Role of State FFA Officers on National Level

Cindy Zimmerman

ffa-14-statesWith FFA organizations in 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, there are well over 1,000 state FFA officers who play a role as delegates at the National FFA Convention. State FFA officers lead the membership of the state associations and are elected by state FFA convention delegates.

Samantha Marre of Elsberry, Missouri who represents Area 5 in the northeast part of the Show-Me State has been involved in FFA since her freshman year of high school and is very active with her fellow officers in representing the nearly 25,000 members of Missouri FFA.

ffa-14-marre“Some of the committees we have been on include the contest team evaluation committee, the ag career network committee (and) agriculture education committee,” Marre said at the convention.

Marre says the words purpose and persistence, talked about by national adviser Dr. Steve Brown, resonated with her as an FFA officer. “We have to remember our purpose as Missouri FFA officers to serve the members of Missouri,” she said. “And persistence, meaning to never give up and to continually ‘go all out’ for our chapter, our state, our nation, and our communities.”

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Samantha here: Interview with Missouri FFA officer Samantha Marre

87th National FFA Convention Photos

Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by FMC
Audio, FFA

Purpose, Passion and Persistence Makes FFA Proud

Cindy Zimmerman

ffa-14-brownWhen National FFA Advisor Dr. Steve Brown talked to the thousands of students in attendance at the recent convention, he summed up the mission of FFA in three simple words – purpose, passion and persistence.

“We also talked about being “FFA Proud,” said Brown in an interview with Jamie Johansen. “They’re here for a purpose, to learn about agriculture and pursue their dreams. They have that deep passion about FFA that shines every time they put on that blue and gold jacket. And they know to be persistent because that helps them to be recognized in future years.”

Jamie has known Dr. Brown for many years in her experience with FFA and agricultural education and she was pleased to have this opportunity to share his thoughts: Interview with National FFA Advisor Dr. Steve Brown

87th National FFA Convention Photos

Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by FMC
Audio, Education, FFA

Ag Groups Urge President to Reject Biofuels Cuts

Cindy Zimmerman

mess-rfsThe National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and several other agricultural sent a letter to President Obama last week asking him to intervene with the Environmental Protection Agency regarding its proposed cuts in the 2014 volume obligations for the Renewable Fuel Standard.

“The blending targets and the methodology in your administration’s proposed rule are already causing significant harm to the biofuel sector,” the letter states. “These impacts are reverberating throughout the U.S. agriculture economy, and we expect this trend to continue if the targets and the methodology in the rule are not corrected.”

The letter discusses how the ag sector has met its responsibility in growing sufficient feedstock for biofuels, but is also working with the ethanol industry on infrastructure and advanced fuels. The letter concludes: “The EPA’s proposed policy decision is driving one of our key economic engines – the biofuel sector -¬‐ overseas. We have invested in response to the signals in the RFS and are poised to deliver the very low carbon fuels you have sought for so long. Instead of reaping the economic benefits of this investment with a build-¬‐out of a domestic biofuel industry, the methodology proposed by EPA is offshoring the industry – and our market. This is a decision we cannot afford in America’s heartland.”

In addition to NCGA, organizations sending the letter included the Agricultural Retailers Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, National Association of Wheat Growers, the National Farmers Union and National Sorghum Producers.

AFBF, Ag Groups, ARA, Corn, EPA, Ethanol, NCGA

Farm Bureau’s Women in Ag Survey to Gauge Goals, Needs

John Davis

afbf-logoFarm Bureau wants to know more about the goals, aspirations, achievements and needs of women in American agriculture. That’s why the group’s Women’s Leadership Program has launched the “Women in Ag” survey for all women who are farmers, ranchers, farm/ranch employees, employed in agricultural businesses, pursuing ag-related higher education or supportive of agriculture in other ways.

“This comprehensive survey is the first of its kind to ask women in-depth questions about how they are connected to agriculture and what leadership skills they think are most important today, as well as the top business challenges they’re facing,” said Terry Gilbert, a Kentucky farmer and chair of the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee. “All women involved in agriculture – not just Farm Bureau members – are invited to participate in the survey,” Gilbert emphasized.

Data collected from respondents will be used to gauge trends related to the achievements of women in agriculture, including leadership positions, business successes and election to public office.

You don’t have to be a Farm Bureau member to take the survey, and participants will be eligible to win one of five $100 gift cards after the survey closes. Preliminary findings from the survey will be released in February 2015 at AFBF’s FUSION Conference in Nashville, Tennessee; the full report will be released in late spring.

AFBF

Soybean Farming Challenges

Cindy Zimmerman

bayer-future-14-wilkinsDuring the recent Bayer CropScience Corn and Soybean Future Forum in Germany, soybean producers talked about the challenges ahead for farmers.

American Soybean Association board member Richard Wilkins of Delaware believes that the most pressing challenges facing farmers right now include the need for deregulation of new technologies, public perception, and trade disruptions.

At the same time, Wilkins believes that farmers basically have the same goals as society as a whole when it comes to sustainability. “From a farmer’s perspective, remaining in business over the long term is number one when it comes to sustainability,” he said. “But I’m convinced that employing best management practices, being good stewards, and doing all the other things society is asking is the answer to long term sustainability.”

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Richard here: Interview with Delaware farmer Richard Wilkins

2014 Bayer CropScience Corn & Soybean Future Forum Photos

ASA, Audio, Bayer, Soybean, Sustainability

Go Farmobile

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 454We’re living in a mobile technology society and that’s so true of farmers today. Now farmers have a new technology to look at that will allow them to take advantage of all the data they’re creating in a new way.

Jason Tatge FarmobileDuring the Develop with Deere conference this week I met Jason Tatge, Farmobile. Here’s Jason giving me a live demonstration on his tablet of what Farmobile can do. Basically, Jason’s startup company allows live, real time, monitoring/viewing of farm equipment in the field. For example, we were looking at a Farmobile beta tester who was harvesting last night. We could “see” him move across his field, where he had been and even as he stopped to unload. Lots of information is included in the Farmobile app display like machine statistics (speed, rpms, etc) and crop moisture, yield and more.

FarmobileFarmobile builds hardware that goes into the customer’s machine, regardless of color, connects and then sends data via local cellular networks via the cloud. It’s fast. And the best part is that Farmobile is setting up the system to allow farmers to sell their data! That’s right. And why not? That’s valuable information that many companies will pay to get.

Learn more about what Farmobile is doing in this week’s AgNerd ZimmCast.

Listen in to this week’s program here: Go Farmobile

Develop with Deere Photo Album

Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here.

The ZimmCast

sponsored by
The ZimmCast podcast is sponsored by GROWMARK
Locally owned, globally strong.
Agribusiness, Apps, Audio, Precision Agriculture, ZimmCast

USDA Seeks Input on New Beef Checkoff

Cindy Zimmerman

USDA_logoThe USDA Agricultural Marketing Service is seeking input on the development of a new industry-funded promotion, research and information order for beef.

The new order would be in addition to the existing beef checkoff program, providing American beef producers with more resources for the marketing of their products and research to help strengthen the country’s beef industry. “Beef industry representatives agree that this important program needs more resources. USDA is stepping up at a critical juncture to help achieve the industry’s goal,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “With this action we can boost research investments, increase beef exports, and encourage folks here at home to support American beef producers.”

Beef industry leaders agree that the current fee of $1 per-head-of-cattle per producer is too little. The $1 assessment has remained the same since 1985 when Congress first created the beef checkoff program, and the amount can only be changed through Congressional action. This assessment provides resources for marketing to promote beef sales, research, and many other benefits for producers. An additional supplemental program like the one USDA is proposing would enhance available resources, which would help the beef industry address important issues including improving and enhancing nutritional and consumer information through initiatives such as consumer advertising, education, research and new-product development.

Comments on how a new beef checkoff would be structure are being accepted until December 10, 2014. Find out more information on what USDA is seeking input on and how to submit comments here.

Beef, Beef Checkoff, USDA

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

  • National Farmers Union (NFU) announced the opening of registration for the 2015 NFU Women’s Conference, a conference for farm and rural women.
  • One of the Idaho Potato Commission’s (IPC) MVPs, Heather Cox, is back with a new lineup of weekly videos and contests that are scoring big points with college football and Idaho® potato fans across the country.
  • Filament Marketing, LLC is seeking an enthusiastic, passionate candidate with hands-on beef cattle experience for a marketing coordinator position.
  • Merck Animal Health announced the Food and Drug Administration approved of a second feeding method for the beta agonist Zilmax and has made significant progress on its Five-Step Plan to Ensuring Responsible Beef.
Zimfo Bytes

Listening Sessions Planned on Pollinator Strategy

Cindy Zimmerman

honeybee100429The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and USDA are hosting two public listening sessions this month for stakeholders to provide input to assist the Pollinator Health Task Force in development of a federal strategy to protect honey bees and other pollinators.

The Task Force is asking for input on the types of activities that could be part of the strategy, including public private partnerships, research, educational opportunities, pollinator habitat improvements and pesticide risk mitigation.

On June 20, 2014, President Obama issued a directive to federal agencies to create a federal strategy to promote honey bee and other pollinator health. The President’s directive created a Pollinator Health Task Force, co-chaired by EPA and USDA, and charged federal agencies with expanding efforts to take new steps to reverse pollinator losses and help restore populations to healthy levels.

The listening sessions will be held on Wednesday, November 12, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in Arlington, Virginia and Monday, November 17, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in Riverdale, Maryland. For those not able to attend the sessions, there is a webinar available. Additional information is available here.

Bees, Farming, USDA

ADAMA Wins Agrow Award

Cindy Zimmerman

adamaADAMA Agricultural Solutions Ltd. (formerly Makhteshim Agan Industries) was recognized this week for its global brand launch, winning the international Agrow Award for Best Marketing Campaign.

Earlier this year, the crop protection company launched the new name and uniform global brand for all of products, including MANA. Adama, which is the Hebrew word for “earth”, was chosen to signify the company’s commitment to agriculture, farmers and the land.

agrow-awardsThe Agrow awards, presented by Agrow World Crop Protection News, a leading global source for news and business intelligence about crop protection, provide the industry with the opportunity to showcase its new and innovative solutions. The awards feature 12 categories, plus a lifetime achievement award, with entries being judged by an independent panel of industry experts.

Crop Protection, Marketing