New Potato Board Members

Chuck Zimmerman February 18, 2007

Learn all you want to know about U. S. Potatoes. Did I spell that right?

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today (Feb 16) appointed 27 producer members and two importer members to serve on the National Potato Promotion Board. All terms begin March 1, 2007, and end Feb. 28, 2010.

Producer members reappointed to the board are: Ronald Ray Lehr, Jr., Bakersfield, Calif; David Radtke, Sanford, Colo.; Stanley Searle, Shelley, Idaho; Thomas Qualey, Sherman, Maine; Steven Mark Whited, Bridgewater, Maine; Wayne Leep, Shelbyville, Mich.; Jason Derrick Yazzie, Bloomfield, N.M.; Bryan Beck, Tionesta, Pa; and Michael Maynard Pink, Pasco, Wash.

Newly appointed producer members are: Kevin Campbell Johnston, Bakersfield, Calif; Sid Staunton, Tulelake, Calif.; Rodney L. Lenz, Wray, Colo.; Monty L. Smith, Blanca, Colo.; John J. Harper, Mountain Home, Idaho; James Hoff, Idaho Falls, Idaho; Brent J. Stoker, Burley, Idaho; Curtis Stoddard, Grace, Idaho; Carl Madsen Ball, Hamer, Idaho; Charles L. Lake, Ronan, Mont.; Jerry Strickland, Huntington, Ore.; Kevin William Weber, Moses Lake, Wash.; Larry R. Jensen, Mount Vernon, Wash; Nathan L. Cox, Warden, Wash.; Albert Stahl, Ritzville, Wash; John O. Morris, Jr., Ephrata, Wash; John Michael Grose, Terra Alta, W. Va.; and Tim Stevenson, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

Sanjiv Kakkar, Lawrenceville, N.J., is reappointed to serve in an importer position, and Dale Beck, Twin Falls, Idaho, is newly appointed to serve in an importer position.

Ag Groups

FAO and the Right To Food

Chuck Zimmerman February 18, 2007

The FAO has another new website. This one is all about the “Right To Food.”

FAO today (Feb 15) announced the launch of an interactive web site on the right to food, providing practical information for policy-makers, legal practitioners, civil society members, UN staff, academics and the general public. Through the web site, users can increase their awareness of the human right to food, access resources for capacity-building at national and international levels, and find guidance, methods and instruments to assist in implementation of the right to food at the country level. Resources include training materials and an e-learning course, tools to raise awareness of the right to food, and a virtual library containing manuals, technical papers, policy briefs, case studies and publications.

Food

On the Air in the Hallway

Cindy Zimmerman February 17, 2007

The Missouri Corn Growers Association held a seminar last week in conjunction with their annual meeting on “Profiting in the New Paradigm – Feed and Fuel Security.” The focus was on how corn growers and livestock producers can work together to produce ethanol and still feed cows and pigs and chickens at a reasonable price.

One of the speakers was National Corn Growers Association CEO Rick Tolman, pictured on the left. On the right is Farmer Dave Schumacher – the world famous Farm Guy with KTRS radio in St. Louis. The two hooked up via cell phone in the hallway after Rick’s presentation to be on the KTRS afternoon show live.

Dave was kind of surprised that his afternoon talkers would be interested in dealing with something so agricultural, but it just goes to show that ethanol is really getting the attention of mainstream media.

I just thought it was a funny picture of the two of them talking to each other on cell phones in the hallway.

Corn, Ethanol, Livestock, NAFB

Monty’s For a Healthy Plant

Chuck Zimmerman February 17, 2007

On my way out of the National Farm Machinery Show I paid a visit on my friend and former farm broadcaster, Price Allen. Price works for Monty’s Plant Food Company which is practically across the highway from the show. He introduced me to the company president, Dennis Stephens (pictured).

Dennis shares the unique story about Monty’s Plant Food since it is the outgrowth of an effort by the company founder to make a better rose bloom! Now they sell their products in 13 countries and are really focusing growth on the agricultural market. Dennis explains all this and why their plant food product is so much superior in helping create a healthy plant which is their number one goal.

Listen to the Monty’s story in my interview with Dennis here (9 min): nfms-07-stephens.mp3

You can learn more about their original consumer product, Monty’s Joy Juice, here.

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NFMS Owned By Kentucky Fair Board

Chuck Zimmerman February 17, 2007

There’s not a lot of major national farm shows left that I haven’t attended at least once. They’re always a learning experience too. The National Farm Machinery Show has been no different. I didn’t even know who owned and operated the show. Now I do.

I met Amanda Storment, VP of Media & Public Relations for the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center. She says the NFMS is actually owned and operated by the Kentucky State Fair Board which owns the facility. In fact, she says the show really grew out of the state fair when the equipment displays got so big that they were running out of room for them and the other fair activities. So now we’re at the end of the 42nd year of this show.

If you’d like to learn more about the NFMS then listen to my interview with Amanda here (7 min): nfms-07-storment.mp3

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4930 Self-Propelled Sprayer From John Deere

Chuck Zimmerman February 17, 2007

One of the biggest rigs in the John Deere booth at the National Farm Machinery Show this year is a 4930 Self Propelled Sprayer. This unit is made for commercial applicators and for large acreage farms. To learn more about it I interviewed product specialist, Jamie Bultemeier.

Jamie says that they’ve increased the horsepower on the 4930 Sprayer to 325-hp, outfitted it with a 1200 gallon high flow solution system, and designed it to maintain spray speeds in soft or hilly terrain. To make it more productive he says that John Deere offers an optional 300 cu. ft. dry box on the 4930 Sprayer. This allows the 4930 to deliver three- season performance of pre- and post-applications and combines two delivery systems on one machine.

Listen to my interview with Jamie here (4 min): nfms-07-bultemeier.mp3

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The Global Farm Auction Guide

Chuck Zimmerman February 17, 2007

I almost wish I could do an interview and post from every booth at a show like the National Farm Machinery Show. They all have a story to tell and you can find something interesting about all the products on display here. However, there’s only so much time. One interview I had set up before going was with Dwayne Leslie from Canada. We’ve communicated via email but never met. Dwayne is a farmer and an internet entrepreneur who is doing well with websites like Farm Auction Guide.

He just started one called Farmer Feeds where he’s aggregating farm podcasts like the ZimmCast. When we had a lull in the action I interviewed Dwayne to learn more about what he’s doing and why. I think it’s interesting that the websites he’s created are mostly born out of a need he had as a farmer personally. He just couldn’t find it so created it himself.

Oh, and Dwayne is blogging.

Listen to my interview with Dwayne here (7 min): nfms-07-leslie.mp3

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The New 7030 Series Tractor From John Deere

Chuck Zimmerman February 16, 2007

It wouldn’t be a John Deere exhibit without tractors and here at the National Farm Machinery Show they’ve got tractors on display. To learn more about the new tractors offered by John Deere I interviewed John Panning, product specialist.

John mainly talks about the new 7030 series of tractors that John Deere has just introduced into the market. The 7030 Series Large-Frame Tractors feature the responsive, cleaner-burning 6.8L PowerTech Plus engine with a rated speed of 2100 rpm. He says these engines deliver a 40 percent torque rise and 10 percent power bulge to muscle through tough field conditions.

Listen to my interview with John here (4 min): nfms-07-panning.mp3

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Chopping Corn Heads From John Deere

Chuck Zimmerman February 15, 2007

John Deere has some big machinery on display here and one of the biggest is a 9560 STS Bullet Rotor Combine. On hand to talk about it is Ron Moron (right), product specialist for John Deere.

I talked with John this morning and learned what the product offers growers who are becoming more interested in how to make their corn harvest more efficient, especially in light of recent corn prices. Ron says producers have been asking very pointed questions about how the Bullet Rotor will help them. One of the ways he explains is that it requires less power and that converts to fuel savings.

Listen to my interview with Ron here (5 min): nfms-07-moron.mp3

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