BASF Recognizes SOY Challenge Winners

Cindy Zimmerman

BASF The Science Behind Soybeans David and Sue Roehm=David Roehm and his lovely wife Sue of Leesburg, Ohio are the grand prize winners of the 2009 SOY Challenge Program. David was on the program for the BASF Science Behind Soybeans seminar for the media Wednesday at the 2010 Commodity Classic in Anaheim and he gave Sue plenty of credit as his partner for their achievement in the 2009 Secure Optimal Yield (SOY) Challenge, sponsored by the American Soybean Association and BASF Crop Protection.

In the challenge, they used a couple of BASF products – Scepter and Headline – and did a side by side yield comparison on several different varieties beans. “We did come up with a yield bump, about four bushels better in every case, pays for the application – especially with $10 beans,” David told me. “I think the economics were especially good in 2009, as well as the pressures with the added rain and moisture we had.”

As winners of the challenge, the Roehms got a new Dodge truck, but as an added benefit, they also got a new kitchen.

title=Since Sue takes care of the bookkeeping on the Roehm farm and she admits to being a little skeptical when they entered the challenge because of the additional upfront cost involved. “With the chemicals, that’s a very big portion of our budget for farming,” Sue said. One of those additional costs was for Headline, which increases plant health. “And by increasing the plant health, you hopefully get a better yield – and it was through that better yield that I got to remodel my kitchen!”

Listen to or download back to back interviews with the Roehms in the player at the bottom. And watch a video of David’s presentation at “The Science Behind Soybeans” below.

Commodity Classic Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the 2010 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: BASF and New Holland

ASA, Audio, BASF, Commodity Classic, Video

BASF Science Behind Soybeans

Chuck Zimmerman

BASF The Science Behind SoybeansHere at Commodity Classic a group of us media types are learning about The Science Behind Soybeans from BASF. We have a panel of experts that includes soybean growers like world record holder Kip Cullers.

Cindy and I are attending the seminar and will posting photos and interviews here soon. The media who could not attend are invited to download and use them if they would like.

“At BASF, we know growers are focused on higher yields and improving their return on investment,” said Eric Kalasz, BASF Soybean Market Manager. “That is why we wanted to get together with the media to discuss the tools growers can employ to address current challenges in soybean production and get the most out of every soybean acre.”

The ‘Science Behind Soybeans’ event showcases the most recent information on soybean management, including weed resistance management, disease control and Plant Health. Speakers include Vince Davis, University of Illinois; record-breaking soybean grower Kip Cullers; ASA-BASF SOY Challenge winner David Roehm of Leesburg, Ohio; Paul Rea, Director of BASF US Crop Protection Division; and Rick Chamblee, BASF Technical Service Manager.

Commodity Classic Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the 2010 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: BASF and New Holland

BASF, Commodity Classic

Merial Picks SHS For Large Animal Business

Chuck Zimmerman

Merial has announced that it has selected Sullivan Higdon & Sink (SHS) as its agency of record. The agency will be handling all advertising, public relations and online efforts for the company’s U.S. large animal business.

The addition of Merial’s large animal business bolsters SHS’s growing list of animal and food-related clients including companies such as Cargill, Dairy Farmers of America, Midwest Dairy Association and Meyer Natural Foods.

The program of work will be handled by Sullivan Higdon & Sink’s Kansas City office.

Agencies, Agribusiness

Social Media For Soybean Growers

Chuck Zimmerman

Cassandra SchlefOne of the friendly faces you’ll meet when you check in to the media room at Commodity Classic is Cassandra Schlef, Communications Coordinator for ASA. She helps with press releases, their weekly Leader Letter and website updates that include Twitter and Facebook.

Cassandra says the media room this year has been expanded to include more work tables and internet access that includes wireless. They’ve also expanded the hours the room is open too. She says it should make it easier for us to do our jobs and I agree.

Cassandra thinks the pre-registered number of media is about 130 but they expect more to walk in and I’m sure that will happen.

I’ve just started a photo album for Classic which you can find here: Commodity Classic Photo Album

You can listen to my interview with Cassandra below.

AgWired coverage of the 2010 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: BASF and New Holland

Ag Groups, ASA, Audio, Commodity Classic

Off The Cob With Cathyrn Wojcicki Dixson

Chuck Zimmerman

Cathryn Wojcicki DixsonJoining the ranks of the Farm Podcasters is Cathryn Wojcicki Dixson, NCGA Communications Manager. I met Cathryn here at Commodity Classic and talked with her about her job and the new audio program she’s producing for NCGA.

The program is called “Off The Cob.”

Welcome to “Off the Cob”, an original podcast series produced by the National Corn Growers Association. This series features interviews with grower-leaders on hot topics in agriculture and will expand media options for those wishing to further their knowledge of the industry.

Cathryn works on NCGA editorial content like their publications and now the podcast series. It’s her first time for creating an audio podcast series which will be produced once a week. She says it’s one element of their social media emphasis to communicate which really ties in to their organizational grass roots culture.

You can listen to my interview with Cathryn below.

AgWired coverage of the 2010 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: BASF and New Holland

Ag Groups, Audio, Commodity Classic, Corn, NCGA, Podcasts

Media Room Leaders

Chuck Zimmerman

The guys who are overseeing the media room again this year are Bob Callanan, American Soybean Association (l) and Ken Colombini, National Corn Growers Association.

I talked them into posing for me this morning with our media room sponsor sign. Thank you New Holland!

The media are starting to trickle in as we get closer to the official kickoff of this year’s Commodity Classic. We’ve got a lot of room for them in about the most spacious facilities I remember us having for the event.

Cindy is out and about on a photo shoot and we’ll get our Commodity Classic photo album started later this morning. It’s going to be a fun and interesting week and we hoped you’ll check in to our live coverage as events happen here in Anaheim.

AgWired coverage of the 2010 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: BASF and New Holland

ASA, Commodity Classic, NCGA

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Olivia Gonzales of Paso Robles, Calif., competed against 37 other college students or recent graduates to win the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2010 Collegiate Discussion Meet at the AFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference.
  • New Holland has adopted SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) technology for machines with engines above 100 hp and CEGR, Cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation, for engines below 100 hp.
  • Makhteshim Agan of North America, Inc. announced that John Hobson has joined the U.S. agricultural team in the position of national accounts manager.
  • Syngenta Seeds, Inc. has promoted Tracy Mader to head of Product Marketing for its corn and soybean products.
Zimfo Bytes

WTF Is Your T-Shirt

Chuck Zimmerman

Today was the first day I’ve worn my WTF shirt. That is Where’s The Food, Without The Farmer? of course. It was fun seeing the reaction from people in the airport, on the plane and in the hotel today traveling to Commodity Classic. I can’t tell you how many people have said, “I saw that on Twitter today.” Thank you to all who re-tweeted me!

So, to get your t-shirt visit I Love Farmers, They Feed My Soul. Thanks to Tricia Braid Terry for taking this photo.

I Love Farmers, They Feed My Soul.

We may be young, but we are not stupid.

We love farmers. They feed our soul. Together we are working to help our generation understand the importance of knowing where our food comes from and who produced it.

We’re not your typical “who cares” kind of young people from the Millennial Generation. Sure, we all have cell phones and we text like crazy. We have iPods and spend way too much time on Facebook and MySpace, but we care about our planet. We care about our country. We care about the American family farmer.

Few of our friends know how their food is produced. We think that is sad. And, really it is kind of scary. If we are not careful, we will become dependent on other countries to provide our food. That is not good. Who knows what goes on in other countries when it comes to growing our food? We have an idea, and it too is not good.

Ag Groups, Education, University

Farm Foundation Hosts Forum on Finance & Credit

John Davis

If you’re in Washington, DC tomorrow, you won’t want to miss the Farm Foundation’s forum on the finance and credit environment for agriculture and the food system today.

The forum, held in the Holeman Lounge at the National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C., runs from 9-11 am tomorrow and feaures a community banker, a commercial lender and a Farm Credit lender who will provide their perspectives on the challenges and risks ahead in 2010. Plus, they will be joined by a professor of finance and an investment manager working in the United States, Australia and Canada:

* Joe Brasher, a community bank president for First State Bank, a $1.3 billion community bank with 26 banking offices across Tennessee.
* Jeff Conrad, president of Hancock Agricultural Investment Group, which directly manages $1.2 billion of agricultural investments in the U.S., Australia and Canada.
* Paul Ellinger, professor of finance at the University of Illinois.
* Bob Frazee, CEO of Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit, which has about $1.7 billion in agricultural loans in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania.
* Cornelius (Corny) Gallagher, global agribusiness executive for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and a member of a national team that coordinates management of the bank’s agribusiness and food products portfolio.

This discussion is designed to be a continuation of the Farm Foundation’s November 2008 panel discussion on the impact of the that year’s financial and credit crisis on agriculture and the food industry. Panelists will get to discuss any lessons learned during the 15 months since the previous session.

Now, if you can’t jet-set off to DC at a moment’s notice, you can still listen in on what’s said. Just check out the Farm Foundation’s Web site where the audio from the forum will be posted.

Farm Foundation

My MOJO

Chuck Zimmerman

At the request of several people lately, I’m posting what’s in my MOJO. I haven’t done this for a couple of years. You read the last post and compare what’s different. So here’s what’s in my MOJO (mobile journalism kit).

Big Mac – 17″ Macbook Pro
HP Mini 311 – Netbook
Apple iPhone 3GS
Nikon D300 D-SLR
Nikon SB-900 – Flash
Nikon 18-200mm VRII – Not pictured but included are: 70-200mm VR f2.8, 17-55mm f2.8, Sigma 10-20mm
Canon HG20 HD Video Camera – Kit includes Azden Shotgun Mic and Audio Technica Lav Mic
Kodak Z18 – Video Camera
Canon SD100 IS – Point/Shoot
Edirol R-09 – Digital Audio Recorder
Sony PCM-M10 – Digital Audio Recorder
ThinkTank Photo Airport Security rolling bag
LowePro Nova 170 AW camera bag
Verizon MiFi – mobile hotspot
AT&T Laptop Connect Card
Sennheiser PCB 141 – USB headset microphone
Heil PR-20 – Microphone

Not pictured items include:

Manfrotto self standing monopod 682B
Zacuto Zgrip iPhone Jr. #Z-ZG-IPJ – mounts on tripod/monopod
Many assorted microphone cables, battery chargers, rechargeable AA batteries, lens cloths, memory cards, memory card reader, mini tripod, full size Manfrotto tripod, USB memory sticks, Seagate Free Agent 500GB external hard drive, Lynksys WRT54GC 4 port wireless router, Flip Mino HD and Marantz PMD620 digital audio recorder.

Now I don’t carry all this gear with me on all trips. I generally configure my pack according to what I’m going to need to do while on location. Having these items gives me lots of options and backups. For example, with an app like Speakeasy on my iPhone I can and do conduct high quality interviews without even having to use a special digital audio recorder. I’m sure you’re now going to ask what software I use. Okay, here’s a partial list that doesn’t include other apps I use on my iPhone:

Adobe Soundbooth CS4 – edit audio
Adobe Photoshop Elements – edit photos
Final Cut Express – edit video
iMovie – edit video
Transmit – FTP software to upload stuff
WordPress – the only name you need to know in blogging

I also use countless web apps for all kinds of things like Twitpic for Twitter, etc.

Equipment