It’s 100% Wearable

Melissa Sandfort

Before I buy a shirt, I look at the label to see if it’s 100% cotton. If it is, it usually requires ironing. I think I have an iron and ironing board somewhere in the house. Maybe. 100% cotton means it stays on the rack and I look for another shirt. I bet when Grandpa’s mother made a sweater out of wool, Grandpa didn’t say, “I don’t like to wear 100% wool. It’s scratchy. Can you make a different one?”

And his mom made the sweaters entirely by hand, starting with carding. A pair of cards (pictured here) is used to brush the wool between them until the fibers are more or less aligned in the same direction. The aligned fiber is then peeled from the card as a rolag and used for spinning, which then in turn, is used to make clothing.

To card, the person carding sits with a card in each hand. The card in the non-dominant hand rests on a leg. A small amount of fiber placed on this card and the other card pulled through the fiber. The moving card separates, straightens, and aligns the fibers. This step, repeated many times, transfers small amounts of the wool to the moving card. Once all the wool has been transferred, the cards are swapped hand-for-hand and the process repeated until all of the fiber is sufficiently aligned and satisfactorily free of debris at which time a rolag is peeled from the card.

They now have drum carders, cottage and commercial carders so people don’t have to do this by hand. I bet Grandpa’s mother would’ve enjoyed the extra free time. To think I don’t even remember how to turn on my sewing machine.

Until we walk again…

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Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

    National Agricultural Aviation Association Convention

    Chuck Zimmerman

    It’s a beautiful day to fly in Savannah, GA. And we’ve got a lot of pilots here at the National Agricultural Aviation Association convention. They fly for a living so I’m pretty sure they like having some time off and doing a little relaxing and learning. They’re all getting registered at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center. I’ve got that done but don’t get into full gear until tomorrow morning’s welcome breakfast.

    Interestingly, the convention center is across the river from downtown and I’m on the town side. But we’ve got buses and water taxis so we’re in good shape.

    Of course I’ve already been taking photos and they will be collecting in an online album the next couple days which you can find here: 2010 NAAA Convention Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the NAAA Convention is sponsored by BASF.

    Ag Groups, BASF, NAAA

    On The Road To Agricultural Aviation

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The next stop on the agriblogging highway is the 44th annual convention and trade show for the National Agricultural Aviation Association. This year it is being held in Savannah, GA. AgWired coverage of this year’s event is being sponsored by BASF. Coverage should begin by Monday morning. I don’t know how many will be tweeting but I’m recommending the hashtag #agaviation until I learn differently.

    NAAA chose “Stewards of the Sky” as the theme of this year’s convention because agricultural aviation and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. The 2010 convention will celebrate the work that aerial applicators and the people that support them carry out every day by ensuring that the benefits of America’s agriculture remain plentiful while protecting and preserving the nation’s natural resources for future generations to enjoy.

    Ag Groups, NAAA

    Facebook Gets New Holland T7 Adventure Game

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The New Holland social media Facebook game, T7 Adventure, has been updated to include a level 2. The game was created for the launch of the new New Holland T7 Series Tractors. The game lets you test yourself and discover the new features of the tractor. And since it’s “social” you can share your score and challenge your friend. More levels are planned for the future.

    To start the game click on ‘Go to application’ and then click on the start button that appears in the window to get going.

    Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to control the tractor. Forward, reverse, left and right.

    Complete the road section in the fastest time. When you get to the field, collect all the bonuses by driving over the silver New Holland logos, when you’ve collected them all, go back to the farm and you’ve finished your work … at least for now!

    Get the highest score and find out all about the New Holland T7 range’s exciting features.

    Share your score and challenge your friends to better it … if they dare!

    Don’t forget to keep checking back for the latest farming challenges.

    Happy driving!

    Agribusiness, New Holland, Social Networking

    Change the Game Management

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Resistance to change is normal, but there are ways to move people to make changes, without forcing them!

    Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica (BIVI) is hosting its third annual “Area Regional Control of PRRS” seminar in Chicago today, prior to the start of the 2010 International PRRS Symposium. Since the concept of ARC is a regional approach, it requires the participation of all hog producers in a relatively small area to work, and sometimes that involves overcoming resistance to change.

    Ryan Bracken (pictured on the right) with Global Six Sigma and Carl Aspler (left) of Carl Aspler & Associates presented some change management strategies for the participants in the workshop. Ryan has a background for utilizing the methodology of Six Sigma with hog production companies to help them with problem solving. “Building the case for change is one key element,” Ryan says. “People assume that just because they understand the need for elimination of PRRS that others will understand it as well.”

    Listen to an interview with Ryan here here: Ryan Bracken

    Carl noted that the effectiveness of change is a combination of the technical aspects and people, but the people part of the equation is often the most difficult. He presented methods of identifying problems and overcoming resistance from key stakeholders that can and are used successfully in all sizes of companies and organizations, as well as in everyday life. “The key questions are who’s out there, what are their concerns, and what can I do to make them feel more comfortable with this project?,” Carl says. Communication is key, as well as sitting down with pencil and paper and mapping out clear strategy.

    Listen to an interview with Carl here here: Carl Aspler

    2010 BIVI PRRS Area Regional Control Workshop photos

    Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Swine

    New Precision Products From John Deere

    Chuck Zimmerman

    When it comes to what’s new with John Deere Dan Hawkins (pictured on right) was ready, willing and able talk about them at the recent NAFB convention Trade Talk Session. Dan works in the Ag Management Solutions group. He says that John Deere brought three main products to market this year that include JD Link, GreenStar 3 display and StarFire 3000 receiver.

    The new JD Link is a wireless communication and information solution for John Deere tractors and self-propelled forage harvesters. It helps you keep tabs on each machine in your operation and makes remote, automated equipment management a reality.

    You can listen to my interview with Dan to hear more about their new precision products here: John Deere Interview

    NAFB Convention Photo Album

    Agribusiness, Audio, John Deere, NAFB, Precision Agriculture

    Alltech Investing In Children

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Aidan Connolly, VP, Alltech, was not in the booth when I did a walking photo shoot of the NAFB convention Trade Talk session but I got to interview him later. Pictured are Billy Frey and Susanna Elliott. Congratulations go to Aidan for being named an Associate Professor at University College Dublin’s (UCD’s) School of Business, for a five year period until November 2015.

    Aidan was talking about the gap between the farm and urban communities. He says that to bridge that gap is a struggle. Alltech is concerned with who our future politicians are, our future employees and future consumers in general. They need to understand where their food comes from. So Alltech has invested a lot in children through educational efforts like bringing in over 60,000 to their exhibit at the recent Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Another topic important to Alltech right now is sustainability. He says that it is very clear that “things are not going to stay the same.” Farmers need to become progressive and embrace innovation. That will including feeding different feed stocks to their animals. He cites algae proteins as one such item that will play a key role in a sustainable food system . He says we also have to look at ways to add value to food.

    You can listen to my interview with Aidan here: Alltech Interview

    NAFB Convention Photo Album

    Agribusiness, Alltech, Audio, NAFB

    Zimfo Bytes

    Melissa Sandfort

      Zimfo Bytes

    • LED lighting specialists, Glo lighting, launched the AgriLamp 30W Dimmable Broiler Lamp designed specifically for the broiler segment of the poultry industry.
    • Outstanding leaders from across the international dairy industry are being sought for World Dairy Expo’s annual recognition awards.
    • The 2010 World Appaloosa Sale generated an overall average sale price of $4,481. This year’s high-seller at $25,000 was Miss Ice Te, a Yearling Incentive consignment from Winning Ways Ranch, Riverside, Calif.
    • The 2011 IFAJ Congress will take place Sept. 14-18 in Guelph, Ontario.
      Zimfo Bytes

      The High Cost of PRRS

      Cindy Zimmerman

      Hog farmers who might be resistant to the idea of participating in an Area Regional Control and Elimination (ARC&E) program for PRRS (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome) because they don’t think it’s a problem need to listen to Brent Sandidge’s story.

      Brent is a successful producer located in Saline county, Missouri. He was not on the program here at the ARC&E Working Group workshop today hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica (BIVI) in Chicago, but he showed up to find out more about implementing a program in his area and to tell his story.

      “A year ago, I wouldn’t have been here – PRRS was the last thing on my mind,” Brent told the group. But, his operation and a couple of others nearby experienced a major PRRS outbreak in May of this year. “In about a five week period, we hauled off 619,000 pounds of dead (animals),” he said. “We’re about a 3,000 sow farm and it’s roughly going to cost us about $3 million this year.”

      Brent believes the disease came from the poor handling of an accident involving a truckload of pigs that had just left his farm. He’s not positive that’s where the outbreak originated but he says it made him decide to spearhead a PRRS ARC&E program in Missouri. “We’re in the process of getting negative again, we’ve got funding from the Missouri Pork Association, we’ve got a committee formed,” and the reason he was at the workshop today was to find out what they need to do next.

      Listen to Brent’s story here: Brent Sandidge

      A growing number of the projects are being implemented around the country, thanks to the strong support of BIVI. Today’s workshop was focused on ways to overcome challenges in implementation, as well as the progress that has been achieved. BIVI will be sponsoring a more general workshop on Area Regional Control and Elimination of PRRS here tomorrow, just prior to the kickoff of the 2010 International PRRS Symposium.

      2010 BIVI PRRS Area Regional Control Workshop photos

      Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Swine