Fencposts, The Farm Credit Blog

Chuck Zimmerman

FencePostAllie Robino, Cohn & Wolfe, just brought a new blog for Farm Credit to my attention. It’s called Fenceposts.

The Fenceposts blog was created for people to have conversations with Farm Credit loan officers and other experts about buying rural property and living and working in rural America. We know that people considering a move from the city to the country – or simply a weekend getaway – have questions about where to find land for sale, what to consider before making an offer and how to obtain financing. In addition, they may be looking for help with operating needs like seed, feed, fertilizer, livestock and equipment purchases, or just want to know what life will be like in the country. Rural living is a unique and wonderful experience, and the process of financing a place in the country is different from financing a home in an urban area.

Here on the Fenceposts blog, you can read posts by Farm Credit folks and other country living experts who know rural America and the process of financing rural property and agribusiness inside and out. Many of them live or own land in the country and can provide a unique glimpse into local life and culture. We hope you’ll enjoy their posts, but don’t stop there. We invite you to leave a comment and join the conversation!

Agribusiness

Cropdusters.biz Babes

Chuck Zimmerman

CropDusters.bizFor some reason the Cropdusters.biz booth was one of the busier booths at the NAAA trade show. Chelsi Rae, Carrie and Dainela were working in the booth with founder David Duch, (not pictured). David is an ag pilot himself and he says that he started Cropdusters.biz to make many of the novelty items connected with the business available. Apparently the companies that originally sold these products are no longer doing so. I also asked him about the name since I mainly hear the term aerial applicator now. He says their farmers still call them crop dusters.

WE WANT TO KEEP THE HISTORY OF OUR BUSINESS ALIVE. WE WANT TO CELEBRATE THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE OUT THERE NOW AND THE PEOPLE WHO RUN THEM. WE WANT TO HELP PEOPLE SELL THEIR PLANES OR OTHER ITEMS AT AN AFFORDABLE ADVERTISING RATE AND OFFER MERCHANDISE THAT ALL PILOTS WANT.

Listen to my interview with David here: basf-naaa-08-duch.mp3

You can also download the interview here: David Duch Interview (mp3)

NAAA Convention Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the 2008 National Agricultural Aviators Association Convention
is sponsored by: BASF.

Audio, BASF, NAAA

November ZimmNews

Chuck Zimmerman

November ZimmNewsThe latest edition of ZimmNews has been delivered to in-boxes everywhere.

In case you didn’t get it or just want to look at it online then you can find it here: November ZimmNews

Some highlights include:

I hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading.

ZimmNews

NAAA Legislative Work Tops With Members

Chuck Zimmerman

Bob BaileyThe soon to be outgoing President of the NAAA is Bob Bailey, Bailey Flying Services. In this picture he’s being investigated by some blue men at the Association’s live auction last night.

Bob is obviously a big supporter of the NAAA since he’s volunteering his time to serve as the President. I asked him what the organization means to his business. He says that like other members who responded to a survey, the representation they get in Washington, DC is very important. NAAA helps educate lawmakers and regulators and that has a direct impact on business. As the organization President this year he’s had to make several trips to DC to visit with leaders in EPA and on the Hill. Bob’s also very optimistic about the future for his business.

Listen to my interview with Bob here: basf-naaa-08-bailey.mp3

You can also download the interview here: Bob Bailey Interview (mp3)

NAAA Convention Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the 2008 National Agricultural Aviators Association Convention
is sponsored by: BASF.

Audio, BASF, NAAA

Precision Ag In The Air

Chuck Zimmerman

David EbyI’ve been learning a lot here at the NAAA Convention. For example, I didn’t realize how big a role precision agriculture is playing in aerial application. I guess it makes sense though. If you can use gps and variable rate on the ground then why not from the air?

One of the people who explained some of this to me was David Eby, AgSync, pictured on the left of Denise and Ryan Eby in their trade show booth. David says that they realized the need for aerial application companies to have a software solution for managing data, especially when they’ve got multiple planes in the air. So they developed AgSync, which is a web based solution for this problem. We’re sure seeing a growth in web based programming aren’t we? Even in ag!

David says they’ve been working closely with BASF on the development of this program. I’ve been hearing a lot of applicators here talking about BASF’s Headline fungicide and I asked him what that has meant for the business. He says “it has changed our world in aerial application.”

Listen to my interview with David here: basf-naaa-08-eby.mp3

You can also download the interview here: David Eby Interview (mp3)

NAAA Convention Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the 2008 National Agricultural Aviators Association Convention
is sponsored by: BASF.

Audio, BASF, NAAA, Precision Agriculture

Testing For PRRS Exposure

Chuck Zimmerman

Dr. Jeff ZimmermanDr. Jeff Zimmerman (great last name) was one of the presenters at the BI Foundations Seminar. He got some good-natured ribbing for his topic which was on using oral fluid samples to assess PRRS exposure in pigs.

Actually, he discussed how the techniques for doing this can apply to a project on area and regional control of PRRS. He says they’ve been testing methods of easily collecting these samples and that the data from them can be used for more than just PRRS assessment.

You can listen to my interview with Dr. Zimmerman here: bi-foundations-08-zimmerman.mp3

Boehringer Ingelheim Foundations Photo Album

Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Swine

PADRAP Now Online

Chuck Zimmerman

Dr. Derald HoltkampHave you ever heard of PADRAP? It’s not some new kind of music. It’s actually the Production Animal Disease Risk Assessment Program. It’s a web-based version of the PRRS Risk Assessment for the Breeding Herd. At the BI Foundations Seminar Dr. Derald Holtkamp spoke about using PADRAP to asses the risk of exposure in area and regional control projects for PRRS.

Derald says that the information compiled in PADRAP allows for the establishment of a baseline for risk and to evaluate that risk over time. He says that right now they’re working on several regional projects and he hopes to see that grow to more regions in the future.

You can listen to my interview with Dr. Holtkamp here: bi-foundations-08-holtkamp.mp3

Boehringer Ingelheim Foundations Photo Album

Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Swine

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • The National Milk Producers Federation announced that Dana L. Brooks, a veteran government relations professional with experience at both the state and federal levels, has been hired to serve as its new Senior Director of Government Relations. Brooks will start on Jan. 1, 2009.
  • Makhteshim Agan of North America, Inc., announces the addition of Brent Cranfill to its commercial team as an area business manager covering the territory of west Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and southern Colorado.
  • Michelle Tollefson and Laura Pires have joined the Pfizer Animal Health Cattle Marketing Communications Team. Tollefson joined Pfizer Animal Health as Marketing Communications Manager, Beef, and Pires joined the Pfizer Animal Health team as a Marketing Communications Associate.
  • AgriMarketing magazine and Planalytic Life Sciences announced it will be hosting a Webinar next Monday, Dec. 15 at 2 PM Central in which industry experts will discuss the realities of the new ag economy and ideas on how agri-marketers can successfully operate in it. To register, click here.
    Zimfo Bytes

    ASA Calling For Investigation of USB

    Chuck Zimmerman

    All is not rosy in the soybean world as evidenced by a release sent out this morning by the American Soybean Association.

    “Serious ethical, legal, and financial allegations have been raised about how farmer checkoff funds and program activities are being conducted,” said ASA President John Hoffman, a soybean producer from Waterloo, Iowa. “These significant allegations have caused ASA to ask the Inspector General to conduct an investigation and audit so that the basis of the allegations can be impartially investigated to find the truth.”

    Allegations include the improper and wasteful expenditure of both checkoff and federal funds; potential evasion of mandated salary and administrative spending caps by USB; conflicts of interests at USB; use of checkoff funds for prohibited purposes by USB; and wasteful and excessive spending by USB. There are additional allegations concerning improper USB oversight and tolerance of actions that have taken place at the USSEC, an entity created by USB and ASA in October 2005. These allegations include improper conduct by a USSEC employee at USSEC functions; the firing of whistleblowers; improper employee relationships; contracting violations; management malfeasance and the inability of ASA Directors serving on USSEC Board to obtain an independent and objective investigation of the allegations.

    Full Release

    Post Update: I just received the following response to this from USB:

    The allegations made by the American Soybean Association against the United Soybean Board (USB) regarding mismanagement of farmer checkoff dollars are categorically untrue.

    Today, U.S. soybean farmers enjoy record demand both here and abroad for their soybeans, through the fiscally responsible efforts of the farmers who serve voluntarily on USB. If the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) deems it necessary, USB welcomes a USDA Office of Inspector General audit of any and all of its operations, contractor operations and projects.

    We would encourage all U.S. soybean farmers to learn more about how USB and the soybean checkoff program operate by visiting www.unitedsoybean.org, the only official website of USB and the soybean checkoff program.

    Soybean, USB

    Good News For Aerial Applicators From BASF

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Dr. Amber ShirleyAerial applicators learned about some new BASF products here at the NAAA Convention. They’ve been very happy to hear about them because Headline fungicide has really meant a lot to their business in the last 2 years.

    Dr. Amber Shirley, (pictured on right) made a technical presentation on TwinLine and Caramba before taking her turn in the booth today.

    BASF presented technical information and aerial applicator experiences for TwinLine™ and Caramba™ fungicides at the National Agricultural Aviation Association’s (NAAA) annual conference today. Both fungicides received EPA registrations for cereals this year.

    “TwinLine and Caramba strengthen the BASF wheat fungicide portfolio by providing broad-spectrum activity on rust, head scab and other major cereal diseases,” said Amber Shirley, Ph.D., senior technical service specialist
    with BASF.

    Listen to an interview with Amber here: basf-naaa-08-shirley.mp3

    You can also download the interview here: Dr. Amber Shirley Interview (mp3)

    NAAA Convention Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2008 National Agricultural Aviators Association Convention
    is sponsored by: BASF.

    Audio, BASF, NAAA