Incoming ASFMRA Prez: Young Folks Needed

John Davis

A common problem you hear in farm circles is “Where are we going to get the next generation of producers?” That’s certainly also on the mind of the leadership at the recent 83rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and AgroNomics Conference & Trade Show held in Indianapolis, Ind.

Jim Rickert, the incoming president for ASFMRA and a farm manager and rural appraiser, along with with wife and son in Northeastern California, says he’s trying to look to the future of where his 85-year-old organization is headed, as well as the aging farm producer population.

“We have a great demand for the services we have, but in the immediate future, we’re going to need to replace ourselves. We need to find young people to participate in our profession,” said Rickert.

To that end, Rickert said they’re getting more connected with university ag programs and explain those opportunities to young people, as well as challenging current ASFMRA members to bring in young people to the field. He added the new generation is bringing in new technology and ideas, as Rickert pointed to an example of how a group of young people, talking at a coffee shop, came up with a new way to do crop insurance by doing statistical models.

Rickert said he’s looking forward to the next conference next year, November 11-15, at the Peppermill Resort, in Reno, Nevada… although he doubts too many folks in his business, who already roll the dice in their everyday jobs will be looking to gamble there.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jim here: Interview with Jim Rickert, incoming ASFMRA president

2012 Agronomics Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

Agribusiness, Audio

AgWired App Update

Chuck Zimmerman

The AgWired App for iOS has been updated. Did you update yours? Or perhaps you don’t have our app for your device yet. You can find it in the Apple App Store as well as Google Play.

The AgWired App brings you all of the ZimmComm News Network content that includes AgWired as well as PrecisionPays.com, energy.agwired.com and WorldDairyDiary.com. You can follow us on Twitter in the app and see our latest photos and videos.

This is our third update of our app to account for new devices like the iPhone 5 and we hope you’ll enjoy it. If you’re going to the NAFB convention this week, the AgWired App is a great way to keep up with our coverage. So regardless of your device (sorry Blackberry folks) get a free app that is simple and brings us to you whenever and wherever you are!

Apple iTunes Store
Google Play

Apps, ZimmComm Announcement

Agri-Pulse Poll Favors Romney

Cindy Zimmerman

A poll for election day shows way more farmers say they are voting Romney over Obama for president.

According to the Agri-Pulse Farm and Rural Poll released today, 78 percent of farmers polled are voting for Mitt Romney in the presidential election and a majority blame Democrats for failure to pass a new farm bill.

“We wanted to see not only how farmers viewed the presidential election, but how the failure to pass a new farm bill might impact their votes on a wide variety of races,” explained Agri-Pulse Editor Sara Wyant. “We also wanted to see how those men and women view some of the most challenging issues confronting their operations.”

On November 1, 2012, Pulse Opinion Research conducted a telephone survey of 319 farmers and ranchers who are likely voters. Questions covered the presidential election, farm bill priorities, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s job performance rating, the Renewable Fuels Standard, and other topics. The telephone survey found that 71 percent of respondents strongly disapprove of President Obama’s job performance while 12 percent strongly approve. Of all farmers polled, 51 percent labeled themselves Republican, 26 percent Democrat.

It may not be surprising that 92 percent of self-identified Republican respondents picked Romney as their presidential vote, but more than half (53 percent) of the self-identified Democrat respondents also picked Romney. Additionally, 74 percent of farmers who identified themselves as “other” in party affiliation expressed preference for Romney.

Asked whether Republicans or Democrats are to blame for the failure to pass a new farm bill, 46 percent answered Democrats while 28 percent said both parties are equally responsible. Nineteen percent blamed Republicans. Interestingly, 35 percent of self-identified Democrats blamed their own party, while only 7 percent of self-identified Republicans blamed theirs.

Find out more about the poll results from Agri-Pulse.

Agri-Pulse, Ethanol, Farm Bill, politics

2012 NAFB Convention Preview

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 373This year the theme of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention is “Our Rich Heritage, A Bridge to the Future.” Cindy, Jamie and I will be there and you can bet you’ll find photos and interviews right here.

So, let’s get started. Mark Oppold, RFD-TV, is the NAFB President-Elect and has worked hard putting this year’s convention together, along with the staff and committee members. We visited before heading to Kansas City to provide you with a preview of all that will be taking place. Mark talks about how the theme was arrived at. Like me, Mark has had a number of people in the organization that have had a big impact on his career. So the idea was to have a focus on that heritage while also acknowledging the newcomers who are moving into today’s agricultural communications jobs.

Of course, there will be a lot of the traditional convention activities like Trade Talk, various NAFB organizational meetings, the NAFB Foundation auction, professional improvement and entertainment. Get a full rundown on this year’s convention in our conversation.

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: NAFB Convention Preview with Mark Oppold


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.

Audio, Media, NAFB, ZimmCast

Get Out and Vote

Chuck Zimmerman

I voted. Have you?

It really is a civic duty and I hope you’ll take the time today to get it done. I’m not writing this to encourage you to vote for a certain person or issue. Hopefully you will have become familiar with the issues in your state and know what to do. As far as the Presidential race, you’ve got a clear choice. I can’t see how anyone can be undecided.

So, let’s get out there and get it done. The results will have a major impact on how we run our businesses in this country and you farmers and anyone involved in agribusiness of any kind will not be unaffected. If you want to know my vote I’ll be happy to tell you. If you know me well you already know!

Agribusiness

Join for the Education, Stay for the Networking

John Davis

You just can’t put enough emphasis on good education, and that includes education for managing your agribusiness. At the 83rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, along with the AgroNomics Conference & Trade Show, the youngest producers are being encouraged to get involved with ASFMRA for the dividends it will pay down the road.

“In conversations we have with new members coming in to our organization, it seems they join for the education and stay for the networking,” said Jeff Berg, ARA and past president of ASFMRA. He added the group’s summer education week, held in either Omaha or Des Moines each year, provides core education for farm managers and appraisers in the Midwest. A couple of years ago, leaders at ASFMRA decided they really needed to open up this education to the next generation. “A lot of college kids don’t even know you can have a wonderful career in farm management, appraisal or consulting occupations.”

Working through their chapters and members at some of the land grant colleges, they set up the training that should help those young producers much further down the road. You can find out more at the ASFMRA’s website.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jeff here: Interview with Jeff Berg, ARA, past ASFMRA president

2012 Agronomics Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

Agribusiness, Audio

Monsanto Seed Chipper at AgroNomics Conference

John Davis

There’s a lot of emphasis, obviously, on management at the 83rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, in conjunction with the AgroNomics Conference & Trade Show. And it’s all about helping farmers mitigate their risks, especially with Monsanto technology straight from the lab.

“This is our seed chipper,” explained Rodney Phelps, Monsanto’s Farm Management Account Management Lead for Western Indiana and Eastern Illinois, pictured with the new technology on the ASFMRA trade floor. “This allows us to take a very small portion of a seed and lets us study the DNA. And if there’s something in there that our scientists want to go forward with, it allows us not to lose that seed; we can still plant it and develop it. With the old way, we lost that seed, and it slowed down our process to market.”

Rodney went on to say that it’s just part of how Monsanto is helping producers be more productive, adding how proud they are to be sponsoring ASFMRA and how much they believe in the farm management field and rural appraisers and realize ASFMRA’s influence on agribusiness. “We want to be part of [ASFMRA], and they are the future of agriculture.”

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Rodney here: Interview with Rodney Phelps, Monsanto

2012 Agronomics Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

Agribusiness, Audio

A Rich History at The American Royal

Jamie Johansen

The 2012 American Royal runs from Sept.9 – Nov. 17 and is chalk full of events for friends and family to partake in all promoting the wonderful world of agriculture. This event has such a rich history founded on the agricultural industry. In 1899 the very first American Royal took place in a tent at the Kansas City Stockyards as a National Hereford Show. Today, it has evolved into a place where people come to show livestock and horses, attend rodeos and concerts, and even come to taste award-winning barbecue.

The overall purpose for this historic event is, “To provide scholarship, education, awards and competitive learning experiences that reward hard work, leadership skills and agrarian values.”

“As an organization dedicated to youth and education, the American Royal reaches over 20,000 students annually with educational programs and events yearlong through the American Royal Museum, School Tours, Ranch Camp, KALF (Kids Agriculture Learning Fest) and various other programs. In 2011, the American Royal granted over $1,400,000 towards its purpose in the form of scholarships, competitive prize monies and educational awards.”

The past two weeks people from across the country have flocked to Kansas City, Mo. to exhibit their cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. I can’t tell you the last time I have missed showing at the American Royal. I started out there exhibiting cattle as a junior and creating memories with my family. Later as a college student I traveled there cultivating skills while working for others. And now I attend with my husband while promoting and exhibiting our own cattle. Each time developing life-time friendships and building a foundation for our future in the agriculture industry.

Beef, Education, Events, FFA, Livestock, Rodeo, Swine

Data as a Cash Crop

Chuck Zimmerman

The American Society of Farm Managers & Rural Appraisers just completed their annual meeting along with the AgroNomics Conference and Trade Show. One of the companies exhibiting was Farmers Edge. They want you to Grow. More. Precisely.

Wade Barnes, President/CEO and Co-Founder, was also on the program talking about “Data – the New Cash Crop.” He says that as we move forward data will become increasingly important since consumers want to know that the crops are grown sustainably, where they came from and what they are eating. That will put pressure on the food companies they are buying from and those companies will then pass that pressure along to the farmer. He says that as farmers become more sophisticated with their data it can be used to add value to their product and that’s how it becomes part of a cash crop.

In the Farmers Edge booth the company was displaying its technology platform called Precision Edge.

Precision Edge is a program designed to store and manage the data tied to a field using geospatial coordinates. Farmers Edge uses Precision Edge to execute variable rate crop inputs using remote sensing and our own algorithms designed to create accurate zone maps. It also contains the ability to keep crop records and application maps so all data from a field is located in one place.

Listen to my interview with Wade to learn more about the company here: Interview with Wade Barnes

2012 Agronomics Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

Agribusiness, Audio, Precision Agriculture

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • The Monsanto Evening of Entertainment at the 2013 Commodity Classic will feature World Classic Rockers, a group of standout performers from legendary rock bands.
  • Arkema Inc. is now introducing its innovative broad-spectrum Paladin soil fumigant to fruit and vegetable growers throughout the U.S.
  • Purchase your $5 tickets (or 3 for $10) now for your chance to win a fully restored Case Pleasure King pedal tractor. Purchase at the Ag Hall of Fame or call (913) 721-1075.
  • Members of the MEAT INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME Class of 2012 were recently announced.
Zimfo Bytes