August 31, 2012

Hello ZimmComm Fans:

It has been another crazy weather week between the sort of hurricane in the south and continued hot and dry to the north. Hopefully the remnants of Isaac will bring some much needed rain to areas that need it.

The ZimmComm Team has been out and about this week. Chuck and Cindy spent most of the week in Boone, IA at the Farm Progress Show. They've got a lot of photos online and many more stories and interviews to post. Jamie is attending the GROWMARK annual meeting. After this week we get a break in the action for some much needed catching up on a variety of things.

Planning for 2013 marketing and promotion is in full swing. Many of our sponsors have already renewed their annual agreement for our services. Have you? Would you like to discuss how we can assist your marketing plans? If so, please let Chuck or Dave Larson know as soon as possible. Our calendar is already filling up for next year!

Our l atest ZimmPoll asked the question, "Beyond commodity prices, what will this year's drought have a greater impact on?"

Our poll results: Thirty-eight percent said feed costs; thirteen percent said food prices; eleven percent said fuel costs and crop insurance, respectively; nine percent said crop inputs; eight percent said land costs; and five percent said tillage practices and other, respectively.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, " How will the drought affect farm equipment sales?" For growers looking to update their fleet, or invest in new equipment and technologies, will they think twice when factoring in drought affects or will their pocketbooks still allow them that purchase - what do you think?

Here are some interviews you might have missed from this week:

Now for some news from the ZimmComm News Network:

AgWired

Third Annual Agvocacy 2.0 Conference

Three years of Agvocacy 2.0 training and counting. That's what the AgChat Foundation just accomplished with the conclusion of their third annual event in Kansas City. MORE

Podcast

RFS Comments Start; Corn Growers Want More Time

Today kicked off the 30-day comment period to the EPA on the waiver request of the Renewable Fuels Standard. But the National Corn Growers Association is already asking for more time. NCGA President Garry Niemeyer sent a letter to the EPA requesting an additional 30 days of comments, citing harvest and the uncertainty of this year's corn crop. MORE

Ag Sec. Vilsack Announces Beginning Farmers Grants

New USDA grants to support beginning farmers were announced by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on the final day of the Farm Progress Show. Sec. Vilsack held a a press conference in the New Holland media tent. MORE

Domestic Fuel

Corn Growers Ask for Extra Time for RFS Comments

Just as the EPA started its 30-day comment period on a waiver request for the Renewable Fuel Standard, the National Corn Growers Association is asking for more time for comments. NCGA President Garry Niemeyer sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson requesting an additional 30-day extension, citing harvest and the uncertainty of this year's corn crop. MORE

EPA: 100 Million Gallons of Biodiesel Produced in July

The latest numbers from the EPA show that biodiesel makers produced 100 million gallons of the green fuel during July, down a bit from June's numbers of 112 million gallons but still possibly on pace to surpass last year's record production. Year-to-date production figures show just under 658 million gallons of biodiesel through the end of the month. Last year, the biodiesel industry set a new production record of nearly 1.1 billion gallons. MORE

Tell Governors No to RFS Waiver
Poultry producers are getting some help from several governors in their call for the EPA to waive the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), but officials with the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) say the RFS is working, and no waiver is needed. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has joined Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe and North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue in asking for the waiver (see Deal's letter here). The EPA has posted the notice in the Federal Register and is accepting public comments for the next 30 days. A decision would come within 90 days. MORE

Podcast

Precision Pays

Harvesting Corn at Farm Progress Show

The weather cooperated big time this year at the Farm Progress Show so that field demonstrations got in a full schedule. MORE

2012 Farm Progress Show - Corn Harvest Demonstration

Precision Pays Podcast: Changing hybrids on the fly

When a farmer purchases a bag of seed corn - Jason Webster, director of Beck's Hybrids Central Illinois Practical Farm Research says they should already be thinking about where they are going to plant that corn. As technology continues to evolve - it may become easier to change hybrids within a field. MORE

Podcast

John Deere Showcases the Future at FPS

John Deere is giving farmers a glimpse of what farming in the future might look like at Farm Progress Show and it looks cool. MORE
Podcast

World Dairy Diary

Apply Now for Sustainability Awards

The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy�, established under the leadership of dairy farmers, is now accepting nominations for the second year of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards. The award program recognizes dairy farms, businesses and collaborative partnerships for their contributions to healthy people, healthy products and a healthy planet and showcases that sustainability makes good business sense. MORE

CWT Export Update

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 14 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America and Foremost Farms to sell 4.581 million pounds (2,078 metric tons) of Cheddar and Gouda cheese to customers in Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and the South Pacific. The product will be delivered September 2012 through February 2013. MORE

New Dairysan Line

ANIMART, Inc. announces the recent launch of their Dairysan™ dairy sanitation product line. MORE

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850-780-6617 office
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