Fund Established for Injured Kansas Grains Exec

Cindy Zimmerman

A farmer, friend and colleague of the agriculture industry is in critical condition at a Springfield, Missouri hospital and a fund has now been set up to help his family with related expenses.

Kansas Corn and Sorghum Growers executive director Jere White was involved in a motorcycle accident on September 28 in northwest Arkansas. Jere is an avid motorcyclist and is pictured here at the 2011 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally with his son Robert, who is Director of Market Development for the Renewable Fuels Association. Chuck took that photo and it’s one that Robert has been using on his Facebook page. It really shows Jere’s character as a fun-lover and father.

Jere was wearing a helmet in the crash but still suffered a head injury and his family has been with him constantly in Springfield since the accident. They have set up a Facebook page for Jere where updates can be found and comments of encouragement can be posted. The link is http://www.facebook.com/GetWellJere.

Jere’s colleagues with the Kansas grains groups are helping out with expenses for the family by setting up a fund for donations.

Donations to the fund can be sent to:
Jere White Fund
c/o Bank of Greeley
PO Box 80
Greeley, KS 66033

Cards for Jere and his family will be collected at the association office and may be mailed to:
Jere White
KCGA/KGSPA
PO Box 446
Garnett, KS 66032

Please join us in praying for Jere’s complete recovery and the strength of his family for support.

Corn, Grains, sorghum

Sightings Contest Launches FS InVISION Seed Corn

Melissa Sandfort

Shawn Kinkade of Piper City, Ill., was selected as the winner of a social media contest in which people reported sightings of the new FS InVISION™ logo. Kinkade’s photograph showed the logo prominently displayed on a fertilizer storage tank at the Heritage FS facility near Herscher, Ill.

The contest was launched to raise awareness of the newly re-branded FS seed corn line as FS InVISION by placing the logo in a variety of locations. Entries were received from throughout the Midwest. To celebrate the re-branding and support the next generation of local Midwest growers, the FS System also made monetary donations to the Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin state FFA associations for each sighting uploaded to the FS System on Facebook where visitors were encouraged to vote for their favorite photo. Visitors to the GROWMARK/FS exhibit at the 2012 Farm Progress Show were also able to vote and the winner was determined on August 30.

As we learned from FS Seed reps at Farm Progress Show, a focus on local development, local results, and local recommendations means that there is an FS InVISION hybrid to work in any farm operation. A key component of a successful crop is seed selection, and FS InVISION offers innovative technologies and cutting-edge genetics to ensure FS crop specialists can offer the right hybrid for any field and growing conditions. FS InVISION is powered by FS Green Plan Solutions.

Agribusiness, Corn, GROWMARK, Seed, Social Networking

New Holland Sponsors World Dairy Expo

Chuck Zimmerman

One of the big “new” things at the 2012 World Dairy Expo is New Holland! New Holland has made a major commitment to support the Expo for several years. Here’s Abe Hughes, VP, North America, for New Holland, with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, during his visit to Expo this morning. We want to thank New Holland for sponsoring coverage of this year’s Expo on World Dairy Diary.com!

New Holland has sponsored a 26,000 square foot Trade Center tent outside the Exhibit Hall to provide room for additional exhibitors and also has a selection of equipment on the lot outside the tent. I visited with Abe outside this morning to learn more about what New Holland is doing for America’s dairy farmers. You can hear all about it in the video interview below. One of those things is the New Holland Value Bonanza, a coupon for $500 off your purchase.

SAVINGS FOR YOU – AND A FRIEND! Simply bring this card to your New Holland dealer and present it at time of purchase – and share the additional card with a friend so you both save. Don’t forget, this offer is in addition to current Value Bonanza Sales Event incentives. See your local dealer for details or visit valuebonanza.newholland.com.

2012 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

Agribusiness, Dairy, New Holland, Video, World Dairy Expo

Farm Co-ops Set Records in 2011

Cindy Zimmerman

October is National Cooperative Month and 2012 is the the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives, so it is extra special to celebrate record farm cooperative income in 2011.

USDA released the latest statistics today, showing that farmer, rancher and fishery cooperatives posted record sales of $213 billion and $5.4 billion in net income, surpassing the previous record sales year of 2008 by $10 billion while besting the old income record by $500 million.

“These new cooperative sales and income records for 2011 underscore the strength and productivity of the nation’s farmer- and rancher-owned cooperatives, and the vital role they play in the nation’s economy,” said Dallas Tonsager, under secretary for Rural Development. “Primarily because of mergers, the number of farm co-ops continued to decline, but memberships and asset values are up.” Tonsager also noted that co-op employment levels remained strong, with cooperatives employing 184,000 full-time, part-time and seasonal workers, up slightly from 2010.

USDA’s annual list of the nation’s 100 largest agricultural cooperatives was also released today, showing combined revenue of $148 billion in 2011, an increase of almost 30 percent over 2010, when revenue totaled $113 billion. Net income for the 100 top co-ops was $3.17 billion, up from $2.35 billion in 2010. The previous top 100 co-op records were $130 billion for sales and $2.42 billion for income, both marks set in 2008.

The top five agricultural cooperatives remain unchanged from the previous year. CHS Inc., Saint Paul, Minn. – an energy, farm supply, grain and food co-op – was once again the nation’s largest ag co-op, with $36.9 billion in revenue in 2011. It was followed by Dairy Farmers of America, Kansas City, Mo.; with $12.9 billion in revenue. It traded places from 2010 with third-ranked Land O’ Lakes Inc., St. Paul, Minn., a dairy, food and farm supply co-op, with $12.8 billion in revenue in 2011.

Rounding out the top five, GROWMARK of Bloomington, Illinois remained in the number four spot with $8.7 billion in revenue and Ag Processing of Omaha with $4.4 billion.

Tonsager’s opening remarks and questions by USDA reporter Susan Carter: USDA Under Secretary Dallas Tonsager

More Tonsager’s press conference Q&A here: Dallas Tonsager Q&A

Audio, Cooperatives, Dairy, GROWMARK, USDA

Ag Secretary Vilsack at World Dairy Expo

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s opening day at World Dairy Expo. We’ve got beautiful weather and we’ve got a special visitor.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is holding an open town hall meeting. Here he is being welcomed by Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture, Ben Brancel.

I’ll update this post with audio from the session here as soon as I can after the meeting is over. It is an hour and a half meeting and then the media will have a chance to visit with him.

The Secretary’s will also be doing a walk through of Expo today as well.

Post Update: You can listen to Secretary Vilsack’s Town Hall at World Dairy Expo or download here: Sec. Vilsack Town Hall

You can listen to and download his presser right after the session here: Sec. Vilsack with Press

2012 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

Audio, USDA, World Dairy Expo

Expiration of the 2008 Farm Bill

Melissa Sandfort

The National Corn Growers Association has joined with other agricultural organizations on the following joint statement on the expiration yesterday of the 2008 farm bill:

The 2008 law governing many of our nation’s farm policies expired on Sunday, September 30th, and the 2012 Farm Bill needed to replace it is bottled up in Congress. While the Senate and the House Agriculture Committees were both able to pass their versions of the new farm bill, the full House was unable to do so. While expiration of farm bill program authorities has little or no effect on some important programs, it has terminated a number of important programs and will very adversely affect many farmers and ranchers, as well as ongoing market development and conservation efforts.

Congress will return in mid-November for a lame-duck session prior to final adjournment in December. We will work to have the first order of business for the House of Representatives be to consider a new Farm Bill. We are urging our members to seek out their House members between now and the elections and remind them of the consequences of not having a new bill in place prior to adjournment at the end of the year.

American Farm Bureau Federation
American Pulse Association
American Soybean Association
National Association of Conservation Districts
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Barley Growers Association
National Corn Growers Association
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Farmers Union
National Milk Producers Federation
National Sunflower Association
United Fresh Produce Association
USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council
U.S. Canola Association
Western Growers Association

AFBF, Agribusiness, ASA, Farm Bill, NAWG, NCGA

Ruhland named 2013 Eisenhower USA Fellow

Melissa Sandfort

On Sept. 27, General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret), Chairman of Eisenhower Fellowships, announced that the organization will send eight U.S. citizens abroad in 2013 as Eisenhower USA Fellows. Among the eight selected Fellows is Polly Ruhland, Chief Executive Officer of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.

The fellowship provides Ruhland with the resources and programmatic support to create and execute an intensive four- to five-week program studying differentiation of U. S. beef in Japan and Taiwan. Working closely with beef checkoff contractor U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), Ruhland will meet and work with key industry contacts to evaluate techniques and messages that would help U.S. producers better distinguish U.S. beef in both markets.

Agribusiness

World Dairy Expo Preview

Chuck Zimmerman

Let’s get a preview of this year’s Expo which I will be covering this week. Before heading out on an SCR Dairy Farm Tour this morning I spent a little time in the media room and visited with Janet Keller, Communications & Public Relations Manager, World Dairy Expo.

Janet says the show has a very large commercial exhibits increase with over 850 exhibitors! One of the areas that has made it possible is the New Holland Trade Center. This is a tent at the Alliant Center that has 26,000 square feet of space to house new exhibitors. The animals are settled in with over 2,500 dairy cattle registered for showing this year. Opening day has some added excitement with the planned visit of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. I’ll be covering that and have some audio for you here soon afterward.

You can listen to my interview with Janet here: Interview with Janet Keller

Here’s where I’ll be posting photos: 2012 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

Audio, Dairy, World Dairy Expo

NAFB Foundation Offers Farm Broadcast History Prints

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) Foundation has commissioned the first of a series of high quality artwork entitled “Farm Broadcasting Through the Decades” to celebrate the role of farm broadcasting in the lives of farmers, ranchers and rural communities.

“We want to highlight the relationship of farmers with farm broadcasting,” says Ken Anderson, President of the NAFB Foundation. “The voices of farm broadcasters have been counted upon and trusted by generations of farmers for more than 80 years.”

The first painting in the series is a pastel called “Harvest Forecast” and was crafted by Gin Lammert, an exceptional artist from Pulaski, Iowa. Set in the 1930’s, it depicts a farmer sitting by an open window, listening to his radio, as a thunderstorm moves toward a ripe wheat crop. “Since I do pastels with my fingers, and not a brush, I could feel the tension of the moment for the farmer,” says Lammert.

The NAFB Foundation will produce 250 signed and numbered prints of Lammert’s work that will be offered this fall to broadcasters, industry and collectors to commemorate the first decade of farm broadcasting. All donations will help further the mission of the foundation, which is to “support efforts to add value to the farm broadcast industry through education, promotion, marketing and research”.

You can order the first print online now. Print will also be available for purchase at the NAFB Convention November 7 – 9 in Kansas City, Missouri.

NAFB

Senator Roberts Urges FDA to Approve Aflatoxin Waivers

Cindy Zimmerman

Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) is urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to quickly approved waivers to allowing blending of corn with aflatoxin to increase the feed supply for livestock producers hard hit by ongoing drought.

In a letter sent to FDA’s Department of Health and Human Services last week, Roberts noted that aflatoxin is impacting the quality of the corn that would normally be used for livestock feed in many drought stricken areas. “At certain levels, aflatoxin can cause fatalities when fed to livestock and poultry, but in trace amounts, it is not harmful to use in feed. However, the Food and Drug Administration does not permit elevators and grain handlers to blend loads of corn to ensure that aflatoxin levels are safe for feeding purposes,” said Roberts.

“Given the shortage of feed available this year and the extreme hardship this shortage is causing in the livestock and poultry sectors, I strongly urge the Food and Drug Administration to quickly review any corn blending waiver requests received for livestock and poultry sectors,” he added. “I understand that acceptable aflatoxin levels for the dairy industry are significantly different than for other livestock and poultry sectors, and I also urge you to consider this difference in providing waivers.”

Senator Roberts is ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

Feed, Livestock, Poultry