National FFA Alumni Association Blog

Chuck Zimmerman

FFA AlumniMaster agriblogger, Joy Carter, Georgia Peanut Commission, has put her skills to work for the National FFA Alumni Association. She’ll be posting from the convention in Indianapolis this week and is one of the presenters at the National FFA Alumni Workshops. Here’s a few items she wants you to be aware of:

Alumni Benefit Auctions
– Online Timed Benefit Auction running Oct. 15-29, 2008
Available online for bidding at www.unitedcountry.com/ffaauction/

– Silent Benefit Auction will be held Oct. 22-24, 2008 at the Indianapolis Convention Center, Ballroom 500.

– Live Benefit Auction, held Friday, Oct. 24, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. (EDT) at the Indianapolis Convention Center – Auction will be broadcast online at www.unitedcountry.com/ffaauction

The annual live, silent and online benefit auctions are held to raise funds to provide scholarships for students to participate in the Washington Leadership Conference and for college students enrolled in agricultural education. The success of the auction directly determines the number of scholarships awarded.Read More

FFA

Catching Up With Ev Griner

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-192 - Catching Up With Ev GrinerDuring last week’s Sunbelt Ag Expo the first person I interviewed was Ev Griner. Ev has been in broadcasting since 1948 (60 years)! He’s an icon of the farm broadcasting business in the deep southeast and is still producing daily programming for Southeast AgNet. I’ve known Ev for a lot of years but hadn’t seen him in over 10 years.

Ev and Vivian GrinerSo we sat down and got caught up and I recorded our conversation for you. Ev has seen a lot of changes in communications as you can well imagine. So when I asked him for his advice on how to communicate to today’s farmer he just said, “Communications.” He says that the farmer has not only always been open minded but looking to technology to help him in his business and that includes how he gets information.

While I was in Moultrie, GA, I got to have supper with Ev and his wife, Vivian (pictured here). It was a great time and I’m glad I got the chance.

The program this week ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. This one is called “Cotton Picking Blues” from Son Seals. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 192 (18 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:Interviews with Ev Griner - ZimmCast 192

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes

Audio, Media, Sunbelt Ag Expo, ZimmCast

Iowa Farmer Participates in World Food Prize

Cindy Zimmerman

There were many corporate, government and organization types at the World Food Prize symposium last week in Des Moines – but there were lots of real farmers as well, from all over the world. The opportunity for farmers from different countries to network with each other is very valuable, especially for sharing ideas to increase productivity.

World Food Prize Laura FoellLaura Foell is a producer from Schaller, Iowa who is a member of the United Soybean Board. This year was the third time she has been to the World Food Prize events and she enjoys the ability to interact with farmers from other countries. Earlier this year she went to Africa with some other “Women in Soy” to help other women farmers in that country. “Because 80 percent of the agriculture is done by women,” she says. “We went out to the villages where women are actually being entrepreneurs and selling products and we’re hoping to get soy as a textured protein into their selling so they can add that to their diets.”

“We had women who had HIV tell us that putting soy in their diet helped them maintain their weight or even gain weight,” she added. And she says that soybeans can not only be used for food and feed, but for fuel and even fiber as well.

Listen to my interview with Laura here: wfp-08-laura.mp3

See photos of the World Food Prize event here.

Audio, Soybean, USB, World Food Prize

COSDA Blogging Class Underway

Chuck Zimmerman

COSDA LunchHere we are in the COSDA blogging class.  I’ll add a picture later but for now I’m just showing how to do a post in WordPress.

We’re having a really good discussion and I’m hearing a lot of excellent questions, some of which pertain to a government organization blogging.

Post Update: The picture is our group having lunch just now in the hotel. We had a great session on blogging and will have an even better one tomorrow on podcasting.

Uncategorized

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • The United Soybean Board (USB) currently seeks nominations for its annual Outstanding Achievement Award and Excellence in Communications Award. This is given to an individual, organization or group that has made an outstanding positive impact on the soybean industry and the soybean checkoff. Click here for a nomination form or contact Jennifer Anthony, 888-235-4332, ext. 1978. Deadline is Dec. 1, 2008.
  • DTN/Progressive Farmer announced that it will host its second-annual agriculture summit on December 7-9 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile. The 2008 DTN/Progressive Farmer Ag Summit, “Brave New Worlds: Your Map for Managing Ag Risk,” will feature industry experts who will provide advice to help producers map their 2009 profit strategy while taking an in-depth look at today’s volatile commodity markets. Click here for more information or to register.
  • Leica Geosystems’ parent company, Hexagon Group of Sweden, announces the acquisition of Rinex Technology of Perth, Australia, with an office in the Kansas City area. The first new product resulting from this acquisition will be a full-color, full-function touch screen that will work directly with the Leica mojoRTK auto-steer system to provide additional functionality including contour and pivot guidance, mapping and record keeping.
  • ASTM International has now officially published the highly anticipated biodiesel blend specifications on the ASTM website for general use. Click here for more information about biodiesel, including manufacturers’ warranty positions for its use. The ASTM International biodiesel standards can be purchased from ASTM Customer Service (610-832-9585; service@astm.org) or online.
Zimfo Bytes

Welcome To COSDA

Chuck Zimmerman

The COSDA meeting is underway here in Topeka, KS. This morning I’ll be conducting a training session on blogging, tomorrow on podcasting.

This is what the scene was like driving here last night on I-70. Another beautiful midwest sunset.

I got in just in time for the end of the Colorado hospitality suite. While there I sampled Goat Artisan Vodka. I’m hoping for good things tonight from the Missouri folks!

Before breakfast I spoke with Lisa Taylor, Director of Communications, Kansas Dept. of Agriculture. She filled me in on what COSDA is all about. It’s kind of like NASDA but for the communications directors of the state departments of agriculture.

You can listen to my interview with Lisa here: cosda-08-lisa.mp3

Audio

Truth About Trade and Technology Global Roundtable

Cindy Zimmerman

World Food Prize TATT AwardFor the third year, the Truth About Trade and Technology (TATT) held a Global Farmer to Farmer Roundtable in conjunction with the World Food Prize events. Over 20 farmers from as many nations participated in the event this year to discuss biotech agriculture in their countries, according to TATT chairman Dean Kleckner.

“Either how we’re using it and here’s what it’s done for us or we’d like to use it and our government won’t let us,” Kleckner said. “They just sit around a table and talk. It’s really fun, interesting and intellectually stimulating.”

Last year, TATT established a Trade and Technology Advancement Award to recognize “leadership, vision and resolve in advancing the rights of all farmers to choose the technology and tools that will improved the quality, quantity and availability of agricultural products around the world.” This year’s winner was Jeff Bidstrup of Queensland, Australia – pictured here with his wife Marilyn as Dean presented them with the award.

Listen to an interview with Dean here: wfp-08-kleckner.mp3

World Food Prize TATT AwardAnother farmer who took part in the global roundtable was Oliver Ransmann of Germany, who was able to attend at the last minute because he happened to be visiting Monsanto in St. Louis last week prior to the World Food Prize symposium. I had a very interesting conversation with him about the lack of acceptance of biotech in his country and Europe in general. He just started using biotech crops two years ago on his 400 ha farm that grows mainly corn and rye to generate biogas.

He told me that farmers who choose to grow biotech crops in Germany are “branded” in a way and subject to vandalism. “This year my ground was damaged by activists – we had iron sticks in the fields and spoons and knives in the grain,” he told me. “We can’t understand why people are doing it and it’s very dangerous.” Why does he do it? “If I’m not using Bt maize, I have 30-40 percent less productivity and I can’t afford it,” he said.

Listen to this interesting interview with Oliver here: wfp-08-oliver.MP3

See photos of the World Food Prize event here.

Audio, Biotech, Corn, International, World Food Prize

COSDA ’till the Cows Come Home

Chuck Zimmerman

COSDAI’m ready to “COSDA ‘Till The Cows Come Home.” That’s what the Communication Officers of State Departments of Agriculture are doing in Topeka, KS. I’ll be teaching two 1/2 day classes there starting tomorrow morning when we focus on blogging. Then on Tuesday it’s a session on podcasting. Of course you’ll learn more about COSDA and what we’re doing right here.

The Communication Officers of State Departments of Agriculture (COSDA) is a national association of communication professionals of such departments and is affiliated with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA). Its purpose is to:

* Assist in achieving and carrying out the objectives of NASDA.
* Establish and maintain closer liaison and working relationships for the benefit of all and improve the services of their respective departments.

Regular membership consists of communications officers or others authorized or designated by the commissioner, secretary or director of the department of agriculture of any state or territory. Any individual interested in furthering the goals and objectives of COSDA is eligible for associate membership including other information personnel at state departments of agriculture and agencies within the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

COSDA Blog

Podcasts

Get Hot Water Forever With Propane

Chuck Zimmerman

Tankless Water HeaterHow would you like to have all the hot water you want without running out when the tank is empty? How about getting a propane powered water heater without a tank? Sounds like a plan to me.

Chris Moran, Gulf State Sales, was in the Georgia Propane Gas Association building at Sunbelt Ag Expo to talk with farmers and other attendees about getting a Rinnai tankless water heater. He had one on display, connected to an air handler since it can also function a dual purpose and heat air as well.

You don’t use hot water 24 hours a day. But, you’re paying to heat water 24 hours a day. With a standard water heater, you heat and reheat the same water even when you’re sleeping. The Rinnai tankless water heater is a more efficient way to heat water. It heats water quickly and delivers an endless supply of hot water for as long as you need it. With the Rinnai tankless water heater, you only pay to heat water when you need it and for as long as you want it.

Listen to my interview with Chris here: sunbelt-08-moran.mp3

Or you can download the interview with this link: Chris Moran Interview (mp3)

Sunbelt Ag Expo Photo Album

AgWired coverage of Sunbelt Ag Expo is sponsored by the Propane Education and Research Council.

Audio, Energy, Propane, Sunbelt Ag Expo, Video

Propane Powered Mowers

Chuck Zimmerman

Propane Powered MowersThe propane powered mowers shown at Sunbelt Ag Expo got a lot of attention from farmers and other attendees. On hand to show them off was Richard Carr, National Sales Manager, EnviroGard, a division of Onyx Environmental Solutions.

Richard says they manufacture their own line of mowers but also provide conversion kits for existing mowers. He says you’ll get better fuel economy and cleaner air when you use propane to mow.

EnviroGard’s “Low Polluting Lawn Mower” meets all current and future emission requirements by the Environmental Protection Agency. There is up to a 60% reduction in smog forming emissions and 80% reduction in toxic emissions compared with diesel and gasoline fuel.

Listen to my interview with Richard here: sunbelt-08-carr.mp3

Or you can download the interview with this link: Richard Carr Interview (mp3)

Sunbelt Ag Expo Photo Album

AgWired coverage of Sunbelt Ag Expo is sponsored by the Propane Education and Research Council.

Audio, Propane, Sunbelt Ag Expo, Video