The View Out Front

Melissa Sandfort

Our front lawn now has more color. In addition to the forklift, skid steer, scissor lift, four F250s, two cars, two flat bed trailers, one enclosed trailer and a chevy, there’s also the new barn being erected which is the exact opposite of our house. People keep telling me we should’ve just added “horse’s quarters” to the front of our house, but that would only encourage more flies to come in.

I used to think that the garage was my husband’s retreat but now I know it’s going to be the barn/shed. And once the mower and hay bales are gone from the garage, I’m not sure what I’m going to do with all the space!

Here’s to hoping the red doesn’t fade. I never really wanted a pink shed.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Senator Pat Roberts Comments at John Deere Opening

Cindy Zimmerman

john deere olathe pat robertsYou can always count on Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) to liven up any gathering and leave them laughing.

At the John Deere Olathe opening last Friday, Sen. Roberts did just that. “Anyone know a good copyright lawyer?” the senator asked as he took the podium after speeches by Deere’s John Lagemann and Dave Everitt and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback. “I’ve been giving the speech that Dave, and John and Sam just gave for the last six months.”

True to form, Roberts mixed his droll brand of humor in with serious comments about feeding the world, praise for John Deere, and political jabs against the current administration. “I don’t know why anybody would propose a budget that would interfere with what we have to do in terms of feeding this country and a troubled and hungry world,” Roberts said. “And I sure as heck don’t know why we are pouring out regulations left and right from every agency especially EPA, that would hinder the production of a wonderful company like this.”

Listen to or download Pat Roberts’ comments at John Deere Olathe opening: Pat Roberts at John Deere Olathe

john deere olatheI took the opportunity to interview Roberts, who is ranking member on the Senate Agriculture Committee, about what’s going on in Washington DC.

Roberts agrees that agriculture must do its part for deficit reduction but opposes the administration proposal to cut crop insurance. “That’s not going to fly, that’s dead on arrival.” He’s working with other agriculture committee leaders in both the Senate and the House to develop a proposal for the Super Committee. “If we do that, it is conceivable that we can do a farm bill at the same time.”

Regarding over-regulation, Roberts says he has proposed regulatory reform legislation for all major government agencies, including EPA or what he calls the “End of Production Agriculture” agency, and he is continuing to fight USDA’s controversial Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyard’s Administration (GIPSA) proposal. “Some of these agencies are out of control,” Roberts said. “This would be terribly counter productive to the livestock industry.”

Listen to or download my interview with the senator here: Pat Roberts interview at John Deere Olathe Facility

Audio, GIPSA, John Deere

Advertising Messages Everywhere at Dairy Expo

Chuck Zimmerman

This is one of my favorite photos from yesterday at the 2011 World Dairy Expo. Yes, it’s the men’s bathroom. I had to wait until it was empty to snap a shot.

World Dairy Expo and the sponsors and exhibitors waste no space to get a message out there. In the bathroom we had advertising across the top of the mirrors and as you can see in their reflection, also above the urinals. I just couldn’t resist. It made for an interesting picture.

You can see a full size version in the photo album if you want to read the message. 🙂

2011 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

World Dairy Expo coverage sponsored by Charleston Orwig Dairy Business Association Alltech Hoard’s Dairyman Accelerated Genetics
World Dairy Expo

Agribusiness Soldiers in Afghanistan

Chuck Zimmerman

The U.S. Army pointed me to this great story about our soldiers in Afghanistan doing agribusiness duty. The photo comes from Staff Sgt. James McDonnough. In it Sgt. 1st Class Randy Wright, a pest management specialist with the Illinois Army National Guard’s 1-14th Agribusiness Development Team, takes the reigns on a team of draft horses during a visit to an Amish farm Sept. 13, 2011. The 1-14th ADT visited multiple farms in the Amish community to assess agricultural practices and technologies, which could be implemented during their upcoming deployment to Kunar Province, Afghanistan.

Approximately 60 Soldiers from across Illinois, as well as two Soldiers from Michigan and South Dakota respectivley, have been deployed to Kunar province since June with the Illinois Army National Guard’s 1-14th Agribusiness Development Team.

The 1-14th Agribusiness Development Team, or ADT, which consists of a headquarters element, a security force platoon and a platoon of 12 agriculture experts, have been assisting the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, or GIRoA, in revitalizing and establishing a strong, growing and sustainable agriculture industry.

The Illinois team’s mission is part of a broad effort that involves multiple National Guard ADTs from several states, each operating within its own province. The teams typically come from mid-western states, such as Missouri, Nebraska, Indiana and Iowa, which are known for agriculture production.

Col. Fred Allen, commander of the 1-14th ADT, said it makes sense for Illinois to field such a specialized team.

“Illinois was a great choice for a few reasons,” said Allen. “We are one of the largest agriculture states in the U.S., both by population and production. This is also represented within our National Guard formations and the many citizen Soldiers who work full time in the agriculture industry. Illinois also has some of the top agriculture colleges in the nation, at both community college and university levels. It was amazing how many Soldiers we found in our ranks that had, or were working toward, agriculture degrees.”

The Illinois Soldiers have educations and backgrounds in agronomy, plant and soil science, forestry, engineering, pest management, zoology and hydrology.

Farming, International

Who Knows What World Population Will Be In 2050

Chuck Zimmerman

The green movement rhetoric seems to have ramped up lately. I guess a lot of people are watching too many end of the world movies? Whatever the reason is, it prompted our latest ZimmPoll question, “Do you think the world population will be 10 billion by 2050?” This prediction is being used by all kinds of organizations for all kinds of purposes. But how accurate is it? Here’s what you think. 40% said Exactly or really close; 24% said How can anyone know; 19% said Much more and 17% said Much Less. A lot of people point to a United Nations report for this number. However, they readily admit that no one can know. Here’s an excerpt from the 2004 report that says it pretty clearly. You can find the latest report with revisions here (pdf).

Projections recently issued by the United Nations suggest that world population by 2050 could reach 8.9 billion, but in alternative scenarios could be as high as 10.6 billion or as low as 7.4 billion. What will population trends be like beyond 2050? No one really knows. Any demographic projections, if they go 100, 200, or 300 years into the future, are little more than guesses. Societies change considerably over hundreds of years—as one can readily see if one looks back at where the world was in 1900, or 1800, or 1700. Demographic behaviour over such long time spans, like behaviour in many spheres of life, is largely unpredictable.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “How do you feel about the corn supply/demand status?” It has been a tough weather year in some areas of the corn belt. After listening to an NPR show yesterday that featured as a guest Bob Dinneen, Renewable Fuels Association, it was obvious there is a lot of worry and misinformation about our corn supply in the public and on the part of activist environmental groups. What do you think? Take our poll and feel free to comment. Thank you.

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

ZimmPoll

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Diamond V unveiled a new corporate brand strategy that supports the unique Diamond V portfolio of trusted products and services: “The Trusted Experts in Nutrition & Health”.
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. enhances a vaccine that already stepped beyond conventional reproductive protection: Express® FP 10.
  • CropLife America honored Col. Ed Duskin, executive vice president of the Southern Crop Production Association, with its Lea S. Hitchner Service Award for his nearly 40 years of exceptional leadership in agriculture.
  • A new online service called TabVertiser.com is providing businesses with a way to easily buy and sell advertisements on Facebook, the popular social networking site, with just a few simple steps.
Zimfo Bytes

National Beef Ambassadors Ready To Travel

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 322ZimmComm loves beef. That’s why we are a sponsor of the National Beef Ambassador program. This past weekend I was a judge for the competition although I had to do it from ZimmComm World Headquarters and not in Wooster, OH. It was very interesting seeing how the contestants responded to an anti-beef blog post. That was one of the things that they were graded on as part of the competition.

To get a full wrap-up report on how the competition went I spoke this morning with Sarah Bohnenkamp, project coordinator. Sarah provides an overview of the purpose of the program and describes the group of contestants and the different types of activities they participated in. You can see a photo of the new team with a list of their names here. We’ll get to see the new team at the Cattle Industry Convention, the first of many events they’ll attend in 2012.

Listen to my conversation with Sarah in this week’s ZimmCast: New National Beef Ambassadors

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsor, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong, for their support.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our Subscribe page.

Audio, Beef, ZimmCast

On Site Live at World Dairy Expo

Cindy Zimmerman

The ZimmComm team is on site at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. This is the 7th year we have been here at WDX, but the first time the two of us have been here together. We were both here one year but switched off, so not together, and I have been here by myself or with daughter Carly for the past four years. It’s always nice when we get to be somewhere together!

Our great photographer friend Harlan Persinger took this shot for us this morning. The sweet heifer who posed with us is a Guernsey who goes by the name of Safari, owned by Krista Richardson of Ohio. Thanks to Harlan, Krista and Safari!

Photos are being uploaded, the weather is great, and we are enjoying seeing the usual suspects here in the media room. Thanks to our coverage sponsors this year, listed below.

World Dairy Expo coverage sponsored by Charleston Orwig Dairy Business Association Alltech Hoard’s Dairyman Accelerated Genetics
Dairy, World Dairy Expo

Becki Rhoades Joins NAFB As Marketing/Communications Director

Chuck Zimmerman

The National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) has a new Director of Marketing and Communications who is no stranger to agriculture. She’s Becki Rhoades. Welcome Becki.

NAFB Executive Director Tom Brand says Rhoades’ extensive experience in marketing, working with clients across the nation, wealth of experience in communications, background in agriculture and working knowledge of farm broadcasting will be beneficial as the association continues to promote farm broadcasting as a key part of communicating with producers.

“Becki has worked for over ten years with the Kansas Department of Commerce coordinating marketing activities. She specialized in working with businesses to promote their products and services. I know those she interacts with on the job will instantly be able to see the enthusiasm she has for agriculture,” said Brand. “She understands first-hand the importance of farm broadcasting and has a passion for working with people and helping them make sound decisions. She is an ideal fit for our NAFB members.”

After college, she was a communications manager at the National FFA Headquarters in Indianapolis, where she managed the news desk at the National FFA Convention. She then moved to Topeka to work for the Kansas Livestock Association as assistant editor for the Kansas Stockman Magazine and the KLA Newsletter.

NAFB

Trade Agreements Finally Moving for Real

Cindy Zimmerman

After more than four years in limbo, trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama have finally been sent to Congress by the White House and could be voted on by next week.

“The series of trade agreements I am submitting to Congress today will make it easier for American companies to sell their products in South Korea, Colombia, and Panama and provide a major boost to our exports,” President Obama said in a statement.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said completing the agreements “will level the playing field and secure markets for America’s farmers, ranchers, growers and producers ahead of competitors in the global marketplace.”

Once the agreements were turned loose by the president, agricultural organizations immediately began calling on Congress to end the wait and pass them. “America’s farmers and ranchers have much at stake and the fact these three agreements are moving forward is very good news for our economy,” said American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman. “Combined, the three FTAs represent nearly $2.5 billion in new agriculture exports and would create the economic growth that could generate support for up to 22,500 U.S. jobs. These gains will only be realized if the three agreements are passed by Congress and implemented.”

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Bill Donald welcomed the news but cautioned that the agreements are far from implemented.

“Today marks the biggest leap forward we have seen in nearly five years when the trade pact with Colombia was signed,” said Donald. “Our entire country, especially rural America, is nearing a historic moment.”

Donald said cattlemen “will not rest easy until the agreements are fully implemented.”

AFBF, Beef, NCBA, Trade