The founder and President of Alltech, Dr. Pearse Lyons, gave us a number of game changing ideas today at the Alltech International Symposium. These included:
1. Fiber not corn
2. No antibiotics
3. Programmed nutrition
4. Feed to the genetic potential
5. Algae – the farm of the future
6. Be a leader
You can listen to him describe each of these ideas in detail below. He also introduced the Alltech Future of Farming website that interactively describes his vision of the type of farm we will see. Check it out.
Dr. Pearse Lyons Presentation
Follow the action on the Alltech Innovations Blog, including photos, interviews and there will be live streaming of certain sessions.
2011 Alltech Symposium Photo Album
The Alltech International Symposium press conference just concluded. All of our morning speakers were on stage. The session was moderated by Alltech’s Dr. Aidan Connolly.
These include:
Dr. Inge Russell
Damien McLoughlin
Dr. Ronan Tynan
Dr. Mark Lyons
Dr. Pearse Lyons
I recorded the question and answer session for you to listen to. There are quite a few questions and some dealt with the idea of moving from corn as a feedstuff for livestock to a form of fiber. That ought to generate some discussion. Alltech Symposium Press Conference
Follow the action on the Alltech Innovations Blog, including photos, interviews and there will be live streaming of certain sessions.
2011 Alltech Symposium Photo Album
Did I happen to mention that I like Dr. Ronan Tynan? In fact, I’m a new fan. I really appreciate Christina Lombard, Alltech, for taking a photo for me.
I spoke with Ronan before the press conference that just concluded here at the Alltech International Symposium. He had a “game changing” message for us: “I think the biggest game change in everyone’s life is “the will is inside us all” and when you capture it you bring the greatest from you.” You can hear that kind of message and more in my interview with him. Dr. Ronan Tynan Interview
Follow the action on the Alltech Innovations Blog, including photos, interviews and there will be live streaming of certain sessions.
2011 Alltech Symposium Photo Album
The first ever Alltech Humanitarian Award was presented this morning to Dr. Ronan Tynan. What a voice this man has. I’ll add some audio to this post later. His talk is awesome.
Post Update:
Here’s Ronan’s presentation from this morning. I highly recommend it. If you can listen to his message and not be moved then I feel sorry for you. At the end of his presentation he sang us “Hallelujah.” You may remember that song from “Shrek.” Ronan tried out to sing it but wasn’t chosen for reasons I can’t imagine. I hope you enjoy it. Ronan Tynan Presentation - Hallelujah
Follow the action on the Alltech Innovations Blog, including photos, interviews and there will be live streaming of certain sessions.
2011 Alltech Symposium Photo Album
This morning Dr. Inge Russell received the Alltech Medal of Excellence. She was presented the award on stage by Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech President, during the opening general session.
Professor Inge Russell is an accomplished researcher. Her work on the biotechnology and fermentation of yeast and algae has resulted in significant improvements in the production of feed, food, beverages, and fuel. She has over 100 publications and obtained Canada’s first patent for a genetically modified yeast specifically designed for biofuel production. She is a Professor at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.
This is the 21st year of the Medal of Excellence program.
Post Update:
I spoke with Dr. Russell after this morning’s program. You can hear her talk about the importance of Alzheimer’s research in my interview with her: Dr. Inge Russell Interview
Follow the action on the Alltech Innovations Blog, including photos, interviews and there will be live streaming of certain sessions.
2011 Alltech Symposium Photo Album
It’s been 11 months since it was first published and six months since the comment period ended, but it will be several more months yet before USDA makes a decision on the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule.
“There were 66,000 comments, about 30,000 of which are unique,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told an agriculture committee meeting last week. “Our hope is that we get this done sometime in the fall.”
Last week, 147 members of Congress sent Vilsack a letter about the proposed rule urging him “to proceed in a manner that allows further public comment on revisions to the proposal and the pending economic analysis” before a final rule is published, adding that a timeline for completion of the economic analysis and any further action is also needed.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Bill Donald of Montana says the members of Congress are standing up for U.S. cattlemen and women. “The proposed GIPSA rule puts big government smack dab in the middle of our business. It is the most pervasive invasion of federal government into the private marketplace I have ever witnessed,” he said.
National Pork Producers Council President Doug Wolf says the regulation as written “would be bad for producers, bad for consumers and bad for rural America” and would cost the U.S. pork industry nearly $400 million a year.
American Meat Institute president and CEO J. Patrick Boyle noted that an “almost unprecedented” third of House members signed the letter. “The sheer number of signatories on this letter is a testament to the growing concern on Capitol Hill about the proposed GIPSA rule. Congress is asking a fundamental and essential question: when will USDA tell us the price tag on this rule?”
The Twitter stream for the Alltech International Symposium is being projected on the wall here in the general session using wiffiti. You can follow along with the #AlltechSymposium hashtag. I’ll be we’ll see more of this at ag conferences! That’s why we’re the “Game Changers.”
Follow the action on the Alltech Innovations Blog, including photos, interviews and there will be live streaming of certain sessions.
2011 Alltech Symposium Photo Album
Gibbs & Soell is the highlight in this week’s ZimmCast. This is another installment in my series of interviews with the leadership of agricultural marketing and communications agencies. I spoke with Ann Camden, Senior Vice President. You can bet we talked about social media and how that has impacted their business. But we also talked about sustainability.
Gibbs & Soell conducted a survey this year on the subject of how consumers perceive what a company is doing to be more sustainable. The agency has a Greentech & Sustainability Practice to assist customers in this area.
The 2011 Gibbs & Soell Sense & Sustainability® Study – the annual survey that gauges consumer and business perceptions on the corporate commitment to “going green” – shows a disturbing gap in communications.
Our research found that although 88% of business leaders report their company is “going green,” only 29% of executives and 17% of consumers believe that a majority of businesses are committed to sustainability.
The message is crystal clear: Many companies have taken steps on the path toward sustainability, but their stakeholders remain skeptical of their progress. More details about the study can be found online here.
Learn what else is new with Gibbs & Soell in this week’s program: Getting With Gibbs & Soell
Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsor, Growmark, locally owned, globally strong, for their support.
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.
I really dislike ironing. So much so that if I find a shirt I like and it’s 100% cotton, I’ll put it back on the rack. It has to be one fantastic piece of clothing for me to buy it if it needs ironing.
When my grandmother was growing up, they ironed everything: sheets, pillowcases, clothes, kitchen towels. They used sad irons – also known as flat irons or smoothing irons. The sad in sad iron is an old word for solid. And boy was this thing solid, weighing in at 8 pounds. They had metal handles, so they had to be picked up with a pad or thick rag. Some irons had wooden handles and in 1870 a detachable handle was patented in the U.S. (the iron pictured on the left was patented May 22, 1900). This stayed cool while the metal bases were heated on the stove.
You see, in order to iron properly, at least two irons in operation – one on the stove heating up while the other was in use. So not only did they iron, they had two or three going at one time!
The key to success was temperature. It is said that a little spit on your finger and if it sizzled, it was hot enough, but not so hot that it would scorch the cloth. The iron pictured on the left is sitting on a trivet. This was placed on the ironing board and when the iron was not in use, it was placed on the trivet as to not burn the ironing board cover.
Really though, I did iron a dress just two weeks ago. I had to wipe the dust off my iron and dig out my ironing board, but that’s beside the point.
I think I’d rather get out my steamer and use these old ones as cool bookends.
Until we walk again …
- Austrian champion Christian Lanz drove a New Holland tractor mounted with Continental AC85 tires to win the 58th world competition in conventional plowing held in Sweden.
- The American Meat Science Association announces that Dr. J. Brad Morgan is the recipient of the 2011 AMSA Intercollegiate Meat Judging Meritorious Service Award.
- If you are a designer, know a designer, work with a designer or want to be a designer…. then mark your calendar for June 16 and the next LPC-sponsored Design Workshop in Kansas City.
- ConjoStudios, LLC is proud to announce the production of an educational film documenting the current state of the Wheat industry and telling the story of custom harvesters who harvest the wheat that feeds the world.
The International Dinner at the Alltech Symposium had a special performance by Ronan Tynan. He’s a tenor singer in the classical Irish style. This evening he chose to share his rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow.
We had a number of performances during the course of the evening. I wish I could share them all. I think you’ll enjoy this one. Here’s a little bit of information about Ronan:
Ronan Tynan is truly a modern day “Renaissance Man.” Faced with numerous challenges throughout his well documented life, he has persevered with enormous passion and determination. He attributes his success to his faith and the knowledge that the Man Above guides him through every door he opens. Introduced to international audiences as a member of the Irish Tenors, Tynan quickly became known for his unique voice and irresistible appeal. Following his mother’s advice to always follow your dreams, Tynan decided to launch a solo career, and has achieved the fame and ado.
You can listen to Ronan Tynan’s performance here: Ronan Tynan Sings Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Follow the action on the Alltech Innovations Blog, including photos, interviews and there will be live streaming of certain sessions.
2011 Alltech Symposium Photo Album
The International Dinner at the Alltech Symposium was another joyful celebration of not only good food but good fellowship and music. We had the winners of the Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition from the University of Kentucky perform as well as our very own, Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and President of Alltech. He was introduced on stage by Dr. Everett McCorvey, Director of Opera, Lexington Opera Society Endowed Chair in Opera Studies at UK.
This is my 5th Symposium. Dr. Lyons is amazed at the fact that this is the 27th event. There is record attendance. To me it seems almost like a family experience and he says that’s what they try to create. This evening it was an “international family.”
You can listen to my interview with Dr. Lyons here: Dr. Pearse Lyons Interview
You can listen to Dr. Lyons lead the dinner audience with Molly Malone here: Molly Malone Performance
Follow the action on the Alltech Innovations Blog, including photos, interviews and there will be live streaming of certain sessions.
2011 Alltech Symposium Photo Album
My first stop after registering for the Alltech Symposium was the tour of their new Winchester, KY Algae plant. Here’s one of the many tour groups getting to see the facility in action today. The company purchased the plant late last year and is in the process of fully converting it into a scaled-down replica of a large production system that will allow Alltech to research and perfect production methods before rolling them out on a large scale. The plant contains fermentors that stand over 8 stories high and have a capacity of 265,000 liters. Once they get into full 24/7 production this plant will produce about 10,000 metric tons of algae material per year. The algae produced by the plant can be used in animal feed, food supplements, pharmaceuticals, bioremediation and biofuels.
While I was waiting on a tour to get started I spoke with Kyle Raney who works for Alltech in applications research with a focus on algae. He describes the facility and the projects they’re working on right now. Many of the algae products they produce will be used by Alltech’s own animal nutrition products as well as being sold to other customers.
You can listen to my interview with Kyle here: Kyle Raney Interview
Follow the action on the Alltech Innovations Blog, including photos, interviews and there will be live streaming of certain sessions.
2011 Alltech Symposium Photo Album
An Alltech Symposium is almost like a family event. A very big family. Here are a few of the members. (l-r) Damien O’Reilly, David Markey and Christina Lombard, Alltech. Damien is an Irish agricultural journalist and David is past president of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists. I’m pretty sure they’ll keep the conversation lively over the next several days. I ran into them this afternoon and invite both Damien and David to post some of the stories they told me about their visit so far. I think I can approve most of it. Just use the comment feature guys!
So, the Symposium is underway and it’s my 5th year here. It really does feel like home and I look forward to seeing people from various countries and learning more about what’s new with Alltech!
You will be able to follow a lot of the action on the Alltech Innovations Blog, including photos, interviews and there will be live streaming of certain sessions. I’ll try to keep you pointed that way when I can.
My photos are being included here: 2011 Alltech Symposium Photo Album
Here’s the latest installment of our “Getting To Know GROWMARK” series. I talked propane with Randy Miller, Director of Propane Operations. He says that they’ve been marketing propane for years with grain drying being a big part of their business. Home heat is also important. They’ve expanded their territory significantly, including into the northeast.
Randy says that propane is a very important part of their energy business. The last couple of years the growth has been driven by the increased need for grain drying. GROWMARK negotiates their supply of propane on behalf of members with the flexibility to deliver to areas when and where it is most needed. They also help members with forward contracting.
You can listen to my interview with Randy here and learn more about GROWMARK is doing in the propane business: Randy Miller Interview
As the shock of the news that NAFB president Lindsay Hill died in an auto accident Thursday continues to be felt throughout the agriculture industry, information about her funeral service and memorial has now been made available.
According to NAFB, visitation hours will be from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm Eastern time Monday, May 23 and again from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm Eastern time on Tuesday. The celebration of Lindsay’s life is scheduled for 2:00 pm Eastern Tuesday. All of this takes place at Winner’s Harvest Barn, 7317 State Route 47 W, De Graff, Ohio 43318-9744.
Those wishing to make contributions in Lindsay’s memory may do so to: The Lindsay Hill Memorial Fund at The Ohio State University Foundation, 1480 West Lane Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43221. More information can be found here.
Hey AgWired and iPhone fans. The AgWired App has a new update. You’ll need to go ahead and get it because now you can share the stories you find on AgWired as well as our other news sites, Domestic Fuel, Precision Pays and World Dairy Diary. And if you don’t have the AgWired App on your iPhone, then now’s the time to get it!
Just go to the iTunes store and search for AgWired if you don’t have it. If you already have it, then open iTunes, click on Apps and then click on search for updates. Download and sync your iPhone and you’re done. You do update your apps frequently don’t you?
Thanks for your support!
It’s almost time for the 2011 Alltech Symposium. I’m headed that way tomorrow so you’ll see coverage of this fantastic event on AgWired starting Sunday afternoon. Here’s some preview information:
A record 2,100 attendees are on their way to Lexington, Kentucky; traveling from 72 countries and 46 U.S. States.
As usual, the speaker line up for this year is full of interesting and influential experts from ag science and agribusiness. Tom Standage, business editor for The Economist will be speaking about the impact of food and agriculture on history. His book, “An Edible History of Humanity” is an incredibly interesting account of the intertwined evolution of plants, farming and humanity.
Leaders from some of the most prominent companies in the food and agriculture industries will be speaking, including:
Hans Jöhr – Nestle’s
Brian Coan – , Chick-fil-A
J. O’Callaghan – JBS USA
Phillip Smith – Tyson Foods
Luciano Roppa – Provimi
Terry Coffey – Murphy-Brown
John Hardiman – Cobb-Vantress
Several sessions will be streamed live. You’ll be able to find them on the Alltech Symposium website.
- DuPont and Biotique Systems, Inc., have entered into a research alliance to accelerate genetic discovery in agricultural crops globally, bringing better products to farmers faster.
- Fluidigm Corporation introduced its 192.24 Dynamic Array IFC, designed to genotype 192 samples against 24 SNP assays in a single run, providing 4,608 data points in just one hour.
- AGCO is pleased to open the doors to the all-new Global Learning Center, Duluth, a state-of-the-art agricultural equipment and technology learning center.
- Twelve new members of the Meat Industry Hall of Fame have been selected and, once again, it’s an impressive list of people who have devoted their lives to the industry and to their communities.
It is with a great deal of sadness that I am sharing with you the news that Lindsay Hill, Farm Journal Media, was killed in a traffic accident this morning. I just received the news from the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Lindsay was currently serving as the association president. Here is the message from NAFB.
It is with a great deal of sadness that we report the tragic death of NAFB President Lindsay Hill in an auto accident early this morning. According to officials at Farm Journal Media, Lindsay was traveling in Ohio at the time of the accident. Additional details or arrangements are not available at this time. We will do our best to provide those details as soon as they are available.
Please keep Lindsay’s family in your thoughts and prayers on this very sad day.
Tom Steever, NAFB President-Elect
Mark Oppold, NAFB V.P.
That’s all the information I have at this time. I will update this post when I get more. Here is a link to the story about the accident from the Dayton, Ohio newspaper.
On a personal note, I have to say that it is really sad to hear of this happening to anyone but maybe even more so when it’s someone so young and full of energy. I was shocked and still am. Already in her career Lindsay had accomplished things that others never do. She will be sorely missed and Cindy’s and my prayers are with her, her family and friends and everyone in the industry impacted by this tragedy.
Post Update:
Services for Lindsay Hill will be Monday from 2-8 p.m., and Tuesday from 12-2 p.m. at Winner’s Harvest Barn in De Graff, Ohio. A celebration of Lindsay’s life will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Winner’s. (Thank you to Andy Vance for the details.)
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In this week's program Chuck talks with David Armano, Global Innovation and Integration.
