Georgia Peanut Commission Celebration

Cindy Zimmerman

The Georgia Peanut Commission board of directors celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this week by lifting a shovel and tossing a little dirt at the site for the new headquarters of the Commission in Tifton, Ga. The event held Monday, Aug. 1, brought more than 125 attendees to witness the groundbreaking and to celebrate the Commission’s 50 years of representing Georgia’s peanut farmers.

Georgia’s Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black was on hand along with local dignitaries to celebrate with GPC. “This is a building of the future which shows the stewardship of American agriculture and a great marketplace to reach thousands that come by on a daily basis,” Commissioner Black says. “I know this is going to be a headquarters and destination for all of the peanut industry, but really a beacon for all of agriculture as this program moves forward.”

This project has been in the works for a number of years. The GPC board of directors has reviewed many options and potential locations for the new site before deciding on the location off of Interstate 75.

Watch a video of the ceremony here:

Peanuts, Video

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Senninger is proud to announce the launch of a newly designed website.
  • Marco Livoti has joined Vermeer Corporation as Forage Regional Manager for the Forage Solutions division in Latin America.
  • The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance and John Deere announced the company is joining USFRA’s Premier Partner Advisory Group.
  • Syngenta announced that they have received import approval from Japan and Mexico for the Agrisure Viptera 3220 trait stack.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Novus’s MINTREX Gets New Feed Ingredient Category

    Cindy Zimmerman

    A new feed ingredient category has been created for MINTREX® chelated trace minerals from Novus International.

    According to Novus, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) accepted this new feed ingredient definition July 31, during its 2011 Ingredient Definitions Committee Meeting in Austin, Texas.

    The Division of Animal Feeds within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine accepted the chelated trace minerals category earlier this year and recommended that AAFCO accept this definition for inclusion in its official publication.

    “The formation of a new feed ingredient category for MINTREX is an extremely important step that gives us the opportunity to define a new class of trace minerals,” says Dr. Chris Knight, Vice President of Research and Development for Novus. “This announcement demonstrates to our customers in the animal health and nutrition industry that MINTREX is a next-generation trace mineral, truly defined as a chelate.”

    In scientific terms, chelation means the trace minerals in MINTREX are bound with a ligand. This creates a stable complex in the acidic pH of the upper gastrointestinal tract; reduces break-up, or dissociation, of the mineral; helps reduce losses caused by antagonisms; and protects the mineral for efficient delivery and uptake in the small intestine.

    MINTREX Cu, Zn and Mn supply the essential trace minerals copper, zinc and manganese. It can be added to feed for poultry; dairy and beef cattle; and hogs; as well as companion animal and equine diets, to provide for their mineral requirements and help animals perform to their full genetic potential. Because it is a highly bioavailable mineral source, MINTREX is absorbed and used by the animal to a much greater degree than comparable inorganic trace mineral supplements. This enables producers to maintain feeding efficiency with fewer minerals fed and excreted.

    Find out more here.

    Feed, Novus International

    USFRA Prepares for Public Launch of Ag Movement

    Joanna Schroeder

    There was a great panel discussion during the General Session of the Cattle Industry Summer Conference 2011 in Kissimmee, Florida that focused on the movement being developed by the US Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA). The ultimate goal of the USFRA is to educate people about where their food comes from.

    During a brief presentation by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) CEO Forrest Roberts, he updated the cattle producers on how the campaign is coming along. Roberts said that this is the largest agricultural communications effort of its kind and the goal is to speak with “one voice”. He said this is not a campaign, but a long-term movement that would foster a two-way dialogue with key influencers, policymakers and consumers.

    During the meeting, the first phase of the campaign was officially kicked off – farmer and rancher activation. He stressed that in order for this movement to be effective, ranchers and farmers across the country would need to speak out.

    Weldon Wynn, a rancher from Star City, Arkansas who is a member of the CBB Executive Committee, said there are 49 different organizations involved ranging from cattle ranchers to corn and soybean organizations to vegetable growers, and they have a budget of $10 million dollars. This has allowed them to kick off the initiative they are promoting during the conference and that is to get the consumer involved and the producer involved. Wynn said they need to learn about how safe their food is and grassroots efforts are the only way this is going to happen.

    Both Wynn and Roberts stressed the importance of getting farmers and ranchers involved, which you can do here. They asked that you fill out their survey here and also sign up to be one of the “voices of agriculture.”

    Listen to my interview with Weldon Wynn here: Weldon Wynn Discusses USFRA Efforts

    Listen to Forrest Robert’s comments regarding the initiatives of the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance here: Update on USFRA Beef Campaign

    Photos from the conference will be posted to this photo album: 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album. Check it often as we add to it over the next several days.

    Ag Groups, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Education, NCBA

    Agriculture Future of America at Ag HR Roundtable

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Agriculture Future of AmericaAn organization that helps prepare young people for careers in agriculture was very involved in the AgCareers.com 2011 North American Ag HR Roundtable.

    I spoke with Nancy Barcus, Director of Leader Development Programs for Agriculture Future of America. “AFA works with college men and women and young professionals just entering the work force to provide academic scholarship support, career and leader development training, and assist finding intern or other work experiences to help them get into full time employment,” Nancy told me.

    AgCareers.com is one of the industry partners that support AFA’s career development and scholarship program. “We’re really well aligned organizations,” Nancy says. “A lot of things that AgCareers is trying to do for the industry to understand what the needs are and bring colleges and universities to the table at a roundtable like this with employers are similar to what we do.”

    Listen to my interview with Nancy here: Nancy Barcus with AFA

    Nancy reminded me that Chuck interviewed her just recently at the NAMA where she was a hall monitor!

    2011 AgCareers Ag HR Roundtable photo album.

    AgCareers, Audio, Education

    Beef Board Chairman Wraps Up Summer Conference

    Chuck Zimmerman

    One of the first persons I interviewed here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference was Wesley Grau, newly elected Beef Board Chairman. Now we’ll close things out with a wrap up interview from him.

    Wesley says that things went well at the meeting, “We’ve had an attitude change. We’ve had a strengthening of the industry through unification. At the same time we endeavor to remain all inclusive for every producer in the United States.” He says he looks forward to moving in a positive direction.

    You can listen to my closing interview with Wesley here. Wesley Grau Interview

    Joanna and I will have more stories to post from this year’s conference over coming days. In the meantime, please enjoy our photos.

    2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

    Ag Groups, Audio, Cattle Industry Conference

    The Corn Crib

    Melissa Sandfort

    From planting to harvest, corn production has changed drastically through the years. I’ve talked about a 2-row planter, hand-crank corn sheller and 12-row combine head, but another memory from my childhood reappeared the other day and I enlisted the help of my grandmother to dig up a photo.

    On one of the “old places” there used to be a round, metal corn crib. It stood empty for all the years I could remember but served as a great playhouse and dog kennel in its later years.

    A corn crib was used to dry and store corn. After the harvest, corn, still on the cob, was placed in the crib either with or without the husk. The typical corn crib had slats in its walls. These slatted sides of the corn crib allow air to circulate through the corn, both allowing it to dry initially and helping it to stay dry. The slats expose the corn to pests, so corn cribs are elevated above the ground beyond the reach of rodents. (The corn crib that I used to play in sat on a large concrete slab.)

    Metal grain bins with drying systems started popping up around 1907. Since then, farmers have efficiently harvested, dried and moved thousands of bushels of corn each year.

    Needless to say, I didn’t play in any grain bins (farm safety!), but they did present another source of childhood enjoyment – climbing the ladder all the way to the top. What a view! If you have a fear of heights, it’s not recommended.

    Until we walk again …

    Uncategorized

    New Beef Board Officers

    Chuck Zimmerman

    In today’s CBB Update Session at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference, elections were held to fill the vacant Chairman position. Elected were:

    Chair: Wesley Grau, Grady, NM
    Vice Chair: Weldon Wynn, Star City, Ark.
    Secretary/Treasurer: Roger West, Gainesville, Fla.

    I caught up with Roger after the meeting and visited with him since he’s the “new” officer. Both Wesley and Weldon were already in officer positions. Roger is a cow/calf operator and that keeps him busy. He feels honored to have been elected as an officer. He says “we’re ready to move on.”

    You can listen to my interview with Roger here. Roger West Interview

    2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

    Audio, Cattle Industry Conference

    CSU Students Win Coveted W.D. Farr Scholarships

    Joanna Schroeder

    Two Colorado State Univeristy (CSU) Ph.D. students have won the coveted W.D. Farr Scholarship. Plainview, Texas native Jessica Igo and Pontette, Wisconsin native Scott Howard received the award during the General Session at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference in its second day in Kissimmee, Florida. The $12,000 scholarships are given by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF).

    Both Igo and Howard have grown up in the beef industry and since doing their undergraduate work, Igo at Texas A & M University and Howard at CSU, they have known they would build careers in the industry. Igo’s thesis is focused on the National Beef Quality Audit and is conducting face-to-face interviews in phase 1. She is talking to everyone from the feeders to the grocery stores to restaurants to see what they want from their beef products. Howard’s research is focused on beef tenderness and is in the process of conducting a beef tenderness survey.

    “These two outstanding students are very deserving of the W.D. Farr Scholarships,” said Linda Davis, a NCF Trustee and chair of the W.D. Farr Scholarship Committee. “They not only excel academically, but also have demonstrated true leadership qualities and the character needed to stand out in their fields after finishing their degrees. The beef industry will be well-served by furthering the educations and careers of these fine young people.”

    During an interview I asked both Igo and Howard how winning the scholarship will help move their academics forward. Howard said it will allow him to become engrossed in his research and give him the ability to commit wholeheartedly to his project. Igo hopes that the scholarship will help her research make a difference as well as give her a springboard for her entry into the industry.

    Igo is graduating in May of 2012 and Howard in 2013. I anticipate they will both be in high demand, so the beef industry will need to take note – there will be some great competition to hire these amazing young students.

    Listen to my interview with Jessica Igo and Scott Howard here: W.D. Farr Scholarship Winners

    Photos from the conference will be posted to this photo album: 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album. Check it often as we add to it over the next several days.

    Ag Groups, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Education, NCBA

    NCBA Committee Researches Cattle Diseases

    Joanna Schroeder

    A lot of discussion in the cattle industry today is about issues relating to widespread drought. Bill Nutt, Chair of the Emerging Cattle Health Research and Issues Working Group that met during the Cattle Industry Summer Conference, is a producer from Georgia who has not escaped the consequences of the drought. While drought can cause problems with your herd, there are other health issues affecting herds across the country.

    Many not not know, but herds across the country are at the lowest level they’ve been since the 1940s. “We keep looking for the expansion of the herd but not many of us are willing to stick our neck out and expand the herds in the face of continued uncertainty about drought, fuel prices and all the other things that have been occupying the attention of the country and the world perhaps in the last few weeks in Washington,” said Nutt. But he does expect herd size to expand over the next few years.

    However, the focal point of the committee meeting was to discuss some disease areas of current concern and emerging concern. “We’re not prognosticators but we’re trying to look ahead and see what are we seeing now that we didn’t see in the past,” said Nutt. “Let’s get it out on the table so that the members of our committee and all of the producers that are looking to us and depending on us to keep our eyes open and give them some heads up on that.”

    Two diseases that took center stage during the meeting was BVD, or bovine viral diarrhea, and this is of such concern that the committee spun out an additional working group to spend more time focuses on the issue and researching treatments. A second disease of concern is Trichomonas, a disease that Nutt says has been around for a long, long time but recently is starting to come out and cause problems.

    The work of the committee comes out in the form of creating and circulating information to NCBA members about the issues that have a bearing on their business. Prior to the conference next February in Nashville, the committee will continue working and during the conference will set policy directions and plan for the future.

    Listen to my interview with Bill Nutt here: Bill Nutt Interview

    Photos from the conference will be posted to this photo album: 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album. Check it often as we add to it over the next several days.

    Ag Groups, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA