Uncle Charley’s Hot Italian

Chuck Zimmerman

Uncle Charley's Hot Italian SausageI don’t know. Maybe it was the title or maybe I was hungry but this caught my eye. When I looked at Uncle Charley’s Gourmet Sausage website I found Hot Italian Sausage and am wondering if I should place an order.

Uncle Charley’s Sausage, judged a “must try” by Better Homes & Gardens food section, is allowing consumers the chance to try all of its products. The company has introduced variety and mix & match sample packs to its online store (www.unclecharleyssausage.com) so that consumers across the country can sample the company’s delicious, fresh sausage in a variety of flavors.

Combo packs consist of a “Breakfast Bonanza,” made up of delicious links and patties; a “Tailgate Special,” of its popular Hot and Sweet Italian Sausage with red peppers and onions and flat grillers; a “Backyard Feast,” a scrumptious sampling of Hot Italian grillers, sausage, Bratwurst, Chorizo and Fresh Kolbassi; and a “Griller Package” of Hot Italian and Sweet Italian and Pork Sausage.

Food

Back From The Birds

Chuck Zimmerman

Mystic Prairie Pheasant HuntingI’m back and ready to see what’s been going on while I’ve been battling the elements in South Dakota. This is the longest amount of time I’ve been away from mobile phones and the internet in years.

I did have a great time hunting pheasants during the Pheasantennial. Here’s our group after a very successful day in the fields. We had some challenging conditions which included near 60 mph winds on Sunday. So someday I’ll be able to tell the youngsters, “I remember hunting pheasants in gale force winds.” Of course that wind did some damage to corn that has yet to be harvested.

So, if you’re interested in some hunt photos I’ve got them in an online photo album.

Hunting

USDA Makes Unprecedented Change in Crop Report

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today did something it has never done before – adjusted its official October acreage and production estimates for six field crops.

NASS“There has never been a complete reissue of a crop production report, with a lock up and with the secretary’s briefing,” said Joe Prusacki with USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service.

USDA revised the numbers after discovering discrepancies in a Farm Service Agency (FSA) database of producer-reported crop acreage used by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). NASS published the changes this morning in a corrected version of the Oct. 10 Crop Production. The World Agricultural Outlook Board also issued an abbreviated World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report reflecting the acreage updates.

Compared to the Oct. 10 release, the corrected Crop Production report reflects 1.2 percent fewer planted acres for corn, 1.4 percent fewer planted acres for soybeans, 1.9 percent fewer acres planted acres for canola, 0.8 percent fewer planted acres for sunflowers, and 0.7 percent fewer planted acres for dry edible beans. The report also reflects a 2.5 percent increase in planted acres for sorghum. Even with the reduced acreage estimates, the 2008 corn crop is still on track to be the second largest on record, while the soybean crop will be the fourth largest.

Corn, Soybean, USDA

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Novariant, Inc., announced that Tom Ruschhaupt has joined the company as General Manager of its AutoFarm precision agriculture division. In his new role, Ruschhaupt will be responsible for the AutoFarm division’s Global performance including its North America region, plus Australia, Europe and South America.
  • Novus International Inc., awarded the 2008 Novus International Research Award at Auburn University to Mr. Adolfo Pereira, Jr. The award will assist Mr. Pereira in his pursuit of a Ph.D. from Auburn University, College of Agriculture. The Novus International Research Award is presented annually to an Auburn University graduate student for research excellence in one or more areas of animal nutrition, metabolism, growth and development or health and disease.
  • Alltech recently achieved Feed Materials Assurance Scheme (FEMAS) certification at four of its plants, assuring that certain materials produced by the company at these sites satisfy the stringent controls applied to animal feed manufacture in regard to quality assurance, traceability, and selection of raw materials.
  • The National FFA Organization has selected the National Pork Board to be a recipient of the special Distinguished Service Citation. This award recognizes clubs, agencies and organizations that have greatly contributed to agricultural science education and FFA programs.
    Zimfo Bytes

    MGEX to Close Trading Pits

    Cindy Zimmerman

    After a long history of futures and options open outcry trading, the Minneapolis Grain Exchange is closing its trading pits effective December 19, 2008. The decision to make the transition to exclusively electronic trading was unanimously approved by the MGEX Board of Directors and is pending MGEX ownership approval.

    MGEXAccording to a MGEX release, the decision comes after an exhaustive study done by MGEX Management at the request of the Board of Directors. “Over the past 12 months there has been a dramatic trend away from open outcry and towards electronic trading witnessed by all U.S. exchanges, including MGEX,” said MGEX CEO Mark Bagan. He agreed that the transition was “inevitable” during a press conference with reporters today.

    “Our customers who use the exchange for risk management purposes will still have the ability to still execute those trades,” Bagan said. “This was not a financial decision, as much as it was how do we grow our marketplace here in Minneapolis.”

    MGEX Management will work closely with all members of the trading floor community to ensure an effective transition for all affected parties. The Exchange will implement a fee waiver program for floor traders who trade for their own account. In addition, a liquidity provider program and market maker program are being introduced. These initiatives are designed to help facilitate the change in venues and build market participation.

    Listen to a press conference this afternoon with Mark Bagan, President & CEO, MGEX.
    mgex-10-24-08.mp3

    You can also download the audio with this link:
    Mark Bagan press conference (mp3)

    Wheat

    Zimfo Bytes

    Melissa Sandfort

      Zimfo Bytes

    • E. Gordon Gee, President, The Ohio State University, and 4-H Alumnus, has been elected to National 4-H Council’s Board of Trustees.
    • The Independent Professional Seed Association (IPSA) has unveiled a new Web site as the next step of an ongoing campaign to promote independent seed companies. The site features a “Members Only” section, as well as a search function to locate IPSA members.
    • Syngenta has signed an agreement to acquire Goldsmith Seeds, Inc., an industry leading breeder and producer of flower seeds, for an amount of $74 million, on a cash and debt- free basis. Goldsmith breeds, produces and sells a broad range of pot and bedding products, including major crops such as cyclamen, impatiens and petunia.
    • Officials at Vermeer Corporation have announced the promotion of Ed Lapthorn to National Sales Manager of the Vermeer Forage Products Group. Responsibilities include management of sales and distribution support for the Forage Solutions Segment.
      Zimfo Bytes

      Road Birds

      Chuck Zimmerman

      Road PheasantsI told you I would be posting lightly for a couple days. It’s pretty wet in South Dakota with some early morning fog.

      However, if you look down the gravel road at our hunting lodge you can see some pheasants having a little get together out on the road.

      I just thought you might enjoy the fact that I am going through internet withdrawal and just had to post something. This might be it for the day from me though.

      Hunting

      Here’s What’s Wrong with the Canadian Wheat Board’s Monopoly

      Harry Siemens

       

      Siemens Says – This is why Farmers Must Vote to elect Marketing Choice candidates in the upcoming CWBHarry Siemens board directors’ elections because Freedom of the Press is at stake. .

       The Canadian Wheat Board has refused my registration on two CWB media events, effectively banning me from covering, reporting, and commenting on the Wheat Board’s activities from a point of view the majority of farm media and mainstream media seldom take.

       I write for three and sometimes five farm newspapers weekly and monthly, broadcast on several radio stations and radio networks daily in the United States and Canada, posting to my SiemensSays.Com website, writing in the FarmWatch newsletter, and sharing the information on talks I give in Canada and the USA.Read More

      Uncategorized

      Mystic Blogging Experience

      Chuck Zimmerman

      Mystic Prairie Pheasant HuntingThis is a heads up AgWired fans that I’ll be sort of off the grid for a few days starting tomorrow. Even the agriblogger has to go far afield to recharge his batteries. It’s just that time of year.

      However, I’ll still be connecting periodically and I couldn’t go somewhere without blogging it.

      So, posting will be light for a few days but then it cranks back up. Bear with me.

      Uncategorized

      Badger NAMA Awards Tree

      Chuck Zimmerman

      Badger NAMA Awards TreeThe Badger NAMA chapter must have won a lot of awards to have this many leaves on their “tree.”

      The Badger National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) Chapter recently donated $500 to the building of the University of Wisconsin-Madison NAMA Awards Tree, a display that recognizes the accomplishments of the student chapter over the past 30 years.

      “Since its accreditation in 1978, the UW-Madison Student NAMA Chapter, its marketing team and its advisors have been recognized by the national professional chapter with numerous awards,” says Sarah Botham, UW-Madison NAMA Advisor. “We appreciate Badger NAMA’s donation to help make our awards tree a reality.”

      In 2008, this vast collection of trophies and plaques was replaced with a three-dimensional wall of recognition, featuring a unique design which will provide space for an infinite number of future awards.

      The bronze sculpture takes the form of a tree, with each leaf representing one award. The awards are divided by categories and the categories identified by large acorns. Each category is represented in one section of the tree and can be updated annually, growing with the success and legacy of this renowned student organization.

      NAMA