Robert Dasher is Southeastern Farmer of the Year

Chuck Zimmerman

I sure wish I was in Georgia where the sun is shining on the Sunbelt Ag Expo. The winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year was announced today.

He’s Robert Dasher of G&R Farms in Glennville, GA. He’s a pioneer in the Vidalia sweet onion industry.

Dasher was announced as winner during the Willie B. Withers Luncheon at the 2010 Sunbelt Ag Expo farm show in Moultrie, Ga. The award honors excellence in agricultural production and management and leadership in community and farm organizations. The award also recognizes family contributions in producing safe and abundant supplies of food, fiber and shelter for U.S. consumers.

Farming, Sunbelt Ag Expo

Missouri Prop B Video Captures Essence of Supporters

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s so sad but so true. All the supporters of the HSUS sponsored ballot initiative can see is the word “puppy” and they assume it’s good. It doesn’t take much effort to look into it and see that this is completely unnecessary and only meant as a way to wreak more havoc on everyone involved in animal agriculture. We don’t need this thing but anyone want to bet on the outcome? What percentage of urban voters do you think will be like the clueless animal in this video?

BTW. Anyone who mistreats animals should be prosecuted. However, unlicensed and non-inspected dog breeders in Missouri are the problem and this ballot initiative will do nothing to change the situation we have. How about just better enforcing the laws we have?

Ag Groups, Animal Activists, Video, Wackos

NAFB Banquet Goes Formal

Cindy Zimmerman

With a Hollywood theme this year, the NAFB President’s Banquet on Saturday Friday night will be a formal affair, according to convention coordinator and president-elect Lindsay Hill of ABN Radio Network. (Shows my age! Used to be on Saturday night…once upon a time…)

“While the general dress code for the convention is business casual, this year’s President Banquet will be a black-tie optional affair. Suits with jackets and tie are suggested for men, and cocktail dress for the ladies,” says Lindsay.

They have even arranged for a vendor for guys to order a tux for the event – Sir Knight Formal Wear in Kansas City. That’s where the photo comes from as an example of the many styles they have to offer. Sorry girls, it’s only the tuxedos for rent, not the hot guy in the photo!

Find out more about the NAFB convention program here.

NAFB

Did you Miss World Dairy Expo?

Cindy Zimmerman

world dairy expo 2010If you missed the 2010 World Dairy Expo, you missed a lot!

Here’s some of the posts we did on World Dairy Diary – including audio, video and photos that you are welcome to download or link to.

Amazing Results in Boosting Milk Fat Levels – interview with Dr. Scott Bascom, a nutritionist with Cooperative Plus in Wisconsin.

How Lower Protein Rations Can Increase the Bottom Line – interviews with Dr. Larry Chase with Cornell University and Dr. Bob Stoltzfus with Lancaster Veterinary Associates.

Five Star Dairy Wins Environmental Award – first ever award by Wisconsin Dairy Business Association.

RFID at the Speed of Commerce – using ultra high radio frequency (UHF) to tag identify large groups of moving animals.

Interviews with Dairyman and Dairy Woman of the Year – Don Bennink of Florida and Liz Doornink of Wisconsin.

Precision Feeding of Dairy Replacement Heifers – interview with Pat Hoffman from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Award Winning Dairy Credit Scours Protection – Interview with Dave Hartford of Oakridge-Bahler Farm, Connecticut.


Using a Brix Refractometer to Measure Colostrum Quality – $50 investment can be a big help for producers.

Robotic Post-Milking Spray System – See a video of how it works.

New Robotic Feedpusher Video – kinda looks like R2D2!

Thanks to our sponsors this year:
Alpharma Arm & Hammer Charleston-Orwig Novartis Animal Health and Novus

Dairy, Novus International, World Dairy Expo

Rapping Dairy

Chuck Zimmerman

Here’s a little social media marketing for you. It’s Yeo Valley Group’s rap video to promote their products. How many of you agribusiness companies are brave enough to try it? Thanks to Lindsay at Corn Scoops for the heads up.

I really like the name of their YouTube channel which is Yeotube.

Dairy, International, Social Networking, Video

Testing and Conditioning Seeds

Chuck Zimmerman

I was fascinated to see the Iowa State University Seed Science Center which was a tour stop for the TATT Global Farmer to Farmer Roundtable. One of our hosts was Michael Stahr, Seed Laboratory Manager.

The first thing that really got my attention was their herbarium which contains over 6,000 vials of seeds that date back to when George Washington Carver was doing work there. These are used primarily to compare and identify seed samples. It is of course in a locked cabinet! Michael says they test seeds for a variety of things. In fact, they’re the largest public seed lab in the country doing over 40,000 tests/year. Besides testing they also do seed conditioning. They conduct workshops for seed company personnel to improve the quality of their seed.

You can listen to my interview with Michael here: Michael Stahr Interview

Thanks again to the National Corn Growers Association for making my participation possible.

TATT Global Farmer To Farmer Roundtable Photo Album

Audio, Education, Seed, Technology, University

Getting Geeky At NAFB Convention

Chuck Zimmerman

The annual National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention is only a few weeks away. I hope you’re registered. If you’ve got your geek on then plan to attend my session on Wed. afternoon from 1:15 to 2:00 pm. I’m doing, “Tech Savvy – The Latest and Greatest Tools for Broadcasters.” I’m pretty sure we’ll be going beyond the microphone.

Technology has changed. Did you know that? LOL. So, as part of the overall professional improvement content for the convention I’ll be showcasing some of the latest tools of the trade. We will undoubtedly have some you’ve never seen. As an added bonus, these items and product literature will be on display during the convention in the news room. And as an even bigger bonus, most of these items will be given away as door prizes at different times and we may even have some in the NAFB Foundation auction!

This is a first time effort so I’ve got some questions for you. Can you forward me any particular brand/model/contact info you may have to send a product request to? I’ve already sent many of them but I’m sure I haven’t covered all companies out there. What type of equipment are you most interested in? What equipment would help you do your job better? Just send me an email if you can. Thanks.

NAFB

LPC Royal Gala Fundraiser

Chuck Zimmerman

It is time once again for the Livestock Publications Council, American Royal Gala Fundraiser. The event will be held at American Royal Heaquarters on Friday, October 29 from 6-10pm. There will be food and beverage and the unveiling of the 2011 Hall of Honor Inductees (Bob Funk, Express Ranch, OK – Headliner; Lionel Chambers, Editor Emeritus, The Cattleman, TX – Hall of Fame).

Funds raised are used for the ongoing improvement of the LPC Heritage Center at the American Royal. The Center was introduced in 2005 and includes portraits of the distinguished Hall of Honor and Headliner honorees. A second phase of the Center is the Hall of History which will display the evolution of livestock publishing.

Attire is Flappers and Gangsters. Contact Diane at LPC to find out what that means and get registered.

LPC

Missouri Ag Coalition Fights HSUS Prop B

Cindy Zimmerman

Missourians for animal careSigns opposing a proposition on the Missouri ballot backed by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) are popping up all over the state with election day just around the corner.

Like David against Goliath, Missouri’s agriculture groups, united under the banner Missourians for Animal Care, are fighting against the heavily-funded HSUS campaign with yard signs and a volunteer phone campaign. Proposition B, the “Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act,” is aimed at dog breeders, but livestock interests fear it is just the first step in furthering the HSUS anti-animal agriculture agenda in Missouri. They also contend that the regulations for legitimate dog breeders are so strict that it will basically put them out of business, while the unlicensed breeders who already are breaking the laws on the books will just continue to do so.

The Missourians for Animal Care group and others opposed to the proposition are fighting an uphill battle as proponents are saturating the airwaves with a multi-million dollar, mostly out-of-state funded, campaign featuring sad and heartbreaking stories and images of puppies raised in substandard conditions. But they are fighting anyway and we have our sign in the front yard. All we can do is hope and pray that good sense will prevail! Umm, yeah.

Read a good story on the issue from the KC Star here.

Animal Activists, Livestock, Wackos

The Pulse of Agri-Pulse

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 277In this week’s ZimmCast we’re going to take the pulse of Agri-Pulse Communications with President, Sara Wyant. Sara says that her company will be celebrating seven years very soon. So will ZimmComm so perhaps we should celebrate together! Agri-Pulse publishes a weekly news report and also has a blog, “Ag Policy From The Inside Out.”

Sara was a speaker at the recent Export Exchange 2010 DDGS seminar in Chicago. I spoke with her following her presentation. Sara started out all by herself with an electronic newsletter and now has several people on her staff and has placed more emphasis on her website content. Sara says the most rewarding feedback she has received is in the form of personal comments like a recent one in which she was told, “I don’t go out and go to any industry meeting or give a speech unless I’ve read you first.” So if you’re not subscribing to Agri-Pulse you may want to join everyone else!

Please enjoy this week’s program: ZimmCast 277 - Interview with Sara Wyant

This week’s program ends with some fun music from Music Alley. It’s a song titled, “The Last Impulse” by YTheBand. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsors, Novus International, and Leica Geosytems 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, Media, ZimmCast