FFA Chapters Ease Hunger in Schools & Communities

Jamie Johansen February 16, 2015

A group of Oxford Jr/Sr High School students in Kansas are providing fresh vegetables to their school backpack program. Students in Lebanon, Connecticut, are raising broilers, laying hens and hogs to provide fresh protein sources to the local food pantry.

The students – and thousands like them throughout the U.S. – are all FFA members utilizing grant monies to implement long-term, real-world solutions to ease hunger in their communities.

The National FFA Organization has awarded nearly $330,000 in grants to start new service-learning projects or sustain existing programs they have created to fight hunger locally. This year, a total of 138 FFA chapters have received up to $2,500 FFA: Food for All grants to develop and implement hunger solutions in their schools or communities. The grants are made possible by support from CF Industries, Elanco, Mainsource, Tractor Supply Company and Tyson as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

All initiatives rely on FFA members and their chapters as a whole for implementation. In addition to providing food solutions, students also volunteer to help teach fellow students, grade-school students, residents and community groups how to care for, grow, prepare and preserve food.

Last year, 8,978 FFA members partnered with 7,010 non-FFA youth to volunteer a combined 129,961 hours in their communities to fight hunger. More than 185,000 pounds of fresh produce, meat and eggs were donated by 2014 Food for All grant recipients.

Ag Groups, FFA

Call Issued for Golden ARC Award Entries

Jamie Johansen February 16, 2015

The newly-modified 2015 Golden ARC Awards Contest, with many new categories and now permitting online submission of entries, is accepting entries, effective immediately and until March 31, 2015. Not satisfied with record-breaking entries in 2014, the Agricultural Relations Council (ARC) seeks to further improve the Awards Program and has moved to an online submission process this year, allowing entrants to compare their work to the best in the business by simply submitting the entire entry online.

Professionals wanting to enter the 2015 competition, for work completed in full or partially in 2014, should visit http://betternewspapercontest.com/goldenarc2015. Here’s a complete list of the 46 revised categories for 2015, reflecting the evolution of agricultural public relations and with an added focus on social media.

Entries may be submitted before February 27, 2015 to obtain an early bird entry fee of $150. Thereafter and until March 31, the fee per entry is $175. Both ARC members and non-members may enter the competition. Non-members pay an additional $190 with the first entry, thereby becoming a member of the respected organization.

Winners will gather and share in their accolades at the ARC annual meeting, June 23-25, 2015 in Denver, CO. The Golden ARC de Excellence award for the best all-around entry in the campaigns division will also be presented at the awards dinner.

The Golden ARC Awards Program began in 1990 and came to be recognized as the most esteemed award in the agricultural public relations industry. The restructured Contest reflects the many hats worn by today’s PR practitioner – with categories recognizing everything from full campaigns to tactics such as media relations and innovative new uses of social media.

The Golden ARC Awards contest honors the stellar work created by professionals in the agricultural industry. Reinstituted in 2010, the Golden ARC Contest since has recognized 96 Golden ARC winners, 91 merit award winners and three Golden ARC de Excellence award recipients. The format and requirements for the Golden ARC Awards are similar to other leading PR awards programs, based on best practices for public relations and public affairs campaigns and tactics.

Ag Groups, ARC

Daugherty Water for Food Institute Moving Forward

Cindy Zimmerman February 16, 2015

As the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska (DWFI) enters its second five-year phase of development, 2016 will bring a planned leadership transition.

Founding executive director Roberto Lenton will be transitioning out of that position by the end of this year. “I was — and remain — very excited about the opportunity to position DWFI to successfully implement its global mission of ensuring a food and water secure future for our growing population,” said Lenton. “I have assured the board of directors and university leadership that I am committed to facilitating an effective transition and will remain an active and involved executive director until I hand over DWFI leadership to my successor — and will assist the new director beyond that time if she or he sees fit.”

“I am delighted by the enormous progress Roberto has made to establish DWFI on a very solid basis as an important and recognized player in the field of water for food — one of the most important global challenges of the 21st century,” said Jeff Raikes, chair of the DWFI board of directors. “The institute now has an excellent staff and core leadership team who have initiated an impactful set of research, policy and education programs, working in close collaboration with DWFI Faculty Fellows across the university system.”

In recognition of progress to date, the Robert B. Daugherty Charitable Foundation has approved the second 5-year tranche of a $50 million, 15-year grant awarded in 2010. Some of the key accomplishments of DWFI in the first five years include producing six leading global conferences on Water for Food, and spporting development of the Global Yield Gap and Water Productivity Atlas, providing data gathering in South America, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa to identify areas of potential yield improvement.

The University of Nebraska will convene a search committee and engage a search firm for hiring Lenton’s successor.

Food, University, Water

New Holland FinOvation Awards

Chuck Zimmerman February 13, 2015

Last night Farm Industry News presented their annual FinOvation Awards. Our National Farm Machinery Show sponsor, New Holland, received two of them. Thanks to Dawn Pelon at New Holland for the picture.

The products winning for New Holland include their Genesis T8 SmartTrax tractor and their Class 10 CR Combine line.

Here’s how the awards come about via Farm Industry News:

The ever-increasing competition from agricultural companies breeds unique innovations you can put to work on your farm. We honor those tools and products you, dear reader, find most interesting. Whether you saw it online and clicked for more, or you asked for information from our magazine using the reader service card, you were electing FinOvation honorees.

You can find all the winners here.

2015 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by

and

Media, National Farm Machinery Show, New Holland, Tractor

CIRB Wrap Up

Jamie Johansen February 13, 2015

Before the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance (CIRB) annual meeting was a wrap, Chuck sat down with Sarah Hubbert with CIRB to get her perspective on how the event went and a glimpse into what they have planned for the future.

“As CIRB staff, it has been really exciting to see how much this annual meeting has really grown over the last few years. There is a lot of excitement, a lot of good relationship building and good energy moving forward in the year ahead. Although, as you heard from our speakers, there are a lot of policy challenges that we are going to be facing in the crop insurance world in the coming months. But I think CIRB is ready to take those on.”

Sarah said their to-do list is already long but if you step aside from the doom and gloom, there are many opportunities to build relationships with farm organizations and others impacted by crop insurance whether they know it or not. She also stressed the fact that crop insurance really does help the entire rural economy.

Learn more about CIRB and listen to plans for next year’s annual meeting in Chuck’s complete interview with Sarah:Interview with Sarah Hubbert, CIRB

2015 Crop Insurance & Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting Photo Album

Coverage of the Crop Insurance & Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting is sponsored by

Ag Groups, Audio, CIRB, Insurance

Learn More About RCIS

Jamie Johansen February 13, 2015

Attending the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau annual meeting was a first for us and we would like to thank Rural Community Insurance Services (RCIS) for sponsoring our coverage of the event. While there, Chuck spoke with Mike Day, President//CEO of RCIS.

“RCIS is a subsidiary company of Wells-Fargo Insurance. We have been in the business since it was privatized in 1992. Currently we are in every state and are in the top two of the marketplace. We have about 5,000 agents nationwide as well as five regional offices around the country. We administer the federal crop insurance program along with private crop, hail and named peril coverage.”

“Every year we get together here to review the industry results for the year as well as look at what the next year will bring in terms of political challenges, rate making and new products. Generally it’s time to get together and forecast for the next year.”

Listen to Chuck’s complete interview with Mike and learn more about how to get into the crop insurance business: Interview with Mike Day, President//CEO of RCIS

2015 Crop Insurance & Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting Photo Album

Coverage of the Crop Insurance & Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting is sponsored by

Ag Groups, CIRB, Insurance

ALOT Class XVI Unites

Jamie Johansen February 13, 2015

Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT) is a two year adult leadership training program that targets rural leaders and agricultural producers who have a passion to promote Missouri agriculture and strengthen their rural communities. The program enhances communication and leadership skills, expands knowledge of ag issues and encourages leadership initiative in local communities.

The ALOT Class XVI met last week for their first event and I am proud to say I was one of them. After the initial anxiety wore off I was blown away with the instant comradery the group formed. Over the first three days we hadn’t simply met, we had united.

Columbia, MO was our first stop in the ALOT program that includes ten in-state three day sessions, a week long seminar in Washington D.C., and a two week international experience to a country that impacts Missouri agriculture. Our first meeting included speakers who were experts on farm policy, ag co-ops, aquaculture, economics trends in ag, the climate and personality assessments to name a few.

Kristin Perry, executive director for ALOT, took a few minutes to share the rich history of ALOT and what she thought the take home message was from our first event.

“The program started in 1983 with a Kellogg grant that was sought by Dr. Bruce Bullock, Dr. Daryl Hobbs and Dr. Ron Plain. They wanted to teach people involved in agriculture how to be more involved in policy and leadership positions that would create a positive affect on Missouri agriculture.”

Kristin said her real goal in this program is to help everyone discover their passion and find how they can take an active role in the advancement of Missouri agriculture.

“Read more, listen more, learn more so you can become more involved, better informed and better connected for the future.”

Listen to my complete interview with Kristin and stay tuned as I chronicle our journey of leadership development in the ever-changing world of agriculture. Interview with Kristin Perry, ALOT Executive Director

Ag Groups, Audio

New Boomers from New Holland

Chuck Zimmerman February 13, 2015

New Holland usually has “new” on the lot at the National Farm Machinery Show and this year is no exception. My model in the picture is Todd DeBock, Pro Work Tools lead, New Holland, next to a Boomer 54D compact utility tractor. This is the first public showing of this new tractor.

Todd enthusiastically describes all the newness of the new Boomers. These compacts come in 46 – 54 gross engine horsepower and offer the “convenience of a continuously variable transmission, the comfort of the deluxe SuperSuite™ cab, and the increased torque of new, clean-running Tier 4B emissions-compliant engines. Clean-running Tier 4 engines provide more torque for increased performance, and industry-leading EasyDrive™ CVT transmission drives like a car.” These new Boomers are built for comfort while getting the job done.

Listen to my interview with Todd here: Interview with Todd DeBock, New Holland

2015 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by

and

Audio, National Farm Machinery Show, New Holland, Tractor

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes February 13, 2015

Mycogen Seeds, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company and an affiliated company of Dow AgroSciences, opened its new Seed Research and Development facility.
Swanson Russell announces the addition of Brittany Freeman to the account service department of its Lincoln office.
The Advancing the Agriculture Economy Through Innovation summit will be held March 18-20 at CSUs Lory Student Center.
DuPont Pioneer announced the launch of BOLT™ technology – a new herbicide-tolerant trait available in select U.S. soybean varieties.

Zimfo Bytes

Midwest, Midsouth Farm Incomes Continue Decline

John Davis February 13, 2015

Farm incomes continue their declines in the Midwest and Midsouth. A new survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis says that agricultural bankers in the regions reported farm incomes dropped during the fourth quarter of 2014 compared with the previous year. At the same time, the lenders reported a slight increase in quality farmland and a modest decline in pastureland values relative to a year earlier.

Noting that farm income is highly volatile and subject to seasonal patterns, the report revealed a decline in farm income, farm household spending, and capital equipment expenditures during the fourth quarter of 2014 relative to the same period a year earlier. In addition, lenders indicated they expected further declines in all three categories during the first quarter of 2015.

Based on a diffusion index methodology with a base of 100 (results above 100 indicate proportionately higher lender values compared with the same quarter a year earlier; results lower than 100 indicate lower lender values), the fourth-quarter index value for farm income was 78, while first-quarter expectations for 2015 showed an index value of 61.

“Excellent yields have helped offset lower grain prices for most producers for the 2014 crop, but future incomes are expected to be reduced based on average yields and projected prices for the 2015 crop year,” a Missouri lender noted.

The survey also showed quality farmland values across the area were up 0.8 percent during the fourth quarter of 2014 from one year ago. However, proportionately more bankers indicated they expected prices to decrease over the next three months.

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