Farmcast Introduction by HAT

Indiana Farm Bureau Launches Farmcast 10/13/2009
Indiana Farm Bureau is launching its first podcast. Distributed over the internet, the Farmcast program will feature an in-depth discussion with key Farm Bureau leaders about issues important to Indiana Agriculture. IFB president Don Villwock will be the first guest on Farmcast, which will debut this Thursday. “We are really excited about this new podcast: Farmcast. It represents a 21st century method to communicate with our members and all Indiana farmers.” The Farmcast program is being produced in cooperation with Hoosier Ag Today.A new program will be produced each week and will feature a different topic. Villwock said, unfortunately, there is no shortage of issues impacting agriculture, “We have a long list of national and state issues that need to be explored in detail.” Topping the list of national issues is Cap and Trade. “I prefer to call it Cap and Tax,” said Villwock. Other issues on Villwock’s list include bioenergy, health care reform, and animal welfare. Topping the list of state issues that will be covered on Farmcast is property taxes, “It is a do or die year in 2010 as the legislature wants to put into the state constitution these unequal caps that truly discriminate against farmers, landowners, equipment owners, and building owners.” Villwock said this will be a atopic that is visited many times on Farmcast.Villwock says the convience of the podcast technology will allow Farm Bureau members to access the information whenever they want. It can also be loaded on portable digital audio players and i-pods for listening in the combine, the truck, or the car. Many cellular phones and other portable wireless devices are capable of downloading podcasts. Links to the audio program can be included in e-mails that farmers can send to their neighbors or elected officials. The Farmcast can be accessed at Hoosier Ag Today and, soon, on the IFB web site. Listeners can also subscribe to the podcast and have it sent directly to their i-tunes of other podcast program. According to Farmcast producer Gary Truitt, each program will last about 10 minutes, “This will give us a chance to get deep into an issue and discuss in detail the implications for Indiana agriculture.” The first program will be a general overview with Villwock followed next week by an in-depth discussion of the property tax issue and upcoming session of the Indiana General Assembly.