New Holland Tractor Goes to Charity Auction Signed by President Bush

Chuck Zimmerman

Jay Leno’s Lil Tug going to auction with President George W. Bush’s signature on it! Here’s a photo of the sighing on his ranch from his Facebook page.

Talk show host Jay Leno used it in his famous Garage. Former President George W. Bush put his signature on it. And this Saturday, January 21, it will go on the auction block as part of New Holland Agriculture’s “True Blue Salute” program in support of veterans.

‘Lil Tug, the New Holland Boomer™ tractor that’s been working hard in Jay Leno’s Garage the past five years, will be auctioned off at the famed Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, AZ, on Saturday evening – with all proceeds going to the Fisher House Foundation, best known for its network of homes built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers where families can stay while their loved ones are receiving treatment.

The auction will be broadcast live on SPEED TV, with the ‘Lil Tug scheduled to go on the block Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Mountain Time (8:30 p.m. CT/9:30 p.m. EST).

The tractor auction marks the culmination of New Holland’s “True Blue Salute” program, which launched on Veterans Day in November and continues through Saturday – offering U.S. veterans and military personnel a $300 discount on the purchase of New Holland Boomer™ compact tractor models 30, 35, 40 or 50 purchased in North America. New Holland is also donating $100 to the Fisher House Foundation for every Boomer compact tractor sold in North America during the discount period.

In the days leading up to the auction, ‘Lil Tug (as Leno’s crew nicknamed the tractor) has been getting publicity in a variety of places, including:

Agribusiness, New Holland, Trade

Precision Laboratories Mix Tank App Honored by AgProfessional Magazine

Melissa Sandfort

Precision Laboratories Mix Tank app was honored by AgProfessional Magazine as one of 10 recipients of the Editors’ Choice New Product of the Year Award. These 10 products represent the best, newest, most innovative products introduced in 2011 for sale or use by the ag retailer market and consulting industry, according to the editors of AgProfessional.

The free Mix Tank app provides the proper mixing order for applicators using crop protection products, helping them avoid incompatibility problems and to ensure their effective use, which saves them valuable time and money.

Precision Laboratories is planning to expand the capabilities of the free Mix Tank app early in 2012 and will continue to apply technology resources that will save applicators time and money, while ensuring they receive the most out of every tank mix. Click here to download the free app or search for “Mix Tank” on the iTunes App Store.

Apps

GROWMARK Celebrating 2012 International Year of Cooperatives

Chuck Zimmerman

During this year that the United Nations has declared the “International Year of Cooperatives,” GROWMARK has a number of projects going on to participate. To learn about them I spoke with Amy Bradford, Corporate Communications Manager.

Amy says GROWMARK has several programs underway. One of them works with their local cooperatives called, “You’re on the World Stage.” It allows them to pick ways that they would like to “recognize their own contribution to the socioeconomic world through the cooperative enterprise structure.” The basic level is doing local publicity in their community. A more unique program is helping local cooperatives select a “sister” cooperative in another part of the world to learn more about them and bring that information back into the community.

Learn more about what GROWMARK is doing during this historic year in my interview with Amy: Amy Bradford Interview

Dan Kelley, President of the GROWMARK Board of Directors, talks about the importance of cooperatives in the agriculture industry today and how the GROWMARK System ties into the cooperative form of business in this video created for this year’s celebration.

Agribusiness, Audio, Cooperatives, GROWMARK, Video

National FFA Meets With Secretary of Agriculture

Chuck Zimmerman

FFAI have a concern about this announcement from the FFA.

With more than 100,000 new farmers needed over the next few years, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack issued the young leaders of the National FFA Organization a challenge in 2011. “I would like you to with your fellow students and the adult leadership of the organization to develop a series of recommendations around the upcoming Farm Bill that will encourage more young people to pursue careers in farming,” Vilsack said.

It was a challenge that the national FFA officer team for 2010-11 took seriously. The students immediately began work- framing key questions, consulting FFA members, engaging leaders in agriculture, compiling input and formulating recommendations.

Okay. On the surface it looks and sounds nice that the government wants to do something to encourage youth in agriculture. We certainly do! But . . . Here’s more from FFA. I’ve highlighted section that immediately drew my attention and comment below.

“Never before had we been invited to submit direct input to the Secretary of Agriculture that could enhance the ability of agricultural education and FFA to help students succeed and strengthen American agriculture,” said Riley Pagett, national FFA President, 2010-11. “We were honored to be invited to be a part of this process.”

In December 2011, the 2010-11 national officer team met with Sec. Vilsack to share their recommendations which fell under four main categories. Those are: Getting started in production agriculture; creating vibrant rural communities; who should care about agriculture and why; planning for the future.

Items that were recommended were as follows: USDA and other agencies should encourage and assist beginning farmers to start or continue in production agriculture; USDA should help transition farms from older related and non-related farmers to younger of beginner farmers who may not come from a farm; USDA should help keep young people in rural communities and make rural communities an even more important part of our nation’s economy and society; USDA should support efforts to increase the public’s knowledge of agricultural literacy; USDA should strengthen the capacity of agricultural education o produce more students that pursue production agriculture and other agriculturally related careers and the USDA should provide authority, responsibility and support for school-based agricultural education and FFA.

So, FFA student leaders, everything you mention here is all asking USDA to do something for you. As in “USDA should . . . ” Where’s the money for that going to come from? Are you sure you want more involvement fromt he government in your business or potential business? I think it’s great that the Secretary invited you in but I’d urge caution before you ask for too much, if anything. I think you’d be better off talking with agribusiness leadership about stand alone private practice programs to help you get established in farming or make transitions on your farm. These things are being done. I think most agribusiness companies would be quite willing to talk with you about that. Then maybe we wouldn’t need the government to “take care of us.” What do you think?

Education, FFA, USDA

What’s your best guess?

Melissa Sandfort

I was going to play “Name that antique” but the power of Google was the victor. Most items that my grandparents have they can quickly identify, name the approximate year it was used or made, and tell a story about how someone in their family put it to work.

Not with this one. We had no idea when it was made, and our best guess was a coffee/tea or spice grinder.

We were right, for the most part. After a little searching, I found that this little antique Italian F&B Tre-Spade metal grinder was made between 1900 and 1909. Tre-Spade has been a family run business based in the North of Italy near Turin since 1894. Originally set up to produce ‘hot-forged’ hardware tools they began producing coffee grinders such as this one a few years later.

We even played “Smell that antique” to see if it had an identifying odor. Grandpa just said it smelled like old metal.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Maybe We’re in an Ag Bubble?

Chuck Zimmerman

In our latest ZimmPoll we asked the question “Do you think there is currently an “Ag Bubble?” It looks like most think so since 66% said Yes and 34% said No. That’s kind of a pessimistic outlook don’t you think? If you think we’re in a bubble please feel free to comment on why. We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “How will proposed changes to child labor in agriculture regulations affect farms?” Last fall the Department of Labor proposed changes that many believe could have major impacts on family farms and farm life (proposed rule – pdf). At best it seems like there are some good intentions without careful consideration of the consequences and then there’s always that “how does the Dept. of Labor interpret the rules thing.” A public comment period ended on December 1, 2011.

Here’s some language about the proposed changes from an early news release:

The proposal would strengthen current child labor regulations prohibiting agricultural work with animals and in pesticide handling, timber operations, manure pits and storage bins. It would prohibit farmworkers under age 16 from participating in the cultivation, harvesting and curing of tobacco. And it would prohibit youth in both agricultural and nonagricultural employment from using electronic, including communication, devices while operating power-driven equipment.

The department also is proposing to create a new nonagricultural hazardous occupations order that would prevent children under 18 from being employed in the storing, marketing and transporting of farm product raw materials. Prohibited places of employment would include country grain elevators, grain bins, silos, feed lots, stockyards, livestock exchanges and livestock auctions.

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

ZimmPoll

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • No-Till Farmer readers selected the 20/20 SeedSense/AirForce system as the best product of 2011.
  • Trimble announced a strategic alliance with Great American Insurance Group to help farmers automate their crop insurance reporting under the USDA Federal Crop Insurance Program.
  • Trimble announced that it will supply information management solutions that can increase efficiencies and productivity for U.S. Sugar Corporation.
  • After 22 years managing wheat export market development for U.S. Wheat Associates, Regional Vice President Dick Prior has announced that he will retire later this year. Prior will be replaced by Mark Samson.
Zimfo Bytes

IFAJ Welcomes New Executive Committee Members

Chuck Zimmerman

The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists welcomes new executive committee members.

Newest members of the IFAJ committee include:

Leigh Radford
Australia

Leigh Radford of Australia is the National Editor of ABC Rural, a special department within the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He primarily covers agriculture and mining issues. In addition to his involvement with ACAJ he is Vice President of his state’s rural press club, Rural Media South Australia.He said, “I’m delighted to join the Executive of the IFAJ and contribute to the international body that represents rural and agricultural journalists. IFAJ can be a powerful vehicle to encourage dialogue between journalists in different parts of the world, exchange ideas, learn from one another and become better educated about the issues faced in other parts of the world.”

Per Henrik Hansen
Denmark

Per Henrik Hansen of Denmark is a journalist and communications consultant for topics including food, agriculture and rural areas. He primarily works with Denmark’s organic sector.Per looks forward to contributing to further developing IFAJ and helping it become a more global organization, including helping colleagues of third world countries gain international contacts, and develop professionally.

Tadashi Murata
Japan

Tadashi Murata of Japan is an editor for the Zenkou Kyoudou Publication Ltd. Zenkou Kyoudou publishes a monthly magazine and the book of business management for the Japan Agricultural Co-operatives(JA) and Small Business co-operatives. He also runs a flower shop in Tokyo and a private business specializing in websites and writing.Tadashi has experienced the community provided by IFAJ members and said he looks forward to another exciting Congress and seeing friends. As an executive team member he’s looking forward to learning more details about agriculture in other countries.

Steve Werblow
United States

Steve Werblow is a freelance writer and photographer in the northwestern part of the U.S.A. He works for John Deere’s magazines, The Furrow and Homestead, as well as a variety of other clients in agriculture and industry.

Steve says he is looking forward to helping IFAJ continually broaden its international network and find new ways to provide professional development opportunities for members around the world.

IFAJ

Name The Egg Man

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s almost time for the International Poultry Expo. The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association is working with the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau to help name their eggman logo for the upcoming trade show. So Atlanta community and beyond. Want to help come up with a creative name and maybe win a cool prize (iPad)?

On-line name submissions open at http://www.atlanta.net/ipe/featherfest_namethategg.aspx on Monday, January 16, 2012 at midnight and close at Midnight, January 19, 2012.

A selection committee comprised of 3 representatives from the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau and 2 from the International Poultry Expo will review the submissions on January 20, 2012, selecting 5 finalists.

Each entry will be time stamped. If a duplicate name is submitted by more than one entrant and chosen as the winner, the person with the earliest time stamp will be chosen as the winner.

Participants can submit more than one name.

Finalists will then be posted online at at http://www.atlanta.net/ipe/featherfest_namethategg.aspx wherein internet voting will be open to the general public beginning at 12:01 a.m., January 20. Additionally, attendees to the International Poultry Expo will be able to turn in written ballots.

Voting will cease at 11:59 p.m. on January 25, 2012. At that time the finalist with the most votes will be declared the winner. The winner will be announced the morning of January 26, 2012.

Prize: One (1) Apple iPad (16 mB, wi-fi) will be awarded.

Ag Groups, Poultry, Poultry Expo

Lunch Meat Company Launches Musical Promotion

Chuck Zimmerman

Here’s a promotional campaign with a lot of meat. Maybe you’re not ready for that Idol show yet? Try the “Be a Star on Broadway” contest courtesy of Land O’Frost and Camp Broadway.

Land O’Frost, the nation’s largest family-owned packaged lunch meat company, wants homes across America to be “alive with the sound of music” by offering young performers a chance be discovered by top Broadway professionals. Beginning January 23, singers and dancers can submit a video to the Land O’Frost “Be a Star on Broadway” campaign for an opportunity to win the trip of a lifetime to New York City to attend Camp Broadway®, Broadway’s leading producer of musical theater programs for theater-loving kids of all ages.

Hosted in partnership with Camp Broadway, Land O’Frost’s “Be a Star on Broadway” enables the entire family to get in the act by showcasing their singing, dancing and acting talents in a short musical-theater-inspired video performing one of five iconic Broadway songs: Give My Regards to Broadway (Little Johnny Jones ), Oklahoma ( Oklahoma!), Do-Re-Mi (The Sound of Music), All Shook Up (All Shook Up), and Steal Your Rock ‘n’ Roll ( Memphis , the 2010 Tony® Award-winning Best Musical). From January 23 through March 4, videos will be published on Land O’Frost’s interactive community website, LandOMoms.com, and will be voted on by the public from March 5 through March 25.

Two winners will be selected from the video entries: one by popular vote and the other by Camp Broadway’s panel of Broadway professionals. Videos will be judged on originality and creativity, quality of vocal performance and entertainment value.

Agribusiness, Food