For those of you who didn’t get to follow along with the U.S. Grains Council Corn Mission trip I went on last month I have prepared a slide show that will give you a pretty good overview of all we saw and learned. In the show you can hear from some of the key individuals I interviewed including the U.S. corn growers participants.
U.S. Grains Council – 2009 Corn Mission from Chuck Zimmerman on Vimeo.
Gary Truitt with Hoosier Ag Today recently published an article titled, “New Fuel Saving Technology from Case,” that describes new says Case IH is improving their red tractors to save fuel and innovate the agriculture industry. Check it out!
Over the next few weeks, some of the biggest farm equipment trade shows will be taking place including the Ft. Wayne show next week and the National Farm Machinery show next month. The latest technology and tractor innovations will be on display. Not only are the size and the power of the new tractor lines impressive, but so is the sophistication of the technology used to operate the machines.
Tom Dean with Case IH says the new Red tractors will feature technology designed to save fuel, “Our diesel saver technology operates on the old adage ‘shift up and throttle back.’ It automatically does this continuously across a field taking every opportunity to lower engine RPMs.” “Case IH CVT technology automatically adjusts to deliver the best possible balance of power and fuel efficiency,” says John Bohnker, Case IH marketing manager for Magnum and Steiger® tractors. “It definitely hits the sweet spot between power, efficiency and simplicity.”
Okay, so it’s snowing in Kansas City now. But the show will still go on tomorrow. That’s the Region 2 Best of NAMA. Are you going to a regional best? Check the calendar for all of them.
The Show Must Go On!
Worried about the weather in Kansas City? We’re not!
The Kansas City area will be expecting 3-6 inches of snow today, but we’re confident that by tomorrow evening all roads to Boulevard Brewing will be safe.
If you are registered and are unable to attend the event, there will be some sort of a refund. We will determine the amount after the event.
If you haven’t registered for the event yet and would like to join us, please click here to register.
We look forward to seeing you tomorrow evening!
Safe travels to all!
Since I just went on a U.S. Grains Council trip to Morocco, Egypt and Jordan I was interested to see that this week’s episode of America’s Heartland features Ohio farmers Dave and Sue Roehm who saw what we saw and that is the investments in their producer checkoff programs hard at work.
“This trip was a big revelation to me. It was phenomenal the impact export market development programs orchestrated by the Council and U.S. Wheat are having overseas,” said Sue. “When I look at our corn and wheat in Ohio, I will have a whole different perspective. My family’s harvest is truly improving lives thousands of miles away.”
The program was made possible with a sponsorship from the Ohio Corn Marketing Program and assistance from the U.S. Grains Council and U.S. Wheat Associates.
The program airs this week and is available online. You can see if it’s scheduled in your area here. It is also airing on RFD-TV on Wednesday, Jan. 6, and again on Sunday, Jan. 10.
As reported by Hoosier Ag Today, Smithfield Foods has completed the sales of a few ventures. I thought I would pass word on this news for those interested. Below is a clip of the release. Check out the full article here.
Smithfield Foods has completed the sales of both its Chinese joint venture Maverick Food Company Limited to COFCO Limited and the sale of substantially all of the assets of its RMH Foods, LLC to a group of investors led by the Rocke family.
Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield foods, says – the sale of these assets demonstrates our continuing commitment to shed non-core businesses with a greater focus on efficiencies and return on invested capital.
In an effort to promote myself as an agriculture speaker available for keynotes and workshops, I have launched a new blog spot I hope you will all check out. It’s called Agriculture in Action, and it features the ins and outs of my life as a cattle rancher, as well as my travels across the country promoting the beef industry. It’s brand spanking new, and it needs a little love from all of you. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Here is a description of what my blog is all about: I’m a farm girl at heart, and I feel pretty lucky to have made my passion and hobby into a career that I love. I enjoy a medium rare ribeye steak and a glass of Merlot, with the company of friends or family.
Follow me on Twitter @AmandaNolz or check out the Ag in Action Facebook Page. Thanks for your support in my new endeavor!
Although I don’t have children of my own yet, I have run across the website Mom Logic on multiple occasions in my work as an agriculture advocate. It’s a place where moms can discuss everything from kids, to relationships, to fashion, to dieting and even to share recipes with one another. The motto of Mom Logic is, Real Stories, Real Honest, Real Moms.
Well, a common theme on the Mom Logic site is to abolish meat in the diet and replace it with ground turkey. It seems on the messaging boards, there is a huge concern about the price of beef, beef’s nutritional content and even the beef recalls in the news.
I think this is a huge opportunity for all of us to take part in the discussions, as moms, college students, agriculture professionals, etc. We need to start making our mark in these forums to tell the accurate story of meat as a healthy part of a well-balanced diet. Check out the website, and you’ll see what I mean. Let me know if you decide to take part in the debate. Together, we can make a difference.
I’m really glad to see the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists move forward with a new “broadcast” award program that includes both terrestrial radio and tv broadcasts as well as web broadcasts. That’s being progressive! Interestingly, the only U.S. members of IFAJ are members of AAEA which has traditionally had a membership of publication editors. However, that’s changing. I’m a member of AAEA for example.
This move makes the idea pop up in my mind again of “Why don’t NAFB/AAEA/LCP/Etc. just merge? Aren’t they all in the same business? Would this make sense? Then they all could be members of IFAJ. Let’s face it. We all talk about being in a “global marketplace.” Why not collaborate with our peers internationally? What do you think of this idea? Note how IFAJ refers to the award as broadcast journalism instead of farm broadcasting.
I just agreed to be a judge for the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists for their 2010 Australian Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting. Winners from their contest will be submitted as their country entries for the IFAJ awards.
The IFAJ has expanded its prestigious Star Prize award program for excellence in agricultural journalism and photography, with a new award for broadcast journalism. The award has categories for radio, television and online broadcasting. The deadline for the competitions is earlier this year to so winners can be selected in time for the early annual congress. Entries close February 1, 2010. For more information go to www.ifaj.org.
So, since only AAEA members can enter you’ve got very little time to get your entries in. You must first be selected by AAEA in order to be submitted to IFAJ. Contact the AAEA office for more details. The deadline for AAEA entries is January 15. Here are the categories:
The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) Star Prize for Broadcast Journalism recognizes the best radio, television and internet broadcasting among federation member countries.
Categories
Did anyone catch the documentary of I Am Angus on RFD-TV last night? I’m sorry I missed its debut, but I have already heard great things about the program.
According to a recent press release by the American Angus Association, “I Am Angus is a one-hour documentary featuring the stories of people whose lives are defined by Angus cattle and Angus beef. The program also included two informational segments about Association programs and services designed to strengthen the economic position of cattle producers.
Film footage from the 1940s, 50s and 60s – narrated by radio great Paul Harvey in 1949 — will feature Angus farms and ranches, and showcase the dramatic changes in beef production, selection and marketing during the last 60 years.”
Did you watch the program last night? If so, what did you think? I’ll be waiting to watch the rerun. Even without seeing it yet, I’m sure it was a great way to boost the Angus brand and also tell the beef production story. Congratulations to those involved.
