I’ve been sifting back through my memory, trying to figure out when in my lifetime I would’ve done this little game – and where I would’ve seen it. It was a close-up picture of something – extreme close-up – and you had to identify the photo subject. It could be a beehive, a strawberry or a button, but you had to really be creative to figure out what the bigger picture was. Do you remember those?
Driving down the highway the other day in farm country, I snapped this picture with my cell phone. I’m surprised it turned out this good going 65 mph … oops, I may have just given it away.
Can you guess what it is? Hint: it’s very common in big beef states like Nebraska.
It’s the side of a cattle truck.
I wonder how many cattle trucks New Yorkers have seen and yet for me, it’s at least a once-a-day occurrence.
Until we walk again …
The president of the American Farm Bureau Federation told members gathered for the organization’s 93rd annual meeting Sunday that America’s farmers and ranchers are more productive than ever and are providing a solid economic foundation for our nation.
“We are the 1 percent that is producing food and fiber for the other 99 percent,” said Bob Stallman of Texas in his annual address to the approximately 7,000 Farm Bureau members gathered for the annual meeting in Honolulu.
As the voting delegates of the nation’s largest farm organization will be setting policy this week for the year ahead that includes the writing of a new farm bill, Stallman talked about their Systemic Risk Reduction Program proposal, which he says is unique in that it helps protect farmers from catastrophic losses while recognizing budget realities. “It is also unique in that it can be applied to a broader range of commodities like fruits and vegetables,” he said.
Talking about the toll that increasing government regulations are having on agriculture, Stallman suggested a new type of reality show. “I’d have government regulators try to farm under the growing web of restrictions that farmers and ranchers face,” he said to applause. “Before long they would find out they couldn’t do half the things they thought they could … The winner – if one emerged – would be awarded a machinery bill, a margin call and a mortgage.” Let’s pitch that idea to the networks!
Listen to or download Bob Stallman’s comments here: AFBF president Bob Stallman
AFBF 93rd Annual Meeting Photos
Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie welcomed members of the American Farm Bureau Federation on Sunday with open arms and shared his vision of agriculture for the Aloha State.
“You have to have an integrated approach to water, to land and to agriculture,” Abercrombie said, as he talked about the rich Polynesian history of the state and the concept of Ahupuaa – from the mountains to the sea, what he calls the “synthesis of understanding of the environmental foundation that would provide the prosperity for paradise.”
The governor noted that the state has moved away from the monoculture of sugarcane and pineapple plantations to a ‘modern concept of agriculture that was entrepreneurial and innovative and geared towards becoming as self-sufficient as possible.”
Abercrombie says Hawaii imports more food than in past decades. “We are within a few days of being unable to sustain ourselves if we are not able to move towards more self-sustenance when it comes to agriculture,” he said.
To that end, the governor came up with a comprehensive plan for the state that included what he calls “an agricultural renaissance” in Hawaii. “Food security is the primary goal,” he said. “Entrepreneurial farming and jobs, preserving and advancing rural communities, sustaining natural resources, agricultural resources and the planning and commitment that will bring that all about.”
Listen in to Governor Abercrombie’s comments here: Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie
AFBF 93rd Annual Meeting Photos
During the 2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences FMC held a daily drawing for a $250 Home Depot Gift Card.
The first winner Mickey Weeks and he is from Cameron, SC. Mickey (right) receives his prize from Stu Throop, FMC.
The second day winner is Barry Evans of Kress, TX.
Barry receives his prize from Amie Dunn, Marketing Intelligence and Communications Manager at FMC.
Growers who stopped by the FMC booth had a chance to sign up and win the $250 Home Depot gift card. Additionally, there will be a drawing at the end of the year for a $2500 Home Depot gift card and these winners and everyone else who entered are also entered into that drawing.
2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album
AgWired coverage of 2012 Beltwide Cotton Conference is sponsored by
Farmers and ranchers from around the nation are heading to the Aloha State this weekend to “Navigate the Waves of Change” at the 93rd Annual American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting.
The event officially gets underway on Sunday morning with the opening general session, with state farm bureau awards and address by AFBF president Bob Stallman. The closing general session Monday will feature a key note address by one of my favorite humorists Dave Barry, as well as distinguished service and YF&R awards.
The real work of the annual meeting actually gets underway Tuesday morning, when voting delegates gather to set the marching orders for the organization in the year to come.
We’ll be bringing you coverage of AFBF annual #93 right here on AgWired. Aloha!
At the Beltwide Cotton Conferences I met Joe Wyrick, President, EWR, Inc. His company has a division called eCotton which “is dedicated to supplying the information processing needs of the cotton industry.” One of the new ways they’re doing that is with a brand new smartphone app called MyModules.
Cotton producers can register new cotton modules and have them transmitted to the gin automatically, with GPS coordinates if you like.
View the status of all of your modules.
View summary status of all of your bales.
This caught my attention since it is available for the iPhone and Android platforms. Joe gave me a demonstration on his iPhone.
Joe says the app electronically solves the problem of getting harvested cotton module data from the grower to the gin. It’s a two way flow so the grower also gets information back from the gin. A helpful feature is that the app captures data for later transmission if there is no local mobile carrier signal. That’s pretty handy.
Learn more about this new ag app in my interview with Joe here: Interview with Joe Wyrick
2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album
AgWired coverage of 2012 Beltwide Cotton Conference is sponsored by
During the Beltwide Cotton Conferences there’s a program track called “New Developments From Industry.” Our sponsor, FMC, conducted two of those sessions, including one by Craig Heim on a product they expect registration on later this year. Now that’s new!
Craig says they anticipate the new product will have the trade name Display which is a combination of two PPO herbicides. He says this will be a very low use rate product providing superior defoliation performance. He says cotton growers should keep their eye on FMC mid year when they hope to receive registration.
Listen in to my interview with Craig here: Interview with Craig Heim
2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album
AgWired coverage of 2012 Beltwide Cotton Conference is sponsored by
This year’s Beltwide Cotton Conferences attracted about the same size crowd as last year according to National Cotton Council Vice President of Producer Affairs, Craig Brown. I sat down with Craig to find out how he thought things were going and to talk about upcoming format changes for the annual event.
Craig says this is the second year they have shortened the production conference and added more seminars and educational sessions. There are a lot of them! Workshops were very well attended and in fact Craig says they had to add chairs to some of them. He mentioned the social media sessions which is a first. As Craig puts it, “everyone here’s got something strapped to their hip,” referring to all the smartphones in use. It sounds like the Cotton Council is getting ready to go more “social!”
We also discussed the major changes coming to Beltwide after next year’s event. Starting in 2014 Beltwide will only be a 1 1/2 day event without the production conference and trade show. It’ll focus in on technical sessions. This decision has come after a lot of study and thought during the last couple years.
To learn more about the changes coming to the Beltwide listen in to this week’s program: Beltwide Cotton Conferences
Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsor, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong, for their support.
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2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album
AgWired coverage of 2012 Beltwide Cotton Conference is sponsored by
