Nov 8, 2013

Hello ZimmComm Fans:

It's one of Chuck's favorite times of the year. Why? Because it's deer season. He just spent a week in the woods at the new location of the Crystal Pig Hunt Club. That's his club which you can learn about at CrystalPigHuntClub.com There will be more action there during this Georgia season on the 2013 Rustler Hunt. Why that theme? Because New Holland donated a 4-seater Rustler as part of an online promotion for him to get around the property on. It is one tough UTV and got put through the paces crossing creeks, hopping logs, cruising through some mud bogs, and doing some pretty steep uphill climbs over rough ground. He sure appreciates New Holland's continued support of all ZimmComm does.

The ZimmComm team is about to hit the agriblogging highway big time next week. You'll find Chuck in Grantville, PA at the Penn State Dairy Cattle Nutrition Workshop courtesy of Prince Agri Products. Then he cruises west to Reno for the ASFMRA convention. Yep, cross country agriblogging! Meanwhile Cindy, Leah, Jamie and our fall intern Kristyn will be in KC, MO for the NAFB Convention. They're looking forward to seeing so many of our friends and clients there.

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, "What's the biggest threat to getting the Farm Bill done?"

Our poll results:

· Lack of bipartisanship - 39%

· Nutrition reform - 36%

· Other - 18%

· Animal ag issues - 7%

The farm bill conference committee has still only met once, but there is some hope they will have a compromise bill by Thanksgiving.

In the meantime, fall means it's hunting season in many areas of the country for various types of game and more hunters these days are using off-road vehicles. Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, "Which vehicle do you prefer for hunting?" Are you good with the basic four wheel ATV or does a bigger utility terrain vehicle better suit your hunting needs? Let us know.

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

Aaron Hutchinson, iCropTrak, on improved soil sampling

Gavin Gibbons, National Fisheries Institute, on repeal efforts of USDA catfish inspection pgm.

Fuels America press conf. on consequences of lower RFS requirements

Now for some news from the ZimmComm News Network:

AgWired

iCrop Trak Updates Improve Soil Sampling

Cogent3D, makers of iCropTrak, have taken soil sampling to a whole new level for farmers this fall. MORE

Podcast

Catfish on the Farm Bill Conference Plate

Catfish was a word only heard once in the first farm bill conference committee meeting, giving some hope that it might be one of the less contentious issues in completing the legislation. MORE

Podcast

Americas Farmers Grow Ag Leaders Scholarship

Monsanto Company just announced their launch of the America's Farmers Grow Ag Leaders scholarship program to entice rural American students in pursuing careers in agriculture. The scholarship program in connection with the National FFA Scholarship program will provide rural students the opportunity to earn a $1,500 scholarship to pursue their education. MORE

Domestic Fuel

DuPont: Lowering RVO Targets Would Be a Mistake

A company with experience successfully commercializing a variety of new technologies says it would be a mistake if government targets for renewable fuels are lowered. During yesterday's Fuels America conference call on the prospect the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could drop renewable volume obligations (RVOs) next year from the statutory level of 14.4 billion gallons to between 12.36 and 13.18 billion, DuPont Global Business Director for Biorefineries Jan Koninckx said they were shocked by the leaked draft proposal. MORE

Podcast

Missouri Governor Voices Support for Ethanol

With the harvest nearing completion in Missouri, Governor Jay Nixon last week joined the Missouri Corn Growers Association at a grain elevator in the northeast part of the state to support the state's corn growers and ethanol industry. MORE

Podcast

New Report Highlights the Power of Geothermal

The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) and Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) have released a new joint report, "The Values of Geothermal Energy: A Discussion of the Benefits of Geothermal Power Provides to the Future of U.S. Power System". The report addresses the role geothermal energy can play in states with Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) or Renewable Electricity Standards (RES) who are considering the full value of the power sources they use. MORE

Precision Pays

Soil Sampling This Fall

As we move deeper into the fall and harvest wraps up in some areas, growers and ag-professionals shift their focus towards other fall activities, like soil sampling. Ag Leader's SMS Desktop and Mobile Software can assist with this activity helping you setup soil sampling sites and navigate to those while in the field. After you have collected these samples and acquired the results from the lab, many of us use this data to create site specific fertilizing prescriptions either based on our own formulas or those of a state university like...Iowa State, Kansas State, Purdue, Mississippi State, Ohio State and many other Universities publish. MORE

Podcast

Conservation Compliance Support in Farm Bill Conference

One area where there seemed to be general agreement in the first meeting of the farm bill conference committee last week was the need for a strong conservation program - and most committee members who mentioned it during last week's meeting are in favor of tying conservation compliance to crop insurance, which is part of the Senate bill. MORE

Cyclone Innovation Mixes Up Spraying

Product development firm Cambridge Consultants is harnessing the power of a cyclone to better mix and spray liquids. MORE

Consequences of Lower RFS Requirements

Fuels America held a telephone conference call on Wednesday with biofuel stakeholders to discuss implications of lowering the 2014 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). MORE

Podcast

World Dairy Diary

Movember Dairy - Got Mustache?

It's Movember - do you know where your mustache is?! This year, several dairy industry companies and groups are excited to launch the Movember Dairy initiative. MORE

Orth and McNett Promoted at Expo

Congratulations to Susan Orth and Crystal McNett, both who have new responsibilities with World Dairy Expo. MORE

Empire Specialty Cheese to Expand

Empire Specialty Cheese Co. LLC's is planning to move into a vacant plant in Ashville, N.Y. with a proposed $6.37 million project. MORE

Contact Information
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1507 Templemore Dr.
Cantonment, FL 32533
850-780-6617 office
850-308-1221 fax
email: news@agwired.com (inquiries/news releases/announcements)
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