Farm Foundation President to Retire

John Davis August 7, 2015

The president of Farm Foundation is going to reture. Neil Conklin, who took office in 2008 and is the sixth person to lead Farm Foundation in its 82-year history, says he will retire effective December 2016.

“Neil has been key in fulfilling the Trustees’ goal to position the Foundation as the leader in helping public and private-sector leaders address the critical issues that are shaping the future today,” said Mark S. Scholl, Chairman of the Farm Foundation Board of Trustees. “He has staunchly protected the Foundation’s position of non-advocacy.

“But as Neil so often says, non-advocacy does not mean no action,” Scholl continued. “Under Neil’s leadership, the Foundation’s work has addressed such varied topics as food prices, global trade, conservation, renewable energy, agricultural productivity, and now, the Soil Renaissance. Neil has kept the focus on the Foundation’s unique ability to help stakeholders better understand the complexity of and options to address the multitude of issues shaping the future.”

“With the challenges in agriculture and the food system today, it is both an honor and a great responsibility to lead Farm Foundation. The Foundation is a unique resource to this nation’s agriculture, food and rural sectors,” Conklin said. “I still have much I want to accomplish at the Foundation, but I felt it important to give the Trustees adequate time to find the right person to be the Foundation’s seventh President.”

A search committee is beginning the process of finding a successor.

Ag Groups, Farm Foundation

Prez Candidate Rand Paul: Stop EPA Farmland Grab

Joanna Schroeder August 6, 2015

Republican Presidential Candidate and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is kicking off his first Iowa radio campaign ad “decrying the Obama Administration’s land grab of Iowa farmland”. The radio ad will be heard on farm radio stations. The ad is focused on the Waters of the US legislation and highlights the devastating consequences of the new regulation.

“In Washington, DC, President Obama and the EPA are trying to quietly being the greatest government land grab in Iowa history, said Paul. “Obama’s looming ‘Waters of the US’ regulation will place 97 percent of Iowa land adn evry farm under greater government control by federal government.”

The American Farm Bureau (AFBF) has detailed the potential effects the rule could have on Iowa, along with all states and has a “Ditch the Rule” campaign underway. AFBF writes that, “Farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to remain in production often depends on being able to use the types of farm practices that would be prohibited if EPA denies a permit for them. For example, building a fence across a ditch, applying fertilizer or pesticides, or pulling weeds could require a federal permit. The proposed rule, in effect, would give EPA veto authority over a farmer’s or rancher’s ability to operate.”

Paul has pledged to reverse this legislation on his first day in the White House should he be elected.

Listen to the radio ad here.

Agribusiness, Environment, EPA, Precision Agriculture, Water

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes August 6, 2015

The 2015 South Dakota Beef Ambassador Contest was held on July 24 in Huron, S.D. in conjunction with the South Dakota Summer Spotlight.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) announced the winners of its agricultural engineering student awards during special ceremonies at the annual international meeting of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) in New Orleans, Louisiana.
DuPont officially opened its Integrated Seed Science Center in Johnston, Iowa on August 5, 2015.
Opportunities for professional development is one major reason people join AAEA, according to 69 percent of respondents in a recent member survey.

Zimfo Bytes

It’s Fair Season – What Gets You to the Fair?

Jamie Johansen August 6, 2015

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How are you connecting your precision equipment and data?”

It looks like many of our readers haven’t quite adopted the wireless capabilities when it come to connecting precision equipment. It looks like the majority of you are utilizing memory cards and USB sticks. However, after attending the 2015 InfoAg Conference the Cloud is here and it looks like it is the key to efficiency.

Here are the poll results:

Memory cards – 33%
USB sticks – 33%
Cloud (wifi)- 1%
Cellular network – 17%
Other – 16%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, What brings you to the county, regional or state fair?

We are in the heat of fair season. Whether its a county, regional or state fair it is easy to find one to attend. I have exhibited livestock at fairs my entire life and I hope to instill my love for the fair life into my daughter very soon. Some people go for the food, the great concerts, to exhibit their livestock or to simply take in all the sights. Tell us why you love the fair. Is it for the overall experience or is it the craving of a footlong corn dog?

ZimmPoll

Learn More About New Holland Sprayers

Jamie Johansen August 6, 2015

Sprayers at New Holland Agriculture fall under the specialty products division along with grape harvesters. During New Holland’s Media Days, members of the trade media received a hands-on learning experience to grasp all the specs on their line of sprayers.

The advantages of a front mount boom are many. With a front boom, you get the best of all views and never need to turn in your seat to monitor spraying action. Nozzles are located behind the boom, so you have a complete, unrestricted view of every nozzle. Spray is delivered into the crop before the tires go over it, eliminating the potential for dust to neutralize the spray.

Watch Chuck’s video to learn more about the sprayers tank capacity, boom construction and more.

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New Holland Media Days 2015 Photo Album

Agribusiness, Equipment, Farming, New Holland

FMC Talks Anthem Maxx at #AgMedia

Cindy Zimmerman August 6, 2015

Anthem® Maxx herbicide due out this fall from FMC is a new, concentrated version of Anthem herbicide that offers growers a dramatically lower use-rate.

“We like taking Anthem to corn,” said Matt Hancock, FMC Corn Segment Manager, during an interview at last week’s Ag Media Summit. “This is a four ounce per acre use rate to get pre- and post-emergent control of broadleaves and pre-emergent control of grasses…it takes the eight ounce rate of Anthem and lowers it to the four ounce rate.”

Hancock says Anthem Maxx herbicide also provides a wide application window and controls a wide spectrum of broadleaves, including ALS, triazine and glyphosate resistant weeds like waterhemp, Palmer pigweed and others.

Find out more in this interview: Interview with Matt Hancock, FMC, on Anthem Maxx

2015 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

Coverage of the Ag Media Summit is sponsored by

Ag Media Summit, Audio, Crop Protection, FMC, Herbicide

Passing of the AAEA Gavel

Cindy Zimmerman August 5, 2015

It was out with the old and in with the new president for the American Agricultural Editors’ Association at the Ag Media Summit last week. Kurt Lawton, Corn and Soybean Digest editor, retired his gavel and Elaine Shein, Associate managing editor for DTN/The Progressive Farmer, picked it up.

“It’s been an amazing year,” said Lawton. “We set out to really look hard at improving the association, as we do every year. We’ve taken on a lot of new things from youth leadership to increasing membership to so many new programs.”

AAEA membership increased for the tenth year in a row and Shein hopes to keep that ball rolling. “We’re at 475 now and we are hoping to increase that to 500 by 2020,” Shein said. That year is significant because it will be the 100th anniversary of the organization and plans for that celebration will be really taking off in the year ahead. “You can’t wait until 2019 to work on that,” she said.

Listen to my interview with Kurt and Elaine here: Interview with outgoing and incoming AAEA presidents

2015 AAEA Business Meeting and Awards

2015 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

Coverage of the Ag Media Summit is sponsored by

ACN, Ag Media Summit, Audio, Media

The Yield Lab Solution

Chuck Zimmerman August 5, 2015

During the InfoAg Conference I met Thad Simons and Matt Plummer of The Yield Lab. This relatively new venture was created with a vision to “Accelerate, mentor, and cultivate AgTech innovation that builds a sustainable, food secure future for all.” Thad and Matt were attending the conference to visit with several companies and discuss their current investment needs. Here’s the process of working with The Yield Lab.

We invest in early stage AgTech companies that have creative and innovative solutions in the agriculture space. Through $100,000 in funding, world class mentoring and support, and the agriculturally solid framework of St. Louis, Missouri, selected companies complete our 9 month cohort ready to introduce critical solutions to the agriculture field. We are excited to be doing our part to help make St. Louis the city with solutions and the gateway to a more food secure future.

Speaking from personal experience a start up company needs more than just a check for money. I believe that if I had the added value of investor time and attention one of the first start ups that I was involved in would have thrived.

The Yield Lab will have a fall submission period for new companies seeking this type of assistance. In the first round Yield Lab selected six companies to work with.

Listen to my conversation with Thad and Matt in this week’s program: The Yield Lab

Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here.

The ZimmCast

sponsored by

Locally owned, globally strong.

Agribusiness, Audio, ZimmCast

Compact Wheel Loaders from New Holland

Jamie Johansen August 5, 2015

The folks at New Holland Agriculture said compact wheel loaders are the fastest growing product in the market. And when you get behind the wheel, you won’t argue it. Members of ag media got a first hand glimpse of the wheel loaders at the New Holland Media Days in New Holland, PA just a few weeks ago.

New Holland compact wheel loaders provide a combination of increased versatility, increased comfort and control so you get the job done more quickly and efficiently. SMART precise load control and speed control improves operating efficiency. And these wheel loaders do much more than load. With big engine and hydraulic power and a choice of buckets and attachments, you can scrape, grade, haul and more.

Watch Chuck’s video from the event to learn more about the compact wheel loaders design, drivetrain capabilities and how the roomy cab provides for smooth control.

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New Holland Media Days 2015 Photo Album

Agribusiness, Equipment, New Holland, Video

Alltech invests in #AgMedia

Lizzy Schultz August 4, 2015

It seems that the minds behind Alltech are under the belief that the leaders of tomorrow are worth investing in today, as they celebrated their third consecutive sponsorship of the Livestock Publications Council (LPC) Forrest Bassford Student Award at the 2015 Ag Media Summit. The Forrest Bassford award honors excellence, professionalism and leadership among students. Each year, following a competitive application process, the LPC Student Award Program presents four young people travel scholarships to attend AMS.

“We’re really happy to be a part of it,” says representative Danielle Palmer, “It’s such a great thing to be a part of. We always get to talk with the students, with our four finalists that come to Ag Media Summit every year as a part of it. They’re always a really impressive group: so together for their ages, and so involved in agriculture and agricultural communications, and it’s just a great thing to be a part of.”

Of the Winner, Kansas State student Nicole Lane, Palmer has only glowing statements to make: “She’s just such an impressive girl, and when she got up there to accept she even started crying a little bit. She talked about how she has cut out articles from many of these people who judged her for the award or who are now at ag media summit and how it’s so neat for her to be kind of recognized on that level now; that was kind of neat to see.”

The scholarship isn’t the only notable communications investment for Alltech, which just wrapped up it’s 31st annual Symposium. Usually called “The Alltech Symposium,” the title has now been changed to the edgier REBELation.

“It’s a play on words with Revelation and Rebel,” says Palmer, “It was all about thinking outside the box, whether it be in business, agriculture, or in science. This year we had a great group of leaders from all different aspects of business and science.”

Speakers included General Colin Powell and former US Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, who spoke for an audience of over 3000 attendees from 70 different countries.

All speakers were recorded using both video and audio devices, and their presentations can be accessed on the all new Alltech Idea Lab. Symposium attendees may view the presentations for free, and other interested parties may access them for a fee of $200.

Listen to my interview with Danielle here:
Interview with Danielle Palmer, Alltech

2015 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

Coverage of the Ag Media Summit is sponsored by

Ag Media Summit, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Journalism, Media, University

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