AgWired coverage of IFAJ 2009 is sponsored by:
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With a free day before the real business of the 2009 IFAJ Congress gets going, many of our international visitors are checking out the sights to see around Fort Worth. Some of the “on-demand” local area tours include the National Cutting Horse Association Summer Spectacular, National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, The Modern Art Museum, Kimbell Art Museum – and, of course, SHOPPING!! That’s what most everyone seems to want to do, especially looking for boots and hats.
Congress organizer Diane Johnson has been really busy today getting people to where they want to go, since this is her home turf, and she is doing a fabulous job! Many of the visitors, including those of us from the United States, can find a lot to do and see just on foot around the conference hotel. Downtown Ft. Worth is a very beautiful area with lots of local attractions like the Sid Richardson Museum featuring paintings and art of the Old West and plenty of wonderful restaurants. Diane says we have 700 people total for the IFAJ/AMS combined event, with 130 of them from other countries.
IFAJ/AMS 2009 Photo Album
Listen to an interview with Diane here:
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It’s always nice to have a good working press room with internet access at any event where there are journalists at work and the 2009 IFAJ Congress media room, sponsored by BASF, is already being utilized by reporters from all over the world here in Ft. Worth. There are a number of laptops around the room, as well as both wired and wireless access – for free!
As I sit here doing posts, I have been hearing many languages around me. That is why this is such a great event for agricultural journalists here in the United States to be able to interact with their colleagues in other countries. This is the first time in many years the Congress has been held in the United States, and the first time it has ever been held in conjunction with the Ag Media Summit, so it allows more of our IFAJ members to attend.
IFAJ/AMS 2009 Photo Album
AgWired coverage of IFAJ 2009 is sponsored by:
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The executive committee of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) began meeting this morning with a report from president Mike Wilson of Farm Progress Companies.
Mike reported that the organization is working on increasing membership from different countries and that the website is becoming a more effective tool in getting information out about what IFAJ is and what it does. They hope to expand the website into different languages in the future. There are currently brochures about IFAJ available for download on the website in five languages – English, German, Spanish, Russian and Japanese.
IFAJ/AMS 2009 Photo Album
AgWired coverage of IFAJ 2009 is sponsored by:
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- Asoyia recently announced the addition of Lawrence (Larry) Avesian as account director for the oil division.
- The Dodge County Wisconsin Farm Technology Days at the Crave Brothers Farm in Waterloo recently exceeded their goal of 80,000 attendees, which is one of the highest attended shows in recent years.
- Washington State University Mount Vernon researchers are exploring the use of high tunnels to help Washington growers earn a higher return on their crops. High tunnels can increase fruit production, improve crop quality, extend the growing season, and reduce disease.
- AGCO Application Equipment is introducing five new models of the industry-leading RoGator high-clearance, post-emergence applicator to the custom application industry and professional growers.
It was an absolutely gorgeous day in Ft. Worth today as our international visitors began arriving for the 2009 IFAJ Congress. The hospitality room was open in the president’s suite of the Worthington Renaissance and everyone gathered out on the terrace overlooking downtown and enjoyed the unseasonably pleasant Texas summer weather.
Business meetings for the executive committee will start in the morning while the rest of us explore some of the sites to see. The official “welcome party” will be held tomorrow night at Billy Bob’s.
Photo album is started already with a couple of shots from this evening – check it out here on Flickr.
AgWired coverage of IFAJ 2009 is sponsored by:
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It sounds like a certain kind of soy music but it isn’t. It’s actually great advice about soybean rust and aphids.
BASF is proud to announce its exclusive partnership with the American Soybean Association (ASA) and Doane Advisory Services to provide the Soybean Rust and Aphids Program (SoyRAP) Web site (www.soyrap.com). BASF, among several companies, had previously been a co-sponsor of the Web site for several years.
SoyRAP is the foremost Web site for advice about the prevention of Asian soybean rust and treatment of soybean aphids. It utilizes a nationwide network of crop consultants who monitor the progression of confirmed soybean rust outbreaks in the U.S., and it provides growers with fungicide and insecticide application recommendations based on regional analysis.
A tasty sounding addition to your summer grill is American lamb. It looks like the competition was fierce when the American Lamb Board held their summer grilling recipe contest.
When the smoke cleared, two contestants remained in the second annual “Get Your Grill On” American lamb video contest: Nikki Norman and the lamb loving duo, Matt Charpentier and Joe Riley. After a fierce competition, these grill masters scorched the competition resulting in a draw with Nikki’s Mystical Mediterranean Grilled Boneless Leg of American Lamb, and Matt and Joe’s Brie-Stuffed American Lamb Burger Pitas. Showcasing the rich flavor of American lamb, each contestant added their own touch with flavors like cloves, cardamom, mint and lemon. Their dishes showcased the versatility of fresh, homegrown American lamb, for easy to prepare meals any night of the week.
Both winning teams will be rewarded with a grill-on-the-go set, BBQ package and lamb for six, just in time for Labor Day grilling.
To view the winning videos, click here: http://tinyurl.com/owa6kc. For more inspiration on how to prepare sweet, flavorful American lamb on the grill, as well as tips on using budget-friendly cuts visit www.americanlamb.com.
The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has an online game you can play to help teach about where your food comes from and how it gets to your dinner plate.
It’s called My American Farm. It’s a very simple educational program that would be good for kids to play with and learn from.
It’s time to look forward to the annual Farm Progress Show. I sure hope you’ve got your hotel reservations.
Rich in history and tradition, the 56th annual Farm Progress Show, to be held September 1, 2 and 3 in Decatur, Ill., offers plenty for visitors to see and do which includes an expanded exhibit area, field and livestock demonstrations, and a whole lineup of events.
This year’s show is set to host more than 500 exhibitors displaying new farm equipment, tractors, combines and farm implements; seed and crop protection products; and many other production items. Ag manufacturers and suppliers from across the country and around the world are set to participate. The show always features the latest agricultural high-tech equipment including computer-controlled guidance systems, GPS-based management systems, and a long list of state-of-the-art information and technology available for today’s farms.
Field demonstrations are a show mainstay and include side-by-side equipment, tractor and combine performance comparisons on hundreds of corn acres available for harvesting and tillage demonstrations.
Media are reminded to get registered so they have credentials available upon arrival.
Today Cindy and Carly will be heading to Ft. Worth, TX for the combined IFAJ Congress/Ag Media Summit. I’m sure going to miss everyone but that doesn’t mean I won’t be lurking online!
Since so many Twittering friends will be attending this week please use the #AgMS hashtag in your tweets so we can all follow along.
The program is going to be great in this first ever combined meeting. Attendees can attend either, or, or both overlapping programs. There’s going to be a lot of fun and fellowship with plenty of professional improvement activities and farm tours. You’ll be able to follow along here since our coverage this year includes sponsors, Successful Farming, Novus International and Pioneer Hi-Bred. We really thank them for their support.
BASF may be excited about the the new herbicide on the block Kixor moving in, but they are continuing to see growers get more profitability from their crop with Headline fungicide.
While the field day in Belleville, IL on Tuesday was focused on Kixor herbicide technology, Headline had a role to play in the show as well. Western Illinois BASF business rep Skip Shively talked to growers about how Headline can help even late in the season with late-planted crops. “There’s been a tremendous amount of stress on crops this year and the later planting has given us an opportunity to enhance yields with Headline, particularly with disease control in the first part of August,” Skip said.
“The best application timing for corn would be full tassel to the brown silk stage,” he added. “On soybeans, we’re looking at an R-2 to R-3 time frame.”
BASF Kixor Herbicide Technology plot tour photos
Listen to my interview with Skip here:
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There wasn’t a big crowd at the BASF Kixor Herbicide Technology plot tour event in Belleville, IL on Tuesday since many were out spraying, but the nearly 30 who attended were very interested in hearing and seeing what the new family of products from BASF could do for them.BASF
Southern Missouri and Illinois farmer Eric Doza says he attended to learn how to get rid of some of the weed problems that he has. “Mare’s tail, giant ragweed, morning glory, velvetleaf, you name it, it’s there,” he told me. He thinks that the Kixor technology is what he is looking for to get more profitability from his crop.
Kaleb Hellwig, who is district sales manager for BASF in the southern MO and IL region, says they have been getting great feedback from growers at field days around the countryside. “All the growers that have been able to see the Kixor family of products work are really impressed with the speed of control and the completeness of the broadleaves that it controls and that it will allow them a better tool to go in and plant earlier in a no-till situation in particular.”
Final approval and registration for the Kixor technology is expected soon and at that time BASF will be launching several brands based on the technology, including Optill, Integrity and Sharpen.
See photos from the BASF Kixor Herbicide Technology plot tour in Belleville here on Flickr.
Listen to my interviews with Kaleb and Eric here:
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BASF reps around the country are excited about getting the new Kixor™ technology on the market for growers soon.
Tracy Mellendorf, pictured here in the center with other BASF reps at a Kixor field day in Belleville on Tuesday, is a recent graduate of Southern Illinois University with a degree in weed science and has been working for BASF since April. Her research project was “Burndown Control of Mare’s Tail with Kixor Products” and she found that it was very effective for one of the most pesky weeds in this part of the country. “I always tell people that I worked with it in grad school and I chose to keep coming and working with it for my career,” she said. “So I’m definitely very excited and a true believer in the product.”
BASF is looking forward to getting final registration for products containing Kixor herbicide technology, hopefully by the end of August.
BASF Kixor Herbicide Technology plot tour photos
Listen to my interview with Tracy here:
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BASF is anxiously awaiting final registration for the herbicide technology known as Kixor™.
“It’s going well, the registration is anticipated shortly,” said BASF Tech Service rep Dennis Belcher. “This is kind of a unique registration because it’s actually being reviewed by three countries – Canada, Australia and the United States.”
Belcher says once the technology is approved, they will put four “Powered by Kixor” herbicides on the market, including Optill, Integrity and Sharpen for corn, soybeans, sorghum and other crops. “These products will be made in Hannibal, Missouri and we’ve had the plant ready to go and we will be selling some products after we get registration yet in 2009.”
BASF Kixor Herbicide Technology plot tour photos
Listen to an interview with Dennis here:
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- On its first anniversary, the United Sorghum Checkoff Program is celebrating a year of progress, from the creation of the organization to the granting of $1.25 million in research funding. The checkoff program was created to address the issue of declining sorghum production and demand.
- A new study published by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine finds that soyfoods and soy isoflavone supplements have no significant effect on male reproductive hormone levels in men. The literature review indicates that soy does not decrease testosterone levels.
- U.S. and Canadian farmers are one step closer to realizing the greater whole farm corn yield advantages of a new corn seed trait combination, SmartStax, which is the outcome of a cross licensing agreement and research and development collaboration between Monsanto Company and Dow AgroSciences LLC.
- Bayer CropScience is expanding its global research and development activities in seeds and traits to include a focus on cereals. The company recently formalized a long-term alliance with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia’s national research organization.
It’s cheap, it’s easy and it’s a way to communicate one to one with people who might not otherwise hear your message. Those are three good reasons for beef cattle producers to use social media like Twitter and Facebook to reach out in ways they have never been able to before.
David says the issues management committee meeting at the recent Cattle Industry Summer Conference was all a’twitter with talk about how the industry can use social media to combat misinformation and activism. “There are a lot of different issues – food safety issues, animal welfare issues, environmental issues – there are many things that come up every day,” David says. “You always kind of knew who was shooting at you and know you don’t know who’s shooting at you or where they’re shooting from so you have to cover all the bases.”
David says using Twitter and Facebook helps producers extend their reach to the general public. “We’re looking at getting our producers out there and getting them to carry the message forward,” he said. “They need to be telling the story because it comes from them and people trust that.”
Listen to my interview with David here:
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BASF is proving that Kixor™ can really kick butt.
During a plot tour in Belleville, IL today, growers and dealers got a look at what Kixor™ powered Sharpen herbicide can do to glyphosate-resistant Mare’s-tail. Belleville Research Center station manager Ron Krausz with Southern Illinois University showed off the plot trials. “It is a burndown type product because of its mode of action, so we can actually apply it to Mare’s tail that is up in the spring early and get good control,” he said.
Krausz told the group that Kixor could be the long-awaited replacement for atrazine. “We’re seeing the same level of control with this compound by itself as we saw with atrazine, back when we could use atrazine at 3-4 pounds to the acre,” he said.
The Belleville tour was one of over 100 plot tours planned by BASF this summer to demonstrate the performance of Kixor® herbicide technology.
See photos from the BASF Kixor Herbicide Technology plot tour in Belleville here on Flickr.
Listen to an interview with Ron Krausz here:
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Get your cotton candy, get your hot dogs, grab your burgers and throw a fritter in there, too. How about a hot beef sundae…What’s that? This is just one of the top ten most unusual fair foods, according to MSN Delish. Chuck posted about these bad boys way back in 2006, and it seems their popularity hasn’t faded away yet. In fact, two weeks ago in Denver, the National Beef Ambassadors demonstrated how to prepare these hot beef sundaes. Here is an excerpt from the article, and I have linked to the ambassador recipe below for your convenience. You can check out the ambassador blog here to learn more, too!
Touted as comfort food at its finest, the hot beef sundae is a generous helping of buttery mashed potatoes surrounded by slow-roasted roast beef and gravy, sprinkled with Cheddar cheese, and garnished with a cherry tomato. It may look like a sundae, but this baby is all Sunday dinner.
Other foods that joined Hot Beef Sundaes on the list included: chicken fried bacon, fried avocado bites, spaghetti and meatball on a stick, fried frog legs, pizza cones, Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich, fried Coca Cola and Key Lime Pie on a stick. Well, I guess if it can be put on a stick and fried, you have a tasty state fair treat! Watch out arteries!
Hot Beef Sundae Recipe
This summer has taken me to some exciting places: Indiana, Illinois, Colorado, Minnesota and back to South Dakota! Of my travels, my favorite is, and always will be, going to cattle shows with my family. Last weekend, we attended the 2009 South Dakota Summer Spotlight for a few days of agriculture fun.
First, I helped judge the South Dakota Beef Ambassador Contest. Congratulations to Calli Pritchard for winning the senior competition. She will represent our state in the fall at the national competition in Arkansas. We had a great group of young people enter the contest, and I’m excited that there are so many people interested in promoting agriculture!
Next, I helped my sisters get their Limousin calves ready for the show. This takes a lot of work ahead of time, and we were definitely tired once the show was over. The girls had a good day with a few class winners, and even a champion junior showmanship award! Showing cattle takes up a lot of our time, but it’s a great way to market our livestock in our family’s business. Plus, it’s a lot of fun! 
So, as the work week continues, and you start daydreaming about the weekend, I want to know what agriculture industry professionals across the country do in their spare time. Fill me in. Do you go camping, fishing, running or boating? Do you grill out? Go dancing? Take a walk? Ride a bike? Do you attend cattle shows and fairs like me? Do you sit in your Lazy Boy? What do you do for fun?
In this week’s program Cindy and I do a review of some of the ZimmComm activity of late and look ahead. We’re going to continue to roll down the agriblogging highway this summer. Actually Cindy gets to do a little extra in coming weeks while I recuperate from this pneumonia bug. In fact, we recorded the program in my hospital room yesterday! That’s a first.
Some of the items we go over include our sponsorship of the Beef Ambassador Blog, the Southern Peanut Growers Conference, Cattle Industry Summer Conference and Beef Board Blogging, social media presentations to the American National Cattle Women and U.S. Grains Council Delegates Meeting. Looking ahead we’ve got the combined IFAJ Congress and Ag Media Summit, American Phytopathological Society mtg., American Coalition for Ethanol convention, BIVI seminar and then the big and bad Farm Progress Show. Yes, it’s a busy summer and we’re loving it.
The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our Subscribe page.
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« Previously Posted
In this week's program Chuck talks with David Armano, Global Innovation and Integration.
