Monsanto Showcases Cutting-Edge Crop at Michigan Ag Expo

Laura McNamara

Monsanto soybeansMichigan’s largest agricultural equipment exposition has more to boast than just equipment. The 29th annual Michigan Ag Expo is underway this week at Michigan State University in Lansing and there’s more to the show than machinery… or even fencing, canopies, turkey legs, honey and free cake batter ice cream from MSU students.

Farmers and growers will also find a 28-foot Mobile Greenhouse on the grounds of the exposition. The greenhouse on wheels is part of Monsanto‘s “Summer of Soy” tour. The tour is showcasing one of the ag company’s newest and most innovative crops: its Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybean line. Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans are Monsanto’s second-generation of genetically modified soybean crop. Farmers can visit the Mobile Greenhouse to get a first-hand look at Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans at various growth stages.

I attended the Michigan Ag Expo yesterday to find out more about Monsanto’s new exhibit and soybean tour and will be posting lots of info from the event here.


Monsanto Summer of Soy Photos

Farming, Soybean, Technology

Profiling Beef Producers

Chuck Zimmerman

Jim EschlimanBy now you know that the new CBB website is MyBeefCheckoff.com. I just realized that it’s what you get when you type in the old CBB web domain too.

One of the features you’ll soon find on the new CBB website will be producer profiles. The idea is to find out what producers (beef and dairy) think about the programs and activities of the Checkoff.

To get things started I did a number of interviews today and will get many more before the end of the summer conference. I started out with Jim Eschliman, Ericson, NE. He’s a dairy producer and it has been his career. He says they milk 140 cows but have around 300 head all together.

So when it comes to the Beef Checkoff he says that we have to continue to promote beef and get dairy producers to understand that fact. As he says, they’re beef producers too.

Jim says it’s important for dairy and beef producers to understand how to handle their animals and especially pay attention to the shipping process.

He sells cull cows and steers and thinks the Checkoff has increased the price he receives. As he puts it, “The Checkoff really helps.”

You can listen to my interview with Jim here: cisc-08-jim-eschliman.mp3

Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference

Trimble Trio

Cindy Zimmerman

Trimble TrioNew technology and new media are a perfect fit, so it is fitting that Trimble/Ag Technologies sponsored our blog coverage this week at the Southern Peanut Growers Conference.

Left to right, the trio representing them at the conference were Josh Pitts of Ag Technologies, Trimble regional sales manager Tim East and Brian Kelly with Ag Technologies. I set up my computer at their booth to do most of my work at the conference and enjoyed spending time with these guys.

Tim says they chose to sponsor this coverage because, like precision agriculture, it is “cutting edge – a high-tech way of communicating, getting ideas out and sharing experiences.”

They did spend quite a bit of time talking with peanut growers at the conference about precision technology because it can be a big time and money saver for growers.

Chuck used some of this interview in his ZimmCast this week, I believe, but you can listen to the entire interview with all three here:
spgc-trimble.mp3

Southern Peanut Grower Conference Photo Album

Peanuts, Technology

FFA Alumni Conference Blog

Cindy Zimmerman

FFA Alumni State Leaders are gathered in Washington, DC and thanks to a new blog, you can keep up with the action.

FFA AlumThe National FFA Alumni State Leaders Conference kicks off today. FFA Alumni members will have an exciting week touring Washington, D.C., visiting with their congressional representatives and learning more about opportunities available through the FFA Alumni. The event would not be possible without the generous sponsorship of Tractor Supply Company, Toyota and Farm Credit Services.

This blog has been created to provide information and photos regarding the National FFA Alumni’s 2008 State Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C. Joy Carter with the Georgia Peanut Commission, who is southern region director on the National FFA Alumni Council, is the blog developer and poster – I am sitting in the Panama City airport with her right now as she prepares to head out to DC. The FFA Alum blog address is ffaalumnislc.wordpress.com.

Ag Groups, Peanuts

MyBeefCheckoff.com Launch and Zimfo Bytes

Chuck Zimmerman

Lynn HeinzeThe Zimfo Bytes you see several times a week have been a very well received feature of AgWired. It allows us to post more nuggets of news to help keep the agrimarketing community informed. Melissa Slage, Cattlemen’s Beef Board, is the author of Zimfo Bytes. She’s pictured with Lynn Heinze at yesterday’s CBB Admin Subcommitte mtg.

This morning I talked to Melissa about what she does at CBB and their new website, MyBeefCheckoff.com. Melissa is Trade Media Manager which means she’s responsible for news releases and trade show activity. She’ll be at the upcoming Ag Media Summit for example.

I’ve logged in to MyBeefCheckoff.com and am glad they finally got a website that’s intuitive and easy to find things I need.

You can listen to my interview with Melissa here: cisc-08-slagle.mp3

You’ll find more posts on the CBB’s Beef Board Meeting website.

Feel free to check out and use photos from my Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference

Old Friends and New at the Peanut Meeting

Cindy Zimmerman

Michele TreptowAt the Southern Peanut Growers Conference this week, I had a chance to meet up with one old friend I hadn’t seen in over 20 years – and one new friend that I knew but had never met.

Those of you in the ag journalism business may recognize this lady – formally the voice of the American Farm Bureau Federation once upon a time. You knew her then as Michele Brooks, but for the last 20 years she has been Michele Treptow, married to Rick Treptow of the Georgia Farm Bureau. Michele and I spent a few short minutes catching up and reminiscing about the “dot heads” at the 1985 annual AFBF meeting in Hawaii – and the infamous “Saturday night massacre” later that year when Chuck, Gary Cooper and I were forced out of Florida Farm Bureau after getting approval from the board to take their radio network independent. Ahh, the memories!!!

Tyron SpearmanThis gentlemen is known as “Mr. Peanut” in the Southeast and he wears many hats in the peanut industry. Tyron Spearman has been the peanut industry reporter for Southeast Agnet for at least as long as I have been reporting for them – but we had never met until this meeting. It was a great pleasure to meet him and get a chance to chat. He is extremely well respected in the peanut industry.

The SPGC was one of the very best conferences I have ever had the pleasure of attending. The agenda allowed for free afternoon time on the beach, the general sessions were very informative and well attended, the food was great, and the blues bash closing dinner and entertainment was great fun. This group is really a family and they obviously enjoy getting together at this great venue in Panama City every year. I will have more information about the conference in future posts. Not having internet access in my room was a drawback, but I had great access in the conference center.

Be sure to check out the Southern Peanut Growers Conference blog as well as the SPGC Conference Photo Album

Media, Peanuts

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Jay Stauffacher, a dairy producer from Darlington, was re-elected chairman of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) at its annual reorganization meeting. Stauffacher’s term is for the 2009 Fiscal Year which began July 1, 2008 and concludes June 30, 2009. Connie Seefeldt, Coleman, was re-elected vice chairperson, and Ed Jasurda, Phillips, was elected Secretary. Romona Averbeck, Fond du Lac, was elected Treasurer. Click here for more information.
  • People who work in the pork industry can now benefit from www.pig-international.com for the most immediate and relevant information available. From the publishers of Pig International magazine, the Web site complements the print edition with daily updates, an online forum and extensive collaboration between readers and editorial staff.
  • The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced that the state’s corn growers had overwhelmingly voted to increase the state’s corn checkoff from a half-penny to three-quarters-of-a-cent per bushel. Preliminary results show 73% voted in favor of the increase and 27% voted against it.
    Zimfo Bytes

    USDA Undersecretary at Home in the Southeast

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Gale BuchananUSDA Undersecretary Dr. Gale Buchanan may work in Washington, DC but his heart is in the southeast. “I spent 21 years at Auburn University conducting research in peanuts and other crops,” said Buchanan. “Then went to the University of Georgia as the director of the Coastal Plain Experiment Station and dean at the college of agriculture.” He also attended the University of Florida, so he is a “triple Southerner.” I guess that makes him a cross between a Tiger, a Bulldog and Gator.

    His main message to the Southern Peanut Growers Conference this week in Panama City was that the “future is predicated on information, knowledge and technology gained through research and education programs.”

    He had much more to say about the potential for peanuts in feeding the world and playing a part in the biofuels industry as well.

    Listen to my interview with Dr. Buchanan here:
    spgc-buchanan.mp3

    Be sure to check out the Southern Peanut Growers Conference blog as well as the SPGC Conference Photo Album

    Uncategorized

    Cattlemen’s Beef Board Down To Business

    Chuck Zimmerman

    CBB Admin SubcommitteeThe Cattlemen’s Beef Board Administration Subcommittee got things started here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver today. I spoke with CBB Chairman, Dave Bateman, about what we can expect to see happen during this meeting.

    Dave says that producers come together here at the summer meeting to do the work of the industry.

    He says that the committee structure of the CBB is part of the groundwork of what happens here and that part of the process is to get the most bang for the buck while increasing beef demand.

    One of the exciting topics they’ll be talking about is international markets. Dave says that the current value of the dollar, coupled with some real opportunities, makes for some interesting challenges. He says that attendance is expected to be slightly higher this year.

    I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot more about this, but Dave also mentions the process that has been started here for recommending improvements to the Beef Checkoff Program.

    You can listen to my interview with Dave here: cisc-08-bateman-1.mp3

    You’ll find more posts on the CBB’s Beef Board Meeting website.

    Feel free to check out and use photos from my Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

    Ag Groups, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference

    Denver Soul Food

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Evan SlackThe first thing I did after getting into Denver today was go to lunch with my buddy, Evan Slack. He took me out for some excellent comfort food. Catfish, greens, cornbread, candied yams and sweet tea. Mmm, mmm. Tom’s Home Cookin’

    Then he and I went to the Apple Store and AT&T store. I’ve got to wait until the end of November to be eligible for the iPhone discount (unless I can sweet talk my local rep into a deal). The iPhone data plan will save me almost $20/month so it’ll pay for itself if I can git ‘er done. We’ll see.

    When I got to the downtown Sheraton there were a couple of poor, bedraggled protesters on the street. Before I could get my camera out they were ushered away by the local cops I think. They just kind of disappeared. Gotta feel sorry for those people. It’s a free country and they’re entitled to their opinion. But the animal rights wackos don’t ever quit trying to get in your face. Hey, have your opinion but just don’t try to stick in my space, eh?

    Cattle Industry Conference