The Truth About Labor Day Food Prices

Chuck Zimmerman September 1, 2008

I’m not sure what Cindy and I will be eating today but we won’t be grilling. We’re going to be driving to Minneapolis for tomorrow’s AgNite, which will be covered right here.

In the meantime, for those of you who are interested in your Labor Day meal, the folks at FoodPriceTruth.org have some interesting information about your cookout food prices (pdf). For example:

Corn-on-the–Cob – Corn-on-the-cob is one of America’s favorite summertime treats, so it’s good news that sweet corn prices are falling. Since corn-on-the-cob goes pretty much from the farmer to the market, large food companies haven’t been able to mark-up their profits on corn-on-the-cob like they have for other products using sweet corn. So enjoy!

Hamburgers – For those meat eaters, nothing smells better than a juicy hamburger cooking on the grill. Uncooked ground beef is up about 14 cents/pound from last year. Farmers are not making more money, but meat wholesalers like Cargill certainly are. In fact, Cargill’s profits are up 86% from this time last year because their “prices are setting new highs…”

Source: Cargill and USDA
Note: Q3 net earnings (14 April) was $1.03 billion, up 86% from $553 million in the same period a year ago

Ag Groups, Food

IFAJ Star Prize Announced

Chuck Zimmerman September 1, 2008

In a break from tradition, the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists has just announced their 2008 Star Prize winners for writing. You can read their stories via links on the IFAJ website.

Treena Hein from Canada is the winner of the prestigious 2008 IFAJ Star Prize for Agricultural Journalism, sponsored by John Deere. The winning article, “Up with hemp,” was published in 2007 in the January/February issue of the magazine, Small Farm Canada.

Runner-up in the competition is Justin McCarthy from Ireland with an article on Brazilian beef production published in the May 26, 2007, issue of Irish Farmers Journal. According to the judges, it is “well written, well documented with good investigative techniques.”

You can also see the entries in the 2008 Star Prize for photography but I guess those winners will be announced at the IFAJ Congress next week.

The writing contest is sponsored by John Deere and the photography contest is sponsored by DeLaval.

Cindy and I are leaving a week from today to attend the 2008 IFAJ Congress. We get started in Austria and wind up in Slovenia. I’d like to say an early thank you to our sponsors for AgWired coverage of this year’s event. For the 4th year in a row, Pioneer Hi-Bred is a sponsor and this year we welcome 1st time sponsor, Novus International.

IFAJ

Searching for an IRON Solution

Chuck Zimmerman August 31, 2008

At the Farm Progress Show I got to meet the Canadian farm boy who is now the President and CEO of IRON Solutions. He’s Darwin Melnyk and he comes from western Canada.

IRON Solutions had some major activity this summer when they were acquired by StarVest Partners, a New York venture capital firm. Darwin says the firm has given them the mission of radical and rapid growth. I haven’t been real familiar with the company but I learned that they’ve had a long history of providing data, evaluation and appraisal tools for equipment dealers. He says, “People say we’re kind of like the Kelley Blue Book of the the tractor business.”

One of the things they’re doing is expanding their reach to farmers who have known them online at IRON Search, which is a portal to listings of almost 60,000 machines and various pieces of used farm equipment. In fact, Darwin says they just re-skinned the site (re-designed it for you non web developer types).

The other big news at the Farm Progress Show is their deal with the Farm Progress publications to create regional inserts like the one Darwin is holding in this picture. He says it’s their print interface to their digital service. Now that’s a reverse move from what we normally see isn’t it?

I had to ask him his thoughts about farmers being online and companies using the web as a communications mechanism. He says, “I would encourage my colleagues in the ag industry to focus on it. It’s not if, it’s when, it’s happening all the time.” He says the web provides a great opportunity because of the ability to provide rich content. “The amount of information we can give to a farmer for very little money or no cost is unprecedented in the history of communications.” Amen, brother.

The program this week ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. Since we’ve been at the Farm Progress Show you get to listen to “Work in Progress” from Rotacool. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 185 (17 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:Interview with Darwin Melnyk - ZimmCast 185

Check out our Farm Progress Show 2008 Photo Album.

AgWired coverage of the 2008 Farm Progress Show
is sponsored by: and

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

Agribusiness, Audio, BASF, Farm Progress Show, New Holland, ZimmCast

PERC Makes Progress

Chuck Zimmerman August 31, 2008

At this summer’s farm shows you’ll see the folks at the Propane Education and Research Council providing support to various state groups. Here at the Farm Progress Show, Mark Leitman stopped by the AgWired table in the media tent.

He says that PERC is supporting the Iowa Propane Gas Association.

Mark says that farmers are stopping by their exhibit and have been talking about propane powered tractors they’ve had or still have. He’s heard a lot of fond memories.

At the Iowa state exhibit they had a Roush F-150, powered by propane, on display. Mark says they’re promoting energy efficiency across the board. He says it’s a good time to look at becoming more energy efficient and deciding to do either more maintenance on grain dryers and heaters or perhaps replacing them.

PERC will be sponsoring AgWired coverage of some upcoming shows that include the Farm Science Review in Columbus, OH and the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, GA. I think you can count on learning more about what’s going on in the propane business.

You can listen to my interview with Mark here: fp-08-leitman.mp3

You can also download the audio file with this link.

Check out our Farm Progress Show 2008 Photo Album.

AgWired coverage of the 2008 Farm Progress Show
is sponsored by: and

Audio, BASF, Energy, Farm Progress Show, New Holland, Propane

New Holland Tedder Gets It Dried Faster

Chuck Zimmerman August 31, 2008

While I’m on the subject of hay equipment from New Holland, let’s add one more item. This one is the new H5270 Tedder.

In the haymaker’s race against the rain, a New Holland H5270 six-rotor pull-type tedder provides the edge by fluffing heavy, damp crop and distributing it evenly for faster drydown.

Dave says one of the improvements in this model are that “it’s a very easy unit to get down the road or through a gate” since it folds up to a 10ft. width. I asked him how business was doing and he says it’s very good this year. He’s had many positive comments from growers and suspects that many have waited a long time to replace their hay equipment. Right now he says they’re in the market to buy.

You can listen to my interview with Dave here: fp-08-dave-murdoch.mp3

You can also download the audio file with this link.

Check out our Farm Progress Show 2008 Photo Album.

AgWired coverage of the 2008 Farm Progress Show
is sponsored by: and

Audio, BASF, Farm Progress Show, Hay, New Holland

New Big Balers From New Holland

Chuck Zimmerman August 31, 2008

Small square balers aren’t the only new balers from New Holland. How about those big square balers?

I spoke with Colin Skoronski in the New Holland exhibit about this big BB9060. New Holland is certainly making some style changes which you can see in the rounded edges for example. Colin says they’ve made a lot of improvements in this line of balers. One of them is an increase of about 5% in bale density.

When I asked him about feedback he says, “The guys are excited. The hay industry is going well. More and more guys are looking at the productivity of the big square bales.” When it comes to service he says, “Top Service is a program that commits to the customer that we will take care of his problem. New Holland is committed to keeping that customer running.”

You can listen to my interview with Colin here: fp-08-colin-skoronski.mp3

You can also download the audio file with this link.

Check out our Farm Progress Show 2008 Photo Album.

AgWired coverage of the 2008 Farm Progress Show
is sponsored by: and

Audio, BASF, Farm Progress Show, Hay, New Holland

New Small Square Baler From New Holland

Chuck Zimmerman August 31, 2008

New Holland had a lot of new equipment on display. One item getting a lot of attention was their new small square baler. One of the reasons is a retro-vintage logo on the side.

I spoke with Mark Long, Marketing Specialist in the Hay and Forage group. He says they just introduced the new small square baler and that it’s been about 15 years since they’ve made this many improvements. To let growers see where those improvements have been made, they’ve made little cards on magnets at each spot on the unit. They’re handing out number coded flyers with information about each location of an improvement. That makes it very easy to see what’s new.

Mark says their focus is on serviceability and durability. They’ll be celebrating their 700,000th small square baler this October. He says that over the years the market for the small square balers has backed off but the company hasn’t forgotten what got them here.

You can listen to my interview with Mark here: fp-08-mark-long.mp3

You can also download the audio file with this link.

Check out our Farm Progress Show 2008 Photo Album.

AgWired coverage of the 2008 Farm Progress Show
is sponsored by: and

Audio, BASF, Farm Progress Show, Hay, New Holland

Farm Progress Show Stars

Chuck Zimmerman August 29, 2008

I have a lot of photos from the Farm Progress Show that I really like. Of course, taking them with my new Nikon D300 is a big part of why I like taking them. Laura and I have almost 400 in the photo album so far. I think she’s still got some to add to it.

This is one of my favorites though. It was just one of those instantaneous opportunities. What do you think? It’s in the album if you want a bigger version.

I know Susie Decker on the right but I didn’t get the names of the movie stars to her left. Anyone know? If so, please post in comments. Thanks.

BTW. All of the Farm Progress Show staff, like Susie-Q here, were extremely helpful and always smiling and happy. How do they do it?

Check out our Farm Progress Show 2008 Photo Album.

AgWired coverage of the 2008 Farm Progress Show
is sponsored by: and

BASF, Farm Progress Show, New Holland

Golf Car Mania at Farm Progress Show

Chuck Zimmerman August 29, 2008

Since I started renting a golf car at shows like the Farm Progress Show, I’ve wondered why I ever did without. The golf car man at the Farm Progress Show was Chris Miller, M & M Golf Cars.

They rent 2, 4, 6 seat cars as well as other vehicles. He says people started registering to rent cars the first of June. The company had over 400 rentals booked prior to show time.

I know they were busy and he says, “This morning (first day) at 7am, everybody wanted their car by 7:05am, which was impossible.” Although things got chaotic he says they got them all out and everybody seemed to be enjoying the show.

You can listen to my interview with Chris here: fp-08-miller.mp3

You can also download the audio file with this link.

Check out our Farm Progress Show 2008 Photo Album.

AgWired coverage of the 2008 Farm Progress Show
is sponsored by: and

Audio, BASF, Farm Progress Show, New Holland

Broadhead + Co. is Middle of Country

Chuck Zimmerman August 29, 2008

I’m hoping to see my good friends at Broadhead + Co. next week when Cindy and I attend and cover AgNite. It looks like the agency has been busy with the RNC coming to town.

Delegates to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul will enjoy a red carpet welcome campaign at the MSP airport, and throughout the Twin Cities, highlighted by more than 600 banners designed by local agency Broadhead + Co.

Named the “fastest growing agency” by AgriMarketing magazine in 2007, the Minneapolis-based marketing communications agency developed the creative for the Minneapolis St. Paul 2008 Host Committee. The banners will also hang throughout the Xcel Energy Center, the site of the Republican National Convention.

“This was an exciting opportunity for us to display our creative work at one of the most high profile events in the country,” said Dean Broadhead, President and Founder. “We’re looking forward to showing off to the delegates all the Twin Cities has to offer.”

The agency has also provided a link in cyberspace to some of the Twin Cities entertainment hot spots by creating a website for the delegate experience: http://www.msp2008delegates.com/.

“From arts and entertainment to parks and recreation, we’re showing that the Twin Cities may be middle of the country but hardly middle of the road,” said Broadhead.

Agencies

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