Why We Go Meatless on Wednesdays and Fridays

Cindy Zimmerman

In the spirit of full disclosure, the owners of AgWired – Chuck and Cindy Zimmerman – have a confession to make. We go meatless on Wednesdays and Fridays.

The reason is because we love meat. Therefore, going without it is a sacrifice, a form of abstinence for religious reasons. From the time of the Holy Apostles, Christians have fasted on Wednesdays in remembrance of Christ’s betrayal, and on Fridays in remembrance of His Crucifixion. Even before Christ, fasting was observed by the devout for reasons of penance and prayer.

Admittedly, giving up meat is not much of a sacrifice at times, like tonight when smoked salmon is on the menu. But there are many other times when out at a meeting or event we have to try to quietly eat meatless without attracting any attention. Sometimes we are not able to do that, so we may forgo some other pleasurable food or drink, or go meatless on another day.

We don’t do it because we think meat is bad for us or the environment or because we think that animals have the same rights as humans. We do it for our own personal spiritual beliefs that we don’t push on anyone else.

We also believe in traditional marriage and are proud of it. There – full disclosure in a free country. Amen.

Speaking of faith, we have been seeing references to St. Isidore popping up lately, invoking the intercession of the patron saint of farmers to pray for rain. This is being circulated even among non-Catholics.

Here’s a little bit about Isidore from CatholicCulture.org.
St. Isidore, the Farmer, was born in Madrid, Spain, about the year 1110. He came from a poor and humble family. From childhood he worked as a farm hand on the De Vargas estate. He was very prayerful and particularly devoted to the Mass and the Holy Eucharist. He loved the good earth, he was honest in his work, and careful in his farming practices. It is said that domestic beasts and birds showed their attachment to him because he was gentle and kind to them.

In 1947, St. Isidore was officially named the special protector of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference and American farmers. His wife Maria is also considered a saint, and if you want a fix for our extreme drought, all we need is her head, which has been “carried in solemn processions during times of drought” in Spain.

CatholicCulture.org has a lovely Novena prayer to St. Isidore which couldn’t hurt to pray. We need all the help we can get.

Food

House Passes Disaster Bill and Goes Home

Cindy Zimmerman

The August recess begins today for Congress and despite a vote in the House approving disaster relief for livestock producers under an expired provision of the 2008 farm bill, lawmakers are leaving with very little accomplished toward either drought relief or new farm legislation.

“I’m going to support this bill, it’s better than nothing but it’s not what we should be doing,” said House Ag Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN) before a vote on the drought relief bill retroactively extends the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), the Livestock Forage Program (LFP), the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP) and the Tree Assistance Program (TAP). Peterson called it a “poor substitute for a farm bill” and said it would go no where in the Senate and would only benefit those going back to their districts to campaign who can claim they voted to help livestock producers.

House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) hopes the drought bill will still help them get a farm bill passed with the Senate before it expires on September 30. “The underlying issue still is passing a comprehensive five year farm bill,” he said. “My friend and I have worked very hard and made more progress than many pundits would have ever given us credit for, but we’re not there yet.”

Lucas says he knows the five year farm bill passed out of the agriculture committee is not perfect, but no legislation is and he believes in the legislative process.

Listen to comments from Peterson and Lucas on the House floor here: Reps. Collin Peterson and Frank Lucas

Audio, Farm Bill

Support NAFB Foundation in Dix Harper’s Memory

Cindy Zimmerman

Some of our fondest memories of our early years in NAFB involve Dix Harper. Back in the days of regional meetings, Dix was always there with the rest of us in the Southeast. We will miss his smiling face at the annual meeting this year, as I’m sure we all will.

When Dix passed away on July 22, his family designated the NAFB Foundation as one of the charitable organizations to which memorial contributions can be made in his name. What a great way to honor the memory of a truly great friend of the industry!

NAFB Foundation President Ken Anderson of Brownfield Ag News says if you would like to honor Dix’s commitment and passion for our farm broadcasting profession, and help preserve the future of the industry by making a contribution in his name, please fill out the donation form on the NAFB website.

NAFB

GROWMARK Ensures Reliable Fuel, Stable Prices

John Davis

Making sure you have the fuels you need… at the prices you expect… is one of the challenges farmers face to make sure they keep their bottom lines in the black. Our friends at GROWMARK Energy are helping producers make sure they have quality fuels at stable prices. Marty Wieland, GROWMARK director of energy operations and risk management, explains that since they are also putting product into the pipeline that has to match the standards already there “that allows us to buy that product from any other vendor or shipper on the pipeline and know that it’s going to meet certain specifications so we really know what we’re getting.” Plus, he says they can put in their own additives at certain terminals specific for the needs of that area.

Wieland says their analysis, advisory and broker services give GROWMARK cooperatives a chance to lock in fuel prices as much as a year in advance. “It allows them to know what their pricing will be well out in the future,” and allows them to pass along these stable prices to the end-users. He points out that none of this should come as a surprise as GROWMARK was started by a group of farmers trying to secure a reliable source of fuel.

Wieland concluded they’re looking at expanding into other pipelines where they don’t currently have a presence.

Listen to Cindy’s interview with Marty here. Marty Wieland, GROWMARK

Audio, Cooperatives, GROWMARK

Monsanto Wins Patent Case Against DuPont Pioneer

Cindy Zimmerman

Monsanto Company has won a patent infringement trial in the U.S. District Court against DuPont Pioneer over the use of Monsanto’s patented Roundup Ready® technology.

In rendering its verdict, the federal jury found that DuPont (NYSE: DD) and DuPont Pioneer had willfully infringed Monsanto’s patented Roundup Ready® technology when it tried to patch the problems with DuPont’s own Optimum® GAT® (OGAT) technology that had failed in earlier development. The jury awarded damages of $1 billion to Monsanto based on DuPont’s willful infringement of its technology and the improper head start that DuPont obtained when it infringed Monsanto’s technology rights. The finding of willful infringement could lead to an increased award of damages in the case.

Monsanto originally filed suit against DuPont and DuPont Pioneer in May 2009. The lawsuit sought to prevent the unlicensed combination of Monsanto’s proprietary Roundup Ready herbicide tolerant technologies in soybeans and corn with DuPont’s problem plagued OGAT. DuPont had been offered a license at multiple times prior to and throughout the duration of the trial, but the Delaware-based company refused to accept the offer from Monsanto Company.

DuPont will appeal the verdict, according to a company press release:

DuPont strongly disagrees with the verdict that was reached in favor of Monsanto in Monsanto’s patent case against Du Pont in the United States District Court in St. Louis, Missouri. There were several fundamental errors in the case which deprived the jury of important facts and arguments and led to the disappointing outcome. DuPont will appeal at the earliest possible opportunity and expects to overturn this verdict.

Pioneer

OSU Helps Sponsor AgCareers HR Roundtable

Jamie Johansen

Oklahoma State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources is a sponsor of this year’s North American Ag & Food HR Roundtable being held next week in Springdale, Ar. Coordinator of Student Success in the College of Ag at OSU, Amy Gazaway, shares why the AgCareers event is important for universities and agribusiness recruiters alike.

“For the last 13 years I’ve been working with students and alumni and helping them with career exploration, career planning and also job searching. The Roundtable event really helps me as a university professional know what the industry concerns are and what the industry needs are and be able to better prepare our students to meet some of those concerns and needs. When recruiters are on our campus throughout the academic year there focus is very much on the recruitment of students and connecting with students. And with all the activities going on while they are here we don’t always have time to sit down and talk about those concerns. The Roundtable provides a great opportunity for me to network with those employers, hear their concerns and have some of those deeper conversations. It also gives me the opportunity to meet new recruiters from new agribusinesses that we haven’t developed a established relationship with.”

“This year we are very happy to be one of the sponsors of the conference. We are providing transportation. There will be three, what we on campus call BOBs, or Big Orange Buses. They will transport attendees to different events throughout the conference. We are also providing giveaways and bags that will give a little attention to OSU’s accomplishments and different industries we have worked with. We also have a larger contingency of OSU staff that will be attending this years conference.”

This will be my first Roundtable, but AgWired was there last year. Check out our photo album for the 2011 North American Ag & Food HR Roundtable.

Listen to or download Cindy’s entire interview with Amy here: Interview with Amy Gazaway

AgCareers, Agribusiness, Audio, Education

Who Framed Peter Profit

Chuck Zimmerman

Straight out of Precision County Prison comes a real whodunit – Who Framed Peter Profit? According to the Precisionville Post a local farmer was arrested for “Excessive Harvest Profits.” But the accused, Peter Profit, says he’s been framed. It looks like it could be either Sal Crops or Cole Fields. Hmmm?

Sounds pretty cool doesn’t it? This is for you ag journalists attending the Agricultural Media Summit and you need to figure it out and then stop by the Ag Leader Technology booth and present your thoughts to the detectives who will be there, Lori Costello/Jenna Royer/Anna Wolfe. You’ll get entered to win a grand prize. Feel free to leave a comment here with your ideas.

Ag Leader, Ag Media Summit, Agribusiness

Zimfo Bytes

Jamie Johansen

    Zimfo Bytes

  • DuPont Pioneer, introduced the Pioneer Inoculant Value Calculator, a product selection tool that helps producers gain a “hands-on” look at how inoculants can make a difference in their operations.
  • Leading global energy, grains and foods company, CHS Inc. announced it acquired Atman, a Brazil based distribution and grain company. This acquisition allows for global commodities expansion.
  • USPOULTRY named a new research award after Dr. Charles Beard in appreciation of his contribution to the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. The Charles Beard Research Excellence Award will recognize outstanding completed research projects, funded by USPOULTRY or the USPOULTRY Foundation.
  • Cultura Technologies announced a new release of the binSight automated bin management system. The binSight system provides grain handlers and merchandisers up-to-the-minute inventory information for meeting contract requirements and producing more profitable blends, as well as enables operations and management personnel to keep track of grain for traceability.
    Zimfo Bytes

    U.S. House Enters Can Kicking Event

    Cindy Zimmerman

    I have to give Kentucky farm broadcaster Jeff Nalley the credit for this one – If “can kicking” were an Olympic sport, we’d have a “gold medal Congress”.

    The leadership of the U.S. House has apparently decided to kick the farm bill can down the road and not to move forward with a vote on five-year farm legislation before the August recess, but will instead consider a separate disaster bill that reinstates livestock disaster programs that expired in 2011 to help producers impacted by the severe drought conditions.

    A coalition of agricultural organizations is urging the House to reconsider and vote on the bill from the House Agriculture Committee. The organizations include the American Farm Bureau Federation and National Corn Growers Association, and ten other general farm and commodity groups.

    “We are disappointed that the House Republican leadership has decided to not move forward with the House Agriculture Committee’s bill before adjourning for the August recess. That bill would provide the disaster relief our farm and ranch families need at this time,” said a statement from the groups. “We do not oppose passage of a disaster assistance bill, but note that almost identical provisions to retroactively extend these four programs are included in the Senate-passed farm bill and the bill reported by the House Agriculture Committee. Those measures would likely be included in any conference committee report. It is imperative that we pass a comprehensive, long-term farm bill.”

    Specifically, the disaster bill in the House would retroactively extend the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), the Livestock Forage Program (LFP), the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP) and the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) so that producers are helped for Fiscal Year 2012. All of those programs expired in 2011. Offsets to pay for the disaster assistance would come from imposing caps on two conservation programs, the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The groups point out that the bill “potentially costs more than $600 million and would only provide relief to livestock producers a month or two earlier than a farm bill debated and passed in September.”

    The House scrapped plans to vote on a one-year extension of the current farm bill when it became clear that the votes for passage were not there. Senate leadership meanwhile has indicated it will not consider stand-alone disaster aid legislation in an effort to force a vote on a five-year bill.

    AFBF, Farm Bill, NCGA

    Ag Leader Technology Celebrating Twenty Years

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCast 359Here’s an inspirational story about a man with an idea and a willingness to work hard to create a company that would not only help farmers but also support his family. He’s Al Myers, founder of Ag Leader Technology.

    I had the opportunity and pleasure to sit down with Al at the company’s headquarters in Ames, IA. We had a great conversation during which we talked about the start of the company in his basement to the international firm now employing 300 people with a relatively new office in the Netherlands and plans for more in South America and Australia. Here’s a little bit of information about how things got started from the Ag Leader Technology website.

    Ag Leader was unofficially born in 1986 in the basement of Al Myers’ home with a handful of parts from an electronics store and a vision to improve agriculture through high-tech innovation. By June of 1992, after developing and testing the world’s first practical and accurate on-the-go yield monitor, Myers left his day job as a design engineer to start Ag Leader Technology. In his first year, he sold a total of ten yield monitors.

    I think you’ll enjoy hearing how Al got his company off the ground and has grown it. We appreciate the support Ag Leader Technology shows us as the primary sponsor of our Precision Pays.com website!

    Listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: Visiting with Al Myers Founder of Ag Leader Technology

    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.

    Ag Leader, Agribusiness, Audio, Precision Agriculture, Technology, ZimmCast