Chilean Avocado Importers Unveil New Logo

Melissa Sandfort

The Chilean Avocado Importers Association (CAIA) has launched a fresh new logo in its latest move to distinguish the organization’s product for retailers and consumers.

“The strategy behind this updated version of the logo was to elevate the country of origin by highlighting the personality of Chile and the seasonality of the product,” said Maggie Bezart, CAIA director of marketing.

“We wanted to promote this elegant upscale product by incorporating the vibrant red, white and blue colors of the Chilean flag and details such as the ribbon and cursive typeface,” she said.

In addition to more of a Chilean flair, the new logo was also inspired by the design of a label or seal of freshness.

Agribusiness

Monsanto FieldScripts Changing Testing Programs

Chuck Zimmerman

Monsanto’s new FieldScripts service, the first from their Integrated Farming Systems, is changing the company’s pipeline and testing programs. During our media visit at the Monsanto Huxley, IA location we learned more about this from Tracy Klingaman. In the video below you’ll see him talking in front of one of their field trial plots.

Here’s how FieldScripts will work:

The farmer will provide inputs like field boundaries, yield data, and fertility test results to their seed dealer. The dealer will work with the farmer to select each field to enroll in FieldScripts. Using Monsanto’s extensive seed-by-environment data, the company will deliver a variable rate seeding prescription by yield management zone and a recommendation for the best hybrid for each field. The prescription will be provided through Precision Planting’s FieldView™ app for the iPad® handheld device to the farmer’s tractor. The prescription will then be executed using Precision Planting’s 20/20 SeedSense® monitor and planter control system.

You can watch a video overview of FieldScripts here.

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, Farm Progress Show, Precision Agriculture, Seed, Video

Mobile Technology the Future of Agriculture

Chuck Zimmerman

Float Mobile Learning has several new research papers available for purchase that deal with the use of mobile technology and agriculture. According to their infographic forty percent of farmers own a smartphone and ninety four percent own a mobile or smart phone. Of course we know it’s a lot and that’s why we went directly to an app so you can get AgWired easily on your iOS or Android device!

Here’s one of the papers currently available from Float Mobile Learning:

Future Uses of Mobile Technologies in Farming, Fishing and Forestry

The early and rapid growth of mAgriculture in developing areas of the world is due to the fact that in developing countries, mobile phones may be the only widespread computing and communications technology that is avail­able. In contrast to American agricultural publications, African and Asian newsletters and magazines have lots of stories about the use of mobile phones in agriculture all through the 2000s. This indicates that farmers in developed countries in North America, Australia, and Europe have lots to learn from the mobile computing experiences of farmers in developing countries.

In other words, their present methods of using mobile agriculture have a good chance of being our future in North America.

According to the company news release “mobile agriculture, or mAgriculture, has existed in other parts of the world for more than a decade, but it has only recently started to flourish in North America.”

“The trend in North America is to larger farms, increasing automation, and striving for greater efficiencies,” said Float senior analyst Gary Woodill. “Mobile technologies will turn agriculture into more of an information business, as precision farming, geolocation data, and access to immediate market information, all become important. Consumers are also asking for more information about farming practices and the food that we eat, which can be gathered and sent via mobile devices.”

Agribusiness, Apps, Farming, Technology

New Executive Director at WLIC

Melissa Sandfort

The Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium (WLIC) recently announced the addition of Alan Clark as Executive Director. In his new role, Clark will be responsible for leading initiatives that strengthen the strategic plan of WLIC by providing operational oversight and direction in the use of financial, human and technology resources to effectively and efficiently achieve WLIC’s goals.

Clark is a graduate of Colorado State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science. For the past eight years, Alan served as the Vice President of Operations at Optibrand LTD, LLC, a provider of solutions for veterinary diagnostics and livestock traceability systems. Prior to his time with Optibrand, he held a number of positions in private businesses and retail (customer relation) opportunities so he is versed in the value of developing and growing relationships. Being fluent in English and Spanish will allow him to communicate with all stakeholders in the livestock industry; as education is an important component in the success of any program. He and his wife Jen, have four children.

Agribusiness, Livestock

Fiscal Year Comes to an End for GROWMARK

Jamie Johansen

August 31st marked the end to GROWMARK’s fiscal year. To mark the year end members from across the Midwest attended the 85th GROWMARK Annual Meeting in Chicago. The meeting didn’t just consist of business reports and elections, laughter seemed to be a key element throughout the event. Comedian Jeanne Robertson was the highlight of the banquet Thursday evening and keynote speaker Tom Bodett kept the crowd rolling as well.

It was a busy event for GROWMARK CEO Jeff Solberg who had to run off before I could interview him, but our friend and colleague Pam Fretwell of Farm Journal Media was happy to share her interview with us. Jeff was very pleased to be able to announce this year’s financial results for GROWMARK, which were very close to last year’s record.

“We continue to grow. We’re very happy with the growth and success we have had. You can have growth without success, but in the GROWMARK system in the last decade or more we have had significant growth, but significant success that has come along with that. The results we produced this year are very close to 10 billion in sales, that’s a significant increase of the past decade. We have changed our business and the success that has come with that is showing up this year. This has been the second best year of pre-tax income in our history.”

Listen to Pam’s interview with Jeff here: Interview with Jeff Solberg

You can find photos from the event here:2012 GROWMARK Annual Meeting

Agribusiness, Audio, Cooperatives, GROWMARK

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

    Become a Carbon Farmer

    Joanna Schroeder

    Do you ever sit around your kitchen table and contemplate other crops you might like to grow? Here is a novel idea – grow carbon. What you ask? Growers across the country are becoming carbon farmers as highlighted in the documentary film Carbon Nation. The film touts itself as a “climate change solutions movie that doesn’t even care if you believe in climate change.” Yet this movie does care about climate change. The narrator says, “We thought we had time to figure things out. Trouble is there is no more time. Climate change is happening now.”

    While the film covers the custom gamut of climate change solutions from renewable energy to energy efficiency, it enters new territory by featuring “carbon farmers”. How might you become one of these? By adding wind turbines to your land, or solar panels to your operations or add an algae farm interspersed within your fields.

    One of the featured growers was Cliff Etheredge, a cotton farmer, aka wind farmer, in Roscoe, Texas. He along with 400 other landowners are sharing in the payment royalties from wind energy production. “Farmers really do appreciate these things,” he says. This is dry land. We sit out here and pray for rain and cuss the wind. Now what we’ve been cussing all these years turned out to be a blessing.”

    Read More

    Agribusiness, Education, Environment, Video

    Slunecka New Minnesota Soybean Grower Exec

    Joanna Schroeder

    Tom Slunecka is taking the reins at the the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) and Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council as the new executive director. Prior to taking the helm of the soybean team on August 27, 2012, Slunecka was the vice president of marketing for PhibroChem where he focused on ethanol and animal agriculture. He also served as the executive director of the organization Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC).

    “I am very happy to have the opportunity to work with these strong groups and look forward to the challenges and opportunities that agriculture will be faced with in the coming years,” said Slunecka, a long-time member of the biofuels and agricultural industry. “I am excited to help execute current and future research projects to bring new opportunities to Minnesota producers’ farm gate. Equally important is to continue to work with the strong leaders developing and implementing farm policies necessary to support soybean farmers’ profitability. I appreciate the opportunity to play a part in fulfilling the visions set forth by Minnesota Soybean.”

    Slunecka is moving to Minnesota from Omaha and is a native of South Dakota. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Agriculture from South Dakota State University in Brookings and will bring his vast experience to the soybean industry.

    “We are very happy to add a leader of the quality that Tom provides,” said MSGA President and Dodge County farmer Bruce Schmoll. “He is visionary and will help establish and achieve goals that will benefit soybean growers across Minnesota.”

    Biodiesel, Biofuels, Soybean

    Soybean Board, Goodyear Partner for Green Tires

    John Davis

    The United Soybean Board (USB) and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Goodyear have partnered to develop and test a new tire featuring U.S. soy. The announcement comes as they celebrate two years of collaboration. During the recent USB Biobased Products Stakeholders Workshop in Dearborn, Michigan, Goodyear showed its support for soy-based products by flying the blimp over the event with a special greeting for soy.

    A news release from the USB says the new tire could offer consumers more tread life and a greener alternative to tires made with non-renewable petroleum.

    “The soy checkoff welcomes the opportunity to partner with Goodyear in bringing this tire to the market,” says Russ Carpenter, a soybean farmer from Trumansburg, N.Y. and chair of the USB New Uses program.

    Testing at Goodyear found that the more environmentally friendly tires could last 10 percent longer than tires made with petrochemicals. The company also believes it could use 7 million gallons of soy oil annually.

    “Goodyear is committed to caring for the environment and communities, and use of soy oil proves to be another way to accomplish this goal,” said Jean-Claude Kihn, Goodyear’s chief technical officer.

    The soy-based tires could be available for sale in 2015.

    Ag Groups, Soybean, USB

    USFRA a Part of Agvocacy 2.0

    Chuck Zimmerman

    One of the sponsors of the AgChat Foundation is the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. During the recent Agvocacy 2.0 Conference in Kansas City we got to hear from Hugh Whaley, General Manager. He gave our participants an overview of the organization which includes shared values with the AgChat Foundation. Hugh says there are three main goals: “We’re going to enhance public confidence in today’s agriculture, we’re going to make sure that people have the freedom to farm . . . and then involve all facets of the food chain.” USFRA has grown to include almost sixty affiliated farmer led organizations with nineteen industry partner companies. The board has grown from nine to nineteen members. Hugh says that the AgChat Foundation has become the premier social media training organization in the industry and that is just one of the reasons that USFRA supports it.

    You can listen to Hugh’s presentation here: USFRA Presention

    2012 Agvocacy 2.0 Conference Photo Album

    Ag Groups, Audio