- Farm Bureau membership across the country has surpassed the 6 million mark for the second consecutive year—6,231,176 member families. The milestone was passed as state Farm Bureaus reported 30,838 additional members registered for Farm Bureau membership in 2007. The membership gain of nearly 31,000 member families is due primarily to the growth of several state Farm Bureaus in the South. The Tennessee Farm Bureau continues to claim the title of the country’s largest state Farm Bureau, with 629,027 member families. Other “top 10” membership states are: North Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Illinois, Texas, Indiana, Ohio and Mississippi.
- Ag Leader Technology, Inc. has donated the latest precision ag equipment to the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University for use in educating students on precision farming systems. The donation starts a new lab at ISU, complete with hardware and software.
- Beginning in 2008, Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) is joining forces with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) to bring greater value to ApHC memberships through the Appaloosa Member Advantage program. The Appaloosa Member Advantage program offers discounts to ApHC members for products on premium brands including Dodge, John Deere, UPS, Sherwin Williams Paint, Toshiba and Office Depot. To begin saving, ApHC members must call (888) 304-SPOT (7768) to activate the Appaloosa Member Advantage.
PA Invests in Youth in Agriculture
Pensylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell has announced the state will invest $110,000 in Youth in Agriculture. Rendell says the investment is integral for providing youth with the skills and knowledge they need to sustain a bright future for Pennsylvania agriculture.
Youth organizations may continue to enhance leadership and career development programs thanks to a $110,000 investment in aquaculture, animal science, food safety and other agricultural projects, announced Governor Edward G. Rendell.
The funds are part of the Agricultural and Rural Youth Grant program, which provides matching and direct grants to organizations whose projects promote development in the areas of agriculture, rural community leadership, vocational training or peer fellowship.
Recipients may be awarded direct grants of up to $2,500 for educational outreach efforts. Matching grants of up to $10,000 are given to those groups needing assistance with building and equipment funds.
Ice Storm Affecting Livestock Producers
Parts of the midwest got a break from the ice storm today but others had it hit them. Locally we got lots of rain today with temperatures above freezing.
The USDA radio news line had a good story about how it’s affecting livestock producers who still have chores to do even when the power goes out. For example, we’ve got lots of downed trees and branches, many of which have fallen on fences and roads.
Here in Missouri our Governor Matt Blunt has declared a state of emergency.
You can listen to Gary Crawford’s report here: usda-ice-storm.mp3
Farm Journal Forum Bloggers
The Farm Journal Forum is going on in Washington, DC and a couple of University of Missouri students are blogging the event.
Here’s a picture of them at the National Press Club. Thanks to Margy Fischer for the heads up.
This is the 11th Forum, and in honor of founder Sonja Hillgren this year’s event is dedicated to her memory.
And we’ve got two student bloggers from the University of Missouri. This fall Farm Journal Media donated money in a five-year commitment to fund the Sonja Hillgren Agricultural Journalism Field Reporting Institute. This is a course at Mizzou that connects aspiring journalists and practicing journalists on a multi-day in the field reporting expedition in the fall. Due to generous contributions from others in the industry, we’ve added a policy component to this institute. One graduate and one undergraduate student are attending the Farm Journal Forum and blogging about the event.
They would be Kate Hill & Katie Allen. I love this post from Kate:
Yesterday morning I had coffee at the National Press Club. I thought a whiskey would have been more in the spirit of old-school journalistic tradition, but just to be in the club was humbling. I could feel the history. I circled the room, reading every framed headline. I was proud to be a member of the press.
Yes, us bloggers are members of the press, even if some of the old timers are still having trouble accepting it.
Barchart.com Launches AgriCharts
Barchart.com has launched a new division called AgriCharts.
AgriCharts will provide a full suite of agricultural information and technology services, including website hosting and management, market data and information, web content, and real-time quotes for agricultural industry firms and websites operated by local cash markets, grain elevators, co-ops and other agricultural businesses. The new division will be headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, an important hub for the U.S. Agriculture industry.
Upon its launch, AgriCharts will offer two flagship products, Website Services and Real-Time market quotes. AgriCharts’ Website Services offer an easy-to-implement and user-friendly solution for developing and managing an agri-business website.
“We have been involved in the agricultural industry for many years through Barchart and our Commodity Research Bureau (CRB) division, so it’s a natural fit for us to launch a dedicated division to directly serve the agricultural business community,” said Barchart President Eero Pikat.
Brugler Marketing & Management, LLC headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, will provide morning, mid-day and closing market commentary. And, Freese-Notis Weather, Inc. headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, will provide local, regional and national weather services.
All-Natural Simmer Sauces
Consumers wanting the natural choice for this holiday season might want to keep Good Clean Food´s all-natural simmer sauces in mind. The company has just launched its new chicken sauce product line in the northeast and plans to expand distribution from there.
The new sauces — Cacciatore, French Tarragon and Maine Cider — have hit shelves at Whole Foods markets throughout the north Atlantic (MA, ME, RI) and northeast regions (NY, NJ, CT), with plans for rapid, expanded distribution already underway. This latest round of distribution adds to the company’s well-received simmer sauces for seafood (Creole, Scandinavian Dill and Mediterranean), already offered at both Whole Foods and Hannaford markets from Maine down to Kentucky. Good Clean Food recently moved to national distribution, as well, through the company’s website.
The company’s hand-crafted simmer sauces, available in the refrigerated seafood and fresh poultry sections of markets, represent a whole new “quality in a jar” offering. By simply adding fresh seafood or chicken to Good Clean Food sauces, then simmering for 10-15 minutes, the entire meal is ready.
The Man With a Golden Tractor
It sounds like it could be a movie. It sounds like this tractor won’t be getting all muddy and scratched up out in the field either.
Jerry Forsythe must feel like King Midas these days. That’s because he’s the proud owner of the world’s only all-gold Case IH Magnum™ 305 — a tractor that’s normally painted the signature red color of other Case IH farm equipment.
Forsythe, a farmer and businessman from Marshall, Ill., is a long-time collector of unique Case IH tractors. “I got the idea for the all-gold model after learning that Case IH would be producing special edition tractors to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Magnum’s introduction,” said Forsythe.
Case IH is manufacturing 100 Gold Signature Edition Magnum tractors for 2008, but those are painted both red and gold. Forsythe wanted something different — and worked with his dealer, Kurt Edens from Casey Farm Pride, to specially order a one-of-a-kind, all-gold edition.
Although Forsythe mainly uses Case IH equipment on his farm, his all-gold Magnum will not join the working ranks of the primarily-red fleet used to maintain his 28,000-acre operation. Instead, it will be one of many tractors in his private collection of Case IH and Farmall equipment, which also includes the 100,000th Magnum produced and the very first tractor his dad purchased new, a 1948 Farmall H.
Talking Beef With The MBIC
I am not ashamed to publicly pronounce my belief that beef is good. That’s why I was so happy to get to work with the Missouri Beef Industry Council on their new “Speaking of Beef” program. Basically we helped the staff at the MBIC prepare materials for a group of initial volunteers to help them conduct public speaking engagements about Missouri’s beef industry to local civic groups. Additionally, we’re going to assist with scheduling them to speak to these groups. We hope to have the first ones set up soon after the first of the year.
In this week’s program you get to hear a couple of Cindy’s interviews on this subject. The first one is with MBIC Executive Director, John Kleiboeker, who talks about the program and why the organization has launched it. Then she interviews Chris Derks, a cattle producer from Northwest Missouri who is one of the first program volunteers. Chris is passionate about his industry. That’s why he’s involved.
At the end of the program I’ve got some music from the Podsafe Music Network that fits right in with this week’s theme. It’s called “Cattle Swagger” by the Thee Phantom 5ive. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: 
ZimmCast 149 (16 min MP3)
Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:zimmcast149-12-10-07.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
Growers With Maxx-imum Market Skills
Penton Media’s Corn & Soybean Digest announced the winners of its 2007 MarketMaxx competition, an online grain-marketing contest designed to help growers sharpen their marketing skills. MarketMaxx is a free, Web-based marketing simulation that allows corn and soybean growers to gain experience using marketing tools in a game environment. The 2007 MarketMaxx contest was sponsored by AGCO Gleaner, AGCO Tractors, Syngenta Crop Protection and Cargill Certified SolutionPro.
This year’s first place winner in the corn division was Chris Waymire (left) of Yellow Springs, Ohio. He will receive one year’s use of a new Gleaner R5 or A5 series combine, a prize valued at $12,000. First place winner 
in the soybean division was Ron Falk (right) of Monticello, Ill. His winning prize is one year’s use of a new AGCO RT or DT series tractor, also valued at $12,000.
Second place winners were Chip Shriver of Ursa, Ill. (corn division) and Kevin Johnson of Tyler, Minn. (soybean division). Both will receive a new computer system from Syngenta Crop Protection.
MarketMaxx players submitted simulated trades online using cash, futures and options markets. More detailed information and online registration is found here.
Farmers can now register to play MarketMaxx 2008, but actual trades cannot occur until after Jan. 2, 2008. Trades can be made throughout 2008 until Oct. 31, when the 2008 contest ends. The sponsors of MarketMaxx 2008 are AGCO Gleaner, AGCO Tractors, Syngenta Crop Protection and Leica Geosystems.
Not Your Typical Monday
Posting has been a little light here today as we deal with the icy mess that is Missouri. I’ve made sure we got some client sites updated earlier before starting to focus on our own. Actually we’ve been pretty lucky to have continuous power. However, this afternoon our main business line went out and with it our DSL internet connection. So I headed into Jefferson City and Panera Bread but just as I got there the power went out.
So, now I’m at McAlister’s Deli and the internet connection is working fine. Of course now Cindy says we got our internet connection back at the office. I’m loading some new photos to my Missouri Ice Storm photo album. We’re supposed to get a whole new round of ice starting later tonight and lasting through Wed. morning.
So if you don’t see much here tomorrow you’ll know why. I was planning to attend the Gateway NAMA meeting in St. Louis tomorrow but I’ve canceled that idea. However, on Thursday I’ll be speaking at the North Central Weed Science Society annual meeting. I’ll be one of the presenters at a session titled, “Communication Development: Message Delivery to Weed Science Colleagues and Clientele
Symposium.” You can find the program here (pdf).