Happy Thanksgiving From ZimmComm

Chuck Zimmerman

On this Thanksgiving holiday I want to say “thanks” to all of you who are regular AgWired readers and especially you subscribers. AgWired wouldn’t exist without you. Your kind words and encouragement have made it all worthwhile. I promise that we’ll continue to bring you the latest information about the business of agricultural marketing and throw in a little entertainment along the way. Who says we can’t we have fun doing what we love.

It’s too late in the day before Thanksgiving to post anymore so until Friday (if I don’t go into withdrawal) here’s hoping you have a “Harvest of Happiness” on this Thanksgiving.

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Roberson Joins Southeast Farm Press

Chuck Zimmerman

Southeast Farm PressWhy is it that you don’t get many news releases from publications? Maybe it’s because they can publish their own announcements. The same is true with broadcasters. I suppose it’s also true with us internet folks although I sure see lots of announcements from bloggers!

Anyway, here’s the latest from Southeast Farm Press:

James R. (Roy) Roberson has joined the Southeast Farm Press editorial staff as associate editor, with primary responsibility for coverage of the upper Southeast states. “We’re very pleased to have Roy as a member of the Farm Press editorial team,” said Hembree Brandon, editorial director. “His extensive experience in agricultural communications will help us in providing our Southeast Farm Press readers with the most timely, relevant information to assist them in their farming enterprises.”

Publication

Life Saving Frozen Turkey

Chuck Zimmerman

Since it’s the day before Thanksgiving I have to use this story from TheKSBWChannel.com. It’s about how a frozen turkey became a life-saving device. This was just posted yesterday.

An elderly Illinois couple is hospitalized after being rescued from their burning car by a man who used his Thanksgiving turkey to break the windows. Mark Copsy said he rushed to help John and Juliana Brani, of Northlake, Ill., when he saw their car filling with smoke after it crashed into a curb Sunday afternoon. Copsy couldn’t open the door and couldn’t break the windows with his hands or feet, so the 20-pound frozen turkey had to do.

According to the story the elderly couple is in critical condition. It didn’t say if Copsy was planning on having “smoked” turkey or whether the turkey is still edible. I guess it’s just another reason to shop for turkey. You never know when one’s going to come in handy.

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Beef Checkoff Control

Chuck Zimmerman

MBIC Report PodcastAlthough the Beef Checkoff has strong producer approval there is still some confusion about who actually controls it. Missouri Beef Industry Council, executive director, Steve Taylor, explains in this week’s MBIC Report.

You can listen to this week’s MBIC Report here: Download MP3 File

The MBIC Report is an AgWired podcast which you can subscribe to using the link you’ll find on our “Blogs & Podcasts” page or on the MBIC website.

Ag Groups, Audio, Beef, Podcasts

New Hybrids From Pioneer

Chuck Zimmerman

Pioneer Hi-BredIt’s hybrid mania at Pioneer. They just announced 62 new hybrids for the 2006 planting season. That includes eleven hybrids with the newly approved Herculex XTRA or Herculex RW insect protection technology.

This includes nine new genetic families with 34 hybrids containing technology from the Herculex(R) family of insect protection traits, including hybrids with Herculex XTRA or Herculex RW Rootworm protection for transgenic corn rootworm control, and new hybrids containing the Roundup Ready(R) Corn 2 trait.

Agribusiness

Find Your Perfect Turkey Recipe

Chuck Zimmerman

Eat TurkeyHopefully most of you are getting your turkeys out to thaw since the big day of Thanksgiving is almost here. In case you just don’t know what to do with it there’s a perfect place to find out more. You’ve got to love the domain – www.eatturkey.com.

I don’t know how you’re planning to prepare yours but if you click here you’ll see how I’m going to.

This site is managed by the National Turkey Federation.

Ag Groups

Canadian Corn Dispute

Keith Good

FarmPolicy.comInternational developments continue to influence the domestic farm policy political environment this week.

Specifically, a Canadian federal agency has ruled that U.S. corn subsidies are harming some Canadian farmers.

Earlier this fall, some corn farmers from Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba, asked the Canadian government to investigate a claim regarding the dumping of American grain corn into the Canadian market.

As the Edmonton Journal reported back in September, “In what could become a costly trade war, the Canadian Corn Producers are alleging imported U.S. grain corn is selling below its cost of production and U.S. subsidies are depressing the price of corn here and hurting farmers.”

Last week, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, the Canadian federal agency with jurisdiction in this matter, issued a report regarding the American corn dumping allegation, which noted that, “there is evidence that discloses a reasonable indication that the dumping and subsidizing of unprocessed grain corn have caused injury to the domestic industry.”

In a joint statement, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns and U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman expressed “disappointment” with the decision.

Meanwhile, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Saxby Chambliss saw the Canadian corn import decision as being “inextricably linked” to a separate U.S. Canadian trade dispute regarding softwood lumber.

U.S. agricultural groups have vowed to fight the ruling which could potentially have far reaching consequences.

***

Domestic issues this week once again focused on the federal budget, where the House narrowly passed a $50 billion budget reconciliation measure.

Although this version did not include authorizing language to extend the Milk Income Loss Contract program (M.I.L.C.), Members did receive a promise from Speaker Hastert that a two-year extension of the program will be in the final conference report.

The $35 billion Senate budget measure, which had already been passed, included M.I.L.C. reauthorization.

A House / Senate conference will now hammer out a resolution between the differing budget resolutions.

Keith Good writes The FarmPolicy.com News Summary, an Email newsletter containing a summary of news relating to U.S. farm policy which is published most weekdays. For more information, go to www.FarmPolicy.com

Farm Policy

Big Oil Gets The Big Turkey Award

Chuck Zimmerman

CornTalk podcastThis week’s CornTalk has a holiday them. Missouri Corn Growers Association CEO, Gary Marshall, announces his “Big Turkey Award” which goes to big oil for posting record profits at the expense of consumers. Marshall also gives thanks to Missouri corn growers and lawmakers for supporting the continued growth of ethanol.

You can listen to this week’s CornTalk here: Download MP3 File

CornTalk is a weekly AgWired podcast which you can subscribe to using the link you’ll find on our “Blogs & Podcasts” page.

Ag Groups, Audio, Corn, Podcasts

PVP For AgInfoLink USA

Chuck Zimmerman

AgInfoLinkTraceability is certainly the buzz in food safety today. We’ve got to know where it came from no matter what “it” is. This is true for all commodities and new products and services are being developed very quickly. Today AgInfoLink USA announced that it has received USDA Process Verification Program (PVP) approval.

A key component of AgInfoLink’s Process Verified Program is the ability to connect data across the meat and livestock supply chain. An immediate application of AgInfoLink’s PVP will be age and source verification for livestock producers and processors. AgInfoLink will deliver this verification through its approved alliance customers like Beef Verification Solutions in Kansas and Kentucky Beef Network, or directly with other approved producers.

It will be interesting to see how these systems develop.

Agribusiness

Fruitcakes Can Mean Cash

Chuck Zimmerman

Oregon LotteryThanks to my good friend Adam Finley (AdJab), someone who I’ve never met, spoken with or written to, you can hear some strange songs about fruitcake. This is agricultural in a very twisted sort of way. At least it’s in the holiday spirit.

Actually it’s the Oregon Lottery promoting a new scratch-off game called Fruitcake Cash. The songs are jingles used in their advertising. Of course it has it’s own website. You can listen to the music from links on the site.

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