Commodity Classic Performers

Chuck Zimmerman

Pam Tillis and Riders In The SkyI just bought our 2009 wall calendar and we’ve got a lot to put on it. One of those items is Commodity Classic. It looks like we’ve got some great performers again this year.

Attendees will enjoy performances by Grammy award winners Pam Tillis and Riders In The Sky during the Evening of Entertainment at the 2009 Commodity Classic convention and trade show to be held Feb. 26-28, at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas.

Commodity Classic attendees will experience the sweet sounds of singer, songwriter and actress Pam Tillis. A Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year, Tillis has written songs for top singers such as Conway Twitty, Chaka Kahn, Highway 101 and Martina McBride, including more than a few of her own hits. She starred in Leiber and Stoller’s “Smokey Joe’s Café” on Broadway and appeared in the “Promised Land” and “L.A. Law” television series. Tillis, the daughter of country legend Mel Tillis, was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2000.

When Riders In The Sky takes the stage, the audience will hear Western music at its finest. Riders In The Sky members Ranger Doug, Too Slim, Woody Paul and Joey the Cowpolka King are better known as “America’s favorite cowboys.” For over 30 years, they have kept the tradition of the singing cowboy alive with their wacky humor and way-out, Western wit. In addition to being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and being named the Western Music Association Entertainers of the Year six times, Riders in the Sky also performed “Woody’s Round Up” in Disney’s “Toy Story 2.”

Commodity Classic

Trees For Troops Video

Chuck Zimmerman

Yes it is time to think “Holidays.” And the big one coming up is Christmas. So it’s appropriate that I’ve got a Trees For Troops video to share and news about an award they’ve won.

The Christmas SPIRIT Foundation, professionally managed by Drake & Company, has been nationally recognized for its Trees for Troops program by the 2008 Associations Advance America Summit Award from American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the Center for Association Leadership.

The Christmas SPIRIT Foundation (CSF) – with support from FedEx Freight – has delivered more than 34,000 Real Christmas Trees to military families since Trees for Troops began in 2005. It has grown from about 400 Christmas tree farms and retailers participating to more than 850. Almost 17,000 families at more than 40 military bases received a Christmas Tree in 2007 grown by an American tree farm.

Ag Groups, Video

Redneck Invitational

Chuck Zimmerman

RedNeck Invitational Fishing TournamentIf you’re a redneck that likes to fish then you need to get in on the upcoming Redneck Invitational.

This one day invitational tournament is sponsored by and for anglers in the agricultural industry. We are limiting space to the first 40 boats that meet the criteria for entry on a first come basis. Teams may fish up to 4 anglers per boat.

*Entry is $225.00 per angler before October 31st, 2008. Late entry is $250.00 per angler.* All anglers will receive a custom embroidered invitational fishing shirt, hat with the tournament logo and t-shirt with original tournament artwork. Friday night’s Captain Meeting includes two hours of open bar, Cabbage Key New York Strip Steak Dinner, Art Auction and prize giveaway. Saturday night’s Awards Banquet includes two hours of open bar, Cabbage Key Buffet Dinner, Trophy Presentation and more prizes to give away.

Events

Record Onto Your iPhone

Chuck Zimmerman

Griffin iTalk SyncHey iPhone owning farm podcasters. Here’s some great news. A new application from Griffin that allows you to record onto your phone (or 2nd gen Touch).

Turn your iPhone into a high-quality recording device.

iTalk’s simple, intuitive user interface lets you start/stop, choose Good/Better/Best sample rates, and manage the list of your recordings, all with just one finger.

Run iTalk to record on your iPhone or 2nd generation iPod touch. Run iTalk Sync on your computer to transfer your recordings from your iPhone to your computer via Wi-Fi.

iTalk from Griffin Technology. A complete recording solution in the palm of your hand.
Features

* High-quality handheld recording using your iPhone or iPod touch
* Easy, convenient user interface and controls
* Drag & drop wireless file transfers to your computer
* User-selectable 11.025 kHz, 22.05 kHz, or 44.10 kHz sample rates

Podcasts

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • T. Boone Pickens will bring his message addressing the energy crisis to farmers, ranchers and rural landowners with a special edition RFD-TV “LIVE” television broadcast, which will originate from RFD-TV’s Nashville studios on Wednesday evening, Oct. 29, beginning at 8pm ET/7P CT. A repeat of Pickens’ RFD-TV Town Hall meeting will be rebroadcast on both Thursday, Oct. 30 at 10am ET /9A CT and again at 3am ET/2A CT on Sunday, Nov. 2.
  • Jay Vroom, president and chief executive officer of CropLife America, has announced the appointment of CLA’s board of directors. CLA made the announcement during its annual meeting Sept. 28-30 in Orlando, Fla. Click here for the full list of appointees and executive committee members.
  • The North American Equipment Dealers Association (NAEDA) unveiled its Power Pro Program during the 2008 GIE+EXPO in Louisville, Ky. Developed by the association’s OPE Dealer Council, the program offers accreditation to dealers who operate their businesses under a universal set of standards that measure sales and service performance. For more information, click here.
  • The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) announced the hiring of two ethanol industry veterans who will bring unparalleled expertise to the organization. Jim Redding will come on board as the Vice President for Industry Relations, effective Nov. 1. Also joining the RFA as Director of Market Development is Robert White.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Credit Crunch Affecting Ag

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Dick Brown TestifiesIt looks like this whole credit crunch issue is affecting agriculture according to some testimony on Capitol Hill today by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. You can watch a video of it here.

    The Chair of AEM’s Small Enterprise Committee, Richard A. Brown, testified on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 before the House Committee on Small Business at 10 a.m. EST. Brown is the President and COO of Krause Corporation, based in Hutchinson, Kansas. The hearing is on “Creating Opportunities for Small Businesses in an Economic Recovery.”

    In his prepared statement, Brown expressed his concerns to the committee for small businesses in the U.S. obtaining credit during the present economic crisis. As an example, Brown cited one business person from rural South Carolina who “had an operating line of credit with (a bank) that was secured by a stock portfolio, but with the unraveling of the market their line was frozen … Now (he) is spending most of his time trying to resolve the issue when he should be working to secure orders in this down market.”

    Brown pointed out that the crisis is also now hitting agriculture. “The economic foundation for countless small businesses on thousands of Main Streets throughout the country is agriculture,” he said. “The tightening of the credit markets is coinciding with a rapid rise in the cost of agricultural inputs, such as fertilizer, seed, chemicals and fuel.”

    Here’s another excerpt from his testimony:

    “We are now seeing farmers delay the purchase of these inputs from their “normal” pre-season purchasing patterns as they are having trouble accessing credit and are hesitant to pay such steep prices. The ripple effects of tightening credit markets at a time of increasing capital requirements for agriculture will lead to economic hardships for rural America. I can also say that I personally perceive a sense of anger among rural Americans about this situation. Generally speaking, they did not buy homes they could not afford or run up huge credit card debt, but now are forced to deal with the consequences of other people’s excesses and as a consequence are losing faith in the system.”

    AEM, Equipment

    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