Sustainably Grown USSEC Markets

Jamie Johansen

nafb-ussecNational Association of Farm Broadcasting’s Trade Talk led me to the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) booth where I talked with Laura Foell. She is chairman of the USSEC, member of the United Soybean Board and an Iowa farmer. USSEC is comprised of United Soybean Board, American Soybean Association, state soybean associations and industry members. As a non-profit the council’s job is to ensure there are markets for soybeans produced.

“I think the future is going to be bright. I think we have markets and I think we have made those relationships that are important in trade. We have done a good job making sure our customers have the product to fit their needs.”

Sustainability is also at the forefront of USSEC’s minds. Laura divided their sustainability efforts into three areas which included environment, economic and social. Listen to or download my complete interview with Laura to learn more about what USSEC is doing for soybean growers nationwide. Interview with Laura Foell, USSEC


2014 NAFB Convention Photos

Coverage of NAFB Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of NAFB Convention is sponsored by BASF
Ag Groups, Audio, Exports, NAFB, Soybean

New Holland Holiday Contest

Chuck Zimmerman

New Holland Holiday Gift GuideNew Holland is running a special holiday contest. Four winners will receive great blue toys from New Holland. The contest runs November 1, 2014 to December 19, 2014.

This holiday season, blue is the color of choice. That’s because, from now until December 19, 2014, New Holland fans have a chance to win the season’s most coveted New Holland-branded toys by sharing how New Holland is a part of their holiday.

New Holland Pedal TractorWhether you bake tractor-shaped holiday cookies or decorate your New Holland equipment, New Holland encourages you to share your story via a short essay or photo, for a chance to win one of four prizes. First place receives a pedal tractor ride-on toy and will be featured on the New Holland North America Facebook page. The second place winner receives a pedal-tractor ride-on toy; third and fourth place winners receive a TJ-4 wheel drive Prestige Collection toy.

You can find official contest rules and entries at NewHollandResourceCenter.com/Holiday and submit a short essay or photo of how New Holland is part of your holiday. Winners will be announced the week of December 22, 2014.

By the way, you can find the complete New Holland holiday gift guide online here.

Agribusiness, New Holland

John Deere Has Green Fever at NAFB

Leah Guffey

_DSC0560National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s Annual Trade Talk allows the chance to sit down with multiple exhibitors. I stopped and talked with Barry Nelson at the John Deere exhibit and they are highlighting the Green Fever Sweepstakes where the grand prize is: $25,000 Landscaping makeover, plus your choice of: a Gator™, a ZTrack™ Mower, 1 Family Tractor, or Signature Series Lawn Tractor. Barry says that they also encourage you to take a look at the new product line up and the discounts that are available.

There’s even more added to the new lineup this year that is making farmers and ranchers take a look at all the latest John Deere has to offer including the 9R and 9RT tractors. Barry encourages producers to stop by and talk with their local dealer as that’s where to select and purchase your iron, but they can also point you in the right direction to choose the right technology to fit every operation.

Learn more in my interview with Barry Nelson: Interview with Barry Nelson, John Deere
2014 NAFB Convention Photos

NAFB Convention is sponsored by
NAFB Convention is sponsored by BASF
Audio, John Deere, NAFB, Tractor

BudStraps for Your Ear Buds

Chuck Zimmerman

BudStrapsThere are a lot of Kickstarter campaigns going on and I will continue to sift through them to bring your attention to something that today’s AgNerd would be interested in.

Here’s one with a product called BudStraps. I don’t know about you but I don’t always want to have my earbuds in my ears. So what do you do with them, especially if you still want them easily available so you can just put them back into your ears? Well Bill Woodward and Jared Green have come up with a brilliant product idea. Here’s how they work:

BudStraps keep your earbuds where you need them – safely around your neck – fastened firmly with a spring-loaded proprietary clip. The neoprene strap can be washed in warm water and dries quickly, and the new Sport cord will be even lighter and more sweat-resistant.

BudStraps can be used with both round and flat cord styles, and the clips allow you to easily re-position them on as needed. Like to color coordinate? BudStraps come in a variety of strap colors.

Bill and Jared need to raise $10,000 by Dec. 18 and are well on their way. See their website for donation ideas and levels. Hint: Companies that are looking for a cool logo’d giveaway in 2015 will find an option just for them!


Uncategorized

Getting to Know the New NCGA CEO

Cindy Zimmerman

ncga-novakThe new CEO of the National Corn Growers Association had his first chance to visit with members of the agricultural media during the National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention last week in Kansas City, but most of us already know him pretty well.

Chris Novak previously served many years as chief executive officer of the National Pork Board and prior to that, he was executive director of the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, the Indiana Corn Growers Association and the Indiana Soybean Alliance. So, not only is he no stranger to the ag media, he comes to NCGA with plenty of experience.

“I’ve spent 11 years working on behalf of pork farmers, but I’ve spent more than 10 years working with grain farmers, corn and soybeans, across this country,” he said. “Lots of big challenges ahead for us. Looking at a record crop and lower prices than we’d like to see but that’s an opportunity for me as well.”

I talked with Chris about some of those challenges/opportunities, including increasing demand with yet another record crop, NCGA’s comments on the proposed Waters of the U.S. rule, and what he expects from the lame duck session of Congress and the new Congress in January. Interview with Chris Novak, NCGA CEO
2014 NAFB Convention Photos

NAFB Convention is sponsored by
NAFB Convention is sponsored by BASF
Audio, Corn, NAFB, NCGA

John Deere Connects with JDLink™

Leah Guffey

_DSC0559Last week during National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s Annual Trade Talk I visited with Beverly Flores, Integrated Communications Manager with John Deere. She tells me about the MyJohnDeere Operations Center with intuitive, easy-to-use tools for customers to manage their machinery and develop agronomic insights. Data can be uploaded securely using backup tools or right from the field using JDLink™ and the platform is open, allowing seamless sharing to trusted advisers.

Beverly says this is what the producer wants to see and how they want to utilize the data that has been collected. Innovative tools such as Field Analyzer and Difference Maps help customers gain insight into their operations for improved decision-making to increase yields, optimize costs, and manage risk. The Operations Center will continue to evolve with new and improved tools with the customer’s needs in mind. The overall goal is increased productivity and efficiency for the entire farm operation. Some of the many current tools on the Operations Center are Field Analyzer, online Documentation Analysis and Reporting tool, and Data Sharing, with additional tools added frequently. JDLink™ Connect will be available in February of 2015

Learn more in my interview with Beverly here: Interview with Beverly Flores, John Deere
2014 NAFB Convention Photos

NAFB Convention is sponsored by
NAFB Convention is sponsored by BASF
Audio, John Deere, NAFB, Precision Agriculture

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

  • Professors Paul Ferraro of Georgia State University and Kent Messer of the University of Delaware will head the newly created Center for Behavioral and Experimental Agri-Environmental Policy Research (CBEAR), supported with a $750,000 award from the Economic Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
  • The annual meeting of the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics will take place in St. Louis and Brentwood, MO, on Dec. 2-3, 2014.
  • On Dec. 3, 2014, Intelligence Squared U.S. (IQ2US) will hold a public debate on the motion “Genetically Modify Food.”
  • Purdue University is positioning itself to be a leader in precision agriculture through unmanned aerial vehicle research and education.
Zimfo Bytes

BASF Offers Limus® Nitrogen Management for 2015

Cindy Zimmerman

nafb14-basf-nickBASF Crop Protection announced last week that Limus® nitrogen management will be available for sale in the U.S. for the 2015 growing season, and we had the chance during the National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention to learn more from BASF product manager Nick Fassler.

“Where growers will use Limus is when they’re making urea or UAN applications,” said Fassler. “It will be either tank mixed or coated on the urea fertilizer and it’s really protecting that fertilizer from volatilization.”

The patented formulation behind Limus nitrogen management combines two active ingredients that are more effective than a single inhibitor on urease enzymes found in soil, resulting in a decrease of nitrogen loss. “Growers can lose over 40 percent of surface-applied urea due to volatilization within weeks of application,” said Fassler. “This makes the window for growers to optimize protection of their fertilizer very critical.”

Learn more in this interview with Fassler: Interview with Nick Fassler, BASF
2014 NAFB Convention Photos

Coverage of NAFB Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of NAFB Convention is sponsored by BASF
Audio, BASF, Crop Protection, Fertilizer, NAFB

NAFB Awards for Creative Excellence

Jamie Johansen

nafb14-plambeck-2The Plambeck Award of Creative Excellence was also announced during the Night of Honors at the 71st National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s annual meeting.

nafb14-plambeck-1The single entry winner went to SFP, A Verdesian Life Science Company, and OsbornBarr for their More Than Manure Nutrient Manager. The radio spot targeted swine producers and farmers in Minnesota and Iowa who handle manure or use manure as fertilizer. The spot received several compliments from customers.

The series entry winner went to Farm Safety For Just Kids. They focused on describing hazardous situations parents normally protect their children from. The series of PSAs targeted producers with children and grandchildren during harvest, and other traditional busy times on farm and ranches.

Listen to the winning spots here and here.


2014 NAFB Convention Photos

Coverage of NAFB Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of NAFB Convention is sponsored by BASF
Ag Groups, Agencies, Agribusiness, NAFB

Deere Named to Global List for Leadership

John Davis

johndeerelogoOur friends at Deere & Company have been selected in the top 20 on a list recognizing best-in-class management practices, especially in the area of leadership development. This company news release says Deere comes in at number 16 on the 2014 Global Top Companies for Leaders list, the third year in a row the company has made the list.

“Top Companies for Leaders are passionate about cultivating resilient and engaging leaders who take the time to know and develop employees and understand what experiences they need to rise above the rest,” said Pete Sanborn, global talent practice leader at Aon Hewitt. “Deere is among a select group of organizations that excel at building and growing a strong leadership environment.”

The Top Companies for Leaders study assesses talent management and leadership practices of organizations around the world. Independent, expert judges rank companies based on criteria including strength of leadership practices and culture, global leader development and alignment of leadership and business. A company’s overall reputation as well as business and financial performance are also factors.

“Leadership and employee development are important factors in the success of John Deere now and in the future,” said Sam Allen, chairman and chief executive officer of Deere & Company. “John Deere employees make the difference in delivering superior products and services to our customers.”

The Top Companies for Leaders study is considered the most comprehensive global research on leadership, examining the link between leadership practices and financial results.

Uncategorized