Farm Podcaster Tool – TASCAM PCM Recorder

Chuck Zimmerman

If TASCAM ever releases their iM2 Microphone for the iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch you’ll be able to use it with their new PCM Recorder app. I just added it to my iPhone but haven’t used it yet.

PCM Recorder is a free app from TASCAM that turns your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad into a portable stereo recorder. Use it with the iM2 to record yourself any- where you go.

PCM Recorder has input and output level faders with an “on-screen” meter to help you check levels. It includes high and low EQ and a limiter to prevent overload. Save your recordings to your computer as WAV files or share with friends and fans by uploading them to Soundcloud.

PCM Recorder is a available free on the iTunes App Store.

Apps

Sunrise in Nebraska

Melissa Sandfort

My son’s morning routine looks a little something like this:
Get up and quietly sneak down the stairs
Use the restroom
Eat donuts with stuffed monkey while watching Dinosaur Train
Ask where daddy is
Complain about getting dressed
Request to watch Scooby Doo
Finally give in and get clothes on
Meander out the door but stall as much as possible

Our morning routine is just that – routine. But there’s usually one conversation with our 3-year-old that makes each day unique. This morning it was the sunrise.

My mother always said, don’t look right at the sun or it will hurt your eyes. I tell my son the same thing. So when I stopped to snap this picture and my son asked, “Mommy, are you looking at the sun?” I said, “No, the camera is.”

Conversations like this make me want to get up and out the door and show my son more beautiful things each day, even though I know it’s going to take an extra 10 minutes …

Insert: “Get our winter coats on, shoes, mittens and hats, then take them off in the car, then put them back on again before we get out at our destination” into the morning routine above.

Until we walk again …

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Melissa Sandfort

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    NAFB Convention President’s Report

    Chuck Zimmerman

    New National Association of Farm Broadcasting President Tom Steever, Brownfield, just sent out a post-convention report. It sure makes sense to send out a report we can listen to from this group doesn’t it?

    In Tom’s report you’ll hear about the value of increased professional improvement opportunities for the organization. I had the pleasure to chair the professional improvement committee again this year and hope to see that initiative continue to grow.

    Tom also mentions that Jennifer Saylor is leaving the organization. I was sad to hear that since she has been the person I have most relied on for a number of years now whenever I needed a question answered or help on a project. I wish her all the best in the future.

    Listen to Tom’s report here for more on what happened at this year’s NAFB Convention: NAFB President Post-Convention Report

    2011 NAFB Convention Photo Album

    Coverage of the NAMA Trends in Agriculture & NAFB Convention is sponsored by BASF
    Audio, NAFB

    Great Outlook for Beef Exports

    Cindy Zimmerman

    ncba at nafbThe first six months of 2011, exports of U.S. beef and variety meat exports totaled over $3 billion, a 40% increase over the same time period in 2010 and something that has made beef cattle producers very happy this year.

    “It’s looking really good,” said National Cattlemen’s Beef Association president-elect J.D. Alexander of Nebraska during an interview at NAFB Trade Talk. “Our exports today can add about $200 to our individual animal value, and that is huge.”

    J.D. notes that the new Free Trade Agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama will continue to increase U.S. beef exports. “The other good thing about it is we export a lot of our beef products that really are not used in the United States,” he said. “Some of the things that we don’t utilize in the United States are looked at as delicacies in other countries.”

    Even though other markets are growing, J.D. says Mexico and Canada remain the biggest customers for U.S. beef, comprising a third of total exports. “We’ve got great relationships with those countries,” he said.

    I also talked with J.D. about the mood of the industry – which he says is very positive – and the efforts of NCBA to keep Washington from over-regulating producers out of business.

    Listen to my interview with J.D. here: NCBA president-elect JD Alexander

    2011 NAFB Convention Photo Album

    Coverage of the NAMA Trends in Agriculture & NAFB Convention is sponsored by BASF
    Audio, Beef, NAFB, NCBA

    Alltech Global 500 Coming Up Next Week

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Coming up next week in Lexington, Kentucky is an event that dairy and beef producers should not miss.

    alltech global 500Since 2008, more than 800 of world’s most progressive dairy and beef producers have convened for the Alltech Global 500 to network and discuss the most relevant and challenging topics in the industry.

    This year, the Global 500 explores the future landscape for the dairy and beef industries and provides a rare opportunity for global colleagues and friends to engage in open discussion on critical topics such as sustainable strategies and practices that can be implemented now and in the future.

    I talked with Alltech Beef Division Manager Ty Yeast about the event, which will be held December 6-8. “Originally it started as a dairy event and with the success after the first two years in the dairy event, we expanded to the beef side as well,” Ty said. “Last year was our first ever addition of the beef event and we had over 125 participants from all over the world.” This year, Ty says they already have more than doubled last year’s registration.

    Ty says the conference is really about looking at new ways of approaching a business that’s been around for a long time. “It’s innovation, it’s looking at new ways of doing things, and really breaking old paradigms on how to move forward and get to that next level of efficiency.”

    Interested producers can still register for the event by going to the Global 500 website. You can be sure it will be worth your while.

    Listen to or download my interview with Ty here: Ty Yeast - Alltech Global 500

    Alltech, Audio, Beef, Dairy, Livestock

    Nuseed Expands Seed Platform with Acquisition

    Cindy Zimmerman

    nuseedNuseed, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nufarm Limited, this week announced the acquisition of Seeds 2000 Inc, based in Breckenridge, Minnesota, USA.

    Seeds 2000 is a seed research, production, sales and marketing company focused primarily on the development of elite oil and confection sunflower hybrids that benefit both the farmer and end-use food customer. The company has significantly expanded its international activities in recent years and today conducts development and sales activities in the USA, Canada, China, Argentina and a number of European markets.

    Nuseed is a global seed and traits company focused on the enhancement of food and feed value through seed technology. The company develops proprietary canola, sunflower, and sorghum products that are marketed in over 25 countries. Nuseed has existing sunflower breeding and marketing operations based in California, Argentina, Serbia and Australia.

    Sunflower is an important oilseed and snack food crop, occupying approximately 24 million hectares of land globally and producing approximately 32 million metric tonnes of grain annually.

    Seeds 2000 President, Steve Kent, said he expected the transition to be seamless and to facilitate additional opportunities to expand the business in both the US domestic market and globally.

    Nufarm, Seed

    2011 Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica PRRS Seminar

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Hello from the agriblogging highway at the Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica PRRS ARC&E Seminar in Chicago. We’ve got a good crowd. The ARC&E stands for Area Regional Control & Elimination of this seriouis swine disease.

    I’m collecting photos and interviews. The interview will be posted during the next week since I’ve almost completely lost my voice. I’ll have to edit myself back in so you can understand me better. Hate it when this happens. Actually it has never happened like this before!

    So, here’s where you can find photos from this event: 2011 Boehringer Ingelheim PRRS ARC&E Seminar Photo Album

    Agribusiness, Boehringer Ingelheim, Swine

    BASF Urges Sites of Action for Weed Management

    Cindy Zimmerman

    BASFAs the spread of resistant weeds continues, the term “site of action” is becoming a factor in managing resistance. BASF wants growers to understand herbicide site of action – and what it means to their weed management plan – because it can spell the difference between losing yield or gaining profit.

    BASF offers four tips     to unlock the benefits of herbicide sites of action:

    Know the tool
    Site of action is a term used by weed scientists to group or classify different herbicide active ingredients. A critical element in managing or preventing development of herbicide resistant weed populations is employing multiple sites of action during a growing season. Therefore, classifying herbicides by their site of action provides a tool that enables grower and retailers to design an effective weed management program.

    “Site of action specifically refers to the biochemical site within a plant where a herbicide has its direct impact on weed growth and development,” said Dan Westberg, Ph.D., BASF Technical Market Manager. “In other words, the site of action is where a herbicide controls a weed.”

    Recognize the enemy
    The Weed Science Society of America has confirmed 13 different species of glyphosate-resistant weeds across 28 states. Some weeds, such as waterhemp, are developing resistance to multiple herbicide sites of action. Waterhemp, along with its close cousin Palmer pigweed, is especially scary because of its ability to produce at least one million seeds from a single plant. That seed production could result in 6.25 million waterhemp plants in one acre if not adequately controlled with multiple sites of action.
    Read More

    BASF

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    Melissa Sandfort

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    • The Kansas Soybean staff now includes a director of operations: Adam O’Trimble.
    • The National Cattlemen’s Foundation is announcing ten $1,500 scholarships to be awarded to outstanding students who are pursuing careers in the beef industry.
    • The U.S. Grains Council announced that registration is now open for its 9th International Marketing Conference and 52nd Annual Membership Meeting to be held Feb. 13-15 in Panama City, Panama.
    • A new video, “U.S. Dairy Farmers Care,” tells the story of dairy farmers and their commitment to their animals, the environment, local communities and consumers.
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