Camera to Help Students in Ethanol Rocks Contest

John Davis

An Iowa teacher will be able to give her students a leg up in the National Corn Growers Association’s Ethanol Rocks video contest, thanks to an NCGA giveaway at the recent Farm Progress Show. Mediapolis High School ag instructor and FFA Advisor Alaina Holdgrafer picked up an NCGA backpack filled with goodies, including a Sony HandyCam and a lot of information about ethanol.

“Promoting the Ethanol Rocks video contest at Farm Progress was a great way for NCGA to interest high school and college students in taking part in supporting America’s leading source of domestic renewable fuel,” said Chad Willis, chairman of NCGA’s Ethanol Committee. “The drawing for the video camera, literature on the benefits of ethanol, along with presentations by the Iowa Corn Growers Association, turned Iowa Corn’s booth into the one-stop-shop for information on corn grower contributions to our economy.”

Ms. Holdgrafer was delighted to learn of her windfall. Now that the tools to do so are available, she said she is confident that her students will want to take part in the contest.

The students… and of course, you too… have until 5 p.m. CDT, Monday, October 15 to get in entries for the contest. NCGA wants short videos (2 minutes or less) from active high school and college students that highlight the benefits of ethanol fuel blends to the U.S. environment and economy. First prize receives $1,500 and $500 for second place at each at of the two levels, high school and college. More information is available on the Ethanol Rocks Video Contest website.

Ethanol, Farm Progress Show, NCGA

ZimmCast with Raven Industries

Cindy Zimmerman

ZimmCastI had the opportunity to learn more about Raven Industries during the company’s Innovation Summit at the end of July and now I am finally getting a chance to share this interview with Matt Burkhart, Raven’s Applied Technology Division Vice President, for a ZimmCast.

Raven is a fascinating company and much older than you might realize, started back in 1956 by four balloon-building engineers from General Mills. The company today still makes balloons and other “lighter than air technology” under the Aerostar division. The other two company divisions are Engineered Films, which makes such products as grain covers and retention pond liners, and Applied Technology, which is the precision farming part of the business. “The purpose of Raven is to solve great challenges,” Matt says. “Even though we have three completely different divisions that operate in three different market spaces, we have a common purpose.”

Raven’s precision vision includes operating world wide. “We believe that for us to meet the growing demand for food around the world, the US can’t do it alone,” Matt said. “So international is a key part of our strategy.”

Raven is the sponsor of our AgWired app for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android platform devices. Just search for AgWired in your app store and download for free!

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast with Matt here: Matt Burkhart, Raven Industries

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, Precision Agriculture, ZimmCast

Join the Farm Bill Now Coalition Rally in DC

Joanna Schroeder

As Congress gets back to work this week, the Farm Bill Now Coalition is ramping up for a rally the morning of September 12, 2012 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. With 46 groups and growing, National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) First Vice President Pam Johnson of Floyd, Iowa said the rally is building on the momentum of the past few weeks.

During the rally, the groups will be telling legislators why this bill is so important, not just to agriculture, but to consumers. “Consumers have been hurting for quite a while with the general economy. And a Farm Bill provides certainty for farmers but it also makes sure we have certainty in our food system in food security,” said Johnson in an interview during the 2012 Farm Progress Show with Cindy Zimmerman.

Johnson believes that the industry is only going to see 60 percent of the crop they usually have. That is why, she said, there is no better year to write a Farm Bill with the devastating drought.

In the spring things were moving along and then a brick wall was hit. “We’re so close. Let’s rally around. Let’s start talking again. Let’s reconcile. Let’s compromise. And let’s get this Farm Bill done by September 30,” said Johnson.

Johnson added that there are choices out there, and this is why they advocated for a Farm Bill and reform in the Farm Bill. “Because this was to be only when farmers really needed help. And farmers really need help this year.”

Listen to Cindy’s interview with Pam Johnson here: Pam Johnson interview

2012 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the 2012 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by New Holland and Monsanto Roundup Ready Plus
Audio, Farm Bill, Farm Progress Show, NCGA

Catching Up With BASF Great Grower Kip Tom

Cindy Zimmerman

The last time we chatted with BASF Great Grower Kip Tom of Indiana he was with his son Kyle at the BASF Agricultural Solutions Media Summit. When we caught up with him this time, he was with his adorable grandson Kamden at the Farm Progress Show.

We talked with Kip about the impact of the drought this summer on Tom Farms in Leesburg, Indiana. “In my 39 years of practicing this occupation, I can very easily say this is the most challenging year we’ve ever faced in regards to dryness and high temperatures,” Kip said. “We’ve got fields that have 200 bushel APHs (actual production history yield) that are going to be done in the 20-30 bushel range.”

Kip says some farmers may have backed away from using fungicides when the dry weather continued so long, but he had a different viewpoint. “We looked at the results of prior years in other areas that were having yield challenges and we moved forward and applied fungicides to our corn and soybean acres because we’ve seen that it did add yield even under a stress year.”

With a smaller crop expected this year in the United States this year, Kip says other countries will be positioned to benefit from the shortfall. “I just came back from Argentina and Uruguay and I can tell you that producers down there are making investments to make sure they can maximize yields,” he said. “They’ve never seen these kind of returns.”

Kip urges other growers to look forward to 2013 with confidence. “Let’s get past this year, let’s focus on next year, let’s make sure we put the right amount of nutrients out there to maximize yields next year, and let’s not sit here and cry woe is me – let’s put our chin up, pick out the right crops to grow next year and maximize those returns.”

Listen to my interview with Kip here: Kip Tom interview

Audio, BASF, Farming

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Serge Traylor is the newest Osborn Barr member, serving as director on the company’s Monsanto Commercial account.
  • A new quarterly agricultural finance survey was recently launched by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
  • Z Tags North America L.P. is proud to welcome David Jameson as its new Regional Sales Manager for the North Central Region.
  • The Conservation Technology Information Center will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Oct. 25, 2012, in St. Louis, Mo., with a pair of panel discussions exploring the past, present and future of agricultural conservation.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Koch and AGROTAIN Together at FPS

    John Davis

    The 2012 Farm Progress Show gave Koch Agronomics the opportunity to showcase its acquisition of AGROTAIN really for the first time to this audience, since it was just finalized in October of 2011. We got to find out more about Koch and how AGROTAIN fits with that corporation during a media breakfast at the show.

    VP of commercial operations for Koch Tom Snipes explains the acquisition of AGROTAIN was a natural fit for his company. “With this new platform [of Koch’s agribusiness delivery system] that we established a couple of years ago, we really feel like by adding the resources around our [research and development] function, agronomy function, and things like that, we’re really going to be in a great position to bring a lot of innovative nutrient management technologies to the grower,” he said. It’s his first visit to Farm Progress Show, and he’s amazed and excited to be there. “We’ve got a huge opportunity to educate the grower on nitrogen management.”

    Listen to Cindy’s interview with Tom here: VP commercial operations Tom Snipes

    Koch’s Director of Agronomy Greg Schwab echoes his colleague’s thoughts about nitrogen management, especially in light of this year’s drought. “This year was pretty rough for farmers, but we’re hoping that they’re going to be focused on next year,” he says. He warns about some of the issues going into the fall because of the dry weather. He urges farmers to wait until they have good soil moistures and temperatures of less than 50 degrees 6 inches down, a real concern with the hot weather this year. Schwab says he was very excited the day he learned Koch would be acquiring AGROTAIN because he had worked with AGROTAIN during his time at the University of Kentucky. “It was a great day when I was able to call those guys and say we’re going to be colleagues!”

    Listen to Cindy’s interview with Greg here: Director of Agronomy Greg Schwab

    2012 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2012 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by New Holland and Monsanto Roundup Ready Plus
    Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, Farm Progress Show

    Farm Groups Urge Senate to Oppose Disaster Bill

    John Davis

    A coalition of about a dozen agriculture groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, the American Soybean Association, the National Association of Wheat Growers, the National Corn Growers Association, the National Farmers Union, and the National Milk Producers Federation has urged Senate leaders to “refrain from supporting” any legislation resembling the House-passed disaster bill should it come up in the Senate. This news release from the AFBF says the letter sent to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) states that “such a measure would detract from the larger mission of passing a long-term farm bill.”

    “This is something our groups do not support,” the letter stated. “We strongly urge you to refrain from this as we fear that passage of a bill similar to the House bill could result in further delays in completing a full five-year farm bill.”

    According to the group, in comparison to a disaster bill, completing a five-year farm bill would deliver assistance to eligible livestock producers nearly as quickly and would put into place certainty for future years, and it is paid for in both the House and Senate versions. This highlights the House disaster bill’s $600 million price tag, which clearly would impact funding available for long-term agriculture needs.

    The current farm bill expires at the end of this month, and the group makes the case that the Senate and House versions of the new farm bill have the provisions for disaster relief with long-term benefits.

    AFBF, Ag Groups, ASA, Farm Bill, NAWG, NCGA

    Bigger Baling From New Holland

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Another “what’s new” from New Holland includes a new BigBaler like this 340 model. On site at the Farm Progress Show to talk about it was Scott Wangsgard.

    New Holland’s next generation BigBaler sets a new benchmark in baling performance. With up to a 20% increase in capacity and up to 5% denser bales, the BigBalers significantly improve productivity and profitability. The BigBaler 330 produces 3’x3′ bales while the BigBaler 340 produces 3’x4′ bales.

    The all-new MaxiSweepTM pickup has been completely redesigned featuring a new full-width feed assist roller with paired overshot-undershot augers at both ends to pull in material to ensure that every last stem of profitable crop is safely baled. The addition of a standard roller windguard helps pre-compress the crop mat before the pickup tine so ensure continuous smooth crop flow from the swath to the baler and prevents crop flow disturbance for uniform bale production.

    Pulling this BigBaler is a New Holland T7 Series tractor with CVT transmission.

    Listen to my interview with Scott here: Interview with Scott Wangsgard

    2012 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2012 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by New Holland and Monsanto Roundup Ready Plus
    Agribusiness, Audio, Equipment, Farm Progress Show, Forage, Hay, New Holland

    The Mobile Office Combine From Case IH

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Case IH equipment provided a few media opportunities at the Farm Progress Show. This combine doing a field demo is just one of them. Nathan Weinkauf, Global Marketing Manager, gave me a run down of what’s new.

    Nathan says their new Axial-Flow Combines for 2013 have completely redesigned cabs that are common across all models. He says it’s a true mobile office. It even has its own portable refrigerator. You’ll hear him describe a number of other features that set these combines apart from others. In addition to the new combines Nathan says that in 2013 Steiger Quadtrac will be available in the Steiger Rowtrac machines.

    Listen to my interview with Nathan here: Interview with Nathan Weinkauf

    2012 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

    Agribusiness, Audio, Case IH, Farm Progress Show

    Digital Media Changing Ag Communications

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Digital Media. It’s a wonderful thing don’t you think? I know the ZimmComm team does! How is it affecting how agriculture’s story is being told? That’s a question being dealt with in Paulsen Marketing’s latest thought paper, “Digital Media’s Evolution and Impact on Telling Agriculture’s Story.” To find an answer to this question, Paulsen interviewed prominent ag journalists and I was happy to be included in this distinguished group.

    If you’re a PR professional or marketer hoping to place stories, it’s important to understand what journalists and their audiences look for. It also helps to know about the benefits and the challenges of digital media.

    The change from mass communications to masses of communicators creates new opportunities for journalists and their audiences. People can easily access a wide variety of information from a wide variety of sources.

    Some ag journalists use digital media to form partnerships with their audiences.

    “It’s made it easier in how it keeps me connected and grounded to the folks that I serve,” said Jeff Caldwell, multimedia editor, Successful Farming. “It’s a lot easier to become friends almost with some of the guys we seek information from regularly.”

    Key take-aways from the study include:

    • All media is social
    • Opportunities to collect information, collaborate and connect are abundant
    • Anticipating what the audience wants – plus where and when – is a competitive necessity

    Agencies, Media