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

    Learning about DeLaval

    Chuck Zimmerman

    How much do you know about DeLaval? Want to learn more? Then sit in on this press interview with President/CEO, Joakim Rosengren. For you ag journalists out there, this is another example of they type of opportunity that comes from participating in an annual IFAJ Congress. We conducted this interview during this year’s Congress while visiting the DeLaval Hamra Farm. After our tour of the facilities we had a wonderful meal under the roof of their big machines shed.

    The first question was how Alfa Laval became DeLaval. From there we moved to what’s new in terms of equipment from the company. Prior to our interview we saw a number of these products on display in their show room. There were four of us involved in asking questions and I hope you enjoy it.

    2012 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2012 IFAJ Congress is sponsored by DuPont Pioneer
    Agribusiness, Audio, IFAJ, International

    Meals in the Fields

    Chuck Zimmerman

    It’s time for a meal in the field with the Farm Credit Services of Illinois.

    The 2012 National Farm Safety and Health Week will be celebrated September 16-22 with the theme “Agricultural Safety & Health: A Family Affair”. Even as the average size of farms continues to increase, 94% of all Illinois farms are family-owned. Most farm workers in Illinois are members of the respective farm family and often all members of the family contribute to the farm work and chores.

    Although farming continues to be one of the most dangerous occupations, Illinois recorded nearly a 50% reduction of farm-related deaths last year compared to the previous year. The twenty farm fatalities occurring between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012 were the fewest in the State of Illinois in more than thirty years. This year’s National Farm Safety and Health Week marks the 69th consecutive signing of a farm safety proclamation by a U.S. President; the first was signed by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1944.

    As a part of the upcoming Farm Safety Week, more than one-hundred Illinois farm families will be served complimentary “Meals in the Field” by Farm Credit Services of Illinois. More than hot lunches will be delivered to farmers during their busy harvest season; Farm Credit will also deliver a farm safety message to the host family with special emphasis on safety reminders for farm children.

    Farm Credit established the “Meals in the Field” program in 2000 to promote farm safety during the harvest season. All Farm Credit regional offices select at least one farm family to receive lunch on each weekday of Farm Safety Week. The Farm Credit staff serves the food wherever the farmers are working.

    Each “Meals in the Field” family will also be provided a Farm First Aid Kit produced by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety compliments of Farm Credit. The durable and weather-resistant kit is specifically designed for farm injuries and is equipped with items such as an isothermal blanket, ice packs, a finger splint, and eye wash containers.

    Agribusiness, Food

    IFAJ Master Class

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Want more reasons to support IFAJ? How about the annual Master Class held prior to the IFAJ Congress?

    The Master Class started this year with a ‘Getting Familiar Evening’ followed by peer-to-peer workshops on Monday and Tuesday. The agricultural journalists represent nine countries.

    They are:
    Burkina Faso: Inoussa Maiga
    Burundi: Jean de Dieu (John) Ininahazwe
    Congo: Roger Vutsoro
    Gambia: Sang Mendy
    Rwanda: Cryspin Kayitare
    Tanzania: Enos Masanja Matonange and Susuma Msikula Susuma
    Zambia: Calvin Kakoma Kaleyi
    Brazil: Analice Lourenci
    Ecuador: Nelly Romero Jara

    Workshops were given by IFAJ member journalists, making it a true peer-to-peer teaching and learning experience. Subject matters covered include interviewing skills, new media, as well as trends in agricultural journalism and ethics. Most attending journalists are closely affiliated with organizations of smallholders and family farmers in their native countries. José van Gelder of Agriterra, the agricultural development agency based in the Netherlands, was in charge of organizing the event.

    Meet one of the participants:

    2012 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2012 IFAJ Congress is sponsored by DuPont Pioneer
    Education, IFAJ, International, Video