IFAJ Member Survey Results

Chuck Zimmerman

IFAJ SurveyThe just-released results of an International Federation of Agricultural Journalists member survey should be of interest to members of all ag communications organizations. You can find a pdf of the full results here. I think you might find questions and responses about social media of special interest. The survey, completed by 127 members, was designed to offer guidance to the federation going forward. Professional development was of high interest for members.

Its four sections included questions related to current activities, future activities, current communication tools and an open-ended section asking how IFAJ can become more relevant to executives and their guilds.

The responses show 46 per cent of respondents agreed that current professional development activities are valuable. Twenty-six per cent agreed somewhat. Respondents added that current IFAJ professional development activities are valuable as they bring worldwide colleagues together, including the international congress that provides international learning opportunities.
Related to future activities, 86 per cent said they would value regional press tours and exchange visits to learn and write about agriculture in another country. Respondents provided feedback that some possible future activities might include a membership database, a debate about the role of the journalists and communicators in IFAJ, more exchange meetings, focus on major issues including climate change, education, new technologies, solar power, or scholarship support for young journalists to study in other countries.

ACN, IFAJ, Media

Philip Brasher Joins Agri-Pulse

Cindy Zimmerman

agri-pulse-brasherOne of the most respected names in agricultural journalism is joining the staff of Agri-Pulse.

Agri-Pulse has announed the appointment of Philip Brasher as a senior editor, based in Washington, D.C., effective December 1.

“We are very excited to have a talented veteran journalist like Phil join us full-time in Washington,” said Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse Editor and Publisher. “Phil is one of the most knowledgeable food and agriculture policy journalists in the nation. He will help us continue to expand our Capitol Hill coverage, drawing upon expertise and relationships built in a career on Capitol Hill spanning two-and-a-half decades.”

Brasher most recently served as editor of “CQ on Agriculture and Food” for CQ Roll Call, a unit of The Economist Group. He has reported on food and agriculture policy for more than 15 years, also working for The Associated Press, The Des Moines Register and Gannett. In 2009, Brasher’s project funded by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting looked into prospects for biotechnology in Africa. He has served as a key reporter on award-winning projects examining the future of biofuels, the impact of climate change on agriculture and the environmental and economic effects of changing land ownership patterns.

Follow Brasher and the Agri-Pulse team on Twitter @PhilipBrasher and @AgriPulse
About Agri-Pulse Communications Inc.

Agri-Pulse, Media

Meet the New USFRA Faces: Carla Wardin

John Davis

usfra-faces-carlaEarlier this month, we told you about the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA®) announcing the winners of its second class of the Faces of Farming and Ranching program. Now, we’d like you to meet each of the five selectees, starting with Carla Wardin of Michigan, who along with her husband Kris, both sixth-generation farmers, are the sole owners of Evergreen Dairy.

“I am so thrilled and so honored to be selected, because I really love the chance to represent the industry,” she told our Taylor Truckey during an interview. “I’m really looking forward to having meaningful conversations with consumers on the national level.”

Carla’s path to this latest position to help shift conversations about food production and set the record straight about how farmers feed the nation came through social media. Beginning with tours of the family dairy farms, she expanded who could hear the story when she launched her own blog, “Truth or Dairy,” also promoting it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

“I really love being able to share, and I really love that people want to read about a dairy farm in the Midwest,” she said.

Carla admitted that while having friends online (and some of those ONLY online) might seem a little different than traditional friendships, she believes they can still make some great connections and relationships.

Moving forward, Carla will be part of USFRA’s Food Dialogues program held in different cities where many stakeholders are invited to the conversation.

You can follow Carla here:

Truth or Dairy Blog
Carla’s Facebook page
Evergreen Dairy Facebook page
Twitter
Carla’s Farm Video

Listen to all of Taylor’s interview with Carla here: New USFRA Faces of Farming and Ranching - Carla Wardin

Ag Groups, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Dairy, USFRA

NCGA President Discusses Issues

Cindy Zimmerman

nafb14-ncga-chipTransportation, trade, biotechnology, regulations, and soil health were just a few of the issues on the mind of National Corn Growers Association president Chip Bowling at the recent National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention.

Talking transportation first, Bowling says they were surprised when the Army Corps of Engineers told them earlier this month that they would be closing the Mississippi River for at least two weeks to make some repairs. “We would love to have known about it a little sooner than we did,” he said. “We need them to get that work done as soon as possible….we’ve got a big crop coming out of the fields and we’ve got to get it down river to the port.”

Bowling says corn growers are very concerned about the growing number of initiatives nationwide called for labeling of GMO products, and passage of a temporary ban on biotech crop production in Maui where many agribusiness companies do research on new traits. “The issue in Hawaii is critical,” he said. “We Hawaii is a place we can grow crops all year long and the companies that test their traits out there needs to have the accessibility to those areas.” Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences have filed suit over the ban, which was passed by a slim margin, and a judge has blocked its implementation.

Bowling talks about a variety of issues in this interview: Interview with Chip Bowling, NCGA president
2014 NAFB Convention Photos

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

BASF Talks Engenia at NAFB

Cindy Zimmerman

nafb14-basf-chadChad Brommer is a biologist by training who is more comfortable in a lab coat than a suit and tie. But, BASF recently tapped Chad for a new role as technical market manager for Engenia herbicide, which he has helped to develop over the last several years.

“I’m really in a unique position and happy to be here in a different role,” said Chad during an interview at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention. “The previous five years I’ve spent with a team of scientists in the United States and Germany developing what is now Engenia, the newest form of dicamba that we have at BASF.”

Engenia herbicide has been developed to control 190 different broadleaf weeds and when it hits the market it will be available for both dicamba-tolerant soybeans and cotton. “So with the really difficult glyphosate-resistant broadleaf weed problems we’ve seen in the south and in the Midwest, this is a great new tool that will allow growers to apply a post-emergence herbicide and completely take out weeds like palmer amaranth or waterhemp,” Chad says.

BASF is anticipating Engenia will be available for dicamba-tolerant cotton next year and soybeans in 2016. Learn more in this interview with Chad: Interview with Chad Brommer, BASF
2014 NAFB Convention Photos

NAFB Convention is sponsored by
NAFB Convention is sponsored by BASF
Audio, BASF, Crop Protection, NAFB, weed management

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

  • Jay Vroom, president and CEO of CropLife America (CLA), announced that Dr. Janet E. Collins will join CLA as senior vice president of science and regulatory affairs, effective January 5, 2015.
  • The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) filed a notice of intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failure to issue the 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
  • The official opening of Bayer CropScience’s Weed Resistance Competence Center (WRCC) in Frankfurt on 19 November is a major step forward in tackling weed resistance, as it will develop new weed control strategies, and share knowledge within the global community of farmers, agronomists and scientists.
  • AGCO, Your Agriculture Company, a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment and infrastructure, is proud to announce a recent highlight in the Harvard Business Review for the company’s work in developing smart farm equipment and solutions.
Zimfo Bytes

Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish?

Jamie Johansen

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Do you think the new coalition agreement addresses ag data privacy concerns?”

Time will tell if the big data coalition will ease the minds of concerned growers when it comes to privacy and security issues. However, the majority of those polled feel that the agreement addresses these ag data issues. We for sure will keep you posted.

Here are the poll results:

  • Yes – 47%
  • No – 26%
  • Maybe – 7%
  • I don’t know – 20%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, What’s your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

In year’s past we have asked your favorite Thanksgiving protein. Does your family go for the traditional turkey or maybe a ham? Or do you have your own traditional meat of choice? This year in honor of Thanksgiving, we want to know your favorite side dish. Do you prefer dressing, mashed potatoes or do you love something different? At my family’s table gravy is a side all it’s own. It covers everything but the salad.

ZimmPoll

Corn and Soybean Groups React to EPA Decision

Cindy Zimmerman

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced they will not be finalizing the 2014 applicable percentage of standards under the 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) until next year. They also announced that the compliance deadline for 2013 RFS standards will also take place in 2015. Both corn and soybean groups reacted to the announcement, which impacts ethanol and biodiesel production and demand.

NCGA-Logo“Today’s announcement by EPA shows the Administration recognizes the proposed rule was inherently flawed and based on an unworkable methodology,” said National Corn Growers Association president Chip Bowling in a statement. “Corn farmers have produced a second record crop in two years, resulting in corn prices that have fallen below the cost of production in many parts of the country. Our members have been frustrated by the uncertainty and delays surrounding the RFS.”

ASAlogo1“The continued delays create great uncertainty for the biodiesel industry and soybean farmers and limits the industry’s ability to invest and expand,” said American Soybean Association President Ray Gaesser. “The Proposed Rule was unacceptable and would have taken biodiesel backward from the amounts produced and utilized in 2013. However, ASA believes that EPA can and should finalize a 2014 rule that sets the biomass-based diesel volumes at or above the nearly 1.8 billion gallons that were produced and consumed in the U.S. in 2013.”

The EPA cites major consumer concerns as the reason for the delay. “The proposal has generated significant comment and controversy, particularly about how volumes should be set in light of lower gasoline consumption than had been forecast at the time that the Energy Independence and Security Act was enacted, and whether and on what basis the statutory volumes should be waived. Most notably, commenters expressed concerns regarding the proposal’s ability to ensure continued progress towards achieving the volumes of renewable fuel targeted by the statute.”

ASA, Biodiesel, Biofuels, Corn, EPA, Ethanol, Soybean

COOL is a Big Issue for NFU

Cindy Zimmerman

nafb14-nfu-gouleI had the opportunity to sit down and chat with National Farmers Union Senior Vice President of Programs Chandler Goule last week at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention. We discussed a variety of policy issues where NFU is actively involved on the federal level, and one big one is Country of Origin Labeling (COOL).

Goule says strongly supports COOL and they believe the United States should maintain the law despite the recent WTO ruling against it. “When you really read (the WTO ruling), it narrowed the scope so the U.S. is taking the steps in the right direction to become compliant,” he said, stressing that there is no need for Congress to take any immediate action. “If everything went perfect at the WTO, we’re looking at the end of 2015 before anything can happen.” By anything, Goule is referring to potential trade retaliation against the United States by Canada and Mexico, and he says there are a number of appeals processes that would have to take place before that would occur.

Another issue NFU has a strong stance on is the Secretary of Agriculture’s proposal for a second beef check off. Goule says they support get rid of the current 1985 beef check off and forming a new one under the 1996 generic check off act. “If we would move to the ’96 act, it would be more flexible, it would be more cow-calf producer friendly,” he said. “We will do everything we can to write a good checkoff, but we can only have one checkoff running at the same time.”

In this interview, Goule also talks about NFU’s policy regarding the Waters of the U.S., the Renewable Fuel Standard, the lame duck session, the new dairy program, and trade. Interview with Chandler Goule, NFU
2014 NAFB Convention Photos

NAFB Convention is sponsored by
NAFB Convention is sponsored by BASF
Ag Groups, Audio, NAFB

No Agriculture in Obama Immigration Action

Cindy Zimmerman

obama-whitehousePresident Obama made good on his promise to make changes in the nation’s “broken” immigration system, but there’s no mention of agriculture or farm workers in his plan.

“In practical terms, we do not expect the president’s initiative to help America’s farmers deal with the real labor challenges they face,” said American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman in a statement after the president’s address from the White House. “Our nation loses millions of dollars in fruit and vegetable production every year because farmers cannot find labor to harvest everything they grow. This order will not change that.”

A statement from the Agriculture Workforce Coalition stressed that “the only way to permanently fix agriculture’s labor shortage is through legislation” and without it “farmers will continue to be unable to find the workers they need to pick crops or care for livestock; more food production will go overseas; local economies across the country will suffer; and the American consumer will pay more for the food they eat.” The AWC includes Farm Bureau and some 70 other agricultural organizations.

However, United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez commended the president’s action and said it “will allow at least 250,000 of America’s current professional farm workers who feed our nation to apply for temporary legal status and work permits.” UFW says half of that total would come from California alone.

AFBF, labor