New Holland “Really Cool Mowing Units”

Cindy Zimmerman

new holland boomerThis is the face of a very happy compact tractor.

But don’t let its cute little face fool you – this new New Holland Boomer 25 is no toy tractor. “It’s a real tractor which does real work,” says Dan Valen, New Holland segment marketing manager. “It’s only little in terms of its actual size.”

The Boomer 20 and 25 are the newest additions to the New Holland compact tractor family, just arriving on the scene in February 2012. The Boomer compact tractors fall under New Holland’s RCMU market segment, which Dan jokes could stand for “Really Cool Mowing Unit” but actually is Residential, Commercial, Municipality and Utility. New Holland calls the Boomer 20/25 “the ultimate power tools for homeowners, rural lifestylers, landscapers and hobby farmers.” In other words, Tim Taylor would want one of them – or two.

new holland powerstarAlso falling in this category are the PowerStar™ T4 Series utility tractors. “It was really designed from the ground up with the North American customer in mind,” Dan said, noting the innovative features that include the fully integrated loader and high visibility, “so you can actually see what the loader is doing when it’s ten feet in the air without being a contortionist.”

I got to see just how well that works during the recent New Holland media event. Take a look:

The PowerStar is one of those versatile tractors that appeals across a broad spectrum of market segments – from the RCMU folks to full time farmers and ranchers. By the way, did you know that New Holland is actually a world leader in the specialty tractor business for crops like grapes, citrus, apples and nuts? “New Holland is the only major full line manufacturer to offer a grape harvester,” said Dan.

Listen to my interview with Dan here: New Holland's Dan Valen

Audio, Equipment, New Holland, Video

Molding the Future of Agriculture

Jamie Johansen

Wrapping up our tour at Locust Trace AgriScience Farm, I had the opportunity to chat with one of five agriculture education instructors at Locust Trace, Mr. Todd Harp. He had the students eating out of the palm of his hand as he discussed artificial insemination and quizzed them on reproduction in dairy cattle. This hands-on approach to learning is just one of many things that sets this school appart from other institutions.

Check out my interview with Mr. Harp as he shares his passion for agriculture education and the importance of molding our future agriculturalists. Listen to my interview with Todd here: Interview with Tod Harp

Thank you Alltech for introducing us to Locust Trace AgriScience Farm in Lexington, Kentucky.

Locust Trace AgriScience Farm Photo Album

Agribusiness, Alltech, Education, FFA, Media

SLIP Plate Launches Facebook Sweepstakes

Chuck Zimmerman

Let me re-introduce you to SLIP Plate, a Superior Graphite product. Many farmers already know about SLIP Plate and use the products but over coming months we’re going to introduce you to this company and this product. We’re going to get started now with an interview I just conducted with Barry Lee, Product Manager Coatings & Lubricants, Superior Graphite. He says the company started in 1917 and their strength is graphite, supplying it in various forms to many different industries.

One of those industries is agriculture. It’s here that farmers are familiar with the SLIP Plate product that has been around for about 35 years. Barry shares an interesting anecdote about how they started SLIP Plate for the railroad business. A product they’ve created just for the ag market is Seed SLIK which has been engineered to reduce seed binding and bridging in planter hoppers and lubricate the mechanical parts of the planter without hurting the seeds.

So, Barry says they’ve decided to re-introduce the agricultural market to SLIP Plate. One of the ways they’re doing this is with the launch of the SLIP Plate® Facebook Sweepstakes.

SLIP Plate® Facebook Sweepstakes Want a chance to win a $100 Visa® Gift Card? Just follow these simple steps: 1) “Like” SLIP Plate on Facebook. 2) Enter the contest posted on SLIP Plate’s Facebook wall. Winners will be chosen randomly by the sweepstake’s host application, Easypromos, and will be notified via email. 2nd place and 3rd place entries selected will win SLIP Plate product (retail value up to $50.00). Contest ends: June 13, 2012. We thank you for your business and wish you good luck!

I love the slogan, Slippery when dry. So “If it needs to slide, roll, turn, twist or spin – it’s a job for SLIP Plate®!”

Listen to my interview with Barry here: Interview with Barry Lee

Agribusiness, Audio

A John Deere Welcome to CTIC Tour

Chuck Zimmerman

One of our sponsors for the 2012 Conservation in Action Tour is John Deere. Making some opening remarks tonight was Matt Weinheimer, Division Sales Mgr., Mid-South. He says John Deere has been a member of CTIC since it was founded and he congratulates the organization on celebrating 30 years.

Listen to Matt’s remarks here: Welcome from Matt Weinheimer

2012 Conservation in Action Tour Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Field Tour is sponsored by AGROTAIN
Agribusiness, Audio, CTIC

A Taste of Watermelon Slim

Chuck Zimmerman

It was a big treat for this blues loving AgriBlogger to hear Watermelon Slim tonight at the 2012 Conservation in Action Tour opening reception. He told us before playing that he had farmed and felt a special connection to the audience he had tonight.

Bill “Watermelon Slim” Homans has built a remarkable reputation with his raw, impassioned intensity. HARP Magazine wrote “From sizzling slide guitar…to nitty-gritty harp blowing…to a gruff, resonating Okie twang, Slim delivers acutely personal workingman blues with both hands on the wheel of life, a bottle of hooch in his pocket, and the Bible on the passenger seat.” Paste Magazine writes “He’s one hell of a bottleneck guitarist, and he’s got that cry in his voice that only the greatest singers in the genre have had before him.”

I recorded one of his songs for you and when time allows have one on video to share later. His special style is fascinating. At one point he was using an empty Woodford Reserve mini bottle for his slide!

Listen to my Watermelon Slim here: A Taste of Watermelon Slim

2012 Conservation in Action Tour Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Field Tour is sponsored by AGROTAIN
Agribusiness, Audio, CTIC

Previewing 2012 Conservation in Action Tour

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s registration time at the hotel desk for the 2012 Conservation in Action Tour. I spoke with Rex Martin, Syngenta, about the program we’re about to embark upon. Rex is the Chairman of the Board for the Conservation Information Technology Center and is pictured with CTIC staff.

According to Rex this is the 5th annual conservation tour conducted by CTIC. It’s a full day of farm stops to see different types of conservation with a focus on water management and wildlife habitat. He says we’ll visit a farm with some interesting history but also has one of the best water management systems he’s ever seen. We’ll also have time for networking with farmers as well as government officials and others who are very interested to see and learn more about conservation today.

Listen to my interview with Rex here: Interview with Rex Martin

I have started an online photo album for your enjoyment which you can find here. I’ll be adding to it when I can. 2012 Conservation in Action Tour Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Field Tour is sponsored by AGROTAIN
Ag Groups, Audio, Conservation

Restaurants Should Seek Farmer/Vet Input

Chuck Zimmerman

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Which group should restaurants consider experts on animal care?” Recently many folks in agriculture participated in an online thank you campaign for Domino’s Pizza. Why? Because the restaurant chain made a decision based on good humane animal practices and did not give in to the demands of the animal activist group HSUS. According to our poll 48% said Farmers, 35% said Veterinarians, 16% said Ag Industry, 1% said Activists and no one selected Government. Sounds like good common sense response to me. So take notice all you restaurant chains. If you need advice and want to do the right thing for your customers and the folks who produce safe, humanely produced food, ask the experts and not people with an agenda.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Is Atrazine lawsuit settlement good for farmers?” A lawsuit against Syngenta related to the herbicide was has been settled with an offer of over $100 million by the company, even thought there has been no evidence of harm in drinking water caused by the product and the plaintiffs in the lawsuit acknowledged they had not commissioned any research on the subject or seen any new research to the contrary either. What do you think?

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

Farming, ZimmPoll

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Farm Journal Media is pleased to announce that Cliff Becker and Chad Forster have joined the sales team.
  • Pioneer Hi-Bred and Pannar Seed (Pty) Limited were given approval to implement their agreement for Pioneer to purchase a majority share of Pannar.
  • Farmers and ranchers are headed to Los Angeles – the entertainment capital of the world – for the second Food Dialogues event, June 20-21, 2012.
  • Bayer CropScience announced that EverGol seed treatment fungicide was registered by the EPA and will be available in the U.S. market in cotton, canola and wheat for the 2013 crop season.
Zimfo Bytes

Back to the Corn Grind

Chuck Zimmerman

When I hear that it’s time to get “back to the grind,” I think of going back to work. For the corn industry, Back to the Grind is the theme of the 2012 Corn Utilization Technology Conference.

With a theme of “Back to the Grind,” CUTC will feature the cutting-edge technologies and new uses that continually improve and dynamically change the corn industry.

The conference will debut a third tier of presentation options offering participants the opportunity to hear the latest on mycotoxin research. This new offering has been added to complement the work of the Aflatoxin Mitigation Center of Excellence, which continues to emphasis the importance of developing methods to mitigate and control mycotoxin development in all phases of production and processing.

So I’ll be going back to the grind again this year for the conference where I’ll be conducting interviews with researchers and presenters. Some of my coverage will be featured here on AgWired but most will be appearing on Corn Commentary, the award winning blog of the National Corn Growers Association.

Next week’s event is just one of several where you’ll find members of the ZimmComm team. Cindy will be attending a BASF media event and World Pork Expo and Jamie will be attending the Fuel Ethanol Workshop. We’ll be putting a lot of time on the agriblogging highway!

Ag Groups, Corn, CUTC, Technology

Mississippi Delta Conservation Tour

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s time for the 2012 Conservation Technology Information Center’s annual Conservation in Action Tour. I’m heading out on the agriblogging highway bright and early in the morning for the Mississippi Delta region. CTIC is partnering with the Delta Farmers Advocating Resource Management (Delta F.A.R.M.) to host tour. Delta F.A.R.M. is an “association of growers and landowners who strive to implement recognized agricultural practices that will conserve, restore and enhance the Northwest Mississippi environment, recently celebrated 1 million acres enrolled in its conservation programs.”

I’d like to thank CTIC and AGROTAIN for once again making my coverage of this important event possible. I’ll be collecting interviews and photos from the tour which will take place on Thursday.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Conservation, CTIC