Farm Foundation Hosts Presidential Ag Debate

Kelly Marshall October 11, 2016

The food and agricultural platforms of Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will be the subject of the Farm Foundation® Forum on Wednesday Oct. 19, 2016. Farm Foundation, NFP is partnering the Farm Journal’s AgDay Television in presenting this Forum. If you can’t catch it in person, a free, live audiocast will also be available.

For the last two presidential election cycles, Farm Foundation has provided this opportunity for the candidates, or their representatives, to focus discussions specifically on issues important to agriculture and rural communities. As a non-partisan organization, Farm Foundation has an important role in providing this opportunity for voters to learn more about the specific elements of the respective candidates’ food and agricultural platforms.

Farm Foundation President Constance Cullman will moderate the discussion with representatives of the two campaigns. Former Sen. Mark Pryor will represent the Clinton campaign. Representing the Trump campaign will be Ag Advisor Charles Herbster and
Campaign Co-Chair Sam Clovis. Each campaign will give opening comments, followed by questions and discussion with the audience.
The Forum will be 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. EDT at the Holeman Lounge in the National Press Club.

Events, Farm Foundation

#AsktheFarmer with ASA Wednesday on Twitter

Jamie Johansen October 11, 2016

Three farmers are teaming up to answer questions about modern agriculture this week, as the American Soybean Association (ASA) presents #AsktheFarmer on Wednesday, Oct. 12, live on Twitter.

You can tweet questions to ASA (@ASA_Soybeans) beginning at 8 a.m. CT and Kyle Bridgeforth (@Kylebridge), Brad Kremer (@kremer_brad) and Jenny Rohrich (@PrairieCA) will chime in with answers throughout the day.

Please spread the word, invite your friends and feel free to join in the conversation!

– Kyle Bridgeforth, Bridgeforth Farms, Tanner, Ala. — Kyle Bridgeforth is a fifth generation farmer from Tanner, Ala. He farms with his dad, uncle, brother and cousin on Bridgeforth Farms, where they grow double-crop wheat and soybeans, but also corn, canola, cotton and grain sorghum. Kyle graduated from Morehouse College with a degree in international studies: business and economics. He’s participated in the ASA DuPont Young Leaders Program and the United Soybean Board (USB) See For Yourself Program. With ASA, he’s lobbied on behalf on the soybean industry and in 2014 gave a speech on his experience during the USB See For Yourself Program. Every other year, his operation hosts a Field Day, in conjunction with the National Black Growers Council, where they invite members of the community to learn about the latest agricultural programs and technology. Kyle is most passionate about minority and underrepresented farmers, global food security, young farmers and community awareness.

– Brad Kremer, Hillcrest Family Farms, Pittsville, Wis. — Brad and his wife Nicole operate a family farm consisting of 1,200 acres of soybeans and 1,800 acres of corn, wheat and alfalfa. They also own a 400 animal dairy and a facility where they dry and store grain. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin River Falls, Brad was recently elected president of the Wisconsin Soybean Association. Brad actively looks for opportunities to tell the story of agriculture, whether on a plane or Facebook. He’s also especially fond of youth outreach.

– Jenny Rohrich, Rohrich Farms & Prairie Californian, Ashley, N.D. — Jenny Rohrich’s family farm consists of 1,000 acres of soybeans and 3,000 acres of other crops including corn, sunflowers and wheat. The Rohrichs farm with Jenny’s father-in-law, brother- in-law and occasionally their 88 year old grandfather. Jenny holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and was a speaker at the AgChat Foundation. She is extremely active on social media, operating both her farm page, Rohrich Farms, and a personal page, Prairie Californian. Her primary method of advocating for agriculture is through her blog Prairie Californian, which has 12K average monthly page views. Jenny is passionate about connecting with people outside of agriculture, helping them to feel comfortable and confident about what farmers do.

Ag Groups, ASA, Social Media, Soybean

Watch 2016 GAP Report Release at World Food Prize Online

Jamie Johansen October 11, 2016

Join the Global Harvest Initiative tomorrow for the 2016 Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Report on Sustainability in an Uncertain Season. The event will take place Oct. 12 from 11am to 1pm at the World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa. You can still register for the event, but more importantly, you can watch the live webcast.

Global demand for food and agriculture products is growing rapidly, yet for many farmers around the world, this is an uncertain season. U.S. farmers are tightening their belts in response to low crop prices and high land rents. Millions of farmers in Africa will struggle to harvest a crop due to historic droughts. Political instability and economic uncertainty are stifling agricultural trade and investment.

Dr. Margaret Zeigler, Executive Director of GHI, will be joined by a panel of experts to discuss the importance of agricultural productivity and five public policy priorities that can help farmers remain competitive and improve their sustainability, while transforming agriculture into force for mitigating climate change.

Panelists will provide examples from around the world, including U.S. farmers who are expanding their operations through partnerships with institutional investors, a public-private partnership transforming Nigeria’s tomato value chain by improving infrastructure and reducing post-harvest losses, nutrient stewardship programs that are protecting water quality while increasing productivity, and Ethiopia’s success in building resilience to droughts and preventing widespread famine.

Panelists include:
– Ambassador Patricia Haslach, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, U.S. Department of State and former Ambassador to Ethiopia (2013-2016)
– Mr. Luca Fabbri, Chief Financial Officer, Farmland Partners Inc.
– Dr. Keith Fuglie, Economist, Resource and Rural Economics Division, USDA Economic Research Service
– Ms. Bonnie McClafferty, Director of Agriculture for Nutrition Global Program, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
– Mr. Ben Pratt, Vice President, Corporate Public Affairs, The Mosaic Company & GHI Board Chair

Ag Groups, Events, Food, Sustainability

American Ag Law Association Elects Leaders

Jamie Johansen October 11, 2016

The American Agricultural Law Association (AALA) held their 37th Annual Agricultural Law Symposium last week in Oklahoma City. More than 250 agriculture and food attorneys from across the country attended the AALA Symposium which featured national and regional legal policy experts addressing cutting edge issues in agriculture, natural resources, water, food, environmental and agribusiness law.

Justin Schneider of Indianapolis, Indiana assumed the role of President. Schneider serves as the Director of State Government Relations for Indiana Farm Bureau. Jennifer Zwagerman, Associate Director of the Drake Agricultural Law Center and Director of Career Development at Drake University Law School, was elected to the role of President Elect.

Both Zwagerman and Schneider said they intend to work on improving communications with AALA members and strengthening membership in the association. Schneider said, “As President I want to make sure we focus on providing value to our members. There are some great things happening within AALA and I am excited to be a part of growing and strengthening our organization.”

Members joining the Board during the annual meeting include:
· Tyler Buswell; a real-estate attorney and shareholder at Kirton/McConkie from Salt Lake City, Utah (term ending 2019),
· Tiffany Dowell-Lashmet; Agricultural Law Specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service from Amarillo, Texas (term ending 2019)
· Elizabeth Rumley; a senior staff attorney at the National Agricultural Law Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas (term ending 2017)

Ag Groups

Zimfo Bytes

Lizzy Schultz October 10, 2016

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded 29 grants totaling $5.8 million to help with job creation and business expansion in rural cooperatives through the Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) program.
AgCareers.com is hosting a webinar on October 28th for business managers and human resources professionals on the benefits of an effective performance review and ways to make sure HR professionals are utilizing them to maximize employee performance. Registration info is available here.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the creation of a new jobs program that intends to use the national apprenticeship system to hire new employees as agricultural commodity graders, and hopes to serve as a way to increase jobs for U.S. veterans.
MGEX has announced the results of its annual Board of Directors election, including the re-election of Martin F. Farrell, Christopher T. Matzdorf and Michael O. Miller, and the announcement of newly elected Kerry L. Melius.

Zimfo Bytes

Forage Harvesting with New Holland Ag

Jamie Johansen October 10, 2016

New Holland Agriculture had a FR 780 Forage Harvester on display at the 2016 World Dairy Expo, which is part of a five model line up of forage harvesters ranging from 480 to 825 horsepower. Each model is equipped with the widest cutter-head in the business providing a fine crop mat and consistent length of cut and in turn, a high quality feed.

Doug Otto leads the specialty products division which includes the self-propelled forage harvesters, sprayers and air seeding business and said, “The dairy customer is concerned about feed quality because that is what equates to healthy cows. Our forage harvesters provide a really consistent length of cut and high-capacity kernel processing,” said Doug. New Holland had on display their heavy duty kernel processor which contributes to the high quality feed product needed by dairy farmers.

“When you are looking to by forage harvester you need to look at all things. What’s your relationship with your dealer, your nutritionist? What advice are they giving on feed and set up needed? Then we ask you to come back and look at our machine because we believe we’ve got the best on the market to supply those needs,” he added.

Listen to my complete interview with Doug to learn more about cab comfort, fuel economy and more here: Interview with Doug Otto, New Holland

View and download photos from the event here: 2016 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

Coverage of World Dairy Expo is sponsored by

Agribusiness, Audio, Dairy, Equipment, Forage, New Holland, World Dairy Expo

John Morris Offers Senators’ Report at #CFWF16

Kelly Marshall October 10, 2016

Once again John Morris, Associate Publisher of Farm Business Communications, gave a report on the activities of the Senators at the recent Canadian Farm Writers Federation conference. The Senators are past presidents of the CFWF. John’s picture was created by the lights for the GMOs band that played after award presentations.

His presentation was sprinkled with laughter as he relayed highlights of farm tours and experiences of the group. He quips that younger members of the group were amazed at a museum’s display of a phone booth, jokes about the five year plan of an 84-year-old dairy farmer, and expresses amazement at learning where Easy Wrap comes from.

But the understanding of food and where it comes from in Canada was greatly appreciated by the six men and seven women Senators who took part in the program. Morris thanked the many people involved in creating the experience that was so educational, even dubbing an honorary Senator for efforts on behalf of the hospitality room.

To hear John Morris’s full remarks, listen here: John Morris, Senators' Report

2016 Canadian Farm Writers Federation Conference Photo Album

Coverage of the Canadian Farm Writers Federation 2016 Conference is sponsored by

Audio

649,355 – Record Membership in FFA

Jamie Johansen October 10, 2016

The National FFA Organization announced a record-high student membership of 649,355, up from 629,367 in 2015 and an increase of 3 percent. The number of FFA chapters grew from 7,757 to 7,859. The top six student membership states are Texas, California, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio and Missouri. Interest in FFA and agricultural education continues to grow, as membership continues to increase.

“FFA continues to grow leaders, build communities and strengthen agriculture, and our membership growth reflects continued enthusiasm for agriculture,” National FFA Organization CEO Mark Poeschl said. “Through agricultural education, FFA is preparing our members for careers in agriculture and is working to ensure the security of our country’s food, fiber and natural resources systems for years to come. Through real-world experiences, agriculture educators are helping students develop the technical knowledge, skills and problem-solving capabilities to be the industry’s leaders of tomorrow.”

Student membership was not the organization’s only growth opportunity in 2016. National FFA Alumni membership exploded with 225,891 members, growing from 62,705 in 2015. This year, graduating high school seniors automatically received alumni membership, which the growth numbers reflect. FFA Alumni play an important role in keeping agricultural education and FFA programs in local schools by providing both volunteers and financial support to local teachers.

Ag Groups, Education, FFA

Techies – Have You Got the 7 Yet?

Jamie Johansen October 7, 2016

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How should U.S. normalize relations with Cuba?”

The U.S. Ag Coalition for Cuba represents about 120 national groups each working collectively on individual interests with the common goal of improving trade relations with Cuba. Cubans seek to normalize relations with the U.S. which would include the U.S. lifting the embargo, extending credit to Cuba ensuring future trade deals and opening borders allowing U.S. citizens to travel as tourists to Cuba. A strong majority agree both trade and tourism with Cuba are win, wins for our country.

Here are the poll results:

End trade embargo – 12%
Allow U.S. tourism in Cuba – 6%
Both – 76%
Neither – 6%

Our new ZimmPoll is live and asks the question, Will you be getting the new iPhone 7?

The new models of the iPhone are out, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Chuck already has his 7 Plus and will be writing a review of it soon. We’d like to know if you have plans to own the newest thing from Apple. It has some exciting new features and some controversial ones like no ear bud connector. If you haven’t made up your mind then Google probably made the choice a little more difficult this week when they announced their phone, Pixel. But you can only get it on Verizon. So, please let us know your plans.

ZimmPoll

GROWMARK System Recognized for Ag Data Transparency

Cindy Zimmerman October 7, 2016

GROWMARK has become the first agricultural cooperative system to earn the “Ag Data Transparent” seal for ag technology providers, which recognizes GROWMARK for its transparency working with farmers and the standards of privacy and security of data.

The Ag Data Transparency seal recognizes the GROWMARK System’s commitment to growers on how farm data is collected, where and how it’s stored and more. “When we work with our growers on collecting data, we want them to feel very confident that we’re going to protect their data,” said Lance Ruppert, GROWMARK director of agronomy marketing. The GROWMARK System’s MiField Applied Research initiative and FS AIS (Advanced Information Services) enterprise decision tool aid in the collection of field data that is then used to show successful management trends and assist with the development of agronomic recommendations.

Ruppert says GROWMARK and its retail FS member companies are dedicated to being open and honest with growers about the collection process and storage of their data. “We are a cooperative, so GROWMARK is owned by the FS member companies and those companies in turn are owned by growers,” said Ruppert. “So we do everything to help them.”

The evaluation and approval process considers many factors when assessing each company’s contracts with farmer data. The seal is awarded by an independent review organization comprised of industry groups, commodity organizations and ag technology providers known as the Ag Data Transparency Evaluator. This non-profit organization was created to give growers objective and clear insights into what data is being collected, who has access and who maintains ownership. More information is available at fb.org/agdatatransparent.

Learn more in this interview: Interview with Lance Ruppert, GROWMARK

AFBF, Audio, data, GROWMARK, Precision Agriculture

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