AAEA Update from the President

Chuck Zimmerman July 28, 2014

The President of the American Agricultural Editors Association is Holly Spangler, Associate Editor, Prairie Farmer. She’s pictured here with the current board of AAEA. They met yesterday and I sat down with her to talk about how AAEA is doing and what was on the agenda.

Holly says that the board talked about the structure of the organization with several ideas being proposed. One that they have decided on is expanding the Executive Committee to include more Past-President involvement. Listen in to learn what’s going on with AAEA.

You can listen to my interview with Holly here: Interview with Holly Spangler

Ag Media Summit Photo Album

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LPC and AAEA Student Awards

Chuck Zimmerman July 28, 2014

During the Ag Media Summit several students were honored with some recognition and awards.

The Livestock Publications Council presented the Forrest Bassford Award to Logan Britton, Kansas State University. Logan gave us a very touching emotional thank you in which he mentioned that he doesn’t have a farm background but is passionate about a careen in ag communications. I told him afterward that I have done just that and encouraged him to keep at it.

Sponsoring the award is Alltech and on hand to present the award is Ann Hess, Alltech.

The American Agricultural Editors Association presented the Jim Evans Scholarship to Courtney Leeper, University of Missouri. On hand to present it was Mr. Jim Evans himself! Three other scholarships were also presented.

The scholarships are sponsored by the AAEA Professional Improvement Foundation.

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Welcome to the MapShots AgStudio Expo

Cindy Zimmerman July 28, 2014

The 2014 InfoAg Expo kicks off tomorrow at St. Louis Union Station, but prior to that event, MapShots has brought in about 140 farmers and crop consultants for an AgStudio Expo today.

“Little day session that goes through some of the aspects of AgStudio and that line of products from the farm version to the pro version,” said Clint Ingram of MapShots. Interview with Clint Ingram, MapShots

This event is all about Big Data management and we will be learning about variable rate management, agronomic data management, and tools to simplify the complex business of managing a farming operation. Full coverage of today’s event, as well as continuing coverage of InfoAg Expo this week, will be posted on Precision.Agwired.com.

AgStudio Expo Photo Album

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Serious Thoughts from a Funny Guy

Cindy Zimmerman July 28, 2014

Damian Mason is a seriously funny guy.

Chuck interviewed him twice last year – at the NAMA conference and then again at the O.H. Kruse event – but the first time I have seen him was over the weekend at the Southern Peanut Growers Conference, and I suspect it won’t be the last. He is making a name for himself as “Agriculture’s Professional Funny Man” and has a growing client list of agricultural companies and organizations. If you haven’t seen him yet, you probably will soon and you won’t be disappointed.

“I’m a farm boy and a farm owner, I have an agricultural economics degree, raised on a dairy farm,” Damian said after his SPGC luncheon keynote sponsored by BASF. “I make people laugh and I talk about industry issues.”

Weaving his thoughts about serious agricultural issues within his comedy, Damian hammered home the importance of communicating with the fragment of our population that knows nothing about food production. He suggests that agriculture learn from the National Rifle Association and be more aggressive in defending our industry. “They are emotional, they are patriotic and they also talk about self-interest,” said Damian.

He also contends that using the argument for cheap food is ineffective. “It’s not really a selling point to at least the upper half (of the population),” Damian said. “If they cared about cheap food why would they spend $12 billion dollars on plastic bottles of water … food is an emotional decision in the United States, not a sustenance and physical decision.”

Listen to more serious thoughts from this funny guy in my interview here – and watch one of his YouTube clips below to see one of the bits he did talking about farmers.
Interview with Damian Mason, Agriculture’s Professional Funny Man

You can also learn more about Damian, find out how to book him at an event, and buy some of his cool stuff like “Agriculture – Because Starvation Sucks” t-shirts – at DamianMason.com.

2014 SPGC photo album

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, BASF, Peanuts, SPGC, Video

GROWMARK Picks AgIntegrated for Info Platform

Cindy Zimmerman July 28, 2014

GROWMARK has teamed up with AgIntegrated (AGI) for the development of FS Advanced Information Services (FS AIS), a suite of tools to “connect data, analysis, insight, and application into one complete user experience for advanced field optimization.”

AgIntegrated is an independent provider of ag information management consulting and technologies based in Pennsylvania and President Duane Reese says they are excited to be working with GROWMARK.

“GROWMARK shares our vision of a modern, connected system that enables the best of today’s technologies from across the industry, while maintaining a close eye on usability and future information needs,” said Reese. “I am particularly thrilled that FS AIS will be using a majority of our Onsite platform for their data movement, processing, and storage needs”

GROWMARK manager of Agronomy Information Services Sid Parks explains their goals for FS AIS. “The basic product is to provide a tool to our members that allows them the ability to have field boundaries to store data like soil tests, as-applied maps, yield maps, all sorts of data being collected,” said Parks, noting that precision farming really started for GROWMARK some 20 years ago. “We wanted something that could provide a suite of tools in one place that allows access to multiple types of data … and further have that spatial data be able to talk to our accounting systems so we can have an integrated solution there.”

Parks says they already have beta versions of the software being tested and they hope to have it finished by the fall. Interview with Sid Parks, GROWMARK

Audio, data, GROWMARK, Technology

Gators Revved up in Indianapolis

Chuck Zimmerman July 27, 2014

How about them Gators? They found me. Not sure how. I was kind of hard to spot.

However, University of Florida ACT students did find me during the Ag Media Summit Famous Welcome Party. We did a little Gator Chomp and had a great conversation. That’s part of what AMS is all about.

I took a few photos during the reception while handing out ZimmComm swag from my Uf gym bag. It got lighter and lighter and then was finally empty. It is great seeing so many friends here. I hear that we have a record crowd at AMS this year. If you can’t be here then keep checking back and we’ll give you a look at all the activity we can.

Ag Media Summit Photo Album

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Talking with Forrest Lucas

Chuck Zimmerman July 27, 2014

Have you heard of Protect The Harvest? Probably. How about hearing from the founder?

Last night at the Ag Media Summit special reception I met Forrest Lucas, Lucas Oil (l). We were in the Lucas Oil Stadium here in Indianapolis. Also with him were Steele Shippy, Director of Political Operations for Protect The Harvest (r) and Dave Hageman, Victory Enterprises (c). We sat down for a chat and talked about the need for an organization like Protect The Harvest and the work they do. Forrest is very passionate about this subject and has put his money where his belief is. He invites other agribusinesses to join in and support the cause!

You can listen to my interview with them here: Interview with Forrest Lucas

I am collecting photos from throughout this year’s Ag Media Summit for your viewing and sharing pleasure:
Ag Media Summit Photo Album

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Arkansas Congressman and Former Farm Broadcaster

Cindy Zimmerman July 26, 2014

In keeping with a fine tradition of bringing outstanding farm state lawmakers to the Southern Peanut Growers Conference, this year we were honored to hear from Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas, a member of the House Agriculture Committee and a former farm broadcaster.

“In fact, we started a network back in ’06 and it has grown to about 53-54 stations in a five state area,” said Crawford, who was also a good friend of the late, great Stewart Doan from the great state of Arkansas.

Crawford talked with peanut growers about the struggles in getting a farm bill finally passed this year and his belief that it should be called the USDA Re-Authorization Bill, like other agencies like the Department of Defense, for example. “This would, I think, help us to communicate more efficiently just exactly what we’re doing,” he said. “It’s semantics is what it is, because the reality is that 80% of this authorization is nutrition.”

Crawford also discussed his concerns with the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, particularly its ambiguity. “The ‘significant nexus’ being utilized as their determining factor of whether a body of water is going to be regulated,” said Crawford, noting that is a subjective determination and it’s not clear who will make that determination.

Hear my interview with Rep. Crawford and his address below and you can also watch the video of our interview below:

Rep Rick Crawford speaks to SPGC
Interview with Rep. Rick Crawford

2014 SPGC photo album

Audio, Peanuts, SPGC, Video

Record Crowd for Peanut Conference

Chuck Zimmerman July 26, 2014

Peanut growers are in attendance in record numbers at the Southern Peanut Growers Conference. This morning is the final part of the program with formal presentations. Then things get social with a golf tournament prior to this evening closing banquet.

I’m leaving Cindy to finish things up on the SPGC Conference Blog while I go catch a flight to Indianapolis for the Ag Media Summit. Cindy will do a turn around at home this weekend before heading to St. Louis tomorrow for the InfoAg Conference. Yep, busy week coming up and we’ll have a lot to share.

2014 Southern Peanut Grower Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Peanuts, SPGC

Opening Keynote at Intl. Conf. on Precision Agriculture

Jamie Johansen July 25, 2014

Dr. Margaret Oliver was the opening keynote speaker at this week’s International Conference on Precision Agriculture. She is Deputy Editor of the European Journal of Soil Science (2011–present) and was Co-Editor of Precision Agriculture with John Stafford for six years until the end of 2010, but remains on the Editorial Board. On hand for ZimmComm was Sabrina Hill, AgNet West. Sabrina captured some presentations and interviews we’ll be sharing this week.

Welcoming everyone to the opening plenary session was Dr. John Stafford, President, International Society of Precision Agriculture. You can listen to his welcoming remarks here: Dr. John Stafford Welcome Remarks

Dr. Oliver spoke on the topic of “Precision Agriculture, Food Security and Geostatistics.” Her talk had two sections. The first linked precision agriculture to food security. The second got more specific dealing with the relationship of geostatistics to precision agriculture. If you’re a true agnerd using precision agriculture hardware and software you’ll like this topic.

You can listen to Dr. Oliver’s talk here: Dr. Margaret Oliver Keynote

We’d like to thank Sabrina for her help this week and the sponsor of our coverage of the ICPA, SST Software!

Coverage of the International Conference on Precision Agriculture is sponsored by

Agribusiness, Audio, Food, Precision Agriculture

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