Ginners Unite at Farm Show

Jamie Johansen March 10, 2014

During the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show, Chuck spoke with Robert Royal, a cotton farmer and operator of Midnight Gin in Midnight, MS. Robert is also the past President of the Southern Cotton Ginners Association.

“It’s been a wild ride in the cotton market with acreage. Grains have taken a huge chunk out of cotton acreage that was traditionally a big crop in Mississippi. We are weathering that storm and curious to see how things change in the future. We will be a predominately a grain growing state or will cotton be king again?”

As Robert wraps up his term as President, he shared that the overall mission of the association is to make sure the best interests of the organization are at the forefront. They also have a safety program that helps members tackle issues that are hard to do alone.

Regulations continue to be an issue for cotton growers, but Robert said the most concerning issue the industry is facing is low acreage. He has seen many neighboring gins fold because they don’t have the volume to make ends meet.

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Robert here: Interview with Robert Royal

2014 Mid-South Farm & Gin Show Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Cotton, FMC

New Poll Finds Farmers Less Optimistic

Cindy Zimmerman March 10, 2014

A new poll of Iowa farmers finds less optimism about the financial picture of agriculture this year.

The Agri-Pulse Farm Opinion Poll, launched last month in partnership with the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), found that farmers expect to see weaker financial returns in 2014 and will adjust their expenditures – spending less on fertilizer and equipment but more on crop insurance.

Nearly 80 percent expect their 2014 farm financial outlook to worsen – 47 percent expect it to worsen “slightly” while 32 percent expect it to worsen “a great deal.” Poll respondents said they also expect the value of their farmland to drop this year, with 75 percent expecting values to decrease.

Eighty-seven percent of the farmers’ surveyed plan to either purchase more or continue about the same level of crop insurance as last year. The majority view crop insurance as the most important Farm Bill “tool” for maintaining their profitability this year.

The importance of crop insurance came through when farmers were asked what aspect of the Agricultural Act of 2014 will be most important in helping their financial situation this year. More than 62 percent chose crop insurance as more important to their operations than other aspects of the just-passed Farm Bill.

The poll was taken Feb. 23 with more than 130 Iowa farmers responding to the unaided 12-question poll.

Agri-Pulse, Farming, Soybean

The Wild Radish Song

Chuck Zimmerman March 10, 2014

I like radishes. But like some folks in Australia, not the wild kind.

A parody of the Gotye hit “Somebody I used to know” by agronomic consultant Bill Long, who farms on the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia as well as consults to a number of farmers in the region. This is a farmer’s lament on attempts to control wild radish resulting in the loss of chemical options to the point where only radical options are available. Truly reflects the consequences of farming systems becoming reliant on herbicides for weed control.

Farming, Video

Cultivate & Connect with AgChat

Chuck Zimmerman March 10, 2014

Calling all aspiring agvocates. The 2014 AgChat Foundation, Cultivate and Connect Conference will be held in Austin, TX, on August 21-22.

It has been said that everything is bigger in Texas. The AgChat Foundation’s 2014 Cultivate & Connect conference to be held at the Radisson Hotel & Suites in beautiful downtown Austin, Texas, August 21-22, 2014, will be no exception. For the first time, our annual conference will include an open registration process which does not require participants to complete an application and receive an invitation to attend. Additionally, there will be no limit on the number of alumni attendees nor a limit on non-farmers and non-ranchers. It will be the best and biggest AgChat conference to date.

Who should attend?

Cultivate & Connect is open to all farmers, ranchers, growers, agribusiness people and agriculture educators from all walks of agriculture. Large, small, organic, conventional, urban, hobby? You are all invited to attend.

Why should you attend?

Expansive networking within the AgChat community
Connect with leading experts and your peers
Learn and share innovative and cutting edge ideas
The best of the best in Ag speakers
Cultivate & Connect brings together the latest in technology and the farmers and ranchers who are using it
An experience you will never forget
Read More

Ag Groups

ASA Honors Lifetime Achievements

Cindy Zimmerman March 10, 2014

The American Soybean Association awarded two lifetime achievement awards during the annual banquet at Commodity Classic.

One was presented to a long-time friend of ours. Dave Drennan received the Lifetime Achievement Award – Membership Focus, which honors individuals who have provided outstanding leadership and dedication to ASA and helped further the interests of soybean farmers.

Drennan started his career with ASA in 1975 as newsletter editor. He was named interim Field Services Director at age 24. Dave was ASA’s first Membership Manager in 1979 to spearhead ASA’s membership efforts. In that year, ASA’s membership increased eight percent and more than 1,400 members from the previous year. Drennan was also recognized as the number one ASA Regional Manager for membership recruitment in 1980 from ASA’s 11 regions.

We got to know Dave when he worked for the National Corn Growers Association many years ago, and he currently serves as Executive Director for the Missouri Dairy Association.

ASA recognized David Womack from Shelbyville, Tenn. with its Lifetime Achievement Award – Association Focus, which honors individuals who have provided outstanding leadership and dedication to the ASA and helped further the interests of soybean farmers.

Womack has been involved in the state and national soybean organizations for more than 30 years. Womack held leadership positions in ASA, was a founding member of the United Soybean Board (USB) and the last president of the American Soybean Development Foundation. He also served on the National Biodiesel Board (NBB), Tennessee Soybean Association (TSA) and Tennessee Soybean Promotion Board (TSPB).

Ag Groups, ASA, Commodity Classic, Soybean

BASF Celebrates Corn and Soybean Farmers

Cindy Zimmerman March 7, 2014

BASF Crop Protection helped corn and soybean growers celebrate the achievements of the past year as sponsors of the big association banquets during the Commodity Classic last week.

At the National Corn Growers Association banquet, BASF Manager for Plant Health and Seed Treatment Dr. Gary Fellows talked about how corn growers are living Howard Buffett’s “40 Chances” challenge to make a difference in the world. “You are all greatly maximizing your 40 chances, or 40 seasons, to producing more out of the same acre,” Gary said, paying tribute to the corn yield contest and scholarship winners who were honored during the banquet.

BASF Communications and Industry Relations Manager Sharon Hall attended the American Soybean Association annual banquet and helped to present the Conservation Legacy Awards, which BASF co-sponsors. Iowa soybean farmer David Ausberger was honored as both the Midwest regional and the national award winner. Jerry Peery of Kentucky received the the South Region award, and Mark and Phyllis Legan of Indiana received the award for the Northeast Region.

BASF at the 2014 Commodity Classic Photos

ASA, BASF, Commodity Classic, Conservation, Corn, NCGA, Soybean

Bayer Brings in Bloggers for Panel

Cindy Zimmerman March 7, 2014

During the Ag Issues Forum ahead of Commodity Classic last week, Bayer Crop Science brought in a panel of bloggers for a session called “Welcome to MY World: Consumers and Growers Seek Common Ground,” a conversation between three bloggers. The panel answered questions such as “What do your followers want to hear, how are they getting their information, and how should we start communicating with them?” The three panelist all agreed that biotechnology is a very hot topic right now, and shared how they each approach the topic with their followers.

The panelists included:

Mommy blogger Annie Schultz, Mama Dweeb – Annie is a lifelong Kansas resident who started her blog in 2009 as a stay-at-home mom to share inspiration, product reviews, and family stories. Roles have changed a bit in their home as Annie now works outside of the home and her husband, Josh is in the role of stay-at-home dad to their three children.

Farm wife blogger Emily Webel, Confessions of a Farm Wife – From central Illinois, Emily and her husband Joe have four children in their remodeled farm house raising children, dairy cows and crops. Husband Joe even gets in on the blogging by taking photos of the birthing process or harvest.

Farmer blogger Brian Scott, The Farmer’s Life/CNN’s Eatocracy – Brian is a 4th generation farmer from Northwest Indiana that farms about 2100 acres with his dad and grandfather. He utilizes social media to get his message out about agriculture and farming.

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Brian Scott here: Interview with Farmer blogger Brian Scott

2014 Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum Photos

Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer, Farming, Food, Social Media

Soil Health Partnership Update at Classic

Leah Guffey March 7, 2014

Since the health of a farm depends largely on healthy soil, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), with support from the Walton Family Foundation and Monsanto, recently announced the formation a new Science Advisory Council and the Soil Health Partnership (SHP).

During a press conference at the Commodity Classic, members of the partnership discussed plans to help farmers enhance soil health and introduced the initiative’s first demonstration farmers – Bill and Tim Couser of Nevada, Iowa. NCGA vice president of production and utilization Paul Bertels, Monsanto sustainable business solutions lead Michael Doane, and Sean McMahon, North American agriculture program director for The Nature Conservancy, also took part in the discussion.

SHP’s ultimate goal is to measure and communicate the economic and environmental benefits of different soil management strategies; and provide a set of regionally specific, data-driven recommendations that farmers can use to improve the productivity and sustainability of their farms. Over the next five years, SHP will work to aggregate regional data to catalyze a platform for knowledge-sharing from farmer to farmer to create a set of best practices to improve soil health.

Listen to the full Soil Health Partnership press conference here: Soil Health Partnership Press Conference

Interview with Tim and Bill Couser: Bill and Tim Couser Interview
2014 Commodity Classic Photos

Audio, Commodity Classic, Conservation, Corn, NCGA, Soil

New Holland Auto Command Lesson

Chuck Zimmerman March 7, 2014

My first lesson during the New Holland Operation Blue Force field training event was in a T7 210 Auto Command CVT transmission tractor. My teacher was Luke Zerby. He says this tractor is perfect for hay and forage work. Luke talked me through the control stick which is mounted on a Sidewinder II comfy armrest. The controls allow you to preset three different speeds to switch between easily. There is also an Integrated Control Panel which allows for even more pre-set options and finer tuning those settings. This allows you to maximize engine efficiency.

The Auto Command™ Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) makes it easy to find the perfect speed for each job because your choice of speeds is infinite. You accelerate from zero to maximum speed smoothly, without multiple steps. And, with no clutching, the shuttle shifting is the smoothest you’ll find, making the Auto Command transmission ideal for loader work.

Ride along with me via ZimmGlass to learn more about what this feature offers:

I’ve got lots of photos from this week’s event for your viewing/sharing pleasure: New Holland Operation Blue Force Photo Album

Agribusiness, Equipment, New Holland, Tractor, Video

Facts on Ethanol’s Side in Fight with Big Oil

John Davis March 7, 2014

It’s not always fact-based arguments proponents of ethanol are up against when battling Big Oil. But that’s why it’s all more important to make sure you have good facts on your side in the fight. Farmers who attended the recent Commodity Classic in San Antonio were able to sit in on a session titled, “Biofuels and the Renewable Fuels Standard, A Farmer’s Avenue to American Energy Independence,” to make sure they can talk about the success stories and silence ethanol’s critics.

Brian Jennings with the American Coalition for Ethanol was one of the panelists taking part. He said you’re not necessarily battling facts when it comes to taking on some of the myths put out by the petroleum industry.

“The message I was trying to relay to the corn growers is stay involved, remain engaged, get your neighbors and friends involved, and know that this isn’t a fact-based fight. When the fight is about facts, we always win,” Brian said, adding that ethanol doesn’t have to stoop to the lies and scare tactics of Big Oil.

Listen to Brian’s interview here: Brian Jennings, American Coalition for Ethanol

Another effective tool in the fight is showing the positive change ethanol has brought to Rural America, creating better markets for farmers’ corn, helping the country achieve energy independence, and building up communities, like the one that Northwest Iowa corn farmer James Doxtad comes from. He says while many folks back in his home state are aware of the good the renewable fuel has brought to the heartland, too many people in the country just don’t know.

“It’s amazing how many people out there are unaware of the advantages of ethanol. Ethanol is a good thing, we’re producing a good product, and we’re doing it for a good reason.” he said.

Check out James’ interview here: Iowa farmer James Doxtad
2014 Commodity Classic Photos

ACE, Audio, Commodity Classic, Corn, Ethanol

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