Should’ve Been a Cowboy

Melissa Sandfort

As a parent, it’s hard NOT to steer your children toward a career path. However, it IS our job to introduce them to new ideas, give them a solid foundation then let them decide for themselves. Some kids are born with the desire to be a doctor at age 5; others get through years of school only to find that the job wasn’t what they thought it was and go back to school for something entirely different.

By moving back to the farm, I hope to have a little influence on our son’s passion for agriculture. Whether it be farming or ranching or cowboying, as long as he knows where his food comes from and appreciates agriculture, that’s fine by me.

We took him to a rodeo in Kansas a couple weekends ago and he LOVED bull riding. Now here’s the caveat about me loving rodeos: I love the dirt, the boots, the horses, the smell, the calves and the people. But the one thing that scares me about rodeos is bull riding! I enjoy it as a spectator but talk about an adrenaline rush knowing that someone’s son just sat down on a 2,000-pound pile of rage and muscle! That’s enough to give any mom the hand sweats.

And maybe that’s something a woman can’t understand – a man’s desire to conquer the great beast – to battle the fiercest warrior and win. And if that’s what my son decides to do, I guess I’ll have to learn to be a better spectator.

I personally think trail riding with horses sounds much more enjoyable, but then again, I’m his mom.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Regulatory Trainwreck Video

Cindy Zimmerman

All aboard for the Over-Regulation Express!

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has just released a clever new YouTube video calling attention to the current administration’s onslaught of “burdensome, costly and scientifically unfounded regulations as a way to cut spending and prevent further job loss in rural America.” When you see the list of regulations coming down the track that will impact agriculture, you will have to agree it looks like a train wreck in the making!

Kudos to NCBA’s Mike Deering for the production of this video, which is also posted on the Beltway Beef blog.

NCBA, Video

House Hearing on How GIPSA Hurts Small Business

Cindy Zimmerman

The last post we did with a lawmaker’s opinion on GIPSA, we got hammered with comments. That was fun – let’s do it again!

Last time, it was Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) who had negative comments about USDA’s controversial Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyard’s Administration (GIPSA) proposal. This time, it’s Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO), chairman of the House Small Business Committee’s Agriculture, Energy and Trade Subcommittee. Earlier this month, Tipton held a subcommittee hearing entitled “How USDA’s Proposed GIPSA Rule Hurts America’s Small Businesses.”

Tipton says if the “Job-Crushing GIPSA Proposed Regulation” is adopted it “has the potential to reduce gross domestic product by over $1.5 billion and cost the U.S. economy nearly 23,000 jobs.” He’s most concerned that USDA “fully comply with the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) and ensure that USDA understands the private-sector costs of the regulations it is imposing on all sectors within the livestock industry.”

One of the witnesses at the July 7 hearing was USDA Undersecretary Edward Avalos, who said the agency is “fairly close” to completing the final economic analysis on the proposed rule, but that it was “too early in the process” yet to answer any specific questions related to economic impact.

Robbie LeValley of LeValley Ranch in Hotchkiss, Colorado was also a witness at the hearing. “The proposed GIPSA rule will destroy our small business model, force us to lay off our employees, cripple our ability to market our cattle way we want to and limit consumer choice,” she said.

Other witnesses with similar messages included Gary Malenke of Sioux-Preme Pork Products and Joel Brandenberge, President of the National Turkey Federation.

You can watch the whole hearing here:

Beef, GIPSA, Livestock, NCBA, Pork, Poultry, Video

AG CONNECT Expo 2013 Set for Kansas City

Cindy Zimmerman

AG CONNECT Expo is going to Kansas City in 2013.

The third AG CONNECT Expo will be held January 29-31, 2013 at the Kansas City Convention Center, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), which started the global agribusiness trade show in 2010. The show is now on a biennial schedule synchronized with Agritechnica, the global agriculture trade show in Hanover, Germany, owned by the German Agricultural Society, DLG. The two global agriculture trade exhibitions – Agritechnica in Europe and AG CONNECT Expo in North America – coordinated timing of their show dates for the convenience of exhibitors and attendees with global business interests.

“Agriculture today is increasingly global, and AG CONNECT Expo is a global trade show offering industry professionals the best information and the best people possible, without boundaries,” said Tim Merrett with Deere & Company, who is serving as AG CONNECT Expo 2013 chair. “We have succeeded with this goal and will continue to provide a quality gathering place for sharing global agricultural ideas and management trends.”

Exhibit space sales for AG CONNECT Expo 2013 are now open, and deadline is September 15, 2011 to receive priority status with the first round of exhibit space assignments.

AG CONNECT Expo and AEM will be visiting with attendees at the 2011 AMS InfoExpo next week in New Orleans, so we will be sure to find out more there!

AEM, Ag Media Summit

Wyffels Corn Strategies Discussion On U.S. Farm Report

Chuck Zimmerman

During the 2011 Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies held in Malcom, IA, growers watched the taping of a U.S. Farm Report show, hosted by John Phipps. That show will air this weekend. Guests included Sue Martin, Ag and Investments Services, pictured here with John. Sue had a pretty strong message for corn growers. She says, “I don’t think that we’re done trying to rally this market, that we’re just too vulnerable, late planted this year and all hopes are pinned on the old crop corn that is with the huge basis we’ve got.” She says there’s a good potential for a rally in September. Of course there are a lot of factors coming in the play when you look ahead to Dec corn.

You can listen to my interview with Sue here: Sue Martin Interview

Another guest on the show was Chip Flory, Pro Farmer. Chip told corn growers that the way the market uses crop condition information from USDA has changed a lot in recent years with hedge funds coming into the market. Most of them plug it into a model that tells them what to do. He says we’re probably going to see conditions continue to deteriorate in the next report and it will trigger another round of fund buying. But he says weather may not be the most important factor he says. It all depends on what they’re looking at that day. He says, “We’re in a corn economy. Watch corn. It’s calling the shots for the whole grain complex.”

You can listen to my interview with Chip here: Chip Flory Interview

I also spoke with John before the program got started. He says the message he has for corn growers is that if you’re not careful you’ll start thinking you’re disassociated from the rest of the world. He wanted to talk about the “end of the outside world.” We’re inundated with too much information and we need to realize that on the farm we’re part of the rest of the world. He finds it interesting that people seem to be unwilling to think about “what if things get better?” He has a very positive message for growers and says they need a backup plan for when things get better. He’s a pretty good “nonsense filter!”

You can listen to my interview with John here: John Phipps Interview

Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies 2011 Iowa Photo Album

Audio, Corn

Still Time to Enter Corn Yield Contest

Cindy Zimmerman

Corn growers still have a few more days to submit entries for this year’s National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) National Corn Yield Contest.

Due to widespread planting delays, the final entry deadline for the popular contest was extended an extra 10 days, to July 25. Entries must be submitted online or postmarked on or before that date and are subject to the standard entry fee of $110 per entry, according to NCGA.

“It was a late, long planting season for many growers throughout the Corn Belt,” said Steve Ebke, chairman of the Production and Stewardship Action Team. “At NCGA, we recognize the strain farmers experience while attempting to get the crop in the ground. Furthermore, early delays can cause tasks to pile up. We want every grower interested to have an opportunity to participate in the contest and hope that by extending the deadline we make it easier for them to do so.”

Winners receive national recognition in publications such as the NCYC Corn Yield Guide, as well as cash trips or other awards from participating sponsoring seed, chemical and crop protection companies. In Nashville, Tenn., during the 2012 Commodity Classic, state winners will be presented awards at the NCYC Breakfast and national winners will receive awards at the Awards Banquet.

Find out all the important info about the NCYC on-line here.

Corn, NCGA

In The Wyffels Corn Strategies Classroom

Chuck Zimmerman

Iowa corn growers are learning strategy today out on Cummings Farms at the Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies 2011. Like last week in Illinois, they’re hearing words of wisdom from Dr. Michael Boehlje, Purdue and James Bower, Bower Trading, Inc. You can hear interviews from them with Cindy at the Illinois event.

I’m collecting other interviews today which I’ll feature during coming days. In the meantime I hope you enjoy some photos from the field and an air conditioned tent!

Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies 2011 Iowa Photo Album

Corn

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • The EPA is proposing secondary air quality standards to protect the environment from nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx).
  • ZACTRAN (gamithromycin), a new antimicrobial from Merial, provides producers with a rapid-response weapon in the battle against BRD.
  • United Cooperative received the Environmental Respect Award for its environmental stewardship efforts in liquid crop nutrient storage, spill prevention and safety in the area of dry fertilizer.
  • The Chicago Farmers is asking you to join them on a tour of two very unique places in Wauconda, IL.
Zimfo Bytes

Wyffels Corn Strategies Kicks Off In Iowa

Chuck Zimmerman

Last week Cindy attended the Wyffels Hybrids 2011 Corn Strategies in Illinois. This week it’s my turn in Malcom, Iowa. I think she got a better sunset picture than I did. I got done with some interviews in time to notice that the sun was going down since we were in an air conditioned tent. There are some photos in the photo album you’ll find a link to below that I took after climbing to the top of the grain bin in this photo. Let me tell you it was still hot up there!

Welcoming us tonight to the Cummings Farm was Adam Ploog, Wyffels Hybrids, regional manager. I spoke with him about crop conditions in this area. Adam says things look pretty good in the eastern part of Iowa but they could use a little rain and with the heat index so high there is some uncertainty about the effect that it will have. He says the idea behind the program here is to provide some of their most progressive customers from all over the state with information they can take home that will bring value to their operation. He says “We’re a very, very customer focused business. We’re not the biggest seed corn company in the business. We know that, but we feel like we have products that are just as good as anybody else’s and we’re more customer focused than our competitors.”

You can listen to my interview with Adam here: Adam Ploog Interview

Our program kicks off bright and early tomorrow and I’ll be here all day collecting more interviews and photos for you. Here’s where you can find my photos: Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies 2011 Iowa Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Corn, Seed

BASF Offers Advice for Downed Corn, Uneven Crops

Cindy Zimmerman

downed cornAs I traveled though Illinois last week, the corn was looking pretty good – until I started heading west on I-88 and began seeing the aftermath of the straight line wind storm that traveled a path across eastern Iowa and through northern Illinois on July 11, leaving lots of downed corn in its wake.

Growers who were hit are understandably concerned about the situation, especially those who already had a rough start to the growing season. BASF Technical Market Manager Nick Fassler offers some advice. “We have corn that’s been root lodged and is now in the process of recovering and doing it’s best to upright itself,” Nick said. “These denser canopies that have been created by lodging can help diseases like gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf blight really thrive. So, in these heavy downed areas where the corn’s likely to recover, we would recommend applications of Headline or Headline AMP to protect from these diseases and help mitigate that stress.”

Nick Fassler talks about protecting downed corn

wyffels corn strategies nick fassler basfNick attended the Wyffels Corn Strategies event last week in Illinois where BASF was a partner and there was quite a bit of discussion about how this year more than ever before it is vital for growers to get the highest yields possible. Depending on the scenario, Nick also has some application timing advice for growers who are seeing uneven crops in the same field during this important time of the year for getting good yields.

“If the majority of the field is tasseled, you have some laggard plants within a week or less of reaching tassel, we’d recommend the grower wait until the field is fully tasseled, and then make a Headline AMP application with adjuvant,” Nick says. If there is a greater difference in growth in a field, possibly due to a replant situation, Nick says apply Headline or Headline AMP without the adjuvant. “Finally, if a grower went in and planted soybeans in the wet holes, we recommend Headline because it’s labeled for both corn and soybeans.” He highly recommends that growers consult with their local ag retailer or aerial applicator if they have questions.

Nick Fassler with BASF on application timing for uneven crops
Audio, BASF, Corn, Soybean