Farm Credit Turns 90

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm CreditUsually you don’t brag about being 90 years old but the Farm Credit System is. Actually their birthday will be July 17. To let the world know, the Farm Credit Council just sent out a Talking News Release through AgNewsWire.AgWired.com.

Rural America’s customer-owned partner, the Farm Credit System, celebrates its 90th anniversary of service on July 17, the date when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Farm Loan Act in 1916.

Today, with more than $108 billion in loans financing agriculture and its related cooperatives, rural homebuyers, small community water and waste disposal systems, rural electric and telephone systems and the export of U.S. farm commodities, the Farm Credit System is the oldest and largest financial cooperative in the nation.

“For 90 years, the Farm Credit System has served agriculture and rural America as a dedicated, reliable, competitive, and customer-owned source of credit and related services. We look forward to a bright future for U.S. agriculture and America’s rural communities,” said Wayne Lambertson, a Maryland farmer who currently serves as Chairman of the Farm Credit Council, the System’s trade association.
 (Full Release)

You can listen to one of the soundbites from Wayne here: Listen To MP3 Wayne Lambertson (mp3 file)

Agribusiness

DTN Gets Weather Customers

Chuck Zimmerman

DTN MeteorlogixIt must be nice to pick up 20,000 customers just like that. That’s what DTN Meteorlogix just did by obtaining the customers of Surface Systems, Inc.

DTN, the world leader in weather forecasting, display and decision support technology, today (July 11) announced the acquisition of Surface Systems, Incorporated (SSI) weather forecasting customers. DTN will integrate SSI’s weather forecasting customers into its weather business, Meteorlogix. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed. DTN will provide services to existing SSI weather forecasting customers, making available DTN’s state-of-the-art weather and pavement forecasting systems, innovative satellite, online and mobile weather display systems and patented weather-monitoring alerting technology. SSI, a division Quixote Corporation, will retain the manufacturing, sale and maintenance of weather and pavement hardware sensor technology.

Media, Technology

Hearing From Monte Reese

Chuck Zimmerman

Monte ReeseIs there anyone who doesn’t know Monte Reese? The Beef Board’s Chief Operating Officer was on the program at this morning’s board meeting to give a report on the activities of the Checkoff.

Monte started out talking about how much has been accomplished in the 20 years of the Checkoff. He says that producers have created a solid science-based research foundation which has time after time prevented severe consumer confidence crises.

Monte also made a point of letting producers know how many expressions of appreciation he has received from other commodity groups for the Beef Checkoff’s perseverance in the face of a severe legal challenge. Since that final Supreme Court decision he says most of the challenges to other groups have been dismissed.

You can listen to Monte’s remarks here: Monte Reese Report (10 min. MP3 File)

Audio, Beef

Board Meeting Last On The Agenda

Chuck Zimmerman

Board MeetingThe last thing to get done here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference is the board meeting. This is a combined meeting of the Beef Board and NCBA, although the official meetings are held separately.

However, there are a number of joint committees which have to give reports so it works out very well.

In this picture NCBA President Mike John is calling the meeting to order and asking if they have a quorum. They do so business will get done.

Ag Groups, Beef

Manitoba leads in Confection Sunflower Acres

Chuck Zimmerman

Harry SiemensNorth Dakota has traditionally led in confection sunflower acres. However, this year if estimates prove true and projections are on, Manitoba may have more acres than North Dakota. “It has to do with alternative crops,” said Fred Parnow of Seeds 2000, Crookston, Mn. “When we got into spring time here, the farmers finally realized that confection contract prices were not going to be to the price levels they were in previous years. Wheat futures had a pretty good boost coming into spring.”

Rob Park, Oilseed Specialist with Manitoba Agriculture said ND had 230,000 acres last year, dropping to 125,000 this year, 54 percent of 2005. The confection market overall in the US and Canada is only 54 percent of 2005, dropping to about 350,000 acres this year. Read More

International

Passionate About Beef

Chuck Zimmerman

Amanda Nolz and Melissa GreenTwo of Beef Ambassadors attending the Cattle Industry Summer Conference are Melissa Green (left) and Amanda Nolz.

Melissa describes the purpose and function of the Beef Ambassador program and Amanda describes what they do during the year that they serve.

According to Melissa this program is worth the investment to have young people out in the public who are passionate about the beef industry. She says the reception they get is always positive. You can listen my interview with them here: Green-Nolz Interview (3 min. MP3 File)

Audio, Beef

NCBA President Mike John

Chuck Zimmerman

Mike JohnThe President of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is Mike John, from Missouri (left). Mike took over the reigns in January at the annual convention. Here at the Summer Conference he said he was happy to hear about how beef demand has been good recently but knows that there’s a lot of work to do to continue to grow demand for his product.

Another think Mike says which I’ve heard over and over from cattle producers here is how the NCBA or the CBB offer a grass roots input process for cattle producers to have an impact on what these organizations do and the effect they can have on the beef business.

Hear Mike’s perspective in my interview with him here at the conference: Mike John Interview (5 min. MP3 File)

Audio, Beef

World Ag Expo Communications Director

Chuck Zimmerman

Beth SequeiraIt’s picture of people morning here on AgWired. I like it. Keep the pics coming folks.

The International Agri-Center and World Ag Expo has a Communications Director. This is a newly created position. She’s Beth Sequeira and she got her start on July 5. Got business cards yet Beth? Being the first with a newly created position is always fun. You’ll get to form what the position is like and that will be fun.

“Beth’s pleasant personality and drive toward results will be a tremendous asset to the International Agri-Center. Her background and dedication to family farms will contribute to the effort put forth by the World Ag Expo to promote agriculture throughout the world,” said Jerry Sinift, International Agri-Center general manager.

A recent graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Sequeira earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural science with a minor in agricultural communications and agribusiness. Born and raised in Hanford, Calif., Sequeira looks forward to returning home to her agricultural roots.

Farm Shows

Colleen Church McDowall Promoted

Chuck Zimmerman

Colleen Church McDowallShe’s been a regular on AgWired. It has something to do with the shoes. She’s Colleen Church McDowall and she just got a great promotion at Osborn & Barr Communications.

Osborn & Barr Communications has named Colleen Church McDowall to Vice President, Director of Public Relations. She will serve as the strategic leader for O&B’s Public Relations division and will be responsible for new business development, strategic management of all public relations accounts and administrative management of the division.

Formerly the Associate Director of Public Relations, Church McDowall has provided extensive agricultural knowledge and public relations expertise to accounts such as John Deere, Intervet Inc., USDA Rural Development, Monsanto Dairy and Specialty Fertilizer Products during her three and a half years with the agency.

Congratulations Colleen.

Agencies

Beefmobile Wrangler Tracey Orsburn

Chuck Zimmerman

Tracey OrsburnTracey Orsburn is one of the Beefmobile Wranglers and is here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference. She puts in a lot of miles travelling around the country and making sure producers better understand the Checkoff. Her vehicle is also a travelling billboard for beef.

Tracey says she’s personally driven over 100,000 miles for the Checkoff since she started and has been through 43 states.

You can learn more about the Beefmobile by listening to my interview with her in which she explains the program and describes the kind of producer feedback she receives. You can listen to my interview with Tracey here: Orsburn Interview (4 min. MP3 File)

Audio, Beef