Precison Ag Puts Medicine on the Hurt Place

Chuck Zimmerman

John McKeeWe like new technology and we like our gadgets. We’re called AgNerds. And AgNerds are pretty open to precision agriculture. John McKee is one of us. John is a farmer of corn, cotton, soybeans and wheat. He was a civil engineer prior to farming so precision ag has come natural to him. He was also one of the speakers on the Conservation in Action Tour.

He says the bottom line is “control.” He micro-manages every piece of his farm. He thinks it’s a good business plan. As he puts it, “We’re just able to put the medicine on the hurt place.” And that makes for a good conservation practice. He says that if the dirt and crop don’t need an input like nitrogen then “we certainly don’t want to put it there.” For one thing, it’s expensive. By being able to pull back with variable rate application it saves him on his pocketbook and the environment which is a win-win for everyone. He says equipment is getting better and cheaper but it needs to continue to get better and cheaper.

Listen to my interview with John here: Interview with John McKee

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, CTIC, Farming, Precision Agriculture, Technology

NPPC President at World Pork Expo

Cindy Zimmerman

Nearly 20,000 pork producers and industry experts from about 38 countries are at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines this week, including National Pork Producers Council president R.C. Hunt of North Carolina.

I had a chance to chat with R.C. this morning after he gave an update to the media about trade issues. R.C. is excited about expo this year and the great weather we’ve had so far and he is hopeful that exports for the industry will do as well as they did last year, but he is concerned about actions of food retailers toward forcing producers to make significant production changes.

Listen to or download my interview with R.C. here: NPPC president R.C. Hunt
2012 World Pork Expo Photo Album

Audio, Pork, World Pork Expo

Survey on Sow Housing Released at WPX

Cindy Zimmerman

Results of a survey issued opening day at the World Pork Expo show that the overwhelming majority of the U.S. sow herd spends some time in individual housing, known as gestation stalls. The findings confirm concerns by the National Pork Producers Council about food retailers who have bowed to demands of animal activists and announced they will use only pork from operations that are gestation-stall free.

The survey, conducted by University of Missouri extension economist Ron Plain, found that currently only 17.3 percent of sows spend a portion of gestation in open pens. Plain surveyed pork operations with 1,000 or more sows. He received responses from 70 operations, which combined own about 3.6 million of the nation’s 5.7 million sows.

The Plain survey found that 20.2 percent of sows on operations of 1,000-9,999 sows, 18.9 percent on operations of 10,000-99,999 and 16.4 percent on operations of more than 100,000 are in open pens for some portion of gestation. When asked about plans to put more sows in open pens, the largest operations indicated that 23.8 percent of their sows would be in them in two years, operations of 10,000-99,999 sows would have 21.3 of their pigs in such pens and operations of 1,000-9,999 would have 20.7 percent.

Listen to an interview with Ron Plain about the survey here: MU economist Ron Plain

Listen to audio from opening press conference about the survey: WPX news conference

Thanks to Meghan Grebner and Ken Anderson of Brownfield Ag News for providing news conference audio and photos.


2012 World Pork Expo Photo Album

Animal Activists, Audio, Pork, World Pork Expo

Services for Mark Pearson

Cindy Zimmerman

Family, friends, farmers and fellow Iowans are saying goodbye this week to beloved “Market to Market” host Mark Pearson, who died suddenly last Sunday.


Mark’s visitation will be held at the Hy-Vee Conference Center in West Des Moines today from 4 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be held at the Plymouth Congregational Church on Friday, June 8 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Heifer International P.O. Box 8058, Little Rock, Arkansas 72203-8058.

Read the full obituary on Mark from the Des Moines Register here.

Farming, Media

BASF Media Summit Concludes on High Note

Cindy Zimmerman

What better way to conclude the world-class BASF Ag Media Summit in Chicago than with a trip to the top of tallest building in the Western hemisphere to look out over the city.

Pictured here are Kristen Adams and Pat Morrow, part of the crack communications team with BASF Ag that put the event together, and Paul Rea, BASF Vice President U.S. Crop Protection, at the top of Willis (formerly Sears) Tower on the Skydeck overlooking the city at night. The tower Skydeck, if you have never been there as I had not, has a series of plexiglass boxes built out over the edge of the building so you feel like you are walking right out into the air at 1,353 feet! It was a great source of entertainment, especially since they had a photographer to take pictures while you were in the box looking down on you as if you were floating over the city. Fun, but not for those who suffer from high anxiety!

I had to leave early this morning to drive from Chicago to Des Moines for World Pork Expo and I have to say that the EconoLodge in Des Moines is no Trump Tower! But, since I can walk to the fairgrounds from here, I can’t complain. It just doesn’t take too long to get spoiled in The Donald’s place!

Since I will be wrapped up in pork for the next day or so, the rest of the great stuff we learned in one short day at the BASF summit will have to wait until later, but since we started the event with a preview from Paul Rea, here is a wrap-up interview with him at the end of the day, just before we headed up to the observation deck.

Listen to my interview with Paul here. BASF's Paul Rea

I did update the photo album, so be sure to check it out here – Photos from BASF Ag Media Summit

Audio, BASF

Farm Broadcasting in the Pork Checkoff Tent

Cindy Zimmerman

Stop by the National Pork Board tent during World Pork Expo and you will be seeing some of the nation’s top farm broadcasters doing markets, interviews and commentary on the stage.

Meghan Grebner of Brownfield Ag News is pictured here interviewing NPB CEO Chris Novak during the noon show segment at the tent. She and colleague Ken Anderson will also be doing the noon show tomorrow. Other famous farm broadcasters like Pam “Fabulous Farm Babe” Jahnke will be stopping by during the day to update producers on the markets.


2012 World Pork Expo Photo Album

Boehringer Ingelheim, World Pork Expo

World Pork Expo Sponsored by BIVI

Cindy Zimmerman

Arrived in time for lunch today on the first day of the 2012 World Pork Expo after driving in from Chicago this morning and everything is already in full swing.

Our coverage this year is being sponsored exclusively by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc., (BIVI) so the first thing I did when I got on the fairgrounds was head over to the tent where I found Trudy Luther of BIVI with Leigh Ann Cleaver and Jill Mahoney of BCS Communications all brightly branded in pork pink for the show. This is one of Jill’s first events with BCS but she is no stranger to WPX. If you look back to previous years, you will see lots of photos of Jill in her previous life with Novus International. She just recently moved from St. Louis to Kansas City to join our good friends at BCS and we are very happy to be working with her again. She is working with a fantastic team there!

So – getting a later start than normal here this year but we’ll get up to speed here soon. Got the photo album started with a couple of shots but many more will be coming!

2012 World Pork Expo Photo Album

Boehringer Ingelheim, World Pork Expo

Corn Technology Utilization Conference Concludes

Chuck Zimmerman

The 2012 Corn Utilization Technology Conference has come to a close and attendance was officially higher than in 2010. It has been a tremendous showcase of all kinds of research being done to continue to make new products and improve others made out of corn which is “Rooted in Human History (pdf).”

To close out the conference and give us a wrap-up I spoke with Rick Tolman, CEO, NCGA, seen here delivering his closing remarks a few minutes ago. I would echo his comments about being impressed with the young people attending the conference, many of whom submitted student posters for competition.

Rick says it’s the best of times and worst of times for the corn industry. Best of times because corn growers are on the top of their game, growing the largest crop in the United States which is used worldwide in more products and applications than any other crop. However, Rick says it’s also a tough time for corn growers due to a lot of uncertainties like negative media attention driven by misinformation coming from activist groups who want to change the way we grow corn and grow food. This conference helps get him enthused about the business though when you see how many new ideas are being worked on that will ultimately benefit the industry.

I also asked Rick for his thoughts on the farm bill, partnering with NASCAR and the progress of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance which NCGA is a member of. He’s optimistic about all these programs.

Listen to my interview with Rick here: Interview with Rick Tolman

You can find photos from the 2012 CUTC in my online photo album: 2012 CUTC Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Biofuels, Conservation, CUTC, NCGA

Precision Ag is a Conservation Tool

Chuck Zimmerman

Terry GriffinDuring the 2012 Conservation in Action Tour the word “precision” came up multiple times. As precision ag continues to develop it is being seen as an effective tool for conservation plans and practices. One of our speakers addressed this subject. He’s Terry Griffin, farmer and also VP, Applied Economics for new precision ag company, CrescoAg.

Terry says one example of how farmers are using precision ag to enhance conservation is applying nutrients where the truth is often the opposite of what some non-farmers may think. With precision equipment and applications farmers are applying appropriate rates to the appropriate place at the appropriate time. He says farmer are trying to maximize profits and that can’t happen by over applying inputs like fertilizer.

Listen to my interview with Terry here: Interview with Terry Griffin

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, CTIC, Precision Agriculture

Conservation Benefits Wildlife

Chuck Zimmerman

Kay WhittingtonDuring the afternoon of the 2012 Conservation in Action Tour our speakers talked a lot about how soil and water conservation systems benefit wildlife. One of our presenters was Kay Whittington, Chief of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality’s Management Branch, Surface Water Division. Kay says that the same conservation practices that help farmers manage soil and water quality also benefit wildlife. I think this is pretty good common sense. Kay says that she got involved in the tour because of the involvement of Delta F.A.R.M. and says they are her go-to agency for projects on the ground because they have the connections with the local land owners.

Listen to my interview with Kay here: Interview with Kay Whittington

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, CTIC