“Influential” O&B CFO

Melissa Sandfort

Rhonda Ries Aguilar, Osborn & Barr’s chief financial officer (CFO), has been named one of St. Louis’ Most Influential Business Women of 2008 by the St. Louis Business Journal.

Ries Aguilar has served as O&B’s CFO since 2003. She has been with the agency for 16 of its 20 years. Recognized throughout St. Louis and the industry, Ries Aguilar’s professionalism provides O&B’s clients with dependable service and security, and has made her a trusted and valuable part of the agency.

In her time with O&B, Ries Aguilar has helped strengthen the agency’s support system, expanding the company’s IT, human resources and financial services departments. She negotiates and administers more than 30 contracts annually, and most recently, Ries Aguilar led O&B’s search and negotiation for a new corporate headquarters in downtown St. Louis.

Ries Aguilar serves on the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) Finance Committee, is a member of the St. Louis AdClub Board and serves on the Advantage Software Board, as Agency Leader SIG, a leading agency management system.

Agencies

Soybean Board Elects Members

Melissa Sandfort

Secretary of agriculture Ed Schafer recently announced 19 appointments to the United Soybean Board (USB). Twelve of these directors are returning to serve an additional term, with seven new members coming on board. Each of these appointees represents soybean farmers from their state or region.

Returning members will use their experience and knowledge of the checkoff to better position the industry for success while new members will bring forward fresh ideas to achieve maximum value for each soybean farmer’s checkoff dollar. The board members will work to better the soy industry from the ground up by using checkoff funding to research better seed varieties and production processes along with finding new markets and uses for their product.

The 12 returning board members are James D. Wilson, Alabama; H. Todd Allen, Arkansas; James L. Stillman, Iowa; Roy P. Bardole, Iowa; John W. Wray, Kansas; George H. Martin, Kentucky; Eugene L. Lowe, III, Maryland; R. Alan Moore, Michigan; Jason S. Bean, Missouri; Cecil B. Eaddy, South Carolina; Gerald G. Caldwell, Tennessee; and Thomas Rotello, Sr., Texas.

New board members include Dwain L. Ford, Illinois; Michael A. Beard, Indiana; Scott G. Singlestad, Minnesota; James D. Sneed, Mississippi; Mike G. Korth, Nebraska; Daniel J. Corcoran, Ohio; and Robert J. Metz, South Dakota. Two alternates were also appointed and they are Michael A. Dee, Alabama, and Henry V. Elliott, Jr., South Carolina.

The appointees will begin their three-year terms in December.

Ag Groups, Soybean, USB

The Blue Ribbon Cookbook Blog

Chuck Zimmerman

Liz HarfullSome people are just meant to be bloggers and Liz Harfull is one of them. She’s the author of the IFAJ e-newsletter and an agricultural journalist down under. I just got this message from Liz so I thought I’d point you to her new blog, The Blue Ribbon Cookbook.

By the way, I have just set up my first blog – well its sort of a cross between and a blog and a website for my first book which unfortunately is due to be launched when I should be getting on a plane for Austria, so I wont be there. Am really getting in to the blogging thing. Can see it could become obsessive if I let it, but have been to a few writers sessions where they warn you not to expend all your creative energies on blogging, instead of book writing so am trying to contain myself!

You can order her book direct.

Looks good Liz. I wouldn’t know anything about that “obsessive” thing. Sorry you won’t be in Austria/Slovenia. If anyone else in Australia can’t go to the IFAJ Congress or is just looking for a good program on September 11, then go see Liz speak at the Royal Adelaide Show Breakfast being put on by Rural Media.

IFAJ, International

The Truth About Labor Day Food Prices

Chuck Zimmerman

Labor Day Food Price TruthI’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

IFAJIn 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

ZimmCast-185 - Searching for an IRON SolutionAt 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).

Darwin MelnykThe 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: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 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: BASF and New Holland

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

Mark LeitmanAt 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.

Iowa Propane Gas AssociationAt 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: BASF and New Holland

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

New Holland Tedder Gets It Dried Faster

Chuck Zimmerman

Dave MurdochWhile 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: BASF and New Holland

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

New Big Balers From New Holland

Chuck Zimmerman

Colin SkoronskiSmall 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: BASF and New Holland

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

New Small Square Baler From New Holland

Chuck Zimmerman

Mark LongNew 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: BASF and New Holland

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