Posted By Cindy August 5, 2011
The food supply in this country is the safest in the world and agriculture needs to do a better job of letting people know that.
The chairman of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman, gave an update on the organization’s communications program at the recent Ag Media Summit.
Stallman says there will be six phases to the campaign and phase one has begun. “Phase one is about getting farmer and rancher alignment,” which he says includes not only support of the effort but also a change in attitude. “We have to change our way of thinking and be willing to engage in a conversation with consumers, not just tell them what we think they need to hear.”
“We haven’t been very good at answering consumer questions. That’s going to stop now,” Stallman says. They plan to address those questions in a variety of ways including social media and “town hall” meetings which will kick off in September.
USFRA now has 49 affiliate organizations.
Listen to Chuck Zimmerman’s interview with Bob from AMS here: Bob Stallman Interview
Posted By Cathryn August 3, 2011
According to many St. Louis meteorologists, the heat dome of 2011 will relent today, finally ushering in still-hot, but not life-threatening temperatures. In retrospect, the seemingly epic heat wave does offer some degree of humor. It just isn’t summer in the Midwest until some crack journalist attempts to fry an egg, cook macaroni and cheese, or even pop corn on a sidewalk.
While the epic creativity of the ever-rotating crop of insightful local reporters attempting such crazy feats allows us to giggle at the heat, or at least their tired antics, for many, the heat brought about a level of panic, suffering and problems more likely to make a sane person cry. From illness to electric bills that trigger a special sort of nausea, the heat wave wreaked havoc on what could otherwise have been a productive, enjoyable summer.
Children trapped indoors and sidelined runners aren’t the only groups stopped dead in their tracks by the blistering bubble. Corn farmers have watched as the crop they worked late into the night to plant following this spring’s unrelenting monsoon season begins to show signs of heat stress.
While the farmers themselves can escape to the icy, dark confines of the closest movie house, corn plants must find ways to endure the heat and preserve precious moisture. As corn plants are past the pollination stage at this point in the season, each individual plant makes a variety of small adaptations that best allow it to produce the maximum amount of viable seed possible.
As for each of us who has eschewed a morning jog or skipped an outdoor barbeque to cope with the insipid temperatures, corn plants make sacrifices to survive in these conditions. These sacrifices, although vital to preserving the corn and to the inherent objective of spreading its own genetic material, negatively impact the crop in a number of ways that can subsequently impinge on each individual farmer’s profitability at harvest.
Just walking through a corn field, the toll heat stress takes on a plant becomes obvious. The normally green, flat leaves that jet from the stalk have rolled in around the edges to reduce surface area, therefore preserving moisture. Near the ground, leaves have been fired from the stalk completely and now lie in brown, crumpled piles. The once lush, green field no longer resembles the perfect stands picturesquely surrounding the baseball diamond in “Field of Dreams.”
Heat damage affects more than the cosmetic in corn. As the nights stay hot and days reach record highs, the plant must further shut down to preserve the seeds encasing its valuable genetic material. The small kernels from the top of the ear abort to save the more desirable brethren at the base. Even the kernels for which much of the plant was sacrificed may not reach their maximum potential.
At harvest, these ears of corn will still be useful. The crop will still provide food, feed or fuel depending upon its destination. Yet, the farmer will again suffer as low test weights and diminished yields chip away at the profitability of the year’s corn crop. With high fertilizer prices and increasingly expensive land, farmers may find the heat burning them in the pocketbook long after a chilly fall breeze begins to blow in the evenings.
Farmers know from a very young age, most often by observing as their parents and grandparents worked that same land, that every year, every day their livelihood is at the mercy of the weather. Long after the average person’s electric bill is paid, farmers feel the impact of a long, hot summer.
So, next time a peppy freshman reporter cracks an egg onto a white hot sidewalk remember that the heat dome of 2011 will continue to loom large in the memories of many long after the holidays. America’s family farmers toil on despite the risk because they realize the importance of producing enough corn to supply the world’s growing demand.
Say thank you by becoming more informed. Take a moment to read a simple, short brief on how farm programs, such as those coming before Congress next year, help protect farmers from the heat and ensure a vibrant future for this key industry. If the television station can invest in the same tired heat story year-after-year, the country should invest in the men and women who provide the food that actually ends up on a plate.
Posted By Cathryn August 1, 2011
During the whirlwind that is a week working in agriculture, building in time to help cultivate tomorrow’s ag journalists, agronomists, economists and agri-business leaders often is prioritized directly below milling through old files to see what forgotten facts might lie within. For the vast majority of those in the field, it is unimaginable that college students might not fully understand the opportunities in the field and the rewarding nature of the work.
As an industry, we must make an active decision to cultivate the next generation as carefully as farmers do their crops.
Even in this unimpressive-at-best job market, there is a fight for young talent. By relying on the natural interest of a small group, ag misses out on the opportunity to recruit potential powerhouses. Simply sharing can turn the next Norman Borlaug’s attention in this direction.
Last week, the NCGA staff took a moment to do just that. Two college-age interns visited home office in St. Louis to try and understand the role that associations play in U.S. agriculture and the opportunities that these unique organizations present. Speaking with economists, biologists and communicators, the students discovered that an entire world of possibilities awaits them after graduation and made friends eager to help them succeed.
Following the visit, presenters realized something unexpected – they had gained as much from the students as they had given. Full of optimism and questions, the interns provoked thought by asking questions in a fresh manner and reinvigorated spirits with the interest and respect they provided so naturally.
While not everyone has a fresh crop of college students to mentor every summer, everyone involved in agriculture can become a recruiter. Look around at the young people in local schools, churches and clubs. Invite them onto the farm for a tour. Ask if they would like to tour a state association or other agri-business in the area. Actively seek out the people who will lead us into the future.
Other industries are out there looking to build strong staffers and ensure a strong, vibrant workforce. It is time to beat them to the punch and show that ag is not only a strong part of our nation’s past, but also, a bright part of its future.
Posted By Ken August 1, 2011
Our old trusty lawn mower died a slow, agonizing death this summer, much to our son’s happiness. I think he wanted a ride-on mower for our humble third of an acre, complete with stereo and GPS auto-steer. But such was not the case as I headed to Sears Hardware a few weekends ago to replace one Craftsman workhorse with another. I didn’t even spring for a self-propelled model.
Things have changed, however. Now there is a sign greeting shoppers at my local store warning them about ethanol. And the salesman at the mowers and the clerk at checkout both verbally warned me that the mower warranty does not covering “ethanol damage,” but they have a very nice RPA, or repair protection agreement, I could buy to cover fuel-related issues.
But there’s something wrong with this. According to my owner’s manual, “Gasoline with up to 10% ethanol (gasohol) or up to 15% MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) is acceptable.” E10 is the fuel most widely available in these parts for gas engines.
The warranty that came with my new lawn mower does not cover “preventive maintenance, or repairs necessary due to improper fuel mixture, contaminated or stale fuel.” If gas engines like my new Briggs and Stratton are “impacted by ethanol in gas,” as the sign says, the owner’s manual does not agree with the sales staff. E10, the type of gas I’ve been putting into my tank for years with no problem, is not an “improper fuel mixture.”
Of course, Sears has created a product to sell, its RPA, and created a crisis to help sell it – the fear of the impact of ethanol on my lawn mower engine. Frankly, even if I have an ethanol mixture that accidentally rated a little higher than E10, the overall impact on the engine would be negligible given how much fuel is used each week and how small the fuel tank is.
But there is also the simple fact that a gasoline-powered tool should naturally be built to safely and properly use the form of gasoline currently available in the marketplace, and the owner’s manual implies this clearly. Sears only recently changed its warranty, according to the salesperson, even though there was no change in the ethanol content of the fuel. In fact, E10 has been the exclusive fuel in this area for almost a decade.
I have always liked Craftsman products, and for them to imply there will be a problem seems to indicate that Sears does not as have much faith as I do in the products they sell.
