ZimmCast 760 – Award to Harry Siemens
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I’m Chuck Zimmerman.
In this episode I have a very special guest. I haven’t talked to him recently but we did quite a bit in the early days of AgWired. He’s Harry Siemens and some of you may have heard or read his Siemens Says. He just received a very well deserved award and we’ll talk about that too.
So, let’s get started.
Listen to the episode here:
ZimmCast 760 - Award to Harry Siemens (15:44)
Here is some information about the award Harry received.
The award was initiated by U.S. farm broadcasters Lynn Ketelsen of the Linder Farm Network, the late Orion Samuelson, and Max Armstrong, longtime voices in agricultural broadcasting and fellow members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB). Together, they sought to recognize Siemens’ lifetime of contributions to agricultural journalism and his efforts to strengthen relationships between Canadian and American farmers.
Throughout his career, Siemens has covered crop production, livestock, trade, transportation, weather, farm policy and rural life, earning the respect of farmers, agricultural leaders and fellow broadcasters across North America.
That’s the ZimmCast for now. If you have some exciting news in the agrimarketing world, feel free to contact me for the next episode. Just email Chuck at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.
We hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.
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Japanese Soy Milk Exchange Launches
Officially launching today, the Japanese Soy Milk Exchange (JSME), is a new initiative that brings together soybean innovators, culinary experts, nutrition professionals and food industry executives to introduce Japanese soy milk in the United States and establish it as a distinct premium category.
Soy is at the heart of Japan’s food culture, and Japanese soy milk is rooted in centuries of craftsmanship. It’s made with soybeans grown in North America, using specialized Japanese technology and processing methods that ensure a silky texture, mild scent and subtly nutty flavor. Nutritionally, Japanese soy milk is comparable to dairy milk, packing in 9-10 grams of complete plant protein per serving with about half the carbohydrates.
“Japanese soy milk is defined by its heritage and quality, delivering a combination of nutrition, mellow flavor and smooth finish that sets it apart from conventional soy milks,” said Ko Fuwa, General Manager, Foreign Beverage Operations at Kikkoman, an international leader in Japanese soy milk and supporter of JSME. “This distinguished group of leaders is ideally positioned to introduce this new category of soy milk in the U.S. We’re excited to support their mission to educate consumers on Japanese soy milk’s many benefits and differentiators.”
The JSME brings together a multidisciplinary group of founding members, including a chef and culinary expert, registered dietitian, soybean farmer, professor specializing in Japanese food history and culture and a Japanese soy milk industry leader. Together, these experts will guide education efforts, address common misconceptions about soy and promote innovative uses across retail and foodservice channels.
The JSME will roll out programming throughout 2026, including media engagement, trade outreach, culinary demonstrations and digital resources to grow awareness for Japanese soy milk as a new category of soy milk and its many culinary uses and nutritional benefits. More information is available at japanesesoymilk.com.
Precision Ag News 6/9
The Passing of Jim Stewart
From the KFYO website: The legendary Jim Stewart, former KFYO Ag Director and beloved voice in Texas radio, passed away yesterday, June 4, 2026.
His family says that he was surrounded by loved ones and passed peacefully at home.
Stewart was a voice for West Texas agriculture and joined KFYO as Farm Director in 1981. This began a remarkable run of more than 20 years at KFYO.
He hosted his final KFYO show on February 21, 2003, and returned to Lubbock radio in 2005, serving as Ag Director for AM 580 KRFE for several years.
You can find the obituary here.
Visitation will be held at Resthaven Funeral Home & Cemetery, 5740 West 19th Street, Lubbock, TX 79407, US, on June 9, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
A Funeral Service will be held at Lone Star Cowboy Church, 1309 E FM 1585, Lubbock, TX 79423, US, on June 10, 2026, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.
ZimmCast 759 – AgGateway Mid-Year and AI
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I’m Chuck Zimmerman.
In this episode I’m sharing my preview interview for the AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting with President/CEO, Brent Kemp. Additionally I’ve got a few comments regarding AI, or Artificial Intelligence, for those of you who haven’t heard of it. But really, AI, is moving fast and besides it is a topic for the AgGateway meeting.
I’m slow in producing a ZimmCast episode for several reasons. One is that I haven’t been traveling for work. But additionally, I’ve done a little research about how AI has affected things like agricultural marketing and communications.
Additionally, I did a post on AgWired titled “Safeguard the Human Person in Time of AI.” I hope you enjoy it and feel free to comment. I focused on the encyclical letter published by Pope Leo. It’s not just about AI but really is about people.
So, let’s get started with my interview with Brent.
Listen to the episode here:
ZimmCast 759 - AgGateway Mid-Year Mtg and AI (14:15)
That’s the ZimmCast for now. If you have some exciting news in the agrimarketing world, feel free to contact me for the next episode. Just email Chuck at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.
We hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.
Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:
USDA Ramps Up New World Screwworm Fight
USDA confirmed the detection yesterday of a New World screwworm in a three-week old beef calf in Zavala County, Texas, about 60 miles from the Mexico border, and today officials laid out plans to keep it from spreading.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins updated the House Agriculture Committee Thursday morning. “It is a vexing challenge that we thought we had beaten in the 1960s and 1970s. Unfortunately, that was wrong as the screwworm began to make its way back towards us in 2021. The way we defeated it before, you need about 400 million sterile flies per week to actually mate with the bad flies, sterilize them….Because over years, we had taken, we as a country, we as a hemisphere, had taken our eye off the ball thinking it was eradicated. We got down to only 100 million sterile flies in production a week in a facility in Panama.”
Rollins says the administration has fast-tracked a facility being built right now in Mission, Texas. “That facility will come online next year. When it does, it’ll produce about 300 million flies per week in addition to the 100 million from Panama. And then we outfitted an additional Mexican facility in Matapa for another 100 million,” said Rollins.
Sec. Rollins at House Ag hearing 3:07
In the meantime, Rollins says they will be focused on trapping, surveillance, and treatment. She participated in a press call with USDA and state officials on immediate actions being taken.
“We have a unified incident command team with the Texas Animal Health Commission and have deployed APHIS as of yesterday immediately down to the area. We’ve established a 20 kilometer control area, a zone around the detection and implement quarantines, movement controls and surveillance in this area. We’ve expedited the targeted release of millions of sterile new world screw worm flies by immediately deploying 4 million as of yesterday, ground release chambers in the area in addition to the 4 million sterile flies per week already being released aerially in the area,” said Rollins.
She was joined Dudley Hoskins, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs; and APHIS Associate Administrator/NWS Directorate Rear Admiral Michael Schmoyer; as well as Dr. Bud Dinges, Texas Animal Health Commission Executive Director. Listen to their comments below.
USDA NWS press update 21:49BarnTools Launches Barn360 Biosecurity
BarnTools today announced the launch of Barn360, a biosecurity platform that expands the BarnTools connected farm system into real-time biosecurity enforcement for swine and poultry operations.
The launch marks a significant expansion of BarnTools’ role in livestock production. Already trusted for real-time monitoring across critical farm systems, including feed, water, power, temperature, and environmental conditions, BarnTools now brings biosecurity into the same connected operational view.
With Barn360, producers can manage important biosecurity information in the same BarnTalk app they already use to monitor environmental conditions, bringing more of the farm into one connected system.
Unlike standalone biosecurity tools, Barn360 is built as part of the BarnTools platform. By connecting biosecurity with real-time monitoring across feed, water, power, and environmental systems, BarnTools gives producers a more complete view of farm operations in one place. This integrated approach helps livestock teams manage risk, respond faster, and improve accountability without adding another disconnected system to their workflow. Barn360 is included as part of BarnTools’ enterprise platform, giving producers access to biosecurity capabilities without additional per-animal or per-site costs.
Barn360 will be showcased at World Pork Expo this week in Des Moines, Booth V310. Visit https://barntools.com/barn360 to learn more.
Animal Ag News 6/3
USDA Launches Great American Cotton Plan
USDA unveiled the Great American Cotton Plan Thursday, an initiative to “strengthen the cotton farm economy, restore domestic textile manufacturing, expand cotton trade opportunities, and increase demand for products made with American-grown cotton.”
The announcement comes as cotton producers face a fifth consecutive year of negative returns driven by rising input costs, trade distortions, and increasing competition from synthetic materials. As part of the plan, USDA will elevate the “Plant Not Plastic” initiative to encourage consumers to purchase products made with healthy natural American cotton fibers rather than synthetic plastic-based alternatives.
USDA forecasters estimate that producers could lose approximately $2.6 billion across 9 million planted acres during the upcoming crop year. Since 1980, the number of U.S. cotton gins has declined from 2,254 to 446, while domestic textile production facilities have sharply contracted over the last two decades.
The National Cotton Council (NCC) commended USDA for initiating the Great American Cotton Plan and welcomes the support of America’s cotton farmers, strongly supporting the bipartisan Buying American Cotton Act (BACA) which would help increase domestic demand and production of U.S. cotton, encourage investment in U.S. textile mills, and create jobs here at home.
“Measures like BACA, along with the USDA’s Great American Cotton Plan and other recently implemented cotton initiatives, demonstrate key progress for America’s cotton industry,” said NCC Chairman Nathan Reed. “At a time when cotton producers are facing pressure from high input costs and market uncertainty, these steps are critical to the long-term success of our industry.”
Listen to Secretary Rollins’ announcement here:
Sec. Rollins announces cotton plan 3:42