Fresh From Florida NAMA Farm Tour

Cindy Zimmerman

nama14-blueskySince it’s usually in Kansas City, the annual NAMA conference rarely has a farm tour, so getting to see and hear about some agriculture outside the Midwest was a treat this week. Thanks to the Florida NAMA chapter for setting it up and to sponsors Ag Net Media and Vance Publishing for making it possible.

Our tour stops included a cracker cattle ranch, a potato farm, and a sod farm, finishing with a gourmet and locally source lunch at the St. Johns County Agricultural Center.

Fourth generation farmer Danny Johns was our host at Blue Sky Farm which grows specialty potatoes and onions and is very active in promoting agriculture to the public. “Farming is a constant evolution…always a challenge, that’s part of the fun of being a farmer,” he said. “It’s so important for the rest of the country to realize what agriculture looks like and the challenges we face.” Interview with Florida potato farmer Danny Johns

nama14-rancherMost people are aware that St. Augustine is the oldest continuous settlement in the new world (Pensacola was actually first but it got wiped out by a hurricane) – but you may not know that it is also the birth place of the United States cattle industry.

Alan Roberts of St. Augustine has a herd of pure Florida Cracker cattle, direct descendents of the original animals brought to Florida from Spain in the late 1500s. “They came over with Pedro Menendez in 1565 when he founded St. Augustine,” and Alan says they have had his herd DNA tested to confirm the bloodline.

nama14-crackersAlan says the cattle are more resistant to horn flies and worms than any other type of cattle and he likes their gentle dispositions. “They’re such a pleasure to raise,” he said. “They’re smarter for one thing, low maintenance and easy to handle.”

And so many of the mommas and babies in the herd looked just like each other with such unique coloring and markings. Watch the video below and be sure to check out the photo album where I took LOTS of cow pictures!

2014 Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

Coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by
Brownfield Ag News and Rhea + Kaiser
Coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by Rhea + KaiserCoverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by Brownfield Ag News

Agribusiness, Audio, Livestock, NAMA, Potato, Video

Caught on Camera

Melissa Sandfort

My beautiful pictureAs you may know, my son has a Lego digital camera and for $25 and in a few months, has caught more funny moments and captivating pictures than I have in the past year. He may not be into sports, or music, or crafts…but this little man has a talent.

Back “home”, I used to loves seeing a single tree that grew on the south side of the highway before I got to Rockport, on my way to and from Kansas City. With the floods a few years back, the tree has since been cut down.

But my son, the good road-trip partner that he is, had his camera out once again a few weeks ago and snapped this picture somewhere along I80 around Kearney. His talent is starting to shine through! (And I did very minimal Photoshop work on this!)

I think we may have found new scenery to admire while driving. There’s something about a lone tree in the middle of a field touches my heart.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

#TractorTweets

Kristin Liska

IMG_0592At the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) conference this year, New Holland is engaging with people by having them have a little New Holland tractor, received in the welcome bag, and take pictures of it in unique places. After taking the picture, participants can tweet the picture to New Holland and use the #TractorTweet hashtag to be entered to win New Holland swag! If you are participating, remember to get your tweets in by April 13!

Our New Holland tractor, as seen in the picture, is helping us celebrate our 10 year anniversary! We are officially entering the golden years with our golden microphones in hand!

2014 Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

Coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by
Brownfield Ag News and Rhea + Kaiser
Coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by Rhea + KaiserCoverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by Brownfield Ag News

NAMA, New Holland

USPB Elects New Leadership

Jamie Johansen

image001The United States Potato Board (USPB) grower membership elected new leadership during its Annual Meeting held in Colorado Springs, CO, March 11-13.

Brett Jensen from Idaho Falls, ID will serve as Chairman. Committees include Domestic Marketing, Finance, International Marketing and Industry Communications & Policy. Immediate Past Chairman is Rob Davis from Connell, WA.

You can find the complete listing of USPB’s Executive members here.

For more information on the USPB as the nation’s potato marketing organization, positioned as the “catalyst for positive change,” and the central organizing force in implementing programs that will increase demand for potatoes, please visit www.uspotatoes.com.

The USPB Executive Committee: (Seated, Front Row, from left to right) Chris Wada, Carl Hoverson, Mike Pink, Marty Myers, Brian Kirschenmann. (Standing, Back Row) Kurt Holland, Rob Davis, Blair Richardson, Brett Jensen, Bruce Richardson, Mike Carter, John Meyer

Ag Groups, Potato

New Climate Report Findings

Jamie Johansen

Screen Shot 2014-04-09 at 6.27.17 PMThe Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC) today released Climate Change Reconsidered II: Biological Impacts at a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

The 1,062-page report, published by The Heartland Institute, contains thousands of citations to peer-reviewed scientific literature — and concludes rising temperatures and atmospheric CO2 levels are causing “no net harm to the global environment or to human health and often finds the opposite: net benefits to plants, including important food crops, and to animals and human health.”

Craig Idso, Founder and chairman of the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change and the lead author of Climate Change Reconsidered II: Biological Impacts, said “Whether the subject is the effects of warming and rising CO2 on plants, animals, or humans, the latest UN report invariably highlights the studies and models that paint global warming in the darkest possible hue, ignoring or downplaying those that don’t.”

“It is most fortunate, therefore, that the NIPCC report provides tangible evidence that the CO2-induced global warming and ocean acidification debate remains unsettled on multiple levels. There are literally thousands of peer-reviewed scientific journal articles that do not support a catastrophic, or even problematic, view of atmospheric CO2 enrichment.”

Publisher of Climate Change Reconsidered II: Biological Impacts, Joseph Bast and President of The Heartland Institute, said “This new report from NIPCC makes it clear that there is no scientific consensus on the human role in climate change. It further makes it clear that future warming is likely to produce more benefits than costs. Global warming is not a crisis. It’s time to start repealing unnecessary and inexpensive policies that were adopted at the height of the global warming scare.”

The Nongovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or NIPCC, is a panel of scores of climate scientists from around the world that act as independent auditors of the work of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC.

The full report in digital form (PDF) can be found here. An 18-page Summary for Policymakers is available here. Individual chapters of the full report can be downloaded at the Climate Change Reconsidered website.

These reports have been endorsed by leading scientists from around the world, been cited in peer-reviewed journals, and are credited with changing the global debate over climate change. No corporate or government funding was solicited or received to support production of these reports or NIPCC.

Ag Groups, Environment

GMO Labeling Bill Seen as “Step to Restoring Sanity”

John Davis

cfsafFarm and commodity groups are throwing their support behind a new bill that is hoped to end some of the craziness over food labeling in this country. The Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, which includes the likes of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), the American Soybean Association (ASA), and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), as well as more than 30 other groups, praised the bipartisan bill from Reps. Mike Pompeo and G.K. Butterfield, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, which is designed to establish a federal labeling standard for food and beverage products made with genetically modified ingredients (GMOs).

“The introduction of the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act was an important first step to restoring sanity to America’s food labeling laws,” said Martin Barbre, President, NCGA. “GMOs are perfectly safe and America’s farmers rely on this proven technology to protect our crops from insects, weeds and drought.”

Supporters believe the bill would help eliminate confusion among consumers and give those consumers better confidence in what they buy.

“This bill is a commonsense, science-based approach to an issue we realize is close to the hearts and minds of so many consumers,” said Iowa farmer and ASA President Ray Gaesser. “Americans want to know that their food is safe, and the solutions proposed in this bill will ensure that they have that information.”

Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman says the measure makes clear that the Food and Drug Administration will be the Nation’s foremost authority on the use and labeling of foods containing GMOs and would eliminate a patchwork of state regulations across the country.

“The diversity of innovative options farmers and ranchers have in regard to how they grow our food is one of the reasons U.S. consumers enjoy a wide variety of foods that are also among the most affordable in the world.”

Other highlights of the bill include ensuring the FDA conducts safety reviews and providing better information and consistency for consumers.

ASA, Corn, Food, GMO, NCGA

Submit Nominations for Andy Markwart Horizon Award

Jamie Johansen

Screen Shot 2014-04-09 at 5.23.50 PMThe Andy Markwart Horizon Award, presented by the AAEA Professional Improvement Foundation (PIF) and John Deere in a matching grant partnership, is an annual award given to an AAEA member who embodies the youthful vigor, energy, passion, dedication and creativity shown by Andy in his volunteer work for AAEA for many years. Andy, editor of The Furrow, died in 2006 from heart problems.

Award winner must meet the following criteria. Details can be found on the nomination form.
– Open to any AAEA member age 35 and younger.
– References. Two professional references (one from current employer).
– Essay: 500 words or less which describe your interest in receiving the stipend,
– Why you believe you are deserving, your professional goals, etc.
– Resume

Each year, the award’s winner receives a $2,500 stipend, which can be used for attending the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) annual Congress, the Agricultural Media Summit or a professional development class, seminar or workshop.

The Andy Markwart Horizon Award is being funded with a $25,000 grant over five years by John Deere (Andy’s employer for many years prior to his death) and matching funds to be raised by PIF.

Christy Couch Lee received the 2013 Andy Markwart Horizon Award. She graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in agricultural communications. While in Stillwater, she was OSU’s outstanding agricultural communications student and one of the top 10 graduating students in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Since then, she has held positions with The Quarter Horse Journal, Homestead magazine and the National Swine Registry before heading her own company, Cee Lee Communications, in Wellington, Ill. Her company provides feature and news writing, photography and copy editing for agricultural publications and groups.

ACN, Ag Groups

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Syngenta opened the application period for the second year of its Grow More Vegetables Seed Grant Program, which provides assistance to schools and community organizations interested in establishing or enhancing garden programs.
  • Swanson Russell has promoted Lisa Lorraine to vice president and creative director in its Lincoln office.
  • Twelve FFA members have been selected by the National FFA Organization to participate in an international experience designed to increase their understanding about global agriculture and witness the role that U.S. agriculture plays in the global economy.
  • The American Feed Industry Association will host the Feed Industry Institute in Minneapolis, Minn., June 16-19.
Zimfo Bytes

NAMA Chapter Leaders Workshop

Chuck Zimmerman

Andrea BloomNAMA Chapter Leaders got together this morning for a workshop to discuss challenges and exchange ideas. Andrea Bloom, Vita Plus was one of the leaders of the leaders workshop and I talked with her about the program and what she hopes to accomplish.

Andrea says one of the challenges that chapters face is the diversity in the membership and designing a program to attract all of them. Listen in to our conversation to see what ideas she has to meet that challenge.

You can listen to my interview with Andrea here: Interview with Andrea Bloom

2014 Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

Coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by
Brownfield Ag News and Rhea + Kaiser
Coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by Rhea + KaiserCoverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by Brownfield Ag News

Audio, NAMA

NAMA Gypsies

Chuck Zimmerman

Kenna RathaiOne of the beginning events at an Agri-Marketing Conference is a get together dinner for NAMA Presidents, past and present as well as the executive committee. This was done last night at 13 Gypsies. Our group was more than thirteen but we bonded with the gypsies at the restaurant.

One of them is Chef Howard, pictured here with NAMA President Kenna Rathai. We got Chef Howard to say a few comments (emphasis on few). He and his crew made us multiple tapas plates that were wonderful.

You can listen to Chef Howard’s brief remarks here: Chef Howard

Here’s where you’ll be able to find lots of photos from throughout the conference: 2014 Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

Coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by
Brownfield Ag News and Rhea + Kaiser
Coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by Rhea + KaiserCoverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by Brownfield Ag News

Audio, NAMA