Cattle Industry Convention Hashtag Controversy

Chuck Zimmerman

Who would have thought that we’d have a “controversy” over the Twitter hashtag for the Cattle Industry Convention? Really? Well, it might not be a full blown controversy but it’s at least interesting. The official hashtag is #CIC12. Makes sense. The CIC is not just one organization. You’ve got the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the American National CattleWomen (ANCW) and Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB). To create a hashtag that only highlights one of them doesn’t seem fair and isn’t really descriptive of the event itself. I’m hoping it’s not being done to irritate or exclude the other organizations that participate in this industry event.

But apparently a number of folks are using #NCBA12 and have been questioning the decision to have the official hashtag be #CIC12. If I remember correctly, the NCBA letters may have been used in a previous convention. But that was then. We’re talking about now. A time when we’re seeing much needed unity within the industry and these organizations. So let’s use #CIC12. Okay.

The beauty and sometimes frustration of the web is that we’re all free to do what we want though. So you can use whatever hashtag you want. I’ll be following #CIC12 though and would recommend you do too.

Ag Groups, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA

Cattle Producers Raise Money To Feed Steaks To Soldiers

Chuck Zimmerman

Cattle producers raised a lot of money to help the All American Beef Battalion (AABB) feed steaks to our soldiers.

During the Mile High Classic Red Angus Sale on Sunday, Jan. 8, in Denver, Colo., joint owners of the bull, Crs Diamnd 21 Gun Salute, donated him back to the cause and raised another $24,250 for AABB – totaling nearly $37,000 raised for the project including the bull’s original sale and donations.

Pictured are (Left to right) Red Angus breeders Barry Horsley and Cheramie Viator presented a check to National Guard Sgt. Dave Callahan who represented all the soldiers who benefit from the All American Beef Battalion steak feeds. Jim Odle (right), purchased possession of the bull, 21 Gun Salute.

Ag Groups, Beef, Food

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • The “Farmland Investment Fair”, sponsored by The Chicago Farmers will be Feb. 4, 2012. Registration is now open online.
  • CLAAS of America Inc. has announced their expansion and restructuring of their senior management team in North America.
  • An Olympic Gold Medalist, the coronation of the Nebraska Dairy Princess and a seminar on handling high commodity prices are on the agenda for the 2012 Nebraska Dairy Convention March 13-14.
  • High school and two-year college students planning to study an agricultural field are invited to apply for a $1,000 scholarship from the CHS Foundation.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Mobile App

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA announce their first-ever mobile app. Yep, cowboys do smart phones don’t you know? Here’s what Mike Deering, NCBA Communications, has to say about it.

    “Cattlemen may not be on the computer much but they have certainly embraced smart phones. The smart phone application was designed specifically for the annual convention. It will give participants useful information about meeting locations, speakers and more. The app can also be used by media and by people not able to attend the convention. We will be posting news and information constantly.”

    So you need to get the app for the Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show which will be held Feb. 1-4th. It’s now available for download for the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry. The Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA App gives its users access to everything the oldest cattle business convention has to offer.

    The CIC & NCBA mobile app is a free download and features an interactive exhibitor map and listings, seminars and speakers, schedules to help plan your trip to the largest cattle business convention! The CIC & NCBA app will also provide you with digital information from exhibitors, text alerts, product updates and instant connectivity, all right in the palm of your hand.

    It’s on my iPhone! Get it now.

    Ag Groups, Apps, Cattle Industry Conference

    Florida NAMA Meets USFRA

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Cindy and I are nearing the end of vacation (working) time in Florida but are too far away from Orlando to attend today’s Florida NAMA chapter meeting. But thanks to Gary Cooper’s, Southeast AgNet, iPhone we did get a picture to share.

    Guest speaking to the Florida NAMA chapter was Hugh Whaley, USFRA. As I understad it there were nearly 50 in attendance. That’s a fantastic turnout. It’s great to see this chapter that I was once a founding member of doing well!

    Last week I met Florida Chapter President Lyn Cacella, Farm Credit. We spoke about the Agri-Marketing Conference coming to Jacksonville, FL in 2014 and the chapter is already working on some ideas for us during our time in the sunshine state. Listen in on my conversation with Lyn and learn more about how Florida NAMA is doing: Lyn Cacella Interview

    If your chapter has an event please send along a photo to share here on AgWired and let us know how it’s going. We’d like to feature you.

    Ag Groups, NAMA

    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 …

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