Think chickens are raised by giving them hormones? You’d be wrong. Simply not true. The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has put together a video you can share to set the record straight.
One of the most common, and frustrating, questions for U.S. poultry producers is why hormones are used to produce today’s poultry products. Of course, the actual answer is NO HORMONES are used. To address this continuing misinformation, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has prepared a new video to explain the scientific, economic and legal reasons hormones are not needed or used by the U.S. poultry industry. There are two versions of the video (long & short). The short version is precise and gets to the gist of the video’s message quickly. The long version provides more detail for those who are interested. This is the long version.
Zimfo Bytes
- The USPOULTRY Foundation is now accepting applications from colleges and universities for industry education and recruitment funding.
- Members of the National Ag Center and Hall of Fame Board of Governors elected officers of the board of directors; and Charles Berkel, of Berkel & Company in Bonner Springs, Kan., was given the Friends of Farming Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Bayer CropScience announced that the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia has upheld Bayer’s right to pursue its claims against Dow AgroSciences based upon the unauthorized use of Bayer patents related to glufosinate-tolerance technology (Liberty Link).
- Next year’s annual Ag Relations Council spring meeting is in Oklahoma City, Okla., March 20-22, 2013.
Wyffels: Hybrids Are Better than 1988
A lot of talk about this year’s drought has drawn comparisons to the devastation of the 1988 drought. But during the the Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies event at the Harmon Farm in Vincent, Iowa, Wyffels’ Rick Buresh explained that corn is better able to stand dry conditions these days.
“Drought tolerance of hybrids is so much better than what is was in 1988,” he said. In fact, he said Wyffels has released 12 new base genetics this year, being watched closely by their researchers. And Buresh added that some corn that might not look so good, rolling up from the drought and heat, might actually be protecting itself. That’s what they’ll find out in the coming weeks. “A lot of variables. We’ll take a look at this at the end of the year, and make decisions. But we don’t release products on a whim. We’re very confident in what research gives us to promote and sell to growers.”
In the meantime, Buresh said they’ll remain optimistic… and pray for rain.
Listen to Chuck’s interview with Rick here: Interview with Rick Buresh, Wyffels Hybrids
AgGateway Opening Doors for eCommerce, Info
One of the benefits of the recent International Conference on Precision Agriculture in Indianapolis, IN was the chance for different groups and different companies, even some competitors, to get together to find common ground for the good of the agriculture industry. Enter AgGateway.
“AgGateway is an organization focused on enabling eCommerce in the agricultural industry, and it goes across trading partners broad and wide,” explained Jeff Kaiser the manager of Technology Integration for John Deere Financial. He added that includes genetics companies, those that provide crop protection and nutrition, and ag equipment. In an interview with Chuck, Kaiser said it works hand-on-hand with the Precision Ag Council formed just a couple of years ago. “The Precision Ag Council is the first council within AgGateway focused on sort of a horizontal nature that incorporates all the products farmers buy… the seed and genetics, the crop nutrition, even animal agriculture where feed and grain come into play.” The Precision Ag Council helps establish some data exchange standards, so producers with several different brands of equipment can have them all integrated.
Kaiser said they have been focusing on the basics for the first couple of years of the organization. In the future, they’ll be moving to how to exchange product descriptions. “What we’re trying to do is create a capability so electronically all the information about the product… so a farmer can better utilize the product [is made available].” Kaiser also pointed out that since AgGateway has companies collaborating within in it that are international in scope, that data needs to be able to be exchanged in a standardized way for the good of everyone. “This is in the industry’s best benefit… not just in any one commercial company’s best interests.
Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jeff here: Interview with Jeff Kaiser, John Deere Financial, Manager, Technology Integration
11th International Conference on Precision Agriculture Photo Album
AgWired coverage of the International Conference on Precision Agriculture is sponsored by John DeereRaven Hosts 2012 Innovation Summit
The purpose of Raven Industries is “to solve great challenges” and the company has been doing that now since 1956 in several different areas, including precision agriculture.
Matt Burkhart, Raven’s Applied Technology Division Vice President, welcomed over 200 of the company’s industry partners from all over the world Tuesday to the Raven Innovation Summit in Sioux Falls, SD. “We believe innovation is invention plus value,” said Matt. “What we’re trying to do is constantly achieve a true, value-added solution to the end user.”
When it comes to precision agriculture, Matt says they are passionate about helping farmers feed the world by being more productive and they keep innovating. “It’s really evolving beyond just the products,” he said. “We’re really inventing a precision ag business platform.”
Watch a bit of Matt’s opening remarks at the summit below and learn more about the company.
I talked with Raven’s Marketing Supervisor Ryan Molitor, pictured here with just a few of the folks who make the summit happen. “Innovation Summit is an annual event for Raven,” Ryan said, noting that they have representatives from “every continent except Antarctica.”
“For Raven being the full line solution provider, there’s different needs in different markets, so it’s very important for us to get our friends from all over the globe and hear what they need in their specific markets,” he said.
Listen to my interview with Ryan here: Ryan Molitor, Raven Industries
Ag & Food HR Roundtable Celebrates 10 Years
If you haven’t already made plans to attend AgCareers.com’s Ag & Food HR Roundtable, mark your calendars for Aug. 7-9. The event will be located in Springdale, AR on the campus of Tyson Foods. Cindy took a few minutes to chat with Eric Spell, president of AgCareers.com, about the upcoming event.
“The event itself is focused on two audiences; the recruitment and retention of experienced professionals who have been in it for awhile and then there are topics specific to the recruitment and retention of new graduates from a four or two year institution. There are some directors of career services from colleges of agriculture and life sciences from across North America. Outside of that the bulk of the attendees are senior directors of HR, recruiting directors or talent managers.”
Over the past 10 years the event has more than doubled in size and they expect this year to not disappoint. I personally get to attend this years roundtable and am looking forward to the tour of Tyson Foods and the chance to report my findings to you guys.
Dr. Jay Lehr is a featured keynote speaker on Tuesday afternoon and will be discussing ‘How the Price of X Impacts Recruitment and Retention in the Ag and Food Industry.’
Don’t worry if you haven’t made plans to attend. Simply go to AgCareers.com and click on the colorful logo located on the right titled Ag & Food HR Roundtable. There you will find a list of guest speakers along with their topics and how to register for the event. Hope to see you there!
Listen to or download Cindy’s entire interview with Eric Spell here: Interview with Eric Spell
Cattle Industry Summer Conference Mobile Site
Are you going to the Cattle Industry Summer Conference? If so and if you get registered then you can use the mobile website just announced. I don’t like calling it an app since it doesn’t reside on your phone. It’s a mobile website that is optimized to display on your phone browser. So you do have to have the link or get it in your bookmarks to find it.
Thank you for registerring for the 2012 Cattle Industry Summer Conference!
We are pleased to announce a mobile application that you can use during the Cattle Industry Summer Conference. It is web based, so no matter what type of mobile device you use, you’ll be able to access it via the Internet. Go to www.BeefUSA.org/SC2012 using your smartphone’s browser and use the access code “ncba” and access the most up-to-date conference schedule, save your favorite sessions, view maps of the hotel and convention center and more!
Note: Blackberry and windows mobile devices are spotty when it comes to supporting this type of application.
Gotta pity the BB and WM device owners these days. They’re probably waiting for the iPhone 5 announcement right?
And if you’re tweeting from the conference or want to follow the tweeters use the hashtag #CISC12.
Customer: Wyffels Brings Value to Our Operation
When Mother Nature turns against you, you need all the help you can get. Corn farmers throughout the Midwest are certainly finding that out this year. During the recent Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies event at the Harmon Farm in Vincent, Iowa, those in attendance got a lot of information to help them overcome the challenges the drought has thrown at them this season. Jayson Willimack (on the far right in the picture), an Iowa corn farmer, told Chuck during an interview that they rely on the advice they get from their Wyffels rep because it’s just too costly not to have the kind of help everyone needs. “We can’t just plant corn and grow it anymore. We have to manage every aspect of our business to be successful,” adding that he knows he can call his Wyffels person at any time and get real solutions to problems.
This was Willimack’s fourth Corn Strategies, and he appreciates the information he’s able to get in a low-pressure environment. “Not trying to sell seed… they’re just trying to bring value to your operation, and help be a good business partner and help you make good business decisions.”
Even with backgrounds doing other jobs, such as working for a large grain company and a bank, and facing the challenges that years like the past two… with too much rain last year and widespread drought this year, Willimack still believes in farming. “I still think farming’s the best business to be in. You’re still your own boss. It’s a great future. We’ll have our ups and downs, but in the whole scheme of things, it’s a great way of life.
Listen to Chuck’s interview with Bill here: Interview with Jayson Willimack, Iowa Corn Farmer
Soybean Growers Also Interested in Conservation
While much of the focus of the Indian Creek Watershed Project Field Tour has been on corn, and in particular, nitrogen use and runoff in corn, soybean growers are also interested in the event. “Corn is a major crop, but soybeans are also a rotational crop, and lot of the research they’re doing on nitrogen management is on corn-soybean rotation farms,” said Ron Moore, an Illinois soybean grower and At-Large Director of the Illinois Soybean Association. In an interview with Chuck, Moore said his association is involved in this year’s tour because they want to make sure opinions of soybean growers are heard in research discussions.
Moore continued that much of the same type of research being done on corn would also apply to soybeans. “Some of the new opinions are that maybe we need to think about putting fertilizer on for the soybean crop prior to planting in the spring,” adding that we probably need to think about soybeans the same as planning the corn crop and not just as an afterthought to corn.
He also pointed out that the fact that a lot of non-agricultural groups attended the tour should help farmers in general get their message out to the general public that producers are responsible curators of the land and just as interested in conservation as the non-farming groups are.
Listen to Chuck’s interview with Ron here: Interview with Ron Moore, Illinois soybean grower & At-Large Director of the Illinois Soybean Association
2012 Indian Creek Watershed Project Field Tour Photo Album
AgWired coverage of the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Field Tour is sponsored by AGROTAINJohn Deere: Your Tractor is Calling
One of the images Chuck saw at the International Conference on Precision Agriculture was a picture of a farmer on an cell phone, being called by his tractor. While it might be a bit of a parody, it’s not too far from the truth. In an interview with Aaron Bartholomay from the Intelligent Solutions Group of our sponsor, John Deere, they talked about expanding technologies, including the connectivity farmers are able to get through MyJohnDeere.com.
“We see this technology advancing and the demand in the agriculture industry to have that connectivity to the machines and their employees out there to make sure that everybody knows and is working in synch with what they want from the master plan,” Bartholomay said. “My John Deere has the capability of logging in through a smart phone or mobile device so customers can use their mobile phone and log in to that My John Deere website and connect to their tractor out there.”
Bartholomay added that customers can see a wide variety of information from several different John Deere products through the one website. Check it out!
Listen to Chuck’s interview with Aaron here: Interview with Aaron Bartholomay, John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group
11th International Conference on Precision Agriculture Photo Album
AgWired coverage of the International Conference on Precision Agriculture is sponsored by John Deere