Biotechnology Feeds Sustainability, Feeds the World

Laura McNamara

Thirty-three percent of the land’s surface is used for food production. That’s the figure that John Hoffman, Iowa farmer and President of the American Soybean Association puts out there. He says that 33 percent makes up 55 percent of the land that’s arable. So, we’re already using more than half the arable land out there to feed the world. Much of the rest, John points out, is mountainous, desert or protected forests and parks. In short, John is basically saying, ‘what we’re already using, is all we’ve got.’ Plus, he adds, we have to produce more… ‘with what we’ve got.’

“We’ve got to grow to feed double the amount of people on the same amount of arable land.,” John said. “We don’t want to encroach on fragile rainforests as Michael said or encroach on grasslands. So we need to find a way to do that. I think from my experience, my travels, my knowledge on my own farm, that the way we’re going to do that is unequivocally with biotechnology.”

Biotechnology, Hoffman says, is the answer for feeding the future and protecting our environment.

“We’ve got to feed that growing world,” John said. “We’ve got to step up to the plate and provide fuel, food, fiber, feed and I think American agriculture world agriculture will be able to do that and its through biotechnology.”Read More

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, Biotech, Environment, Farm Progress Show, Farm Shows, Farming, Technology

Farmers get FIT with Mapping

Laura McNamara

Pioneer is offering a new, free service that it says can give farmers more: more information and more uses for that information. Pioneer Hi-Bred’s FIT mapping combines GPS data with a free mapping service offering farmers detailed information about their crops, where they’re growing their crops and whether they’re growing them in way that maximizes their resources. Did I mention it’s free?

I caught up with Lisa Baumhover at the 2008 Farm Progress Show and we talked about just what FIT mapping does offer farmers and how easy it is to use. You can listen to my interview with Lisa here: fp-08-baumhover.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, New Holland, Pioneer

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Anyone who’s been disappointed in frozen hamburger patties is in for a great-tasting treat with the new frozen burger patties from Nolan Ryan’s Guaranteed Tender Beef. Made from 100 percent all-natural beef and available in three different varieties, they will be located in the frozen foods sections. The new introductions include: Nolan Ryan’s Guaranteed Tender Ready-to-Cook Chuck Patty, Nolan Ryan’s Guaranteed Tender Fully Cooked Chuck Patty and Nolan Ryan’s Guaranteed Tender Fully Cooked Mini Beef Chuck Sliders.
  • CHS Crop Nutrients announces the retirement of Burnie Baker and the promotion of Jim Carlson and Tom Mulrooney, all based at the Inver Grove Heights office. In his new role, Carlson will be responsible for potash product management; he was previously anhydrous ammonia product supply manager. Mulrooney is promoted from assistant product manager to product manager, phosphates. Both Carlson and Mulrooney began their new responsibilities Sept. 1, following Baker’s retirement.
  • The United States Potato Board (USPB) is pleased to announce the promotion of Carroll Graham to the position of USPB director of retail programs effective July 23, 2008. For the past seven years, Graham has served as the USPB retail marketing and sales manager.
  • Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. announces the formation of a new Farm Services Division that consolidates the oversight of several member services, including risk management, health insurance, financial services and bulk buying programs. The Farm Services Division will be led by Greg Wickham, who will serve as president of the division.
    Zimfo Bytes

    “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