Ag Voices Urge TPP Passage

Cindy Zimmerman September 23, 2016

The 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 September 23, 2016

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’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:

Start by simply stating we care.
Define sustainability in a tangible way for consumers.
Show ties to smart businesses.
Focus on the future.
Highlight how technology is improving sustainability.
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 September 22, 2016

The 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

Next 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 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 September 22, 2016

RFD-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.

This 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

Bayer Invests in United Fresh Start Foundation

Kelly Marshall September 22, 2016

In an effort to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to school children, Bayer has partnered with United Fresh Start Foundation to place salad bars in elementary and secondary schools in the Pacific Northwest and California. The company has invested $20,000 to put healthy choices in front of students at schools like Sunnyslope Elemenatry School in the Wenatchee Public School district. Students there received their new salad bar and taste tested three new Stemilt apple varieties in a special assembly.

“The new salad bar will allow us to replace our old equipment, and provide students with an attractive display of fresh fruits and veggies every day,” said David Perkins, Principal, Sunnyslope Elementary School. “Our district’s foodservice team does a fantastic job sourcing local produce and offering different veggie choices. The salad bar will definitely highlight that.”

As the salad bars arrive, schools will be implementing the nutritional display during both the lunch and breakfast programs.

“Over 5 billion school lunches were served last year, and we are thrilled to support the United Fresh Start Foundation and their Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative,” said Jennifer Maloney, Food Chain and Sustainability Manger, Bayer. “With more than 30 million American children participating in the National School Lunch Program each day, providing salad bars to schools will expose kids to a variety of fruits and vegetables, and help continue the conversation about the importance of eating more fresh fruits and vegetables for better health.”

To coordinate the salad bar contribution, Bayer worked with the United Fresh Start Foundation, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the United Fresh Produce Association. As part of the Foundation’s partnership in the national Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative, they are working with the produce industry, non-profits and allied businesses to support salad bars to schools across the United States. To date, the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative has donated salad bars to over 4,800 schools in all fifty states, benefitting more than 3 million children. Bayer’s salad bar investment supports the national initiative.

Research shows a salad bar in schools promotes healthy food choices in students- promoting new foods and encouraging children to make their own healthy choices. Bayer supports the Let’s Move Salad Bars to School initiative because they are committed to sustainability and agriculture education and that begins with people.

Agribusiness, Bayer, Nutrition

#NAMAFall16 Underway

Chuck Zimmerman September 21, 2016

Hello from the National Agri-Marketing Association Fall Conference in Raleigh, NC. Here’s the good looking executive committee during our welcome reception last night.

We’re into the meat of the program today with our keynote session taking place now featuring Gerry O’Brion, “What Big Brands Know: Navigating Change. Breakout sessions occur after that before our evening reception.

I’m collecting photos from the conference for your viewing and sharing pleasure: 2016 NAMA Fall Conference Photo Album

Meanwhile you can see what happened yesterday on the pre-conference farm tour.

NAMA, Video

Farm Bureau Invests in My Fit Foods

Cindy Zimmerman September 21, 2016

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), with and existing majority investor Marlin Equity Partners, has announced an investment in My Fit Foods™, a leading producer and retailer of prepared meals. The investment will support My Fit Foods’ growth strategy to pursue partnerships with the nation’s premier grocery retailers.

“The American Farm Bureau Federation is an ideal investment partner for My Fit Foods as Farm Bureau members share our dedication to providing customers with accessible, fresh, high-quality ingredients,” said David Goronkin, CEO of My Fit Foods. “This investment positions us to easily expand the availability of My Fit Foods while working directly with the American farming community.”

AFBF executive vice president and treasurer Julie Anna Potts says the partnership will help further My Fit Foods’ ability to source high quality, fresh ingredients from American farms and ranches. “Our organization is excited to partner with My Fit Foods, as they share our mission of making high-quality fresh food available to the American people,” said Potts. “This partnership also helps us make another connection between food and our farmers who grow it.”

AFBF, Food

#Ag Groups Express Concerns About Consolidation

Cindy Zimmerman September 21, 2016

Representatives from the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Corn Growers Association, and National Farmers Union testified Tuesday at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on consolidation in the agribusiness industry, which is poised to cut the number of major companies in the seeds, chemicals and crop nutrients market in half.

AFBF Chief Economist Dr. Bob Young told the committee that farmers and ranchers cannot afford to lose access to technology and innovation through consolidation. “AFBF has had several—and repeated—assurances from the companies involved as to their intent to maintain as strong an innovation arm as they can,” Young said. “We have no reason to doubt, but we also are reminded of the old line: trust, but verify.”

Young asked that regulators review these mergers not only in light of market concentration, but also the structure of the entire industry in a post-merger environment. “Everyone’s knee-jerk reaction is to think that increased concentration will lead to higher prices for these inputs,” Young said. “Knees tend to jerk reflexively, but sometimes they jerk with reason.”

Speaking on behalf of both corn growers and the American Soybean Association, NCGA CEO Chris Novak told the committee that consolidation in the industry is being driven in part by the regulatory climate. “The process of developing and testing new products, and then securing regulatory approval to bring them to market, requires a substantial amount of time and money. As a result, fewer and fewer companies have the resources to be players in the market. This trend toward consolidation will continue unless and until Congress addresses these regulatory hurdles,” Novak testified.

NFU president Roger Johnson asked the panel for more oversight of antitrust enforcement in agriculture. “The hands-off approach we’ve seen in antitrust enforcement has led to the highly consolidated economic conditions prevalent today and the resulting vulnerability of American farmers. We must do more to prevent consolidation that results in a few firms controlling substantial percentage of market share,” Johnson said.

Listen to the opening statements of all three agriculture group representatives here: Judiciary Committee Hearing Ag Group Statements

AFBF, Ag Groups, Audio, Corn, NCGA

Deere’s Nutrient Applicator Ready for Order

Kelly Marshall September 20, 2016

About a year ago John Deere offered a sneak peek at their new F4365 High Capacity Nutrient Applicator and now it’s here! Deere is officially taking orders for delivery this fall. Chuck Zimmerman spoke with Doug Felter at the recent Reveal event in Iowa about this latest addition.

The Applicator wasn’t thrown together overnight. John Deere has pup a lot into this machine, making it comfortable for the operator, and efficient as well.

“The application speed on this unit is up to 30 miles per hour, and then it can do road transport at up to 46 miles per hour. So you can really move between fields and within fields very rapidly, putting out a high volume of product as well,” Felter told AgWired.

The single bin form can hold up to 330 cubic feet of product, or operators can choose a split bin, or even 4 bins to manage micro nutrients. Each bin can be set to apply at a variable rate independent of the others, making it a great choice for precision agriculture.

The 365 horsepower engine is the same as the 7R, 8R and some 9R tractors. In fact, 52 percent of the parts on this piece of equipment are also used on a John Deere sprayer or tractor, meaning the company already has a lot of experience making the systems reliable and durable. It also offers dealers convince when stocking parts.

To hear more about the specifics of the Nutrient Applicator, listen to Chuck’s interview with Felter here: Interview with Doug Felter, John Deere

2016 Farm Progress Show Photos

Agribusiness, Equipment, John Deere

A New Holland NHDrive ZimmCast

Chuck Zimmerman September 20, 2016

A self driving tractor generated a lot of buzz during the Farm Progress Show. New Holland, a sponsor of our event coverage, had their brand new autonomous concept tractor displayed in the center of their show lot and it was getting a lot of attention.

In this week’s program I talked with New Holland’s Dan Halliday to get a detailed view of what this machine is capable of and how this new technology is fitting into future plans for features on new tractors. The AgNerd in me really enjoyed his remarks as I’m sure many of you out there will as well. In the picture, Dan is providing New Holland North American Vice President, Bret Lieberman, with details just prior to the show start.

Dan says this is no pipe dream but a reality. I hope you’ll enjoying listening to him talk about the systems that make this technology work.

Listen here for more on this self driving machine: Dan Halliday, New Holland

Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here.

The ZimmCast

sponsored by

Locally owned, globally strong.

Agribusiness, Audio, Farm Progress Show, New Holland, Technology, Tractor, ZimmCast

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