Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

  • JCB is marked its 70th anniversary by the introduction of a JCB limited edition backhoe loader.
  • Spud Smart, Canada’s media outlet dedicated to delivering timely information to potato growers, processors, industry suppliers and policymakers from coast to coast, has rolled out an improved, mobile-responsive website.
  • NAMA’s “How Marketers Can Respond in a Down Ag Economy” webinar hosted by Greg Guse & Clara Jacob will be held on November 19th.
  • Farm Journal Media is pleased to announce starting today, Anna-Lisa Laca will report exclusively for the company’s Dairy Today and Top Producer brands as Online and Business Editor.
Zimfo Bytes

FFA Members to Amplify Louisville

Jamie Johansen

ffaThis week, FFA members from across the country will arrive in Louisville, Ky., to celebrate the 88th National FFA Convention & Expo. And thanks to our sponsor, New Holland, I will be there to cover it all. As a former FFA member and ag teacher, this event is by far my favorite.

The convention and expo will kick off on Tuesday, Oct. 27 with the Welcome Lunch at 11:30 a.m. in the Kentucky Exposition Center, where present and former FFA members will share how FFA has impacted their lives.

On the afternoon of Wednesday Oct. 28, the first general session will feature a video tribute to the 85th anniversary of the FFA Creed. Special thanks to Jackson Tiffany, Jimmy Carter, the Georgia FFA Association and Branch Carter, Easton Corbin, Travis Bradshaw and the FFA members who helped make the tribute a reality.

The evening of Thursday, Oct. 29, USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Hardin will give remarks during the third general session. The four American Star Awards will also be presented to FFA members who demonstrate outstanding agricultural skills and competencies through completion of a supervised agricultural experience program.

The convention and expo will conclude on Saturday, Oct. 31 with the conferring of the American FFA Degree in the morning and the election of the 2015-16 National FFA Officers in the afternoon.

The convention and expo will bring an estimated economic impact of $40 million, making it the largest convention for Louisville this year. Attendees will stay in 136 hotels within a 60-mile radius of Louisville. This will be the last year for the event to be in Louisville, as the convention and expo will be in Indianapolis from 2016-2024.

Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by New Holland
Ag Groups, Education, FFA, New Holland

Agricultural Champions of Change Honored

Cindy Zimmerman

champ-changeTwelve individuals from across the country involved in the agriculture industry were honored Monday in Washington DC as “White House Champions of Change for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture.” The diverse group of farmers, ranchers, researchers and educators were recognized for their exemplary leadership in supporting change in their communities through innovation in agricultural production and education.

The Champions were chosen from nominations made to the White House program which regularly recognizes different categories and industries of ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things in their communities.

The White House Champions are:

Anita Adalja – farm manager at Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture in Washington, D.C.
William “Buddy” Allen – Mississippi crop farmer
Keith Berns – farmer and cover crop seed producer from Nebraska;
Larry Cundall – Wyoming Vietnam War Veteran and fourth generation rancher
Herman “Trey” Hill – crop farmer from Rock Hall, Maryland
Loretta Jaus – Minnesota dairy producer
Martin Kleinschmit – organic farmer from Nebraska;
Jennifer “Jiff” Martin – Sustainable Food System Associate Educator, Connecticut
Jesus Sanchez – California specialty crop farmer
Erin Fitzgerald Sexson – Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
Timothy Smith – 4th generation crop farmer from Iowa
Donald Tyler – soil management researcher, Tennessee

Tim Smith, who farms near Eagle Grove, Iowa, signed up for a federal program in 2011 that identified the watershed as a priority for reducing nitrate and phosphorous levels in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2014, he joined the newly formed Soil Health Partnership, which over a five-year period will identify, test and measure farm management practices that improve soil health and benefit farmers.

“American agriculture is more advanced and efficient than ever, but making deeper changes in the business of farming will enable us do even better for long-term sustainability,” Smith said. “Losing precious soil is not sustainable. Farmers are becoming more aware of this and the impact it has.”

The Soil Health Partnership and Iowa Soybean Association both nominated Smith for the award.

Farming, Sustainability

AgCatalyst Award Winners

Cindy Zimmerman

While we were busy with koalas and kangaroos last week in Australia, the first AgCatalyst Awards were being handed out in Kansas City.

Al Johnson receives AgCatalyst award from AdFarm CEO Roger Reierson

Al Johnson receives AgCatalyst award from AdFarm CEO Roger Reierson

One of the inaugural honorees was our very dear friend Al Johnson, who started his career more than four decades ago with a traditional print magazine, Dakota Farmer, and continues to innovate and lead the ag media industry. He helped steer Farm Progress as the media company grew from seven to 39 publications and navigated the digital evolution. Today he has totally embraced digital media and helped create Agri-Pulse Communications, the leading source of ag policy news, with his wife, Sara.

Also recognized was Fresh Air Media, started by Ontario dairy and crop farmer Andrew Campbell. The former news writer continues to educate through social media, speaking engagements and in-depth training sessions on technology and agriculture. Fresh Air Media was responsible for establishing #farm365 this past year, offering Twitter followers a daily photo and behind-the-scenes look at farming life.

AgCatalyst is a marketing and communications conference, hosted by AdFarm which focuses on the agriculture and food industries.

Agencies, Agri-Pulse

Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Sen. Kent Conrad

John Davis

open-micAgri-Pulse Open Mic this week features Sen. Kent Conrad.

As a former Chair of the Senate Budget Committee the North Dakota Democrat is well versed on the country’s challenging fiscal policy. In this week’s interview Senator Conrad discusses the appropriations deadline, the debate over the debt ceiling, the advantages to a two-year budget and secure long term funding for the country’s transportation infrastructure. Conrad says the American people should ignore some voices in the Congress.

Click here to listen to Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Sen. Kent Conrad.

Agri-Pulse, Audio, politics

USDA Safety-Net Payments Going Out to Farmers

John Davis

USDAFarmers hit by market downturns will see relief in the form of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) payments. The agency announced about half of the 1.7 million farms that signed up for either the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs will receive safety-net payments for the 2014 crop year.

“Unlike the old direct payments program, which paid farmers in good years and bad, the 2014 Farm Bill authorized a new safety-net that protects producers only when market forces or adverse weather cause unexpected drops in crop prices or revenues,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “For example, the corn price for 2014 is 30 percent below the historical benchmark price used by the ARC-County program, and revenues of the farms participating in the ARC-County program are down by about $20 billion from the benchmark during the same period. The nearly $4 billion provided today by the ARC and PLC safety-net programs will give assistance to producers where revenues dropped below normal.”

The ARC/PLC programs primarily allow producers to continue to produce for the market by making payments on a percentage of historical base production, limiting the impact on production decisions.

Nationwide, 96 percent of soybean farms, 91 percent of corn farms, and 66 percent of wheat farms elected the ARC-County coverage option. Ninety-nine percent of long grain rice and peanut farms, and 94 percent of medium grain rice farms elected the PLC option. Overall, 76 percent of participating farm acres are protected by ARC-County, 23 percent by PLC, and 1 percent by ARC-Individual. For data about other crops, as well as state-by-state program election results, final PLC price and payment data, and other program information including frequently asked questions, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc.

Crops receiving assistance include barley, corn, grain sorghum, lentils, oats, peanuts, dry peas, soybeans, and wheat. Rice, oilseeds and chickpeas could see payments in November.

ARC, USDA

Bipartisan Bill Helps Farmers & Machinery

Jamie Johansen

roberts2U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have introduced bipartisan legislation, supported by both the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union, to help farmers purchase new equipment and replace worn-out machinery by amending the U.S. tax code to permanently set a five-year depreciation schedule for certain agricultural equipment.

The current tax code sets a seven-year depreciation cost recovery period for agricultural equipment. Changing the depreciation schedule for agricultural equipment to five years would make the tax code more consistent and support rural development by aligning the length of time that farmers can take a depreciation deduction with the average useful life of that property.

“This commonsense legislation will give farmers and ranchers the certainty they need to invest in new, more modern equipment so they can create more jobs and growth in our communities,” said Roberts, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “A five year depreciation schedule allows for predictability and fairness in our overly complex tax code, giving the agriculture community the ability to produce more efficiently and at a lower cost.”

“Agriculture is cyclical in nature with producers making large investments in their crops, livestock, buildings, and equipment,” Klobuchar said. “We need to ensure our tax code is fair for farmers so that they can purchase the modern equipment that will allow them to produce more while spending less. This commonsense legislation will put money back in the pockets of our farmers and ranchers and enable them to grow our agricultural economy and strengthen our rural communities.”

Under the tax code, taxpayers are allowed a depreciation deduction to allow them to recover the costs of investing in certain property, like farm machinery and farm-use motor vehicles. The recovery period for the deduction should match the useful life and financing of that property. According to surveys from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, on average farmers and ranchers finance farm equipment and machinery for five years.

Ag Groups, Equipment, Farm Policy

Fall Deer Season

Chuck Zimmerman

CloudsThe fall deer season is well underway in places like Georgia. So you know where the AgriBlogger is spending some precious time. Nothing like a few days with your buddies with lots of quiet contemplation time sitting and waiting for the big buck. This sky photo was from Saturday afternoon. What a beautiful day.

This week our Jamie Johansen will be covering the National FFA Convention courtesy of New Holland. Cindy is holding down the fort at ZimmComm World Headquarters until I get back. I’ll be back in full action later this week.

And in case you’re wondering I have a buck and a doe in the cooler so some fine cooking and dining will be coming up soon.

Hunting

Soybean Board Appoints 17 Farmer-Leaders

Kelly Marshall

Soycheckoff_4CTom Vilsack has appointed 17 farmers from across the country to serve as directors on the United Soybean Board (USB).  The appointees will be sworn in at the upcoming annual meeting in St. Louis.

Five of the directors are newly added, 12 are returning members.  The USDA has also announced that the USB will be increasing their farmer-leaders from 70 to 73 as soybean production in the US increases.  The three new members will be appointed from Missouri, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.

This year’s new volunteer farmer-leaders invest soy checkoff funds on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers in projects to improve farmer profit potential. With unpredictable prices, growing production worldwide and more competition, U.S. soybean farmers will need more innovation, such as improved seed varieties and technology, new ways of generating demand and new methods for increasing the value they receive from soybean meal and oil.

“We are thrilled to have these farmer-leaders be part of a new chapter with the United Soybean Board,” says Bob Haselwood, USB chairman and soybean farmer from Berryton, Kansas. “The checkoff is dedicated to using advancements in technology to help U.S. soy remain a top choice for our customers, and these farmer-leaders will be instrumental in helping us accomplish that.”

Ag Groups, Soybean, USB

Cotton Industry Wants No More Trade Constraints

John Davis

NCCThe National Cotton Council is calling for an end to constraints on U.S. cotton policy in the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) December Ministerial in Nairobi, Kenya. The group’s president and CEO Gary Adams testified before the House Agriculture Committee that U.S. trade negotiators need to maintain a firm commitment not to accept any further concessions to U.S. cotton policy.

He stated that there have been repeated comments from numerous countries for there to be “something more” done on cotton policy at this upcoming Ministerial but “we believe that the actions already taken by the United States with respect to cotton policy should be more than sufficient to allow U.S. negotiators to resist any further calls for concessions on cotton.”

Adams told the Committee that U.S. cotton farmers are indeed competing with international farmers who are benefitting from higher support levels. He cited a recent International Cotton Advisory Committee report that estimated average direct assistance to cotton production across all countries at $0.26 per pound — but only $0.07 per pound average support for U.S. cotton production.

Adams also reiterated U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman’s comments before the Senate Finance Committee earlier this year that a defensive posture regarding U.S. cotton support is outdated and justifies a shift in focus to other countries’ status regarding their WTO obligations.

NCC also wants U.S. negotiators to push other countries to be as current and as transparent as the United States is with their domestic support notifications.

Ag Groups, Cotton, International