Ag Voice in Today’s Media

Chuck Zimmerman

What is agriculture’s voice like in today’s media? That’s the question posed to the panel that Janie Gabbett, Executive Editor, MeatingPlace, served on here at the 2012 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit. Janie used some great examples of how big issues like LFTB and BSE have been handled by the mainstream media and talked about how industry stakeholders can and should handle these situations.

Janie gave some great advice. For example, she says that you have to have factual information readily available before these issues blow up. That’s because journalists are under ridiculous deadlines and need instantaneous information and resources. She says that if you wait to put it together until you’re asked for it then you’ve lost the opportunity. I agree. She also makes a point of using the social media platforms like blogging since even the media are doing so as well as consumers and animal activists. She also makes a great point that those of us in “industry” media should be looked to as a place to make sure good information is available. MeatingPlace is followed and read by mainstream media just like AgWired is!

You can hear my interview with Janie here: Interview with Janie Gabbett

2012 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit Photo Album

Thanks to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and United Soybean Board for their sponsorship of our coverage of this year’s Summit.

Ag Groups, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Media

Regulatory and Activist Lessons From Europe

Chuck Zimmerman

Lessons Learned From Europe was the topic addressed by Mike Sheldon, Greenway Farms Limited, during the opening session of the 2012 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit. Mike talked about regulatory burdens and activist influence. You’ll hear him say in my interview with him that what’s happening there is coming here to the USA.

I asked Mike what he wanted to communicate to our group here. He says that he first wanted us to know how big the impact is going to be on hog production when closed confinement stalls for sows are banned next year. He says this change is happening in Europe and will happen here as well. This change is going to be huge. He says that minor changes can be dealt with but a change of this magnitude which will require massive investment to implement without showing a greater return is going to be hard to deal with.

You can hear my interview with Mike here: Interview with Mike Sheldon

2012 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit Photo Album

Thanks to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and United Soybean Board for their sponsorship of our coverage of this year’s Summit.

Ag Groups, Animal Activists, Animal Agriculture, Audio, International

Agriculture Legislative Outlook

Chuck Zimmerman

In our first session at the 2012 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit the topic was legislation. One of our panelists is Anne Hazlett, Chief Counsel, Senate Ag Committee Republican members. Her panel addressed the ag outlook in the 112th Congress and the future of the new farm bill.

I talked with Anne after the session who says she really liked the opportunity to interact with leaders in the livestock industry. She started her comments addressing the action of the Senate Ag Committee last week on the farm bill. She says she also raised some issues for attendees to get proactive communicating to their local legislators. She says there’s a long road ahead for the farm bill. She says the bill will be written under very challenging conditions. It’s time to make sure priorities are known and to talk with legislators not on an ag committee.

You can hear my interview with Anne here: Interview with Anne Hazlett

2012 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit Photo Album

Thanks to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and United Soybean Board for their sponsorship of our coverage of this year’s Summit.

Ag Groups, Animal Agriculture, Audio

Monitor 2012 Corn Rootworm Hatch with Enhanced Online Insect Forecast Tool

Melissa Sandfort

Over the past two seasons, farmers across the Corn Belt have participated in an online, early warning system tool to monitor above ground pests that could threaten their corn yields. For 2012, this sophisticated program, known as the Insect Forecast tool, has been enhanced to track another economically damaging pest – corn rootworm – as well as to offer farmers expanded online and mobile access.

Farmers can now log onto the site to learn when corn rootworm larvae are hatching in their area, allowing for better timing to scout their fields for potential root damage. The corn rootworm hatch varies by geography, but typically occurs from early- to mid-June in the Corn Belt and often coincides with the first appearance of lightening bugs.

Greater awareness about the annual corn rootworm hatch and migration patterns of corn earworm and western bean cutworm moths can help farmers minimize their impact. This tool can help farmers make strategic decisions about better timing for pesticide applications. It can also help farmers in choosing the right traited corn hybrids to meet their specific needs, such as those containing Monsanto’s Genuity corn traits which protect against insect damage and protect yields.

Farmers in the Corn Belt can sign up to receive e-mail alerts from May through September to learn when these insects pose a risk in their areas.

Corn

Steve Azar Releases “American Farmer” Song – Proceeds Go To FFA

Melissa Sandfort

Country star Steve Azar, who has had numerous hits including, “I Don’t Have To Be Me ‘Til Monday”, “Waitin’ On Joe”, and “Sunshine”, recently released a track entitled “American Farmer.” A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this song will be donated to local chapters of the FFA.

There’s a video for the track featuring pictures submitted by real working farmers and FFA Members that can be seen here:

You can purchase the track here.
You can read more about Steve here.

FFA

Preview of Real Farmers Real Food Summit

Chuck Zimmerman

Attendees to the 2012 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit were greeted by the organizational team at the registration table. I spoke with AAA Communications Director Sarah Hubbart (right) to get a preview of our program.

Sarah says this is the 11th annual Stakeholders Summit which is held to bring together animal agriculture industry leaders to discuss issues. This year’s theme, Real Farmers Real Food: Celebrating Tradition and Technology, is meant to stimulate a discussion of both the legacy of the role that agriculture plays and the importance of new technologies. I think Sarah is the main social media handler so follow along with @AnimalAg for live tweets during the conference using the hashtag, #AAA12.

You can hear my interview with Sarah here: Interview with Sarah Hubbart

2012 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit Photo Album

Thanks to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and United Soybean Board for their sponsorship of our coverage of this year’s Summit.

Ag Groups, Animal Agriculture, Audio

Real Farmers Real Food Underway

Chuck Zimmerman

The 2012 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakholders Summit is underway in Arlington, VA. We’ve just got our first session started so it will be a little while before I’ll have some interviews to share.

In the meantime, I’ve started a photo album for you. You can find them here: 2012 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit Photo Album

Thanks to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and United Soybean Board for their sponsorship of our coverage of this year’s Summit.

Animal Agriculture

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Everris Americas has acquired the manufacturing equipment of X-Calibur Plant Health Company, located in Summerville, SC.
  • Neogen Corporation announced that it has acquired the assets of the Igenity animal genomics business from Merial Limited.
  • The Sorghum Checkoff welcomes Justin Weinheimer as the organization’s Crop Improvement Program Director.
  • The American Egg Board recently appointed Chris Pierce, President, Heritage Poultry Management Services, Annville, Pa., its Chairman for 2012-2013.
Zimfo Bytes

BASF’s Fassler Enjoys Helping Farmers

Cindy Zimmerman

Growing up on a corn and soybean farm in Illinois is really what led Nick Fassler to his role at BASF Crop Protection in helping farmers keep their crops healthier.

“We raised about 1200 acres of corn and soybeans,” Nick told me during an interview at Commodity Classic, noting that he got his undergrad degree from Western Illinois and got a Masters in Crop Science from the University of Illinois. “The chemical protection business really intrigued me and encouraged me to go into graduate school.”

Nick started with BASF right out of graduate school eight years ago and is now Technical Market Manager, primarily responsible for row crop fungicides with corn and soybeans – mainly Headline and Headine AMP. “Our pipeline and the amount of products we’ve been launching in the last several years has kept us busy,” he says, adding that it’s rewarding for him to educate growers about those new products to bring value to their farm and help them be more productive.

Nick expects 2012 to be an interesting year for insect and disease pressure. “We have a lot of early season seedling diseases that seed treatments provide protection from, but with the foliar fungicides we’re primarily looking at those reproductive stages, July-August-September time frame,” he said, encouraging growers to take preventative action and do active scouting throughout the season.

Listen to my interview with Nick Fassler here: Nick Fassler with BASF

Audio, BASF, Corn, Soybean

Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit

Chuck Zimmerman

This week I get back on the agriblogging highway to the 2012 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit. My coverage will be made possible again this year by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the United Soybean Board. The theme is Real Farmers Real Food: Celebrating Tradition and Technology and I’ll be conducting interviews to share with you.

We have a full lineup of speakers who will help us learn effective communication strategies for how to deal with all that’s going on in this sector of the agribusiness industry today. We’ll hear lessons learned in Europe and from media representatives here in the United States. You can find an agenda here (pdf). My coverage starts on Wednesday.

BTW. You can tweet or follow along on Twitter using the conference hashtag which is #AAA12.

Animal Agriculture