RFA Ethanol Podcast

Precision Laboratories Mix Tank App iPod touch Giveaway

Chuck Zimmerman

How would you like a chance to win one of the coolest apps on your very own iPod? All you have to do is enter the Precision Laboratories Mix Tank App iPod touch Giveaway Contest (entry form).

The contest kicks off today and will end on midnight May 9 with the winner being announced May 10th on AgWired and Precision Pays. The Precision Laboratories Mix Tank App will be pre-loaded on the iPod so all you have to do to get started using it is to click on the app! ZimmComm New Media is thrilled to be working with Precision Laboratories on this promotion.

If you don’t know what the Mix Tank App is then you can learn more about it from James Reiss, Vice President of the agricultural chemistries business and Daniel Ori, Marketing Specialist in a recent ZimmCast with them.

Improving crop protection strategies will most likely lead to more tank mixing. Improper mixing sequence of crop protection products can cause incompatibility problems, lost spraying time from plugged sprayer nozzles, and the risk of cross contamination problems later. Simple mixing errors will cost you time and money.

The free Mix Tank app from Precision Laboratories is the first of its kind to assist agricultural retailers, crop specialists, university researchers and growers to determine the correct mixing sequence of crop protection tank mixes. It helps you get the most out of every tank mix and eliminate costly mixing errors.

Official Rules (doc file)

Apps

I Am Angus – It’s More Than Just a Breed of Cattle

Chuck Zimmerman

The American Angus Association says that “It’s more than just a breed of cattle – it’s about people and our relationship with the land.” That is truly evident in this edition of I Am Angus.

This is part of a series of posts we’re doing to introduce you to the American Angus Association via the library of videos they’ve produced over the years.

Video

Sushi PEEPS Yum Yum Platter

Chuck Zimmerman

Sushi Peeps. That’s right. I thought this was just too good to pass up. PEEPS Sushi looks like a very healthy and sweet surprise for the office or anywhere. Actually, it’s not really sushi but sushi shaped. There is a difference.

Roll into something new this Easter – create fun sushi shapes with your favorite PEEPS(R)! Visit ww.marshmallowpeeps.com for more delicious recipes or to submit your own!

Get the recipe after the break: Read More

Food

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association announced the appointment of David Thomas as its new Chief Lobbyist and Leticia Phillips as the organization’s Representative for North America, both based at UNICA’s Washington, D.C. office.
  • Syngenta and Bayer CropScience announced a co-development agreement on an HPPD herbicide tolerance trait for soybeans.
  • The National Potato Council launched a new website to inform school foodservice providers, nutrition opinion leaders, consumers, and potato industry stakeholders of the issues surrounding the proposed changes to the School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program by the USDA.
  • The Kansas Soybean Association staff now includes a director of communications. In the newly created position, Brad Parker will produce, manage and implement all of the organization’s communications and outreach programs.
    Zimfo Bytes

    The Check-Row Planter

    Melissa Sandfort

    Ever watch the Sesame Street skit with Grover where he’s comparing near and far? It’s been a while since I’ve done then and now, so it was time to bring that back to the repertoire. I guess it’s an equal comparison: then (far) and now (near).

    Then: This is a photo of a 2-row check row planter used in the 1920s and before. The mechanism was horse-drawn through the field as a wire was put down the row; and every 42 inches there was a knot in the wire and when it was tripped, the seeds were planted. They’d go back to the starting point, move the wire over by hand, and do it all over again down the next row.

    Back then, they didn’t have mechanical weed control, so the 42-inch row/seed spacing allowed for a horse to fit through to cultivate. The result? A checkerboard or tic tac toe field pattern. And, this one was an improvement over the first of its kind as it has planter plates.

    Now: Growers have abundant technology to farm faster, more acres, more hours, and more yield potential through the use of guidance systems and 24, 36 or 48-row planters. And that’s all in one shot: seed, fertilizer and crop protection.

    Back then, if you farmed 80 acres you were a BIG operation. These days, 80 acres is just one small field.

    Until we walk again …

    Uncategorized

    Getting Together With KFEQ On A Saturday Morning

    Chuck Zimmerman

    This morning on KFEQ-AM 680 you could hear a conversation between me and Farm Director, Tom Brand. Tom likes to chat with other farm broadcasters on his weekly program and in this case he made it more of a farm webcaster. I really appreciated the opportunity to talk about what we do and in our conversation we also get into social media and how it’s being used by farmers today.

    Tom and I worked together at the Brownfield Network once upon a time!

    Listen in here: KFEQ Saturday Morning Get Together

    Audio, Media

    GROWMARK Facilities Planning and Logistics

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Here’s the latest installment of our “Getting To Know GROWMARK” series. We’re going to talk about facilities planning and logistics with Tom Nealey, Facility Planning/Certified Grain Systems Specialist. He says they touch many parts of the company from an equipment standpoint. That includes fuel and propane delivery trucks. Also included are national account programs for members for equipment, vehicles and grain handling systems. There is a construction group to build elevators and an engineering department.

    Tom says there are two parts to what they do for members that includes on-farm bins with full support and commercial construction for elevators. They have several of these projects in progress right now. He says they’re very busy this season. When it comes to facilities production they really cover the full process from design to construction. Although most of their work is for members they also bid on non-member work projects too. Safety and training are very important in this area and the company conducts on-going training support for members and customers.

    You can listen to my interview with Tom here and learn even more about GROWMARK: Tom Nealey Interview

    Agribusiness, Audio, GROWMARK

    Zimfo Bytes

    Melissa Sandfort

      Zimfo Bytes

    • The American Meat Science Association has announced registration is now open for the AMSA 64th Reciprocal Meat Conference, to be held June 19-22, 2011, in Manhattan, Kan.
    • Kubota Corporation has named Mr. Yuichi “Ken” Kitao as the new President of Kubota Tractor Corporation, based in Torrance, Calif.
    • On April 12 in Chicago, Ill., the American Meat Science Association Student Membership is offering a leadership conference designed to equip participants with the techniques needed to positively promote the meat and poultry industry to the public.
    • National Sorghum Producers recently welcomed two new members to its board of directors — Tony Heitschmidt of Bushton, Kan., and Leon Sowers of Murdock, Kan.
      Zimfo Bytes

      Farmers Speaking Out On Social Media

      Chuck Zimmerman

      ZimmCast 298You should know by now that the AgChat Foundation has turned one year old this week and the weekly AgChat Twitter conversation is two years old. I’ll bet even Michele Payn-Knoper (founder) would not have predicted that! So the baby is growing up and there’s lots of interesting things going on as this farmer led organization continues to plough new ground in agricultural communications.

      I spoke today with Jeff Fowle, President, AgChat Foundation and California farmer (that’s him under the hat probably tweeting away) to get an update on where we’re at and where we’re going. I also serve on the board of the Foundation and we had a very well attended and exciting board meeting by conference call last night.

      Americans may have noticed a new social media trend this past year: more Facebook posts from the farm, more tweets from the tractor and more blogs from the back forty.

      The timing of this social media “stampede” couldn’t be better, says Jeff Fowle, president of the AgChat Foundation. Celebrating its one-year anniversary this week, the AgChat Foundation is a 100-percent volunteer organization formed to empower farmers and ranchers to effectively tell their stories using social media. He says in one 2010 study conducted by the Hartman Group, 59 percent of consumers purchasing local said they wanted a “connection to the farmer.”

      Bring yourself up to date on what’s going on with the AgChat Foundation by listening to this week’s program: ZimmCast 298 - AgChat Foundation Turns One

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

      The program ends this week with a song from Music Alley called “Chatshow Queen” by Stuart Willmott.

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

      Ag Groups, Audio, Farming, Social Networking, ZimmCast

      Have a Veggie Garden? Join the Home Farming Movement.

      Melissa Sandfort

      Home Farming Day is April 12th, and you can join the Home Farming movement by growing your own veggies and herbs at home. It’s easy. It all begins with a love of fresh, home-grown food…and a seed. From a pot on the windowsill of your apartment to a raised bed in your backyard, Home Farming has all you need for your home farm. Whether you’re a beginner or green-thumbed pro, there’s a place you can go to share and grow.

      Here’s what the site can do:
      – The Farm Plan tool can help you plan your plot.
      – Keep track of your farm activity and share your successes with the community and your Facebook friends.
      – Ask and answer questions to gain knowledge, help others, and get involved.

      The season kicks off on April 12th with live “plantathons” in New York, L.A. and Tampa…and you could win $1,000 to create the ultimate home farm.

      Sign on today and put your home farm on the map.

      Farming