Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes August 25, 2014

Archer Daniels Midland Company opened its global headquarters and customer center in downtown Chicago.
With a major presence in Nebraska, Cargill has become the title sponsor of Raising Nebraska, pledging $1 million dollars over five years.
GEA Farm Technologies is proud to announce that ground has been broken on the first North American installation of DairyProQ, a revolutionary milking system allowing farms to install individual, fully automatic, robotic milking stall modules on a rotary parlor.
In an effort to further support the health and wellbeing of the greater Triangle community, Bayer CropScience has announced a three-year, $300,000 grant from The Bayer USA Foundation to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.

Another Successful NAMA Boot Camp

sara August 25, 2014

This year marked the 11th annual NAMA Boot Camp, a three day conference for professionals in the agriculture industry or in marketing positions. Event participants were able to hear from several different speakers with topics ranging from challenges in the beef industry to the latest and greatest technologies. I visited with NAMA Boot Camp Chair Amanda Sollman to learn more details on the event.

“NAMA Boot Camp is designed to be kind of an introductory conference for those who are either new to the agriculture industry or new to marketing. So, we do get a diversity of people who are anywhere from their first job right out of college all the way to those who have been in the industry for a long time but now are making the transition over to more of an ag client or working for an ag company. So, it’s a really broad diversity of people but are trying to start their career either in a new segment or just starting out.”

Aside from attending sessions, participants had the opportunity to tour different nuances of agriculture in the Kansas City area on the MoKan Ag Tour. There were also plenty of opportunities to network with other professionals in the agriculture industry or in similar job positions.

You can listen to my interview with Amanda here: Interview with Amanda Sollman, NAMA Boot Camp Chair

Agribusiness, Audio, Marketing, NAMA

Getting Set for the Farm Progress Show

Cindy Zimmerman August 25, 2014

We’re on site and set up for the 2014 Farm Progress Show – and hoping it won’t rain too hard. The rest of the ZimmComm Team is on its way and will be out here in the morning.

New here at the Iowa site is the air-conditioned BASF Media Tent. That should come in handy even if it is cooler than the normal 95 degrees this week. We are praying to the patron saint of farm shows to keep us not just cool, but dry as well.

The FPS this year features live webcams sponsored by Raven. There are five different cameras featuring different views of the show, so tune in and see what you can see.

Coverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by

BASF, Farm Progress Show

New Holland T8 SmartTrax

Chuck Zimmerman August 25, 2014

Today New Holland announces a very unique tractor with rear tracks and front wheels. It’s the T8 SmartTrax. The media got a preview of the new machine which will be on the Farm Progress Show lot this week. Telling us all about it is Nathan Graham, T8, T9 and PLM Product Trainer. Here is some information about the new product.

Optimized flotation and traction with minimized soil disturbance
Purpose-developed high clearance, high-torque front and rear axles
Up to seven different working widths
Choice of Auto Command™ or Power Command™ full powershift transmission
Revised fuel tank and cab steps for easy cab access

With its all-new SmartTrax™ system, New Holland matches the overall versatility of a wheeled tractor with the high traction and flotation of rubber tracks. Although based on the established T8 Series, SmartTrax tractors have detail design differences. These include purpose-developed high torque axles that match large-diameter front wheels with the rear tracks. This enables full power to be delivered between the front wheels and rear tracks for optimum performance.

“SmartTrax T8 Series tractors have been developed to deliver the proven versatility of a wheeled tractor with the enhanced traction and flotation of rubber tracks,” says Dan Valen, Cash Crop Marketing Segment Leader. “The rubber tracks are matched to large diameter front wheels to deliver excellent maneuverability and to overcome some of the issues that may arise with conventional twin tracked vehicles. A key feature of SmartTrax is the ability to turn tightly and cleanly at the headland. This improves versatility as the tractor is also suitable for top work, such as spraying and top dressing.”

Learn more about the new T8 SmartTrax in this video from my ZimmGlass. I’ll have another one to publish this week riding along with Nathan.

2014 New Holland Media Day Photo Album

Coverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by

Agribusiness, Equipment, New Holland, Tractor, Video

No RFS Means Less Choice at Pump

Joanna Schroeder August 25, 2014

With oil prices on a roller coaster because of the deteriorating situation in the Mideast, Americans United for Change stress that Americans need the EPA to stand by a secure, safe, reliable energy source the U.S. has complete control over: clean-burning, homegrown renewable fuels. Preserving the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and cheaper choices at the pump for American consumers means more stability in gas prices, even in times of instability.

The turmoil in the Middle East is continuing causing volatility in gas prices. And with Labor Day around the corner, gas prices are expected to jump just in time for drivers to hit the roads. One solution to keep gas prices lower? Ethanol. As Jeremy Funk, communications director for Americans United for Change points out, the RFS would ensure ethanol is still available for consumers to choose at the pump.

Yet again, The U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA) has just announced the final biofuel volumes of the RFS for 2014 and it seems unlikely the EPA will announced its proposed RFS volumes for 2015 by mid-November as required.

“If anything should give the EPA pause before deciding to roll back the Renewable Fuel Standard as they have proposed, it’s the bubbling turmoil in Iraq,” said Funk. “That’s why the nation can’t afford to scale back the RFS now and put all our eggs in Big Oil’s basket.”

Funk explained that the oil industry has spent millions to rig the system against the homegrown competition. Those companies’ efforts — aside from leading to higher gas prices — would move American jobs overseas, reduce air quality, and contribute to climate change. That’s why American farmers, renewable energy leaders, veterans, nonprofit organizations, and others have come together to demand protection for the RFS. And Funk said they want consumers to join the fight for the RFS and demand lower gas prices and choice at the pump.

Biofuels, Ethanol

Congrats to FMC Anthem Contest Finalists

Cindy Zimmerman August 25, 2014

Pictured: Anthem finalists Lindsay Webber and Jessica Ronat, RFD-TV host Rachael Bernard, FMC’s Paul Redhage, Music Producer Tom Davis, finalists Leanna Crawford and Halle Reid

The final four in the 2014 FMC “Stand & Be Heard Anthem Singing Contest” were announced earlier this month and it is time this week to move into the next phase of the competition to choose this year’s winner.

FMC Strategic Communications Manager Paul Redhage says they just got back from Nashville where all four finalists recorded music videos at the famous House of Blues for a program that will air on RFD TV August 28. “Starting that same day, August 28 through September 28, it’s back to on-line voting to determine of those final four who is the grand prize winner,” Redhage said. The first 20 finalists were chosen by on-line voting, and nearly 50,000 votes were cast.

This is the third year for the contest, which Paul says they never expected to be as successful as it has been. “We just knew we wanted to do something for the youth in agriculture,” he said. “It’s grown in numbers of students participating each year and number of states represented.”

The four finalists are Halle Reid from New Mexico, Jessica Ronat from Illinois, and Leanna Crawford and Lindsay Webber, both from the state of Washington.

Find out more about the finalists and the success of FMC’s singing contest in this interview with Paul: Interview with Paul Redhage, FMC

Thanks to FMC for helping us to provide coverage this week of the Farm Progress Show, and make sure to cast your vote for the best Anthem singer, starting August 28.

Coverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by

Audio, Farm Progress Show, FMC

Heading to Farm Progress Show

Cindy Zimmerman August 25, 2014

Nearly the entire ZimmComm team is on its way today to Boone, Iowa for the 2014 Farm Progress Show which starts tomorrow.

The largest outdoor farm show is bigger and better than ever and we are really looking forward to bringing you bigger and better coverage than ever before, thanks to our sponsors New Holland, FMC, GROWMARK, Ag Leader, John Deere and Bayer CropScience.

Our Hick Chick, Leah Guffey, talked with show manager Matt Jungmann last week to make sure everything was ready to go for the big show. “The streets have all been paved, everything is in good shape,” Matt says. “We added 13 streets when we were here last time, so now, like we did in Decatur last year, we’ve got the annex building just outside the main gate.”

Matt says it’s been cool this summer making field demos a bit of a challenge. “But we’re still confident that we’ve got a 60 acre field out there that’s going to be good enough to go,” he said. And don’t forget the Jerrod Niemann concert at the newly renovated ISU Harvester Plaza on Wednesday.

Admission for the show is $15 for adults and $8 for youngsters 13-17, and Matt says you can actually get tickets on-line, print them out and speed your way through the gate. Hope to see you there!

Listen to Leah’s interview with Matt here: Interview with Matt Jungmann, Farm Progress Show

Coverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by

Audio, Farm Progress Show

New Holland Supporting Wheat Harvest

Chuck Zimmerman August 22, 2014

I got a taste of life on the custom wheat harvester road today in North Dakota. The New Holland Harvest Support team was called out to help the Rolands update some software on their CR8090 combine. Here’s the Roland team along with a couple members of the New Holland support team getting it done.

While we were waiting for some software to download I visited with Brandon Roland. He and his Dad Alan run a fleet of three New Holland combines. Brandon says the harvest support team is their “lifeline.” He says it’s easier for him to deal with the same person all season instead of different people in different locations as they move north through the harvest. I also learned that Brandon and his Dad were featured in the History Channel show, Harvest, back in 2011!

You can listen to my interview with Brandon here: Interview with Brandon Roland

By the way, in case you haven’t checked it out, New Holland sponsors High Plains Journal’s All Aboard Wheat Harvest which follows the harvest telling stories from the field.

New Holland 2014 Harvest Support

Agribusiness, Audio, Harvest, New Holland

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes August 22, 2014

Advanta US, a leading international supplier of proprietary agricultural crop genetics and seed, announces Tyson Meador has joined the company as eastern sales manager.
Filament Marketing, located in the heart of Madison, Wis. is excited to once again offer a marketing communications summer internship experience in 2015 in addition to a new media relations summer internship.
Mitsui Chemicals Agro, Inc. (MCAG), and Hokusan Co., Ltd. (HOK), announced the signing of an exclusive licensing agreement allowing Verdesian Life Sciences global access to its patented technology for suppressing mycotoxin contamination in wheat and barley, a significant problem for growers.
Nestlé, the world’s largest food company measured by revenue, announced new animal welfare standards for its supply chain, in partnership with World Animal Protection.

Zimfo Bytes

Versatility in Tractors at John Deere

Jamie Johansen August 22, 2014

John Deere’s 6 family of tractors is their most versatile tractor yet. They say it has ‘everything you need and nothing you don’t.’ Chuck’s at John Deere’s media product launch and spoke with Brad Tolbert, Division Marketing Manager for John Deere, at the event and they talked tractors.

“What we are excited to release here is our large chassis 6R’s. We have three new models there. They are all FT4 compliant, but that’s just the underlying piece. There is a lot of customer value that is built in to add to the top of the tractors we introduced in Indianapolis several years ago.”

After conducting focus groups, Brad said John Deere went in and changed the hydraulic valve stack. This increases the use of the tractor and makes it easier to hook and detach from implements. The focus group also said they wanted more visibility in the cab, so John Deere added wide-angle mirrors.

Brad said the 6R’s are available today. Contact your local dealer and they can hook you up. These tractors also have many add-ons that allow customers to customize them to fit their operations needs.

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Brad here: Interview with Brad Tolbert

2015 John Deere Product Launch Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Equipment, John Deere, Tractor

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