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

USFRA FoodSource Online Information Destination

Chuck Zimmerman

The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance just unveiled USFRA FoodSource. It’s an online resource designed to provide accurate information, in a one-stop destination.

“USFRA recognizes that consumers have questions and want to learn more about how their food gets from the farm to their plate,” said Bob Stallman, chairman of USFRA and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “With so much information available to consumers today, we wanted to create one destination that compiled factual and unbiased information on food production. This new site, USFRA FoodSource, provides these resources and also adds the voice of farmers and ranchers responsible for raising and growing the food we eat. Our hope is that the information on this site continues to grow over time based on new inquiries received from the online community.”

USFRA FoodSource gives consumers the opportunity to learn more about how food is grown and raised by compiling information from third party experts, including researchers and scientists at leading universities, into one easy-to-navigate website. The site currently features nine topics related to food production, all aggregated in one online destination for the first time. These topics include: antibiotic use in farm animals, biotechnology in seeds, hormone use in farm animals, pesticide use, water quality, farm size and ownership, available food choices, food safety and animal care. Read More

Ag Groups, Food, USFRA

Revitalizing the REAL® Seal with New Website

Melissa Sandfort

As part of its efforts to revitalize one of the most recognized product symbols in the food industry, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) announced that the REAL® Seal is undergoing a makeover. The first step in that process was taken Tuesday, with the launch of a revamped website: www.realseal.com.

The previous website existed primarily as a resource for dairy product manufacturers and marketers interested in putting the REAL® Seal on their packaging. The new website will contain more content to educate consumers about why they should look for the REAL® Seal on the foods they buy, while also continuing to provide information for those companies using the REAL® Seal to enhance their product marketing.

Effective March 15, 2012, the management of the REAL® Seal program was transferred from the United Dairy Industry Association to NMPF. This change was the result of an agreement between the two organizations that the transfer was the best opportunity to place a renewed emphasis on highlighting the importance and value of American-made dairy foods.

Agribusiness, Dairy

On Location with O.H. Kruse

Chuck Zimmerman

I’m on location today doing Mission Possible with the O.H. Kruse Grain & Milling Company. We’re starting out here at the Heritage Complex at the International AgriCenter.

Next up will be feed mill tours before the I get to the educational sessions and Buying Show exhibit area this afternoon.

Look for lots of interviews in the next few days as we learn all about this company and their marketing efforts.

I’ve got an online photo album already started and will be adding to it when I can: O.H. Kruse Photo Album

Agribusiness, Feed, O.H. Kruse

Syngenta Wants You To Thrive

Chuck Zimmerman

Syngenta’s Thrive magazine is now available in a digital format, an online flipbook. You can find it on the FarmAssist website.

“I am confident this move will help us in our quest to give even more ag professionals the information they need to succeed in today’s complex marketplace,” said Wendell Calhoun, Syngenta communications lead for Thrive. “Through interesting articles and eye-catching images, we will continue to update our readers on the latest Syngenta technologies and need-to-know trends that may impact their bottom lines.”

The current issue of Thrive covers a wide range of topics, including the growing importance of U.S. soybeans globally (“Ode to Soy”) and the Syngenta Leadership at Its Best® program, which helps train growers and other industry professionals to advocate effectively for agriculture (“Leading Out Loud”). In addition, the issue relays practical advice from the field on topics ranging from “Root Wellness” to the importance of “Clean Machines.” It also enables readers to peak into the 2013 season to see which new offerings are available (“Best in Show”), what impact the November elections may have on ag policies (“Election Impact”), and how Syngenta is balancing production and supply with projected demand to deliver superior products to customers when they need them (“A Complex Equation“).

Agribusiness, Syngenta