Skype-ing With Laura in Vietnam

Chuck Zimmerman

Laura Skype-ing From HanoiI just got off a video Skype call with Laura from Hanoi as in Vietnam. If you don’t have Skype then you really ought to get it. It makes communicating from anywhere so much easier and less expensive. Laura wants you to know she just got off a long bus ride btw and she’s just starting the day in a dark cafe.

I told her that I really liked her posts from her travels like today’s about Vietnamese coffee. I think we’re going to see more from her trip as she keeps her eye and camera on the agriculture she’s traveling past. I’m sure you’ve seen the posts she’s been making. Since last November all of them have been from whatever country she happens to be in as she continues on a worldwide tour. My how reporting has changed.

Feel free to Skype me if you want. You can find me at AgWired. I’ll try to leave it open more often.

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Purdue Field Guide Now Available

Melissa Sandfort

image.jpgA pocketbook sized in-field reference is now available that provides a variety of applicable information for row crop producers and crop specialists throughout the Corn Belt. The 2008 “Corn and Soybean Field Guide” includes improved photos for easier identification of insects, weeds, plant diseases, herbicide injuries and nutrient deficiencies.

“This publication has a lot of practical information for people in production agriculture,” said Corey Gerber, director of the Purdue Crop Diagnostic Training and Research Center. “The books are condensed and can be carried in a pocket or left on the dash of a pickup for easy use.” The field guide is $6, and orders can be placed now. To order online, visit the Purdue Extension Education Store.

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Ed Schafer Confirmed as New Secretary of Agriculture

Chuck Zimmerman

Sec. of Agriculture Ed SchaferEd Schafer got confirmed today as our new Secretary of Agriculture just in time to sit in with the Cabinet at tonight’s State of the Union speech. Here’s what President Bush had to say about it.

I appreciate that the Senate today unanimously confirmed Ed Schafer to be our next Secretary of Agriculture. As a two-term governor and business leader, Ed has distinguished himself as an executive with a proven record of results.

Ed will lead a Department that oversees our food, agriculture, natural resources, food safety, and health and nutrition programs. He will be an advocate for farmers, ranchers, and consumers as he works to open new markets for their products. And he will work with the Congress to pass a responsible farm bill that will provide a safety net for farmers and protect our lands and the environment, while at the same time ensuring federal tax dollars are spent wisely.

You can hear a report about it from the USDA Radio News Line: usda-schafer-confirmation.mp3

Audio, USDA

Tuesday’s Burgers Today

Chuck Zimmerman

TechnomicAlright burger lovers. You’re not alone, not by a long shot. Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty about eating one of life’s best food choices. I think burgers should be in their own food group category. And don’t forget that famous line from Wimpy (Popeye), “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” You can find your very own Wimpy burger magnet online.

WimpyNew research from foodservice consultancy Technomic found that nearly everyone enjoys burgers from time to time. In a recent survey of 1,200 U.S. consumers, the vast majority (85 percent) said they eat burgers once a month or more; only 6 percent say they never eat burgers.

These and numerous other findings are detailed in two new reports from Technomic—one that examines key consumer trends in burger consumption, and another that takes a closer look at the Top-25 chain operators in the burger segment. While limited-service chains dominate the burger category, the research confirmed that consumers tend to go to these venues when value, price, portability and speed of service are most important. When purchasing full-service burgers, however, variety and freshness are of greater concern. Read More

Beef, Food

Hey Pumpkin, Visit Austria/Slovenia

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-156 - IFAJ 2008Yes, pumpkin. They’re big in the part of the world that this year’s IFAJ Congress is taking place. Two countries for the price of one. Listen to this week’s program to find out more. Cindy and I are hoping to attend this year and sample what Dr. Franz Fischler says are some of their exceptional wines.

IFAJ 2008This morning I talked to Uschi Raser, Austrian Farmers Union, who is one of the organizers of the Congress and represents Austria on the IFAJ Executive Committee. She says it’s really important to interact with ag journalists from other countries to expand your horizons. She says we’ll see how farmers are making a living on small farms, which should be interesting to us Americans. Also, if you register prior to the March 31 early bird deadline you’ll be entered to win one of 4 farm holiday weekends.

Here’s where you register.

This week’s program ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. It’s called “Europa” by Dreamline. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 156 (23 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:zimmcast156-1-28-08.mp3

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, IFAJ, International, ZimmCast

Top Seminar For Top Producer

Chuck Zimmerman

Top Producer BreakfastIt looks like Top Producer had a great seminar in Chicago.

In this picture the 2008 Top Producer of The Year Finalists shared their insights and management tips with the 521 attendees. (l-r) Leroy Shatto, Shatto Milk Co., Osborn, Mo.; Rob Barley, Star Rock Farms, Conestoga, Pa.; 2008 Top Producer of the Year Dave Minich, Minich May Family Farms, Logansport, Ind., and Greg Vincent, editor of Top Producer.

A record number of the nation’s most profitable farmers descended on Chicago last week to get a view of Ag’s New Sizzle at TOP PRODUCER’S annual seminar. The 521 participants discussed and were challenged on topics ranging from commodity marketing to business planning, as well as investment opportunities in the agricultural industry.

Top Producer Breakfast“Ag’s New Sizzle was our theme for this year’s conference, and the new sizzle was evident in the number and the professionalism of producers at the event,” said Greg Vincent, editor of TOP PRODUCER and the architect of this year’s event. “It was clear they want to get a handle on the hot opportunities the farm economy provides them, but they also want help managing the greater risks in these unprecedented times.”

These learning opportunities came from an excellent line up of speakers that included Ann Duignan, managing director of Bear Stearns; Purdue University Economist Mike Boehlje; American Farm Bureau Federation Chief Economist Bob Young; and TOP PRODUCER Seminar veteran and market analyst Jerry Gulke. In addition to hearing from these and other industry experts, attendees place great value on networking with other successful, like-minded producers.

Publication

Your Feedback Is Needed

Chuck Zimmerman

MO SunriseHave a nice Missouri sunrise to start your day. I only had my Blackberry Curve with me when I was out early this morning so this pic could be better. I’m still not impressed with phone cameras although this one is way better than I had on the Treo.

Anyway, this is your weekly reminder to enter the AgWired Survey 2008 Contest Giveaway. We’ve got quite a few already but we really need more. I want this to be a meaningful representation of you who are part of the AgWired community. Let’s show our supporters and the doubters out there what we’re all about.

By taking the survey you’ll be entered to win a 4G iPod Nano. Just keep that in mind. We also want your feedback so we can continue to develop the most unique and progressive agricultural communications mechanism around.

Thanks for your participation!

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Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Trimble introduced its Web-based Agriculture Manager™ asset management system which combines GPS, machine sensors and automated wireless communications that allows farmers to more efficiently manage and operate large machinery fleets. The new Trimble Agriculture Manager system is designed to help farming operations, agriculture retailers and others automatically track their fleet’s precise GPS location, operating status and real-time productivity — all critical factors during peak fieldwork seasons. The Agriculture Manager system is expected to be available in March 2008 from Trimble resellers.
  • Proceedings from the third National Soybean Rust Symposium are now posted on the PLANT MANAGEMENT NETWORK’S publicly available Soybean Rust Information Center. Organized by The American Phytopathological Society, the symposium was held Dec. 12-14 in Louisville, Ky., and reported more than 250 attendees.
  • The Central Valley chapter of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) will be hosting a networking mixer at the upcoming World Ag Expo. This can’t miss event will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 12 from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. in tent DS148. DS148 is located at the corner of U Street and Jersey Lane. To RSVP for this event or for more information contact Dee Monsen, Phone: (916) 928-1625 ext. 203 or email: dee@capca.com.
Zimfo Bytes

Agri-Culture: The Vietnamese Coffee Bean

Laura McNamara

Coffee beans drying under the Vietnamese sunI didn’t just see hills covered in coffee plants during my motorcycle excursion through central Vietnam. I also witnessed just how the locals dry their beans. No, there are no big factories or warehouses with some sort of huge electrical dryers as you might imagine. The Vietnamese way isn’t quite so fancy or complicated. The locals just lay some tarp on the dirt in front of their homes, and shacks and they spread the beans out to dry in the sun. I learned about at least four different types of coffee plants and beans. There are probably more.

Coffee beans drying under the Vietnamese sunMy guide said the best blends of coffee are the ones with a blend of beans. There’s got to be more to it than that though. Like I said before, Vietnamese coffee is among some of the best I’ve had. That’s probably why Vietnam is now the second largest exporter of coffee; second only to Brazil. Not to mention, coffee is no minor league export. TechnoServe, a company that helps businesses and entrepreneurs in third-world companies become more successful, says coffee is the world’s second-most widely traded commodity. Can you guess what’s number one? That’s right. Petroleum.

Agribusiness, Farming, Food, International

Center for Global Food Issues Warns Farmers Can Either Produce Food or Fuel

Harry Siemens

tn-img_7615.jpg Harry Siemens – The director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Global Food Issues warns society will ultimately have to decide whether farmers should be producing food or fuel.

The U.S. government recently mandated the increased use of biodiesel and ethanol fuel.

Center for Global Food issues director Dennis Avery estimates global farm output will have to double just to meet demand for food and feed by 2050.

“So increased biofuel production means you’re not going to feed everybody or you’re going to have to clear the world’s remaining forests for low yield crops,” said Avery at a recent pork conference in Banff. “We’re not only going to be required to feed eight or nine billion affluent people and their pets but they want us to free North America from its so called addiction to fossil fuels by growing a lot of biofuels. I’m afraid this is an ugly diversion from the real purpose of farming.”Read More

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