Get it Right – Call it H1N1

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack yesterday urged reporters to “get it right” and call it H1N1.

“The job of the media is to get it right and not necessarily to get it convenient,” said Vilsack. “Some media outlets have been responsive and sensitive to this, but there’s really not been a concerted effort by the media to do a good job, a correct job of making sure this is characterized properly.”

H1N1 FacebookVilsack made his case on behalf of struggling pork producers who have been adversely affected by the connection to the virus. “I want folks who are in this business of conveying messages“to understand that behind that message there is a family today … wondering how they’re going to be able to pay the bills when they continually sell pork for less than what it costs to produce, and they continue to get hammered for something that they have absolutely nothing to do with.”

Illinois Farm Bureau is taking the case to Facebook by urging us to participate in online H1N1 online activism today. Join the protest here.

Stop the hogwash! Call it H1N1, not “swine flu.” You cannot get H1N1 from eating pork, and the misnomer is hurting pork producers financially.

Join me in the fight against bad farm facts. Copy this entire message into your profile status and leave it there all day. Then click “like” on the Illinois Farm Bureau Fan Page status to show that you participated. Thank you for supporting U.S. agriculture.

Media, Pork, Social Networking

Catch Me in Pierre Tomorrow!

Amanda Nolz

ANCW_Logo Today, I’m hitting the road to attend an event with the South Dakota CattleWomen’s Association. I will be their keynote speaker at the Ramkota Inn in Pierre, S.D. during their noon luncheon. I will be speaking on my life since being the 2006 National Beef Ambassador and explaining the importance of getting involved in our agriculture industry. I’m excited to hit the road again with speaking gigs, and I will let you know my speaking schedule as it comes up. Hopefully, we can meet down the road somewhere.

For now, here is a little teaser of my speech: I will be diving into the ins and outs of my involvement in the beef cattle industry. I’ll explain the successes and failures, the good ideas and the bad, the internships, the study abroad trips and my final year of college in making the decision to go back to the family cattle ranch and work as a self-employed speaker and writer. Finally, I will challenge the cattlewomen to stand up and get involved in their own agriculture advocacy. I’ll report back next week with how it turns out. Stay tune for updates on my upcoming adventures! Next on the list is a day at SDSU, speaking for the new Beef Leadership Experience Program!

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Energy Main Topic at Forum

Amanda Nolz

It was standing room only at the Town Hall Meeting featuring U.S. Senator John Thune at the 2009 South Dakota State Fair in Huron, S.D. last week. The senator was welcomed to a standing ovation after he was introduced, and from there, he presented a powerpoint detailing spending and deficit projections. However, it was the question-and-answer segment of the town hall meeting that drew the most interest.

Energy was the major topic of discussion at the forum, with many asking Senator Thune about the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES). Thune said he was open to supporting the RES, but he would not vote in favor of a bill that included either cap-and-trade pollution regulations or a climate-change proposal, as he believes they would raise energy costs for South Dakotans. So, what’s your take on the Renewable Electricity Standard? Has it been discussed at your town hall meetings? What’s your take?

Energy

Georgia Peanut Industry Helps Feed Hungry

Cindy Zimmerman

The Georgia peanut industry helped to fill the coffers of the state’s food banks – and the stomachs of hungry children – with a hefty donation this week.

GA Peanut DonationIn honor of Hunger Action Month, representatives from the Georgia Peanut Commission, National Peanut Buying Points Association, American Peanut Shellers Association and Georgia Farm Bureau along with fourteen other individuals, organizations and businesses donated 28,224 jars of peanut butter to the Food Bank of Southwest Georgia. That’s enough peanut butter to make 350,000 sandwiches!

“Peanut butter is an excellent source of protein and an ideal item to have in our pantries because adults and kids alike can make a quick meal or snack out of it,” said Brett Kirkland, president of the Food Bank of Southwest Georgia. “Thanks to the peanut industry and the donors of this project, this large donation of peanut butter will help us and our 300 partner agencies continue to distribute high-quality, easy-to- prepare food to those in need of food assistance.”

The Food Bank of Southwest Georgia serves 20 counties throughout Southwest Georgia and partners with over 300 agencies to serve approximately 30,000 people each year, including 10,000 children. In the 20 county service area, there are 100,000 people living in poverty and 200,000 people at risk of being food insecure at some point during the year.

Read more from the Georgia Peanut Commission here.

See more photos here.

Peanuts

Farm Progress Show Harvest Demo

Cindy Zimmerman

The corn was still green but that didn’t stop a rainbow of combines from demonstrating their skills at the 2009 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois last week.

Watch this YouTube video of the New Holland CR9080 doing its thing:

Farm Progress Show, New Holland, Video

Novus International To Research at Green Acres

Chuck Zimmerman

Novus Media DayGreen Acres was the place to be yesterday. That’s the name of the Novus International research farm near Montgomery City, MO. Our media group piled into a van piloted by Captain Jeremy Lutgen and off we went to see how the project is coming along.

Novus purchased the 15 acre farm and has been constructing new buildings while renovating existing one. Pictured on the left is Skip Hampton, Novus Manager, Product Research. He told us all about their plans and says they hope to have the initial construction finished by the end of this month. He says they’ll have a multi-functional facility that will allow for research on swine, poultry, ruminants and equine. Their headquarters building is Leed certified and the home on the site for the on-site manager will also be Leed certified. The whole farm will have sustainability in mind and in my interview you’ll hear Skip describe how they’ll utilize water resources and energy. He says they may be looking at a combination of a wind turbine with solar panels.

Novus International Media Day Photo Album

You can listen to my interview with Skip here:

Animal Health, Audio, Novus International

Talking Precision With International Visitors

Chuck Zimmerman

International Visitors to Farm Progress ShowSomeone mentioned to me the other day that because there are more farm shows being developed in other countries and due to the shape of our economy we probably will see fewer international visitors to shows here in the U.S. However, at this year’s Farm Progress Show I saw lots of them. While I was in the Ag Leader Technology exhibit (sponsor of our Precision Pays site) I spoke to a couple of our international visitors from Argentina, Matias Abadie and Axel Von Martini. They are standing in the photo. Axel does research and brought a group of 72 farmers to the U.S. and their tour ends here at the show. Matias works as an Ag Leader dealer in Argentina.
Both of them echo what we’re seeing here at home and that is growing adoption of precision technology and for many of the same reasons as their American counterparts (reduce input costs for example). In fact, they make a point that we’re living in a global market so farmers around the world are sharing similar challenges.

They also make it clear that information is much more accessible than it used to be and the internet has really helped with that. I’ll bet they visit Precision Pays!

You can listen to my interview with them below.

Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Audio, Farm Progress Show, International

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

Zimfo Bytes

Novus Helps Producers Balance Dairy Nutrition

Chuck Zimmerman

Stephanie GableThe first presenter this morning at the Novus International Media Day was good friend, Stephanie Gable, Marketing Manager, Ruminants. Stephanie gave us the lowdown on how Novus is helping dairy producers achieve “oxidative balance” in their herd. They’ve found that just like with human beings, when dairy cows come under stress from oxidation they become less productive. So to prevent it and maintain a healthy balance they recommend the use of antioxidants like AGRADO Plus feed ingredient.

They feel so strongly about the importance of dairy nutrition that they’ve created a new website on the subject where you can learn a lot more about this oxidative balance issue.

Novus International Media Day Photo Album

You can listen to my interview with Stephanie here:

Animal Health, Audio, Dairy, Novus International

Changing Senate Ag Chairs

Cindy Zimmerman

Tom HarkinIt became official today that Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa will become chairman of the Senate health committee, replacing the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. The move means that Harkin will no longer be chairman of the agriculture committee, but says he will remain as a member of the committee which he has been on since 1985. “My dedication to the Agriculture Committee dates back to my first year in Congress when I served on the House Agriculture Committee in 1975,” Harkin said.

The new chairman of the ag committee is Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, who has served on the committee since 1998. “As a seventh-generation Arkansan and farmer’s daughter, I know my father is smiling down on me today,” Lincoln said. “I thank Senator Harkin for his tremendous leadership. As Chairman, I will work with my colleagues to build upon the Committee’s strong record and devote my full energy to producing forward-looking, balanced priorities on behalf of all families and communities. I will continue to fight for the hardworking farm families and rural communities who provide the safest, most abundant and affordable supply of food and fiber in the world.” Lincoln is the first woman ever to chair the committee.

American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman commented on the committee chair changes in a statement. “Sen. Lincoln has been a long-time friend of Farm Bureau. She received the Golden Plow Award in 2008, the highest honor the American Farm Bureau Federation presents to members of Congress, for her steadfast support of America’s farmers and ranchers,” said Stallman. “Farm Bureau is also pleased that Sen. Harkin has agreed to continue to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee. Sen. Harkin has always been deeply committed to the nation’s farmers and ranchers, and we are confident he will continue to represent and hear the concerns of agriculture as he helps set the tone for important issues such as healthcare, education and labor in his new chairmanship.”

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