Is Open Internet Here to Stay?

Jamie Johansen February 24, 2015

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Which crop insurance option will you be choosing?”

It is evident that many farmers across the country still do not understand the crop insurance options offered in our recent farm bill and deciding has become a chore. However, the majority of those who took our poll and have made a decision have selected agriculture risk coverage or ARC.

Here are the poll results:

PLC – 15%
ARC – 47%
Still unsure – 38%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, What do you think of proposed government control over the internet?

We have been hearing the term net neutrality or open internet in the news lately. The FCC says open internet ensures that every American has access to open and robust high-speed internet service. As we understand it, the FCC’s guidelines for this are being challenged by a number of organizations. So, we want to know what you think about a proposed government control over our internet.

ZimmPoll

Registration for 2015 AgCareers.com HR Roundtable

Jamie Johansen February 24, 2015

The AgCareers.com 13th Annual North American Ag & Food HR Roundtable will take place in St. Louis, MO this year on August 4-6. The event includes educational sessions on current recruitment and retention topics in the agricultural industry. The premier event provides relevant content and rewarding networking experiences for all.

The 2015 Roundtable will cover:
– It is All About Branding
– The Workforce Landscape: A C-Suite Perspective
– Is Cultural Fit Really that Important?
– Working Toward a Common Goal—Student Recruitment Panel
– Performance Management in our Industry
– The Hiring Process—Employers Unplugged
– A Driving Force: Integrating Analytics into Recruiting
– Handling Difficult Conversations in Agriculture
– Redefining Diversity Recruitment
– Beg, Borrow, and Share University Session
– Strategic College Recruiting for Small & Mid-Sized Organizations
– International Recruitment

Human resources professionals, managers, university/college staff and associations within the agricultural industry will find exceptional opportunities for networking, continuing education and entertainment at the Roundtable, hosted by Monsanto.

AgCareers.com is also offering an add-on workshop on Military Recruitment in conjunction with this year’s Ag & Food HR Roundtable. This special workshop will provide helpful insight to participants that would like to focus on employing more military service members within their organizations.

Ag Groups, AgCareers, Events

New Holland Seeds of Life Part 4

Jamie Johansen February 24, 2015

New Holland has just published episode #4 in its Seeds of Life Series, “A storytelling project for the Heroes who feed us all.”

New Holland Agriculture presents “A Sustainable World”, fourth episode of The Seeds of Life Series at Expo2015. Come and discover generations of our Heroes #ThanksToHeroes. Follow our farmers in their continuous efforts to meet the growing demand for food and protect the future of the environment.

As farmers, our Heroes have the duty to protect the Earth, trying and waste as little water as possible, using biomass, and building anti-desertification barriers.

To generate electricity, they use biogas deriving from livestock effluent and cereal silage, and by burning wheat straw in thermoelectric generators they supply electric energy and heat to the surrounding cities and business activities.

Thanks to water storage, they reduced water consumption by 30% per square meter of field crops over the last 10 years. A farm can reduce the effect of wind, and help control desertification to improve the Earth’s climate. Watch how together, we feed the world #TogetherWeFeedTheWorld @Expo 2015.

Find out more on the New Holland website, dedicated to the new worldwide campaign to reach the Expo Milano 2015 broad audience.

Agribusiness, New Holland, Sustainability, Video

John Deere Offers Machine Sync Enhancements

Cindy Zimmerman February 24, 2015

Commodity Classic attendees this week will get to find out more about the latest John Deere Machine Sync enhancements which debuted at the 2015 National Farm Machinery Show.

Deere announced expanded the functionality of its Machine Sync application this year, featuring coverage map and guidance line sharing that can be useful during seeding and spraying operations, as well as when applying nutrients and during harvest.

These new features make it easy for two machines to operate in the same field while giving each operator immediate access to coverage maps and guidance lines to improve overall efficiency in the field, according to Jake Flanders with Deere’s Intelligent Solutions Group (ISG). “If you can share those (guidance) lines with each other and be able to see the areas each one has already covered that lets you do a very synchronized dance through that field with two machines without having to radio back and forth and look at lines in the dirt,” said Flanders. “You can just look at lines on your display and it makes it a lot easier.”

Listen to my interview with Jake from NFMS here: Interview with Jake Flanders, Deere ISG

Be sure to stop by and visit with John Deere at Commodity Classic and check out their WIN Session on Data-Enabled Technology which will be held at 1:30 Friday afternoon.

2015 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Audio, Commodity Classic, data, John Deere, National Farm Machinery Show, NFMS, Precision Agriculture

Students Celebrate National FFA Week Nationwide

Jamie Johansen February 23, 2015

More than a half-million students in all 50 states will share the importance of agriculture in our daily lives, spread their passion for agriculture and host community-wide events to help others in need this week.

It’s National FFA Week and a host of activities are planned to raise awareness about the National FFA Organization and the role it plays in the development of the agriculture industry’s future leaders and the importance of agricultural education.

The week-long tradition started in 1948. Each year, National FFA Week runs Saturday to Saturday, encompassing President George Washington’s Feb. 22 birthday in recognition of Washington’s legacy as an agriculturist and farmer.

FFA was founded by a group of young farmers in 1928. Its mission is to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population. Since the founding members the organization has taught generations that agriculture is more than planting and harvesting — it involves science, business and much more.

Today, FFA continues to help the next generation rise up to meet new agricultural challenges by helping members develop their own unique talents and explore their interests in a broad range of career pathways. Members prepare for careers as biologists, chemists, veterinarians, engineers and entrepreneurs.

National FFA Week is sponsored by Tractor Supply Co., National FFA Week activities can be followed on Twitter at #FFAweek.

Ag Groups, FFA

Propane Incentives at Commodity Classic

Cindy Zimmerman February 23, 2015

Farmers attending the Commodity Classic this week in Phoenix can learn about the latest developments in reliable and efficient propane-powered agricultural technologies – and earn up to $6,000 towards equipment purchases through the Propane Farm Incentive Program.

The program, sponsored by the Propane Education & Research Council, already offers up to $5,000 for qualifying equipment purchases but during the Commodity Classic, an additional incentive of $1,000 will be available.

The special $1,000, show-only discount will be valid for producers who stop by the PERC booth spaces, located at #2126, 2128, 2227, and 2229. PERC’s booths will feature a new 8.8-liter propane irrigation engine by SRC Power Systems and a propane-powered Exmark Laser Z X-Series commercial mower.

“With so many new technologies available on the market, and incentives of up to $6,000 available from PERC, now is the perfect time for producers to learn what’s new, and to take advantage of the benefits of clean, American-made propane,” said Cinch Munson, PERC’s ‎director of agriculture business development.

PERC has worked with a number of manufacturers to bring a new generation of propane-powered irrigation engines to the market in recent years. New emissions-compliant propane engines cost less up front than costly Tier 4 diesel engines, and Propane Farm Incentive Program participants report cutting fuel costs by over 50 percent by switching to propane irrigation, compared with similar diesel engines. Propane-powered irrigation systems also produce 11 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than diesel systems, and 24 percent less than gasoline-fueled systems.

PERC is one of our Commodity Classic sponsors this year so we will be learning much more this week about how switching to propane makes more dollars and sense than ever. Find out details about the incentive program here.

Commodity Classic, Energy, Irrigation, PERC, Propane

NASCAR Starts 5th Year with American Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman February 23, 2015

Chuck took a last minute trip to the Daytona 500 this past weekend courtesy of New Holland, where American Ethanol celebrated the start of the fifth year of its partnership with NASCAR.

“They’ve put over six million hard-earned miles at high RPMs on these race cars,” said Tom Buis of Growth Energy at the race on Sunday. “They got better performance, they didn’t lose mileage and they haven’t had a single problem.”

Growth Energy, the National Corn Growers Association, New Holland and POET-DSM are partners in American Ethanol with NASCAR and Buis says it has helped to promote E15 to consumers. “We’re seeing more retail outlets offer E15, the same high-performance, less expensive, better fuel,” Buis said.

Interview with Tom Buis, Growth Energy, at Daytona 500

NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Brent Dewar says the partnership with American Ethanol has been very positive for them. “What we love about ethanol is not only is it a great renewable but it’s a great racing fuel, higher octane so it’s great performance for the drivers,” he said. “It’s also great for the environment, reduces greenhouse gases, homemade here in America …. it’s a win-win-win and in car races we’re all about winning!” Interview with Brent Dewar, NASCAR, at Daytona 500

Chuck also had a chance to chat with American Ethanol NASCAR driver Austin Dillon while in Daytona.

“I really support what we’re doing with American Ethanol,” said Dillon. “It’s funny that you wouldn’t think NASCAR would be a “green” sport” but what we’ve done with American Ethanol has helped us be the leader in sports with green American Ethanol.”

Dillon drove the number 33 car in the Xfinity Series Alert Today Florida 300 race at Daytona Speedway on Saturday and the #3 car in the Daytona 500 race for Richard Childress Racing. Interview with NASCAR driver Austin Dillon

Audio, Ethanol, NASCAR, New Holland

Culver’s Honors Farmers & Supports National FFA Week

Jamie Johansen February 23, 2015

In celebration of FFA week, February 21-28, Culver’s created a Thank You Farmers video to recognize hardworking farmers across the U.S. For every view of this video on YouTube, Culver’s will donate $1 to the National FFA Organization.

While we set aside this week each year to focus on farming and agriculture, Culver’s thanks farmers all year long in the following ways:

· In-restaurant fundraising backed by the efforts of more than 380 restaurants that has raised nearly a half-million dollars to date in support of the National FF Foundation, local FFA chapters and a variety of agriculture organizations
· A larger-than-life Thank You Farmers corn maze in Tracy, Minn.
· Three blue barns sharing a giant thank you to America’s farmers
· A nationwide coloring contest that gave young guests the chance to be featured in Culver’s 2015 Thank You Farmers calendar

Agribusiness, Farming, FFA, Video

Farmall 100A Series Meets Needs of All Customers

Jamie Johansen February 23, 2015

If you walked through the Case IH booth at the National Farm Machinery Show last week you were bound to see their line of Farmall 100A tractors. Denny Stroo, Case IH, was on hand to share his knowledge of the esteemed tractor and Chuck was there to capture it.

“This particular Farmall is a 140A, which is part of the 100A series of tractors. Brand new this year is our cab platform as well as our new engine platform. The new cab gives us the ability to have a really nice ergometry laid out controls along with a couple of nice options. We have a high visibility roof panel that makes loader work very convenient. Another option is the instructors seat.”

Denny shared many other options you can select from to fit your operations needs, whether you are a row crop or livestock customer it seems this line of tractors has something for you. Case IH dealers have been taking orders for a couple of months now and they will start showing up on dealer lots this Spring.

The goal at Case IH was to provide a industry leading, cost-effective product for their customers, Denny believes they have succeeded. Learn more about how you can get your own in Chuck’s complete interview with Denny here: Interview with Denny Stroo, Case IH

Find photos from the event here: 2015 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Case IH, NFMS, Tractor

More Reaction to Proposed Dietary Guidelines

John Davis February 23, 2015

More comments are coming forward about the recently released Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Farm Bureau and some key politicians are not pleased about what they see as the committee’s overreach in the report that will be used for developing national nutrition policy by the federal government.

Bob Stallman, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation says while his group is pleased by the science used in the report, some of the conclusions go beyond what the current committee members would qualify to comment on.

“We are, however, concerned that the report’s lengthy foray into sustainability issues goes well beyond both the group’s expertise and its clearly defined mission. Its conclusions would have benefitted from the contributions of agronomists, animal scientists, ecologists and others with deeper expertise in agriculture and sustainability.

“The report makes many good observations about the need for a balanced diet, but we are troubled that it also repeats alarmist and unsubstantiated assertions about land use first promulgated by a UN agency with scant agricultural understanding. These assertions contradict the views of the UN’s own agricultural experts and fly in the face of decades of scientific consensus. The overall guidelines also ignore easier and more effective ways ordinary Americans can reduce their carbon footprints.”

Stallman goes on to say the report has an “unrealistically pessimistic view of sustainability,” and that colored its views regarding meat in the American diet.

U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, (R-Kansas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, expressed similar concerns of the report’s contents.

“This report is disappointing, as it is clear with some of these recommendations, the non-political, science-based process has gone awry. The Dietary Guidelines are an essential part of combating obesity and improving the diets of all Americans, and it is crucial the Guidelines be free from political influence and be completely based in nutrition science. It appears this has not been the case, and that is troubling news. As USDA and HHS take this report into consideration and develop the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, I hope they work to restore integrity to the process and preserve the independent, unbiased and nutrition science-based nature of previous Guidelines.”

A public comment period on the report goes until April 8.

AFBF, Ag Groups, Agribusiness, politics

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