Got Championships?

Chuck Zimmerman

University of FloridaHow ’bout them Gators? I know I’ve posted this before but . . . How about a three-peat in aGainesville!

If you AgWired Gator fans haven’t done it yet, take a break right now and check out the following:

Gainesville Sun Coverage

I Google searched for you.

Order your official Gator Gear. My order is in.

From YouTube:

This video may be from right after the football championship but I guarantee you this is what the streets looked like last night too.

If you missed the game you can already re-live the final 23 seconds here. In case you’re wondering if anyone would watch something like this. I have. In fact, I think I’ll watch it again.

Here’s one that’s definitely out there on the edge. Do not do this unless your team has won at least 3 national championships.

Okay AgWired fans. It’s time to get back to work.

University

Rodeo Toughness on the ZimmCast

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-113 - Rodeo is Tough EnoughI found out that I’m tough enough to wear pink last week. That’s because the Three Hills Rodeo I attended in Green Bay, WI held a Tough Enough to Wear Pink night on Friday to raise awareness for breast cancer. They tied this in with the Deanna Favre (Brett Favre’s wife) Foundation. So I got to wear a pink shirt to the rodeo that night.

Me Interviewing Steve GanderThis week on the ZimmCast you get to learn a little bit about rodeo, especially indoor traveling rodeo. First up in the program is an interview with Steve Gander. He started the World’s Toughest Rodeo and after selling the business he still stays involved with the marketing side of things.

Me Interviewing Marla MooreheadSteve sold his business to Dave and Marla Moorehead. The program also contains an interview with Marla who talks about the causes they support and how they set things up with local media in Green Bay. Marla says that they split their time between rodeo and farming since they have a large beef cattle operation in Iowa where they’re based.

I was in Green Bay attending the rodeo to actually follow around country music star, Michael Peterson, for New Holland who sponsored my trip.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 113 (16 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:

zimmcast113-4-2-07.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.

Audio, New Holland, Rodeo, ZimmCast

Geri Berdak in Monsanto Public Affairs

Chuck Zimmerman

Geri BerdakMonsanto has a new public affairs director. She’s Geri Berdak and she’ll be heading up the Oilseeds and Chemistry business.

Berdak brings over 16 years experience in marketing and strategic communications and has used this skill to benefit companies in differing sectors of the agriculture industry including producer organizations, food companies, ingredient companies and retailers. Most recently, Ms. Berdak was the Global Director of Corporate Communications for The Solae Company where she made significant contributions building and leading the company’s global strategic communications and industry affairs programs. Prior to Solae, Berdak was the director of the United Soybean Board’s edible oil and soyfoods program where she handled projects in the areas of health research, regulatory monitoring, public affairs and issues management, and was a member of USB’s biotech task force and better bean initiative. Ms. Berdak holds both a bachelor’s degree of science in food and nutrition from Missouri State University and an M.B.A. from the New York Institute of Technology.

Agribusiness

ZimmComm/Truffle Virtual Booth

Chuck Zimmerman

NAMA Trade Show LayoutI know you’re planning to come by the ZimmComm/Truffle booth at NAMA. If you want to plan your exact route when you get inside the trade show then follow this map. Just click on the thumbnail for a full size picture.

You can find us at booth number 311 in the virtual trade show already.

We can promise you a new media experience and don’t forget that you can register to win an iPhone!

NAMA

NCBA Producer Educator

Chuck Zimmerman

Ashby GreenThe National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has added Dr. Ashby Green as VP, Producer Education.

Green’s experience includes more than 30 years in the veterinary medical industry in Mississippi, Missouri and Florida. Most recently, he has been involved in veterinary consulting and working with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, where he had oversight for animal health programs throughout Florida. Green also spent 12 years in the animal sciences division at Monsanto Agricultural Company, where his responsibilities included directing cattle selection and marketing programs for the Monsanto Ranch in Oklahoma. Early in his career, Green spent four years with the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service as leader of extension veterinary medicine.

According to NCBA Chief Executive Officer Terry Stokes, Green’s arrival adds strength to one of the organization’s most important missions. “In survey after survey, NCBA members tell us producer education is one of the most valuable benefits we offer, and one of the best reasons to join NCBA,” Stokes said. “The addition of Ashby Green makes NCBA’s producer education programs even stronger.”

“I’m just thrilled for the opportunity to continue to serve the cattle industry, which has been such a great part of my life,” said Green. “And I’m happy to be joining such a first-class team at NCBA.”

Ag Groups

National Parks Now Online

Chuck Zimmerman

Make Park ReservationsNow you can go online to make reservations at federal parks. You can also find out lots of information about what’s available and where. It’s a new website that the departments of the Interior and Agriculture kicked off last week. They encourage you to “Explore Your America.”

This interagency web site allows the public to view photos and information on thousands of recreation sites and activities from sightseeing at the Washington monument to canoeing in a Minnesota forest. The public can also use the recreation.gov site to make reservations and payments online

“Americans love to enjoy our parks, forests, historic sites and other public lands and we want to make it easier for them to do so,” said Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne. “At Recreation.gov, Americans can find, plan and reserve their ‘place under the stars’ on one internet website or with a single phone call.”

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns added, “Recreation.gov not only simplifies reservations, it showcases the many opportunities to enjoy public lands. This is a refreshing change for those who have searched multiple web pages to make their recreation plans and it’s an example of better coordination to better serve Americans.”

Uncategorized

Interview With Col. Jill Chambers

Chuck Zimmerman

Col. Jill ChambersAdministering the Army Oath to a batch of recruits on Friday evening at the Three Hills Rodeo was Col. Jill Chambers. Jill is the director of protocol for General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

I had met Jill last year at the New Holland/Michael Peterson Celebrity Tractor Race in Nashville. It was good seeing her again, especially as she led the recruits in the oath. In an interview I did with her she explains what that the oath means.

Jill says she’s going to be working with Michael on an “Answer The Call” tour starting next January.

Michael made our interview a challenge, at least at the beginning as you’ll hear.

Here’s my interview with Col. Jill Chambers:
3-hills-rodeo-07-chambers.mp3

Audio, New Holland, Rodeo

HAT’s Off To The Future

Chuck Zimmerman

Hoosier Ag TodayIt looks like Gary Truitt is getting involved in Indiana.

The future of Indiana agriculture will be the focus of the Cultivating The New Economy conference on April 5 in Muncie. Hoosier Ag Today has partnered with the Eastern Indiana Regional Workforce Development Board in presenting this unique gathering of state and national leaders to examine the growth opportunities presented by the dynamic changes now taking place in Indiana agriculture. “This conference is for anyone who has a stake in the future of Indiana agriculture, including farmers, agri-business, and rural residents,” said Gary Truitt with Hoosier Ag Today.

State leaders, including Andy Miller from the Department of Agriculture and officials from Purdue, will be joined by national leaders such as Mark Drabenstott with the Rural Policy Research Institute. “Hoosier Ag Today is committed to the growth of Indiana agriculture and this event will help chart the course of that future,” observed Truitt. In addition to promoting the conference, HAT will provide live broadcast coverage of the event that will he held at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie.

Media

What’s Up With Farmer Planting Intentions

Chuck Zimmerman

I guess I’ve got to post something about this since it seems to have generated comments and releases from everywhere. Following is the report Cindy posted to Domestic Fuel on Friday.

As expected, the USDA Prospective Plantings report out Friday morning showed that farmers expect to make a dramatic shift to corn acreage, and away from cotton and soybeans. The main reason – increased demand and higher prices of crops used for bio-fuels.

According to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, corn growers intend to plant 90.5 million acres of corn for all purposes in 2007, up 15 percent from 2006 and 11 percent higher than 2005. If realized this would be the highest acreage since 1944. Illinois farmers intend to plant a record high 12.9 million acres of corn this spring, up 1.60 million acres from last year. North Dakota and Minnesota growers also expect to plant record high corn acres, up 910,000 and 600,000 acres, respectively.

Soybean producers intend to plant 67.1 million acres in 2007, down 11 percent from last year. However, area planted to soybeans is expected to increase in the Southeast, with Georgia expecting the largest increase from last year at 95,000 acres.

All cotton plantings for 2007 are expected to total 12.1 million acres, 20 percent below last year. Growers intend to decrease planted area in all States with the largest acreage declines in Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Texas.

If you’d like some commentary on the report you can always listen to the Minneapolis Grain Exchange podcast (podcast url) which we record and pst each month. They had us do a special version after this report was released on Friday.

You can hear listen to the commentary here:
mgex-3-30-07.mp3

Audio

A Netherlands Farm Site

Chuck Zimmerman

I got an email from Gerrit Jan Doeleman, Netherlands, who wants some feedback on his website, farmersbase.com. Help me out. Look at it and let me know what you think.

dear chuck zimmermann,
please have a view
at farmersbase: www.farmersbase.com and let me have your comments.

Here’s what it says on his about page.

This site has been built & will be built for “boer’n en buut’n luu” ( farmers and people in the countryside ), in short: not only for the farmers themselves but for all the workers at the farms too and next to that especially for all those who feel related to the countryside. Most of all we had liked to present this to devote to all persons who gave shelter during Word War II, those who gave food en help to all people during that period.

International