The Livestock Publications Council invites you to save the date for their Vision event to be held November 10, 2015 in Kansas City. The evening is designed to celebrate the livestock industry and honor the people who have impacted that industry for the better.
The event begins with an education seminar with panel discussion, followed by social hour and dinner to recognize the 2015 Hall of Honor award winners. More information regarding the event will be available soon.
Seems like everyone has something to say about the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement reached by negotiators meeting in Atlanta for more than five days, even though few details have been released.
U.S. Trade Ambassador Michael Froman does say that agriculture is a big winner under the agreement. “Tariffs will either be eliminated or greatly reduced or quotas will be significantly increased,” he said. The TPP parties have also “agreed to increased transparency and cooperation on certain activities related to agricultural biotechnology.”
Listen to Froman’s comments about agriculture in the TPP here:
USTR Michael Froman
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack notes that countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership currently account for up to 42 percent of all U.S. agricultural exports, totaling $633 billion. “Thanks to this agreement and its removal of unfair trade barriers, American agricultural exports to the region will expand even further, particularly exports of meat, poultry, dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains, oilseeds, cotton and processed products,” said Vilsack.
Most agricultural organizations commenting on the agreement so far say they are pleased a deal has been reached and look forward to seeing the details. Beef, pork and dairy groups were among the first to comment, followed by other groups.
American Farm Bureau Federation: “Now it is up to us to figure out exactly what we have and how we should work with Congress to improve international market opportunities for U.S. farmers and ranchers through the Trans-Pacific Partnership.”
American Soybean Association: “We are optimistic that soybeans, soybean products, and the livestock products produced by our customers all will fare well in the TPP agreement when specific details are revealed.”
National Corn Growers Association: “We are hopeful that this agreement continues the tradition of past free trade agreements, which have had a positive impact for America’s farmers and ranchers.”
USA Rice: “Rice is nearly always a sensitive commodity in trade negotiations and the TPP was no exception. USA Rice will continue to remain in close contact with Congress as we assess the agreement.”
One organization in particular, however, remains vigorously opposed to TPP and that is the National Farmers Union. “Just as we feared, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is moving forward without any meaningful language addressing one of the chief tools used by our trade competitors to ensure the playing field is never fair: currency manipulation,” said NFU president Roger Johnson.
The 2014 documentary, Great American Wheat Harvest, has been awarded a Mid-America Regional EMMY Award! The award was announced recently at the EMMY Gala in St. Louis, Missouri. The film won Best Documentary- Cultural and features American harvesters traveling from Texas through the Western Plains to harvest wheat and other crops that feed the world.
The film aired on WQPT (Quad Cities PBS) this past February, and consequently qualified to be submitted for the EMMY® nomination. As one of nineteen regional chapters of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Mid-America Chapter is the standard-bearer for excellence in the television broadcasting industry and the gatekeepers of the prestigious regional EMMY® Awards.
It is the first win for film maker Conrad Weaver of ConjoStudios, LLC. “It’s an incredible honor to be recognized in this manner, it truly was unexpected!” says Weaver in his acceptance speech. “First, I want to thank my family: my wife, Jodi, and children, Laken and Spencer who supported me throughout the four years of production that went into making this film. Without their support and love, I couldn’t have worked on a project like this! I also want to thank all of our sponsors who helped make this film possible, and for the staff at WQPT for airing the film on their Quad Cities PBS station. And last but certainly not least, I want to thank the harvesters who took a risk and allowed me to document their lives and work. I’m truly blessed to call them my friends!”
Weaver’s next project is a documentary entitled Thirsty Land, highlighting the drought in the American West. This film is expected to be released late in 2016.
We all know food labels contain important information, but they can also be overwhelming and confusing. The authors of the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) have provided some clarity regarding food labels. Their recent paper examines how consumers react to labels, identifies the legal framework for labeling and provides policy recommendations based on the pros and cons of labels.
CAST is an international consortium of scientific and professional societies, companies, and nonprofit organizations charged with interpreting science-based information and communicating it to the public. Their paper states that labels allow consumers to feel connected and better able to make informed decisions. The flip side is when consumers interpret those labels with opinions rather than credible science. The cost is higher food prices and the stunting of technological advances in agriculture.
The experts explain that labels are still a desirable addition to food products, but the industry and policy makers need to remember a few key points:
It’s time to turn “you are what you think you eat” into “you are what you know you eat.” Future labels should be clear, science based, and consumer friendly.
The Iowa Food & Family Project (Iowa FFP) is working together with farmers to serve locally grown food with the launch of it’s new campaign, “Homegrown Food. Hometown Values.”
The sentiment draws attention to the locality of food and the commitment of today’s farm families to provide that food in a safe and reliable manner that’s good for the environment and communities in which it’s grown. It will be incorporated in all Iowa FFP messaging and activities.
“Farmers are who we stand behind and good food is what we stand for,” said Iowa FFP Coordinator Lindsey Foss. “’Homegrown Food. Hometown Values’ emphasizes the commitment of farmers to continually improve while providing wholesome food, much of which is served and enjoyed close to home.
The new project was launched in partnership with Casey’s General Store, an Iowa-based company. Casey’s is the country’s fifth-largest pizza chain. It sources meat, eggs, and cheese for the popular breakfast pizza from farms in Iowa and the Midwest.
“It’s an ideal partnership because we understand the importance of community,” said Casey’s Chief Financial Officer Bill Walljasper. “It’s quite common to visit a Casey’s and see people sitting on folding chairs or cases of soda talking about life or the ups and downs of the market or school events.
“For us, it’s critical to establish relationships in our communities,” he added. “The Iowa Food & Family Project is a perfect example because it’s connecting people with farmers and the quality food they provide that we in turn serve in our stores.”
The project also involves partnerships with local farmers. A YouTube video features Cristen Clark, mom and farmer, who shares her story and spreads the message of agriculture.
In keeping with tradition, I have a new iPhone. Partially because I need one, but mostly because I want one.
This iPhone 6S Plus agriblogging tool just continues to get better. This is not meant to be a complete review of the device. You can find those here and here. However, I have been using it for a few days and have some initial thoughts to share.
When I bought my “old” iPhone 6 I chose the smaller size thinking that the Plus would not be easy to handle because of its size. But after sitting next to people on planes, trains and automobiles using the Plus form and watching them use their big phones I changed my mind. I can still one hand text although I prefer using two when I can. The force touch feature provides shortcuts on a lot of apps that I use like Messages. I’m sure that developers are in high gear updating their apps to take advantage of new features.
I know a lot of farmers with big hands and this phone will fit them just fine. If you want to look at maps and see more real estate this screen will give it to you. I am loving the cameras. Both front and back are better and IMO the iPhone 6 had the best cameras of any phone. You’ll be seeing a lot of tweet photos from this iPhone starting with next week’s IFAJ Congress in New Zealand. More on that later.
I can see this Plus size iPhone becoming a very good option to an iPad in the cab. How about you ag app developers? What do you think about the new iPhone 6S Plus?
I added a Sena Lugano Wallet leather case with a couple slots to carry a credit card or some cash. That’s iPhone styling!
In an effort to educate audiences across Wisconsin about the importance and global impact of agriculture, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection(DATCP) has created a secret weapon: they call her Alice, and the role she holds as an agricultural industry professional is making an incredible impact on Wisconsin youth.
Alice in Dairyland is a one year, full time position with Wisconsin DATCP. Each year’s titleholder serves as an ambassador for Wisconsin agriculture, traveling over 40,000 miles throughout the state and reaching out to different audiences through educational presentations, classroom appearances, and media campaigns that provide consumers with engaging dialogue on the impact of Wisconsin’s $8.8 billion agriculture industry.
2016 marks the 68th year that Alice has reached out a hand to bring agriculture into the lives of Wisconsin’s consumers, and this year’s title belongs to Teyanna Loether.
Loether grew up on a dairy farm in Sauk City, Wisconsin that later transitioned to a hog and beef operation, and also grows both row crops and vineyards for local wineries. She pursued higher education in the acclaimed College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and in 2015 she received a Masters degree in Animal Science. Her childhood exposure to so many types of production is reflected in her passion for the diversity of Wisconsin agriculture.
“The diversity of the industry is something I certainly take with me into the position,” she said in an interview at the 2015 World Dairy Expo, “Wisconsin ranks first in the nation for the production of cheese, but we also rank number one in the nation for the production of cranberries, ginseng, snap beans, and milk goats; Wisconsin agriculture is incredibly diverse.”
Her presence at this year’s World Dairy Expo is widespread, but a large of portion time will be spent with fourth graders from across the state, giving engaging educational presentations on the health benefits of milk and its nine essential nutrients. Her focus is truly centered on impacting Wisconsin youth, keeping them interested and involved in food production, and the importance of delivering the message of agriculture to them: “The interesting thing about the population today is that people are becoming farther and farther removed from farming operations,” she said, “It’s become increasingly important to deliver the message of where our food comes from and how consumers can benefit from the nutrients and health behind it every day.”
Listen to my interview with Teyanna here:Interview with Teyanna Loether, 68th Alice in Dairyland
View and download photos from the event here: 2015 World Dairy Expo Photo Album
Want to take a break from harvest? How about playing some Liberty Link Real Yield game?
Here’s how you play:
Visit www.realyieldgame.com and click on the promotion link.
1. Complete all fields in the registration or log-in process.
2. Select five fields in the game area to spray Liberty® to reveal incremental bushels of soybeans.
3. Look at the total number of incremental bushels of soybeans for all five fields in the silo and determine the prize won.
Limit three game plays per person – one game play for complete registration, one game play for completion of LibertyLink® Ratings/Reviews/Attributes, one game play for social sharing through the promotion website.
In the real world, missed weeds compromise real yield. The LibertyLink® system is simply a better solution that ensures you don’t lose yield from missed weeds. Choose LibertyLink® and Liberty® to maximize real yields with high-performing genetics and better weed control.
Monty Henderson from Indiana has had good results using the Liberty Link system:
Sponsored Post
Ceva Animal Health is set on becoming a major player in the swine industry within the next five years. The global company was just created in 2000 in France, and the North American operations started in only 2005, but already Ceva has experienced a five fold growth increase.
Craig Wallace, Ceva CEO and North American Zone Director, says growth in his area – which also includes Australia and New Zealand – has been tremendous in the past decade. “We started in 2005 as we acquired a company called Biomune, a poultry company,” he said during a swine media event last week at Ceva’s North American headquarters in Lenexa, Kansas. “There have been multiple acquisitions since that point that have put us into multiple segments, primarily focused on poultry, swine and companion animals.”
Ceva is launching a major expansion into the swine health business. “Globally, of strategic interest and import, is moving into the poultry and swine business because of the ability for us to impact the world’s food sources and help producers deliver high quality, low cost proteins,” said Wallace.
The company has already developed a healthy market share of the poultry health business, with the expectation of being number one in vaccines by the end of next year. “Our plan moving into the swine business is to have the same sort of success,” Wallace added.
Learn more about Ceva in this interview: Interview with Craig Wallace, Ceva Animal Health
