Precision Ag Reviews Launches Web Resource for Farmers

Cindy Zimmerman

Precision Ag Reviews has launched a new website as a resource for farmers on precision ag equipment.

The program was started by the Ohio Soybean Council and soybean checkoff in 2017 and is a public site that strives to create a “farmers helping farmers” community by collecting reviews for all brands and models of precision ag equipment so farmers can educate themselves without a bias of brand or product.

Farmers can complete and read reviews on PrecisionAgReviews.com. All reviews collected are placed online for farmers to access when researching precision ag products. Farmers can see the collective average review, in addition to all individual reviews, to aid in educated decisions on the best equipment for their operation. The website also includes an active blog, with content authored by farmers and independent precision ag experts.

“Our team has been traveling to farm shows across the U.S. asking farmers for their input on the precision equipment they are utilizing on their farms. We have a strong and diverse set of reviews and look forward to continuing to grow this resource,” said Stacie McCracken, project manager of Precision Ag Reviews. “The goal of this platform is to better the industry.”

Learn more at PrecisionAgReviews.com.

Precision Agriculture

ZimmCast 628 – Conversation with Demeter

Chuck Zimmerman

In this week’s program I have a conversation with Sharlet Teigen, CEO, Demeter Communications. Sharlet talks about the start of the company and the challenges she and the team had to overcome. For her it began with a major move from Chicago to rural Montana.

Cindy and I have known Sharlet for many years so we also do some reminiscing about how we did agricultural marketing and communications work “way back when.”

Sharlet asks me questions during the conversation, one of which includes the origin of the name Demeter. I won’t spoil it if you don’t know it but it’s toward the end of the program.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the ZimmCast and thank you for listening.

BTW. Feel free to contact me if you have ideas or suggestions for a future program. I’m always open to what would be of interest.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 628 - Conversation with Demeter Communications
Subscribe to the ZimmCast by clicking here.

Agencies, Audio, ZimmCast

Animal Ag Bites 10/28

Carrie Muehling

  • During the NCBA Board Meeting this past August, the NCBA officers announced a scholarship honoring former NCBA CEO Kendal Frazier had been established at Kansas State University. If you are interested in donating to this scholarship fund to honor Kendal and his dedicated career to the beef industry, you can give via online donations at https://give.evertrue.com/ksu/kendalfrazier or contact Emilie Fink, Senior Director of Development, K-State at (785) 775-2075 or emilief@ksufoundation.org.
  • The Pork Checkoff’s board of directors is accepting applications through Nov. 1 to fill five three-year terms. State pork producer associations, farm organizations or individuals who pay the Pork Checkoff, including pig farmers and pork importers, may submit an application.
  • A new cutting-edge video series from the National Pork Board creates opportunities for farmers and others involved in pork production to share with consumers a firsthand view inside today’s modern farms.
  • After debuting nearly 15 years ago, the Pork Checkoff’s Operation Main Street program has reached a major milestone – sharing facts about pigs and pork to 10,000 audiences. Wesley Lyons, a veterinarian from Sycamore, Illinois, made the historic presentation to nurses at the Northern Illinois Chapter of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Fall Forum in Rockford, Illinois.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

2019 Georgia Deer Season Includes Feral Hogs

Chuck Zimmerman

Can-Am in the WoodsOpening day for the 2019 Georgia firearms deer season was wet. I mean it rained all day. But the southeast needed that rain in a big way and it did not stop deer activity. The next day we had sunshine as you can see in this photo of our Can-Am Defender from my stand. Right after that I harvested a spike buck. Opening day I harvested two does. So I’ve got a lot of venison I’ll be freezing this week while taking a large portion to a local processor for summer sausage and hamburger.

Can-Am with PigsNow let’s talk feral hogs. I shared a photo from one of our trail cams recently and am happy to report that my brother Paul deleted their number by seven on opening day. Here’s a Can-Am Defender load of five of them. It sounds like a lot but we’ve got one group of them numbering almost forty and another that it is a little less. For the first time in the years I’ve been hunting in Georgia I’m seeing hogs on the sides of the roads that have been hit by cars. I counted five in just one hour long drive one morning. They are a serious problem. We’re doing our part but it’s not enough.

Georgia’s season continues through mid-January so the Crystal Pig Hunt Club members will be out several times trying to reduce hog numbers and hopefully seeing some of the large bucks which are showing up on our cameras. If you hunt deer let me know how things are going for you. I’ve seen some great photos on social media already which include children who are getting their first opportunity to hunt with Mom or Dad.

Can-Am, Hunting

Zimfo Bytes 10/25

Carrie Muehling

  • The Pork Checkoff’s board of directors is accepting applications through Nov. 1 to fill five three-year terms. State pork producer associations, farm organizations or individuals who pay the Pork Checkoff, including pig farmers and pork importers, may submit an application.
  • In April 2019, Mike Builta, a GROWMARK vice president and long-time employee, passed away unexpectedly. To honor his memory, the GROWMARK Foundation will be providing 100 FFA jackets to FFA members in Illinois. Twenty-five jackets will be provided each year over the next four years. Students submitted an essay explaining what an FFA jacket means to them and their goals as an FFA member.
  • An all-new cotton education program is scheduled for Dec. 5 at the Amarillo Farm & Ranch Show in Amarillo, Texas. Dubbed Cotton U, this half-day, farmer education event, presented by High Plains Journal, will bring industry knowledge and forward-thinking presentations to attendees.
  • Courtney Rude Lamie was recently promoted from account manager to vice president of BLNKPG Marketing.
  • Barchart, a leading provider of data and solutions for commodity markets, announces the creation of the cmdty Pricing Network (CPN), a price contributor network designed to increase transparency in agricultural markets.
  • Agri-Pulse Communications is looking for an intern who is passionate about reporting on farm, food and rural policy issues and serving our growing audience. Please send a cover letter, resume and at least three writing samples before Nov. 15 to Managing Editor Spencer Chase at Spencer@Agri-Pulse.com.
  • The 44th annual American Agri-Women (AAW) convention will be held in Tigard, Oregon, from November 6-10 at the Embassy Suites on Washington Square. For more information or to register for the convention, go to https://www.owaonline.org/2019-aaw-convention/ or call 541-791-6031.
Zimfo Bytes

China Reportedly Willing to Buy $20 Billion in US Ag Products

Cindy Zimmerman

News reports today say China is willing to buy at least $20 billion of agricultural products in a year, and possibly twice as much or more in the future.

President Donald Trump talked about China buying agricultural products during a cabinet meeting on Monday.

“If we could get $20 billion a year from China — that China purchases $20 billion a year of agricultural product — that would be a great thing,” said President Trump. “And I said, ‘I want more.’ They said, “The farmers can’t handle it.” I said, ‘Tell them to buy larger tractors.'”

President Trump said he told negotiators he wanted $60-70 billion. “And we agreed to $40 [billion] to $50 billion.”

The president hopes to have this “phase one” of the deal ready to sign when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Chile next month.

Audio: Trump Cabinet meeting China remarks (2:29)

Audio, Exports, Trade

33rd Georgia Peanut Tour

Chuck Zimmerman

33rd Georgia Peanut TourLike peanuts? Consider taking a tour next year in Georgia. Here’s a recap of this year’s Georgia Peanut Tour.

The thirty-third annual Georgia Peanut Tour was held Sept. 17-19, 2019, in Cordele, Georgia, and the surrounding area. The tour brings the latest information on peanuts while giving a first-hand view of industry infrastructure from production and handling to processing and utilization.

You can see more about the tour on the Georgia Peanut Tour Blog.


Ag Groups, Peanuts

Precision Ag Bytes 10/23

Carrie Muehling

  • Bayer will present its latest biological innovations which are now together under the “Biologicals by Bayer” umbrella brand name at this year’s Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting.
  • Agricultural water accounting leader SWIIM System announced that it has entered into a long-term, strategic sales and distribution agreement with RDO Water, a 50-year-old, trusted provider of agricultural equipment and irrigation systems to growers and water districts throughout multiple regions with more than 75 stores in nine states, and partners with distributors in Africa, Australia, Mexico, Russia, and Ukraine.
  • BASF has launched 2020 Agronomic Advantage, a new grower-focused program that offers both flexibility and rewards.
  • The House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry held a hearing to examine the conservation benefits of precision agriculture. After the hearing, Subcommittee Ranking Member Doug LaMalfa (CA-1) released the following remarks: “Precision agriculture allows farmers to increase productivity while minimizing input costs. Ideally, all farmers and ranchers would be able to utilize precision agriculture to improve both conservation efforts and farm productivity. In the 2018 Farm Bill, we added precision agriculture to several innovation-driven programs and included multiple provisions aimed at expanding broadband networks to rural areas. Smart conservation, like precision agriculture, is the key to protecting our land and the livelihood of American farmers for generations to come.”
  • Ceres Imaging announced a number of new features and core product improvements. In preparation for the 2020 growing season, growers and farm advisors now have access to: offline imagery, improved chlorophyll index, enhanced flight details, and a new client onboarding portal.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

Animal Ag Bites 10/21

Carrie Muehling

  • A new environmental study has found that pig farms are generating less manure nutrient content associated with odor. Data gathered from more than 106,000 samples at 182 North Carolina farms shows significant reductions in ammonia levels and manure nutrient content. The improvements are attributed to gains in feed efficiency, which means it takes less feed to raise a pig.
  • The Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) and the National FFA Organization (FFA) have established a partnership to cooperate on agricultural education programs in the area of animal food production.
  • The Animal Agriculture Alliance’s College Aggies Online Scholarship Competition is in full swing. More than 300 students and 20 collegiate clubs are competing for $21,000 in scholarships as they communicate about agriculture and food online and at in-person events. To support students competing in this year’s CAO competition, search for the hashtag #CAO19 on social media and like, comment and share the posts. So far, students have earned 2.3 million impressions on social media since the competition kicked off on September 16. CAO 2019 runs through November 16, 2019.
  • Honeysuckle White® and Shady Brook Farms® turkey are the presenting sponsors of Friendsgiving® for No Kid Hungry, a program encouraging and empowering consumers to give back during their Friendsgiving gatherings. Friendsgiving for No Kid Hungry will provide opportunities for consumers to provide for kids who live with hunger, while giving thanks and celebrating in the company of friends. In three easy steps, consumers can sign up to have their Friendsgiving celebration benefit No Kid Hungry and start planning their gathering via online inspiration at HoneysuckleWhite.com/Friendsgiving or ShadyBrookFarms.com/Friendsgiving.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

USDA Deputy Provides Farm Bill Update

Cindy Zimmerman

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing Thursday to hear from USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky regarding implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill.

“At the Secretary’s direction, our implementation cadence and priorities corresponded to the conditions testing the resilience of the American farmer,” Censky told the committee. He gave updates on implementation of the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program, Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, conservation programs and the Hemp Production Program in advance of the 2020 planting season.

Listen to his opening remarks below and read full testimony.

Senate Ag Hearing - USDA Deputy Steve Censky (5:14)

The announcement out of EPA this week regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) came up during the hearing. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) was first to ask about it. “I can just assure you directly from conversations with the president and the president is insistent that EPA administer this to make sure we achieve 15 billion gallons,” said Censky. Listen to that exchange:

Sen. Smith and USDA Deputy Censky - EPA RFS proposal (3:07)

Audio, Biofuels, Ethanol, Farm Bill, USDA