Dairy Policy Talks at #WDE15

Jamie Johansen October 2, 2015

Policies concerning our nation’s dairy industry were just a few of the topics Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection, Ben Brancel, discussed while attending the 2015 World Dairy Expo.

“Today I think price in most all commodities are issues whether you are talking milk or grain prices. Of course low grain prices help that dairy farmer out when purchasing product, but milk prices is the thing that is on the mind of our dairy farmers.”

Sec. Brancel said Wisconsin had decent signups for the Margin Protection Program, but farmers are very leery of it and are not overly excited to participate in it. They don’t believe the program will in the end, create a floor under risk management.

On the trade front the Secretary said, “The Trans Pacific Partnership has huge value for Europe and the United States…but we are very concerned about the geographic indicator language.” This for example, causes problems in naming cheeses. “I think there are methods going forward, but we should not impose new rules on people who have been doing the same thing for 60 years and accepted by the international community.”

Beyond policy issues, Sec. Brancel also discussed the positive impact the World Dairy Expo has on the state of Wisconsin. Listen to my complete interview here: Interview with Wisconsin Sec. of Ag Ben Brancel

View and download photos from the event here: 2015 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

Coverage of World Dairy Expo is sponsored by

Ag Groups, Audio, Dairy, Trade, World Dairy Expo

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes October 2, 2015

The Yara Prize 2015 is being awarded to Dr. Ousmane Badiane, Director for Africa, IFPRI, and Mr. Eric Kaduru, Founder and CEO, KadAfrica.
Six members of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) Spinners Committee visited various U.S. cotton operations and research facilities, on September 13-18, following the ITMF’s Annual Conference on September 10-12 in San Francisco.
The University of Illinois is asking farmers and land owners to participate in a survey about their decision-making for the 2014 farm programs and provide feedback on the tools and resources available during that process.
Verdesian Life Sciences expands its team to include Jake Underwood as executive vice president of nutritionals and John “Sam” Wilson, Ph.D. as vice president of technology development.

Zimfo Bytes

ARC Annual Meeting and Scholarship

Kelly Marshall October 2, 2015

The Agricultural Relations Council (ARC) is pleased to announce a scholarship program for college students studying agriculture communications. One $1,500 scholarship will be granted for the 2016-2017 school year.

ARC conducted a scholarship program up until about 10 years ago, then reinstated it last year. Through the financial contributions of 2014 Hall of Fame recipients Richard Howell and Gary Myers, along with pledges from several others in the organization, ARC is now back in the scholarship business.

The deadline to submit an application is March 1, 2016. For more information you can contact the ARC office at arc@gandgcomm.com, phone: 952/758-5811.

ARC is also announcing it’s 2016 Meeting, set for June 21-23 in St. Paul so mark your calendars now. So far the schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, June 21 – Board meeting and dinner. (Any members are allowed to attend board meeting.)

Wednesday, June 22 – Registration at 8:30 a.m., with the meeting beginning at 9 a.m. Meetings will run throughout the day. ARC business meeting will be held at lunch this day. The Agricultural Public Relations Hall of Fame banquet will be Wednesday evening.

Thursday, June 23 – Twin City-area farm/ranch/agribusiness tours. Upon returning from the tours, the evening banquet will feature the Golden ARC Awards presentation.

Professional development workshops are being planned.

ARC, Education, Events

NFU President Pens Huffington Editorial

John Davis October 2, 2015

The National Farmers Union (NFU) wants Congress to take action on currency manipulation. In a Huffington Post guest column, NFU President Roger Johnson makes the case there needs to be enforceable language against the practice in all trade deals moving forward, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

“Currency manipulation has become our trade competitors’ favorite maneuver for skirting massive trade deals as soon as they sign them, and it’s about to happen again,” notes Johnson. “Before these trade deals become effective, some of our trading partners devalue their currency, immediately reducing the cost of their goods to us and everyone else, and increasing the cost of our goods to them.”

Johnson explains that while politicians on both sides of the aisle rally behind trade agreements because of claims that they will reduce or remove tariffs and export subsidies, large regional pacts, like the TPP, are also about setting fair rules for trade.

A significant portion of the TPP, for example, pertains to non-tariff barriers and includes chapters on the environment, labor rights and intellectual property. “Currency manipulation should be included as its own chapter since it is one of the most fundamental non-tariff barriers to trade. Unfortunately for the TPP, that is not the case,” he says.

Johnson said currency manipulation in past trade deals is keeping the U.S. from getting a fair shake in these deals. He pointed specifically to the case of Vietnam – one of the participating countries in TPP – which devalued its currency in response to a major devaluation by China earlier this summer. He said others are doing it as well, and there’s nothing to stop even more countries from doing the same.

International

Borlaug Award Winner Pioneers Sustainability in Rwanda

John Davis October 2, 2015

An American working in the African nation of Rwanda is being recognized for his work in sustainability. The World Food Prize Foundation awarded its 2015 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application to Eric Pohlman, whose work with farmers has made it possible for smallholders in Rwanda and other developing African countries to escape hunger and poverty and improve their livelihoods.

Pohlman will be formally presented with the $10,000 “Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, Endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation” on October 14, 2015, in a ceremony in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, as part of the 2015 World Food Prize international symposium.

A native of the United States, Pohlman, 33, currently serves as Rwanda Country Director and Senior Partner at the social enterprise One Acre Fund. In developing his vision to help poor farmers better afford modern agricultural technology, Pohlman was inspired by the great agricultural scientist and World Food Prize Founder Norman Borlaug’s desire to expand the Green Revolution. Pohlman recognized a major barrier preventing its spread to Africa was the lack of access to credit for subsistence farmers. To that end, Pohlman was instrumental in framing the implementation of an innovative farm finance model, which currently serves 100,000 farm families in southwest Rwanda.

The announcement was made by C.D. Glin, Associate Director for the Rockefeller Foundation, Africa Regional Office at the Africa Green Revolution Forum in Lusaka, Zambia.

“This work aligns with the Foundation’s current exploration for an integrated approach to reducing post-harvest loss reduction, where we have learned that increasing farmers’ access to technologies and finance helps to increase yields and hence their income, leading to greater food security and a more sustained livelihood. Eric Pohlman and his team are making a tremendous difference in helping to improve the lives of the Africa’s small holder farmer, who is essentially the backbone of the sector,” said Glin.

This is the fourth annual presentation of this award, which recognizes scientists and researchers under the age of 40 who emulate the innovation and dedication to food security demonstrated by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and World Food Prize Founder Dr. Norman E. Borlaug while working in the field with farmers and producers.

International, World Food Prize

Exploring Crop Insurance & Conservation Practices

John Davis October 2, 2015

Crop insurance provides an important risk management tool for farmers, especially in the short term. Conservation practices look to the long term to reduce farmers’ risks. Our friends at Farm Foundation will hold another one of their free forums on Thursday, Oct. 8, to examine how the relationship of crop insurance and conservation practices has evolved over the years, and policy options that might be considered for the future.

Moderating the panel will be Bruce Knight of Strategic Conservation Solutions.The panel will include:

Keith Coble of Mississippi State University, who will provide an overview of crop insurance and conservation practices, and how that relationship has evolved over the years;
Bruce Sherrick of the University of Illinois, who will discuss current policy dynamics;
Deb Atwood of AGree, who will discuss policy options generated by AGree’s Agricultural Conservation and Crop Insurance Task Force; and
Dan DeSutter, of DeSutter Farms Inc., who will provide a farmer’s perspective.

The forum will be 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. EDT at the National Press Club, in Washington, D.C., with a live audiocast is available free of charge here.

This link has more information, including registration.

There is no charge to participate in the Oct. 8 Forum, but registration is requested. Register online to attend the Forum in person at the National Press Club. Registration is required for the live audiocast and can be completed here.

Conservation, Farm Foundation, Insurance

October is National Sausage Month

Kelly Marshall October 1, 2015

It’s tailgating season, and with fall in the air what’s not to love about sausages cooking on the grill. In fact, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) says Americans love sausage so much they’ll eat 14 billion servings of it this year with peak consumption being autumn. Thus October has been declared National Sausage Month.

As part of the celebration the NHDSC wants to highlight great recipes featuring sausage. They invite fans to submit their recipes in hopes of winning a sausage shopping spree and a new sausage cooking pan.

“Whether people enjoy their sausage linked, loose or pattied or made with beef, pork, lamb, chicken or turkey, sausages are so versatile that they can be used in a wide variety of dishes, said NHDSCPresident and ‘Queen of Wien’ Janet Riley. “Beyond our own recipes, we love sharing the creative ideas of sausage fans to increase sausage enjoyment for all.”

Sausage fans can submit their favorite, most creative recipe that can be made in under 20 minutes tocontest@hot-dog.org by October 16 for a chance to win. The best recipe as judged by NHDSC staff will win a $100 gift card for their favorite sausages plus a Sausage Pan, designed with deep curves specifically to cook sausages. The first runner up will receive a $50 gift card for their favorite sausages plus a Sausage Pan. The top three choices all receive official National Hot Dog and Sausage Council t-shirts and bumper stickers and have their recipes featured on the NHDSC All-Recipes page.

Hot-dog.org contains more than 100 recipes and extensive resources on sausage, like a glossary, cooking tips, and a beer and sausage pairing guide. You can also get fun information from their Facebook page.

Ag Groups, Food

60,000 Expected for National FFA Conference

Kelly Marshall October 1, 2015

This is the last of the three-year visit of the National FFA Convention & Expo to Louisville. Starting October 24 the guests will converge on the city to experience the event, with more than 60,000 expected.

“Amplify” is the theme for this year’s convention and expo. “With the opportunities we are given in our lives, we must take action and share the message of agriculture with others,” said 2015-16 National FFA President Andy Paul, a student at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Georgia. “It’s time we all amplify our voice when it comes to the message of agriculture, and boost our impact.”

Nine general sessions will draw FFA members together at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Students will have countless opportunities to engage exhibitors from more than 450 corporations, organizations and colleges at the expo inside the center. Other events will be held at venues downtown, in the suburbs and beyond.

This year marks the 85th anniversary of the National FFA Creed as well as the 50th anniversary of the merger of New Farmers of America, an agricultural organization for African-American students, with the National FFA Organization.

Rick Rigsby will the the kick-off keynote speaker for opening session, and past state FFA officer Amberley Snyder will share her story Friday morning. Brad Montague will also speak on his idea for Kid President Friday night.

There were be more than 70 workshops, as well as industry tours to places like Papa John’s international headquarters and Ford’s Louisville assembly plant. Member will have the opportunity to participate in community service too.

Next year the conference will be held in Indianapolis.

Ag Groups, Events, FFA

This Dairy Focuses on Genomics

Chuck Zimmerman October 1, 2015

When you think of a dairy farm you think milk. Or, as in the case of Rocky Mountain Holsteins, you think genomics.

Rod Churchill is the manager for the business, pictured with his wife during a Canadian Farm Writers Federation tour stop near Calgary, Alberta. Ron describes the business as an “elite breeding genetics farm.” They raise very expensive breeding stock near some of the most expensive homes in the country. They have success using social media, like their Facebook page, to market their embryos and semen.

Ron says that he’d like to attend World Dairy Expo this year but with the strength of the dollar it is just too expensive to bring a group and show cattle.

You can listen to Ron’s presentation here or watch it below: Ron Churchill, Rocky Mountain Holsteins

2015 CFWF Annual Conference Photo Album

Coverage of the Canadian Farm Writers Federation 2015 Conference is sponsored by

Audio, Dairy, Video

#WomenInAg Infographic

Kelly Marshall October 1, 2015

Women are increasingly making their mark on agriculture, preparing for a better future and educating the next generation of women for the challenges of the future. To celebrate these contributions the USDA has crated an infographic to showcase the impact women are having state-by-state. The graphics are available to share on social media to help tell the story of women in ag.

Over the past few months, we’ve also been featuring the powerful stories of women in agriculture on the USDA blog. By following the #womeninag tag on the USDA blog, you can read first-person accounts from women like Carissa Koopmann Rivers, a fifth generation cow/calf rancher from Sunol, California, Casey Cox, the Executive Director of the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District, and Dr. Jewel Hairston, the Dean of the College of Agriculture at Virginia State University.

In addition to the infographics there will also be advice and stories from the women in ag. Check the USDA blog to see these stories and join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #WomenInAg.

USDA

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