New things are coming to the cattle industry market from Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica. During a media breakfast at the recent Cattle Industry Convention I spoke with Craig Jones, Sr. Associate Director Cattle Services. He told me that the company has had great interaction with producers who have been visiting with them in their booth.
Their acquisition of products like Cydectin, Pyramid and others from Ft. Dodge Animal Health has enhanced their product lines but it has raised questions about who to get what product from. He thinks it has gone very smoothly though. At this convention their main goal was to get their name out and help producers understand the changes that have taken place.
From Puerto Vallarto to Memphis, TN. Now that’s culture shock. But I’m here at the Agricultural Relations Council Meeting at the Westin off Beale St. Our program has just started with a presentation from John Charles Wilson, Agricenter. I’ll have a post on his presentation later.
To get things kicked off I spoke with ARC President Deron Johnson, Rhea & Kaiser Marketing Communications. He says it’s a mix of professional development and networking. The focus is the Consumer Outreach For Ag. The program will include in the hotel presentations and off site ones as well. It will conclude with a social media panel. The photo of me interviewing Deron was taken courtesy of Janice Person.
Deron says ARC is in a “solid year two of rebirth” for the organization. There are more attendees here this year and they’ll be making some exciting announcements before the end of the meeting. He says they’ll be making a compelling case for people in the industry to join ARC.
The new U.S. Grains Council senior vice president of operations and industry relations is Keith Heffernan, pictured in the middle here. He was chief of staff for the Farm Credit Administration. Keith was also the first executive director for the Iowa Corn Growers Association; director of public affairs for the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation; assistant director for the Center of Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University; and chief of staff for USDA’s Rural Development. In other words, he’s got a lot of qualifications to work in this new position.
I spoke with Keith here at the International Marketing Conference. He says participation is good and there’s a lot of excitement about exports. Looking forward he says there will be more attention and need for attention on exports.
The world’s largest annual farm equipment show delivered on its promise to power global agriculture. The show opened under rainy skies, but the weather didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of show-goers seeking money- and energy-saving technology.
Here is an invitation from USDA to attend a Rural Summit with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in Hillsboro, Mo., on Feb. 26, 2010. If you are interested, please register here.
Terra Industries Inc. announced that the Company’s Board of Directors has unanimously approved a definitive merger agreement under which Yara International ASA will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Terra common stock for US$41.10 per share in cash.
USDA had taken the first step toward implementing a plan to address veterinary shortages throughout rural America by repaying the student loans of qualified veterinarians in return for their services in areas suffering from a lack of veterinarians.
Here at the U.S. Grains Council International Marketing Conference n this morning’s general session we had a panel discussion on trade with Mexico. In the discussion attendees were able to ask questions and answers. In fact, it was mostly a Q&A session. Allan Mustard, Minister Counselor, Office of Agricultural Affairs, US Embassy, Mexico City, introduced our panel.
Our panelists and their specialties included:
Enrique Dominguez (Director – pork producers confederation)
Discussion topic
-Excessive exports of pork into Mexico (why and what is causing in terms of jobs and capital loss)
-How long will that tendency last and what effects will result (everybody is asking this question)
-What can be done from a regional point of view (north America, NAFTA to correct this issue)
Ricardo Calderon (Executive Director APPAMEX – grain traders association)
Discussion topic
-Integration of the market MEX-USA, trends and role of different actors.
-Obstacles that can disrupt trade (which ones can be prevented)
-Future of grain trade MEX-USA
-How to keep free flow of feed grains
Carlos Lopez Coello (Scientist UNAM – National University of Mexico poultry specialist)
Discussion topic
There are 5 areas in developed countries where commercial poultry has received special attention, attributed in large part by consumer demand
1. Animal Welfare.
2. Environment Conservation.
3. Food Safety.
4. Traceability.
5. Animal and Human Health.
You can watch or listen to the Mexican trade panel. I recorded our live feed.
Cindy is working at the National Ethanol Conference and captured the speech from the Reverand of Renwable Fuels, RFA President and CEO, Bob Dinneen, who faced a much happier crowd than last year for the opening session of the 15th Annual National Ethanol Conference.
“A year ago, at this event, we met amidst the worst economic climate since the Depression. Commodity markets were in upheaval, investment dollars had evaporated, gasoline demand was falling, production costs were rising, plants were closing and the very foundation of our industry and our economy was shaking,” said Dinneen. “At that time, I summoned Winston Churchill to admonish you, ‘When you‟re going through hell, keep on going!’”
Dinneen was happy to report that the industry did persevere and survive, “And now, I can say, with confidence and conviction, that the state of the U.S. ethanol industry is strong,” he said.
Among the accomplishments for the industry, Dinneen noted 15% growth, reopening 14 plants that had been previously idled, starting up 8 new plants, and adding1.5 billion gallons of capacity. The ethanol industry contributed $53.3 billion to the economy, along with 400,000 jobs and replacing 364 million barrels of oil.
We’re going to be broadcasting the final general session from the U.S. Grains Council Marketing Conference.
Post Update We were live. Now we’re recorded.
The Chairman for the U.S. Grains Council is Rick Fruth. Rich took the stage today to speak to attendees of the International Marketing Conference and Membership Meeting. I have recorded his comments for you in video and audio. I also spoke with him during a break to see what he considers the challenges and opportunities for the U.S. Grains Council.
While I’m attending the Grains Council Conference, Cindy and Carly are covering the National Ethanol Conference. They’re broadcasting the opening general session live right now. Afterward we’ll be posting a recording of it for you you to view at your leisure.
*Post update*
Below is the recorded video of the opening general session which includes comments from Renewable Fuels Association chairman Chris Standlee, President and CEO Bob Dinneen and part of the first session on the RFS2.
DuPont announced the creation of an advisory committee on Agricultural Innovation & Productivity for the 21st Century, chaired by former U.S. Senator Thomas A. Daschle, as part of the company’s focus to meet the world’s increasing demands for food, feed, fiber and fuel.
Novus International, Inc., is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Geoffrey Zanton, Ph.D as Manager, Ruminant Nutrition.
Syngenta Seedcare announced that Dynasty seed treatment fungicide has been approved by the EPA for use on sorghum.
Winners of the World Ag Expo FFA Toyota Tundra Giveaway, its daily registration prize and the 2010 West Coast Nationals Power Pulling Series have been named. Click here for more information.
One of the founding members of the U.S. Grains Council is the National Corn Growers Association. Attending the USGC International Marketing Conference is NCGA CEO Rick Tolman, seen here addressing one of the meetings.
Rick, who worked for USGC for many years, says that NCGA considers the Grains Council their international trade partner. The two organizations have a very strong working relationship. He says one of the things he’s really happy to hear discussed here at this meeting is how well exports of DDGS have been due to the efforts of the Grains Council. That’s good news for corn growers for whom the production of ethanol is so important right now. He says that the Grains Council is looking at other value added products they can promote for export too.
Here at the International Marketing Conference and Membership Meeting of the U.S. Grains Council we received an international program overview which consisted of presentations from various country directors. Seen here is Dr. Hussein Soliman, Egypt Director.
Each presenter gave an overview of their region, the projects they’re working on and the outlook for the future.
I have recorded their presentations for you so that you may listen to them or download.
The Hon. Carole L. Brookins, Managing Director of Public Capital Advisors, LLC, gave the keynote speech at 7th International Marketing Conference in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Her presentation is filled with facts, figures and her personal outlook on the future. She brought the group a unique perspective about how we may not agree with a lot of what is happening on issues like climate change but there are considerations that we should be making that include ways to profit in spite of them.
She summarizes challenges facing the industry that include energy security movements, groups pushing consumers to a vegetarian diet, consumer perception that food is bad and more. So from one of her slides she offered the following:
Where Do We Go From Here?
• Re‐balancing the global axis of power and markets
• Re‐inventing energy and technology that Runs our world
• Restructuring production and markets for the food we eat, where we produce it, who controls it and how it is traded.
Both Your Risk and Reward will be Multiplied. Your Complexity of Choices and Competition will be Magnified.
This morning we streamed the opening general session of the U.S. Grains Council International Marketing Conference and Membership Meeting. I did it in two parts. In this first one you can listen to USGC Chairman Rick Fruth welcome attendees and introduce President/CEO Tom Dorr. Tom proceeded to make remarks about the purpose of the conference and posed questions the group will need to answer over the next several days.
Near the start of our coverage from this year’s National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky, Cindy talked to President and CEO of the Kentucky State Fair Board, Harold Workman, to get a preview of what was to come. After four big days with more than 800 exhibitors showing their latest and greatest for the ag industry, it only seemed fitting to go back to where we started and talk with Workman again to get his take on how things went. He says after a snowy start, the show has been a great success.
“We thought early on it would [be successful] because all of our exhibit space sold out very early.”
Of course, after a record one day snowfall for Louisville the night before the opening, Wednesday was a bit light. But Workman says every day since then has been great, and people really turned out. While he says they don’t have attendance numbers for this year’s show put together quite yet, his feel is that it will be pretty close to last year’s numbers when it was the second biggest on record. Workman says the good year grain farmers had last year could be a real economic stimulus for this country, as producers look to invest some of those profits in their operations in the coming year.
Workman adds that a show like this one also helps producers find the best deals on equipment and technology that will help them continue to be successful … and keep their economic stimulus going.
He says they’re already planning next year’s show … even already selling tickets to next year’s Championship Tractor Pull. But he says he would be remiss if he didn’t thank all the folks, including his staff and the show’s staff, for all their hard work.
It’s a great conversation, and you can hear more of it below.
AgWired continuing coverage at the National Farm Machinery Show sponsored by:
We’re celebrating 50 years at the U.S. Grains Council. I’m in Puerto Vallarta for the 7th USGC International Marketing Conference and 50th Annual Membership Meeting. Tomorrow morning I’ll be going AgWired Live TV with the opening general session starting at 8am, central. So tune if you’d like. I’ll also be recording the session too. If you’re an ag journalist please feel free to utilize any of the pics or audio I’ll be posting over the next several days here and on The Grain Board.
So we’ve got AgWired On The Beach which sounds like a very good adult beverage. Actually it really is AgWired on the Beach. I was sweating and swatting mosquitos while it’s supposed to be snowing at home. It’s a tough job but . . .
To give us a preview of what this conference is all about and what the issues are I spoke with USGC CEO and President, Tom Dorr. He had been in meetings all day today but still looked fresh and ready to go. He says that this is a combined membership meeting and meeting to create their Unified Export Strategy. They bring all their country directors in along with their advisory teams and delegate members. They analyze market opportunities and challenges and put it all together into a report for the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service which helps facilitate their ability to do international market development work. In my interview with Tom you’ll hear him point out some of the challenges in the current international marketplace.
One of the best parts of the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky. is the cutting-edge technology you see in just about every booth along the way. Companies obviously know this gathering is the perfect place to show off what they’ve got and time the release of many products to coincide with the show. So when we got this press release from TeeJet Technologies about its new New ISOBUS Sprayer Control Solutions, it made a bee line to the TeeJet booth where I met Jon Reinecker, one of the company’s technology specialists.
He told me that ISOBUS gives farmers the ability to communicate with other virtual terminals already in the cabs of their tractors.
“A lot of farmers are buying these newer implements that have these newer displays, and they say ‘Why can’t I hook my implement up to that new display?’ Think of ISOBUS as a universal language everybody can understand.”
Reinecker says the display in the cab can communicate with, say, a sprayer or spreader hooked up to the back of the tractor. That lets farmers make adjustments right there in the cab without having to have different boxes that clutter the area.
“Manufacturers like the idea of being able to work together, and it keeps the farmer happy [because] he can mix and match implements with the different tractors using this universal language,” says Reinecker.
One black box in the cab serves as the brains of the operation and connects with the universal connector on the back of most new farm machines, making it compatible with many makes and models without having to add more consoles to the cabs.
There’s another innovation from Trimble making its debut at the National Farm Machinery Show here in Louisville, Ky.
Trimble has sent out this press release introducing its EZ-Sync™ solution, a wireless data transfer capability that provides enhanced information management for growers and agribusinesses. While I was at the Trimble booth checking out the newly announced EZ Surface Software that provides surface drainage analysis and design for farmers and drainage contractors, I also caught up with Brian Stark, who does information management for Trimble and is the company’s EZ-Sync expert.
“EZ-Sync allows you to take data wirelessly from a mobile computer or from the Trimble FMX display and send that data from the field to the office. Or, if I’m in the office, I can send my data from the office, [such as] prescription maps or target points, to the field.”
Stark says the software is compatible with several different computers Trimble offers, and it lets producers and managers exchange information in real time. Plus, it decreases the amount of data that is lost simply because workers don’t have time to manually enter information gained in the field when they come back to the office. And, managers are able to better communicate with their workers still in the field.
“Just think about the possibilities here. If you have someone out there soil-sampling, they could be out there collecting sample points, finish the job, hit a button, [and download that information directly to the office],” says Stark.
Stark says you can’t really put a price on how valuable that fresh data will be for those in the field and at the office.
For more information, check with your local Trimble dealer or go to www.Trimble.com.
You can hear more of my conversation with Brian below.
AgWired continuing coverage at the National Farm Machinery Show sponsored by:
California-based Trimble, a technology company specializing in software that has, among others, applications for agriculture, construction and mapping, has introduced its EZ Surface Software to provide surface drainage analysis and design, especially for farmers and drainage contractors. This marks the first time in the industry where the complete survey, design, layout, machine control, install and map capabilities in one system like this comes from one company.
I stopped by the Trimble booth here at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky. and talked to Joey Schlatter of Schlatter Inc. of Francesville, Indiana, who sells Trimble products.
“This software helps contractors define watersheds and flow patterns so they know how to properly drain their fields, whether using surface or sub-surface drainage methods.”
Schlatter says studies indicate that crop yields can be affected by 20 percent or more, well above most producers margins. With this system, elevation data is gathered through using some GPS-based tools from Trimble.
“Once we’ve collected all that elevation data, we bring that data into the office, into our EZ Surface program and generate a 3-D elevation map. Then, with a click of a few buttons, we can see the flow lines, watesheds and all the tools we need to properly design that [drainage] system.”
Schlatter says you can find out more information from your local Trimble dealer and at the company Web site: www.Trimble.com.
AgWired continuing coverage at the National Farm Machinery Show sponsored by:
You can hear all of my conversation with Joey here:
One of the great things about the National Farm Machinery Show here in Louisville, Kentucky is that it is held in conjunction with the Championship Tractor Pull … the largest, oldest and most prestigious indoor tractor pull, according to Corinne Fetter, Director of Expositions for the Kentucky State Fair Board.
I sat down with Corinne to talk a bit about the tractor pull and its association with NFMS.
“This is the 42nd year for the tractor pull and the 45th year for the National Farm Machinery Show, and so the two have worked together for quite a while now. And we feel they complement each other rather well.”
She says for the men and women who compete in the tractor pull that it is truly a labor of love, that takes a lot of time, effort and money to get the kind of performance and down-to-your-toes rumble and roar that these machines produce.
But she also credits the crews who get the track ready to give the pullers a world class area to put their machines through their paces. And she says none of this would be possible without the fans.
“For some of them, this is their vacation every year. And I can tell you, there are plenty of red fans, and there are plenty of green fans.”
You can see a short clip of a few of the pulls below:
AgWired continuing coverage at the National Farm Machinery Show sponsored by:
You can also here more of my interview with Corinne here:
Chalk up another innovation for our friends at New Holland!
The company that is bringing you AgWired’s coverage of the 2010 National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky. is being recognized with Farm Industry News’ FinOvation Award for New Holland’s BB9000 Series large square balers at this year’s show.
I caught up with New Holland’s Platform Marketing Manager for Crop Packaging (which includes balers), Colin Skoronski, to get some of his thoughts about the award and the baler.
“The BB9000 is continuing to bring innovation … integrated density systems, on-the-go changes, the ability to adjust itself for what the customer has for desired inputs.”
He adds that New Holland is the first company to bring an true integrated bale weight system, an on-the-go weighing system that lets the customer know exactly what he’s making for bale weights. Skoronski says that’s especially important for producers who are custom baling and want to make sure they have just the right amount of weight in that bale. And for the customers on the receiving end, they know exactly what they are getting as well.
Skoronski says it’s a culture of innovation at New Holland.
“That’s how New Holland started way back when … [what New Holland was known for was] talking to the customers and listening to the customers and understanding what their true needs were and figuring out a better way for them to do it.”
And that innovation continues today.
AgWired continuing coverage at the National Farm Machinery Show sponsored by:
You can hear more of my interview with Colin here:
In this week's program Chuck talks with David Armano, Global Innovation and Integration.
David conducted a presentation on delivering expert opinion via social media to an audience at the start of International Poultry Expo week. He's got some great information about who consumers trust and how you can use today's consumer behavior to help communicate your message.
New things are coming to the cattle industry market from Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica. During a media breakfast at the recent Cattle Industry Convention I spoke with Craig Jones, Sr. Associate Director Cattle Services. He told me that the company has had great interaction with producers who have been visiting with them in their booth.
From Puerto Vallarto to Memphis, TN. Now that’s culture shock. But I’m here at the 
The new U.S. Grains Council senior vice president of operations and industry relations is Keith Heffernan, pictured in the middle here. He was chief of staff for the Farm Credit Administration. Keith was also the first executive director for the Iowa Corn Growers Association; director of public affairs for the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation; assistant director for the Center of Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University; and chief of staff for USDA’s Rural Development. In other words, he’s got a lot of qualifications to work in this new position.
Here at the U.S. Grains Council International Marketing Conference n this morning’s general session we had a panel discussion on trade with Mexico. In the discussion attendees were able to ask questions and answers. In fact, it was mostly a Q&A session. Allan Mustard, Minister Counselor, Office of Agricultural Affairs, US Embassy, Mexico City, introduced our panel.
Cindy is working at the National Ethanol Conference and captured the speech from the Reverand of Renwable Fuels, 
One of the founding members of the U.S. Grains Council is the National Corn Growers Association. Attending the USGC International Marketing Conference is NCGA CEO Rick Tolman, seen here addressing one of the meetings.
Here at the International Marketing Conference and Membership Meeting of the U.S. Grains Council we received an international program overview which consisted of presentations from various country directors. Seen here is Dr. Hussein Soliman, Egypt Director.
The Hon. Carole L. Brookins, Managing Director of Public Capital Advisors, LLC, gave the keynote speech at 7th International Marketing Conference in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Her presentation is filled with facts, figures and her personal outlook on the future. She brought the group a unique perspective about how we may not agree with a lot of what is happening on issues like climate change but there are considerations that we should be making that include ways to profit in spite of them.
This morning we streamed the opening general session of the U.S. Grains Council International Marketing Conference and Membership Meeting. I did it in two parts. In this first one you can listen to USGC Chairman Rick Fruth welcome attendees and introduce President/CEO Tom Dorr. Tom proceeded to make remarks about the purpose of the conference and posed questions the group will need to answer over the next several days.
We’re celebrating 50 years at the U.S. Grains Council. I’m in Puerto Vallarta for the 7th USGC International Marketing Conference and 50th Annual Membership Meeting. Tomorrow morning I’ll be going 
In this week's program Chuck talks with David Armano, Global Innovation and Integration.
