Willie Nelson For Secretary of Agriculture

Chuck Zimmerman

Willie Nelson Letter to ObamaWhy not? He’s been advocating for family farmers for years right? He’s already started advising the incoming O-man. Read his letter here.

Farm Aid President Willie Nelson sent an open letter to President-elect Barack Obama today, congratulating him on his victory and offering Farm Aid as a resource for a new farm and food policy that supports a sustainable, family farm system of agriculture.

By way of introduction, Nelson explained, “I started Farm Aid in 1985 when family farmers were being forced off their land as a result of federal policy that paved the way for industrial agriculture. This shift replaced independent family farmers with factory farms that have wreaked havoc on our communities, our environment and our public health.”

Nelson pointed out that Farm Aid and a network of farm and food organizations across the country, together with family farmers, have been working for years to grow the alternative to the industrial food system–one centered around family farms. Nelson said now is the right time for the leaders of our country to take a leadership role in this movement.

“Now is the time for our country to recognize and call on family farmers’ ingenuity, strength and value to our past and our future,” Willie Nelson said. “We can have strong local economies, green energy, a clean environment, healthy citizens and good food–all of these start with family farmers.”

Uncategorized

USDA Podcasting Newslines

Chuck Zimmerman

USDA PodcastsI knew it was only a matter of time before USDA’s Office of Communications started podcasting their news feeds. I’ve discussed it with them several times since it makes it so much easier for farm podcasters to get them. It also opens the door to farmers who can now directly subscribe to USDA’s news! That’s as it should be since it’s their tax money helping make the news feeds happen in the first place.

USDA is now offering the ability of Podcasting of the Radio Newsline and Radio Features via iTunes, Internet Explorer 7 or the ability to copy the link to your favorite Podcast/RSS application. We have also upgraded our page to a more consistent USDA look and feel.

Podcasts, USDA

Corn Cobs Into Ethanol

Chuck Zimmerman

Jeff BroinJeff Broin is CEO of POET and his company just continues to make innovations in the ethanol production business. Lately they’ve been very focused on what they call Project LIBERTY. The goal is to make cellulosic ethanol out of corn cobs. The company held a field day to showcase some of the equipment that companies like John Deere, Case IH and others are developing to assist with the harvest and collection of this biomass that’s left over after harvesting the grain.

Forbes magazine calls Jeff, Mr. Ethanol and has a nice article on him titled “Mr. Ethanol Fights Back” in their latest edition. I spoke with him today about Project LIBERTY. He says they’re not only adding 100 million gallons of grain ethanol production to the Emmetsburg plant but an addition 25 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol production from corn cobs. They will begin construction on these additions late next year and will have the cellulosic production going by 2011.

Jeff says they’ve invested millions of dollars in the cellulosic ethanol process and have been working with ag equipment OEM’s on corn cob collection. I’ll have more interviews coming up on the various ways they’re doing that. One thing this effort to grow ethanol production from corn cobs does is show the close connection between agriculture and the renewable fuel business. Jeff says cellulosic ethanol production from corn cobs can potentially produce an additional 5 billions gallons of the fuel which would replace a significant portion of the fuel we have to import from foreign countries.

You can see photos of today’s event here: Project LIBERTY Field Day Photo Album. I’ll have a lot more tomorrow. Right now I’ve got a long drive home.

You can listen to my interview with Jeff here: poet-liberty-08-broin-1.mp3

You can also download the interview with this link (mp3).

Audio, Ethanol

Night POETry

Chuck Zimmerman

Iowa SunsetI never get tired of taking sunset pictures. This is one from the highway just east of Des Moines, IA on my way to Emmetsburg this evening. You can see that the clouds were rolling in and they’re here now. It’s raining and thundering and lightning outside.

I hope this all clears away by tomorrow morning since we’re supposed to see some interesting field demonstrations by POET at their Project LIBERTY field day.

POET EmmetsburgAs I was driving into Emmetsburg I saw this plant off in the distance. I’m hoping this is the POET Emmetsburg ethanol plant. If not, I’ll correct this post tomorrow.

I was wrong. It’s the AGP soybean processing plant. The POET plant is behind it in this picture.

I think they look very cool in the dark don’t you?

Ethanol

Dorr Resigns from USDA

Cindy Zimmerman

We’ve seen USDA Under Secretary Tom Dorr so many times in the past year or so at so many events that we have gotten to know him pretty well. But, now he is moving on and out of USDA.

USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development, Tom DorrU.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer today announced the resignation, effective December 1, 2008, of Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas C. Dorr.

“Tom Dorr has been a transformational leader for USDA Rural Development,” Schafer said. “As the transition to a new Administration continues in the months ahead, senior leaders will be moving on, but Under Secretary Dorr’s contributions to USDA and rural America will be felt for many years to come.”

A native of Marcus, Iowa, Tom Dorr joined USDA in 2001, serving as USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development and Senior Advisor to the Secretary. He was appointed in December 2005 by then-Secretary Mike Johanns to chair the USDA Energy Council and served as co-chair of the Federal Biomass Research and Development Board.

No word yet where Tom will be landing – although many of the appointed in USDA are naturally looking for new jobs and have been for some time. No matter who was elected, they were likely to be replaced. But, I would think we will be seeing Tom around in the ag sector somewhere in the future.

USDA

POET Project LIBERTY

Chuck Zimmerman

POETI think the last time I was in Emmetsburg, IA it was to visit with a local radio station for the Brownfield Network. It’s been a while. Well, that’s where I’m headed to attend tomorrow’s POET Project LIBERTY field day.

The main purpose of this year’s event is to highlight advances in corn cob harvesting for cellulosic ethanol. I’ll be posting here and on Domestic Fuel.

So, as you can guess, I’ve got some miles to cover.

Agribusiness, Ethanol

Vicki Henrickson Joins BCS Communications

Chuck Zimmerman

Anita, Rhonda and VickiVicki Henrickson is pictured on the right here along with Rhonda Ludwig and Anita Vanderwert at this year’s Farm Progress Show. It’s the first picture I found in the ZimmComm archives when looking for one to use with this news from BCS Communications.

Blasdel Cleaver Schwalbe Communications, LLC, announces that Vicki Henrickson has joined the company as media director / lead media strategist on the John Deere Agricultural Products account.

Henrickson has been managing strategic media planning and placement for John Deere Agricultural Products and John Deere Publishing for the past two years as VickiMedia of Davenport, Iowa. She has extensive media strategy and planning experience, as well as tremendous knowledge of the broad range of agricultural media available today.

Leigh Ann Cleaver, partner, BCS Communications, says the addition of Vicki to the BCS team further integrates the portfolio of communications services the agency provides John Deere. “Our business is designed to offer senior-level, experienced professionals who work with clients everyday to help them accomplish their goals. Joining forces with Vicki adds significantly to our media services.”

Agencies

Pioneer Corn Mikes

Chuck Zimmerman

Pioneer Corn MikesI thought this image of corn microphones from the Pioneer NAFB Trade Talk invitation was worth sharing. Pretty cool creative, eh?

If you’re planning to attend the 2008 NAFB Convention, get your microphone and recorder ready, and stop by the Pioneer Hi-Bred Trade Talk booth. You’ll learn more about the latest from Pioneer and what is to come in 2009.

The Golden ZimmComm Microphones will be there!

Agribusiness, NAFB, Pioneer

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Syngenta announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire the pot and garden Chrysanthemum and Aster business of U.S. flowers producer Yoder Brothers Inc. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2008, pending regulatory approvals.
  • The world’s largest dairy exporter, Fonterra Co-operative Group, has opened its new research and development center – the Chicago Technical Center (CTC) – in Chicago, Ill. Fonterra has invested $2.4 million in the state-of-the-art facility, which applies New Zealand intellectual property and technology to the benefit of both the New Zealand and US dairy industries.
  • The unveiling of the 700,000th square baler made at New Holland was accompanied by a celebration to commemorate the continuing success of one of the most significant labor-saving inventions in the mechanization of agriculture. The 700,000th New Holland square baler, a Model BC5070, is one of the new generation square balers New Holland has introduced this year.
  • The USDA has granted approval of Mycomune R, a vaccine to help prevent respiratory disease in calves caused by Mycoplasma bovis. This new vaccine, which contains antigens against four economically important strains of M. bovis, can be administered to beef and dairy calves as young as three weeks of age.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Frying Turkey is High Cotton

    Chuck Zimmerman

    National Cottonseed Products AssociationIn case you’re already planning your turkey dinner the National Cottonseed Products Association wants you to consider cooking in cottonseed oil. I have not fried a whole turkey yet but maybe this is the year to do it. Apparently cottonseed oil is now available to consumers.

    For years, peanut oil has been the default oil for deep-frying turkey, a long-time Southern delicacy and favorite Thanksgiving tradition. This year, consumers shopping for frying oil likely will see they have another choice: cottonseed oil.

    According to Ben Morgan, executive vice president of the National Cottonseed Products Association, the industry is behind a successful initiative to expand distribution of cottonseed oil to consumers nationwide.

    The organization has some recommendations on just how to do it safely:

    Frying a whole turkey might seem a little intimidating at first, especially if you are not an experienced outdoor cook. However, with a little care and caution, you can get very good results your first time out.

    #3. Pour COTTONSEED oil into a turkey frying pot. Make sure you leave enough room for your turkey so that the oil will be just enough to cover it completely during frying. Do not overfill. Cottonseed oil is best since it’s stable and gives a good flavor to the turkey.

    Ag Groups, Food