At the recent NAMA Trends in Agriculture conference our keynote closing speaker in a shared Session with NAFB was Jeff Simmons, Elanco. He spoke about “Productivity to Feed a Growing Population.” Thanks to Paulsen Marketing for supplying this video clip with Jeff.
A growing wave of food insecurity threatens more than 1 billion people around the world. Solutions exist today to help meet food needs. Jeff Simmons, President, Elanco, talked about the real issue we have today is feeding ourselves and how technology can play a major role in accomplishing that.
Fueling Up To Play 60
Former NFL wide receiver Eddie Kennison attended the NAFB Trade Talk to talk about Fuel Up To Play 60, a collaborative program between the NFL and National Dairy Council. I spoke with him to learn more about it.
Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council (NDC) and NFL, in collaboration with the USDA, to combat childhood obesity.
Fuel Up to Play 60 helps students make positive changes in their schools by improving opportunities to consume nutrient-rich foods and get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. The ultimate goal is to ensure changes made at school are sustainable and complements – not competes with – an academics-focused environment.
Eddie says they’re “trying to send a message across the nation really to help children and parents understand the things that need to go into their body to help them to stay healthy and to stay healthy for a long time.” Eddie has kids of his own so this program is very close to his heart. When it comes to milk he says that after a heavy duty workout a glass of chocolate milk helps him recover faster than any other drink out there.
Listen to my interview with Eddie here: Interview with Eddie Kennison
2011 NAFB Convention Photo Album
Coverage of the NAMA Trends in Agriculture & NAFB Convention is sponsored by BASFCongress Restricts Implementation of GIPSA Rule
Implementation of USDA’s proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyard’s Administration (GIPSA) rule is being restricted under legislation passed yesterday by Congress.
Congress passed a $19.8 billion 2012 agricultural spending bill Thursday that includes language blocking USDA from implementing the controversial reforms to livestock and poultry marketing proposed last year and opposed by major livestock organizations, including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).
NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Colin Woodall says this means USDA is barred from conducting any further work this year on sections of the rule not yet finalized. “The other four provisions in the farm bill will be going final, and those focus more on poultry than on the cattle industry,” he says. “All of the other outstanding issues that had to do with the cattle industry have either been taken off the table or with this language have been defunded. So it really protects the cattle industry and makes sure that we can continue to develop new marketing alternatives without the government getting involved.”
Woodall stresses that this is not the end of the battle because the defunding language runs only through the end of the fiscal year, which is September 30, 2012. “At that point in time, USDA could revisit the rule, especially in regards to competitive injury and undue preferences,” he said. “So, we need to make sure that we maintain the pressure on Congress to try to find a permanent fix to keep the government out of cattle marketing for as long as possible.”
Listen to or download my interview with Colin here: NCBA's Colin Woodall
Zimfo Bytes
- Vets Plus, Inc. has appointed Steve Vale to its staff as Vice President, Sales and Marketing.
- U.S. Soybean Export Council Technical issues Director Kim Nill provided extensive information on the sustainability of U.S. soybean production.
- This Thanksgiving season, people throughout the food system will be using social media to show their thanks for food and raise awareness of agriculture through the AgChat Foundation’s #foodthanks campaign.
- Alltech is proud to announce the second ever Global Beef 500, taking place Dec. 6-8 in Lexington, Ky.
Meet New NAMA President
If you don’t know our new National Agri-Marketing Association President then give this week’s program a listen. I visited with Beth Burgy, Broadhead, who took over the helm at NAMA during the Trends in Agriculture conference.
Beth says the big project for NAMA is going to be implementing the new strategic plan. That plan includes three strategy areas that are: Increase our strategic partnerships on both the local and national level; Communicate with members and partners more effectively and Grow NAMA membership in non-traditional segments. Beth says NAMA is a growing organization and in great condition.
Listen to my conversation with Beth in this week’s ZimmCast: Beth Burgy New NAMA President
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.
John Deere Combine Can Sculpture Revealed
Well, John Deere has finished the sculpture for Project “Can Do.” This farm scene with an S-Series combine harvesting a field of corn needed approximately 323,000 cans of food to complete. The finalized sculpture was revealed at an event today at the John Deere Pavilion.
I spoke with Katie Dierker, Division Marketing Manager for the S-Series combines. Katie says the right model S-Series combine can harvest enough wheat in a day to make 1 million loaves of bread or when it comes to corn, it can go through the equivalent of 30 football field in an hour or 350 acres per day. That sounds like big productivity!
Learn more about the project in my interview with Katie here: Interview with Katie Dierker
Post Update: Here’s a time lapse video of the sculpture being built. Pretty cool video.
After the Flood
Thinking back on some of the national news events that I remember growing up, I pause to ask myself if they were as memorable as asking someone in their early 60s when and where they were when President Kennedy was shot. Some were. Take for example when the Challenger went up in flames, or Desert Storm, or more recently the tsunami in Japan; and of course 9-11 and our first (half) black president.
Those are events that occurred nationally and/or internationally that will be engrained in my memory for decades (maybe years as my memory isn’t that great). But on a local level, I wonder if the “Great Nebraska flood of 2011” will be one of those events.
I posted back in May when the flood waters first started to rise. Back then, we had no idea what kind of impact that would have on farmers in the affected areas. However, Nebraska Farm Bureau just commissioned a study that shows, “The spring flooding along the Missouri River cost Nebraska nearly $189 million in lost agricultural crop sales and related economic activity. $105.8 million of the total is lost crop sales experienced by farmers; the remainder is the economic activity indirectly lost in these areas that did not occur because of the crop losses, such as processing, marketing and distribution or the purchases of agricultural equipment that won’t occur.”
Highway 136 running east into Rockport finally opened after more than six months of being underwater, but the damage is still very evident. Ponds have sprung up in fields, crevices more than 8-feet deep line the highways and pivot irrigation is still stuck in the mud. This photo shows a home just set back from the highway. Notice the muddy water line just below the window sill and the new front yard featuring mud, silt and debris.
I was happy that my quickest route to Kansas City had reopened but my heart went out to the farmers who were affected by this event.
Until we walk again …
Alltech Ag Network is iHigh
The Alltech Ag Network is “the future of agriculture.” That’s according to Allie Hembree, pictured with Billy Frey during Trade Talk at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention.
Allie says the Network is a place where events can be live streamed and archived, using the services of iHigh. A recent example is the FFA Convention. You can find all the sessions in the archives. She says that they can help any company or organization set up there own page to do this for their events.
Listen to my interview with Allie here: Interview with Allie Hembree
2011 NAFB Convention Photo Album
Coverage of the NAMA Trends in Agriculture & NAFB Convention is sponsored by BASFTrends in Energy/Alternative Fuels
During the National Agri-Marketing Association’s Trends in Agriculture Conference we had a session that focused on “Trends In Energy/Alternative Fuels” which featured Nathan Schock, POET & Matt Roberts, PhD. Pictured is Matt who is an Associate Professor of Ag Economics at Ohio State University.
Matt does a lot of work in biofuels. One of his take aways from the session is that even though we’re going to see a lot of ethanol policy changes in the market soon with the end of the VEETC/Tariff, “There’s not going to actually be that large of an impact right now when that goes away.” He says long term there may be some impact. The RFS is a different animal though. He believes it needs to be re-opened on the cellulosic side but seems to be working on the corn ethanol side. Changes, however, could have a real impact on the corn side.
He says that when you look at the big picture of ethanol and the biofuels industry there aren’t simple answers. He encourages the industry to take a step back and “think about the fundamental reasons that are out there and what’s driving it and start with the questions.” He says everyone seems to start with an answer looking for a problem to solve with it instead of asking a question first and then seeking the answer to that question.
You can find Matt online at MatthewCRoberts.com.
You can listen to my interview with Matt here: Interview with Roberts
2011 NAMA Trends in Agriculture Photo Album
Coverage of the NAMA Trends in Agriculture & NAFB Convention is sponsored by BASFJohn Deere Project “Can Do” Making Progress
John Deere’s Project “Can Do” is making progress. There are photos of the food can combine on the project Facebook page. You can watch a live feed of the display build here.
One of the project creators is Richard Williamson. Richard is a Creative Director for the company. He’s currently working as Art Director/Project Manager for John Deere’s Harvesting and Seeding product lines. I spoke with him about the project. He says the “art” work will be revealed to the public tomorrow, November 17 and it will remain on display in the John Deere Pavilion until December 17. At that point it will be dismantled and the cans of food donated.
You can listen to Richard explain more about the project here: Interview with Richard Williamson