Enthusiasm for the New Holland Brand

Chuck Zimmerman September 8, 2015

The new Vice President for New Holland North America, Bret Lieberman, spent quality time during the Farm Progress Show visiting with customers and the ag media. I was one of those media types who got to talk to Bret.

Bret is very enthusiastic for the brand and says that New Holland has introduced some new procedures with their dealer council that includes monthly calls where the company and the dealers submit agenda items for discussion. He says they now have sub committees to address different issues and offer solutions. He says it has already been very effective. He also talks about new products, his team and how the opportunities for the brand are really great.

Listen to my interview with Bret here or watch below: Bret Lieberman, New Holland

2015 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by

Agribusiness, Audio, Farm Progress Show, New Holland, Video

Camso the Road Free Company

Chuck Zimmerman September 8, 2015

It seems like tracks are becoming more popular on large equipment these days. Like the new John Deere 9RX four track machine. Guess who makes those tracks? The answer – Camso. Let me introduce the company to you.

Last week the company announced this new name. Prior to the name change there were two companies Camoplast and Solideal. You can read about the name change here. While I was at Farm Progress Show I visited their exhibit and sat down to talk with Pierre Marcouiller, Chairman/CEO, Martin Lukenbein, Business Line Executive Director, Agriculture and Derek Bradeen, Director of Marketing and Communications.

During our conversation we talked about the history of the company, why they changed their name, what products they offer the ag industry and what they see as the future for off road track products. The company employs 7,500 people in 27 countries. In the ag sector their focus is on the farmer. They encourage farmers who might even be interested in retro-fitting their equipment with tracks to contact their local OEM dealer since they supply products to most of the top farm equipment manufacturers.

Listen to this week’s program here to learn all about the new Camso: Camso the Road Free Company

Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here.

2015 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by

Agribusiness, Audio, Equipment, Farm Progress Show, ZimmCast

What’s Personally Important to Today’s Farmers?

Jamie Johansen September 8, 2015

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How are farm equipment sales this year?”

The 2015 Farm Progress Show was a huge success and the streets were packed. But with crop prices lower this year, the question was, are people buying? It looks like we have responses all over the board, but leaning towards not so good. Whether you are buying this year or not, you can not deny farm equipment and technology companies have stepped it up this year and are providing their best.

Here are the poll results:

Good – 13%
Not so good – 27%
Steady – 27%
Really down – 20%
Unsure – 13%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, What is most important personal issue to today’s farmers?

No one can argue the passion farmers and ranchers have for the products they produce. It is not a job, it is a way of life they proudly live. We want to know what issues farmers today take the most personally. Is it producing a sustainable product, securing the farm for future generations, the ability for new farmers to get started, consumer education or maybe learning and utilizing new technologies? Are there other things…let us know.

ZimmPoll

Engenia™ Herbicide for Cotton

Cindy Zimmerman September 8, 2015

BASF Crop Protection anticipates regulatory approval for Engenia™ herbicide yet later this year, which will provide growers with the most technologically advanced dicamba formulation for control of broadleaf weeds in dicamba-tolerant crops for both soybeans and cotton.

“Like all the other dicambas BASF has made in our 50 year history, (Engenia) is a highly effective post-emergent broadleaf weed control tool,” said Chad Brommer, BASF technical market manager for Engenia, during a recent media event in Tennessee. “The other great thing about Engenia is that is was designed with the BAPMA salt to be the most stable form of dicamba that we’ve ever produced.”

During the Tennessee event, we saw some pretty impressive field trial with Engenia combined with other herbicides to fight resistant weeds. “Engenia is part of a weed control system, which means it does not exist on its own,” explained Brommer. That means starting clean with a good burndown and pre-emerge herbicide with residual, followed by an early post application with Engenia and a grass control component and a layered residual.

Brommer says they believe Engenia will be especially important in the south where pressure from resistant palmer amaranth is especially heavy. “In cotton, we’re often going to have to come back maybe three times to control weeds – pre-emergent, first post, and oftentimes and second post or layby application,” said Brommer. “BASF is in a unique position because we’ve got Prowl® H20 plus Cotoran that can be used pre-emerge, we can come back in dicamba-tolerant cotton with Engenia plus glyphosate plus Outlook herbicide, and then layby you can even come back with glufosinate or Liberty plus Zidua…now we’ve got a whole series of different effective sites of action.”

Learn more in this interview: Interview with Chad Brommer, BASF

BASF Southern Media Event in Tennessee

Audio, BASF, Crop Protection, Herbicide, weed management

GROWMARK Plans New Young Farmer Program

Cindy Zimmerman September 8, 2015

As a young farmer herself with her husband, Heather Thompson knows first-hand some of the challenges facing the new generation of agriculture.

“My husband and I are just getting back to our own family farm operation,” says Thompson, who is Young Producer Programs Manager for GROWMARK. Some of the challenges new young farmers face include farming with multiple generations, financial concerns, and dealing with legislative and regulatory issues.

As a result, GROWMARK is developing a new program to help young farmers face those challenges, and the first step is reaching out to them to determine their needs. “So we’ll be doing focus groups with young farmers, our member cooperatives, and current board members,” she said. “We’ll spend some time over the winter months developing a year-long program of leadership development.”

While the program will be generally aimed at “young” farmers, Thompson says they have no age limit in mind. “Farming’s changing and the face of farming is changing,” “So, a lot of people in my generation were encouraged to get jobs off the farm right out of school … so a young farmer might really be a beginning farmer.”

The program officially kicked off last month with the program development phase and GROWMARK hopes to have it in place by next summer.

Learn more in this interview from Farm Progress Show: Interview with Heather Thompson, GROWMARK

2015 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by

Audio, Farm Progress Show, Farming, FS System, GROWMARK

Farmland Brings Ag Lessons to College Students

John Davis September 8, 2015

School’s back in session, and the lessons of agriculture are being brought to some of the nation’s most prestigious universities in the form of the movie Farmland. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) says the movie, produced with the generous support of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, of which the National Corn Growers Association is a founding affiliate, will be shown along with panel discussions at Columbia University in New York, Tulane University in New Orleans and the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Screenings without panel discussions are planned for four other locations.

“It’s great to see FARMLAND being screened at these universities not traditionally tied to agriculture,” said Missouri farmer and NCGA Corn Board member Mike Geske, who also sits on the USFRA board’s executive committee. “The documentary’s important stories about the challenges facing today’s young farmers can help those who aren’t involved in farming understand the importance of their work and the passion and concern they put into the food they produce.”

The action starts Sept. 10 at Tulane, where the film will include a panel discussion with area farmers and a campus representative, on issues raised in the film as well as focusing on the strategies of farming and sustainability, under the theme, “The Art of Farming.”

Next, a Sept. 14 screening at Columbia looks at farming not as an art, but as a science. On campus that week, there are various information sessions and talks occurring on campus on the earth, environmental science and sustainability. Using this moment in time, highlighting the focus of environmental studies and sustainability will help bring awareness around the film and panel discussion.

Finally, on Sept. 21, Academy Award-winning FARMLAND director James Moll will join a panel at the University of Southern California to focus on issues raised in the film as well as the making of the film and career opportunities in agriculture and film production.

Boston University held a screening with a panel last week, and Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee, has one on Sept. 15; Sept. 16, University of Florida, Gainesville; and Sept. 30, Georgetown University, Washington.

NCGA

FMC Promotes Stewardship for Resistance Management

Cindy Zimmerman September 8, 2015

One of the biggest concerns for farmers attending the 2015 Farm Progress Show last week was control of resistant weeds, and FMC is a company that is promoting a stewardship approach to resistance management.

“Proper stewardship is very important with the resistance that we are seeing,” says FMC Senior Technical Sales Manager Brent Neuberger. “So we want to mix things up, use multiple effective modes of action in these weed control programs.”

That means starting early – as soon as harvest is finished. “Those areas that typically have a lot of mare’s tail, fall application has a very good fit,” Neuberger said. “So we put something down, take out a lot of those winter annuals, so come spring we can ‘start clean to stay clean.'”

FMC has a weed management stewardship infographic that growers can consult to learn more.

Listen to my interview with Brent here: Brent Neuberger, FMC, on resistance management

Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by

Audio, Farm Progress Show, FMC, weed management

GROWMARK Debuts New Website

John Davis September 7, 2015

GROWMARK has unveiled a new company website. Company officials say the old site had been around for the last five years, and it was time for a change.

“[C]ombined with the adoption of responsive design technology, we believe users will have a better experience on the redesigned website.” [Cliff Dolbeare, GROWMARK’s corporate strategic development manager] said the new site will be cleaner and easier to read, incorporating smart use of white space and large format images. It will be simple to navigate, easy to read, and will look appropriate across all device platforms.

To execute the redesigned site, GROWMARK partnered with Tahoe Partners, a Chicago-based firm specializing in designing and implementing personalized, digital experiences. .

The new site will also help customers locate their local FS member cooperative, FAST STOP, or grain cooperative, as well as to connect directly with GROWMARK headquarters. Prospective employees, whether they are potential interns, seasonal employees or experienced workers, will also find it easier to view available positions within the system.

Agribusiness, GROWMARK

Update from @USFRA at #FarmProgressShow

Cindy Zimmerman September 7, 2015

The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) will be just five years young this fall, but the coalition of agricultural organizations has experienced amazing growth in that short time.

“We are at 93 affiliate organizations, which is largely unprecedented,” said USFRA CEO Randy Krotz, who notes that those affiliates represent a broad range of agriculture. “We have lamb, beef and pork and poultry, potatoes…we’re always looking to grow,” he said. “We’d love to have an organic organization come in, and we think we’ll get there.”

During a press conference at the Farm Progress Show, Krotz also talked about what’s new with FARMLAND, the documentary feature film that USFRA helped to support. “We’re offering it as a 44 minute version and putting it in high schools,” he said. “We’re working with Discovery Education to get it into high school curriculums across the country.” By mid-October, every high school will have a curriculum and lessons built around agricultural issues highlighted in the film.

Find out more about what’s new with USFRA in this interview. Interview with USFRA CEO Randy Krotz

2015 Farm Progress Show Album

Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by

Audio, Farm Progress Show, USFRA

Farmers Almanac Predicts Harsh Winter

John Davis September 7, 2015

It might be the unofficial end of summer today, but some folks are already thinking about winter. The Farmers’ Almanac warns those in the eastern part of the United States, especially the Southeast, to “brace yourselves” for a harsh winter.

“The winter of 2015–2016 is looking like a repeat of last winter, at least in terms of temperatures,” reveals Caleb Weatherbee, the Farmers’ Almanac’s weather prognosticator, adding, “the term ‘déjà vu’ comes to mind.”

“Wet and very chilly” is how the Almanac summarizes the winter for the Southeast, adding “an active storm track will bring above-normal precipitation to the Southeast.”

Those in the western half of the U.S. should expect milder to more normal winter conditions.

The Farmers’ Almanac makes its weather predictions based on a very specific mathematical and astronomical formula, and many users claim the forecast are 80-85 percent accurate.

Officials with the almanac point out that it does more than predict weather.

This year’s edition of the Farmers’ Almanac is packed with valuable advice on ways to live a more natural and healthier lifestyle. It takes a look at five historical droughts (including one current one), shares unusual muffin recipes, a new recipe contest, best days in 2016 to buy a house, quit smoking or wean your toddler, natural ways to combat garden pests, weird roadside attractions you’ve got to see to believe, plus annual favorites such as gardening, Moon, fishing, and eclipse calendars.

“The Farmers’ Almanac is a slice of everyday life topped with the “hacks” you need (we’ve been doing them since our first edition) to do things better and more easily, plus wit and wisdom” shares Duncan, “including a very timely and appropriate Thought of the Year: ‘All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.’ ”

Agribusiness

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