So, “Will ethanol be an issue in presidential race?” Maybe, maybe not. But I’m here to tell you, when I talk to anyone in agriculture this is a very hot topic. So it will be interesting to see how the candidates deal with it. In response to our survey, 58% say yes and 42% say no. What do you think? Should it be an issue?
Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “What can G20 ag ministers do to stabilize food prices?” Let us know what you think. I’ll bet you have an opinion on this one.
ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.
Brandt launched the new 8200 Contour Commander heavy harrow.
The new Kuhn MDS xx.1 series fertilizer spreaders, available in working widths of 33′ to 59′ and capacities of 17.5 to 67 cubic feet, replace the prior MDS 5 series.
A new CAST paper examines the science and regulation of food from genetically engineered animals. Download the full text here.
AgWeb, agriculture’s homepage, was selected for inclusion in BtoB’s Media Business magazine’s “10 Great Media Sites” issue.
The Summer Seminar for the National Sunflower Association got started with a wonderful evening of fun and fellowship. The evening ended with the Curtis Stern Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser. These guys were ticket sellers.
I have not participated in a fundraiser quite like this. Prizes were purchased and laid out on three tables. We could purchase tickets for a chance to be drawn to “pick a prize.” So tickets were sold for one table at a time. Then once tickets were drawn and the winner of that ticket made their choice of prizes we continued until all the prizes on that table were gone. Then tickets were sold for the next table. Interesting way to do it.
To learn more about the Curtis Stern Memorial Scholarship I spoke with Steve Kent. Steve says that Curtis was a “great ambassador” for the sunflower industry. People appreciated it and they wanted to find a way to memorialize him. So they now have a fund to provide a scholarship to a student who wants to pursue a career or work in the sunflower industry. This year will be the second scholarship awarded. So if you couldn’t be here Steve says to make out a check to the Curtis Stern Memorial Scholarship Fund and send it to the National Sunflower Association office. Steve Kent Interview
The very first person I met after checking in to the Lodge at Deadwood was Larry Kleingartner, Executive Director, National Sunflower Association. Larry provided a preview of this year’s Seminar. He says that they do a “little bit of learning, have a little bit of fun and a little bit of networking.” There will be about 200 attendees coming from the support industry. That includes seed and chemical company reps, processor reps and grower leaders. NSA membership is wherever sunflowers are grown so we’ll have people here from many states and Canada. Larry says research is the big topic and key to helping make the crop as competitive as possible. Larry Kleingartner Interview
The first item on our agenda is an evening social, dinner and fundraiser for the Curtis Stern Memorial Scholarship. I’ll be attending and have some photos to share by tomorrow morning.
If you would like to let these sunflower growers and support industry folks know what you think about the value and uses of social media, please use the conference Twitter hashtag, #NSASS11, in tweets tomorrow morning. I’ll be conducting a session on this topic and would love to show them some outside perspective.
The World Food Prize Foundation is honoring John Agyekum Kufuor, former president of Ghana, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, former president of Brazil, for creating and implementing government policies that alleviated hunger and poverty in their countries. They were commended in remarks by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah.
The Country Living Association has some tips for getting your farm blog “planted online” this week.
If you haven’t already, think about starting a blog to tell your farm story and grow your business online. Though it may feel overwhelming to add another farm chore to your list, in reality, a blog is simply a web-published diary or journal usually consisting of one page into which the blogger regularly uploads fresh content, and it’s much easier to maintain than your website.
Here are five tips for launching your farm blog:
1. Before you start, take time to research other blogs to determine what you like. It will help you begin building a vision for your own venture.
2. Find a blog buddy, someone to walk you through the first steps on one of the free sites such as Blogger or WordPress. Sites such as these are relatively easy to maneuver, but it may help to enlist a friend or a local teen. Teens today are part of the “millennial generation” and grew up so entrenched in web technology that they can be your seasoned mentor.
Raven’s Ryan Molitor says the system provides growers with more reliability, efficiency and control. “OmniSeed allows for variable rate technology, it’s a very scalable system with a lot of unique features on it that we think are going to be pretty popular in the air seeder market,” Ryan told me in an interview. The system consists of various components, including the Viper Pro Field Computer which Ryan says is the brains of the system, and Run Blockage powered by AgTron.
Ryan says the system is surprisingly simple to set up and easy to use. “And we have a vast dealer network throughout the world that is trained up and ready to service and support at point of sale and after,” he said.
Raven Industries is a proud supporter of the Agwired app for iPhone and Droid. Don’t have it yet? Join the hundreds who do today and get Agwired, PrecisionPays, WorldDairyDiary and DomesticFuel news fast and easy on your smart phone! Click here.
The early registration deadline is coming up this Saturday for the National Corn Yield Contest conducted by the National Corn Growers Association. Get your entry in now and save $80 or wait and pay more later :). Growers can do it online now.
“With the early registration deadline approaching rapidly, it is a great time for entrants to try out the new online submission system,” said Production and Stewardship Action Team Chair Steve Ebke. “The software streamlines the process, saving both time and, until Saturday, money.”
The new software allows growers to enter the contest and join NCGA and their state association. The web-based system simplifies data submission, allows users to view their submissions at any time and will allow for quick, efficient use of contest data.
Seed representatives and entrants are welcome to enter through this new platform. Current members should have their NCGA membership ID ready. Non-members wishing to participate can quickly fill out the online membership profile and enter immediately following completion of this form. Registration will continue until July 15, with entries not meeting the June 25 deadline available at the full $110 rate.
Appropriately named “Agriculture’s Lasting Heritage,” this website tells the story of American farm and ranch families who have shaped the history of our nation.
“Agriculture’s Lasting Heritage” also commemorates more than the proud tradition of the American farm and ranch family, according to AFBF President Bob Stallman, who also serves as president of the foundation.
“Farms and ranches that have been in the same family, and supporting family members and local communities for generations stand as testament to the true sustainable character of American agriculture today,” Stallman said. “Farmers and ranchers, by nature, are always committed to leaving the land in better condition for the next generation. We are proud to help raise awareness of that through this new website.”
“Agriculture’s Lasting Heritage” features a variety of components to interest non-farmers as well as farmers and ranchers. An interactive map allows the visitor to quickly link to a comprehensive list of state century farm programs and resources. Users will find an immediate connection with the farmers who operate our century farms, as they watch the story unfold through video profiles of a variety of farms. Written profiles also will be provided to offer additional stories of those who have contributed to the sustainability of our agriculture industry, and our nation.
We’ve all heard about “new uses” for corn. How about skateboards? That’s just the first of many products planned by Corn Board Manufacturing, Inc. according to founder Lane Segerstrom. I just got off the phone with Lane and our conversation is this week’s program.
Lane grew up on an Iowa farm and has founded a company that uses technology developed by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The corn-based structural composite technology was invented by the university’s Dr. Nancy Sottos, Dr. Scott White and Dr. Thomas Mackin. CornBoard™ is a version of wood composite board that uses corn husks and stalks, prepared by mixing the fibrous corn component with a polymer matrix, laminating the mixture, and applying heat and pressure.
Skate boards are the first product and Lane even rode one to a world record more than 78 mph on a towed Stalk It™ longboard, made from corn stover. He envisions CBMI manufacturing facilities in rural communities where corn is grown. He hopes it will become a real rural development business. Besides skate boards, other products on the horizon include pallets, building materials and furniture. Lane is working on USDA Bio Preferred labeling and points out how using corn stover is a great way to lessen environmental impact.
ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency. 
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We’ve all heard about “new uses” for corn. How about skateboards? That’s just the first of many products planned by 