Now Hearing From American Humane Association

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Foundation ForumThis time we’ve got Tim Amlaw, Director of the Farm Animal Program of the American Humane Association on the podium at the Farm Foundation Forum on animal welfare.

Here’s what our man on the scene, Mace Thornton, (@AFBFMace) is saying about his presentation:

Tim Amlaw of American Humane @ FF forum on farm animals: AH been around since 1877. In Ag AH believes in on-ground, science based approach.

Tim Amlaw of AH @ FF forum on frm anim care: AH certified program relies on science to bebefit farmer and consumer.

Amlaw of AH @ FF forum on frm anim care: AH cert progrm. Trained auditors. “True humane tracking” Engagemnt among sectors, farm to consumrs.

Amlaw of AH @ FF forum on farm anim: video monitoring an application for farmers to see solution to challenge…immed corrective action.

Amlaw: consumers demanding humane choices and producers are adapting.

I’m posting these as quick as I can amid other work going on. If you were following along on Twitter would you agree that it’s “almost like being there?”

Ag Groups, Farm Foundation

More From Farm Foundation Forum

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Foundation ForumHere’s Paul Shapiro, Senior Director of the Humane Society of the United States, speaking now at the Farm Foundation Forum on animal welfare. Thanks again to Mace Thornton’s Blackberry.

Here’s a couple new tweets from him (@AFBFMace):

HSUS Shapiro @ FF farm anim forum: civil discourse essntl. All agree animals protected by law to some degree…dog and cock fight etc.

HSUS Shapiro selectively quotes the research AFBF sponsored with Oklahoma State Univ. @ FF forum on farm animal care. So much more there.

HSUS Shapiro also quotes Pew Comm. And Temple Grandin and cites pork companies to phase out gest. stalls.

HSUS Shapiro @ FF forum on farm animls: Main Pt. — animals being able to turn round and spread limbs should be a common ground issue.

HSUS Shapiro @ FF farm anml forum. American public sees images of animals in cages and thinks worse of ag because of it

Ag Groups, Farm Foundation

Animal Welfare Farm Foundation Forum

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Foundation ForumThanks to @AFBFMace (Mace Thornton, American Farm Bureau Federation) we’re getting some information from the Farm Foundation Forum on Animal Welfare as it relates to Production Agriculture. The session this morning in Washington, DC has started as you can see from his Blackberry photo. Here’s who’s on the program:

Paul Shapiro, Senior Director of the Humane Society of the United States
Tim Amlaw, Director of the Farm Animal Program of the American Humane Association
Dr. Jim Reynolds of the American Veterinary Medical Association and a Professor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California-Davis
Dr. David Blandford, Professor of Economics at Penn State University
Bob Krouse, CEO of Midwest Poultry Supply

I will hopefully be able to link you to audio from the presentation later this afternoon. The session is being recorded and will be posted on the Farm Foundation website.

If you’re not on Twitter and can’t follow Mace to see his posts here’s an example of what you’re missing as I write:

1st up David Blandford of PSU @ farmfound forum. Less public pressure for change here than Europe.

Blandford @ farmfound animal care forum. If animal care and practices become linked to human health concerns, it becomes diff story.

Blandford @ FF farm animal forum: who pays? Consumer or producers? EU pays subsidy to meet higher standards.

He’s a master Tweetist!

Ag Groups, Farm Foundation

Leaders Honored at Beef Improvement Federation Research Symposium

Amanda Nolz

The 41st BIF Research Symposium and Annual Meeting was hosted by the California Beef Cattle Improvement Association (CBCIA) and the California Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) in Sacramento, Calif. on April 30-May 3, 2009. I extend my congratulations to the beef industy leaders that were honored at this year’s event.

2009 Frank H. Baker Memorial Scholarship Award Recipients
The late Frank H. Baker played a key leadership role in helping establish the BIF in 1968. Since 1994, two deserving graduate students have been recognized for winning essays.

speidelbakerbif091Scott Speidel, research associate in breeding and genetics at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo., was a recipient of the 2009 Frank H. Baker Memorial Scholarship Award. Speidel accepted the award from Robert Williams, Ph.D., director of breed improvement and foreign marketing for the American-International Charolais Association, Kansas City, Mo. A California native, Speidel holds a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from California State University, Fresno; a master’s degree from the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., and plans to complete his doctorage this fall at Colorado State University.

leachmanbakerbif091 Lance D. Leachman, Christiansburg, Va., was also a recipient of the 2009 Frank H. Baker Memorial Scholarship Award. The award was presented by Robert Williams, Ph.D., director of breed improvement and foreign marketing, American-International Charolais Association, Kansas City, Mo., during the 41st Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Research Symposium and Annual Meeting, April 30- May 3, 2009, in Sacramento, Calif. Leachman was born in Maidstone, Sask., Canada. He holds a bachelor of science degree in Animal Sciences and Industry with a business option from Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., and a master’s degree in Animal and Poultry Science – Breeding Genetics from Virginia Polytechnic State University (Virginia Tech), Blackburg, Va. Currently, Leachman is a graduate student at Virginia Tech.

Nebraska Operation Named Beef Improvement Federation Commercial Producer of the Year

commercialbif091 The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) named the JHL Ranch, Ashby, Neb., as its 2009 Commercial Producer of the Year. The family has run cattle in the southwest corner in the Nebraska Sandhills since 1885. The JHL brand is reputed to be one of the oldest used in Nebraska having been legally registered in the state in 1920. Ranch owners Art and Merry Brownlee, along with their son Ethan, accepted the award from BEEF magazine Senior Editor Burt Rutherford during the 41st BIF Research Symposium and Annual Meeting, April 30 – May 3, 2009, in Sacramento, Calif. The ranch was nominated by the Nebraska Cattlemen and the Braunvieh Association of America, both based in Lincoln, Neb. (BIF) Outgoing President Tommy Brown (far left), Clanton, Ala., and BEEF magazine Senior Editor Burt Rutherford (far right), Amarillo, Texas, present the 2009 BIF Commercial Producer of the Year Award to Art and Merry Brown and their son Ethan of the JHL Ranch, Ashby, Neb. The award was sponsored by BEEF magazine, Minneapolis, Minn.

Photo by Cornerpost Publications, publisher of the California Cattleman.

Farm Shows

Landa Promoted At Rhea + Kaiser

Chuck Zimmerman

Robert LandaRobert Landa has been promoted to VP, Executive Creative Director at Rhea + Kaiser Marketing Communications. He’ll be overseeing all Creative Directors and staff, as well as the Production and Graphics departments.

Landa, who joined Rhea + Kaiser in 2002, has served as both an Associate Creative Director and Creative Director at the agency, managing the creative development for R+K clients including Aurora Health Care, Bayer CropScience, DePaul University, Pennington Seed, Pfizer Animal Health and TechPac, LLC. Landa assumes his new position from R+K co-founder Van Kaiser, who will maintain a 50 percent ownership stake in the privately held agency.

Agencies

Founding Farmers Founded By Farmers

Chuck Zimmerman

Founding FarmersWhen you go to any type of farm meeting you can be pretty sure you’ll be fed well. NAFB’s Washington Watch is no different. This year we all were treated to a fine meal at Founding Farmers.

At Founding Farmers we believe that everyone benefits by knowing more about the source of the food they eat. We understand the journey of our products from seed to harvest, and from Farm-to-Table. Owned by a collective of American family farmers, Founding Farmers exists to promote the products and services of family farms, ranches, and fisheries. We celebrate and share the long-standing connection between farmers – the first to lead the “green” movement – and their historic stewardship of natural resources.

Christian Holmes and Pam JahnkeOur host was Founding Farmers General Manager Christian Holmes, pictured with NAFB President Pam Jahnke.

When he was 14 years old washing dishes in the Italian restaurant down the road from his house in rural upstate New York, Christian Holmes had no idea he’d already found his calling. While he pursued his love for history in undergraduate and graduate school, Christian worked in bars and restaurants to help pay the bills. When the opportunity to manage a popular college town restaurant became available, working in a fast-paced fun environment lured him away from his plans to teach history.

Christian Holmes getting interviewed by NAFBBefore we settled down to dinner a few NAFB members got together with Christian for an interview. I recorded it for you. In the interview Christian says the restaurant is the vision of the North Dakota Farmers Union. He says it presents the American family farmer to legislators as well as consumers. He was attracted to the facility because “It’s not just about the food and the restaurant experience. It’s the fact that we’re owned and supported by farmers.”

You can listen to our group interview with Christian here: ww-09-holmes.mp3

NAFB Washington Watch 2009 Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Rabo AgriFinance and participating AGCO Parts Dealers have the QuickLink Valued Customer program to provide existing QuickLink users a special discount on AGCO parts and service purchases over $1,000 between now and May 31.
  • DLG (German Agricultural Society), the organizer of Agritechnica, and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers , organizer of the new agricultural trade show AG CONNECT Expo, announced a long-term alliance that includes a plan to coordinate show dates that will allow agriculture producers to attend a major international agriculture trade show each year.
  • GEA Group AG continues its expansion strategy towards becoming a total solutions provider in livestock farming through the acquisition of DB Wilaard Holding BV.
  • The United Sorghum Checkoff Program has selected Broadhead + Co to launch its domestic demand-building campaign.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Soybean Request For Referendum Starts Today

    Chuck Zimmerman

    United Soybean BoardA request for referendum campaign kicks off today on the Soybean Promotion and Research Program. USDA is conducting it and producers have four weeks to participate. According to the United Soybean Board:

    The request for referendum will determine whether U.S. soybean producers want a referendum on the Soybean Promotion and Research Program. The Soybean Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act requires that the Secretary of Agriculture provide soybean producers the opportunity to petition for a referendum every five years.

    Soybean producers eligible to participate in the request for referendum are defined as any producer who paid an assessment on the sale of soybeans during the period beginning January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2008, and who owned or shared in the ownership and the risk of loss of such soybeans during this period of time. Eligible individuals who do not want a referendum need not take any action.

    Producers can obtain a LS-51-1 form to request a referendum either in person, by mail or by fax from May 4, 2009, through May 29, 2009, from their county Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices or online at http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsmarketingprograms. Individual producers and other producer entities can request a referendum at the county FSA office that maintains and processes the producer’s administrative farm records. A producer not participating in FSA programs may request a referendum at the county FSA office serving the area where the producer owns or rents land.

    Request for Referendum forms returned by mail must be postmarked by midnight May 29, 2009, and received in the county FSA office by close of business on June 5, 2009. Producers also need to attach documentation such as a sales receipt to this form showing that the producer, corporation or other entity paid assessments on soybeans during the period from January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2008. FSA will determine a producer’s eligibility and notify all producers who are ineligible to participate in the request for referendum process.

    The U.S. Soybean Federation has also commented publicly on the request for referendum.

    “There is absolutely no question that soybean farmers have benefited from the national soybean checkoff program,” says Warren Stemme, USSF president and a soybean farmer from Chesterfield, Mo. “The farmers who created the checkoff nearly 18 years ago demonstrated an amazing amount of insight and now it’s the job of today’s soybean farmers to keep the program and the corresponding legislation intact.”

    Beginning today soybean farmers have the opportunity to participate in a request for referendum. Farmers can sign a petition requesting a vote on the continuation of the soybean checkoff program.

    USSF Vice President Jerry Slocum explained that farmers who believe the soybean checkoff is doing a good job for them don’t need to sign the petition.

    Ag Groups, Soybean, USB, USDA

    Water Quality and Climate Protection

    Chuck Zimmerman

    American Farm Foundation FolksThese smiling faces are (l-r) Dennis Nuxoll, Director of Government Relatisons, Jim Baird, Mid-Atlantic States Director and Jennifer Morrill, Director of Media Relations, American Farmland Trust. They were smiling at the NAFB Washington Watch Issues Forum.

    I asked what’s new at AFT. Jim started out by saying, “We’re the No Farms/No Food people.” He says that people are waking up to the fact that farms provide a lot of value to communities in the area of heritage and environmental benefits. Dennis says that from his perspective farmers need to be really involved in water quality and climate protection. There is legislation being worked on right now and he thinks farmers need to be educated and involved.

    You can listen to my interview with Dennis and Jim here: ww-09-aft.mp3

    NAFB Washington Watch 2009 Photo Album

    Ag Groups, Audio

    UCLA Ignorance – Beef-Less Thursdays

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Thanks to @RayLinDairy (that’s Twitter ID in case you didn’t know) for pointing me to this complete ignorance gone to seed (thank you Derry Brownfield). You need to read the whole thing. It’s so filled with misinformation that the only conclusion you can draw is that the vegetarians are running the dining halls. I’d eat out if I went to school there.

    UCLA Dining Services recently announced a new decision to remove all beef from the dining halls every Thursday beginning today for the duration of this quarter.

    The move toward “Beef-less Thursdays” is meant to advance UCLA’s sustainability and wellness goals, said Robert Gilbert, the sustainability coordinator for Housing and Hospitality Services.

    Beef is an environmentally unfriendly food item because cows require a great deal of water to raise and they produce methane, which is a greenhouse gas, Gilbert said.

    The lunatics are running the asylum. I think I’ll go out and find some beef to eat for supper.

    Beef, University