Opening Day at National Farm Machinery Show

Cindy Zimmerman

AgWired coverage of opening day at the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by:
john-deere

2010 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

nfmsIt was kind of a slow start to the 2010 National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, thanks to the weather, but by lunch time it appeared to be just about back to a normal crowd.

I talked with Harold Workman, president and CEO of the Kentucky Exposition Center which handles the big show, and he emphasized that it’s business as usual for the four day show. “We got some pretty northern weather here with 6-8 inches of snow that came in yesterday,” he said. “But the interstates are clear, we got the parking lots cleared off, and a lot of people are coming in to the show.”

This is the 45th year for the show which Harold said started in one little corner of one of their wings and grown to more than 800 exhibitors filling over 1.2 million square feet of blessedly indoor space. “It really has become an icon – kind of a barometer for the agribusiness industry,” he said. Attendance is normally right around 300,000 for all four days of the show, including the Championship Tractor Pull sponsored by Syngenta. That event is just a few years younger than the NFMS and is always a sell out.

Listen to or download my interview with Harold Workman in the player below, and enjoy a little 360 degree view video of one of the exhibit hall wings from high atop the John Deere tower here:

Agribusiness, Audio, Farm Machinery, John Deere, National Farm Machinery Show, Video

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • The Dairy Business Association recently held elections for their board of directors during their Annual Business Conference’s annual meeting. Re-elected for a third term was corporate member Greg Steele. Newly elected dairy producers include Gordon Speirs and Dr. Gordon A. Jones.
  • ANIMART recently donated more than $1,000 to the Dairy Business Association (DBA) on behalf of producer members who purchased Pfizer Animal Health products during a recent program.
  • Advanta US Inc. announces that it has acquired 100 percent of the assets and business of Crosbyton Seed Company.
  • Harlan Little has been named the North American Business Manager for Leica Geosystems’ agriculture group.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Snowy Start to National Farm Machinery Show

    Cindy Zimmerman

    nfmsThe good news is that it’s not snowing now – the bad news is that Louisville got a record one day snowfall of seven inches yesterday, which delayed lots of flights coming in for the National Farm Machinery Show.

    It is pretty cold here – with 28 degrees the official temperature and 16 with the wind chill. So, it is a little slow to start this morning, but I am sure things will get moving right along soon.

    Stay tuned here for coverage from the entire show.

    AgWired coverage of opening day at the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by:
    john-deere

    Equipment, John Deere, National Farm Machinery Show

    NCFC Launches Campaign to Tell Co-op Story

    Cindy Zimmerman

    “Farmer Cooperatives: Providing for America” is the theme of a new campaign launched this month by the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC).

    ncfcNCFC launched the new campaign at its 81st Annual Meeting in Santa Barbara, California last week to tell the story of this country’s 2500 farmer cooperatives to policy makers, government officials, and the American public. The campaign will emphasize the central role that co-ops play in preserving the family farm, supporting the rural economy, and bringing innovative products to consumers in the U.S. and around the world.

    “From corner groceries, to superstores, to school lunch programs, farmer cooperatives provide the affordable, abundant food, fiber and fuel that America needs,” said NCFC President & CEO Chuck Conner in his speech to attendees. “Through our ‘Farmer Co-ops: Providing for America’ campaign, NCFC will be carrying these messages and more to policy makers, government officials and the American public.”

    NCFC launches the campaign as the first Department of Justice (DOJ)/U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) workshop on antitrust issues in agriculture is approaching on March 12 in Ankeny, Iowa.

    NCFC and its members maintain that the officials holding the workshops must realize that the Capper-Volstead Act, which provides limited antitrust immunity to farmers forming co-ops, is a cornerstone to ensuring competition in agriculture and a vibrant rural economy. Without Capper-Volstead, farmer co-ops could not exist, and any two farmers coming together to talk about price would face harsh civil and criminal antitrust penalties.

    “The DOJ/USDA hearings on antitrust in agriculture may seem harmless, but I can tell you this—the officials with DOJ are questioning the very foundation of farmer cooperatives—the Capper-Volstead Act,” Conner continued. “Our job is to tell the true stories of co-ops, and the benefits that they provide to their farmer-owners, to their local rural communities, and to consumers in the U.S. and around the world. In doing this, we aim to ensure that our children and grandchildren can continue farming in partnership with their co-ops.”

    Read more here.

    Cooperatives, Farming

    Off to the Farm Machinery Show

    Cindy Zimmerman

    nfmsI am heading out to Louisville this evening to cover the National Farm Machinery Show, which starts tomorrow.

    New this year – you can become a fan of NFMS on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. Seems like every show is into the social networking thing now – and that is great!

    Our coverage of NFMS here on Agwired and Precision Pays will be brought to you thanks to the sponsorship of New Holland, Ag Leader and John Deere.

    After NFMS, I will be heading to the Sunshine State – yeah! – to cover the 15th Annual National Ethanol Conference on Domestic Fuel for the Renewable Fuels Association.

    Wow – that’s a lot of links! See you down the road!

    Ag Leader, John Deere, National Farm Machinery Show, New Holland

    MN Soybean Grower Addresses Biodiesel Conference

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Ed HeglundToday’s National Biodiesel Conference general session featured National Biodiesel Board Chairman Ed Hegland. He’s completing his final term as Chairman.

    He started his comments by reminding everyone that today is the anniversary of daylight savings time which was created to conserve on our energy supply during World War I. It was an innovative idea then and when it comes to the innovative work the industry is doing today he says, “We’re here to fuel change.”

    Ed pointed out that there are members of all segments of the petroleum industry here today and they participated in a panel discussion after his comments. I’ll post that shortly. He presented some of the findings from a research study done by NBB on consumers and their awareness and perceptions of biodiesel. He says the study finds that consumers who are aware of biodiesel have a favorable opinion of it. He also talks about being a soybean farmer and the incredible technology that is allowing him to grow more with less.

    You can listen to Ed’s speech below.

    National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

    BASF, Biodiesel, Biofuels, Soybean

    Improvement in the Poultry Industry

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Attendance at the 2010 International Poultry Expo and International Feed Expo was up over last year at approximately 19,000. In 2009 attendance was just 17,800 due to the overall downturn in the economy and higher input costs. So, things are looking up for the poultry industry right now.

    novusAt the expo, I had the opportunity to chat about chicken with Novus International Vice President of the Americas Dan Meagher about poultry before he headed out to the Cattle Industry Conference in San Antonio to talk about their commitment to the beef industry. Dan says the outlook for the poultry industry is better than it was last year.

    “I see poultry rebounding. I’m very bearish on poultry – both broilers and layers,” Dan told me. Even though consumption has been down in the poultry sector, with the economy the way it is and the world population growing, he believes the consumption outlook is very positive.

    Meanwhile, lower feed and energy costs are helping the industry, but the aggressive tactics of animal activists are causing the industry to have to defend its production practices and Dan says Novus has a role in helping producers to that. “Number one, we need to help our customers advance the enhancement nutritionally of their product down the food channel,” Dan said. “Secondly, we’re very active in supporting the industry because we believe in the message that needs to be communicated. We have a very sustainable platform and our job is to make sure that we be a partner with our customers and with the industry on education.”

    Listen to my interview with Dan Meagher of Novus here:

    Audio, Novus International, Poultry, Poultry Expo

    Novus Acquires Animal Nutrition Division of Albion

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Novus was hoping to make this big announcement at the recent Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio, but sometimes the legal wheels slow down the process a bit. But this new deal means an expanded commitment for Novus to the livestock industry worldwide, especially for cattle.

    novusNovus International has finalized the acquisition of the Animal Nutrition Division of Albion Laboratories in Clearfield, Utah.

    novusProducts from the acquisition, including the MAAC (R) chelated trace mineral product line, will align with Novus’s MINTREX® and GLYTREX® chelated trace mineral products and further expand Novus’s mineral technology. This acquisition will enable Novus to offer a broader range of products to address the needs of different customers in different parts of the world to support their livestock operations.

    Since its establishment in 1956, Albion has been an innovator in mineral chelate nutrition. Albion manufactures highly bioavailable, research based, nutritional chelated trace mineral forms and has a long-standing customer base in both the beef and dairy markets.

    Geographically, Albion is primarily present in the animal organic trace mineral industry in the U.S., Europe, Canada, the Middle East and Japan. The combined geographic and market presence will provide Novus the opportunity to offer new customers a wider range of health and nutritional products, programs and solutions.

    Read more here.

    Agribusiness, Beef, Livestock, Novus International

    Social Media Presentation at Biodiesel Conference

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The east coast weather has sure created some problems. We felt the impact here at the National Biodiesel Conference when some of the presenters couldn’t make it here. I volunteered to fill in on an afternoon panel with a focus on new consumer messaging research and the use of social media. I was social media.

    Like my session with Chicago Farmers last Saturday I found that most of the almost 100 attendees in our session are on Facebook and a number of them are on Twitter. If you’d like to see how the tweets are going for the conference then just search the #NBB10 hashtag.

    That is me on the left tweeting away.

    Ag Groups, Biodiesel

    Biodiesel Industry Future Is Bright

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Joe JobeThe CEO of the National Biodiesel Board, Joe Jobe, was on stage to welcome a standing room only crowd at the opening general session to the Conference. He opened up with a political theme to his remarks.

    As the folks in the opening video stated very clearly, this last year has been a huge struggle for our industry. With the economic recession, volatile diesel prices, the credit crisis, the blocking of export markets, the delayed implementation of the RFS-2…., even with the tax credit in place, 2009 was really tough. I heard several NBB members say over the course of this year…. “well, the bright side is that it can’t get any worse”. I’ve learned its best not to say that. Because we’ve seen over last 39 days that it could get worse while we have had neither the RFS-2 nor the tax credit in place. The industry has shut down, businesses are going under, jobs are being lost. Its been like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Our top priority remains getting the tax credit reinstated retroactively as quickly as possible.

    Joe says that implementation of the new RFS-2 is going to be very complex so three of the sessions coming up will focus on the subject. He also went on to look ahead on a positive note.

    But the good news is that when we get this tax credit turned back on, we will be where we set out to be four years ago. Now is not the time to waiver, or turn back, or to run. Let’s stay together and get this done. Let’s get this industry back in business. We can do this!
    Besides potentially doubling our production levels for biodiesel this calendar year, the RFS-2 does something else that is very important. It establishes very conclusively under EPA guidelines and federal law, that biodiesel is an advanced biofuel, because it meets the criteria and definition of advanced biofuel under the law. And the reality behind that is that biodiesel is currently the only advanced biofuel that is commercially available nationwide.

    You can listen to Joe’s speech below.

    National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

    Ag Groups, Audio, Biodiesel