ASA Pushes for Broad Land Grant Coalition

Jamie Johansen

American Soybean AssociationIn a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack this morning, the American Soybean Association (ASA) and six other national farm groups urged USDA to consider the needs of soybean growers and growers of all crops when awarding funds included in the 2014 Farm Bill to land grant universities for the development of websites and web-based tools to assist producers in deciding which of the new law’s farm programs to sign up for.

“Given the complexity of choices in the commodity and crop insurance titles of the farm bill, these tools will be critical for producers in our organizations to make well-informed decisions,” wrote the groups in the letter. “It is important that academic institutions representing different regional views on farm programs participate in this work. As a result, we urge you to select a lead institution possessing substantial experience with revenue-based risk management tools and representing a broad-based, national consortium of land-grant universities. In order to be effective, these web-based decision tools will need to come from institutions that have both the confidence of producers and a strong familiarity with the cropping practices and farm economics of the Midwest and northern Great Plains, which have the majority of acres subject to program decisions.”

The letter came following the Senate Agriculture Committee’s hearing this morning on USDA’s implementation of the farm bill, and included the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Corn Growers Association, the National Sunflower Association and the U.S. Canola Association, in addition to ASA. USDA anticipates making its awards for website development and other decision aids on May 22, with the final tools expected to be in place by late summer.

Ag Groups, ASA, Farm Bill, Soybean, USDA

Presenters Set for 2014 HR Roundtable

Jamie Johansen

AgCareers LogoIt’s time to register for the 2014 Ag & Food HR Roundtable and learn from our engaging lineup of speakers. The Roundtable is the premier North American event for HR and educational professionals that provides relevant content examining recruitment and retention specifically within the agriculture and food industries. The AgCareers.com 12th Annual Ag & Food HR Roundtable will be held August 5-7, 2014 in Minneapolis, MN, hosted by CHS, Inc.

In its twelfth year, the level of content and educational resources provided to participants of the Roundtable is unmatched in our industry. AgCareers.com is pleased to announce the speakers for the 2014 North American Ag & Food HR Roundtable:

– Nicole Price, Cy Wakeman
– Sarah Wilson, Farmer on a Mission
– Bob Treadway, Treadway & Associates, Inc.
– Dave Maxheimer, Hagie Manufacturing Co.
– Jason Lauritsen, Talent Anarchy
– Ann Bares, Altura Consulting Group
– Jennifer Burnett, CSX Transportation

The 2014 Roundtable Organizing Committee met in December to help provide input and select hot topics that human resource professionals, managers, university/college staff and associations within the agriculture industry are currently facing. Some of this year’s topics include:

– Recruiting and Retaining Talent in Rural Areas
– Strategic HR for Multiple Locations
– Uncovering Unique Talent Pools
– Reward & Retention- What Really Matters?
– Overcoming Challenges of Connecting on Campus
– AgVocacy: Professionally Representing Our Profession

Back in 2014 by popular demand, we are again offering the add-on workshop for those responsible for compensation and benefits. This special workshop on August 7 will incorporate main sessions from the Roundtable and supplemental sessions after the event. Sessions will be specific to compensation and benefits issues, including Communicating Total Rewards Offerings through the Ranks and The Big Debate: Incentive vs. Base Pay. Add this track onto your Roundtable registration for a discounted rate.

You can register today. If you have any questions, please email agcareers@agcareers.com or call 800.929.8975.

AgCareers, Events

Graphic Recording Going On

Chuck Zimmerman

Jim Nuttle Graphic RecordingThe photo albums we create at events become a pretty good graphical representation and documentation of what we see and hear. However, there are other ways to do it.

Jim Nuttle is here at the Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit doing graphical recording. He’s writing and drawing on huge sheets of paper taped to the walls of the conference room. They are his “notes” of what he’s seeing and hearing. You can see my pictures of him creating his graphics in our photo album.

2014 AAA Stakeholders Summit Photo Album

Coverage is sponsored by Sensible Table

Ag Groups, Animal Agriculture

Oh, The Retirement Opportunities!

Melissa Sandfort

This week Aunt Jeanette writes:

teacherI wrote the following poem in honor of the retirement of a wonderful, patient, kind, creative teacher who taught next door to me for many years. Not only did we share our teaching ideas, classes, successes, and disappointments, we share a friendship that will endure through the years. When I was having a bad day, she was always there to lift me up and offer encouragement. It was one of those colleague friendships that you wish everyone could experience, but you just don’t find every day. So here’s to you, Susan. Enjoy!

As you retire from teaching, Susan, my friend,
May you know joy and happiness that will never end.
Please remember the many lives you have touched,
Each girl and each boy that has loved you so much.
All the friends, too, you’ve made on the way
To this much anticipated retirement day.
Throw that pesky alarm in the trash,
When Steve leaves to farm, back to bed you may dash!
Dreams of recess duty, conferences, papers to grade,
Standards, tests, charts can now slowly fade.
You’ll never again wonder if there’s enough snow
For school to be canceled, or if that north wind will blow.
For you see, our friend Dave N. said it the best,
“Every day is a snow day!” now that you’ve earned your rest.

This poem is for you, your new life to begin,
And don’t ever forget what a blessing you’ve been!
Enjoy every day, read books, and rest much,
From one of those friends whose life you have touched!

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Moderating a Millennials Discussion

Chuck Zimmerman

Andy VanceModerating the 2014 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit is Andy Vance, Feedstuffs. Andy has a millennial ribbon on his name tag but I’m not sure he’s really a Gen Y-er. Why is this important? The theme of this year’s conference is “Cracking the Millennial Code.”

Our first panel discussion is a good example of why we have millennial ribbons. The panelists are millennial staffers on Capitol Hill. Each is a legislative assistant.

Andy was actually on a panel last year and from that experience he was asked to moderate the program here. We visited for a few minutes before the program started.

Interview with Andy Vance

Photos from the Summit can be found here: 2014 AAA Stakeholders Summit Photo Album

Coverage is sponsored by Sensible Table

Ag Groups, Animal Agriculture

iCropTrak Introduces 60 Second Soil Zoning

Cindy Zimmerman

icrop-ssurgoiCropTrak has released a new mobile farming app with the ability to create a new grower, a new farm, add CLU field boundaries, and soil zones in as little as 60 seconds on an iPad without the need of a desktop or cloud server.

According to Cogent 3D president Aaron Hutchinson, this new application means that for the first time, even small and medium sized farmers have access to simple technology to track their fields using zones.

Farmers can use iCropTrak Soil to determine a field’s most typical soil types for making better seed selection and application decisions. Visually see where the soil changes in your fields to make better soil sampling decisions. Know what was applied to every field and how your different soils produce. Even use it to evaluate new leases since you can quickly look at the soil productivity potential for the land against your other fields in seconds.

Subscriptions start at just $250 per year, including native mobile app, private cloud, report engine, support, and all upgrades for one price. To learn more about iCropTrak visit www.iCropTrak.com or schedule a live web demo at
Contact@Cogent3D.com.

CropTrak, Precision Agriculture, Soil, Technology

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

Farm Bureau Provides Farm Bill Help

Cindy Zimmerman

If you have questions about how the new farm bill works, American Farm Bureau has answers.

afbf-resourcesThe American Farm Bureau Federation has produced a new series of videos and launched a website to help farmers, landowners and other stakeholders better understand the provisions of the 2014 farm bill.

“We have distilled down a massive and complex piece of legislation – the 2014 farm bill – into several ‘bite-size’ pieces, with the goal of helping farmers and managers understand how it will affect their farms,” said John Anderson, deputy chief economist with AFBF.

The videos include a farm bill overview describing the basic provisions of the commodity title, including a description of the decisions related to program participation that will need to be made by farmers and landowners. Four other videos go in-depth on the Price Loss Coverage and Supplemental Coverage Option, the Agricultural Risk Coverage Program, the Stacked Income Protection Program for Cotton and the Dairy Margin Protection Program.

Check it out here.

AFBF, Ag Groups, Farm Bill, Farming

Soy Checkoff Request for Referendum

Jamie Johansen

SoycheckoffThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct a request for referendum on the Soybean Promotion and Research Program (soy checkoff) during a four-week period, from May 5 through May 30, 2014. This referendum is authorized under the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act.

The request for referendum will determine whether U.S. soybean producers want a referendum on the Soybean Promotion and Research Program. The Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act requires that the secretary of agriculture provide soybean producers the opportunity to petition for a referendum every five years.

To be eligible to participate, producers must certify they or the entity they are authorized to represent paid an assessment at some time between Jan. 1, 2012, and Dec. 31, 2013. Documentation for that assessment, such as sales receipts showing that the checkoff was collected, will be required up front when submitting the request form.

The process requires eligible producers who want to indicate their support for a referendum to complete and sign form LS-51-1. Producers may obtain this form online, in person at their nearest Farm Service Agency (FSA) office, by mail or by facsimile from May 5 through May 30, 2014.

FSA is then responsible for determining a producer’s eligibility. If FSA cannot determine the producer’s eligibility or if the producer fails to submit documentation, then FSA will notify the ineligible person in writing. Producers who do not participate in FSA programs may obtain a Form LS-51-1 at the county FSA office where the producer owns or rents land.

FSA will have until June 11, 2014, to notify ineligible producers in writing. If FSA determines in writing that producer ineligibility is due to lack of documentation submitted (sales receipts or other relevant documents), the producer can appeal and provide the required documentation to FSA. The required documentation must be received by FSA by June 18, 2014, when FSA will make a final decision on eligibility.

If the USDA determines that at least 10 percent of the nation’s 569,998 soybean producers have requested a referendum, a referendum will then be held within one year from that determination. No more than one-fifth of the producers who support having a referendum can be from any one state.

Ag Groups, Soybean, USB, USDA

EPA Chief Discusses Climate Change Report

Cindy Zimmerman

epa-mccarthyThe administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency discussed the new White House climate change report out yesterday with members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting meeting in Washington DC this week.

“It’s a really good document in terms of focusing on the United States,” she said. “In particular, it looks at the agriculture sector. It talks about the droughts and floods that we’re seeing that have created challenges for our farmers and ranchers and to take a look at some of the ways the president’s climate action plan can work collaboratively with agriculture to try and address those challenges more effectively.”

McCarthy says when she talks with farmers and ranchers about climate change, it’s not a debate. “We’re talking about what we can do together to recognize the challenges and to provide the farmers the adaptive management techniques that will allow them to be successful… and allow them to address these challenges,” she concludes.

McCarthy climate change report comments
Audio, Environment