ASTA Members Storm the Hill

Cindy Zimmerman

ASTA incoming chair Risa DeMasi with Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley

ASTA incoming chair Risa DeMasi with Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley

Over 120 members of the American Seed Trade Association “stormed the Hill” this week, meeting with their elected officials in Washington DC to talk about important issues for the seed industry.

“It was the most people we’ve had Storm the Hill ever,” said incoming ASTA chair Risa DeMasi of Grassland Oregon. “This is the first time that I’ve gone to the Hill and been able to meet with legislators themselves as opposed to just their staff.”

Among the key issues seed industry members discussed with lawmakers were trade, genetic resources, pollinator health, and labeling for genetically modified foods.

The ASTA annual meeting is held once every three years in Washington DC but next year the meeting will be held in Risa’s home state of Oregon as she takes over the chairmanship of the organization. “First time ever in Oregon and we’ll get to showcase some of the great diversity of agriculture in our state,” she said, more than a little excited about it!

Listen to my interview with Risa here: Interview with ASTA incoming chair Risa DeMasi, Grassland Oregon

2015 ASTA Annual Meeting photos

ASTA, Audio, Biotech, Seed

RIP Former AFBF President Dean Kleckner

Cindy Zimmerman

klecknerJust received word from Iowa Farm Bureau that former American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) president Dean Kleckner, 82, passed away June 15 at his home in Minnesota with his wife of 62 years, Natalie, and family members by his side.

Kleckner was best known for his decades-long leadership within the Farm Bureau on the local, state and national level beginning at age 26 when he was elected president of the Floyd County Farm Bureau. In 1963, Kleckner became the vice president of Iowa Farm Bureau and in 1975 was elected president of IFBF. In 1986, he was elected president of AFBF and served seven two-year terms.

From 2000 to 2012, Kleckner was the Chairman of Truth About Trade and Technology (TATT), a non-profit advocacy group led by American farmers. Over his decades of leadership, Kleckner also served on many company and organization boards, including: the World Food Prize, the International Food and Agricultural Trade Policy Council, the National Policy Association, the National Livestock Producers Association, the Meat Export Federation, the College of Agriculture at Iowa State University, Iowans for Tax Relief, and the Health Policy Corporation of Iowa.

A public memorial service for Dean Kleckner will be held at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 8301 Aurora Avenue, Urbandale, Iowa, on Tuesday, August 18, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. The public memorial will be immediately followed by a reception and fellowship at the church. The committal, at McLarens Resthaven Chapel in West Des Moines, will be private.

The family suggests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, 600 Maryland Avenue SW, Suite 1000W, Washington, D.C. 20024 or The Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, D.C. 20090-6011.

AFBF

Secretary Vilsack Visits #ASTAannual

Cindy Zimmerman

asta-15-vilsackAgriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stressed the importance of the seed industry to American agriculture and the nation as a whole during an address kicking off the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) annual meeting on Thursday in Washington DC.

“Clearly the seed industry has been responsible for an extraordinary increase in productivity in American agriculture,” said Vilsack. “But more than that, you are also critically important to the expansion of the local and regional food systems we are creating in this country.” In addition, Vilsack continued, the seed industry is vital to conservation and the increase in biobased products.

Vilsack made a request to ASTA members that they contact their members of Congress and tell them about the importance of funding for agricultural research. “The sad reality is that the current Congress is looking at a budget for USDA that’s $3.3 billion less than it was when I first became secretary,” said Vilsack. “And a good portion of that reduction has come from research.”

Listen to Vilsack’s speech here: Secy Vilsack addresses 2015 ASTA Annual

2015 ASTA Annual Meeting photos

ASTA, Audio, Seed, USDA

Mow, Mow, Mow

Melissa Sandfort

20150613_185206Today Aunt Jeanette writes:

“Mow, mow, mow the grass
Every other day.
‘Cause if you don’t you’ll have to bale
Just like you do the hay!”

I think I have told you before that to keep myself entertained when I am working outside I sometimes make up different lyrics to familiar songs and sing them out loud. Well, today was a singing day! It was also a mowing, trimming and pulling weeds day.

We have been fortunate to have rain in June after a quite dry April and May. In fact, I was terribly worried about my lawn because it was beginning to look like it usually looks the middle of August. June has been a different story. I am writing this on June 13 and since the first of June, we have had a total of 7.47 inches of rain. It has been wonderful!

Now, you might wonder why I didn’t turn my automatic sprinklers on in April and May. Well, I mostly rely on the original sprinkler system – Mother Nature. Also, since our lawn is almost the size of a football field (the result of having three boys that needed room to run and play) putting a sprinkler system in would be quite a task.

So, I will keep mowing, trimming, pulling weeds, enjoying the rain…and singing!

Note – The picture of the clematis has nothing to do with the story, but its beautiful flowers are also the result of generous rainfall. I also thought it was much prettier than a picture of grass. However, the “trellis” is a story for another time.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

AgriClear Launches New Platform for Cattle Buyers/Sellers

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 478AgriClear, an online platform designed to provide U.S. and Canadian cattle buyers and sellers with an efficient, cost-effective transaction and payment service just opened. Jamie Johansen spoke with Nevil Speer, AgriClear, to learn more about this new platform and is featured in this week’s ZimmCast.

AgriClear offers cattle producers a new way to do business with important benefits for both buyers and sellers, including assured payment for cattle delivered at the terms negotiated. By joining the AgriClear community, marketers will now be able to securely list and execute cattle transactions from their computer.

AgriClearNevil Speer serves as the Vice President of U.S. Operations for AgriClear and I spoke with him to learn more about this new opportunity for cattle producers. “We think there are some key value propositions with AgriClear that differentiate us in the marketplace. Primarily, it is a one-on-one type of transaction and negotiation. What happens in that process is you have access to broader markets. We empower buyers and sellers to be ultimately price makers instead of price takers.”

Nevil stressed that it is not an auction format. No one is under any time pressure when making purchases. He also added that registration is simple and there is no membership fee.

AgriClear operations will benefit from the financial support and clearing expertise of NGX, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TMX Group that offers trading and clearing services for natural gas, crude oil and electricity contracts.

Other benefits include a lower cost structure, an expanded market with a broader network of verified members, and financial certainty for transactions, with NGX acting as administrator of AgriClear’s back-office payment and settlement services.

Listen to Jamie’s conversation with Nevil in this week’s program: AgriClear Platform

Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here.

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Agribusiness, Audio, Livestock, ZimmCast

RFD-TV Ready to Host Presidential Candidates

Chuck Zimmerman

Rural Town HallPresidential candidates are getting a great opportunity to talk to the rural community. It’s also a great opportunity for the country to see them in a different than normal setting answering questions they may not be asked otherwise. It’s RFD-TV and a series of programs called “RURAL TOWN HALL.” The series is being produced in conjunction with Mediacom Connections Channel.

Issues important to rural Americans, farmers, ranchers, and senior citizens will be the sole focus in a new series of live, one-hour, primetime programs featuring presidential candidates leading up to the caucuses in Iowa, and New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries. Each program will offer individual candidates the opportunity to share their vision for rural America, while answering questions submitted by rural associations, organizations, and commodity groups. Veteran farm broadcaster Orion Samuelson will serve as host.

RURAL TOWN HALL will premiere in July and air on Monday evenings at 8pm ET (7pm CT), and Thursday evenings at 10pm ET (9pm CT). The program will be delivered to almost 50 million homes through RFD-TV’s distribution on cable and satellite. In addition, RURAL RADIO on SiriusXM Channel 80 will simulcast each town hall to SiriusXM’s 27+ million subscribers. Rural Town Hall production will originate from a variety of locations in the State of Iowa or the RFD-TV studios on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. A complete schedule of each candidate’s appearance to follow.
“Rural America’s impact on national elections is undeniable. This is a tremendous opportunity for each candidate to address issues largely ignored by urban media, yet are so important to many of the citizens voting in these primaries,” stated Patrick Gottsch, Founder & President of Rural Media Group. “From day one Rural Media Group’s goal has been to reconnect city with country. We believe that this nation is at its best when urban and rural America understand each other’s issues and perspectives, in order to work together resulting in a solution acceptable to all.”


Media, Video

Faith & Ag Event in Italy to Discuss Modern Ag Challenges

John Davis

nfu_logo2U.S. agricultural leaders will join world leaders in Milan, Italy, to talk about how faith traditions can inform solutions to modern agricultural challenges. The National Farmers Union will send several of is leaders to the June 27-28 Faith, Agriculture, Food and the Environment symposium, including Doug Peterson, the president of Farmers Union Enterprises and the Minnesota Farmers Union, who will be a featured speaker at the event that focuses on Pope Francis’ eco-encyclical and how it relates to contemporary challenges in agriculture and food production.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to examine the crossroads of faith, food production and the environment and to look for better ways to ensure nutrition for the world’s people while managing our environmental footprint,” said Peterson.

The symposium events will be held at Civil Society Pavilion Cascina Triulza at EXPO 2015, which is taking place in Milan this summer. Peterson will speak at 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 27.

He will be joined at the event by the presidents of three other states’ farmers unions (Darin Von Ruden [Wisconsin], Mark Watne [North Dakota], Alan Merrill [Montana]), as well as Jim Ennis, the executive director of Catholic Rural Life.

“This symposium comes on the heels of the publication of Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment, and will be one of the first opportunities for farm leaders, theologians and academic experts from around the world to gather and discuss how to apply the key themes of the letter to agriculture,” said Ennis.

Cardinal Peter Turkson, the president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and a key architect of the pope’s encyclical, will begin the event by providing a faith-based perspective—rooted in Francis’ teaching—on the moral dimensions of farming.

Ag Groups, Ag Leader, International

Biobased Industry Boosts US Economy

John Davis

USDAA new report that shows the U.S. biobased industry adds $369 billion and 4 million jobs to the American economy. This news release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that number is poised to grow under changes in the 2014 Farm Bill.

“This report is the first to examine and quantify the effect of the U.S. biobased products industry from an economics and jobs perspective. Before, we could only speculate at the incredible economic impact of the biobased products industry. Now, we know that in 2013 alone, America’s biobased industry contributed four million jobs and $369 billion to our economy,” [Agriculture Secretary Tom] Vilsack said. “Today, we are also adding to the number of innovative products carrying USDA’s BioPreferred® label and expanding options for our nation’s biorefineries. This means small businesses and global companies alike can continue to harness the power of America’s farms and forests to create new and innovative biobased products that are used all around the world.”

According to the Economic Impact of the Biobased Product Industry report, each job in the biobased products industry is responsible for generating 1.64 jobs in other sectors of the economy. In 2013, 1.5 million jobs directly supported the biobased product industry, resulting in 1.1 million indirect jobs in related industries, and another 1.4 million induced jobs produced from the purchase of goods and services generated by the direct and indirect jobs.

This report builds on the “Why Biobased?” report released by the USDA in October 2014.

Agribusiness, Biofuels, USDA

New Holland T7 in the Field

Chuck Zimmerman

New Holland T7During the New Holland agricultural journalist trip we were bussed out to La Bellotta Sustainable Farm to see tractors in action and have a chance to ride and drive them. In this photo Willie Vogt, Penton/Farm Progress, is taking his turn in a new T7 Series tractor.

At my first stop we watched Sigurn Ghyselen, New Holland, EMEA Business Marketing Manager T6 and T7, give us a presentation on the new T7 Series tractors which are Tier 4B compliant.

You can specify your New Holland T7 tractor to match your specific business needs. With rated engine power ranging from 140 to 240 horsepower, and PTO horsepower ranging from 110 to 210 PTO horsepower, the seven-model T7 Series line-up offers a choice of semi-powershift, full-powershift or continuously variable transmissions (CVT), with the T7.270 available only with the Auto Command™ CVT. You can add a New Holland loader to any T7 model, and also choose the optional fully integrated front three-point hitch and PTO.

Watch Sigurn give the full presentation in the video:


New Holland Expo Milano 2015 Photos

Agribusiness, Equipment, New Holland, Tractor, Video

American Food 2.0 at Expo Milano 2015

Chuck Zimmerman

American Food 2.0I’m wearing my American Food 2.0 shirt today thanks to New Holland and the trip they put together last week for agricultural journalists. While visiting Expo Milano 2015 I made sure I stopped at the USA Pavilion. The pavilion is sponsored in part by CNH Industrial.

The theme for the USA Pavilion is “American Food 2.0: United to Feed the Planet.”

Expo Milano 2015 will enable the USA Pavilion to showcase the United States as an innovator not only in the food sector, but also in many aspects of culture, science and business. Feeding ourselves engages a massive infrastructure, advanced technologies, and dynamic systems that touch on just about every aspect of the world we live in. Each step from farm to table reflects a set of values and connections that impact our identities and shape our future.

USA Pavilion The USA Pavilion is a one-of-a-kind building designed by architect James Biber of Biber Architects in New York. It is a 35,000 square foot space within Expo Milano’s 3.6 million square foot sustainable “smart city.” The building is a multi-level experience that flows with activity from top to bottom, side to side. It includes a massive vertical farm that will be harvested daily. “I’ve drawn inspiration from the straightforward, ‘honest’ agricultural buildings that are part of our nation’s history,” said Biber in a recent interview about the process of creating the USA Pavilion. “It is a very simple building, and when people look at it, they’ll instantly understand exactly how it was made.”

One of the very unique features of the building is on an outside wall that consists of panels of vegetables growing as part of a “vertical farm.” Another is Food Truck Nation. There are six food trucks located near the pavilion serving traditional American food like hamburgers, BBQ and lobster rolls.

Food, International, New Holland