U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Speaks To Ag Day

Chuck Zimmerman

This evening our U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, the 30th Secretary, addressed the Celebration of Agriculture Dinner for National Agriculture Day activities. We had a wonderful dinner highlighted by a bone-in Berkshire pork chop. Mmm . . . mmm . . .

I think that we’ve had a weekly visit with the Secretary each week lately. We saw him in Orlando for the National Ethanol Conference and then again last week at Commodity Classic.

After his remarks Secretary Vilsack visited every table in the room. I think I’ve got at least one photo from every table during this time. If you’re looking for a photo, please look in the online photo album.

Listen to remarks from Secretary Vilsack here: Remarks from Secretary Vilsack

2012 National Agriculture Day Activities Photo Album

Coverage of the 2012 National AgDay Activities is sponsored by the American Seed Trade Association
Ag Day, Ag Groups, Audio

Helping Congress Better Understand Farming

Chuck Zimmerman

Congressman Collin Peterson, Ranking Member, House Committee on Agriculture, took to the microphone during the Meet and Mingle Luncheon at the House Longworth Bldg. during National Ag Day Activities. He only had a couple of minutes to speak due to a vote that had just been called.

The Congressman started off his remarks about his desire to do what he can to support National Ag Day. He thanked everyone who is working to communicate agriculture’s message to people in the city and he acknowledged how difficult it can be. He says that he and the other members of the House Ag Committee try their best to get non ag counterparts to understand farming, “People think that they know better than farmers how to do things. Most of them have no clue what they’re doing.” He also mentions how partisan politics has become but is proud that the ag committee has so far not stayed above the fray. I did like his comment that agriculture is the only part of the economy that is working.

Listen to remarks from Congressman Peterson here: Remarks from Congressman Collin Peterson

2012 National Agriculture Day Activities Photo Album

Coverage of the 2012 National AgDay Activities is sponsored by the American Seed Trade Association
Ag Day, Ag Groups, Audio

Youth In Ag Groups Attending National Ag Day Activities

Chuck Zimmerman

One of the best parts of National Ag Day Activities is seeing and meeting all the young people who attend. Most are receiving support to come to Washington, DC through the organization they belong to. We have a lot of blue coats here for example.

I met two of them this morning and asked what brought them to the events. They are high school FFA members who applied at the urging of their adviser. They’ve been here two days so far and they feel like they’ve learned a lot, including how to do interviews. I think you’ll find they do a good job of that!

Listen to my interview with these FFA members here: Interview with FFA Members

2012 National Agriculture Day Activities Photo Album

Coverage of the 2012 National AgDay Activities is sponsored by the American Seed Trade Association
Ag Day, Ag Groups, Audio, Education, FFA

We Need Both RFS and Farm Bill According to Senator Stabenow

Chuck Zimmerman

Addressing the attendees to the Agri-Pulse reception last night was Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwomen, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. I visited with her briefly after her remarks.

I first asked her what she thought about the importance of the work that’s being done by groups like USFRA which held a Food Dialogues event prior to the reception. The Senator says “It is so important that we have farmers and ranchers that are coming in and sharing what they’re doing.” She says how agriculture touches our lives is very broad since it’s more than just food. It includes energy, jobs in agricultural manufacturing and bio-based manufacturing and the list goes on and on. She says “the reality is that agriculture is about our way of life.”

I also asked her what she thinks about a statement I heard last week about the the need to maintain the Renewable Fuel Standard being more important than the Farm Bill. She says, “They’re both important. We need both.”

Listen to my interview with Senator Stabenow here: Interview with Senator Debbie Stabenow

USFRA Dialogues and Agri-Pulse Reception Photos
2012 National Agriculture Day Activities Photo Album

Coverage of the 2012 National AgDay Activities is sponsored by the American Seed Trade Association
Ag Day, Ag Groups, Audio, Farm Bill, Food, USFRA

Senator Pat Roberts Just Tells It Like It Is

Chuck Zimmerman

The Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Senator Pat Roberts, made comments during the Agri-Pulse reception last night. I got to visit with him briefly afterward.

Senator Roberts says the idea of trying to get urban America better understand where their food comes from is “a mountain we’ve been trying to climb for years now.” He says you’ve got about 17 seconds to talk to them about agriculture policy before their eyes glaze over and 18 seconds if you talk farm bill. However, if you talk about hunger and feeding a hungry world you get their attention. Then you ask them who’s getting it done. So putting food production in the right context is critical.

I also asked him what he thinks about a statement I heard last week about the the need to maintain the Renewable Fuels Standard being more important that the Farm Bill. He’s not for mandates but says it’s important to create infrastructure and have some stability and certainty. After that is working then he favors letting the marketplace take over.

Listen to my interview with Senator Roberts here: Interview with Senator Pat Roberts

USFRA Dialogues and Agri-Pulse Reception Photos
2012 National Agriculture Day Activities Photo Album

Coverage of the 2012 National AgDay Activities is sponsored by the American Seed Trade Association
Ag Day, Audio, Farm Bill, Food, USFRA

U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award winners announced

Melissa Sandfort

In a special March 7 award ceremony in Washington, D.C., the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy announced the winners of the inaugural U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards, a program to recognize dairy farms, dairy companies and collaborative partnerships for efforts that advance the sustainability of the dairy industry.

Winners of the Elanco Award for Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability: Blue Spruce Farm, operated by the Audet family in Bridport, Vt.; Holsum Dairies, LLC, of Hilbert, Wis.; and Werkhoven Dairy, Inc., of Monroe, Wash.

Winner of the U.S. Dairy Export Council Award for Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing Sustainability: Darigold, Inc., in Seattle

Honorable mention of the U.S. Dairy Export Council Award for Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing Sustainability: Oakhurst Dairy of Portland, Maine

Winners of the Center for Advanced Energy Studies/Idaho National Laboratory Award for Outstanding Achievement in Energy are: Brubaker Farms of Mount Joy, Pa. and DF-AP, LLC, of Gooding

An independent panel of judges representing the full spectrum of the dairy supply chain — as well as academia, government, media, business and nongovernmental organizations — selected this year’s winners based on the program’s or project’s results as measured by economic, environmental and social responsibility aspects.

Dairy

2012 Classic Officially a Barn Buster

Cindy Zimmerman

It’s official now – the 2012 Commodity Classic was a major record-breaker.

Final attendance at the event surpassed all previous turnout records with a total of 6,014 attendees, up 25 percent increase from last year’s record of 4,826 attendees. Once again, farm families represented over half of the participants, with 3,505 growers, spouses and children attending.

“We broke records in every category,” said Commodity Classic Co-chair Martin Barbre. “However, the most exciting number was beating last year’s record of first-time attendees by 48 percent. It’s very gratifying to see that Commodity Classic’s appeal continues to grow.”

This year’s show also experienced the highest number of exhibitors ever. The 963-booth trade show was sold out with a waiting list ready to take advantage of cancellations. There was also a record number of media attending the event – 156 total, compared to the previous record of 145 last time it was in Nashville in 2008.

Another record I would add for the 2012 Commodity Classic would be the most people at the event ever having to be herded into a basement ballroom for a tornado warning!

Commodity Classic is presented annually by the National Corn Growers Association, the American Soybean Association, the National Association of Wheat Growers and the National Sorghum Producers. Next year, the event will be held February 28 to March 2 in Kissimmee, Fla.

2012 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Coverage of the 2012 Commodity Classic Show is sponsored by BASF and New Holland
Commodity Classic, NCGA

National Ag Day Morning Coffee Break

Chuck Zimmerman

The start to today’s National Ag Day Activities was coffee in the USDA Atrium. We’ll be back here for dinner this evening and to hear from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. The Secretary has become a regular on AgWired lately.

This morning our program was moderated by Orion Samuelson and our speaker was Krysta Harden, USDA Chief of Staff. I saw Krysta recently when she received a special award from the National Biodiesel Board. Krysta welcomed us and talked about the work that the USDA does. It was an informational speech which I recorded for you to listen to. She brought us some interesting facts like having 50 USDA employees stationed in Afganistan working with farmers on conservation issues and that they’ve fed 3.9 million people with the SNAP program.

Listen to the remarks made by Krysta this morning here: Comments From Krysta Harden

2012 National Agriculture Day Activities Photo Album

Coverage of the 2012 National AgDay Activities is sponsored by the American Seed Trade Association
Ag Day, Ag Groups, Audio, USDA

Agri-Pulse Holds Successful Reception

Chuck Zimmerman

Agri-Pulse held another successful reception in advance of National Agriculture Day. The reception is held in appreciation not only of farmers but also all who work on behalf of the industry including lawmakers in Washington, DC.

Sara says the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance Food Dialogues event held just prior to the reception was a good fit with what Agri-Pulse is doing and a great lead in to National Agriculture Day. She says they had a far ranging discussion covering a lot of current topics. We heard from Senator Pat Roberts and Senator Debbie Stabenow during the reception and I’ll have comments from them to post later. Sara says Agri-Pulse is growing well and her team is just enjoying what they do.

Listen to my interview with Sara here: Interview with Sara Wyant

USFRA Dialogues and Agri-Pulse Reception Photos

Audio, Media

Time to Slow Down

Melissa Sandfort

I often wonder … how many minutes each day do I actually spend staring straight out my car windshield versus staring at the landscape around me? Then I realize how dangerous that thought is. But if I didn’t spend time taking in the beauty of what’s around me every day, I’d miss skies like this.

Disclaimer: I adjusted the color levels in Photoshop. I couldn’t help myself.

But the design of the sky is beautiful and there aren’t any tall buildings in the way or exhaust clouds clouding my view. Just an undistorted, unblemished beautiful country sky with the fresh country air to go with it.

When my son is in the car, I try not to do so much gawking and concentrate more on driving.

Until we walk again …

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