Rep. Rodney Davis Receives CIRB Award

Chuck Zimmerman February 6, 2015

This morning Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) received the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau’s 2015 Chairman’s Award. Representing Illinois’ District 14, Congressman Davis serves on the House Agriculture Committee and is a champion for farmers and a strong crop insurance program. He was present via a video clip since he’s at work in Washington, DC. He will receive the award in person during CIRB’s Policy Conference in Washington D.C. on April 20-22.

CIRB’s Chairman’s Award was established in 1984. It is the highest honor bestowed by CIRB and is presented to those who have played an instrumental role in building crop insurance into what it is today – the cornerstone of farmers’ risk management programs.

“Throughout the 2014 Farm Bill negotiations, Congressman Davis made crop insurance a top priority,” Outgoing CIRB Chairman Greg Mills said. “It’s leaders like Congressman Davis that will help maintain the availability, viability and affordability of the program in the future.”

“I am a strong advocate for crop insurance and the critical risk management it provides to producers. In short crop insurance is a public private partnership that works,” said Rep. Davis. “We will need to be vigilant going forward and work together because attacks on crop insurance certainly won’t go away.”

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

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes February 6, 2015

As Kubota Tractor Corporation continues to enter new markets and experience steady growth in the United States, it is expanding the roles of several of its senior leaders.
Chevrolet is excited to announce the addition of Motor Trend’s 2015 Truck of the Year – the all-new Chevy Colorado – to the list of 80-plus Chevrolet, Buick and GMC vehicles that qualify for a $500 incentive for eligible Farm Bureau members.
The American Lamb Board (ALB) has announced their new 2015 officers that were elected at their Annual Meeting in Reno, January 29.
Vermeer will give away the use of a new Vermeer mower conditioner for a year to one randomly selected attendee who visits the Vermeer booth (#4021) at the 2015 National Farm Machinery Show.

Zimfo Bytes

CIRB Hears of Challenging Year for Ag

Cindy Zimmerman February 6, 2015

American Farm Bureau Senior Director for Congressional Relations Mary Kay Thatcher told members of the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau this week that she expects 2015 to be “a challenging year for agriculture.”

“There seems to be a lot of emphasis on Capitol Hill about wanting to make budget cuts,” she explained. “We only have a couple of months before we see some of the barrages of hits on all kinds of farm policy issues through the budget process…We are very likely at some point this year to have some budget cuts we have to deal with.”

Talk of it is already happening with the cuts to crop insurance proposed in the president’s proposed budget, which ag groups are opposing. Interview with Mary Kay Thatcher, AFBF

2015 Crop Insurance & Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting Photo Album

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

AFBF, Audio, CIRB, Insurance

Proposed Crop Insurance Cuts Concern Ag Groups

Cindy Zimmerman February 6, 2015

A coalition of more than 30 agricultural, banking and insurance organizations are concerned about the President’s proposed budget cuts to some elements of crop insurance. The group sent a letter to Congressional leaders this week to highlight the importance of crop insurance and how it can save consumers money and help farmers recover from weather disasters.

The American Soybean Association (ASA) was among the groups that signed the letter, and ASA lobbyist Bev Paul says the president has proposed cutting crop insurance in previous budgets. “While Congress has not acted on his proposals in years past, just the fact that people are still focusing on farm programs in general to achieve budget savings, when we’ve already cut $23 billion out of farm programs in recent years, is just a continuing concern,” she said during an interview at the Crop Insurance & Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting this week. Interview with Bev Paul, ASA lobbyist

The letter sent to Congress states that “Budget levels currently in place for crop insurance ensure the affordability and availability of risk protection, while maintaining the viability of private-sector delivery. Arbitrary funding reductions only weaken the system and ultimately shift risk exposure back to taxpayers.”

2015 Crop Insurance & Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting Photo Album

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

Ag Groups, ASA, Audio, CIRB, Insurance

First Woman NCBA President Honored

Cindy Zimmerman February 6, 2015

The first female president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, who was instrumental in getting the beef checkoff passed, was awarded the Swan Family Leadership Award today at the 2015 Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio.

The award, which recognizes worthy individuals who have made a difference during a lifetime of dedication and leadership to the beef industry, was presented to JoAnn Smith of Florida during the Best of Beef Breakfast.

We’ve known JoAnn since the early 1980s when she was very active in the beef industry and serving as president of NCBA in 2985. Her son Marty and her grandchildren now work cattle on the Smith Brothers Operation in Wacahoota, Fla., primarily a cattle and timber operation that has been around since the 1850s. Her grandchildren are the sixth generation to be on the ranch. She is definitely deserving of any award recognizing leadership in agriculture!

Besides being the first female president of the NCBA, JoAnn was also the first chair of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board in 1986. In addition, she held numerous positions with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, serving as that agency’s assistant secretary for Marketing Inspection Services from 1989 to 1993.

The Swan Family Leadership Award is in honor of Bill Swan, and his son George, beef industry champions who served in leadership positions at the local, state and national levels, including as presidents of NCBA. The Swan Family Leadership Award was instituted by NCBA and the Idaho Cattle Association.

Beef, NCBA

Past and Future CIRB Leadership

Chuck Zimmerman February 6, 2015

The gavel has been passed at the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau. Greg Mills, is now the outgoing Chair while Sheri Bane is the new Chair for CIRB. Greg was presented with several thank you gifts during the annual meeting.

I asked Greg to tell me what he and CIRB accomplished during his term. He says that one of those things is getting crop insurance looked at as something that doesn’t just benefit the farmer but rural communities as a whole. He’s also proud that the industry is working together on a future picture of crop insurance and this includes government agencies.

You can listen to my interview with Greg here: Interview with Greg Mills, outgoing CIRB chair

When I talked with Sheri I asked her what she sees as the top opportunities and challenges for CIRB. A big issue is the need to make sure that the cuts to crop insurance during the farm bill are not duplicated again as Congress goes about a new budget process. A lot of new members of the new Congress means CIRB has a lot of education work to do on Capitol Hill. She’s also going to be focusing on a new leadership program for CIRB to prepare a younger generation of people prepared to get involved in the industry and especially in the work of the CIRB.

You can listen to my interview with Sheri here: Interview with Sheri Bane, new CIRB chair

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

Groups Urge Quick Passage Of TPA

Cindy Zimmerman February 6, 2015

A diverse group of agriculture and food organizations sent a letter to Congress this week urging swift passage of legislation renewing Trade Promotion Authority (TPA).

The 70 groups, ranging from general farm organizations like the American Farm Bureau, to specialized commodity groups like the Wine Institute, say TPA is necessary so that major trade deals can be finalized and implemented to help the U.S. economy.

“Their ability to compete in global markets is tied to the ability of the United States to eliminate impediments to international trade,” said the organizations, which pointed out that as a result of trade agreements implemented since 1989 U.S. agricultural exports have nearly quadrupled in value, topping $152 billion in fiscal 2014. And those trade deals have been very beneficial to the U.S. economy, with every $1 in U.S. farm exports generating an additional $1.27 in business activity and every $1 billion in agricultural exports supporting 6,600 American jobs.

TPA, the groups said, will allow U.S. trade negotiators the ability, with direction and backing from Congress, “to extract the best deals possible from other countries.” Without it, though, “our negotiating partners would be unwilling to make the toughest concessions.”

The organizations are particularly interested in finalizing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), an Asia-Pacific regional agreement among 12 nations whose economies account for 40 percent global economic output.

Ag Groups, Trade

Happy Birthday Farm Bill!

Cindy Zimmerman February 5, 2015

It was one year ago this week – February 7, to be exact – that President Obama signed the “Swiss Army Knife” farm bill into law.

“Despite its name, the farm bill is not just about helping farmers,” President Obama said at the signing. “Secretary Vilsack calls it a jobs bill, an innovation bill, an infrastructure bill, a research bill, a conservation bill. It’s like a Swiss Army knife.”

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack outlined some of the many ways USDA has implemented that multifaceted tool in the past year during a press conference Thursday. “I think by all measures this has been a successful first year implementation,” said Vilsack. “I think it pushes back on the notion that things are broken in Washington or that government is not working.”

Some of the Farm Bill implementation by the numbers:

4,000 – number of listening sessions and engagement events with stakeholders
226,772 – number of producers who received disaster assistance
23,000 – number of dairies enrolled in the new Margin Protection Program
115 – projects under the Conservation Partnership Program
$200 million – in conservation financial assistance
Another $200 million – for 10 pilot projects to help SNAP recipients get work
200,000 tons – of biomass collected
One – number of Military Veterans Agricultural Liaisons appointed

Joining Secretary Vilsack in the 2014 Farm Bill birthday recognition Wednesday was Ben LaCross, the Michigan fruit farmer who was at the signing of the bill last year; Michael O’Gorman, Executive director of Farmer Veteran Coalition; and Edgar Pruitt, an Alabama farmer who discussed how the Farm Bill is helping producers preserve land and water resources, and support pollinator populations.

Secretary Vilsack and stakeholders discuss 2014 Farm Bill implementation

In the Q&A with reporters, Vilsack was asked about cuts in crop insurance, how sign up for the new farm bill risk management programs is going, and the status of the definition of “actively engaged.”

Secretary Vilsack Q&A

Audio, Farm Bill, USDA

Preview of CIRB Annual Mtg.

Chuck Zimmerman February 5, 2015

The Executive Vice President for the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau is Mike Torrey, pictured here on the right with new Chair Sheri Bane and just past Chair Greg Mills. Prior to our opening reception last night I visited with Mike to learn more about CIRB and what will take place during this annual meeting.

By the time I interviewed Mike the organization had already held it’s annual member meeting at which they discussed priorities for the year. One of those is how to reach out to younger people with the start of a leadership program.

During the next couple days we’ll have presentations on legislation, climate change, legal challenges and other trends like big data. Of course there will be plenty of time for networking and talking about the challenges facing agriculture this year.

You can listen to my interview with Mike here: Interview with Mike Torrey

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

Salmonella Testing at Roka BioScience

Jamie Johansen February 5, 2015

Salmonella threshold testing was the hot topic in the Roka BioScience booth at the 2015 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE). I stopped by to talk with Ted Andrew, Director of Marketing and Product Development about their new approach to bacteria detection and other new opportunities they are offering the industry.

“It’s a different way to look at pathogen testing. Dr. Evan Chaney gave a presentation here on it that was very well attended and it has driven a lot of traffic back to the booth. They wanted to learn more about it and how it could be implemented into the poultry process.”

The session discussed results from a comparative study evaluating Salmonella enterica detection platforms using ground poultry and carcass rinse data from five poultry producers. The study showed if a testing platform includes integrated target capture steps when compared to PCR and culture confirmation, detection is more precise.

Ted goes on to share the value of this for their customers in terms of increasing production and enabling better efficient processing. It is already out in the marketplace and they have received lots of great feed back.

“Our current platform is still new to the industry but the adoption has been spectacular. We are seeing growth in our current pathogen detection platform, but coming down the road we are looking at a smaller version as well as different assays.”

Learn more about the Roka BioScience research and product line in my complete interview with Ted: Interview with Ted Andrew, Roka BioScience

Photos from the event can be found here:
2015 International Production and Processing Expo Photos

Coverage of the International Production and Processing Expo is sponsored by

Agribusiness, Audio, Biotech, IPPE, Poultry

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