.

Listen to my interview with Danny here: Interview with Danny Reitsma

O.H. Kruse Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Feed, O.H. Kruse