Country Hedging Expands Consulting Ownership

Laura McNamara July 12, 2007

Country Hedging has moved into the third ownership level of consulting with its recent investment in Russell Consulting Group. The Midwest-based consulting group offers risk management and financial planning services.

“At Country Hedging, we are committed to continually find business opportunities that allow us to help producers understand and manage risk,” explained Scott Cordes, president, Country Hedging. “Russell Consulting Group has proven expertise in financial analysis and feasibility studies of farming operations along with marketing recommendations. Their operations analysis and recommendations are a perfect complement to what Country Hedging is already doing in risk management programs.”

Moe Russell, principal, Russell Consulting Group, continued, “We have had a marketing agreement with Country Hedging for several years already and know they share our customer focus and philosophy to manage risk through sound decision-making. This closer business relationship will allow both organizations to strengthen our program offerings.”

Russell Consulting Group offers producers invaluable advice on risk management and income protection through ongoing consultation services and detailed financial analysis. The company works through some 31 independent risk management consultants to serve grain and livestock operators in 32 states.

A subsidiary of CHS Inc., Country Hedging is a full-service risk management and commodities broker providing customized marketing strategies and educational services to producers, ranchers and commercial agribusiness through some 60 branch offices across the Eastern Corn Belt, Midwest and Pacific Northwest. Country Hedging is a Futures Commission merchant member with the National Futures Association and a clearing member of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange and the Kansas City Board of Trade.

Agribusiness

Turkish Prime Minister Recieves FAO’s Highest Honor

Laura McNamara July 12, 2007

The Agricola Medal is the highest award the Food and Agriculture Organization of the Unites States offers. FAO bestowed its latest Agricola Medal on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The organization says the award is meant to recognize Erdogan’s contribution to agriculture and social development in Turkey.

“Please accept this Agricola Medal as a token of FAO’s and my personal esteem and respect for all your admirable efforts on behalf of your country’s agriculture and food security,” Dr Diouf told the Premier.

Major reform programme

Under Prime Minister Erdogan, Turkey has launched a major Agricultural Reform Project which aims to provide direct incentives to farmers to significantly increase production and exports and raise rural incomes and food security.

Dr Diouf noted that Turkey is one of the few emerging countries directly participating in food aid operations, to which it has donated millions of dollars through the World Food Programme over the past few years.

Uncategorized

Riding With TeeJet Technologies at InfoAg

Chuck Zimmerman July 11, 2007

During the 2007 InfoAg Conference I got to go on a ride and drive with Brian Mathis, TeeJet Technologies.

They’ve got a demo unit for their products set up on a Kubota utility vehicle which works very well for situations like this and it’s a lot easier to haul around than the alternative. Today they were demonstrating their auto steer product which was very cool. The gps controlled unit steers in a straight line down the row you’re on. The driver has to manually turn but the unit takes over and keeps you on the right next path you’re on.

To get a better idea of how this thing works watch a short video of my ride.

2007 InfoAg Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Precision Agriculture, Video

Country Living 10,000 Strong in 6 Months

Laura McNamara July 11, 2007

The Country Living Association got its start just six months ago, but the Association has quickly established a growing membership. Coutrney Yuskis says the association has reached the 10,000 member milestone and the number of enrollees continue to rise daily.

“We were able to hit the ground running with sponsors, an informational Web site, educational clinics and most importantly, people who want to join,” says Yuskis. Membership in Country Living Association is focused on individuals and families who reside in the country and businesses who supply these families with goods and services relating to country life.

Country Living Association has experienced a great deal of support from the industry. John Deere and Allied Insurance and Nationwide® Agribusiness Insurance Company are founding sponsors of the association. Land O’Lakes Purina Feed, Tractor Supply Company and Fastline Publications are gold-level sponsors. These sponsors reach audiences who also are the focus of the association. Living the Country Life magazine serves as the organization’s official publication and “Living the Country Life” broadcast and Web site align with the association’s mission.

“We’re extremely pleased to have corporations of this stature as sponsors,” says Yuskis. “These companies value people who live in the country and want to play a leading role in making our members’ lives easier and more rewarding.”
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Ag Groups

Cream of the Seafood Crop

Laura McNamara July 11, 2007

The salty fruits of the sea are rising in popularity with consumers, and health benefits are being touted as one of main reasons for the rise in seafood consumption. The National Fisheries Institute says data from the NOAA Fisheries show that Americans consumed 16.5 pounds per person last year. That’s up from 16.2 pounds in 2005. NFI says overall seafood consumption has risen 11 percent since 2001.

“Landmark studies from the Institute of Medicine and Harvard Medical School in 2006 found that eating fish twice a week can reduce the risk of dying from a heart attack by 36 percent,” said NFI President John Connelly. “The growth in seafood consumption last year shows that families seek its tremendous health benefits, yet only 20 percent of Americans are following advice from the federal government, American Heart Association and American Dietetic Association to eat fish at least twice a week.”

Shrimp continued to lead seafood consumption, up 0.3 pounds per person to 4.4 pounds for the year. Tilapia, a mild-tasting white fish, moved up to the number five position in overall seafood consumption replacing catfish, which fell to the sixth position. Increases in shrimp, pollock and tilapia consumption helped drive the overall increase. Fresh and frozen seafood consumption was a record 12.3 pounds per capita for 2006, and the total seafood consumed – 4.92 billion pounds edible weight – also set a record.

Connelly continued, “With increased seafood consumption, our nation is moving in the right direction to combat heart disease and obesity-related illnesses. But we must enhance awareness of the importance of eating a variety of seafood – such as canned tuna, salmon, mussels and many others – throughout the lifecycle.”
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Food

Farm Journal Zeros In on New Crop Acres

Laura McNamara July 11, 2007

New crops are, well, cropping up everywhere. In fact, Farm Journal Media reports that a significant amount of new corn acres are popping up well outside the corn belt. Farm Journal says its latest campaign to collect data on new crop acres is unprecedented. The agricultural media company says this data collection campaign will serve as a vital tool for advertisers for the 2007 fall selling season.

“We began picking up a lot of crop comments from users on AgWeb following the 2006 harvest and then started seeing the shift when we began collecting 2007 acreage data,” according to Steve Custer, Executive Vice President, publisher of FARM JOURNAL and TOP PRODUCER magazines and who also oversees the company’s Database Strategies division and circulation efforts.

In early March, Farm Journal decided to speed up their data collection simply because of the huge shift that was going to occur this year. Custer reports they expanded the Webster City staff by 50% and extended the call center’s daily hours to meet the goal of making over 400,000 grower calls by the end of August. “We have over half of large growers already updated with 2007 acres so we’re seeing the trends long before USDA reports them,” Custer says.

The findings from Farm Journal’s data collection efforts through the spring absolutely mirrored those USDA reported in the June 29th “Acreage Report”. “Corn acres are growing everywhere,” Custer reports. “In fact, a lot of the new acres are coming from far outside the corn belt. The Delta and the southeast are seeing not only huge percentage growth, but some states in those areas are in the top states nationally in terms of the sheer number of new corn acres.”

Cotton growers, in particular, made a big move to corn. Cotton acres are down 28% in 2007, with a majority of those acres being shifted to corn according to what Farm Journal is finding. “We’re finding cotton growers, at an individual grower level, shifting the most. They are shifting more than double the acreage to corn as are soybean growers, for example,” observes Allen Moczygemba, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Database Strategies at Farm Journal. “Cotton growers also are the most likely to be ‘new to corn’ in 2007, many not having grown this crop in recent years.”
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Advertising, Ag Groups, Corn, Cotton, Farming, Media

A Productive InfoAg Conference.

Chuck Zimmerman July 11, 2007

I know I haven’t posted much from the InfoAg Conference but don’t think I’ve been slacking off. I think I’ve conducted 15 audio interviews and one video clip as well as about 79 photos.

There isn’t a convenient room for media to work in here so that’s made it kind of difficult to be on the floor and in the seminar rooms and get time to edit and post. One of the things I would highly recommend to IPNI/FAR would be a media room. I know I’ve seen at least a half dozen farm reporters here who like me were searching for a place to work with a power outlet and internet access.

I’ll be heading back to ZimmComm New Media world headquarters today and you’ll find these pictures and interviews posted over the next week or so. Some will show up here on AgWired. The majority will be posted onto Precision Pays though. That’s why I spent some quality time with these folks in the John Deere Ag Management Solutions booth as well as their Agri Services booth. I’ve also got content to post onto Domestic Fuel and World Dairy Diary. So I think this has been a productive trip.

2007 InfoAg Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, John Deere, Precision Agriculture

Precision Ag Awards

Chuck Zimmerman July 10, 2007

At this morning’s opening session of the 2007 InfoAg Conference several awards were presented by Paul Schrimpf, group editor, Croplife Media Group.

Receiving the awards were:

Arthur F. Lange, Ph.D., Trimble Navigation Limited
Scott A. Shearer, Ph.D., University of Kentucky
Norm Teegardin, Farm Works Software

Ag Groups, Precision Agriculture

Sunrise on POET Biorefining

Chuck Zimmerman July 10, 2007

This was the scene this morning as I made my way to Springfield, IL and the InfoAg Conference.

This is the POET Biorefining in Laddonia, MO.

The sun was just coming up. I’m sure that if I got out of the car I would have heard some roosters crowing nearby.

It was a very peaceful scene and being set amid the corn fields of mid Missouri, it was a very appropriate picture for the conference going on here.

Agribusiness, Ethanol, Precision Agriculture

Harold Reetz Welcomes Us To InfoAg

Chuck Zimmerman July 10, 2007

Harold Reetz kicked off things here at the 2007 InfoAg Conference. Harold is director of external support for IPNI and FAR.

I interviewed Harold after the opening session. I have got to believe he’s happy with attendance. The room was full and everyone was at attention. Harold provides an overview of the conference including the fact that there are 60 speakers here doing 100 sessions. The trade show looks good too with over 60 spaces sold.

I’m hearing a lot of optimism for people in the precision agriculture business and Harold echoes that in our interview. infoag-07-reetz.mp3

I am loading photos to Flickr and you can find them here:

2007 InfoAg Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Precision Agriculture

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