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

Going To Class With FMC

Chuck Zimmerman

The FMC Summer Plot Tour is underway. We’re in class right now to learn what’s new. What’s really new is Anthem herbicide. FMC’s Gail Stratman is our teacher. I’ll be interviewing him later this morning after we get out in the field to see some of the test plot results.

I’ve got an online photo album started which you can find here: FMC Summer Plot Tour – York, NE

Agribusiness, FMC

FMC Summer Plot Tour

Chuck Zimmerman

Hello from York, NE and the first of a series of summer plot tours by FMC. Today we’ll be learning what’s new with product names like Capture, Cadet, Anthem and Authority. Our day starts inside with several presentations before departing for the fields.

This is my first opportunity to work with FMC and I’m looking forward to learning more about what they’re doing. I’ll have photos and interviews coming up. It’s going to be a busy week on AgWired so I hope you’re ready. After we’re done today I’m moving on the Springfield, Il and the InfoAg Conference where Cindy and I tag team for a day before she leaves for a Wyffels field day later this week! We’re burning up the agriblogging highway and loving it.

One of the best ways to keep up with us besides right here on AgWired is to follow us on Twitter:

Cindy – @FarmPodcaster
AgWired – @AgWired
Me – @AgriBlogger

Agribusiness, Corn, FMC, Soybean

Side Dressing Crop Nutrients

Chuck Zimmerman

CTIC TourSteffen Farm in Livingston/Mclean counties in Illinois was a stop on the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project field tour. Our host was Herb Steffen. Two thirds of his farm is devoted to continuous corn with a third in a corn/soybean rotation. As with other farms that have volunteered to participate in this project, Herb is conducting several tests. He’s side dressing nutrients at different rates along with a control plot. During this stop we wandered through the plots to see the different results in this first year of the project.

Herb says the project is something that has been needed for a long time. He says it’s not only about educating farmers but also environmentalists who don’t know what’s actually going on at the farm. He encourages farmers to be more proactive. He says the soil nitrogen tests being conducted on his farm are providing information he wouldn’t have otherwise. The project will provide “the proof that we are working to keep the yields where they need to be to feed a growing population.”

You can listen to my interview with Herb here: Interview with Herb Steffen

CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project Field Tour Photos

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

Ice Cube Anyone?

Melissa Sandfort

When is the last time you ever heard someone say, “Can you grab me a soda from the icebox?”? I bet it’s been a while. Let me translate: icebox or ice chest = freezer/refrigerator. And when I came across this large tong-shaped item my curiosity kicked in.

It’s an ice hook. In the early 1900s, folks would use this tool to “harvest” blocks of ice from ponds, wrap them in straw or sawdust to keep the ice as long as possible, and store them in an insulated building. They’d later pop one of those blocks in the icebox to keep food from spoiling … this was done long before refrigerators/freezers came about.

Back home there used to be an ice plant and after church on Sunday my grandpa would swing by the mill and grab some ice blocks for making homemade ice cream.

My flimsy ice tongs seem cheap and lightweight after lifting this monster! Thank you, Carl von Linden, for creating the refrigerator/freezer. I love that ice comes out of the door and not out of a pond.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Iowa farmers from across the state are joining together to show RAGBRAI 2011 riders what Iowa agriculture is all about. Iowa-raised beef, pork and dairy products will be featured in free samples for RAGBRAI riders at several locations along this year’s route.
  • U.S. Wheat Associates welcomes Casey Chumrau as Market Analyst in its Arlington, Va. office.
  • The National Trust has revealed that members of the public will decide which flock of sheep will be bought by a working, commercial farm as part of the MyFarm experiment which aims to re-connect people with the day-to-day realities of farming.
  • United Soybean Board farmer-leaders recently voted to approve the checkoff’s new Long-Range Strategic Plan, which identifies six areas they believe are most critical to maintaining and expanding the U.S. soy industry over the next five years.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Looking At How You Should Manage Crop Nutrients

    Chuck Zimmerman

    CTIC TourOne of the stops on the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project field tour was Traub Farm. Our presenter was John Traub. The family farm grows corn, soybeans, specialty hybrid seed corn and hybrid sunflowers. The farm was named the Livingston County SWCD Conservation Farm Family in 2010. So they take conservation seriously.

    I spoke with John after his presentation. He says he got involved with the project through their relationship with the SWCD and NRCS. It just “made sense” to them. He says that many of the projects they have participated in provide rewards for doing so. For this project he says they didn’t have to do a lot of things different but they are doing more testing to find the right rate, timing and place to apply nutrients. He says people often get so busy they don’t take time to look at what they’re doing. One of the real benefits of the project for him is being forced to look at what the things are they should be doing.

    The Traub farm uses strip-till conservation systems with minimal tillage. They are currently comparing fall applied N with an RTK strip-till system to a conventional chisel plow system.

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

    CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project Field Tour Photos

    AgWired coverage of the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Field Tour is sponsored by
    Ag Groups, Audio, Conservation, CTIC, Farming

    Illinois EPA Working With Farmers In Indian Creek Watershed

    Chuck Zimmerman

    CTIC TourThe Conservation Technology Information Center’s Indian Creek Watershed Project is funded in part by the Illinois EPA. Representing the IL EPA during last week’s field tour was Barb Lieberoff, Environmental Protection Specialist. I spoke with her during lunch.

    Barb says the Federal 319 Program, part of the Clean Water Act, is what where the program funding comes from. She says the IL EPA worked collaboratively with the CTIC to choose a watershed in which they could create some BMP’s for improving water quality. She says a TDML is being considered for the watershed. The Indian Creek Watershed was considered a good fit for the project. By being proactive early in the process she says that all the stakeholders involved are helping themselves in the long run.

    You can listen to my interview with Barb here: Interview with Barb Lieberoff

    CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project Field Tour Photos

    AgWired coverage of the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Field Tour is sponsored by
    Ag Groups, Audio, Conservation, CTIC, Environment, Fertilizer

    Catering To Chefs Specialty Needs

    Chuck Zimmerman

    CTIC TourThe oldest family farm in Livingston County, IL is Spence Farm. I met Marty and Kris Travis, seventh generation farmers, on this unique farming operation during the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project field tour. The farm specializes in a lot of heirloom vegetables among other products. You can see a list of their products on their website.

    Marty says the quality of water is very important to him and he is serving on the steering committee for the project. He’s excited to see neighboring farms become aware of the project and hopes they’ll participate in it. He says that he’s hoping to “continue to increase the quality of our cropping area.” In the last year he says they had ninety five percent of their crop land covered in cover crop. He says it’s really cool to come out and see that the farm is still green in the winter.

    I believe Marty is picking a stalk from some radishes they let go to flower and seed. They were just one of many types of vegetables they grow for chefs in the Chicago area. Apparently the radish creates very tasty seed pods!

    You can listen to my interview with Marty here: Interview with Marty Travis

    Besides specialty heirloom vegetable crops the Spence Farm also raises some livestock. We were shown their guinea hogs. These are small size pigs that they keep in movable pens. They get moved as they eat weeds and other growing stuff under them. I recorded a video clip of Marty and Kris explaining this part of their operation.

    CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project Field Tour Photos

    AgWired coverage of the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Field Tour is sponsored by
    Audio, Conservation, Farming, Food, Video