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Talia Goes

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  • Meet domestic and international customers, see where soybeans go beyond the elevator and evaluate the work of the soy checkoff with the See for Yourself program.
  • The National Pork Board is accepting applications for its 2016 America’s Pig Farmer of the YearSM award through March 13 at americaspigfarmer.com.
  • FLM+ will significantly expand its Minneapolis presence this spring with the relocation of its metro office to downtown Minneapolis.
  • Nine members of the American Agricultural Editors’ Association have been awarded stipends to attend the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists’ conference, which will be held July 13-17, in Bonn, Germany.
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Credenz Spokesbeans #SoyExcited on National Bean Day

Chuck Zimmerman

Ed Edna CredenzThe folks at Bayer CropScience, friendly ZimmComm sponsors, are having some fun today, National Bean Day. Actually, it is their Credenz spokesbeans, Ed & Edna, who are #SoyExcited to be taking charge today of @Bayer4CropsUS. I’ve heard that there will be more to come during the day. Here’s what Ed & Edna have to say about today.

Hi, we’re Ed and Edna, Crop Science’s new Credenz spokesbeans, and we’re #SoyExcited for January 6th, also known as National Bean Day! We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to boast about our wonderful smart genetics, we’re taking over Crop Science US – literally! (On social media). I guess you thought we were only meant for planting…think again!

To see us in action, you’ll have to check out Crop Science US on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr using #Credenz on National Bean Day

To see how this unfolds we’ll just have to follow along. I’ll update this post if I see or hear more later. In the meantime, enjoy National Bean Day.

Green, red, dark red, kidney, lima, soy and etc. are just a few of the different kinds of beans that are recognized and celebrated on National Bean Day which is every year on January 6.

This day celebrates the bean vegetable in all sizes, shapes and colors. Beans (legumes) are one of the longest cultivated plants dating back to the early seventh millennium BC.

Agribusiness, Bayer, Crop Science, Soybean

New Foundation Launched by @USFRA

Cindy Zimmerman

USFRA1The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) has launched a new foundation with a mission of furthering agricultural education and understanding of agriculture among America’s consumers including young people and millennials.

The U.S. Farming and Ranching Foundation (USFRF) is the result of a collaborative effort led by the agriculture and food industry to expand the dialogue with consumers regarding food production in America according to inaugural Chairman Jim Blome, President & CEO of Bayer CropScience LP. “This new foundation will further ag education and consumer understanding about food, by developing educational-based tools and interactive consumer programs, that serve as a unified effort to reach Americans in ways in which they want to learn about modern agriculture,” says Blome.

Post Update: Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jim about the new Foundation here: Jim Blome, Chair, USFRF

One of the foundation’s initial projects is developing a curriculum guide that will be made available to high school students nationwide. The documentary film, FARMLAND, which gives viewers the opportunity to step inside the world of agriculture for a first-hand glimpse into the lives of young farmers and ranchers, will serve as the guide’s core. The curriculum will supplement efforts to bring to life many of the themes covered in the film, and serve as an educational resource for high school teachers interested in content focused on food choices, agriculture, sustainability, entrepreneurship, food issues, antibiotics, GMOs and crop inputs in agriculture, and marketing.

In addition to Blome, USFRF’s inaugural Board of Directors includes:
• Don Borgman, inaugural USFRF Secretary-Treasurer and Director, Agricultural Industry Relations, John Deere (retired)
• Nancy Kavazanjian, USFRA Chairwoman, and United Soybean Board Director
• Forrest Roberts, former CEO, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
• John Becherer, CEO, United Soybean Board
• Randy Krotz, inaugural USFR Foundation CEO, and CEO, U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance

USFRF plans to identify, and seek funding sources that will establish and support potential scholarship opportunities as well as innovative programs designed to provide consumers with timely, honest and accurate answers about their food.

Ag Groups, Audio, Bayer, Education, USFRA

Farm Journal Media Restructuring Management

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Journal MediaFrom a company release we’ve learned that after Farm Journal Media’s acquisition of Vance Publishing some management changes have been announced. Here you go.

Steve Custer, an 18-year veteran of Farm Journal, is promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) from Executive VP and COO. Custer will continue to run the expanded day-to-day operations of Farm Journal.

Charlene Finck, currently Senior VP of Content Development and a 26-year company veteran, is promoted to Executive VP and Chief Content Officer (CCO). In her new role, Finck not only assumes leadership of all incoming Vance content assets in addition to Farm Journal content, but also heads up a new division called Content Services, which comes with the Vance acquisition, to better partner with the overall agricultural industry to distribute content. Read More

Media

Culver’s Donates More Than $1 Mil to Future of Ag

John Davis

Blue-Barn1Wisconsin-based restaurant company Culver’s has long relied on the products from America’s farms and has been supporting farmers by donating more than $1 million to the future of agriculture. Through the company’s Thank You Farmers initiative, started in 2013, the chain has supported the National FFA, local FFA chapters and a variety of local agricultural organizations.

Culver’s has depended on family farms since opening its first restaurant in 1984. From the cattle ranches of the Great Plains to the dairy farms of Wisconsin, Culver’s remains committed to sourcing the finest ingredients America’s family growers have to offer. Culver’s has turned its gratitude into full-fledged support of today’s farm families, while helping ensure the future of the next generation of farmers, biologists, chemists, veterinarians, engineers and entrepreneurs

In 2015 alone, $360 thousand dollars was raised for local FFA Chapters, the National FFA Foundation and other agricultural organizations across the country. This included money from donation canisters, percentage of sales donations, sponsorships, as well as a “Scoops of Thanks” day (where $1 Scoops of custard were sold August 8) and other events and activities.

“We are excited to see the enthusiasm with which guests have welcomed Thank You Farmers,” said David Stidham, vice president for marketing at Culver’s and newly appointed member of the National FFA Foundation Sponsors’ board of directors. “We’re deeply grounded in the farms that produce the dairy and grow the food that has made Culver’s what it is today.”

“Culver’s and FFA provide a great partnership that supports agriculture education in our local communities,” expressed Todd Greenwood, Director of Corporate Giving at the National FFA Foundation. “We appreciate that Culver’s recognizes the hard work and dedication of farm families. Programs like “Thank you Farmers” are helping to build awareness of the critical role agriculture plays. We are very thankful for Culver’s support.”

Ag Groups, FFA

American Harvest Debuts on CarbonTV.com

Chuck Zimmerman

American HarvestJust received this notice and thought I’d share with you. I have not watched this program but plan to check it out. Have you watched it? Your thoughts?

American Harvest is a documentary series about the oldest industry known to mankind… farming. It’s about hard work, community, the marriage of old wisdom and new technologies that ultimately feeds the world. Experience the extraordinary life of farming through the eyes of Lance and Shawn Johnson, this season on American Harvest.

Besides having their own farm the Johnsons also follow the wheat harvest as custom harvesters. Now that sounds familiar!

Harvest, Media

MGEX Boasts Record Year

Joanna Schroeder

mgexMGEX has concluded its best year with new annual highs in both total volume and electronic volume. Total volume finished the year with 2,315,186 contracts traded, surpassing the previous record set in 2014 by six percent.

During the year, MGEX reported five separate months of volume greater than 200,000, doing so for the first time in Exchange history. Of the current top five volume months of all-time, four took place during 2015.

The Exchange also set a new annual electronic volume record, finishing the year with 2,019,186 contracts traded and surpassing the 2,000,000 mark for the first time ever. This total is nine percent higher than the previous record set in 2014.

In addition to setting a pair of annual volume records, MGEX also completed the second-best December in its history on Thursday, reporting a total volume of 164,210 from the month. Open interest following Thursday’s activity was 73,959, three percent higher than a year ago.

Markets

Ryan’s Top 12 Ag Podcasts

Chuck Zimmerman

Ryan GoodmanRyan is Agriculture Proud and we’re proud of him for it. He also runs a lot.

During the past year, I’ve put a few miles in, whether running on the treadmill and trails, or driving down the highway. One of the best ways to pass time is by listening to podcasts or audiobooks.

I can’t agree more with that. Podcasting, however you want to define it, is much more than just alive and well. It is a source of information and entertainment enjoyed by many, many farmers. I’ve received my best encouragement to continue podcasting from farmers who notify me when they really enjoy one of my programs while they’re in the cab of their truck, tractor or other equipment. My weekly ZimmCast is now on episode 497!

Ryan has a very good list of his top twelve agriculture podcasts. He’s also got good advice for how to subscribe to them too. Check his list out and please provide him feedback. And while you’re at it, follow him on social media too.

Podcasts

Happy New Year from ZimmComm!

Cindy Zimmerman

2015 was a great year and 2016 promises to be even better! In 2015, the ZimmComm team covered over 70 events in 18 states and four countries, including Australia and New Zealand. We uploaded almost 16,200 photos and 65 videos and did over 5,000 posts on our own five websites and several others. Our Flickr photo albums now have almost 14.7 million views! Thanks to our wonderful clients and friends who make our work a joy!

Look for the golden microphone to get back on the road right away in 2016, heading to Orlando and the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting on January 10. See you down the agriblogging highway!

2015-web-2

ZimmComm Announcement

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Talia Goes

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  • The American Farm Bureau Federation has appointed new members to its national Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee for the 2016-2018 term beginning in March.
  • America’s Finest City welcomes NAMA members to a special Western Pacific chapter meeting January 27, 2016 during the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association conference.
  • The National Corn Growers Association is now accepting applications for the Reaching for Excellence Award.
  • The members of Farmers Cooperative Company (FC), Ames, Iowa, and West Central Cooperative, Ralston, Iowa, have both approved the merger of their cooperatives effective April 1, 2016.
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