It’s Time for #CFWF16 in Saskatoon

Chuck Zimmerman

Canadian Farm Writers FederationI’ll be traveling with Case IH this week to attend the 2016 Canadian Farm Writers Federation Conference. This year we will be in Saskatoon. It’s another Canadian place I’ve never been. This annual conference has been a great way to see parts of Canada I’ve never had a chance to visit. And I have made lots of good friends as well. Tours are going to be fun, including one on bicycles. The conference hashtag is #CFWF16.

Tour options include a bike tour around the University of Saskatchewan, a bus tour looking at big business on a small land base, plus a second bus tour exploring farm businesses on a big land base. The conference also includes a pre-tour on Thursday, a slate of interesting speakers at Saturday’s PD day and an awards banquet Saturday evening. See you in Saskatoon!

Coverage of the Canadian Farm Writers Federation 2016 Conference is sponsored by
Coverage of the Canadian Farm Writers Federation 2016 Conference is sponsored by Case IH
Case IH, International, Media

Zimfo Bytes

Lizzy Schultz

Zimfo Bytes

  • The National Farmers Union (NFU) General Counsel and Vice President of International Relations Dave Velde represented the world’s farmers during high-level meeting of the United Nations (U.N.) earlier this month to discuss global antibiotic resistance, which concluded with all 193 U.N. member countries adopting a declaration to fight antibiotic resistance and reduce the use of the drugs in agriculture and human medicine.
  • Bad Boy Off Road, a Textron Specialized Vehicles brand, acted as the title sponsor at New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sept. 25 in Loudon, N.H.
  • Verdesian Life Sciences recently announced that its board of directors has named Kenneth M. Avery chief executive officer effective Monday, September 19.
Zimfo Bytes

Pearse Lyons Accelerator Seeking Entrepreneurs

Kelly Marshall

Alltech Founder and President, Dr. Pearse Lyons presents during the Alltech 30th Annual International Symposium in Lexington, Kentucky.

Alltech Founder and President, Dr. Pearse Lyons presents during the Alltech 30th Annual International Symposium in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Pearse Lyons Accelerator is now accepting applications for its inaugural term.  The progarm is looking for food and agribusiness innovators with a proven technology that is ready for market.  Selected participants will be part of a three-month intensive boot camp that offers market opportunities to allow entrepreneurs to develop their agribusiness plans.

Chosen innovators will present at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference in Lexington, Kentucky.  This is an chance to share their innovations with more than 3,000 attendees, representing nearly 80 countries.

With plenty of opportunities existing today in agriculture, farmers and producers need to be able to make decisions more accurately and scientifically with the help of ag-tech and big data. The program seeks game changers in the ag industry and opens today for applications. Following a selection process, successful applicants will commence the program in January 2017.

In addition to the conference experience, Alltech is also investing $10 million USD in the program.  Funds will go to support the boot camp, run by Aidan Connolly, chief innovation officer at Alltech.

“Entrepreneurs have the potential to discover solutions today to meet the challenges of tomorrow,” said Connolly. “The Pearse Lyons Accelerator aims to discover the brightest ideas in agriculture, food and technology, and we want these future ag-tech entrepreneurs to be fully equipped to develop successful, sustainable businesses. Alltech is one of the few truly global companies positioned to assist in opening doors, such as routes to market and worldwide market access.”

Alltech is already knows as a leader in innovation for animal health and nutrition.  Now the organization hopes to position itself to be a leader in investments for food and agribusiness as well.

“Thirty-six years ago, I founded Alltech in my home with just $10,000 in my pocket, and that investment has grown into an international business of over $2 billion,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech. “Alltech’s roots are in entrepreneurial innovation, and it’s an exciting time to be in agriculture. Some of the recent ag-tech applications on-farm today include automation, drones, soil sensors and big data. What next? Personally, I am looking forward to supporting and empowering rising entrepreneurs in making tomorrow’s innovations a reality.”

Agribusiness, Alltech

Candidates Give Views on #Ag Issues

Cindy Zimmerman

clinton-trumpWhile the candidates may weigh in during tonight’s debate on issues such as immigration and trade, which are important to agriculture, it’s not likely they will address topics such as the farm bill and biotechnology.

So, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) went to both nominees and asked them the same questions on a number of issues that concern farmers and ranchers and the responses are being posted in the organization’s digital newsletter FBNews. In the first responses posted last week, both candidates explained their positions on regulatory reform; the Clean Water, Clean Air and Endangered Species Acts; and the farm bill, biotechnology, and food safety.

“The fact that the candidates took the time in the middle of this very competitive election season to go into such detail in their responses says a lot about the importance of these issues and the farmers and ranchers who care about them,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. While AFBF cannot endorse or support a political candidate, the organization is providing the candidates’ positions to inform Farm Bureau members and others.

The Trump campaign responses to the issues are in first person, while the Clinton camp took a third person approach. For example, in response to the question about the Clean Water Act – What would you do as president to ensure that the EPA acts within the bounds of the Clean Water Act?

Trump Response: “First, I will appoint a pro-farmer Administrator of EPA. Next, I will eliminate the unconstitutional “Waters of the US” rule, and will direct the Army Corps of Engineers and EPA to no longer use this unlawful rule and related guidance documents in making jurisdictional determinations.”

Clinton Response: “The Clean Water Act not only stemmed these environmental disasters but helped to reverse course and restore healthy swimmable and fishable waters for all Americans to enjoy. As president, Hillary will continue this legacy. She will work to ensure waters are safe and protected, will maintain the longstanding exemptions for common farming practices, and will continue pushing for clarity within the law.”

The candidates’ opinions on Immigration, International Trade and TPP, and Energy will be posted this week.

AFBF, politics

Monsanto Invests $1.6 Million in Carbon Smart Research

Kelly Marshall

monsantoMonsanto has announced they will be supporting the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and its Soil Health Partnership (SHP)‘s efforts with a $1.6 million investment.  NCGA was recently awarded $1 million dollars from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) to help farmers find better solutions for reducing climate change.  Monsanto’s contribution will provide expertise, tools and resources to help verify and qualify greenhouse gas reductions from carbon smart farming practices.

“Climate change is a global challenge facing the entire planet and agriculture has the opportunity to be a huge part of the solution. We’re honored to be partnering with NCGA and the SHP on this grant from USDA-NRCS. Together, we can bring focus and resources to help identify ways that modern agriculture helps drive sustainability,” said Brett Begemann, Monsanto President and Chief Operating Officer. “We look forward to continued collaboration with farmers and forward-thinking industry partners who are leading the way in making greenhouse gas reduction a reality on the farm.”

Monsanto, in conjunction with the CIG project partners (NCGA, AgSolver, Applied GeoSolutions, DNDC-ART, Climate Smart Group and CropGrowers) will develop a framework that draws on existing greenhouse gas modeling science, emerging verification technologies (satellite data), and proven precision business planning methods to drive adoption of conservation practices and validate that farmers are helping achieve greenhouse gas reductions.

“To significantly scale up greenhouse gas mitigation practices, a sustainable agriculture systems approach is needed that is simpler and more cost-effective for the farmer,” said Michael Lohuis, Ph.D., Monsanto’s Director of Ag Environmental Strategy. “The system being developed will help remove barriers to confirming adoption of best practices and to quantify the benefits these innovative farm practices can have to air, soil and water quality.”

Monsanto has committed to making its own operations carbon neutral by 2021 and works with farmers around the world to encourage best farming practices.  You can read more about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gasses in the “Charting a Path to Carbon Neutral Agriculture: Mitigation Potential for Crop Based Strategies” report.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Environment, NCGA

Get Consumer Marketing Inspiration for Ag Marketing Success

Chuck Zimmerman

Stacie MarshallOne of the breakout sessions during the NAMA Fall Conference was a presentation by Stacie Marshall, Bayer CropScience. The session title was “Working Together to Help Growers: What Agriculture Can Learn From Consumer Marketing.”

Stacie started out by dispelling some myths about farmers that she has heard, even from people involved in agricultural marketing. For example, some people still believe that farmers are not very tech savvy. Also, that they aren’t online very much. I still hear this myself, along with the notion that farmers don’t use mobile technology and are certainly not involved with social media. It’s just not true.

Stacie uses some examples to help dispel these myths. For example, there has been a lot of buzz about self driving cars but farmers have been dealing with gps control for steering for quite some time. Another great example is that Google searches for ag related terms (mostly technical) are up 2,000 percent in the last year.

Another take away from Stacie’s presentation is that we shouldn’t think of digital as a separate channel. She says we should think of digital, television, magazines not as channels but all in the same light as behaviors because they are things we do to get information. And of course we are seeing a change in the age demographics with younger farmers who have grown up using digital technology. We also need to look at consumer marketing and get inspiration from it because farmers are consumers. I can’t agree more.

You can listen to my interview with Stacie here: Interview with Stacie Marshall, Bayer

2016 NAMA Fall Conference Photo Album

Audio, Bayer, NAMA

Ag Voices Urge TPP Passage

Cindy Zimmerman

tpp-logoThe National Corn Growers Association this week started delivering letters from over 6300 corn farmers from across the country to members of Congress urging them to take up and pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement before the end of the year.

“America’s farmers and ranchers need Congress to step up and pass TPP now,” said Chip Bowling, president of the National Corn Growers Association and a farmer from Maryland. “At a time when the farm economy is struggling, exports represent a rare bright spot for American agriculture. America’s farmers and ranchers stand ready to share our bounty and meet the challenge of feeding and fueling a growing world. But we can’t do that without trade agreements like TPP.”

Also this week, the American Farm Bureau Federation, joined the Coalition of Services Industries, the Information Technology Industry Council and the National Association of Manufacturers in a letter asking the president and congressional leadership to work together to approve TPP this year.

“As the most productive industries in the world, our enterprises need access to new consumers and markets to sustain, let alone grow, production and good-paying jobs,” the groups wrote. “Yet, U.S. industries face increasing competition as our global competitors are benefitting from trade deals that exclude and disadvantage the United States. …The status quo is not acceptable for industries that need new markets to sustain and grow our workforces in the United States.”

Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will discuss the economic impact of international trade for the agricultural community and the necessity of passing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) during keynote remarks at the Global Leaders Forum on Agriculture and Trade in Omaha. After Vilsack’s remarks, Agriculture Acting Deputy Secretary Michael Scuse will participate in a panel discussion on agriculture and trade with international agricultural leaders.

The trade agreement between the United States and 11 Pacific Rim countries was signed by President Obama earlier this year, but still must be voted on by Congress.

AFBF, NCGA, Trade

USFRA Helps Farmers Speak on Sustainability

Joanna Schroeder

What does sustainability mean to you? What does it mean to your friends and family? Based on research from the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), not the same thing. So if it means different things to different people then how do you communicate with consumers about the sustainable actions you are taking on your farm? Well, that’s easy, says Emily Dameron, senior manager of consumer communications for USFRA, when you have the right tools.

usfra-emily-dameron

USFRA’s Emily Dameron gave the ag industry a brief training session on core sustainability messages during the 2016 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa.

With a growing consumer focus on how food is grown and produced, USFRA has been doing in-depth research to better understand not only consumer concerns, but how best for the agriculture industry to communicate sustainability messages to them. The organization’s research has shown that consumers care most about water, soil, air and habitat and these four key areas are the basis for USFRA’s sustainability communications.

Dameron has been traveling across the country training farmers and members of the ag industry on how to effectively share sustainability stories. Using the four key areas as the guide, she says there are six core sustainability messages to follow, and I spoke with Dameron to learn more. She also shared great examples of how best to use these nuggets of knowledge in action and highlighted some tools to help share your story, such as using visuals when possible.

Core Sustainability Messages:

  1. Start by simply stating we care.
  2. Define sustainability in a tangible way for consumers.
  3. Show ties to smart businesses.
  4. Focus on the future.
  5. Highlight how technology is improving sustainability.
  6. Tell personal stories from your farm.

With the ag industry and farmers often under fire, I asked Dameron for some words of encouragement for those who have yet to put their story out there. “I understand it can be scary and there’s a lot of misinformation out there, but we’re never going to be able to turn this ship around unless we insert our voice. And this really is an opportune time and an important time for the industry to really set the agenda and turn the conversation about sustainability around. We really look at sustainability as a wedge issue. Once we can get them to understand what sustainability really is, we think we can move the needle on those folks who believe the industry is on the right track.”

The tips and tools for sustainability storytelling, such as great videos, are availablee on USFRA’s website and Dameron encourages the industry to take advantage of them. You can also hear some Agvocates in action in the “I AM USFRA” weekly podcast.

To learn more about USFRA’s core sustainability messages, tools and tips, listen to my interview with Emily Dameron: Interview with Emily Dameron, USFRA

Agribusiness, Audio, Sustainability, USFRA

Professional Dev Awards at #NAMAFall16

Chuck Zimmerman

Marcy TessmannThe National Agri-Marketing Association honored the winners of the Professional Development Awards of Excellence today. I’ve recorded their comments upon receiving the awards.

Let’s start with Marcy Tessmann. Marcy is the recipient Communicator of the Year Award.

Listen to Marcy’s comments here: Marcy Tessmann, Charleston Orwig

Bill BrozakNext up is Bill Brozak, Colle + McVoy/Exponent. Bill received the Public Relations Professional Award.

These awards are judged on three criteria which include Achievement, Professional Development Area Responsibility and NAMA Involvement. Presenting the awards is NAMA President, Matt Coniglio.

Listen to Bill’s comments here: Bill Brozak, Colle + McVoy/Exponent

Matt HermanMatt Herman, DTN/The Progressive Farmer. Matt is the recipient of the Award of Excellence in Sales.

All of our award winners were very grateful to their families and the teams they work with and expressed that sentiment whole heartedly as you can hear in their remarks.

Listen to Matt’s comments here: Matt Herman, DTN/The Progressive Farmer

2016 NAMA Fall Conference Photo Album

Audio, NAMA

Ag Women Star in RFD-TV FarmHer Series

Cindy Zimmerman

farmher-rfdRFD-TV’s FarmHer series started airing this month on the rural television network, spotlighting women in agriculture around the country. RFD-TV and FarmHer formed a partnership earlier this year to bring a positive image of farm woman to television and the first program in the series aired on September 9.

farmher-barbaraThis week’s episode, which premieres at 8:30 central time tomorrow (September 23), features Barbara Mazurek of southwest Texas who raises Boer goats, angora goats, and cattle – at the ripe young age of 80.

Barbara was a school teacher for 38 years and kept her family ranch operating after her husband died in a farming accident in 1993. “When I retired from school teaching…it was just in me to keep going ranching and I love it. And I will ranch as long as I can put one foot in front of the other,” she says.

Barbara loves the outdoor life and working with animals. “I just like seeing what I produce grow and being able to market it and make a living from it,” she said.

Listen to this interview with Barbara, watch the RFD-TV episode and be inspired! Interview with Barbara Mazurek, Texas rancher

Audio, Media