PRRS Area Regional Control Updates

Cindy Zimmerman

The number of PRRS Area Regional Control and Elimination (ARC&E) projects continues to grow in hog producing areas of North America.

“It actually grows like every month,” says Dr. Laura Batista, a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim (BIVI) PRRS Area Solutions Team, who organized the recent ARC&E workshop and update in Chicago. “Last year I think we were supporting five and now we’re about 14 projects.” Some of the newer projects include Iowa County, IA and north central Illinois, just outside of Chicago.

Laura says they expect the number of projects to continue growing. “Because some of the projects are not in densely populated areas, we consider some of them pilot projects,” she said. “We need to separate those areas in little clusters. So I think we are going to go to projects where there is more pig population.”

BIVI embraced the concept of ARC&E for PRRS (Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome) about three years ago and created the Area Solutions Team to help coordinate research and support the efforts of ARC&E working groups.

Listen to my interview with Laura here here: Laura Batista

2010 BIVI PRRS Area Regional Control Workshop photos

Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Swine

Free Range Internet Via Ayrstone AyrMesh

Chuck Zimmerman

Here’s a company that I did not get to talk with at the recent NAFB convention Trade Talk session. However, the Ayrstone AyrMesh seemed very interesting and I thought I’d bring it to your attention. It sounds good and maybe ZimmComm World Headquarters could use it to improve our wifi experience! If you’ve used one please leave a comment about your experience.

Now you and your Internet have the run of the place.

New for people living and working in open spaces: the Ayrstone AyrMeshTM Wi-Fi system. This long-range Wi-Fi provides Internet to your entire farm, homestead or open space by broadcasting your broadband Internet connection. Use your farm Wi-Fi to save time inside, outside and all around your place:

* Follow your tractor maintenance manual from your laptop instead of wasting time printing it out
* Key-in data about your farm animals from the barn instead of taking notes in a notebook
* Furnish Internet access to visitors, employees, contract workers
* Provide all your kids Internet access at homework time instead of the lineup next to the computer
* Take your home office out to the porch or under your favorite tree instead of staying cooped-up in the house

The AyrMesh network extends your home network to your open spaces including workshops, stables, garages, outbuildings and even pasture, without the chore digging in cables. Each AyrMesh Hub provides up to a half-mile of Wi-Fi coverage. Extend your coverage up to 2 miles by linking AyrMesh Hubs through Wi-Fi. Ready to purchase the Ayrstone AyrMesh system?

Equipment, Internet

Hoping For His Own Aerial Applicators Business

Chuck Zimmerman

The sponsor for one of the National Agricultural Aviation Association/BASF Scholarship winners this year is Waylon Woods, Wood’s Aviation. He’s pictured here (right) with scholarship recipient Matt Kollars. I visited with them during the NAAA convention to find out why Waylon sponsored Matt and what Matt plans to do with his scholarship.

Waylon says that he worked with Matt during the summer and was impressed with his work ethic. He appreciated his work and his help. He wasn’t surprised when he won and he knows the scholarship will help him a lot. With BASF as my sponsor for NAAA convention coverage I had to ask Waylon what he thought about their products and he says that this year he was “100 percent BASF.” I don’t think it gets any better than that.

You can listen to my interview with Waylon here: Waylon Woods Interview

Matt is planning to use the scholarship to continue his flight instruction since he can use the funds to not only get finished but in a more timely manner than he would have been able to otherwise. He says it “means a ton to me.” Matt says it has been a dream of his to fly and ag is a very exciting part of the industry. He hopes to one day have his own business.

You can listen to my interview with Matt here: Matthew Kollars Interview

2010 NAAA Convention Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the NAAA Convention is sponsored by BASF.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, BASF, Education, NAAA

Grocers Join Opposition Against Farmers

Joanna Schroeder

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to interview retired farmer Merle Anderson for my Between the Lines blog (Three Pieces of Advice From the Father of Ethanol). For those who truly know, love and respect Merle, he is none other than the “Father of Ethanol”. Thirty four years ago, Merle got a group of farmers together in Minnesota (he was a farmer in Climax, MN) to see how they could find a home for their surplus crops and their answer: ethanol. For the next 30 years or so, corn happened to be the only crop for ethanol that took off, but if Merle is right, other crops will have their day in the sun too.

Yet despite the successes of the of corn ethanol industry, there is something that is really bugging him and that is the lack of support from the food industry whom he feels should be supporters of a product that helps the food industry, not hurts, them.

Below is a letter to the editor from Merle that we have received permission to reprint. After you read it, you will definitely be looking at groceries in your cart a bit differently – even though you grew the food.

When I walk through the big doors of the Modern Grocery Store it seems like I’m walking through the pearly gates of Food Heaven.

Then I stop and ask myself if farmers produce most of the basic food items in these places, why does the Grocery Industry Lobby join in a lawsuit against farmers and renewable fuels?

The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) has lobbied against farmers by blaming ethanol for the high cost of food. Not true! The cost of food is up because of three plus dollars a gallon for fuel prices. Cost of processing, wrapping, boxing, and transportation is where your increased costs are.

The GMA has recently joined with Big Oil and others opposing groups in a lawsuit against the EPA because E15 was partially approved in our cars and pickups.

So as I wander through Food Heaven it causes me to ask these questions:Read More

Agribusiness, Corn, Ethanol

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

    Get Noticed At NAMA 2011

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Registration is now open for the 2011 National Agri-Marketing Conference. Really. I know you were waiting for this moment. Give a registration as a gift for that person you love or want to reward. Just an idea.

    And how about you agrimarketing companies? Do you have your sponsorship locked in yet? Now is the time!


    Last year’s Conference was the highest attended in a decade! NAMA has created a more concentrated promotions plan for our 2011 sponsors and partners than ever before. The earlier you sign up, the more exposure you receive!

    Take a look at the other companies already supporting our industry and getting their names out there. Then contact NAMA to find out which sponsorship best suits your budget and goals.

    More than 1,200 agri-marketing professionals will be in Kansas City, April 13-15, 2011. Make sure they notice your company and your support of ag marketing.

    NAMA

    Gateway NAMA Holiday Party

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Here’s a Christmas party to put on your list. Next week the Gateway (St. Louis) Chapter of NAMA will be holding a dinner and you really need to make your reservation today if possible. C’mon Gateway members and anyone interested in agrimarketing who will be in St. Louis next week.

    Not only will it be a great get-together but it’s also going to support a good cause. Half of the proceeds from the party will go to Stray Rescue of St. Louis to help them grow and to support their new shelter facility. Now there’s a better way to help animals than giving to the HSUS! Here’s the details:

    Date: Wed., Dec. 15, 6pm
    Location: Upper Cellar of Copia, 1122 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63101
    Cost: $25/person or #40/couple for dinner
    RSVP ASAP: Mandy Heth

    NAMA

    Andy Vance Joins Feedstuffs

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Andy Vance, formally with ABN Radio, has officially announced his new gig will be with Feedstuffs.

    “I’m very excited to announce that I’m joining Feedstuffs and Feedstuffs Foodlink as a featured contributor, writing for Feedstuffs’ weekly print and online editions, and providing exclusive online audio and video content,” Andy says on his blog “The Angle.”

    According to Feedstuffs, Andy starts his new job next week. “The challenges before agriculture today are indeed immense and, by nature, quite complex. They include such critical things as determining the unintended consequences of abandoning the modern food supply chain and even who has the right to impose their beliefs on the plates of others. We are excited to have Andy joining our team to provide his prospective on these and other related issues,” said Sarah Muirhead, Feedstuffs editor and publisher and co-creator of Feedstuffs FoodLink.

    Vance is an agricultural journalist, commentator and entrepreneur who is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading agricultural communicators. An active member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB), he received the 2006 NAFB Horizon Award recognizing excellence in farm broadcasting and promise for the future. He also received the 2009 Excellence in Agriculture Award from the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. Most recently, he led the broadcast team at the Agri Broadcast Network, earning the 2010 NAFB Newscast of the Year Award, national runner-up in the 2009 NAFB Newscast and Marketcast of the Year Awards and NAFB News Service Awards in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

    Vance also has become one of the nation’s foremost authorities on “new” and “social” media in agriculture.

    Congrats to Andy and to Feedstuffs on this exciting new partnership! Hope to hear equally good news about Lindsay Hill’s future soon.

    Media

    ABN Radio Ceases Operations

    Cindy Zimmerman

    It is always sad to report a death – in this case, the death of a very well-respected agricultural radio operation.

    The ABN (Agri Broadcast Network) was founded in 1972 by the late Ed Johnson and has a rich history of service to Ohio’s agricultural community. In 2007, the network was taken over by Lindsay Hill and Andy Vance, who got their start as farm broadcasters at ABN and launched the Buckeye Ag Radio Network (BARN) in 2005.

    Today, Lindsay made the sad news of the network’s ceasing operations official on their website.

    I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank you for your support of ABN Radio through the years. As the producers of the food, fiber and fuel that sustain our daily lives, farmers- and those of you employed in every aspect of agricultural production – are truly the backbone of America. It has been our most sincere pleasure to share your stories over the years.

    With that in mind, it is with great regret that I share that today marks the final day of operations for AdVance Broadcast & Communication, Ltd.

    I’d like to thank our advertising partners and friends who have supported this journey through the years. And, express my sincere appreciation to each of you for tuning into your radios to join us “on the farm” everyday.

    Andy left the network just a couple of weeks ago for a new assignment with Ohio FFA. Lindsay is president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) and expected to officially take over the post at the end of this month. No official word yet from NAFB how the status of the network and her job will affect her position in the farm broadcast organization.

    We know from experience how tough it is to have your own business, having been through it ourselves, so we sincerely wish our friends at ABN the best of luck in future endeavors.

    Media, NAFB