Support NAFB Foundation For Chance To Flip

Chuck Zimmerman

If you’re a member of the NAFB Foundation Booster Club then it’s time to renew. If you’re not, then join today. For incentive you’ll be in a drawing for a new Flip camera.

The NAFB Foundation Booster Club campaign is in full swing! A big thank you to all of the generous individuals and companies that have contributed to the 2010 Booster Club! We are still working toward our goal of $21,000.

It’s not too late to give and help the NAFB Foundation achieve its goal. All those who have contributed $100 or more in 2010, including those that give at the convention, will have their name entered in a drawing to win one of two Flip video camcorders.

All contributions made on-site will automatically be included. If you can’t make it to the NAFB Convention, you can still make your contribution online or by mailing a check to the NAFB office. To be eligible for the drawing contributions made before the convention must be received by close of business Friday, November 5.

Your support to help protect the future of ag and rural broadcasting is greatly appreciated. We hope we can count on your support!

NAFB

Agri-Pulse Pledge to Expand UI Communications Program

Cindy Zimmerman

Agri-Pulse Communications is putting their money where their mouth is to help communications students at the University of Illinois (UI) get the education they need to compete in a new media world.

Agri-Pulse“In today’s 24-7 news cycle, agriculture needs to have highly trained communicators who can write, broadcast, blog, tweet and utilize other types of communication tools in a way that provides audiences with accurate and timely information,” says Agri-Pulse Editor Sara Wyant. “This program has the potential to attract top talent for teaching and research.”

To that end, Agri-Pulse has announced a $10,000 pledge to UI to enhance its joint agricultural communications program with a first-of-its kind endowed chair in agricultural communications, named after distinguished professor James F. Evans, to support teaching and research in the field. As part of this joint program between the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) and the College of Media, the university plans to have at least three teaching positions and include initiatives in environmental and consumer communications.

“Dr. Evans has been a wonderful teacher and mentor for hundreds in agricultural communications and we are extremely pleased that the chair will be named in his honor,” adds Wyant. “This donation is a way for my husband, Allan Johnson, and I to give back to those who have helped us grow and prosper as agricultural communicators and demonstrate our support for the development of bright, capable experts who can communicate about food, feed, fiber, fuel, natural resources and rural development.” Sara’s son, Jordan Lutz, is a sophomore at UI studying agricultural and biological engineering,

Others can donate to the cause or find out more here.

Education, Media

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Cellectis plant sciences announced that it has signed a licensing agreement with Midwest Oilseeds Inc. The agreement provides Cellectis plant sciences with the ability to utilize Midwest’s Aerosol Beam Injector technology for precise modification of plant genomes.
  • Ag Software Designs, LLC is pleased to announce the launch of FieldRx, an independent web-based precision ag engine to be used by ag professionals for creating site-specific field prescriptions.
  • Bayer CropScience is pleased to announce the return of Movento and Ultor insecticides, which received re-issued registrations from the EPA.
  • New Holland Agriculture was presented with two awards for engineering innovation by the Agrosalon 2010 Exhibition committee: for the CSX7000 combine’s Opti-Fan system and the FR9000 forage harvester’s IntelliFill system.
    Zimfo Bytes

    They Just Don’t Make ‘Em…

    Melissa Sandfort

    …like they used to. I hear that same phrase muttered under the breath of house wives when it comes to washing machines and blenders, and the same from farmers when it comes to equipment. Things are made faster, cheaper, and don’t last as long as they used to. I think that’s to encourage continued consumer spending.

    Take this bridge for example. I almost wandered around in the weeds to look for a “patent date” marked on it because I’m quite sure it was built in the early 1900s. A century-old bridge. We celebrate century-old farms, and today I marvel that a bridge can last this long. The next thought that went through my head was – how do combines get over this bridge? I guess they don’t. They just take the other way around.

    There’s a story that goes along with this bridge. It involves a kitten, blanket and an old-school cooler that we couldn’t get the lid off of. I’ll save that story for another time.

    Until we walk again…

    Uncategorized

    FFA Convention Sets Record and Honors Advisor

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The 83rd National FFA Convention, which concluded over the weekend in Indianapolis, set an all-time event attendance record with a total crowd of 54,942 members, advisors, sponsors and guests.

    The new slate of young leaders for the organization are pictured here, left to right: Riley Pagett of Oklahoma, president; Landan Schaffert of Colorado, secretary; Shannon Norris of New Mexico, western region VP; James Flatt of Tennessee, southern region VP; Tiffany Rogers of Michigan, eastern region VP; and Wyatt DeJong of South Dakota, central region VP.

    The organization recognized the service of and bid farewell to its long-time national FFA advisor, Dr. Larry D. Case, who will retire on Jan. 1, 2011. “FFA members, you are the future and you make this Missouri farm boy proud,” Dr. Case said to the crowd at the convention. “I’m a thankful man. More than anything I’m thankful for the love of my family…thank you from the bottom of my heart for making it possible for me to be of service to others.”

    To honor Dr. Case for his 26 years of service to the organization, the FFA instituted the Larry D. and Joy L. Case Endowment that will be used to benefit agricultural instructor training, student leader development and global agriculture career opportunities. As of Oct. 22, $63,500 has been raised for the Case Endowment principal. T-shirts with the national advisor’s face are being sold and “FFAowl” can be texted to 20222 by any cell phone and $10 will be donated to the endowment.

    FFA

    Pheasant Success

    Chuck Zimmerman

    This farmland in central South Dakota is just some of the best land to hunt pheasant. Once again this year my group got their limit each day.

    With all the birds cleaned and in the freezer it’s time to relax and watch some more football. Feel free to share your favorite pheasant recipe if you’ve got one.

    I’ll add mine to this post later but I can tell you it has a lot of cream and is wonderful.

    Uncategorized

    Corn Harvesting

    Chuck Zimmerman

    On the drive up to central South Dakota I saw a lot of this. These guys were working very close to my destination so I took a photo before driving around them on the gravel road.

    This weekend I’m mostly off the grid due to no AT&T service and very little Verizon. Yeah. It’s kind of like withdrawal but it works enough to post a photo! Now if the rain would just stop we could go out and kill some pheasants. I actually got here early enough last night to get one so the weekend started off on a positive note. Photos will come later.

    Uncategorized

    Missouri Producer Wins Gator

    Melissa Sandfort

    In partnership with Sydenstricker Implements, the Missouri Corn Growers Association (MCGA) awarded one lucky corn grower a new all-terrain vehicle as part of a recent membership promotion. Winning the 2010 John Deere TS 4×2 Gator was Carl Landewee, a grain farmer from Chaffee, Mo.

    The “Gator Give-A-Way” was part of MCGA’s summer membership drive designed to help raise awareness of the organization and its mission. Running from May 3 through Aug. 19, individuals who signed up for a new MCGA membership or renewed an existing membership were entered for a chance to win the John Deere off-road vehicle.

    Uncategorized

    Zimfo Bytes

    Melissa Sandfort

      Zimfo Bytes

    • Farm Journal Television announces the launch of “Outdoors on the Farm,” a new, national 30-minute weekly program showcasing farmers and ranchers who utilize their land for more than crop and livestock production.
    • What started as a grassroots effort by a group of young people to support American family farmers and ranchers, has become an official non-profit organization. I Love Farmers…They Feed My Soul elected its first board of directors on Sept. 29 in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
    • Dal Grooms, a long-time communications professional in Iowa agriculture circles, has been hired by the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association as communications director.
    • U.S. Wheat Associates released its 2009-10 Annual Report covering worldwide marketing activities and developments from June 2009 through May 2010 for all six classes of U.S. wheat.
      Zimfo Bytes

      Vilsack Defends GIPSA on AgriTalk

      Cindy Zimmerman

      Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack defended the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule during a segment on Agri-Talk yesterday, after an economic study was released showing that implementing the rule as proposed would cost 104,000 jobs and $14 billion to the economy.

      Vilsack says it is “unfair and inaccurate” for livestock and meat groups to say that no economic analysis has been done by USDA regarding the rule. “We are required … to assess the potential costs and benefits of regulatory action,” said Vilsack. “We looked at the impact of this proposal on small entities, we analyzed effective alternatives that minimize the impact and we made this analysis available for public comment.”

      Vilsack says the analysis is available on pages 35345-35349 of the Federal Register where the rule was first published on June 22, 2010. If you check it out, you will find that it says “a summary cost-benefit analysis is presented.” However, not being well versed in the language of bureaucrats, I couldn’t figure out exactly what it says. It does refer to some of the costs that producers and suppliers might have to incur under the rule, but I think the difference here is that the Dunham study focuses more broadly on the costs to the economy as a whole in terms of employment and GDP. There does not seem to be any such broad economic analysis in the Federal Register.

      Vilsack was on Agri-Talk yesterday to discuss his renewable fuels initiatives announcement, so the GIPSA comments were secondary. It seems to be the most the secretary has said in regard to the rule since it was released. Listen to it here. Vilsack Discusses GIPSA on AgriTalk

      National Cattlemen’s Beef Association president Steve Foglesong will be on AgriTalk Monday to discuss the proposed rule, which NCBA fears will have unintended consequences and result in harming cattle producers. Public comment is being accepted on the rule through November 22.

      GIPSA, USDA