Seven decades after its founding, Sanderson Farms is proud to still be providing jobs in the United States. They are currently the only Fortune 1000 company headquartered in Mississippi and have no plans to ever leave.- Rachel Robinson from Kansas City, Missouri, has joined the American Angus Association as a senior communications specialist.
- The September Dairy Market Report is now available on the National Milk Producers Federation website.
- A team comprised of member of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) helped to ensure the survival of thousands of cattle during Hurricane Irma. The team oversaw efforts to get two dozen freight cars of feed through to the Lake Okeechobee area.
- BIOMIN, a feed additive producer, has announced plans to strengthen its commitment to the Mexican poultry and livestock sectors by adding a local business unit in Guadalajara, Mexico.
- Ree Drummond, also known as the The Pioneer Woman, will be the keynote speaker at the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show.
- The American Sheep Industry Association is hosting the Let’s Grow Webinar on Ewe Selection and Culling of Underperforming Ewes with Maryland’s Susan Schoenian on October 3, 2017.
Bayer Showcasing Commitment to Cotton
The Head of Seeds, North America, for Bayer CropScience is Lee Rivenbark. Lee was a lunchtime presenter during the Bayer Showcase Plot Tour in Lubbock, TX. I thought he would be a great person to provide an overview of why Bayer holds these events and especially the one in their new Cotton Breeding Station. He started out by telling me, “Today gives us a unique opportunity to interact with our growers. That’s what we’re here to do today.”
The event allows growers to hear about Bayer’s new technologies, germplasm, new varieties and commitment to agriculture and the cotton industry. Probably the most visible sign of that commitment is the Cotton Breeding Station itself. Growers got to tour the facility and see some of the equipment Bayer is using in its research. You can see photos from that part of the tour in the photo album below.
For more on what was going on during the day listen in to my interview with Lee: Interview with Lee Rivenbark, Bayer
GROWMARK Announces 2018 Essay Contest Theme
For the past 25 years, GROWMARK has challenged students to think creatively about the future of agriculture and how cooperatives can continue to thrive and contribute to the industry through an annual essay contest.
This year’s 2018 GROWMARK Essay Contest asks students “How can cooperatives demonstrate their value to the next generation of agriculturists?” All high school FFA members in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin can participate.
GROWMARK invites students to submit essays online by November 10, 2017. Winning students in each state receive $500, with the winner’s FFA chapter receiving $300.
Zimfo Bytes 9/29
Rural Media Group has brought Janet Shope on board as VP of Advertising Sales for RFD-TV and Rural Radio Channel 147 on SiriusXM. Shope has more than 20 years of Cable, Radio and Broadcast sales experience and was previously Senior Account Executive with Sinclair Broadcast Group.- The Georgia Peanut Commission is hosting “Photos from the Field,” a photo contest to help fill the pages of next year’s Georgia Peanut Calendar. Contest submission forms are due October 1, 2017.
- Brandon Willis, the former administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency, has released a new study exposing the misleading ideas in the Heritage Foundation’s narrative that there is no place for farm policy in America. You can read the study in its entirety or catch up with seven key points here.
- DTN has announced enhancements to DTN Connect, its innovative agriculture retailer offering. The system’s consolidation of critical data provides insights for more informed conversations between users and their customers.
- WinField is celebrating the opening of their new 55,000 square-foot facility. The United Innovation Center replaces the former WinField Product Development Center and Spray Analysis System.
- Roger Johnson, President of the National Farmers Union, released a response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement of proposed lower obligations for renewable fuel usage under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The proposal reduces obligations for total renewable fuel volumes, biomass-based diesel, and advanced biofuel if finalized.
- The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has announced a winner in the Purple Plow Challenge. Kitchen to Garden to Kitchen, a homeschool team from Port Orange, Florida, received a 3-D printer and gift card to support future educational investments.
Leading the Agriculture Conversation
Wisconsin native and owner of Ag Inspirations Kim Bremmer spoke to those attending this year’s NAMA Fall Conference, instilling the idea that it is important to continue to lead the conversation of agriculture and to do it better.
“The story of agriculture is much bigger than anything that can be put on a label at the grocery store, or can be advertised in a new fancy ad campaign on the television at night,” says Bremmer. “Our story and the success story of American agriculture is so much bigger than that, and we all have to be prepared to better talk about it.”
Bremmer complimented the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance for their efforts and resources, including the recent movie Food Evolution, as well as the group’s Discovering Farmland school curriculum, based on the movie Farmland. With the average consumer four generations removed from the farm, Bremmer says it’s important for the agriculture conversation to happen on both a large scale and in one-on-one conversations.
Listen to Cindy’s interview with Kim Bremmer here: Interview with Kim Bremmer, Ag Inspirations
See NAMA Fall Conference photos here.
AFBF Marketbasket Survey Shows Food Price Increase
The American Farm Bureau Federation’s Fall Harvest Marketbasket Survey shows a three percent increase in the total cost of 16 food items over last year’s prices. Foods costing more include bacon, chicken breast, and sliced deli ham, as well as orange juice and flour. The cost of bacon rose the most, up 19 percent to $5.24 per pound. AFBF’s Director of Market Intelligence Dr. John Newton explains the increase.
“Bacon was up significantly because of the lower inventory and higher prices of pork bellies. We saw a rally in wholesale bacon prices this summer and fall which is being reflected at the retail level,” Newton says. “Bacon is a sexy food item in restaurants and everywhere else, creating an inventory decline and thus a price increase.”
Newton says supply and demand for chicken is also tight, driving prices higher. Lower supplies of oranges are impacting the cost of orange juice, which could be further impacted by recent hurricanes in citrus growing areas. The informal quarterly survey did show four items decreasing in price: eggs, ground chuck, bagged salad and potatoes. The survey shows the farmer’s share of the $51.13 marketbasket would be approximately $8.00.
ASTA Support for Cover Crops
The latest Cover Crop Survey released earlier this month will be highlighted at the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) Farm & Lawn Seed Conference, coming up November 5-6 in Kansas City.
Since 2014, ASTA and its members have helped support this important survey conducted by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) with funding from USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE). Past ASTA chair Risa DeMasi of Grassland Oregon says the conference will feature SARE’s Rob Myers and Bill Buckner of the Noble Foundation who will discuss the report and the bright future for cover crops. “We have over 700 attendees from different types of seed companies, and those companies come from all over the U.S.,” said DeMasi. The meeting is always held in Kansas City at the Westin the two days before the NAFB annual convention.
DeMasi says the increased adoption of cover crops shown by these surveys means the industry should start thinking ahead 5-10 years “in order to produce enough cover crop seed and the right options growers are going to want to be more precise in their planting…the goals are huge.”
Audio file: Interview with Risa DeMasi, Grassland Oregon
Beck Ag Adds Hugh Whaley to Board
Our good friend, Hugh Whaley, has joined the board of Beck Ag, Inc. which is celebrating its 20th year since being founded by John Finegan and Charlie Beck. So, congrats to Hugh! Hugh has assumed an equity position in Beck Ag and has been appointed to the company’s Board of Directors effective September 1.
“Beck Ag welcomes Hugh’s vast experience and expertise as an integral advisor in helping us achieve our company’s mission,” said Stephanie Liska, president and CEO of Beck Ag. “What Hugh will bring to the table will perfectly complement the tremendously talented team members Beck Ag has across America.”
Founded in 1997, Beck Ag made its mark specializing in facilitating conversations with ag professionals allowing peers to connect with each other, as well as with top industry experts, to enable sound decision-making about products, services and solutions. Now, Beck Ag showcases five primary capabilities which clients can access individually or in tandem: Strategic Planning and Facilitation; Market Insight and Research; Market Instruction and Staff Training; Market Influence; and, Market Intelligence.
Precision Ag Bytes 9/27
Land O’Lakes, Inc. announced the finalists for the Land O’Lakes Prize: Drone Challenge, a crowdsourced competition launched to help find drone solutions for farmers. Finalists are: Sandhills Robotics, Fayetteville, North Carolina; CreateUAS, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; and American Robotics, Boston, Massachusetts.- The 3rd World Congress on Biostimulants in Agriculture is an international scientific and technical congress to review the latest knowledge on these products. It will be held in Miami on November 27-30, 2017.
- Congratulations to Hortau, which has won the 2017 North American Smart Irrigation New Product Innovation Award, presented by Frost & Sullivan.
- Valent U.S.A. LLC is launching a Sustainable Solutions Business Unit, a new division dedicated to supporting the industry in the adoption and integration of sustainable production practices for crop protection, productivity and yield enhancement products and technologies. Ron Maitoza will head up the new team.
ZimmCast with Brian Carter
Brian Carter is the #1 bestselling author of The Like Economy, LinkedIn for Business, Facebook Marketing, and The Cowbell Principle. Brian was selected by IBM as an Influencer and Futurist and by LinkedIn as one of their “Top 25 Social Media Marketing Experts You Need to Know.” Over the last several years, he has been busy proving how well Facebook marketing works for business.
Brian was the keynote speaker at the 2017 NAMA Fall Conference, and also did a workshop for attendees that generated quite a bit of interest. No doubt some of what he had to say opened a lot of eyes to the potential of targeted creative marketing through social media.
Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast with Brian Carter
Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here. Use this url in iTunes or your favorite news reader program/app.
2017 NAMA Fall Conference photo album
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