Pennsylvania Youth ‘Gear Up for the 21st Century’

Laura McNamara

Pennsylvania Department of AgricultureThe 2008 Pennsylvania farm show is featuring youth who are “Gearing Up for the 21st Century.” Seven chapters from Future Farmers of America will be showcasing agricultural advances at the 2008 Pennsylvania Farm Show‘s Agricultural Technology Display competition.

In its third year, the theme of this year’s competition is “Gearing Up for the 21st Century.” Students are allowed to use their own materials and props — including farm equipment — to develop a display and demonstration that showcases advances made in agriculture. The exhibits will be on display in the Expo Hall of the Farm Show Complex.

Each of the seven participating Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapters will receive $500 for participating and will have the opportunity to win another $500 in prize money awarded by judges, as well as a $250 “People’s Choice” award decided by show visitors. Winners will be announced on Saturday, Jan. 12, in the Expo Hall.

Last year’s winner was the Manheim FFA Chapter display, which highlighted problems associated with an increasing world population. The display showed population growth over the last few decades, from three billion in 1960 to more than 6.5 billion in 2007, and a ticker counted the increase of the population per second.

Ag Groups, Farm Shows, Farming, Technology

World Trade & Finance in Kansas City

Chuck Zimmerman

Agribusiness Council of Kansas City MeetingFarm meeting time gets cranked up here again right after New Year’s. There’s a lot on the schedule including this one from the Agribusiness Council of Kansas City. It’s being sponsored by Shook, Hardy & Bacon. The program includes:

Welcome:

Gina Bowman-Morrill, Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City
Mark Anstoetter, Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon

Fifteen Years of NAFTA:

Mary Boote, Executive Director, Truth About Trade & Technology, Des Moines, Iowa
Steve Dees, Of Counsel, Shook, Hardy & Bacon

From Here to China – Domestic and Foreign Supply Chain Issues:
(Liability concerns, practical experience, contracts, indemnification, insurance, e-discovery, action/decision checklists)

Greg Fowler (Moderator), Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon
Benny Lee, CEO, Top Innovations, Inc., Kansas City, Mo.
Pat Henderson, Madeleine McDonough, Partners, Shook, Hardy & Bacon

Financing Options for Agriculture and Agribusiness: (Venture capital, debt financing and related business issues)

Steve Lightstone, Christenberry Collett & Co., Kansas City, Mo
Pat Henderson, Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon

COCKTAIL RECEPTION:

David K. Hardy Courtroom

The program starts at 2:30pm and ends at 5:30pm. Here’s where you can rsvp.

Ag Groups

Farm Podcasters & Agribloggers Facebook Group

Chuck Zimmerman

Facebook Farm Podcasters and AgribloggersI’m surprised about how quickly people are finding me on Facebook and LinkedIn. I’ve got a growing list of friends and contacts already.

So for those of you who are involved in agricultural communications (broadcasting, publication, web, freelance, photographer, public relations, etc.) I’ve created a group for Farm Podcasters and Agribloggers on Facebook. Feel free to join. If you don’t have an account then get one. It’s free and easy and open to anyone globally.

Post questions, ideas, suggestions and let’s help each other navigate through the new media world. Of course you can always post comments here too.

Internet

Zimfo Bites

Melissa Sandfort

  • Lindsay Corporation’s FieldNET™ – the industry’s first full control Web-based irrigation management system – was named the winner of the 2007 Irrigation Association New Ag Product of the Year. FieldNET gives growers the power to monitor and control their pivots from any internet connection or cellular phone. With a user-friendly Web portal, FieldNET also provides growers with a quick view of every pivot, providing information on pivot location, pivot status and water usage. The portal is accessible from the Internet, giving growers the freedom to monitor their pivots from anywhere in the world. The announcement was made at the 28th Annual International Irrigation Show in San Diego, Calif.
  • The government mailed out Census of Agriculture report forms Friday, Dec. 28, 2007, that, when completed by farmers and ranchers, will help gauge the number and type of farms in the U.S. By law, anyone who receives a form is required to respond, even if they didn’t operate a farm or ranch in 2007. Respondents may answer the survey by mail or online, using the census code in the mailing label of their census form. Completed forms are due February 4th, of next year. The results of the census will be released in February 2009.
  • Grass Point Farms proudly announces the release of their full product line, available for distribution starting Jan. 1, 2008, throughout the Midwest including the states of IL, IN, MI, WI, OH, MN, IA, KS, MO. Grass Point Farms is the first line of dairy products to be awarded the “certified humane raised and handled” label. Grass Point Farms’ full line of pasture based dairy products includes a variety of cheeses (cheddar, sharp cheddar, Monterey jack, mozzarella, Monterey with jalapeno, feta and blue), butter and milk (whole, 2% and fat free).
    Zimfo Bytes

    New Holland in Thailand

    Laura McNamara

    New Holland in Chiang Mai, ThailandI’m sure most of you didn’t know this, but I haven’t quite made it back home from the Agritechnica event I covered in Germany in early November. In fact, I’ve only ventured further from home… all the way to Thailand.

    My first impression of farming in Thailand left me thinking that most of the farming operations were small and local, with little use for big machinery. But, after I went trekking and witnessed villages farming on the extremely local scale, a visit to the the second largest city in Thailand – Chiang Mai – revealed that there is a market for larger farming equipment in Thailand. Here are a couple of snapshots of the New Holland outlet in Chiang Mai.

    New Holland in Chiang Mai, ThailandAgriculture is a huge part of the tourist attractions in Thailand. Many guest houses and travel agencies offer one-day cooking courses where you go out to an authentic Thai farm, pick herbs and vegetables by hand and use them to cook traditional Thai dishes.

    Agribusiness, Equipment, Farming, International, New Holland, Tractor

    Urban Farm Helps Homeless, Named Social Innovator

    Laura McNamara

    Victory ProgramsVictory Programs‘ ReVision Urban Farm has been chosen as 2008 Boston Social Innovator. The program, which serves the homeless in surrounding areas, is set to receive financial support from Boston-area venture philanthropists.

    Victory Programs’ ReVision Urban Farm, a farm serving families facing homelessness in Dorchester, is among six area nonprofits selected as a 2008 Social Innovator by the Cambridge-based Social Innovation Forum to receive more than $80,000 in cash and services. The Forum was launched by Root Cause to help organizations like ReVision Urban Farm who have the field expertise, innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit develop the business frameworks and skills required to make a lasting social impact and grow to capacity.

    Through the Forum, Victory Programs’ ReVision Urban Farm will participate in a 12-month support program that provides the organization with consulting services, executive coaching, and introductions to a network of venture philanthropists looking to support innovative nonprofits in greater Boston.

    Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Corn, Farming, Pioneer

    Organic Scandal

    Laura McNamara

    The Cornicopia InstituteA handful of the nation’s largest grocery retailers have been accused of organic fraud. Wal-Mart, Costco, Target, Safeway, and Wild Oats have been accused of selling organic milk that might not be so “organic.”

    The legal filings in federal courts in Seattle, Denver, and in Minneapolis, against the retailers, come on the heels of class action lawsuits against Aurora Dairy Corporation, based in Boulder, Colorado. The suits against Aurora and the grocery chains allege consumer fraud, negligence, and unjust enrichment concerning the sale of organic milk. This past April, Aurora officials received a notice from the USDA detailing multiple and “willful” violations of federal organic law that were found by federal investigators.

    “This is the largest scandal in the history of the organic industry,” said Mark Kastel of The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy research group. Cornucopia’s own investigations in 2005 first alerted USDA of Aurora’s improprieties.

    Five lawsuits against the retailers have been filed so far. And law firms based in Seattle, St. Louis, New York and other cities have filed at least eight lawsuits against Aurora, representing plaintiffs in over 30 states.

    Aurora, with $100 million in annual sales, provides milk that is sold as organic and packaged as store-brand products for many of the nation’s biggest chains. Besides Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, and Safeway, Aurora serves as supplier to 15 other national and regional chains.Read More

    Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Animal Health, Dairy, Food, Organic, Wackos

    Corn Refiners Clear Up Myths About High Fructose Corn Syrup

    Laura McNamara

    The Corn Refiners AssociationApparently, the public doesn’t have it straight when it comes to high fructose corn syrup. The Corn Refiners Association has released a list of its “Top Published Myths about High Fructose Corn Syrup.”

    Myth: High fructose corn syrup is solely to blame for obesity and diabetes.

    Reality: There is no scientific evidence to suggest that high fructose corn syrup is uniquely responsible for people becoming obese. As noted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1996, “the saccharide composition (glucose to fructose ratio) of HFCS is approximately the same as that of honey, invert sugar and the disaccharide sucrose (or table sugar).”The leading causes of diabetes are obesity, advancing age and heredity. All caloric sweeteners trigger an insulin response in the body. In fact, table sugar, honey and high fructose corn syrup trigger about the same insulin release because they contain nearly equal amount of fructose and glucose.

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted high fructose corn syrup “Generally Recognized as Safe” status for use in food, and reaffirmed that ruling in 1996 after thorough review.

    Myth: High fructose corn syrup is high in fructose.

    Reality: Contrary to its name, high fructose corn syrup is not high in fructose. In fact, the composition of high fructose corn syrup is similar to sugar. Sugar is composed of 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose and high fructose corn syrup has either 42 percent or 55 percent fructose, with the remaining sugars being primarily glucose.Read More

    Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Education, Food

    Record Year for Farmland Preservation in Pennsylvania

    Laura McNamara

    Pennsylvania Department of AgriculturePennsylvania is securing more farms under it’s nationally recognized Farmland Preservation Program. The state has announced that this year 351 farms have been protected.

    “Once again, we’ve shown our commitment to the future of Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry with the preservation of another 5,234 acres of quality farmland for a total of 33,445 acres this year,” Governor Edward G. Rendell said. “In addition to safeguarding the land, we are also preserving the proud tradition of farming, our state’s number one industry.”

    Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of farms and acres preserved. Since the program began in 1988, a total of 377,910 acres on 3,339 farms have been protected.

    Pennsylvania allocated nearly $40 million this year for the preservation program, including $4 million from Growing Greener II, Governor Rendell’s initiative that supports environmental programs in the state. County programs contributed $37 million in matching funds to protect quality farmland from development and non-agricultural uses. Combined, this $77 million can preserve an additional 38,500 acres or more than 300 farms.

    “Looking ahead, we expect another good year for preservation in 2008 as we celebrate the program’s 20th anniversary,” said Wolff. “With the help of Governor Rendell, we anticipate reaching the 3,500 farm and 400,000 acre milestones.”

    Agribusiness, Farm Policy, Farming

    Altorfer Lets Farmers Customize

    Laura McNamara

    mojoRTKIt’s about what the farmers want for Altofer Inc. The Midwest-based farm machinery dealer has introduced the new No Drift mojoRTK Auto-steer by Leica Geosystems. Altofer says the new mojoRTK is the first system of its kind to allow farmers to buy a system taylored for their specific needs.

    The new mojoRTK is the first auto-steer system that allows farmers to buy a basic system and then upgrade only the features they need, creating a completely customized system at an affordable price.

    In addition to the basic system, Altorfer is the first dealer in Illinois to offer customized upgrades, including the addition of GLONASS satellites, 8- and 16-mile range upgrades, survey grade elevation and other add-ons for the mojoRTK.

    Altorfer, Inc. will also join Leica Geosystems as a pioneer in virtual service and support with Virtual Wrench(TM) – the agriculture industry’s first real-time, virtual service, support and diagnostic tool. With the use of Virtual Wrench, Altorfer technicians will have the ability to support the mojoRTK system in the field with remote technicians. With one touch of a button, farmers can connect to technicians who can view and adjust settings in the cab. They can see exactly what the farmer is viewing, and even “push” the buttons to make adjustments remotely.

    Agribusiness, Equipment, Farming, Technology