Stage is Set for Wyffels Corn Strategies 2011

Cindy Zimmerman

wyffels corn strategies illinoisThe stage is set for the Wyffels Corn Strategies 2011 in Dixon, Illinois.

The official event gets underway bright and early on Wednesday morning, but the pre-event kicked it off Tuesday evening at the Pratt Family Farms. The festivities included a delicious steak dinner, homemade ice cream, an opportunity to hear from some of the event partners, and the recording of a segment for this weekend’s U.S. Farm Report with John Phipps. Even though the evening started with a good downpour after everyone got into the tent, by the time it was all over there was a rainbow and a beautiful sunset! Got some nice photos in the photo album already.

I had a chance to visit with Wyffels Hybrids president Bill Wyffels Jr. about the company that was started by his father in the 1940s. “He started experimenting with seed oats and from experimentation with oats and being successful, evolved into hybrid corn,” he told me.

Bill says they are very proud of the people who make up the Wyffels team and they enjoy hosting the Corn Strategies sessions each year for producers in Illinois and Iowa. “This is really a learning day and it’s a chance for us really to give back and bring some of the best minds in agriculture all in one place,” he said.

Listen to or download my interview with Bill here: Bill Wyffels Jr.

Wyffels Corn Strategies 2011 Illinois Photo Album

Audio, Corn

Conservation On The Dairy Farm

Chuck Zimmerman

CTIC TourThe CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project field tour included a stop at Kilgus Dairy. The family dairy farm is the only one in the state bottling their own milk. They also grow corn and soybeans and have land for the cows to graze on. They move those cows periodically, allowing the paddocks to grow back. In the picture you can see Matt Kilgus showing our group how to pour our own ice cream in the on-farm dairy products store, Kilgus Homestead.

Matt says they started the grazing system which got them involved with watershed management. Matt’s uncle was on the steering committee for the CTIC project so they’re conducting several tests and programs, including the use of different types of cover crops. He says that they hope to see some results that will benefit them while also be better stewards of the land.

You can listen to my interview with Matt here: Interview with Matt Kilgus

CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project Field Tour Photos

AgWired coverage of the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Field Tour is sponsored by
BASF, Conservation, CTIC, Dairy

USDA May Get Precision Ag Data

Chuck Zimmerman

infoag conference michael scuseI have now moved from Nebraska to Illinois for the 2011 InfoAg Conference. This is all about precision agriculture so most of our coverage will be found on Precision Pays. Thanks to Cindy we have coverage already started since I was a little slow moving this morning. Here’s her report on the opening session:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Acreage Crop Reporting Streamlining Initiative Project (ACRSIP) may well be the “most important thing that USDA has ever done,” according to Acting Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Michael Scuse.

Scuse talked about the initiative as the keynote speaker at the opening of InfoAg 2011 in Springfield, Illinois on Tuesday. The concept is to simplify and provide new reporting options for producers. “Rather than a farmer or rancher going to the local FSA office to do their crop reports as they do now and have to give a second report to their agent, they can actually do the report from home,” Scuse said. “Our ultimate goal is for those that have precision ag equipment in their planters and combines to actually use the information that’s collected from that equipment to be downloaded directly to their Farm Service Agency and to the crop insurance agent, to simplify the process even further.”

Scuse says they plan a pilot test of the program this fall and hope to have it implemented by 2013. “This is how we’re going to provide a better service for farmers and ranchers,” he said. “It will ultimately save the taxpayers a great deal of money with this initiative.”

Listen to my interview with Scuse from InfoAg here: Interview with Michael Scuse, USDA

Chuck and I are tag-teaming this InfoAg Conference. He will be covering tomorrow while I head to Dixon, IL for a Wyffles corn strategies field day. Chuck will be doing a presentation on using social media here at the conference on Thursday.


2011 InfoAg Conference Photo Album

Our coverage of the InfoAg 2011 Conference is sponsored by: Ag Leader Technology.

Audio, Precision Agriculture, USDA

Retailer Perspective On FMC Summer Plot Tour

Chuck Zimmerman

A large group of retailers attended the FMC Summer Plot Tour in York, NE. They were there to learn what’s new from FMC and have the opportunity to see test results and interact with FMC product managers. We divided up into three groups and rotated field stations. To get a perspective of what these folks were learning I spoke with three of them.

First up is Jim Jensen, Andale Farmers Coop. He made a point of saying how little rain they get down in Kansas. The area we were in for the tour has received a significant amount of rain by comparison. In fact, we had some overnight before our tour. Jim says that Anthem looks really good on tough weeds. He thinks he’s really going to like it in combination with Authority. He deals with both corn and soybeans. Seeing the products in real world tests is very helpful for him.

You can listen to my interview with Jim here: Jim Jensen Interview

Next, I spoke with Roland Martin, Pawnee County Coop. He says they’ve been applying FMC products for years. He says FMC products have helped them to have a “phenomenal business.” He was very impressed by what he saw and although he uses other products, is very excited to have some new options.

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

I also spoke with Jason Perdue, agronomist for a local aerial applicator. He says that it’s great to see new options in the market. With Anthem coming out soon, he says it will give them flexibility with both corn and soybeans especially where they have irregular fields.

You can listen to my interview with Jason here: Jason Perdue Interview

FMC Summer Plot Tour Photo Album

Audio, FMC

Growing Connoisseur Corn

Chuck Zimmerman

There was a lot to learn from Spence Farm on the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project field tour. Specialty corn varieties for connoisseur chefs is another lesson we learned last week. Iroquois White Corn has an unusual earthy flavor and a varied texture that chefs love and it’s worth about $840 a bushel for Marty and Kris Travis of Spence Farm in Livingston County, Illinois.

Marty and Kris started growing the heirloom corn several years ago. “We harvest it, dry it and then we roast it over an open fire, shell it and run it through our stone mill to make a roasted corn meal,” Marty said. “We sell that to the general public and to chefs for $15 a pound.”

The Travis’ have also started growing a red flint corn from Italy this year, a typical polenta corn that took them two years to find and is in high demand with chefs right now. “The red corn has this incredible, floral flavor that is unlike any of the corns that we’ve ever tasted,” said Marty.

Watch them talk about their specialty corn crops and how they’ve found a market for just about every part of the plant!

CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project Field Tour Photos

AgWired coverage of the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Field Tour is sponsored by
Conservation, Corn, CTIC

Grandin Honored by American Meat Science Association

Melissa Sandfort

Dr. Temple Grandin was recently awarded the 2011 American Meat Science Association (AMSA) Special Recognition Award at the 64th Annual Reciprocal Meat Conference.

Dr. Grandin is a designer of livestock handling facilities and a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. On her web site, Dr. Temple Grandin describes herself simply as “a designer of livestock handling facilities.” The world knows her as so much more. Hers is the most respected name in the area of animal care and handling. Her research has extended the scientific knowledge base in the areas of animal behavior, metabolism and meat quality.

She has given all meat scientists a better understanding of how animals perceive their surroundings and the biological basis for improving animal care. Facilities she has designed are located in the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. In North America, almost half of the cattle are handled in a center track restrainer system that she designed for meat plants.

Beef

New Farm Podcaster Tool – Zoom H2n

Chuck Zimmerman

Hey farm podcasters. Here’s another option for your gear bag. The Zoom H2n from Samson.

No matter the application, the H2n brings the very best in stereo recording to a convenient, user-friendly package that fits in your pocket.

Zoom H2n Handy Recorder. The new standard in portable recording.

FEATURES
Five built-in mic capsules provide Mid-Side (MS) stereo, 90° X/Y stereo, 2-channel and 4-channel recording modes
Records in WAV up to 24-bit/96kHz and MP3 up to 320kbps
Newly designed user interface
Additional functions include Lo-cut Filter, Compressor/Limiter, Auto Gain, Pre-Rec, Auto-Rec, Tuner, Metronome, Variable Speed Playback, Key Control, A-B Repeat, File Dividing, Normalize, MP3 Post-Encode, Marker and Surround Mixer
Data recovery function protects against unexpected recording errors
Over 20 hours of operation using two standard AA batteries
Operates on battery, AC or USB bus power
1.8-inch backlit LCD display with 128 x 64 resolution
Analog-type Mic Gain wheel
Built-in reference speaker
High-speed USB 2.0 card reader function
1/8-inch Mic/Line Input and Phones/Line Output stereo phone jacks
Accommodates up to 32GB SDHC memory cards
Includes Steinberg WaveLab LE 7 editing software, 2GB SD memory card and two AA batteries
Optional accessory package (APH-2n) includes remote control with extension cable, windscreen, AC adapter (USB type), USB cable, adjustable tripod stand, padded-shell case and a mic clip adapter.

Equipment, Podcasts

GROWMARK Awards Jim Evans Endowed Chair

Chuck Zimmerman

This is Jim Evans leading an FFA reporters workshop sometime in the 1960’s. The Endowed Chair in Agricultural Communications in his name at the University of Illinois, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences just got a large donation. If you haven’t made a contribution, please consider doing so.

GROWMARKGROWMARK, Inc. announced today a $100,000 award to the University of Illinois initiative between the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) and the College of Media designed to address the growing need for effective communications in the fast-changing world of agriculture, food, feed, fiber, bio-energy and rural development.

The award from GROWMARK will be applied towards the university’s $2 million goal for the James F. Evans Endowed Chair in Agricultural Communications.

“There has never been a more critical time for agriculture to speak clearly and effectively as an industry,” says Ann Hastings Kafer (Ag Comm ’86) and GROWMARK Director of Corporate Communications and Marketing Services. “GROWMARK is excited to support the Evans Endowed Chair in Ag Communications because this faculty position will advance such clarity through undergrad curriculum and professional education for all involved in this great industry. I know our investment will yield great returns.”

Education, GROWMARK, University

Anthem From FMC

Chuck Zimmerman

The Midwest Technical Lead for FMC Agricultural Products is Gail Stratman. He conducted one of our FMC Summer Plot Tour classes both inside and outside today. I sat down with him afterward to learn what’s new with FMC.

Gail says Anthem is what’s new. Anthem is a new pre-plant, pre-emergence and early post herbicide currently being developed by the company. The summer plot tour series features a wide variety of test plots using the new product. One of the key features according to Gail is the fact that it can be used on both corn and soybeans which provides outstanding crop safety. He describes it in comparison to other options as “it’s stronger and lasts longer.” It will also be very flexible for the control of both grasses and broadleaf weeds. It is hoped that the label will be approved early next year.

All of the tour test plots have had some very challenging conditions. Gail says they’ve seen very good control and residual under very dry conditions and staying power under wet conditions. They’ve also dealt with a wide range of weed and grass species. If growers have questions Gail suggests contacting their local Star Retailer since these are the folks who are attending this series of plot tours.

You can listen to my interview with Gail here: Gail Stratman Interview

You can also see Gail explain how Anthem has performed in test plots in this video of a portion of his presentation in the field:

FMC Summer Plot Tour Photo Album

Audio, Corn, FMC, Soybean

Beef Board Chairman Tom Jones Resigns

Cindy Zimmerman

The Arkansas producer chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board has resigned for personal reasons, according to the organization.

Tom Jones, Pottsville, Ark., tendered his resignation as chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board today. He also notified the Secretary of Agriculture of his resignation as a member of the Beef Board. Jones cited personal and family reasons for his decision, including the deteriorating health of his father. Jones was elected chairman of the Board in February of this year.

“I remain dedicated to the ideals of the checkoff and will be a strong supporter of the beef industry in the future,” Jones said. “However, there are times when decisions become very clear and choices are not hard to make. My faith, my family, and my farm come first. With my dad’s illness, both my family and my farm need more of my attention.”

Beef Board Vice Chair Wesley Grau, Grady, NM, will lead the organization until the next convened board meeting, scheduled for August 4 in Orlando, Fla. At that time, the board will decide on further action.

CBB CEO Tom Ramey resigned just two weeks ago.

Beef