Last Survey Winner Announced

Cindy Zimmerman

The final ZimmComm publication survey winner has been drawn and the lucky one is Rita Ruud, a nutritionist with North Dakota State University and World Dairy Diary reader. She will be receiving a check in the mail for $250 for taking just about two minutes of her time to fill out our survey and help us do a better job of serving the folks who read this on-line publication.

January was the third and final month for the ZimmComm publication survey since we have now received enough responses to make it statistically significant. We would sincerely thank everyone who took the time to help us out.

Here’s a few interesting things we learned from the survey about Agwired readers:

By far, the largest percentage of our readers are in Advertising/Marketing/Sales or Communications/Public Relations – making up 20% in each category for a total of 4 out of 10 of our readers. Another 13% are with agribusiness associations or organizations and 7% are media. Over 20% are in crop or livestock production – including crop and livestock producers, dairy farmers, crop consultants, etc. There were some categories that applied to production agriculture but several also checked the “other” category.

We had responses from 21 states, three countries, and the District of Columbia, with the Midwest significantly leading the pack. Most responses came from Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Thanks again to everyone who filled out the survey!

ZimmComm Announcement

Texas Cowboy Crossroads Gathering Should Be Good Agritainment

Chuck Zimmerman

A social media experiment with an agricultural event will be conducted this week when the Texas Cowboy Crossroads Gathering takes place Feb. 3-6 in Van Horn, TX. Bob Kindord, The Bovine Blog, wonders if all the efforts we’re putting into social media to tell the farm story is reaching consumers and having an impact. Good question and one that a lot of people are pondering.

Texas Crossroads Gathering

Here’s an excerpt from a recent post of his on the subject.

The next question is, can we come up with an agricultural event that is educational, yet entertaining enough for the average person to attend? If we can come up with such an event, do we wield enough social media clout to make an event go viral? Could we get an event to trend on Twitter, or spread on Facebook enough that it would possibly make national news? It would be an interesting experiment on the power of social media, and one we could do fairly easily.

February 3rd through the 6th I put on the Texas Crossroads Gathering, a small cowboy poetry gathering in Van Horn, Texas. There are a few things about this event which makes it unique. First, we actually live-stream video to the internet. Second the entertainers are not paid (the event is a small, but growing talent show.) Finally, all money raised from this event is donated to the local 4H Club and Christian Homeless Shelter.

So Bob suggests following @TexasCrossroad on Twitter and the “near perfect” hashtag #kamikazecow as well as #agritainers. You’ll have to read his blog to understand the hashtags. They’ll be live streaming from the event too.

Uncategorized

Midwest Snow Affecting Travel

Chuck Zimmerman

Midwest SnowI was really hoping the weather experts were wrong about this midwest snow thing. But as of early this morning in mid Missouri, it’s snowing. It is expected to be heavier snow this afternoon so I might do a new version of this post then.

Yesterday Cindy and I changed our plane reservations from Kansas City to Denver from today to late yesterday evening. We need to be at the Cattle Industry Convention and thought maybe we could beat the storm out there. So after driving through light freezing rain to the airport we got there just as they canceled all the rest of the flights for the evening. Let’s just say it was a miserable drive round trip as things started getting icier. We’re now booked on a flight out tomorrow but I think a lot will depend on how much snow we get and when it all ends.

We know of quite a few people who have already canceled their plans for attending the convention. So all we can say is, “Travel safe.”

Cattle Industry Conference, Video

Learning About Certified Humane

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 290During the International Poultry Expo I met Adele Douglass, CEO, Humane Farm Animal Care. This is the organization that has created the Certified Humane program. To display their logo a farm has to: “Meet the Humane Farm Animal Care program standards, which includes nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones, animals raised with shelter, resting areas, sufficient space and the ability to engage in natural behaviors.”

I learned that there are several organizations attempting to create a type of a label or brand to achieve similar results and that they don’t all see eye to eye. HFAC has created a chart comparing the five main organizations which you can download here (pdf). Personally, I really don’t see the need for an organization like this at all, much less competing ones. Most farmers I know take very good care of their animals. I’d rather see efforts like this aimed at the humane treatment of human beings instead! There are lots of educational resources for farmers that teach them how to take good care of their livestock and if they are or want to be successful then they do.

Adele says she got started on this after visiting farms and seeing conditions she didn’t like. She doesn’t understand why farmers use cages and gestation stalls for example. So she decided to create a certification program after studying one in the UK. She sees a distinction between meeting an animal’s behavioral needs and whether or not they’re producing well. In the first year of the program there were 143,000 animals enrolled in the program. In 2010 that number was 26.5 million.

Learn more about Humane Farm Animal Care in this week’s program: ZimmCast 290 - Humane Farm Animal Care

What do you think? Do we need these types of programs? Adele says the farms enrolled with them make more money. What is your experience if you’ve tried this type of program?

Interestingly, this week’s AgChat topic is animal welfare! It will feature a guest from a different organization, Tim Amlaw, American Humane Certified. So from 8-10pm Tuesday, join in the online conversation.

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsor, Growmark, locally owned, globally strong, for their support.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our a Subscribe page

Audio, Food, Poultry Expo, ZimmCast

Preparing the Land

Melissa Sandfort

Snow. We all complain about it, at least in my household we do. We have to shovel, the car is a mess, it’s cold and the garage floor is covered in gravel brought in by our tires. But, I’m slowly learning to love it again because my 2-year-old looks like the Michelin Tire Man in his snow suit and it makes me laugh.

As the sun came up over the hill last week, it made the snow appear as though it had been dusted with glitter. And, it gives off a gentle blue hue just before suppertime. It’s the beauty of the season, but for farmers, it also means ground moisture for planting in the spring.

To put it in numbers, 12 inches of snow can provide farmers almost one inch of additional soil moisture in the soil profile. That moisture could increase corn yields by as much as 8 to 12 bushels per acre. That moisture is especially valuable to dryland crops. And, hopefully irrigation won’t have to be used as early in the growing season which will also help farmers save money.

It’s nature’s way of preparing the soil for the coming year. And instead of complaining, I guess we better enjoy it because if you wait five minutes, the weather might change and we’ll be complaining we need rain.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • The Georgia Peanut Commission Board of Directors will be holding a public hearing for peanut farmers to determine the need for increasing peanut assessments which fund programs of the commodity commission. The hearing will be held Wed., Feb. 9 at 4:00 p.m. at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus, NESPAL.
  • Kimberly Clark has joined the Nebraska Corn Board staff as ag program manager to coordinate ethanol programming.
  • Joe Winn has joined the Lessing-Flynn team as a copywriter and project manager.
  • Recent findings from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development indicate that young people in 4-H are three times more likely to contribute to their communities than youth not participating in 4-H.
    Zimfo Bytes

    First iPad Dairy App From Virtus Nutrition

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Virtus Nutrition now has the first iPad dairy app.

    The Virtus Nutrition app hosts a wealth of information for dairy producers, nutritionists and others interested in the latest on Omega fatty acid technology for improved dairy cattle nutrition. Download this app to access the Omega Value Calculator, which provides detailed analysis of the value of feeding Prequel 21 (omega-6s) and StrataG (omega-3s) to transition cows and early breeding cows. Find out how many additional pregnancies, and subsequently calves, that these omegas can have by reducing early embryo loss on your dairy. Explore the key research that explains the impact that the omegas can have by improving both milk production and reproduction in dairy cows.

    Key Features

    CALCULATE the omega value in your herd by entering basic herd information and generating a series of graphs to show the impact Omega Nutrition can have on your bottom line.

    BROWSE through the product pages to learn more about Virtus Nutrition’s calcium salts of fatty acid products.

    SEARCH the research and article pages to learn more about the science behind feeding omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids to dairy cows.

    Apps, Dairy

    iGrill Bluetooth Meat Thermometer

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Do you dread the long walk to the cooker or oven just to check on your meat temperature? No longer. Not with iGrill and your iPhone (or iPod Touch or iPad).

    iGrill is revolutionizing the way we cook & grill today!

    The iGrill combines standard function, technical innovation and impeccable style to produce the most complete cooking thermometer on the market today.

    Equipped with long-range Bluetooth®, useful Apps and a range of amazing features, iGrill turns your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad into your own personal Sous-Chef.

    Equipment, Food

    Big Turnout For International Poultry/Feed Expo

    Chuck Zimmerman

    IPE/IFEThis year’s International Poultry Expo/International Feed Expo has done very well on attendance as was expected. Here are some summary statistics just released by the organizers:

    The 2011 International Poultry Expo and International Feed Expo drew over 20,000 poultry and feed industry leaders from all over the world. In addition, the show had over 900 exhibitors, almost a 12% increase from last year. Sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the American Feed Industry Association, the annual Expo is the world’s largest poultry and feed industry event of its kind.

    “We were excited about the number of exhibitors and attendees on the exhibit floor,” said 2011 USPOULTRY chairman Gary Cooper, Cooper Farms, Oakwood, OH. “We were up in numbers in both areas from last year. We are very pleased with the great turn-out for this year, and the excitement on the floor has been tangible.”

    This morning I met the Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture, Gary Black, and sat down with him to discuss the impact of the show on the state and hear his outlook for Georgia agriculture. He says that one of his key goals is to help the general public better understand how important agriculture is to the state. One example he points to is making a number of changes in his department’s offices which will provide more in-office educational opportunities working with various farm groups. He also says that they are working on a plan to utilize social media in their efforts to reach out to the non-farm sector. Other subjects we talk about include alternative energy production and challenges to farming.

    You can listen to my interview with Gary here: Interview With Gary Black

    2011 International Poultry Expo/International Feed Expo Photo Album

    AgWired IPE/IFE coverage sponsored by: Novus

    Audio, Poultry Expo

    Zimfo Bytes

    Melissa Sandfort

      Zimfo Bytes

    • Thanks to the work of researchers at Dow AgroSciences, LLC, who have been collaborating with a University of Missouri researcher, a new weapon may be on the horizon to eliminate superweeds.
    • Rhino is proud to introduce the new AGM disc mower series.
    • Balchem Corporation announced expansion at two of its Animal Nutrition and Health production plants in St. Gabriel, La., and Verona, Mo.
    • Effective Jan. 1, 2011, CGS Tires US, Inc., has changed its corporation name to Mitas Tires North America, Inc.
      Zimfo Bytes