Corn Growers at Farm Progress Show

Cindy Zimmerman

fps14-ncga1National Corn Growers Association officers were out in force at the 2014 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa this week.

Right out of the gate on the first day I met up with NCGA chairwoman Pam Johnson of Iowa, First VP Chip Bowling of Maryland, and President Martin Barbre of Illinois. It was a soggy start to the show on day one, while day two was lovely, and day three was a complete wash out.

gps14-ncga-chipChip stepped up to the podium in the media tent on day one to talk about our record corn crop in the fields this year. “We’re keeping a close eye on corn prices and are greatly concerned about efforts in Washington that may reduce or stifle demand for corn and raise the cost of production,” said Bowling, specifically noting the EPA’s proposal to lower volume obligations for ethanol under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Chip Bowling, NCGA comments on record corn crop Interview with Chip Bowling, NCGA

fps14-ncga-robNCGA soon-to-be Vice President Rob Elliott of Illinois sat down with us to talk about NCGA’s involvement in the American Ethanol NASCAR program which has had the popular racing platform running on 15% ethanol. “We’ve had about a four year program with Growth Energy and others to talk to 100 million NASCAR fans,” he said. “NASCAR in its three levels has run over six million miles (on E15) which is the same number of miles EPA drove to prove E15 to be a good fuel!”

Listen to our interview with Rob here: Interview with Rob Elliott, NCGA

2014 Farm Progress Show photo album

Coverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by New HollandCoverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by FMCCoverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by AgLeader
Audio, Biofuels, Corn, Ethanol, Farm Progress Show, NCGA

Typo 2 Keyboard for iPhone 5/5S

Chuck Zimmerman

Typo 2I took the new Typo 2 Keyboard for iPhone 5/5S on the road with me this week. It has a very different feel to it and very needed changes on the keyboard. You can see the new features in the video below but one in particular makes a big difference between using version one.

The Typo 2 now has a keyboard button that lets you lock the keyboard. Now you can put it in your pocket or wherever and it won’t accidentally turn the phone on when you bump keys. The keys on this new keyboard are also shaped differently with less curves in them. I find it even easier to type on.

So, if you’ve been missing your old Blackberry keyboard and have an iPhone 5 or 5S here’s your alternative and it’s available for order now.

Typo 2 Demo from Typo Keyboards on Vimeo.

Equipment, Technology

Final Farm Progress Show Day Cancellation

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Progress Show New HollandWell the show started to go on today. However, the weather finally deteriorated and the Farm Progress Show has just announced final day cancellation since lightning has entered the area. I got my notice via Twitter. The first two days were great and the ZimmComm Team got everything done that absolutely had to be done. We wish we could have had this last day to spend some time with a few more companies. We have lots of stories to continue telling you though.

As you might have guessed, my team assignment has been New Holland. I can’t thank them enough for their continued support which is now approaching a decade! But I also want to say a big thank you to all our sponsors both here on AgWired and also on Precision.AgWired.com. We couldn’t do it without you!

2014 Farm Progress photo album.

Coverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by New HollandCoverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by FMCCoverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by AgLeader
Farm Progress Show

Home Grown

Melissa Sandfort

20140827_084030Summer is one of my favorite seasons (not that I have many to choose from!) for a number of reasons. I enjoy sitting in my new rocking chair on the front porch at dusk, watching for deer and turkey to walk through the yard. I love going to the lake and letting the kids play on the beach. I love firing up the grill and cooking burgers. And I LOVE the fresh fruit and vegetables.

This summer, my in-laws planted quite the garden and have been sharing the goodies with our family. I cooked, cut and froze more than 400 ears of sweet corn; we’ve had spaghetti squash, cucumbers galore, potatoes, cantaloupe and if I liked them, could’ve had tomatoes. If you can see in the picture, there’s a lighter colored cucumber on the top of the pile. These are Syrian cucumbers – the seeds came over from Lebanon with my grandfather and my grandmother (featured in AgWalk!) has kept the seeds growing over the years. She shared some with us this year and my father-in-law had success growing them. At the end of the season, you let one get big and save the seeds. The great thing about these cucumbers is that you don’t peel them, and no matter how big they get, they’re never bitter.

Gardens can be quite a bit of work and let me tell you, theirs is pristine. Straight rows, no weeds and some of the best cantaloupe I’ve ever eaten. I’m very thankful for their efforts…and maybe next year we’ll have a garden at our house! Until then, it’s cucumbers for late-night snacks.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

  • The National Sorghum Producers board of directors elected officers and appointed two new individuals to the board last week during its annual August board meeting.
  • DuPont announced construction on two state-of-the-art centers dedicated to developing and testing seed treatment formulations, applications and seed handling techniques in an important step toward bringing new solutions to growers.
  • Valmont Industries, Inc., a leading global provider of engineered products and services for infrastructure and mechanized irrigation equipment for agriculture, announced that it has acquired a majority interest in South Dakota-based AgSense.
  • U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) is launching a new campaign entitled I AM FARMLAND geared to help support the expanded distribution of FARMLAND, a new feature length documentary about the lives of young farmers and ranchers.
Zimfo Bytes

Jeff Simmons, Elanco, Accepts #ALSIceBucketChallenge

Chuck Zimmerman

Jeff Simmons ElancoAnother ALS IceBucketChallenge has been met. This time it’s Jeff Simmons, Elanco Animal Health. He received my challenge and he has answered it and issued his own.

Here’s what Jeff did:

Elanco president Jeff Simmons accepts the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge from Chuck Zimmerman and Tyson president and CEO Donnie Smith, then challenges U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heifer International CEO Pierre Ferrari, Land O’Lakes CEO Chris Policinski and Mike Engler, CEO of Cactus Feeders. In addition, a $100 donation will be made to the ALS Association.

Now I’m just waiting on Kelly Schwalbe, BCS Communications to get back in touch with me since he’s my one remaining challenge! Thanks again to Abe Hughes, New Holland, for taking care of business last night.

Agribusiness, Animal Health, Elanco

Iowa Congressman at Farm Progress Show

Cindy Zimmerman

fps14-kingRep. Steve King (R-IA) stopped in at the Farm Progress Show media tent to visit with us about the latest topics on his mind in Washington DC.

King talked about the inability of Congress to get much done this year. “It’s the nature of the political gridlock that exists when the Democrats run the Senate and the Republicans run the House,” he said. “We do the best we can with what we have to work with.”

Talking about the Environmental Protection Agency, King noted that both the proposed Waters of the United States rule and the delayed Renewable Fuel Standard 2014 volume requirement are both issues where the agency is “standing in the way of agriculture progress.” He is especially concerned about the RFS rule with a record corn crop in the fields. “What are we going to do with all this corn if you’ve got the EPA ratcheting down the Renewable Fuel Standard?” said King, who added that he agrees with Iowa Governor Terry Brandstad blaming the EPA proposal for John Deere layoffs.

I also asked King about immigration reform and his adamant opposition to any type of amnesty provisions. A member of the House agriculture committee, King understands the reasons why agricultural organizations have an interest in reforming guest worker provisions, but he thinks there is a better answer. “There are 104.1 million Americans of working age who are not in the work force,” he said. “Why would we go to a foreign country to import people with no skills that don’t speak our language to do this work?” King disputes the notion that Americans won’t work on farms. “Tell me a job that Americans won’t do and I will take you there and show Americans doing it. That’s never been true,” said King.

Listen to my interview with King here: Interview with Rep. Steve King, Iowa

2014 Farm Progress photo album.

Coverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by New HollandCoverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by FMCCoverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by AgLeader
Audio, Ethanol, Farm Progress Show, labor

FMC ZimmComm Girls

Joanna Schroeder

FMC ZimmComm GirlsSo the girls of ZimmComm are having fun this week at Farm Progress and took a moment to thank FMC for helping sponsor their coverage by dedicating a photo with the infamous “gold” mics sporting FMC wear.

In case you missed it, FMC has launched some great new weed control management products this year including Solstice herbicide for corn along with Authority and Marvel. Be sure to check out them out!

View the Farm Progress 2014 Flicker photo album.

Coverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by New HollandCoverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by FMCCoverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by AgLeader
Agribusiness, Farm Progress Show, FMC, Herbicide, weed management

Commodity Prices & Farm Equipment Sales

Jamie Johansen

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What’s the most important skill set for ag communications?”

The tried and true skill of writing still tops the charts when it comes to agriculture communications even though the industry has changed so much over recent years. But the importance of a well-rounded graduate is always the end goal. Not surprisingly, people skills comes in as a heavy second. All skills needed in any career and in any industry.

Here are the poll results:

  • Writing/editing – 29%
  • Graphic design – 0%
  • Photography – 0%
  • Social media/blogging – 0%
  • Verbal communications – 8%
  • People skills – 21%
  • All of the above – 29%
  • Other – 13%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, How do you think commodity prices are impacting farm equipment sales?

We are in the heat of the 2014 Farm Progress Show so we thought we would talk farm equipment. Are you staying optimistic saying good crops will equal good sales? Or are you guessing the downward trend will continue?

ZimmPoll

FMC Solstice Herbicide for Corn

Joanna Schroeder

solstice-logoThere is a product that has been getting great interest this year and that is FMC’s Solstice Herbicide for corn. While FMC is not onsite in Boone, IA this year, the company helped sponsor coverage of Farm Progress 2014.

To learn more about Solstice, I turned to Gail Stratman, FMC Midwest technical sales lead who explained how the product works and its benefits. Some of the key weeds Solstice controls include water hemp, lambsquarter, giant ragweed and growers who began using the product in 2014 have seen great success in control using the product.

First, Solstice is a two-mode action herbicide that kills weeds post emergence that other herbicides miss. In addition, Solstice offers broad-spectrum control and excellent crop safety, and is approved for use on field corn, seed corn, silage corn, popcorn and sweet corn. Stratman also said that the product may be applied anywhere from crop emergence through the V8 growth.

“One thing we’ve found when talking to growers and ag weed scientists, the key thing most of them emphasize is to use multiple modes of action,” explained Stratman. “One of the reasons we’ve gotten into some of the resistance issues we have is we’ve overused, or oversimplified, our weed control and we’ve relied specifically on glyphosate to control all of our weeds.”

He continued by stressing that due to resistance, “It’s very important to change the mode of action or include more modes of action in our weed control program and Solstice does exactly that. It adds two modes of action and when we combine that with glyphosate we now have three.”

To learn more about Solstice Herbicide for Corn listen to Cindy Zimmerman’s interview with Gail Stratman: Interview with Gail Stratman

View the Farm Progress 2014 Flicker photo album.

Coverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by New HollandCoverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by FMCCoverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the 2014 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by AgLeader
Agribusiness, Audio, Crop Protection, Farm Progress Show, FMC, Herbicide