New Soybean Federation Officers and Affiliates

Cindy Zimmerman

The year-old U.S. Soybean Federation (USSF) has two new state affiliates and new officers to announce.

us soybean federationAccording to a news release, the Minnesota Soybean Federation (MSF) and the Oklahoma Soybean Federation (OSF) have joined USSF as state affiliates. They join the Nebraska Soybean Federation, Missouri Soybean Association, Oklahoma Soybean Federation and the Minnesota Soybean Federation as part of the group that was formed in 2009 with a mission of “ensuring U.S. soybean producers and the soybean industry are provided the maximum opportunity for success in the global marketplace through policy and advocacy efforts.”

The USSF Board of Directors also announces recently elected new officers for the organization.

Stepping into the position of president is Jerry Slocum, a soybean farmer from Coldwater, Miss. “I’m proud to serve as an advocate for my fellow soybean farmers on policy issues at the national level,” says Slocum. “These days we can’t have enough voices in our nation’s capital speaking on behalf of agriculture and farmers.”

Joining Slocum on the USSF Executive Committee are Brian Greenslit, vice president and a soybean farmer from Franklin, Minn.; Greg Anderson, secretary/treasurer and a soybean farmer from Newman Grove, Neb.; and Warren Stemme, chairman and a soybean farmer from Chesterfield, Mo.

The USSF Board of Directors will meet again this summer where it will review additional policy objectives moving forward. While OSF has already been accepted as a USSF member, MSF will formally be accepted at that time.

Soybean

Farm Bureau Outlines Farm Bill Principles

Cindy Zimmerman

The House Agriculture Committee has been holding hearings already to get input on the 2012 Farm Bill.

afbfLast week, the committee heard from representatives of major agricultural organizations about farm safety net programs. Among those testifying was Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson on behalf of the American Farm Bureau Federation, who noted that farmers in every state rely in some way on the economic safety net provided in the 2008 farm bill, but which programs are judged most beneficial depends largely on a farmer’s crop and region.

afbf“While our farmers are generally supportive of the safety net provided in the 2008 farm bill, it can sometimes feel like you’re reading the old children’s story ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ when you talk to individual farmers about their experiences with farm programs,” Nelson testified. “Some farmers think the safety net coverage provided under the 2008 farm bill is ‘just right.’ But in other cases and for other farmers the coverage is sometimes too little. In a small number of cases, the coverage may even be duplicative and too much.”

Acknowledging that the 2012 farm bill will be written in a difficult budget environment, Nelson said AFBF believes that five key principles should be followed during the rewrite process – that the options be fiscally responsible; that the basic funding structure of the 2008 farm bill should not be altered; that proposals will aim to benefit all agricultural sectors; that world trade rulings should be considered; and that consideration be given to the stable business environment that is critical to success in agriculture.

Read Nelson’s testimony or watch a video of it on the AFBF website.

AFBF

Absence Speaks Louder Than Presence

Melissa Sandfort

In recent weeks, myself and two partners in crime have gone through what’s politely referred to as an “external evaluation.” Let’s face it folks, it’s an audit. During this process, we were subjected to an interview. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t been interviewed for about 3 years now and it felt a little threatening at first. I’m usually the one on the other end of the microphone, asking someone else to talk. After I had a chance to mull over the conversation, something was still plaguing me.

Tradeshows.

I was asked: How do you measure the success of a tradeshow?

My answer: Well, we do a drawing/giveaway at every show, and it’s based on personal contact, so if you figure up the “cost per impression” you’re looking at about $100 per impression. You have the booth cost, travel, lost time per employee, food, lodging, items to hand out at the booth …

Ouch.

As a PR professional, I find measurement of tradeshows to be the hardest task when it comes to justifying what’s in my job description so that they keep me working year-to-year. The appropriate answer to the question above is that our absence speaks louder than our presence at some shows. But how do you measure that? I can feel the mom coming out in me: BECAUSE I SAID SO, THAT’S WHY!

So what I’m asking of my colleagues is this: How do you effectively measure tradeshow participation when you just have to be there, just because someone said so?

We are now open for comments.

Until we walk again…

Uncategorized

Why Agriculture Needs Corn Ethanol to Survive

Joanna Schroeder

“If you really look at whose behind the ethanol industry, it’s the American agricultural industry,” said Steve McNich, CEO of Western Plains Energy based in Oakley, Kansas. “There’s no better example at working your way out of a market than the American farmers. The history of the American farmer is that if there is ever an opportunity to make money, they’ll produce enough to make sure that doesn’t happen. The ethanol industry is no different.”

This is how McNich explained the tie of American farmers to the ethanol industry and what the future may hold with the predictions that America will have the largest corn harvest in the country’s history this year. This coming after several years of record production levels and rising surplus numbers.

One of the main problems with current policy, specifically the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2), is that it caps corn-based ethanol numbers to 15 billion gallons and also stipulates that corn ethanol can never be considered an advanced fuel. McNich explained that another problem with the policy is that while people perceive the policy to pit biofuels against oil, it really pits biofuels against biofuels. He said that as advanced technologies get into the market, it will further limit the amount of corn ethanol in the marketplace which is going to put more and more corn on the ground. McNich continued, “We could have an economic train wreck this country is not prepared for and ultimately looking at a farm bail-out.”

You can listen to Steve’s full interview here. Steve McNich Interview

Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy expanded upon the surplus concern by stressing that the American farmer can produce the fuel America needs and still produce food. However, Americans have been fed mis-truths so Growth Energy has launched a national TV campaign to re-introduce the benefits of ethanol to Americans.

Buis also noted that a year ago, when Growth Energy was formed, they knew the importance of consumer involvement in telling ethanol’s story and so they created GrowthForce. Now more than 17,000 members strong, the team of consumers helps to tell ethanol’s positive story to neighbors, friends and colleagues and legislators. You can become a member by signing up here.

As policy is one of the key elements to the future success and growth of the ethanol industry, Growth Energy is focused on several key pieces of legislation on the federal level including mandating all cars be flex-fuel, all gas stations should have a blender pump, as well as the extension of the ethanol blender’s credit, and keeping the ethanol tariff in place. You can hear Tom Buis discuss these key priorities in an interview here. Tom Buis Interview

Agribusiness, Audio, Corn, Ethanol

Dairy Solutions Symposium 2010

Chuck Zimmerman

This is where I’ll be this week. The Netherlands and the Dairy Solutions Symposium put on by Alltech and the Centre for Animal Nutrition. It will be held at Utrecht University on Thursday and Friday. Most of my posting will be on World Dairy Diary.

Rumen health is of critical importance for efficient transformation of dairy cows diets into nutrients. As such it is a major cause of economic losses in the dairy industry and important in maintaining the health and welfare of the animal.

This two day symposium, Rumen Health: A 360 degree Analysis, aims to bring together leading scientists in dairy nutrition to discuss a variety of topics including the impact of rumen pH on ruminal digestion, occurrence and prevention of sub-acute rumen acidosis, maintenance of an optimum rumen function and Ruminal adaptations during the transition period.

For you Twitter fans and I know there are a lot of you in the dairy business, follow the conference hashtag: #AlltechDSS

Alltech, Dairy, International

ACE Provides Communications Opportunities

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 265For those of you not familiar with ACE you might think hardware but it’s actually an agricultural communications organization. The full name is Association for Communications Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Life and Human Sciences. I conducted a presentation on social media at their convention recently and recorded a conversation with their President, Steve Dodrill.

Steve works in Extension for Oregon State University. He got started with ACE because of the professional improvement and networking opportunities he found by attending their meetings. He believes that people have lost their connection to agriculture and there is a need to educate them about food production.

ZimmCast 265
The Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) is an international association of communicators, educators and information technologists. It offers professional development and networking for individuals who extend knowledge about agriculture, natural resources and life and human sciences.

The program ends this week with “Pot O Gold” by Excellent Adventure from Music Alley.

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.

ACE, Audio, ZimmCast

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

    Biosecurity, Vaccination, Tracking Keys to PRRS Control

    John Davis

    Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome … better known as PRRS … has changed the way farmers raise hogs, and attendees of the Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) seminars at the recent World Pork Expo were able to hear how biosecurity, vaccination and tracking of PRRS are keys to controlling the disease.

    At the session I was able to attend, Dr. John Waddell of the Sutton Veterinary Clinic in Sutton, Nebraska, told the group that biosecurity needed to be addressed on a daily basis.

    “You’ve got your risks of direct introduction, and you’ve got lots of ways you can indirectly introduce virus or disease into a herd.” He said you have to believe that you can track the disease and then use discipline and accountability to keep from introducing disease into swine herds. Dr. John Waddell Interview

    Dr. Michael Murtaugh, a noted professor of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Minnesota explained to the people attending the session there are certain indirect benefits to vaccinating a swine herd.

    “Vaccination can reduce the amount of PRRS virus in an area, which would reduce the risks of infection.” And mass vaccinations can help drive out a variety of PRRS viruses. With fewer overall viruses, the better the chances of overall PRRS control. But Murtaugh also cautioned the audience that there are limited diagnostic capabilities. “You need to understand the strengths and limitations of your tools to use them the best way possible.” Dr. Michael Murtaugh

    One tool is producers’ arsenals is a system actually developed by Boehringer Ingelheim and donated to veterinarians called PADRAP … Production Animal Disease Risk Assessment Program, an online risk assessment. Dr. Derald Holtkamp, an assistant professor at Iowa State University, explained vets have been able to use PADRAP as a communication tool to ensure a coordinated approach to controlling PRRS is used.

    “A number of these things veterinarians have been talking to their clients about for years. But what PADRAP does is give them a more systematic way to do it.” Holtkamp said PADRAP also helps producers decide what method they need to use to eliminate PRRS in their herds.
    Dr. John Waddell interview wpx10-bi-holtkamp.mp3

    All three agree that PRRS has changed the way swine production and biosecurity is handled, and it is a costly disease. “But I think we’re going to win this battle,” said Waddell.

    World Pork Expo 2010 Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the World Pork Expo 2010 is sponsored by:
    Novus and boehringer-ingelheim.

    Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pork, Swine, World Pork Expo

    Ag Media Summit Early Registration Deadline Approaching

    Chuck Zimmerman

    This is a friendly reminder to register for the Agricultural Media Summit by June 30 if you want an early registration price break. I got mine in and am looking forward to it since I missed last year.

    Ag Media Summit is getting more social this year btw. Actually it was always social, as in a very social affair!

    Check out the new AMS blog — it’s the social media hub for Ag Media Summit. Find information about free live video streaming of sessions, following @AgMediaSummit on Twitter and more.

    Ag Media Summit

    Sanani Coffee Gets Thumbs Up

    Chuck Zimmerman

    I introduced you to Sanani Coffee recently after interviewing company President, Tarif Ausaf. Since then I was sent a box to sample and I’m happy to report that I can recommend it. The coffee is excellent and Cindy told me she liked it too after trying it this morning for the first time.

    Here are a few newsworthy facts that makeup Sanani’s captivating story:

    * The term “mocha” originates from the port city of Mocha in Yemen. This is the city where the history of coffee trading began.
    * Our coffee beans are grown naturally, without pesticides, using cultivation methods that haven’t changed for over 400 years.
    * We use the freshest coffee harvests. The beans that are roasted for Sanani have not been lying around in storage for months.
    * We air-ship our coffee beans from Yemen to avoid flavor-robbing sea moisture (something that no other coffee company does!).
    * We won’t grind the beans until someone orders them.
    * Each 250-gram (8.8 oz) bag retails for $24 and is packaged in an elegantly designed box.

    Food