2017 Agri-Marketing Conference Preview

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 543Go Big. That’s the theme of the 2017 Agri-Marketing Conference that will take place in Texas this month (26-28).

Each year I like to get a preview from the conference chair and this year that is John Deere’s Jennifer Anderson. We spoke about the program which includes keynote speakers like Herm Edwards, breakout sessions that will be formatted in a creative new way this year and of course, the students and networking opportunities.

Maybe you don’t want to join NAMA in Texas for cowboy songs around the campfire. But you should plan to attend the 2017 Agri-Marketing Conference to hear from our amazing keynote speakers, take in the all-new breakout sessions and reconnect with your agri-marketing colleagues from across the country.

Go Big in Dallas with bright new ideas and meaningful connections that will put you on the trail to a successful agri-marketing career.

Registration is still available if you can make it.

Listen to the ZimmCast with to hear more about his year’s conference from Jennifer here:ZimmCast with Jennifer Anderson, John Deere

Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here. Use this url in iTunes or your favorite news reader program/app.

The ZimmCast

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The ZimmCast podcast is sponsored by GROWMARK
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Audio, Marketing, NAMA, ZimmCast

2017 #Water4Food is a Wrap

Cindy Zimmerman

Based on the theme that global breakthroughs come from local action, the 2017 Water for Food Global Conference was successful in bringing that perspective to water and food security issues.

“Agriculture and water wherever you are in your locality, it’s going to be different,” said Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute executive director Peter McCornick. “But many of the factors involving ground water are key to having a sustainable system.”

The institute is part of the University of Nebraska and McCornick says they have worked together to manage the water challenge locally and take those solutions to the global level. “Many countries do not have the expertise that we have here in Nebraska,” he said.

There were dozens of interesting presentations at the conference related to water and agriculture, most of which are posted on the AgNewsWire virtual newsroom for the event.

Listen to Jamie’s wrap up interview with Peter here: Interview with Peter McCornick, Water for Food Institute

Listen to McCornick’s opening remarks here: Peter McCornick, Water for Food Institute, opening remarks

2017 Water for Food Global Conference Photos

Audio, International, Irrigation, Water, Water for Food

Water Plays Role in Food Security Initiatives

Lizzy Schultz

One of the plenary speakers at the 2017 Water for Food Conference was Robert Bertram, Chief Scientist, Bureau for Food Security, U.S. Agency for International Development. Bertram has served as a key adviser on a range of technical and programmatic issues to advance global food security and nutrition. He leads U.S. Agency for International Development’s evidence-based efforts to advance research, technology and implementation in support of the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future.

His presentation, “Role of Water in Food Security Investment Strategies Under the Global Food Security Act,” began with an overview of the ongoing global efforts to increase food security, followed by a discussion of the challenges facing food security and the ways ways that water is impacting those challenges.

“Agricultural growth is about twice as effective at reducing extreme poverty than other kinds of growth, because agricultural productivity gains drive the demand for locally produced goods and services that the poor are often able to provide,” he said in the presentation. “They also make food more affordable and available, and the poorer you are the more money you spend on food, so agricultural growth also reduces hunger.”

Listen to his entire presentation here:
Presentation, Role of Water in Food Security Investment Strategies

View and download photos from the event here: 2017 Water for Food Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Water, Water for Food

AFBF Survey Shows Decrease in Retail Food Prices

Lizzy Schultz

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s Spring Picnic Marketbasket Survey found that retail prices are lower for several foods this year, including eggs, ground chuck, sirloin tip roast, chicken breasts and toasted oat cereal.

“As expected due to lower farm-gate prices, we have seen continued declines in retail prices for livestock products including eggs, beef, chicken, pork and cheese,” said John Newton, AFBF’s director of market intelligence.

According to the informal survey, the total cost of 16 food items used to prepare meals was $50.03, down $3.25, about 6 percent, compared to a year ago. Of the 16 items surveyed, 11 decreased, four increased and one remained the same in average price.

“As farm-gate prices for livestock products have declined and remained lower, prices in the retail meat case have become more competitive,” Newton said.

The year-to-year direction of the marketbasket survey tracks closely with the federal government’s Consumer Price Index report for food at home. As retail grocery prices have increased gradually over time, the share of the average food dollar that America’s farm and ranch families receive has dropped.

“Through the mid-1970s, farmers received about one-third of consumer retail food expenditures for food eaten at home and away from home, on average. Since then, that figure has decreased steadily and is now about 16 percent, according to the Agriculture Department’s revised Food Dollar Series,” Newton said.

According to USDA, Americans spend just under 10 percent of their disposable annual income on food, the lowest average of any country in the world. A total of 117 shoppers in 31 states participated in the latest survey, conducted in March.

AFBF, Food

A Champion of Water for Food Recognized

Jamie Johansen

As a world leader in agriculture innovation and development, Jeff Raikes, Co-founder Raikes Foundation & Daughterly Water for Food Board Chair, was a guiding source throughout the formation of the institute. He is said to be the inspiration for this conference when it comes to the concept of local solutions to global challenges. Jeff is stepping down from the board, yet committed to future engagement of it’s success.

In honor of his years of service, Executive Director, Water for Food, Peter McCornick, recognized Jeff as a Water for Food Champion. Listen to the awards presentation here: Special Presentation for Jeff Raikes

Jeff presented during the opening Plenary session during the conference and said, “I have a challenge for you. I am grateful you are here, but I want you to be more than an attendee. I want you to be an active partner. I want you to challenge ideas, share your experiences. I want you to meet new people and make new connections. We have an audacious goal of a world of water and food security. Collectively we have the power to scale solutions.”

Listen to Jeff’s complete presentation here: Jeff Raikes, Water for Food Board Chair

View and download photos from the event here: 2017 Water for Food Global Conference

Ag Groups, Audio, Water, Water for Food

Water for Food Focus on Sub-Saharan Africa

Cindy Zimmerman

Peter McCornick, Water for Food Institute, and Tim Williams, International Water Management Institute

More than 400 world experts working to develop new approaches to producing more food with less stress on water resources are in Lincoln, Nebraska this week for the 2017 Water for Food Global Institute at Nebraska Innovation Campus. A big focus of the event this year is finding ways to increase access to sustainable irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa with a session focusing on local to global solutions for water and food security.

At a media conference this morning, Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute executive director Peter McCornick was joined by International Water Management Institute director for Africa Tim Williams to talk about this important topic.

Listen to complete remarks here: Water for Food Press Conference

View and download photos from the event here: 2017 Water for Food Global Conference Photos


Audio, Food, International, Irrigation, Video, Water, Water for Food

FMC Topguard® EQ Helps Fight Frogeye

Chuck Zimmerman

Controlling resistant frogeye leaf spot in soybeans has become a major concern in the southern states, which is where Topguard® EQ from FMC excels, according to Technical Service Manager Matt Wiggins.

“My region here in the mid-South, that’s primarily the disease we’re chasing in soybeans,” said Wiggins at the recent Farm and Gin Show in Memphis. “The Topguard® EQ is a tank mix of two products so a dual mode of action to help protect against resistance.”

Topguard EQ fungicide is the only premix that combines a strobilurin fungicide with FMC’s patented flutriafol, providing multiple modes of action to manage resistance in soybeans, corn, wheat and more than 20 other crops. It was just launched last fall so Wiggins says growers are excited about using it this season as part of a total weed resistance management program.

Listen to Wiggins explain more here: Interview with Matt Wiggins, FMC

Mid-South Farm & Gin Show

Coverage of the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is sponsored by FMC
Audio, FMC, Fungicide, Soybean

#Plant17 Progress Underway

Cindy Zimmerman

#Plant17 is officially underway now with the latest crop progress report issued yesterday from USDA.

Corn planting at three percent nationwide as of April 9 is a point behind last year at this time but exactly on target with five-year average.

Texas, where National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) president Wesley Spurlock farms, is well ahead of both last year and the five year average with 59 percent planted. Four percent of the corn has been planted in Kansas and Kentucky, where this photo was taken, with ten percent in North Carolina, seven percent in Tennessee, and five percent in Missouri.

The I states are running behind schedule with only Illinois making any progress and that only one percent. “Wet weather kept farmers from the field for most of the week, but the dryer weather and warmer temps late in the week allowed some field work and fertilizer applications to take place. We will need some more warm and dry weather before we start see widespread fieldwork,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said.

Corn, NCGA, USDA

2018 IFAJ Congress is off to Netherlands

Chuck Zimmerman

In the traditional flag ceremony, the country hosting the next International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Congress now has the flag. Thanks to Facebook for the information. Notice the hashtags

#IFAJ flag has been handed over from 2017ifajsa to #DutchRoots. Countdown and preregistration have begun on our website: dutchroots.info. Looking forward to presenting you #bucketsfullofstories #ifaj2018.

Dutch Roots focuses on future roadmaps based on past experiences and learning processes. We will be looking for new connections and exciting prospects as input for plenty stories in text and images for our international group of participants.

These themes are the challenges the agro-food sector will face in the coming decades:

  • food security
  • urbanization
  • ageing of farmers
  • environment/climate/energy
  • raw materials and consumables
  • digitization and data
IFAJ, Media

SMART Farmer Galen Lee

Cindy Zimmerman

Galen Lee has a diversified 4th generation farm operation in southwest Idaho that produces sugarbeets, asparagus, and peppermint, as well as dairy and beef. In this edition of the SMART Farmer podcast, he talks about how sugarbeets are raised and made into sugar and how biotech varieties have made them more sustainable. He also talks about how he raises peppermint for the oil that is used in things like gum, candy and toothpaste! Galen is president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association and a board member of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance.

Listen to the podcast here: SMART Farmer Podcast with Galen Lee

Subscribe to the SMART Farmer podcast
Learn more about USFRA and SMART Farm

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