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Hello ZimmComm Fans:
The ZimmComm Team enjoyed seeing lots of friends on the road this week. Chuck attended the quarterly NAMA Executive Committee Mtg in Austin, TX and got to spend an extra day courtesy of the ice storm in Atlanta. Cindy was in Atlanta at the IPPE show but didn't have any troubles as the show went on. Meanwhile, Joanna was attending the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit and then the Iowa Power Farming Show in Des Moines, IA. We've got lots of stories across the ZimmComm News Network from these events for your reading, listening and viewing pleasure. Of course the big news was the Farm Bill which looks destined to become law as soon as the Senate signs off on it which is expected. This is important to all agrimarketers in all commodity group areas since it will at least bring some more certainty to the marketplace.
We had an very large turnout of voters for this week's controversial ZimmPoll question - "What's your opinion of state HSUS Ag Councils?" The majority of voters agree that if the HSUS label is present in anything, then it can't be trusted. However, many are eager to work with the group. It will be interesting to see how productive these HSUS Ag Councils are for the organization as it continues to seek to influence legislation and regulations. Our poll results: ▪Can't trust HSUS - 55% ▪Should work with HSUS - 32% ▪Waste of time - 7% ▪Don't know - 2% ▪Other - 4% Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, "Could drones (UAV's) serve a purpose on your operation?"Precision technology in the agricultural industry is a booming business. We have been seeing a lot of talk about unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's) or better known as drones. The use of drones to fly over crops and livestock to maximize profits is one of the hottest topics entering the agriculture sector. The sky seems to be the limit when it comes to the possibilities with this new technology, but advancements won't be seen at all until approval is given from the FAA. The price tag might seem high to some, but others may see only see the benefits. We did a similar ZimmPoll on this topic last year asking, "What use would you have for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle?" Could you see yourself utilizing these unmanned aircrafts to increase profitability on your operation? Here are some interviews and audio from this week you might have missed:
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 AgWired
CommonGround Iowa
In this week's program we'll meet Sara Ross, Iowa farmer and part of CommonGround Iowa. I visited with Sara in the media room at the National Biodiesel Conference and we spoke via ZimmGlass. MOREZimmCast
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Perfect Storm Causes Propane Shortage
Freezing temperatures, a wetter than normal harvest, and more exports are all why Scott Long, the manager of propane marketing and business development for GROWMARK, says this created a perfect storm scenario for why there is a supply and demand issue with propane around the corn belt. Those in the industry are calling it a perfect storm since harvest was very wet and it took nearly 5 times the amount of propane to dry the crop than normal. This put the market behind during a winter that has been bitterly cold. Add to that the fact that we have had increased exports since the United States has the some of the lowest priced propane in the world. MORE
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Farm Bill Could Draw Trade Retaliation
Livestock organizations and food associations are concerned that their members will face economic harm because the farm bill out of conference committee this week makes no changes to the U.S. Country of Origin Labeling law (COOL). MOREPodcast
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 Domestic Fuel Bob Dinneen: Consumers Want Choice at the Pump
Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association gave a legislative update during the 8th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit and spoke of the efforts of Big Oil to quash the renewable fuel industry. The Summit took place on the last day of the EPA comment period for the 2014 proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and Dinneen told a funny story. MOREPodcast
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Economic Impact Study Released During IRFA Summit
A new economic impact study was released this week during the 8th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit hosted by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (Iowa RFA). The study was conducted by ABF Economics economist John Urbanchuk highlighting the impact of the renewable fuels industry on Iowa's economy. During 2013, spending on new cellulosic plant construction and research and development offset reduced spending on inputs due to lower commodity prices. MORE
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Study Finds U.S. Solar Jobs Grew 20% in 2013
The Solar Foundation (TSF) has released its fourth annual National Solar Jobs Census, which found that the U.S. solar industry employed 142,698 Americans in 2013. This figure includes the addition of 23,682 solar jobs over the previous year, representing a 19.9 percent growth in employment since September 2012. Solar employment grew 10 times faster than the national average employment growth rate of 1.9 percent in the same period. MORE
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Precision Pays
AgLeader Proud to Sponsor Iowa Power Farming Show
AgLeader 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. MOREPodcast
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Using Technology to Create Efficiency, Increase Profitability
At the recent National Biodiesel Conference a number of commodity groups were represented. Frank Legner, Legner Farms is a member of the Illinois Soybean Association and attended the conference to get an update on biodiesel for grower members back in Illinois. He talks about how he uses precision agriculture and Ag Leader software technology on his farm where they grow 50/50 soybeans and corn. MORE
Podcast
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Popular Agronomy Resource Now Available as App
For years farmers have depended on the printed MFA Incorporated Agronomy Guide as a way to compare seed and crop protection products they might need on their farming operations. But that day has come to an end. Farmers who have access to iOS, Android or Windows smartphones or tablets can access all the same information in app form. MORE |
Fuels American Responds to SOTU
This morning Fuels America held a teleconference to provide reaction to the climate action plan President Obama discussed during his State of the Union address last night. MOREPodcast
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Livestock Groups Address Farm Bill Concerns
Livestock organizations and food associations are opposing the farm bill out of conference committee this week because makes no changes to the Country of Origin Labeling law (COOL), which is being challenged by Mexico and Canada over world trade violations. MORE
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There's Still Time to Apply Lime
For growers unable to apply lime last fall, a new generation of engineered lime products are a solution that can be applied year-round. Unlike standard ag lime, advanced soil amendment products such as SuperCal 98G provide fast and complete soil pH changes because of they contain extremely small lime particles (150 microns versus 590 microns for standard ag lime.) Engineered to have high reactivity, the products change soil pH within weeks and maintains soil pH changes in subsequent years. MORE
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On-Farm Tech Allows Producer to 'See' Mastitis
At this year's National Mastitis Council in Fort Worth, Texas, attendees learned about a new on-farm technology that allows dairy producers to accurately "see" mastitis before symptoms appear, using the Milk Leukocyte Differential (MLD). Rudy Rodriguez, founder of Advanced Animal Diagnostics, Durham, N.C., said similar white blood cell differential technology has long been a tool in human and companion animal medicine. MORE
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#Felfie Hashtag Explodes
Have you taken and posted your #felfie yet? Don't miss out on this fun meme - grab your smart phone and start snapping photos! Post them to your social media sites and tag with #felfie MORE
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Summit Offers One-Day Tracks at Discounted Rates
The Pennsylvania Dairy Summit has just packaged a producer and retail showcase and four breakout sessions into each of the two program days. This will allow producers to get away from the farm and gather valuable industry insight on hands-on information to bring back to their operations. MORE
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Contact Information
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Cantonment, FL 32533
850-780-6617 office
850-308-1221 fax
email: [email protected] (inquiries/news releases/announcements)
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