leadership

SwineCast Update for December 9, 2010, Using WiFi On The Farm?

John Blue — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 03:46:47 +0000

SwineCast^® Conversations

Audio: How To Expand WiFi Coverage On Farms and Ranches - Ayrstone Productivity creates extended local wifi internet solutions which may solve distance or connection issues on your operation.
Audio: Manitoba Moves To Provide Mortality Insurance To Province Pork Producers - Manitoba's government plans to enhance agricultural insurance programs, including all peril mortality insurance for the hog sector.
Video: Improving Professionalism In Barn Culture - Don Tyler shares how can you improve professionalism in your barn or operation. From the 2010 Midwest Pork Conference, September 15, 2010, Danville, IN, USA.

Agriculture Telling its Story

Livestock Operations Need To Open To Public - Temple Grandin says livestock ranchers should open their doors to the public and show how animals are raised and cared for.
US Marketing Opportunity For New Zealand Pork - New Zealand's new animal welfare regulations may offer them a product marketing angle for US consumers.
Agricultural Mentoring - Those entering agriculture have a lot to discover and a great way to learn is from someone who already has been there. This online conversation shares thoughts on professional connections every young ag producer should have and ways for people to connect with a mentor.
Agriculture and Politics - Politics plays a major role in agriculture. Issues like water rights and subsidy payments impact farmers and ranchers everyday. This AgChat conversation on local, state, and national politics highlights some of the issues and how the future might play out.

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Thanks, again, for listening!

Ned Arthur
Your SwineCast Host

1.877.SwineCast (1.877.794.6322)
Feedback@SwineCast.com

Agchat Discussion on Mentoring In Agriculture

Truffle Media Networks — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 23:30:32 +0000

Agricultural Mentoring Those entering agriculture have a lot to discover and a great way to learn is from someone who already has been there. This conversation shares thoughts on professional connections every young ag producer should have and ways for people to connect with a mentor.

DairyCast update for June 2, 2010, What are some ways to improve cattle handling practices

John Blue — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:54:33 +0000

The dairy industry is taking a hit because of the actions of one former employee at Conklin Dairy Farms Inc. in Ohio. The actions of one person have created the impression that all dairies treat their dairy cows poorly. And this is certainly not the case!

The question for those of us in the dairy industry is "what do we do next?"

If you have not done so, take time to reflect on the media attention and the possible impacts to consumer confidence. This is the dairy industry's opportunity (your opportunity!) to step up and share how you run your operations, talk about how your cows are really treated, and how you approach the creation of dairy products.

To help, here are several items on which to follow-up:

The Dairy Mom - Brenda (Souza) Hastings, along with her husband, operate a dairy farm in Northeast Ohio. They are both third generation dairy producers who made the choice to start their own dairy in 2004. Brenda started a blog to spread the truth about dairy and share information about how they operate their family farm.
Dairy Farming Today - Dairy Management Inc. created several information tools to help provide perspective and educational information to consumers and dairy producers. Use these to help learn from other producers on how to tell your story. Resources include using Twitter for June Dairy Month and using Facebook to listen to consumers.
An open letter to all those concerned and outraged by the Conklin Dairy Farm incident - Kathy Swift, large animal veterinarian, provides a personal perspective and context, for both ag and non-ag people, to understand the dairy industry and animal agriculture.

Again, this is your opportunity to tell your story!

Dairy operation and management

Audio: What are some ways to improve cattle handling practices - Dr. Tom Noffsinger, Nebraska veterinarian and cattle handling expert, suggests some actions that we can take to improve our cattle handling practices.
Audio: Temple Grandin helps create a cattle welfare audit scorecard - Temple Grandin, world renowned cattle handling expert, offers her thoughts on how to effectively create a cattle welfare scorecard for your operation.
Video: How Can We Ensure Healthy Animals and Food Safety? - Randall Singer, Ph.D, DVM, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, shares views on the need to preserve antibiotics.

It is a pleasure to introduce you today to our newest DairyCast sponsor partner, BioZyme. BioZyme has been actively focused on providing solutions and innovation in animal nutrition for over five decades. Over the next few weeks we will continue to learn more about how their products work and how they can work for your dairy.

BioZyme is offering to you the ability to evaluate Amaferm in your herd to see the economic benefits of improved forage digestion and increased milk efficiency during the summer heat. Purchase a 30 day supply and receive a 30 day supply at no charge in exchange for sharing your feeding results with BioZyme. Signup and learn more at DairyCast.com/Beat-The-Heat.

Leadership

Is Your Next Generation Ready? - Preparing the Next Generation for their role in the family business can be a constant challenge for the current leadership of the business. Production, management and leadership skills are all critical abilities that need to be passed on to assure long-term success for the business. What steps should you take?
Audio: Story of survival through disastrous times - Captain Scott O'Grady, former US Air Force fighter pilot, shares his story of survival after being shot down by the enemy, in two parts (Part 1, Part 2).

Don't forget to add DairyCast^® to your playlist!

Thanks, again, for listening!

Trent Fredenburg
Your DairyCast Host

1.877.28DairyCast (1.877.283.2479)
Feedback@DairyCast.com

Preparing the Next Generation for Leadership

John Blue — Wed, 26 May 2010 21:12:37 +0000

Is Your Next Generation Ready? Preparing the Next Generation for their role in the family business can be a constant challenge for the current leadership of the business. Production, management and leadership skills are all critical abilities that need to be passed on to assure long-term success for the business. What steps should you take?

CropVillage update for February 26, 2010, Farmers Answer Consummers' Food Questions

John Blue — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:00:22 +0000

CropVillage^™ Conversations

Leadership Involvement Ideas

Fred Rogge, Washington, Kansas, shares his thoughts on community leadership involvement after winning the Community Leadership award at the 2010 AgConnect Expo in Orlando, Florida.

Reducing Ammonia Volatilization By Feeding Char

From PoultryCast: Researchers at the University of Georgia are looking at ways to use utilize biofuel byproducts discover a process to limit ammonia volitilization by feeding 'char' to broilers.

Updating The Mycotoxin Factsheet

From SwineCast: Dr. Joel DeRouchey provides an update of the recently updated AASV mycotoxin fact sheet. He provides his takeaways for producers and nutritionists.

Agriculture Telling its Story With Social Media

Farmers Answer Consummers' Food Questions Farmers address consumer questions around food quality, organics, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and the use of herbicides/pesticides/fertilizers on crops.

Farming Your Online Community: Social Networks and Beyond Michele Payn-Knoper, Cause Matters Corp., says "If you do not learn how to use social media to tell your story in agriculture, others will, and possibly already are!"

Food Consumer Insight Panel #Foodchat brought together four non-agricultural food consumers to share their thoughts on issues and concerns on food and its production. This was an opportunity for those in agriculture to listen.

Farmers and Ranchers Are Using New / Social Media FollowFarmer has a set of curated set of Twitter based agricultural participants. And here are a few crop focused professionals using social media to tell their story.

Crop brief: What is on your mind?

Over the last several months CropVillage ran a series of surveys and here are the top issues on your mind: Cost of inputs, Risk management, and Equipment and technology. Not as much of a concern: Estate Taxes.

CropVillage^® Headliners

Orlando Gil

The 2010 Census – Helping Your Community by Helping Latinos Be Counted Spread the word about the 2010 Census. Tell your Latino employees about their right to privacy and how important their response is. Tell them that it is safe to fill out the form and that it is important to be counted.

Meggie Foster

NAIS is Out, Animal Disease Traceability is in – Translate, Please! It’s no secret that the USDA’s National Animal ID System (NAIS) has encountered its fair share of critisism during its first six years on the drawing board. In fact, following hearing sessions hosted by the USDA last year, industry buffs called the program unworkable and unnecessary. Hence, in its current form, NAIS has been called off and USDA officials have rallied to create a new, more flexible framework for Animal Disease Traceability in the United States.

Don't forget to add CropVillage^™ to your playlist!

Thanks, again, for listening!

Ned Arthur
Your CropVillage^™ Host

1.877.55TRUFFLE (1.877.558.7833)
information@TruffleMedia.com