Merry Christmas from our friends at Algoworks.
A Time for Celebration from Joyent
A Time for Celebration from Joyent.
We’d like to express our sincere appreciation for your confidence and loyalty this past year.
Wishing you a 2015 filled with happiness and prosperity,
Scott Hammond
NAFB Mourns Loss of Hall of Fame Member
The National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) has lost another legend.
Bill McReynolds, who spent 50 years on the airwaves at WOAI Radio in San Antonio, Texas has passed away. Bill was a 1997 inductee into the NAFB Hall of Fame.
Bill is survived by his three sons Michael and wife Phyllis, Mark, and Don and wife Sharon, as well as 12 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Porter Loring Mortuary of San Antonio and a memorial service will be held Monday, December 29 at 2:00 p.m. at the Wayside Chapel Evangelical Free Church. In lieu of flowers, please send memorial contributions to the Wayside Chapel Agape Fund at 1705 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, Texas 78213, to San Antonio Youth For Christ at 5730 Kenwick, San Antonio, Texas 78238, or to the San Antonio Food Bank at 5200 W. Old U.S. Highway 90, San Antonio, Texas 78227
Corn Growers Pleased with Chinese Approval for Imports
Syngenta officially announced this week that Chinese regulatory officials have approved for the Agrisure Viptera® trait (event MIR162) formally granting import approval. The approval covers corn grain and processing byproducts, such as dried distillers grains (DDGs).
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is pleased with the action. “We see this as an encouraging step in what needs to be an ongoing process,” said NCGA Trade Policy and Biotechnology Action Team Chair John Linder. “For years, NCGA has advocated for synchronizing international approval processes and thus opening markets for farmers. We hope that progress toward this goal continues.”
This approval, which concludes a lengthy process, hopefully represents a positive step towards a more timely, predictable regulatory framework that protects U.S.-China agricultural trade. At the same time, a variety of other traits remain in the regulatory system without clear indication of the time frame necessary to gain approval. Given this situation, NCGA hopes further progress towards a synchronized, predictable approval system continues.
Reports Say Pope Will Open His Farm
There’s a bunch of news stories on the web that Pope Francis will be opening up the papal farm at Castel Gandolfo to the public for tours next year, although I can’t seem to find any official word from the Vatican on its website or on the Catholic News Service. Since the original story is from the Associated Press, take it for what that’s worth.
It is true that the pope does have a 55 acre farm at the summer residence of Castel Gandolfo that dates back to the early 1930s. The farm includes cows, chickens, bee hives, ostriches, turkeys, rabbits, vegetables and more. The farm reportedly produces 185 gallons of milk a day, 50,000 eggs a year, honey, olive oil and vegetables.
The AP story does note that plans to open the farm to the public “aren’t final yet” but I have to say that I would love to pay a visit if and when it happens!
Water for Food Wishes You a Happy Holidays
From all of us at the Daugherty Water for Food Institute, have a wonderful holiday season.
A Merry & Bright Christmas from GROWMARK
Merry Christmas from GROWMARK.
From our smiling faces to Mistle-TOES…
Your friends at GROWMARK wish you a very Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas from FarmTime
FarmTime in the Classroom and all of our employees with you and your family a safe and Merry Christmas.
We’ve been pinning some fun winter classroom activities. Follow our Christmas board.
Farm Aid Grants to Empower Family Farmers
At this time of giving, it’s nice to hear about giving back to those who feed the world. Farm Aid has given $585,700 in grants to 83 family farm, rural service and urban agriculture organizations in 36 states and the District of Columbia with the hope of strengthening family farm agriculture.
“Thanks to the generosity of supporters from across the country, today Farm Aid sends money to hardworking advocates and organizers who share Farm Aid’s mission to strengthen family farmers,” said Farm Aid President Willie Nelson. “Farm Aid grants support their work and invest in projects that build a thriving future for family farm agriculture and good food for all in both rural and urban communities.”
Farm Aid funds were invested in programs that:
– Help farm families stay on the land with legal support, business planning and financial assistance;
– Build new market opportunities for farmers and increase consumer access to good food;
– Confront corporate concentration in agriculture and ensure competitive markets;
– Advocate for fair farm policies on behalf of all family farmers;
– Inform and organize farmers and eaters around issues such as factory farms, genetically engineered (GE) food, food safety, climate change and fracking;
– Recruit and train beginning farmers and increase their access to farmland;
– Support farmer-to-farmer programs for more sustainable agricultural practices;
– Enhance access to good food in low-income communities; and
– Empower and support immigrant, refugee, and socially disadvantaged farmers and farmworkers.
“Farm Aid grantees are doing the fundamental work to grow the best possible farm and food system from the ground up,” said Farm Aid Executive Director Carolyn Mugar. “We are honored to call them our partners.”
For a complete listing of Farm Aid’s 2014 grants, visit www.farmaid.org/grants. You can also donate at www.farmaid.org.
Future of Ag Apps
In my last program the focus was on ag gadgets. This week’s the focus is more on apps. This isn’t about all different kinds of specific apps. It’s more about where we’re at with apps and what we can expect in 2015.
I had a conversation with ag app man, Aaron Hutchinson, iCropTrak. His company has been a long time sponsor of the AgWired App. Aaron thinks we’ll see some big changes in 2015 and that includes with iCropTrak itself. For one thing he says they’re going a little old school and will have a desktop product that will break some of the trends we’ve been seeing in ag application software.
Aaron thinks 2015 will be the year of the UAV in ag. He doesn’t think we’ll see many new ag software players in 2015 as much as hardware for the “internet of things.”
Listen in to my conversation with Aaron to hear more about his thoughts on the ag app industry and its outlook: Ag Apps and the New Year
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