Tom Dorr New President/CEO of USGC

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 231 - Tom Dorr New CEO of USGCIn this weeks program I chat with new a US Grains Council CEO/President, Tom Dorr. The announcement was just made that the former U.S. Undersecretary for Rural Development will be replacing the retiring Ken Hobbie in November. Ken has held the position for the past 18 years and has been with USGC for 33 years.

Tom DorrHeres a photo of Tom I took from a Farm Foundation Forum I attended. In fact, as I looked back through posts here on AgWired, hes been kind of a regular! Were really looking forward to working with Tom in his new position.

Tom farmed in Iowa before moving to Washington, DC and is taking the helm of the organization as it is about to celebrate 50 years in 2010. He says his first priority will be to work with the Council’s membership, Board of Directors, and staff to clearly define, not just the challenges, but the opportunities for international grain trade.

So, listen to my conversation with Tom as we discuss his new position and the challenges he sees in the future.

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.

Ag Groups, Audio, USGC, ZimmCast

What’s Your Definition of Cowboy?

Amanda Nolz

dispImage Everyone has a different idea of who or what a cowboy is. While most definitions vary widely, there is one thing that they all have in common: pride in American agriculture and dedication to get the job done right. Recently, I ran across an article titled, “Who Cares About Cowboys Anymore?” and it discussed how the average American consumer doesn’t care or understand where their food comes from. (Photo Credit: Peter Yang, True Grit)

Today, I’m asking each and every single AgWired reader out there to share their definition of the American cowboy. Leave it in the comments section here, as well as on the article. It’s time we connect with our urban customers once again. It’s time they understand the people behind the products in the grocery stores. It’s time we stand up and speak out before our story gets told by someone else. Remember to share the facts and your personal story to deliver the most effective message. Here is my comment that I left on the website… I hope you’ll take the time to share your story, too.

It’s been said that most Americans are so far removed from American agriculture, they have never even met a farmer/rancher in their lifetimes. However true that may be, I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce myself to the American public as a fifth generation cattle rancher from South Dakota. My name is Amanda Nolz, and my family has been in the cattle business in what seems like forever.

Ranching is a tough profession, especially today, with the increasing price of food, fuel and fiber, and it’s not always easy to earn a living in this career. It’s tough, but necessary work. According to the most recent agriculture census, for every consumer dollar spent on food in the United States, the farmer or rancher only receives 18 cents of that dollar. However, despite the challenges, the people involved in raising food are a passionate group. Over 90% of farms and ranches are family owned and operated, which means that families just like yours are dedicated to raising a safe, affordable wholesome food source that is abundantly available for families across the globe.

For me and my family, we are proud to raise nutritious, delicious beef. It graces our dinner table on most nights. Despite the common misconceptions in the media today about our nation’s food supply, we firmly believe that American farmers and ranchers produce the safest food in the world. Maybe you have never met a cowboy before, but I hope that you will remember people like me that are working hard everyday to fill the center of your dinner plate. We are “cowboys,” and it’s a lifestyle we are dedicated to, no matter how difficult it gets at times.

Amanda Nolz
5th generation cattle rancher
Mitchell, SD

Media

BASF Kixor Recieves EPA Approval

Cindy Zimmerman

The highly-anticipated approval of a new kind of chemistry for weed control has finally happened.

basf kixorBASF announced today the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration of a new active ingredient, Kixor® herbicide, for use on a wide range of crops and effective on more than 70 broadleaf weeds. Starting this fall, four formulations Powered by Kixor herbicide — Sharpen™ herbicide, OpTill™ herbicide, Integrity™ herbicide and Treevix™ herbicide — will be available to help growers tackle today’s weed control challenges in their fields.

“Kixor is a new herbicide technology specifically designed to address pressing weed concerns of today and tomorrow,” said Nevin McDougall, Group Vice President of BASF North America Crop Protection. “At a time when few new herbicides are being brought to market, BASF has remained steadfast in our commitment to bringing new solutions to growers to help them manage their fields and realize a higher return on the acre. The result is a breakthrough herbicide technology that gives growers a powerful tool in the fight against glyphosate resistance.”

We’ve been talking about the Kixor chemistry from BASF for well over a year now – you can find a number of posts here on Agwired about it if you do a search for Kixor – so it is great to see it finally approved by EPA. You can read more about it here from BASF.

BASF, Farming

Follow the Peanut Tour Blog

Cindy Zimmerman

ga peanut tourThe 23rd Annual Georgia Peanut Tour is being held this week to provide producers with the latest information on peanuts while giving a first-hand view of industry infrastructure from production and handling to processing and utilization.

But, for those who can’t be there – they can follow along on the Georgia Peanut Tour blog.

For the second year in a row, master blogger Joy Carter with the Georgia Peanut Commission will be blogging all the events starting with the Hot Topics Seminar on Tuesday with food safety experts discussing production practices, quality management, and outbreak investigations. The tour includes a cross section of field conditions in South Central Georgia, peanut harvest clinics, production research at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus, peanut handling and grading facilities as well as a focus on biofuels, equipment and implements, trailers and dryer, dome storage and handling, shelling and blanching.

Peanuts

Discussing Eminent Domain

Amanda Nolz

Tomorrow, I’m headed to the home of longtime friends Mike and Sue Sibson, cattle ranchers from western Miner County. They have asked me to come view their operation and help tell their story. The Sibsons were one of several South Dakota families to sign on to a lawsuit last year trying to prevent TransCanada from using eminent domain to seize easements from landowners along the proposed Keystone pipeline route.

A South Dakota political blog, Madville Times, did a feature on the Sibson’s struggles. Here is an excerpt…

MSdriverpipe The Sibsons refer to their land, now sliced in half by the Keystone Pipeline, as their “homestead” of 30-some years. “Homestead” is a powerful word. It recalls where our people came from: traveling across wild land, picking one spot out of a million possibilities, staking survival—financial and physical—on their best guess that this patch of land might produce a good crop. Our ancestors came in response to a simple promise from the government: build a house, grow crops, tough it out, and the land is yours.

The Sibsons thought the land they worked for was theirs. They chose a spot twelve miles out of town, built a home, paid the bills with corn, wheat, and cattle. By sweat and wits, they earned their farm. They figured it was theirs, plain and simple…until last year, when a foreign corporation said, “No, actually, we can claim your land anytime we want,” and the government to which the Sibsons pay their taxes replied, “Yup, sure can.”

“I’m one of the only guys who can say he had a 2000-mile pipeline shoved up his ***,” says Mike Sibson.

This got me to thinking about the big subject of eminent domain and how it has an impact on land owners. From your experiences, what’s your take? What are your thoughts? Do you know someone who has been touched by eminent domain? I will report back with the full story later on. Thanks for your thoughts…

politics

Atrazine Turns 50

Chuck Zimmerman

Syngenta At Farm Progress ShowAs many of you may know, Atrazine is celebrating its 50th birthday. To learn more about it and what it means I spoke to Chuck Foresman, Syngenta Manager, Weed Resistance Strategies and Sherry Duvall Ford, Syngenta, Head, External Communications. We were at the Farm Progress Show in the media tent.

Chuck says that the product helped farmers back in the late 50’s and sustains its usefulness today. It’s used on many acres and particularly those devoted to conservation tillage. He says over the years farmers have learned a lot about how to use it and continue to see great value in it. One thing he mentions that is interesting is that even when Syngenta came to the market with a new class of herbicide called Callisto they found that using them together they work better than separately. He says Atrazine is found in over 40 different mixes today to control weeds in corn.

I asked about concerns that people have about the safety of Atrazine and Sherry says it’s probably the most studied products on the market. She wants the public to know that drinking water is completely safe where Atrazine is concerned. They work very closely with EPA on this.

Chuck points out that a looming threat in the field is glyphosate resistance and Atrazine plays a role to control many of the weeds that glyphosate controls so the they work to sustain each other. You can find a lot more information on the Syngenta Atrazine website.

For 50 years, farmers around the world have relied on atrazine — one of the triazine family of herbicides — to fight weeds in corn, grain sorghum, sugar cane and other crops. And for good reason: it’s still one of the most effective, affordable and trusted products in agriculture today.

Syngenta believes in atrazine, its effectiveness, its safety, its importance to agriculture – in the U.S. and worldwide.

You can listen to my interview with Chuck and Sherry here:

Agribusiness, Audio, Corn, Farm Progress Show, Syngenta

Catch Me On The Road!

Amanda Nolz

amanda1 It’s looking like things are going to continue to stay busy for me in my first year as an agriculture writer and speaker. In addition to my work on the ranch, I have been traveling across the country speaking to various agriculture groups on hot topics such as the next generation of food producers, online social networking, agriculture advocacy and more. Here is a list of my upcoming events; I would love to catch up with you on the road, if our schedules allow. Let me know if you’re in the area! And, if you’re in need of a speaker for your next meeting or event, just give me a holler! Hope to meet some of you soon!

Sept. 16, 2009 – SDSU Beef Leadership Experience Opening Keynote, Brookings, SD; Address to SDSU animal science freshmen on the importance of getting involved. I will also be speaking to the Block and Bridle group that evening to expand upon the same topic.

Oct. 9-11, 2009 – 2010 National Beef Ambassador Contest, Fort Smith, AR; I will present the inspirational keynote to the ambassador contestants, as well as present a workshop to the CattleWomen on online social networking.

Nov. 21, 2009 – Agriculture Banquet, SD Department of Ag, Pierre, SD; keynote address, “What Happened to the Next Generation of Agriculturalists?”

Jan. 30-31, 2010 – North Dakota Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference, Minot, ND.

Feb. 12-13 – Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference, Frankenmuth, MI.

Advertising

MOSES Helping Organic Farmers

Chuck Zimmerman

Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education ServiceAt this year’s Farm Progress Show Eric Hatling, Development and Communications Coordinator for the MOSES, the Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service, visited with me about the organization. It sounds like their has continued to grow.

Eric says that since last year the organization continues to grow. He says they had almost 2,700 people attend their Annual Organic Farming Conference and Organic University. He says they exist to help farmers who want to grow organic become successful. The next annual conference is scheduled for Feb. 25-27 in Lacrosse, WI with over 60 workshops on all aspects of organic and sustainable farming.

You can listen to my interview with Eric here:

Ag Groups, Organic, Sustainability

Penn & Teller on Dr. Borlaug

Chuck Zimmerman

There is absolutely no way I can improve on what Penn & Teller say about Dr. Norman E. Borlaug. This video has been out for a while but I just saw it for the first time and I’m still laughing. Penn Jillette narrates this video and let’s just say he expresses my thoughts on Greenpeace wackos perfectly with the word, BS. It’s worth watching to the end and as far as I’m concerned it’s an awesome tribute to Dr. Borlaug. (Warning: there are a few choice words in the video that may not sit well on sensitive ears.)

I may not agree with them on other issues but this one is dead on the money.

Food, Video, Wackos

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • New perspectives on rural economic growth will be discussed at the Farm Foundation Forum on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
  • The National Corn Growers Association has added two new managers, Susan Powers and Cathryn Wojcicki Dixson, to fill vacant positions on its award-winning communications team as it works to promote the image of corn farmers and the importance of U.S. corn and corn products.
  • The public is invited to help dedicate Iowa State University’s BioCentury Research Farm on Sept. 22, 1:30 p.m. at the farm, which is located at 1327 U Avenue, about 5 miles east of Boone.
  • The Westchester Group is pleased to announce that Roderick (Rory) Robertson has joined the company as executive vice president. Rory will be establishing a new office in Fresno, Calif.
    Zimfo Bytes