I’m sure most of you were tuned in to watch the Super Bowl last night, and many of you probably participated in some form of party or another, complete with agriculture’s finest products. As I munched on appetizers and cheered on my favorite team, I have to admit that my favorite part of the Super Bowl wasn’t the game, and it certainly wasn’t Carrie H$U$ Underwood’s flat singing, it was, of course, the commercials.
Violinist beavers and screaming chickens aside, I have two commercials that win the top spot in my eyes. First, the Doritos commercial with the little boy talking to his mom’s boyfriend. He slaps him and says, “You don’t touch my momma, and you don’t touch my Doritos.” My second favorite advertisement was by Google. They played out a love story through a procession of Google searches, starting from a study abroad trip to Paris and ending with “how to assemble a crib,” at the conclusion. Very sweet.
So, just for fun this morning, what was your favorite Super Bowl ad? And, who had the worst?
BASF has announced increased support of Operation S.A.F.E. (Self-Regulating Application and Flight Efficiency) fly-ins by incentivizing aerial applicators who participate in Operation S.A.F.E. fly-ins. The provided financial support can be used by participating aerial applicators towards membership in NAAA or for new spray equipment.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers has recognized two U.S. conservation districts for efficient equipment use that enhances local conservation efforts.
Pioneer Hi-Bred announced the addition of Jerry Flint to its Biotech Affairs and Regulatory Department as senior director, Registration and Regulatory Affairs.
The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is seeking active dairy producers, who have an interest in serving the state’s dairy industry and directing its future, for nomination to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board’s Board of Directors.
If you have been following the social media whiplashing Yellow Tail wine has received as a result of their $100,000 donation to H$U$, then you may have already seen this video by Troy Hadrick, Advocates for Agriculture spokesperson. If this story is news to you, check out Chuck’s earlier post on this topic.
No more Yellow Tail wine for me. I hope you feel the same.
Just thought I would post a reminder that the deadline for all comments on Roundup Ready® Alfalfa are to be received by USDA on February 16, 2010. If you have not given your comments about this product, now would be a great time to do it. There are only 8 days left to discuss this American farm technology. Please, take the time to comment and encourage your colleagues to do the same.
You can find additional information on how to participate here, or you can go directly to the USDA’s comment website to leave your thoughts. Remember, the world is run by those who show up, so speak out to leave your voice in this discussion.
As of February 3, 2010 over 1400 comments have been received and processed by the USDA, 700 of which are generally positive. A breakout of all comments by state follows.
Did you know? According to a Roundup Ready Alfalfa fact sheet, “Growers report producing up to .9 more tons of alfalfa forage per acre due to more effective weed control with greater crop safety. The result: an additional $85 per acre of profit potential and an increased food supply for all. Studies have shown that due to fewer weeds, relative feed values can be improved 20% or more with Roundup Ready alfalfa. Dairy farmers appreciate the consistency of the hay delivered by the Roundup Ready alfalfa system, and trials show estimated increases in milk production per acre of 14% more than dairy cows fed alfalfa treated with conventional weed control systems. Because a healthy stand of Roundup Ready alfalfa is highly competitive with weeds, growers do not need to treat with herbicides as often.”
We’re having a blast here in Grapevine, TX at the National Biodiesel Conference. It was a little brisk this morning our media ride and drive event. But I got to ride in a new Chevy truck that was fueled with B20 from Classic Clean Fuels. My driver was National Biodiesel Board Vice Chairman Gary Haer, Renewable Energy Group. Also along for the ride was Senior Communications Adviser for NBB, Jenna Higgins Rose. So ride along with us and hear about what’s new from GM in the future.
Hello from Grapevine, TX and the Gaylord Texan at the start opening day of the 2010 Conference. This morning members of the media (including yours truly) will partake in a ride and drive to see this year’s line-up of new 2010 and 2011 clean diesel vehicles powered by biodiesel blends. We’ll be doing that at Classic Clean Fuels, a nearby fueling station selling alternative fuels. Then we’ll be off to a tour of Direct Fuels Biodiesel Plant.
I’ll also be posting onto the National Biodiesel Conference Blog for the 5th year. That will be my main posting location as well as Domestic Fuel but I’ll be including stories for you here as well. I know. Just like I have Multiple Twitter Personality Disorder (MTPD), I also have a similar affliction called Multiple Blog Posting Disease (MBPD).
This afternoon we’ll be partying Super Bowl/Biodiesel style so go team (insert your favorite).
With higher feed costs, it is important for poultry producers to get the most for their money.
At the recent International Poultry Expo/Feed Expo, Novus International was talking to producers about how to optimize their poultry diets. “Optimizing the diet does not necessarily mean having a cheap diet,” says Novus product manager Dr. Nasser Odetallah. “They have to make sure to meet the nutrient requirements of the individual animal and make sure they provide the nutrients needed for optimum growth.”
Since Novus has customers in over 90 countries, they deal with different producer needs depending on the region. “We know that somebody producing chicken in Bangledesh is not going to be faced with the same challenges as somebody in Utah,” he said. “So we have more than one option and we have certain feed additives that minimize the cost of the feed by reducing the energy of the diet and adding an enzyme that releases the energy in the feed.”
It’s also important for producers to optimize amino acids since different amino acids are commonly found in proteins and there are different requirements for poultry depending on the type (broiler or layer) and the age of the bird. Nassar says Novus shows producers how adding enzymes to feed, which is an increased cost up front, actually comes out cheaper in the end by optimizing feed conversion.
Listen to my interview with Nassar from the IPE here:
The President of the Chicago Farmers is my good friend Colleen Callahan. I joked with her that I appreciated her wearing my Gators orange and blue but she’s actually going to an Illini basketball game later.
Colleen conducted one of the presentations here at the Farmland Investment Fair in her role as USDA, Rural Development, Illinois Director. I spoke with her afterward about the organization. She says Chicago Farmers was developed to assist absentee land owners and connect them with the farm industry. They meet monthly and hold this annual event outside Chicago to draw a wider audience of people who either have land to sell or are looking for farmland to buy.
You can listen to my interview with Colleen below. I also produced a video clip of the Fair so you can see what you missed if you weren’t here.
The annual Farmland Investment Fair put on by the Chicago Farmers is underway in Joliet, IL at the Weitendorf Agricultural Education Center.
I’ll be doing back to back presentations on social media this morning with the first one starting momentarily. Please feel free to tweet us using the #ChiFarm hashtag. I appreciate it.
I’d like to introduce the newest sponsor for AgWired and that’s Leica Geosystems. They are also providing sponsorship on our Precision Pays website as well. We’ll get to know Leica more during the coming year with regularly scheduled posts on the company and the growing part of the industry they serve.
Today the company announced that Harlan Little has been named the North American Business Manager for Leica Geosystems’ agriculture group.
Little started with Leica Geosystems in late January, and will be based out of Leica Geosystems NAFTA headquarters in Atlanta.
With more than 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, management and precision agriculture, Little is a great fit for the Leica agriculture team in North America.
“Harlan is a great addition to the team and brings with him a wealth of ideas and industry contacts to help grow our business throughout the U.S. and Canada,” said Rob Kiernan, global sales and marketing manager. “We are ready to take our business to the next level with new leadership and a suite of new products being introduced this year.” (more…)
I’d like to thank New Holland for their sponsorship of the National Biodiesel Conference Blog this year and their support for the biodiesel industry.
You can subscribe to the Biodiesel Conference Blog using the RSS Feed Link. We’ll also be podcasting our audio interviews again and that subscription link is here.
In addition to my posts on the NBC Blog I’ll also be posting onto our DomesticFuel.com website and even right here on AgWired.
This is one of the most familiar sights for ag journalists to see at a Cattle Industry Convention. You can believe that the company representative that is probably interviewed the most is therefore with Merial.
In what seems to be becoming a tradition I interviewed Dr. Frank Hurtig during the convention to find out what’s new from Merial. He says that once again the company will be offering the Ivomec Challenge. He says that it’s coming on the heels of what many parasitologists are saying will be one of the worst springs and summers for parasites out on pastures due to 2009 weather patterns. To participate in the Ivomec Challenge a producer has to treat all their cows and calves with Ivomec this spring and then if those calves don’t weigh more this fall than last fall Merial will give them enough Ivomec product to treat their herd again this fall at no charge.
To hear other news from Merial just listen to my interview with Frank below:
TeeJet Technologies introduces the only system available offering guidance and live video to be displayed simultaneously, which helps improve accuracy and efficiency in field operations: the Matrix Guidance System with RealView Guidance Over Video.
Valley Irrigation announces it has entered into an agreement with Computronics Holdings Ltd. This agreement allows for the development and distribution of Farmscan Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI) controls through Valley dealers worldwide.
John Deere announces it is holding Drive Green Tractor Experience events at more than 50 locations across the southern and eastern United States for 2010.
Monsanto Company announced it has received approval from the U.S. EPA for the sales of a new formulation of acetochlor for early post-emergence use in cotton and soybeans. The product will be marketed as MON 63410 Herbicide for the 2010 growing season.
Organizations representing both biofuels and agriculture are pretty happy overall with EPA’s release of final rules for the implementation of the second phase of the Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS2.
“We’re pleased the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognizes that corn ethanol provides a distinct advantage over conventional gasoline when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, with a reduction of more than 21 percent in some cases,” said National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Darrin Ihnen. “This means that all corn ethanol including existing grandfathered capacity and new production will qualify to meet the conventional biofuels targets in the RFS.”
American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman says that they are encouraged by the rule because it “will help keep the nation’s renewable fuel standards on a path toward greater energy independence. By raising the volume of biofuels available for our nation’s transportation fuel supply, the administration is building on the strong bipartisan efforts that began years ago to provide a home-grown solution to the energy challenges facing our nation.”
Ethanol and biodiesel organizations were also pleased with the rule, which was changed from the initial proposal to be more favorable to first generation biofuels. See all their reactions on our sister site Domestic Fuel.com including a podcast with details from administration officials and comments from major biofuels groups.
However, while overall reaction has been favorable, all organizations are expressing concern about EPA’s continued reliance on the unproven theory of indirect land use change, which penalizes domestic biofuels production on the basis that it results in more land put into production globally in areas like the Amazon rain forest. “Removing the impacts from the international indirect land use theory means that corn ethanol actually provides a 52 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, compared to gasoline,” said NCGA’s Ihnen. “The EPA is not considering similar indirect impacts of petroleum-based fuels, so why are they so stringent when it comes to green, renewable corn ethanol?”
This slogan pretty well sums things up don’t you think? No Farms No Food. The American Farmland Trust opened an E-Commerce store during the holiday season and you can still make purchases.
The store features our first line of products with the No Farms No Food® message. American Farmland Trust encourages buyers to keep the shopping spirit alive as we welcome 2010 and introduce new items throughout the year at http://www.zazzle.com/americanfarmland.
Sales from the store serve a vital purpose in helping AFT achieve its mission to protect farm and ranch land, increase the availability of fresh local food and farm products, and keep the land and our communities healthy. The profits from our e-commerce store continue to benefit the on-the-ground programs we implement each year.
According to radical extremist group H$U$, they have received a $100,000 donation from Yellow Tail wines. They’re calling it the “tails for tails” program and the organizational logo will appear on Yellow Tail wine displays throughout the country through the end of March. The photo shows what one former product fan thinks of the donation decision.
Feel free to let Yellow Tail know your thoughts on their Facebook page. I have and unless they change their decision I have also removed them from my list of ZimmComm approved wines.
I guess I’m not shocked that HSUS has pulled this bait and switch on Ohio voters. While stepping aside to let Ohio farmers pass the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, our friends at HSUS are now campaigning to make sure that board pushes their agendas forward, which include: abolishing meat, dairy and eggs from the American diet and putting farmers and ranchers out of business. In their newest campaign, Ohioans for Humane Farms, HSUS and Farm Sanctuary are back on the campaign trail, ready to take action in the next election. Check out an excerpt from Kristy Foster in Farm and Dairy.
Producers and state officials had heard it was coming. Now, it’s official: The Humane Society of the United States launched a counterattack on Ohio Jan. 27. Ohioans for Humane Farms, backed by HSUS and Farm Sanctuary, submitted a petition — including signatures from Ohio voters in 48 counties — to Ohio’s Secretary of State in support of placing an anti-cruelty measure on the November ballot.
Regulations requested include: 1. End confinement for veal calves, breeding pigs and chickens in what has been described by the Humane Society of the United States as “tiny cages.” 2. Stop “downer cows” or animals too sick or injured to stand or walk on their own from entering the human food chain. 3. Establish regulations for the euthanasia of sick and injured animals.
How many discussions have you participated in about showing consumers how food gets from the field to the plate? I lost count a while ago. There are many groups and efforts going on to accomplish this. Here’s one I just found from the Canned Food Alliance. They’re using YouTube and MealTimes.org.
Canned food is one of the most versatile options for creating affordable, quick and healthy meals especially during colder months. But common misperceptions persist about the canning process. Within hours of harvesting, top quality fruits and vegetables are simply and naturally preserved for convenience and year-round availability, so you can enjoy tropical fruit even during the cold days of winter. Cans are also one of the safest and most recyclable forms of packaging available. Watch “Canned Food From Field to Table” to get the facts from the people who grow, pack, recommend and cook with canned foods.
The video features food blogger Tom Barritt, authto of food blog, Culinary Types, Associate Director of the Food and Nutrition Practice at Ketchum. Interesting combination. Are you a journalist or a public relations person? I don’t care personally and he is transparent about it. Doesn’t bother me. Does it bother you?
The National Biodiesel Conference is taking place in Grapevine, TX. Chuck is on the scene and adding to the ZimmComm photo collection.
New NAFB Executive Director
If you don't know Mark Vail then meet him in this week's program.
Mark will officially start as the Executive Director for the National Association of Farm Broadcasting on March 1. We chatted via Skype and talked about what he sees as the priorities and challenges of the organization.
I’m sure most of you were tuned in to watch the Super Bowl last night, and many of you probably participated in some form of party or another, complete with agriculture’s finest products. As I munched on appetizers and cheered on my favorite team, I have to admit that my favorite part of the Super Bowl wasn’t the game, and it certainly wasn’t Carrie H$U$ Underwood’s flat singing, it was, of course, the commercials.
At the recent International Poultry Expo/Feed Expo, 
This is one of the most familiar sights for ag journalists to see at a Cattle Industry Convention. You can believe that the company representative that is probably interviewed the most is therefore with 
Organizations representing both biofuels and agriculture are pretty happy overall with 
If you don't know Mark Vail then meet him in this week's program.
