American Agri-Women Elect New Officers

Jamie Johansen

2013 AAW officers NRThe American Agri-Women (AAW) have elected officers and recognized outstanding contributors at their 38th annual convention recently in Niagara Fall, New York.

AAW is the nation’s largest coalition of farm, ranch and agribusiness women representing more than 50 state, commodity and agribusiness affiliates. The convention included meetings in Niagara Falls as well as meetings and tours in Ontario, Canada, which were sponsored by several Canadian ag groups. This was the first time AAW collaborated with Canadian women for its annual convention.

There new national officer slate for the upcoming year includes:
• President: Sue McCrum, Mars Hill, Maine
• Past-President: Karen Yost, Billings, Montana
• First Vice President for Resolutions & Vital Issues: Doris Mold, St. Paul, Minn.
• Secretary: Lisa Condon, Horicon, Wis.
• Treasurer: Peggy Clark, Dayton, Ohio
• Vice President of Education: Kris Zilliox, Omaha, Neb.
• Vice President of Communications: Lynn Woolf, Milton, Kan.

The highest honor given to non-members is the VERITAS Award. This year it was presented to Richard Ulrich, the senior advisor on industry engagement at the Canadian Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food. The VERITAS award is given annually to a person who has given public witness to “the pursuit of truth.”

The LEAVEN award is the organization’s highest honor given to AAW members. This year it was awarded to:
• Frances Hendricks, Aumsville, Ore.
• Penny Lauritzen, Lanark, Ill.,
• Kris Zilliox, Omaha Neb.

Ag Groups

ASFMRA Award Winner

Chuck Zimmerman

The American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) recognized Gary Thien, AFM, ARA, Thien Farm Management, Inc., with the 2013 D. Howard Doane Award during the 2013 ASFMRA Annual Meeting in Reno, NV.

The D. Howard Doane Award is held in great esteem in the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. It is given annually to a member or non-member who has demonstrated such qualities and outstanding contributions in the field of agriculture with emphasis on farm management and rural appraisal.

Gary Thien AFM, ARA, graduated from Iowa State University in 1974 and started managing farms in western Iowa for the Council Bluffs Savings Bank. That same year he attended an Iowa Chapter meeting of the ASFMRA and became a member shortly thereafter.

Learn a little bit more about Gary in this interview I did with him during the Agronomics Vision 2014 Conference.

You can listen to my interview with Gary here: Interview with Gary Thien

Agronomics Vision 2014 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

Ag Groups, Audio, Video

Great American Wheat Harvest Thanksgiving

Chuck Zimmerman

Updated with interview from NAFB

conradWe got an update from the director of the Great American Wheat Harvest during NAFB Trade Talk.

Conrad Weaver tells us the documentary will become a reality March 2014. “We are premiering the film nationally on National Ag Day in Washington DC on March 25,” he said. Conrad logged more than 70,000 air- and 30,000 driving-miles this year alone, capturing the harvest from Texas to North Dakota to the Northwest and across the U.S. border into Canada. Listen to Leah Guffey’s interview with Conrad here: Interview with Conrad Weaver, Great American Wheat Harvest

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the makers of the film wanted to let everyone know how grateful for all the help they have received in making this great American documentary.

On behalf of the Great American Wheat Harvest Documentary Film Team, “Thank You” for the hospitality you have welcomed us with as we’ve visited your city, state and made presentations throughout the Wheat Belt to share the vision for the film. What has resonated with all of us is the deep appreciation you have for your rich diverse cultural heritage and agricultural roots. We met so many, like you, who work hard every day, if not for anything else, just for the pure love and passion for what you do!

This Thanksgiving, when we sit down at our tables and enjoy the fellowship of family and friends, we will have a true appreciation for the amount of people, energy and work it takes to make “Our Daily Bread”. We tip our hats and salute all who have had a part in putting food on our tables. Your hard work does not go unnoticed.

Farming, Harvest, Wheat

Apply Today for ZimmComm Internship

Jamie Johansen

zimmcom*The application has been updated. We had a technical glitch and need applicants to apply using this form. Sorry for the inconvenience.

ZimmComm New Media is now taking applications for our Winter/Spring Internship. Students in the agricultural communications field interested in attending and learning how to “agri-blog” some of the most important industry events held every year should apply.

The opportunities will include all-expense paid trips to one or more industry events where students will assist in the compiling of photos, audio and video and posting of activities on pertinent websites. Interns will learn and develop the use of tools, techniques and technology to gather and distribute information through various social media channels. Per-diem and college credits may also be available.

YES! I’m interested in learning how to do some agri-blogging. Apply Below.
[gravityform id=”1″ name=”ZimmComm Internship” description=”false”]

Agribusiness, Education, ZimmComm Announcement

USFRA Update on Farmland Movie

Cindy Zimmerman

nafb13-usfra-lunzConsumers want to see a face of where their food comes from and that is one thing the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) has tried to provide. USFRA was on-hand during NAFB’s Trade Talk and Cindy spoke with them about their desire to continually start the conversations about food and farming across the country.

Lisa Lunz, USFRA Board Member, has been involved with all aspects of the organization’s endeavors. She is a corn and soybean producer from Northeast Nebraska. Her involvement on the Nebraska Soybean board is what lead her to USFRA. In the short time USFRA has been in existence, Lisa is truly proud of the dialogue they have been able to start and the wide-spread conversations people are having about the food they eat and produce. She describes USFRA as a movement not an organization, because change doesn’t happen over night. The success of the Food Dialogues is a testament to the need for these conversations to take place globally.

“We need to acknowledge consumers questions, answer those questions and give them an opportunity to understand what we do.”

The latest USFRA outreach activity was the release of trailer and website for the new film Farmland. The documentary is a work in progress. Director James Moll, has interviewed, conducted research and is now almost ready to announce the families featured in the film. This winter the film will be finalized and sent to film festivals. The coveted national debut will come in March 2014. The film is supported by USFRA, but not a USFRA production.

“Part of the reason why we thought this project was so important was because there are a lot of documentaries out there about a lot of different subjects, but there is not one about the next generation of farming. I think they have found a great director, that is a great listener and wanted to learn more too. As he went out and interviewed these famers and ranchers he has had an opportunity to learn also. He is an award winning director and so it has given us a great opportunity to create something that hopefully we can use as an educational tool and something that will spark conversations about food.”

Listen to Cindy’s complete interview with Lisa here: Interview with Lisa Lunz, USFRA Board Member

2013 NAFB Convention Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Food, NAFB, USFRA, Video

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

    Zimfo Bytes

  • The U.S. Forest Service now offers access to variety of visitor maps for people using Android and iOS devices.
  • The National Pork Board has named a new task force that will examine consumer needs, animal care, sustainable pork production and other current challenges facing the industry to define a future vision of the Pork Checkoff and, on a larger scale, the entire pork industry.
  • GenNx360 Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on investing in middle market industrial business-to-business companies, has acquired Salford Farm Machinery Ltd. (“Salford”) for an undisclosed amount.
  • AgGateway’s eighth annual conference in St. Petersburg, Fla., drew a record 300 professionals to discuss ongoing successes in implementing eBusiness within the agriculture industry.
Zimfo Bytes

2014 International Year of Family Farming Campaign

Talia Goes

International year of Fam. FarmNational Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson and members of the U.S. national committee to promote the United Nations’ (UN) International Year of Family Farming held a teleconference this morning to kick off events.

“NFU is pleased to lead the U.S. efforts as a part of the global initiative that the UN is commencing today,” said Johnson. “In the United States and around the world people are further and further removed from family farming and where their food, fuel and fiber are produced. This initiative is critical to the future of our industry.”

The UN has declared 2014 the International Year of Family Farming and many countries have formed national committees to carry out activities in cooperation. The U.S. executive committee is comprised of 25x’25, the Alliance to End Hunger, American Farmland Trust, the Consumer Federation of America, the National Cooperative Business Association and National Farmers Union.

“The executive committee has adopted policy on family farming and we look forward to having other organizations across all sectors and interests join the committee to support family farming,” said Johnson. “We are excited about activities that will be planned in the coming months and the impact we can have on policy and awareness for the future of family farming in our country and around the world.”

Agribusiness

Farm Management Training by ASFMRA

Chuck Zimmerman

There are so many ways that the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers provide education for their members. One of those is an accelerated ag land management program which has brought the traditional and typical classes together into a three week course. These are for seasoned professionals instead of those just entering the field. I spoke with Mike Krause, Hertz Farm Management, about the program.

Another program is Summer Education Week. It moves around the country year to year. In includes core education for both the farm management/consulting and rural appraisal sides of the industry. The program will take place in Des Moines, IA in 2014.

You can listen to my interview with Mike here: Interview with Mike Krause

Agronomics Vision 2014 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the ASFMRA Agronomics Conference is sponsored by Halderman Farm Management.

Ag Groups, Audio, Education, Video

Attendees Loved MFA 100 Yr. Celebration

Chuck Zimmerman

MFA Group PhotoAfter the conclusion of the MFA, Inc. Annual Mtg. this week we all went outside to re-create a historic panoramic photograph in front of the Missouri State Fairgrounds Coliseum. This took a while as you might imagine but the weather was beautiful.

After we were done it was time to head home and on the way out I asked a number of the attendees what they thought of the celebration that included not only the annual business meeting but entertainment and speeches from MO Governor Jay Nixon and MO Senator Roy Blunt. They all sounded very pleased.

Listen to what MFA Annual Mtg. attendees had to say here: MFA Annual Mtg. Attendees

MFA, Inc. 100 Yrs. Annual Mtg. Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio

MFA Has Loyal Employees

Chuck Zimmerman

Janice SchuermanThe first person I interviewed at this week’s MFA, Inc. Annual Mtg. and 100 Year Celebration was Janice Schuerman, Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary. One of her duties was to read the meeting minutes from the last one. We talked before the program started and I got an overview of all the activities that were planned. Janice also talked about how loyal the employees of MFA are and that is very well demonstrated by the ones who have been employed for over 40 or even 50 years!

You can listen to my interview with Janice here: Interview with MFA Senior Vice President Janice Schuerman

MFA, Inc. 100 Yrs. Annual Mtg. Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio