Animal Welfare Panel at LPC Vision Event

Chuck Zimmerman

LPC Vision 2014 PanelThe inaugural Livestock Publications Council “Vision, and industry celebration” event, held in Kansas City, MO, featured a panel discussion. The topic was “Animal welfare in today’s world of agriculture.” As you might guess, animal activist, rights and welfare continue to be a hot topic of discussion in the industry.

The panel was moderated by Mike Adams, AgriTalk, and panelists were Dr. Hans Coetzee, Professor of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology, Iowa State University, Debbie Lyons-Blythe, Kansas rancher and Steve Meyer, President, Paragon Economics. Each panelist made opening remarks on the topic and then we had a question and answer session. I found it interesting how Steve pointed out that economic statistics don’t show that animal activists have yet had an impact on farm income in the livestock area.

You can listen to the whole panel discussion here: LPC Panel Discussion

LPC Vision 2014 Photo Album

Animal Activists, Animal Agriculture, Audio, LPC, Media

2014 NAFB Convention is Underway

Cindy Zimmerman

nafb14-susanThe 71st annual convention of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting is officially underway here in Kansas City with the theme “From Our Roots, Our Future Grows.”

Susan Littlefield of KZEN radio in Columbus, Nebraska is NAFB President-Elect and this year’s convention organizer. “We’ve got a variety of different speakers to hit everyone’s tastes,” said Susan, from new technology to farm policy to revitalizing rural communities. She’s also excited about the second NAFB 5K run on Friday morning. “This year the money goes to Children’s Hospital of Omaha to their GI clinic in honor of our youngest son Paul, who was a failure to thrive baby,” said Susan.

Susan says attendance at NAFB peaks at about 850 on Thursday for Trade Talk and “about 155-160 farm broadcasters here, doing what they do best.”

Listen to my interview with Susan here: Interview with Susan Littlefield, NAFB president-elect


2014 NAFB Convention Photos

Coverage of NAFB Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of NAFB Convention is sponsored by BASF
Audio, NAFB

Improving Plant Health Through Nutritional Balance

Jamie Johansen

aeaAdvancing Eco Agriculture (AEA) is a plant nutrition consulting company that works with fruit and vegetable growers from across the country. They have become known for helping farmers grow crops that are completely resistant to diseases and insects using nutrition and enhancing plant immunity through nutritional balance. During Crop Health Laboratories’ Power Growers Seminar I spoke with founder and CEO of AEA, John Kempf, he shared more about the new plant sap analysis technology that is sweeping the U.S. and Canada.

“Plant sap analysis is so sensitive and accurate that it can detect nutritional imbalances as much as four to six weeks earlier then typical tissue analysis. By understanding the connections between mineral nutrition and specific disease and insect challenges through sap analysis we have been able to develop nutritional models to very accurately identify and predict disease and insect susceptibility before it ever shows up.”

John said that as soon as growers start using sap analysis the value of it becomes immediately apparent. The information is actually usable because the information from the test correlates perfectly with what is seen in the field.

Listen to my interview with John here: Interview with John Kempf

Find photos from the event here: 2014 Crop Health Labs Power Growers Seminar Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Crop Science, Nutrition, Vegetables

A Blood Test for Plants

Jamie Johansen

chl-14-53-editedCrop Health Laboratories presented Power Growers Seminar over the weekend in Santa Clara, CA. The event provided a comprehensive introduction to plant sap analysis technology. This new nutrient management strategy was created by Sjoerd Smits, owner of NovaCropControl and HortiNova.

Both companies are based out of the Netherlands and currently sap samples are shipped there for analysis. Crop Health Labs is changing that and is hoping to have a U.S. lab in operation in 2015.

Sjored Smits was one of the keynote speakers at the event and shared more about his research at HortiNova, the history of the company and benefits of utilizing plant sap analysis.

“We are more then seven years into the business of doing plant sap. We have found it to enhance plant health. We want healthy crops with disease suppressiveness. Plant sap looks more to the available part of the nutrients compared to the total part in a tissue analysis. We heard from our clients that in the past tissue analysis didn’t reflect what you saw in the crop and plant sap does.”

NovaCropControl works with growers from 15 countries and currently can test for 21 different parameters. Once the samples research their lab, there is a fast 24-hour turn around time so growers can take quick action. They are also currently testing 200 different organic, sustainable and conventional crops.

Listen to my interview with Sjoerd here: Interview with Sjored Smits

Find photos from the event here: 2014 Crop Health Labs Power Growers Seminar Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Nutrition, Vegetables

Farmers Union President Discusses Sustainability in Ghana

John Davis

nfu-smallNational Farmers Union (NFU) officials made a stop in Africa to talk about how cooperatives can promote sustainability. This news release from the group says NFU President Roger Johnson talked about the development of cooperatives at the National Food and Agric Show (FAGRO) in Ghana.

“I am excited to be able to discuss and promote cooperatives as a means for agricultural sustainability in Ghana,” said Johnson. “Cooperatives provide education and training for members, managers and employees, who can then utilize that knowledge to effectively develop not only their cooperatives, but also their communities.”

Johnson noted that Farmers Union has a rich history of supporting and developing cooperatives, and with that comes the ability to speak to the successes of cooperatives in agriculture. Through the technical assistance and funding provided by Farmers Union, cooperatives throughout the United States have been able to benefit their local communities.

“Ghanaian officials have reached out to NFU in the past to explore the cooperative model in the United States,” said Johnson. “I believe that the successes of the Farmers Union push for cooperatives in the United States can be modeled in Ghana for the betterment of their agriculture industry.”

Johnson noted that Ghana’s economy relies heavily upon its agriculture sector, as it represents 21 percent of the nation’s GDP and more than half of the labor force.

Cooperatives, International, Sustainability

USDA Announces Veterans and Youth Projects

Cindy Zimmerman

vets-2014In observance of Veterans Day, USDA and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) announced partners and projects that will be funded in this fiscal year to provide job and training opportunities to veterans and youth.

“This landmark partnership with AmeriCorps to jointly support service opportunities for youth and veterans is an all-around win for our young people and our public lands,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who frequently notes that the vast majority of those who serve in the U.S. military come from rural areas.

“This is a great example of an innovative partnership that expands economic opportunity for young people, taps the leadership skills of veterans, improves our national forests, and puts a new generation on a lifelong path of service,” said Wendy Spencer, chief executive officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “Young people and veterans bring extraordinary skill and passion to conservation service, and we are thrilled to join with USDA to expand service opportunities that strengthen our environment and build economic opportunity for those who serve.”

The projects will create opportunities for 300 youth and veterans who will serve through AmeriCorps and as part of the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC), working to restore and conserve natural and historic resources on National Forests and Grasslands in more than 10 states. The $3.7 million in joint funding for this effort was announced earlier this year.

Forestry, USDA

Support the Farmer Veteran Coalition

Cindy Zimmerman

Farmer Veteran CoalitionToday is Veterans Day and one of the sad facts about the men and women who serve our nation is that they often return from active duty with few job opportunities.

That’s where the Farmer Veteran Coalition is making a difference. The coalition is helping to mobilize veterans in the fight to feed America by cultivating a new generation of agriculturalists through the collaboration of the farming and military communities.

Homegrown by Heroes“We’ve got veterans returning to small communities all over this country, and based on my experience in the military and interactions with people in the military, I believe that these people possess the skills and the traits that can contribute in a very positive way,” says Coalition board member Charlie Kruse. Those skills include teamwork, dedication and pride in what you do along with willingness to adapt to different situations.

Kruse, who is a Missouri farmer and former president of the Missouri Farm Bureau who also served 26 years in the Army National Guard, is excited about the work the Coalition is doing, including helping veterans through the Homegrown By Heroes label. “I think it’s a tremendous activity that in some small way let’s all of us in this country pay back to those people in uniform who answered the call and served us proudly,” he added.

Find out more about the coalition at farmvetco.org.

Farming

Slight Decrease in Corn, Increase in Beans

Cindy Zimmerman

usda-logoThe November crop forecast from USDA calls for a slightly lower corn crop but a slightly higher soybean crop.

Corn production is now forecast at 14.4 billion bushels, just a bit lower than last month, but still three percent higher than last year, with yields now expected to average 173.4 bushels per acre. If realized, this will still be the highest yield and production on record for the United States. Soybean production is forecast at a record 3.96 billion bushels, up less than one percent from October and up 18 percent from last year.

The main reason for the slight drop in the corn forecast is a slow harvest and weather challenges, that are now including heavy snow in the upper Midwest. The latest crop progress report shows Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado and Indiana lagging behind the most in harvest, but significant progress was made in the last week so that the corn harvest nationwide now stands at the five year average of 80 percent.

In the new World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate, USDA slightly increased corn use with corn used in ethanol production now projected 25 million bushels higher. USDA estimates total supply at 15.7 billion bushels, with estimated use at 13.7, leaving ending stocks of 2.0 billion bushels.

“As farmers are working to find storage for record crops and dealing in some areas with transportation issues, we’re delighted to see a slight increase in demand and reduction in forecast ending stocks,” said National Corn Growers Association president Chip Bowling of Maryland. “Along with this, we’re seeing prices bump up slightly.” Average farm price, reported as a range, was increased a dime to $3.20-$3.80 per bushel.

“This is positive news for the market overall as we’re expecting demand to rise to meet these record yields,” said American Farm Bureau Deputy Chief Economist John Anderson. “An estimated increase in ethanol production should also help to absorb this year’s bumper crop.”

The drop in the national production estimate for corn seems to be coming from traditionally high-yield states that are now seeing lower estimates this month, Anderson said. The Iowa yield estimate was shaved by two bushels per acre, and Minnesota’s came down by five.

AFBF, Corn, NCGA, USDA

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

Zimfo Bytes

USFRA Names Executive Committee

Cindy Zimmerman

USFRAThe U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA®) has announced its new 2015 Executive Committee members and Nancy Kavazanjian, farmer director of the United Soybean Board, was named as Board chairperson. As chair, Kavazanjian will work closely with the CEO of USFRA and members of the Board in providing thought leadership and serve as a national consumer spokesperson on behalf of farmers and ranchers across the nation. Outgoing Board Chairperson Bob Stallman and president of American Farm Bureau Federation has served in the role since the organization’s inception in 2010.

Nancy_Kawazanjion1“I am truly honored to have been selected to play such an important role in the consumer dialogue about how our food is produced and reaches our tables,” said Kavazanjian. “As a farmer, I am passionate about sustainably growing safe and nutritious food for America and have seen first-hand the need for an organization like USFRA to help set the record straight for consumers about how our food is actually produced. I look forward to serving as USFRA’s Board Chairperson.”

Other 2015 Executive Committee members include:
• Vice Chair – Brad Greenway, National Pork Board
• Secretary – Mike Geske, National Corn Growers Association
• Treasurer – Dawn Caldwell, Federation of State Beef Councils
• At-Large – Lisa Lunz, Nebraska Soybean Board
• At-Large – Todd Frazier, DuPont Pioneer

Looking forward to seeing Nancy at the NAFB annual meeting this week and congratulating her in person!

NCGA, USFRA