Great American Wheat Harvest Documentary Premiere

Chuck Zimmerman January 31, 2014

It’s almost time for the world wide premiere of the documentary, the Great American Wheat Harvest. The screening will take place during national Ag Day activities in Washington, DC.

In collaboration with the Agriculture Council of America, independent filmmaker, Conrad Weaver of ConjoStudios, LLC., announces that the Great American Wheat Harvest documentary film will make its national premiere screening at the 41st Annual National Agriculture Day on Tuesday, March 25, in Washington, D.C.

The film’s GAWH National Premiere Screening & Breakfast Reception will kick off the National Ag Days activities from 8:30 to 11 a.m., at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, which is located on the National Mall between the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum and the U.S. Capitol Building. Seats are limited and you must RSVP for this event at: https://gawhpremiere.eventbrite.com

The Great American Wheat Harvest documentary film focuses on connecting consumers to those who produce their food and will feature stories of North America’s wheat growers and custom harvesters.
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Ag Day, Ag Groups, Wheat

Ag Leader’s AgFiniti Connects Via the Cloud

Melissa Sandfort January 31, 2014

At this week’s 2014 Iowa Power Farming Show, ZimmComm’s Joanna Schroeder caught up with Ag Leader’s Kaleb Lindquist, member of the software sales team, about the new AgFiniti cloud-based platform which allows growers to send and receive data files wirelessly from the cab. Guidance lines, prescriptions, as-applied maps and other data files can be sent and received wirelessly and backed up on a secure AgFiniti account. Files also can be accessed from a grower’s smartphone or tablet in the field or at the office and shared with trusted advisors such as dealers, coops or farm managers.

Learn more about this new product offering from Ag Leader in Joanna’s full interview with Kaleb.

Listen to Lindquist explain

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Click here to view the 2014 Iowa Power Farming Show photo album.

Ag Leader, Agribusiness

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes January 31, 2014

MANA announced that it will operate under the new corporate brand name, ADAMA, as of second quarter 2014.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking nominations for the National Peanut Board, due by May 1, 2014.
The National FFA Organization Board of Directors and National FFA Foundation Board of Trustees have approved a new consolidated management structure that unifies both organizations’ executive management through a joint governance committee of the two boards, a common chief executive officer and a common chief financial officer.
Ram Trucks will be promoting youth in agriculture and the National FFA Organization (FFA) with the first ever FFA Day at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Trade Show on Thursday Feb. 6, during the Cattle Industry Convention.

Zimfo Bytes

Expo Not Just For Poultry Anymore

Cindy Zimmerman January 30, 2014

Once it was just the International Poultry Expo in Atlanta this time of year, but with the addition of the feed expo a few years ago and the meat expo last year, it is now a much more breed inclusive show and pork was center of the plate in the Pig Pavilion.

I had the chance to watch North American Meat Association (NAMA) standards and specifications adviser Steve Olson give a primer on specialty and primal pork cuts at the International Production and Processing Expo this week. As a former livestock and meat marketing specialist with USDA, this guy really knows his stuff and loves what he does. With NAMA, he travels around the country doing Center of the Plate Training® (COP) sessions to teach food industry people the best and most profitable use of each beef, pork, lamb, veal and poultry cut. The next one will be at Texas A&M, June 3-5, 2014. You can also see some of Steve’s Meat Buyers Guide training demos on-line.

Listen to my interview with Steve here and watch a bit of his demo at IPPE below: Steve Olson, North American Meat Association

International Production and Processing Expo Photos

Audio, IPPE, Meat, Pork, Poultry Expo, Swine, Video

Novus Celebrates ALIMET Anniversary at IPPE

Cindy Zimmerman January 30, 2014

It was 30 years ago this week that the first load of ALIMET® shipped out of the Chocolate Bayou Manufacturing Facility near Alvin, Texas and Novus International was celebrating that at the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta.

As an 88% active source of methionine, ALIMET® feed supplement has become the liquid methionine source most frequently used by nutritionists around the world, delivering proven performance and an organic acid effect, reduces nitrogen excretion and supports performance during heat stress.

“Methionine has been a flagship product of Novus since the very beginning,” said Novus Methionine Business Unit President Jeff Klopfenstein. “Liquid ALIMET is the product that works better and provides more value for our customers.”

“For poultry producers, it’s important to get every last edge available,” Jeff said. “To have the methionine benefit of ALIMET, the gut health benefit, the organic acid benefit in terms of feed acidification – all of these applications are part of the ALIMET package.”

Listen to Jeff talk about his favorite subject here: Jeff Klopfenstein, Novus
International Production and Processing Expo Photos

Agribusiness, Animal Health, Audio, IPPE, Novus International, Poultry, Poultry Expo

Austin Eats Food Tour

Chuck Zimmerman January 30, 2014

This is is an example of having a little meat with your meat for supper. This particularly delicious brisket, ribs and sausage is courtesy of Freedmen’s in Austin, TX. So why am I bringing it to your attention? Because these things are important.

After the NAMA Executive Committee completed its quarterly meeting work this week we did supper as a food tour conducted by Austin Eats Food Tours. Our guide drove us around to four stops. These were South Congress Cafe (calimari, crab cakes); Mettle (fried chicken, burgers); Rio’s Brazilian Cafe (traditional Brazilian chicken stroganoff) and Freedmen’s (brisket, sausage, ribs, smoked banana pudding & more). Wow! I’m still full. They were all good but I give Freedmen’s my top choice. The smoked banana pudding was excellent but I could also have just eaten another slice of brisket for dessert too!

If you’re ever in Austin give Austin Eats a try or look around for a company like them in whatever city you have to visit. This was an awesome foodie adventure.

Ag Groups, Food, Meat, NAMA

The Grass Isn’t Always Greener

Melissa Sandfort January 30, 2014

We’ve all heard the saying that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence. That quote goes on to say if you take the time to water your own grass, it would be just as green. I think like an animal that is corralled by a fence, we sometimes feel there’s something better out there – just out of arm’s reach. Our fence may be a job we’re not completely satisfied with, a car that has a few dents, or a house that has old carpet and is in need of a good makeover. But in farm terms, I like to believe that where the cow is standing is the greenest because it’s been fertilized. (Yes, pun intended!)

Best of luck telling a cow that the grass isn’t greener over at the Jones’s when she’s spent all day chomping on dried clumps of grass or weeds! This week, grandpa recalls a story of a yolk they used to put around a cow’s neck to stop her from trying to reach through the fence.

Listen to Grandpa’s story

No one is putting a yolk around our neck in the literal sense of the word, but maybe we need to let go of wanting to stick our heads through the fence and water/fertilize what we already have to make it grow!

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

NAMA Executive Committee Meets

Chuck Zimmerman January 30, 2014

The Executive Committee of the National Agri-Marketing Association met yesterday in Austin, TX. Here’s our group hard at work.

A big part of our meeting was reviewing the NAMA Strategic Plan to see how we’re doing and consider any tweaks or changes. We’re in year three of the three year plan and according to our calculations NAMA gets a high grade for accomplishing the goals set out by the plan. Helping us work through the process was Kevin Oschner, Adayana, who did a great job keeping us focused and on track to accomplish something that is well thought out and with measurables so we can see how we’re doing at the end of this first three year process.

There was a lot of other mundane “business of NAMA” we went through like reviewing the budget and getting a report from Jenny Pickett, our Executive Director. NAMA is in good shape and primed for another good year.

Ag Groups, NAMA

Farm Bill Could be Final This Week

Cindy Zimmerman January 30, 2014

Agricultural groups hailed passage of the compromise farm bill by the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday and look forward to swift action in the Senate.

National Corn Growers Association President Martin Barbre of Illinois observed the floor vote from the House gallery while visiting the Capitol. “This legislation provides an adequate and flexible farm safety net, as well as a strong federal crop insurance program,” said Barbre. “More importantly, farmers need the certainty of a new five-year law, and we are happy to see this legislation includes many reforms we’ve supported and stressed over the years, reforms that make sense both for farmers and taxpayers.”

American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman says the bill includes many Farm Bureau-supported provisions, including risk management for fruit and vegetable farmers and support for livestock farmers during disasters. “It is imperative that all of agriculture unify behind this farm bill, for the good of the whole of American agriculture, consumers, our hard-working farm and ranch families and the rural communities they support,” he said, referring to livestock interests opposed to the bill.

The House vote was 251-166 and many voted for the bill even though it did not contain everything they wanted, like Congressman Collin Peterson (D-MN). “The report before us today represents a compromise – I know this is rare in Washington but that’s what’s needed to actually get something done around this place,” said Peterson on the floor, noting he was not completely pleased with the dairy title or the commodity title. Rep. Collin Peterson during Farm Bill debate

Most of the 166 members who voted against the did so because of cuts to the nutrition program, which were far less severe than the original House bill, but some like Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) also had a few farm program concerns, particularly crop insurance and cotton. “We’ve got a domestic cotton program that’s gotten us into trouble with Brazil,” said Kind. “This bill does not fix that cotton problem and now it’s up to Brazil whether they want to level economic sanctions against us.” Rep. Ron Kind during Farm Bill debate

AFBF, Ag Groups, Audio, Farm Bill, NCGA

Ag Leader Proud to Sponsor Iowa Power Farming Show

Joanna Schroeder January 29, 2014

Ag Leader had a great 2013 and 2014 is shaping up to be even better. I caught up with Mike Olson, Ag Leader North America Sales Manager, who gave me an overview of what 2014 will bring as well as spoke to me about their sponsorship of the 2014 Iowa Power Farming Show.

Olson said they have been an event sponsor for the past five plus years and the event in is their backyard (they are located in Ames, Iowa) so Iowa Power Farming is a good show for them to sponsor. He also noted that it’s become the third largest farm show in the country, is very well run and has been very successful.

“We’re really proud to be a part of it,” said Olson. “We have a lot of our customers who come in and share their experiences and learn about new technologies, and it just a good way to meet our customers and spend time with them.”

During the show Ag Leader held some educational seminars including one focused on “AgFiniti– Ag Leader Technology’s Cloud-Based Platform,” presented by Luke James; “Designing a Tile Drainage System Using Your Precision Ag Data,” presented by Aaron Friedlein; and “Put Your Mind at Ease and Your Seed at Proper Depth with Hydraulic Down Force,” presented by Brett Buehler.

Precision agriculture has really grown over the past few years but Olson said that an estimated 50 percent of farm operations don’t use any precision ag technology. He said because of this there are a lot of great opportunities for people to get started and the technology has gotten a lot easier to use. He said the technology is also less expensive and some of the equipment like tractors and planters are easier to interface with. “So people who aren’t in it yet shouldn’t be scared to get into it,” said Olson.

He noted that another big trend in the industry is the value of data and more operations are beginning to see the value in collecting and analyzing data. In addition, for those farmers who have been using precision technologies, Ag Leader continues to innovate and has launched some great new products including AgFiniti and Ag Leader Hydraulic Down Force.

Listen to my full interview with Mike Olson. Ag Leader Proud to Sponsor Iowa Power Farming Show

Click here to view the 2014 Iowa Power Farming Show photo album.

Ag Leader, Audio, Precision Agriculture

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