Panera Bread’s Lazy Response to Offensive Promotional Campaign

Chuck Zimmerman

It looks like Panera Bread has heard from the countryside. However, to date, their response has been lazy at best. Earlier this week Carrie Mess brought to our attention the Panera Bread campaign all about the EZChicken which implies that farmers raising chickens and using antibiotics are lazy. It has launched a grassroots campaign on Facebook and Twitter. Just follow …

Animal Activists, Food, Wackos

The News is Out at Ag Media Summit!

Melissa Sandfort

Ag Leader’s marketing communications team will be hitting the trade show floor at the upcoming Ag Media Summit, the largest meeting in the United States of the ag industry’s top writers, editors, photographers, publishers and ag communicator specialists. And there to get the news out about Ag Leader’s new video, website redesign and product offerings will be Jenna Royer, marketing …

Ag Leader, Agribusiness

Senate Ag Committee Approves USDA Nominees

Cindy Zimmerman

The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee this week unanimously approved the nominations of Krysta Harden to serve as deputy secretary of agriculture and Robert Bonnie to serve as under secretary for natural resources and the environment. Harden has been nominated to succeed Kathleen Merrigan in the second-highest post at USDA Bonnie, while Bonnie, who has been a senior advisor …

Audio, USDA

Jason Weller Appointed Chief of NRCS

Chuck Zimmerman

Congratulations to Jason Weller on his appointment as Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service where he has served as acting chief the last eight months. Jason is pictured at the recent CTIC Conservation in Action Tour. Here are some notes from the notice about his appointment. As Acting Chief, Jason has moved swiftly to transform NRCS’s Administrative Functions; support …

Conservation, USDA

About Time to Wing it in Buffalo, NY

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s almost time for the annual Agricultural Media Summit. This image of a good looking steak from the Cattlemen’s Beef Board really makes me wish I as going. But I’ll be doing ag media duty at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally while Cindy and our summer intern Maggie will be at the Ag Media Summit. So we’ve got it covered! If …

Ag Media Summit

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

The Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame Committee announced the inductees for 2013 based on their accomplishments and significant contributions to Vermont agriculture. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) honored the latest winners of its agricultural engineering student achievement awards during special ceremonies at the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers’ (ASABE) recent annual meeting. Swanson Russell announced the promotion …

Zimfo Bytes

New Addition to Novus Enzyme Solutions Portfolio

Talia Goes

Novus International, Inc. and Verenium Corporation announced the name of their new phytase enzyme product, CIBENZA PHYTAVERSE. This new innovative phytase is specifically designed to unlock more of the hidden nutritional value in phytate for improved animal growth and well-being. The two companies, which entered into a strategic partnership in 2011, designed CIBENZA PHYTAVERSE to have specific performance characteristics that …

Agribusiness, Animal Health, Novus International, Veterinary

MyAgCentral: Getting All Info in One Place

John Davis

Recently, we told you about a new cloud-based precision data service called MyAgCentral.com. During the recent 2013 InfoAg Conference, Chuck was able to catch up with Steve Cubbage, the President of Prime Meridian, a company behind MyAgCentral.com and find out a little more. “It’s a subscription-based service for growers, retailers and service providers that brings technology together,” Steve said. “There’s …

Agribusiness, Audio, Internet

Checking in with the AgFanatics

Cindy Zimmerman

The AgriVisor AgFanatics podcast has logged 40 episodes since its debut in December 2012, and quite a few since we last talked to them in March, so we decided it was time to check in for an update on how these two wild and crazy ag guys are doing. “It’s going great, we’re continuing to gain listeners and we’re continuing …

Audio, GROWMARK, Podcasts

American Ethanol Wins Ohio NASCAR Race

Cindy Zimmerman

American Ethanol was in the winner’s circle Wednesday night as Austin Dillon won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™ Mudsummer Classic. This inaugural event was held at one of the world’s most iconic dirt tracks, Eldora Speedway in Ohio. The race, which was the first NASCAR-sanctioned national event held on a dirt track since 1970, brought American Ethanol to the …

Corn, Ethanol, NASCAR, NCGA