American Agriculture’s Environmental Success

Cindy Zimmerman

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has just released its latest National Resources Inventory, which shows the amazing environment success that is American agriculture.

afbfAmerican Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman did a nice little editorial about why the nation’s farmers and ranchers should be proud to show this environmental report card to Mother Nature.

The latest National Resources Inventory (NRI) report, released April 27 by the Agriculture Department’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, puts some substantial meat on the bones of an environmental message farmers and ranchers have long conveyed—that they are careful and caring stewards of our nation’s natural resources.

After scanning the massive NRI survey results, another very clear message has emerged: American agriculture is producing more with less. After looking over the NRI and the latest USDA productivity figures it becomes apparent that the shrinking environmental footprint of food and fiber production in the United States is the envy of the world.

The NRI is a compilation of a broad range of 50 years of data related to the environment, U.S. land use and productivity, water consumption and many other factors.

Analysis of the data by AFBF quantifies how farm and ranch productivity has increased over the past two and a half decades, while at the same time environmental performance and water quality have been improving. Again, more with less.Read More

AFBF, Environment

Time to Take Advantage of Headline Advantage

Cindy Zimmerman

Growers have just two weeks left to take advantage of Headline Advantage.

basfThe BASF Corporation Headline Advantage program offers eligible growers to opportunity to receive $75 per gallon back from BASF on purchases of Headline® fungicide.

To qualify, growers need to purchase their Headline fungicide by May 15, 2010 and submit a receipt along with a completed application to BASF. Complete terms and conditions are available on headlineadvantage.com, or ask your local authorized BASF retailer for details.

I did a quick interview this afternoon with BASF Technical Market Manager Nick Fassler about the program and why BASF is offering the cash back to growers, which you can listen to here:

Audio, BASF

Keep Food Safe Blog

Chuck Zimmerman

Food safety. Pretty important topic isn’t it?

Thanks to alert AgWired community member Leigh Ann we now know that there is a Keep Food Safe Blog. She retweeted someone who tweeted the alert originally. Are you getting this viral thing?

Practical information and tips from the experts to help you and your family stay food safe.

The original tweet comment was, “Who knew?” Yes indeed. How does anyone know it’s there? Did you? I didn’t. But now we all do.

Follow our government as it tweets on food safety on Twitter too. First time I’ve seen a Twitter profile disclaimer about their followers: “Our follows are not endorsements of contents/authors” Must be a govt. atty. thing.

Food

A Shout Out to My Alma Mater ISU!

Joanna Schroeder

As if you can’t tell already, I had a blast during the NAMA conference last week in Kansas City. I especially had fun spending time with the 31 student teams that competed in this year’s Student Marketing Competition. I did, however, have a special place in my heart for my Alma mater, Iowa State University. I had an opportunity to spend some time with them during the week and they are a fantastic group of students. I look forward to working with them, as well as all the students at the conference, in the near future.

Congrats to all the winners whom you can see in our 2010 National Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album.

AgWired coverage of the 2010 National Agri-Marketing Conference
is sponsored by: Successful Farming. They know.

NAMA

NAMA Students Take Home Some Cash Awards

Joanna Schroeder

“The check is in the mail” or so the student scholarship winners were told as their names were announced during the student luncheon that was held last week during the 2010 National NAMA conference. Fifteen students won scholarships that ranged from $500 to $4,000 and knowing how college students can be, Curt Blades, with Successful Farming, joked that the envelopes were empty so that they didn’t blow their money on extra-curricular activities. However, the plaques – they were real!

Now, announcing the 2009-2010 Student Award Winners:

$4,000 Scholarship
Successful Farming/Fergie Ferguson
Amanda Sollman – Michigan State University

$1,000 Colle+McVoy/New Holland Scholarship
Melissa Short – University of Florida

$1,000 MoKan Scholarship
Kerri Bates – Kansas State University

$1,000 ABEF Scholarships
Danielle Brown – University of Wisconsin – Madison
Carly Cummings – Iowa State University
Katie Dogs – University of Wisconsin – Madison
Sarah Butterfield – The Ohio State University
Kayla Lehman – Michigan State University
Jamie Thomas – New Mexico State University
Lauren Tatum – New Mexico State University

$500 ABEF Scholarships
Kristin Witte – University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Kelsey Olson – University of Wisconsin – Madison
Elizabeth Burns-Thompson – Iowa State University
Scott Henry – Iowa State University
Karoline Kastanek – Univ. of Nebraska – Lincoln

Congrats to all the winners whom you can see in our 2010 National Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album.

AgWired coverage of the 2010 National Agri-Marketing Conference
is sponsored by: Successful Farming. They know.

NAMA

Meet the John Deere Signature Award Winners

Joanna Schroeder

Last week during the National Agricultural Marketing Association’s (NAMA) annual conference the students arrived in mass to compete in the Student Marketing Competition. But that is not all they engaged in while they were in Kansas City. They were also honored with dozens of awards and scholarships including five chapters who were honored with the John Deere Signature Awards that were started by Michael Gustafson, who also won the “Hard Ass” award for his role as a judge in the competition.

The awards are given to the student chapters based on a scale that includes student participation in NAMA activities.

This year the winners are….

1st Place – Iowa State University -$3,000
2nd Place – University of Florida – $2,000
3rd Place – New Mexico State University – $1,000
4th Place – Illinois State University – $500
5th Place – University of Wisconsin Madison – $500

Congratulations to the winning chapters!

2010 National Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the 2010 National Agri-Marketing Conference
is sponsored by: Successful Farming. They know.

John Deere, NAMA, Video

Watch President Obama Remarks in Macon, MO

Chuck Zimmerman

If you weren’t one of the select few invited to see President Obama speak at the POET Biorefining plant in Macon, MO yesterday then don’t despair (you probably weren’t anyway). I’ve got you covered. Here’s his full remarks in video for you.

Cindy has written a good editorial on his remarks on Domestic Fuel you might want to read. I agree with her that his message really lacked substance and was disappointing to corn growers and farmers. He had a great chance to bring a really positive message and perhaps use the stage to announce some progress in the politics of ethanol and other biofuels like biodiesel. However, he didn’t. I think it’s great that the President chose to visit and bring attention to ethanol but he only mentioned the word agriculture in referring to the state and national directors of agriculture in attendance and never mentioned corn even though he was standing next to a full bucket load of it. I take it that the industry still has its work cut out for it in Washington, DC.

Ethanol, Video

2nd Ag Connect Expo Set for Atlanta, Georgia

Joanna Schroeder

I recently spoke with Sara Truesdale-Mooney, the Show Director for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). This past January, AEM held its first agricultural trade show, the Ag Connect Expo. Sara told me that it was a great first show. “We are very pleased with the results and it really exceeded all of our expectations for a first-time event.”

The next Ag Connect Expo will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, January 7-10, 2011 at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. So far, the educational program is taking shape and Sara said it will be bigger, better and have more offerings. AEM is also planning to expand the Innovations Center as well as adding days and sessions on the show floor as well as more seating. Sara noted that all the sessions were full this past January.

While next year’s show is still a work in progress, Sara said that they are taking into account all the feedback from the attendee surveys and focus groups to ensure that the next show will be even better. Next year there will be a broader scope of exhibits, more floor space and they will bring back their signature elements.

On a closing note, Sara mentioned that Ag Connect Expo has been selected to participate U.S. Department of Commerce’s Buyer Program. Approximately 35 shows are selected for the program each year, and this will be the second year Ag Connect has been selected.

Registration opens in August but you can pre-register now by going www.agconnectexpo.com.

You can learn more about the Summit by listening to my interview with Sara.

2010 National Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the 2010 National Agri-Marketing Conference
is sponsored by: Successful Farming. They know.

AEM, Audio

Ag Media Summit is Just Around the Corner

Joanna Schroeder

Agricultural communications is an important and broad industry and there are several organizations that focus on professional development for ag communicators. One such organization is the American Ag Editors’ Association (AAEA), but don’t let the name fool you. This organization is made up of people involved in ag communications from editors to public relations professionals to designers to publishers and once a year, they get together for the Ag Media Summit. (You can follow Cindy Zimmerman each year who attends the event.)

I caught up with Den Gardner, the Executive Director for the organization, during the 2010 National Agricultural Marketing Associations annual conference in Kansas City. He told me that their 12th Annual Ag Media Summit will be in St. Paul, Minn. July 24-28, 2010. AAEA collaborates with the livestock publications as well as the Agri Council of Business Media to put on the conference that is growing each year. Gardner expects that more than 600 people will attend this summer and just in case you can’t tell, Den is a HUGE Minnesota Twins fan and the attendees have the opportunity to “go to the ballgame.”

However, you don’t have to be a professional to learn a lot during the summit. The AAEA student organization is the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) and they hold their conference in the same location just prior to the summit. Many of the students stay for the Ag Media Summit as well.

All told, Gardner said that they are becoming one of the largest ag communicators events in the country. So if you don’t want to miss out, registration opens on May 1, 2010 and you can learn more about the conference and register online at www.agmediasummit.com.

You can also listen to my interview with Den below.

2010 National Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the 2010 National Agri-Marketing Conference
is sponsored by: Successful Farming. They know.

Ag Media Summit, Audio, NAMA

A Portrait of the American Farmer

Joanna Schroeder

AmericanFarmer“I feel like I’ve made 300 of the best friends I’ve ever had,” said Paul Mobley, author of the new photographic book, “American Farmer” when describing how photographing farmers around America has changed his life. Paul never set out to put together a collection of photos taken of farmers around the world – he happened upon the opportunity when he went up to his cabin to get away from his career as a portrait photographer.

As the story goes…he walks into a cafe one morning for breakfast and sees four farmers gathered around a table having breakfast. One of the men hadn’t shaved for a week and suddenly, he felt compelled to take their photo. Three plus years and 37 states later, the result is a stunning collection of photography and stories that tell the story of the American Farmer.

Paul_MobleyI had the opportunity to speak with Paul after the closing luncheon during the 2010 NAMA conference. I asked him how this book has changed his life. “I feel like its changed me on so many levels….I walk the earth with so much kindness grace and humility and I got it all from you guys,” he said.

However, what he has enjoyed the most are the people outside of agriculture who have come to embrace the industry since reading his book.

I asked Paul about any future projects and he said that he has been approached by several people who would like to turn “American Farmer” into a documentary and he is also exploring the opportunity for a traveling exhibition. You can order a signed copy of his book at www.paulmobleystudio.com and you can listen to Paul’s interview below.

2010 National Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album.

AgWired coverage of the 2010 National Agri-Marketing Conference
is sponsored by: Successful Farming. They know.

Audio, NAMA