Follow IFAJ Via AgWired App

Chuck Zimmerman

Hey IFAJ members. Here’s a way to stay up to date and easily find the latest on what’s going on during our Congress. It’s also great for you non-IFAJ’ers too! It’s the AgWired app for iPhone and Android. Here’s where you can get it.


AgWired App in iTunes Store

AgWired App in Android Market

AgWired is the online community for everyone involved in agricultural marketing and communications. This includes farmers, ranchers, agribusiness, farm groups, ag media, freelancers and advertising and public relations agencies. Keep up with what’s new in the world of agribusiness with the most comprehensive source of agrimarketing news and information you’ll find on the web.

The AgWired App allows you to easily keep up to date wherever you are and provides multiple ways to to see news filtered by key word categories. Additionally, the app has a built in mechanism to provide you with the latest news produced by the ZimmComm News Network on alternative energy, the dairy industry and the latest in precision agricultural farming.

When you open up the app you can use the drop down menu for AgWired to find the IFAJ category. Tap it and it will filter just the content related to IFAJ! Easy.

2011 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

Coverage of the IFAJ Congress is sponsored by PIONEER Hi-Bred
IFAJ

Pioneer Sponsors IFAJ Master Class

Chuck Zimmerman

The sponsor of the IFAJ Master Class program is Pioneer Hi-Bred. Representing Pioneer here at the Congress is Lonetta Ragland, seen here talking to the Master Class a few days ago.

I visited with her about the Master Class program. She says that Pioneer is proud to sponsor the program because they fully understand the importance of agricultural journalists especially in countries where there may not be freedom of the press. Like me, Lonetta saw strong enthusiasm, energy and appreciation from the class participants. She hopes to have continued interaction with them after the Congress. Lonetta gave them some real world experience during the program by conducting a “press conference.” She says that feedback from this year’s participants will be used to plan for the next program.

You can listen to Lonetta here: Interview with Lonetta Ragland

2011 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

Coverage of the IFAJ Congress is sponsored by PIONEER Hi-Bred
Audio, IFAJ, Pioneer

What? We’re going to horse school?

Melissa Sandfort

My kids are off to school. That is, Thelma and Louise have been sent off for about a month for some training … my son thinks they went to horsey school.

This summer, we went to two rodeos and that renewed my desire to ride our horses and learn more about the equine industry rather than to just have two hay burners in the pasture out front. Let me start by saying the last time I was on a horse, I was 10. So along with the girls, I’m going to have to participate in horsey school to learn how to maneuver them, what cues to use and how to discipline them.

And in preparation for back to school, I had to buy a new pair of boots. That’s my excuse for new shoes. Don’t worry, our son got new boots too.

They’ll be gone for about a month and I’m hoping they take the flies with them.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

An IFAJ Taste of Canada

Chuck Zimmerman

Our time in Guelph is at an end at least for the 2011 IFAJ Congress. This evening we had a “taste of Canada.” Here’s the starter display of food art we grazed through this evening.

Following this we were treated to food stations featuring various foods of Canada. I spent quite a bit of time at the fresh shucked oysters station!

Tomorrow we’re all off to one of three different farm tours. I’m on the Lake Huron tour. We’ve got to leave early by bus and I’m guessing we’ll have limited access to the internet. So my posting volume will decline for a couple days until we get to Niagra Falls. So, until then, enjoy the photos.

2011 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

Coverage of the IFAJ Congress is sponsored by PIONEER Hi-Bred
IFAJ

GIPSA Proposal an Example of Flawed Regulation

Cindy Zimmerman

USDA’s proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyard’s Administration (GIPSA) proposal was one example of “How A Broken Process Leads To Flawed Regulations” at a House Committee hearing today, and the committee chairman apparently thinks its a good one.

“GIPSA’s proposed rule change under the Packers and Stockyards Act is a blatant attempt to regulate livestock marketing practices that could literally dismantle the food production and supply markets as we know them,” said House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA). “This would mean higher prices and fewer options for consumers, as well as impacts on food producers and firms at every point in the supply chain. GIPSA’s rule was pursued with a woefully inadequate economic impact analysis. Today’s hearing has called attention to this key issue and points out the price paid by producers, distributors and consumers.”

Testimony on how the GIPSA rule if implemented would impact the livestock industry was given to the committee by Robbie LeValley, Colorado cattle producer and part-owner of a small business that sells specialty beef directly to consumers. “Value-based marketing has given our family business the opportunity to compete for market share at the highest level,” she said in her testimony. “We do not need big government setting up shop on our farms and ranches. Government intrusion into the private marketplace is not the answer.”

Listen to Robbie’s testimony here: Robbie LeValley Testimony on GIPSA

In case you are not worried about government over-regulation, here is a scary statistic from the committee hearing description:

Employment at regulatory agencies has climbed 13 percent since President Obama took office, and the number of staff working on regulatory matters is on schedule to increase at a rate of 10,000 new regulatory employees per year in 2011 and 2012.

Yikes!

Audio, GIPSA, NCBA

IFAJ Strategic Survey Results

Chuck Zimmerman

IFAJ conducted a survey of membership by a strategic committee and providing some results from the survey today was IFAJ Senior VP, Markus Rediger, LID Agricultural Information Center.

The focus was on how to make IFAJ even more global. I’m sure information will be coming out of the IFAJ office after the conference and a report is being produced to suggest ways to further develop IFAJ in the future. The survey asked 30 questions. I’ll let you listen to Markus provide some of the results in his remarks.

You can listen to Markus here: Remarks from Markus Rediger

2011 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

Coverage of the IFAJ Congress is sponsored by PIONEER Hi-Bred
Audio, IFAJ

IFAJ Japan Relief Effort Very Successful

Chuck Zimmerman

During the delegate meeting of the IFAJ Congress we heard how things are going in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami disaster. As you may know, IFAJ helped organize a call for support and the results were €12,072 Euros being contributed to relief efforts! The donation will be managed by the Japan Agricultural Journalists Association.

With us is a delegation from Japan including Masaru Yamada (at the podium). He gave us some information about the disaster situation and how things have gone since then.

You can listen to remarks from Masaru here: Remarks from Masaru Yamada

2011 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

Coverage of the IFAJ Congress is sponsored by PIONEER Hi-Bred
Ag Groups, Audio, IFAJ, International

IFAJ State of the Union

Chuck Zimmerman

The 2011 IFAJ Congress kicked off formally today after a meeting of the executive committee. For the delegates meeting the officers got on stage to provide reports on various aspects of IFAJ business. This is the annual business meeting. At the podium is Mike Wilson, Farm Futures, IFAJ President.

I asked him for a state of the union report after the meeting concluded. Mike sees the future growth for IFAJ in developing countries and says that projects like the Master Class program are creating relationships that will have a long term positive impact. He says IFAJ has never been in such good shape financially and credits the sponsors who are making that possible.

You can listen to my interview with Mike here: Interview with Mike Wilson

2011 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

Coverage of the IFAJ Congress is sponsored by PIONEER Hi-Bred
Audio, IFAJ

Canadian Potatoes Debut for IFAJ Dinner

Chuck Zimmerman

During pre-IFAJ Congress activities we were treated to dinner in downtown Guelph at the Woolrich Arrow. We were also being used in an experiment with a local potato grower. Here’s Kevin Smith, Smoyd Potato Farm, holding some of his product while he talked to us about a new variety we were to have served with our dinner. So we ate some of the first crop of Smoyd red skin roasted potatoes. I’m still here so I think they were okay.

You can listen to a portion of Kevin’s remarks here: Kevin Smith Potato Grower

2011 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

Coverage of the IFAJ Congress is sponsored by PIONEER Hi-Bred
Audio, Farming, IFAJ

Alltech Sponsoring IFAJ Boot Camp

Chuck Zimmerman

The IFAJ Boot Camp participants, seen here, heard from their sponsor during their pre-Congress program in Guelph. My good friend, Aidan Connolly, Alltech VP, was able to be with us for a while this week.

Aidan told our participants that “food and food policy has never been more critical, has never been more relevant, has never been more times on the front of a newspaper or indeed in the media in general.” That really makes it very important for good quality ag journalism at this time! When it comes to solutions to today’s food problems Aidan suggests there are a number of interventions needed, not just one. He has already seen some online reporting from the class participants so I applaud them for getting right to work.

You can listen to my interview with Aidan here: Aidan Connolly Interview

2011 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

Coverage of the IFAJ Congress is sponsored by PIONEER Hi-Bred
Alltech, Audio, IFAJ