Peter Kerr has worked with a lot of people in agriculture and he found that many are not prepared for a crisis and can’t afford to hire a public relations firm to help them deal with one when it happens. So what he’s doing is bringing together farmers and agribusinesses in a coalition to “help each other out.” He has …
Transforming Your Company is a Game Changer
As part of the game changing experience that 2,200 people are having here at the Alltech International Symposium Damien McLoughlin, National University of Ireland, spoke about transforming your company using five ideas from companies that have done so in a big way. Damien says that the whole idea of game changing has been driven by marketing efforts in the technology …
Alltech International Dinner
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, …
Alltech and Algae
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 …
GROWMARK Propane
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 …
Ready To Change The Game At Alltech Symposium
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 …
Drive Green Challenge at Hudson River Tractor
It’s Drive Green Challenge time again this weekend. Today I’m in Clifton Park, NY visiting with Hudson River Tractor Company. I spoke with one of the owners, Tory Northrop, who gave me some background on how the company came together. He’s in the group photo of the family members out here for today’s event. Tory says the merger that made …
Rural America Key to Energy Security
“I am a great believer in American ingenuity,” began Vilsack during his speech in Shenandoah, Iowa where the only first generation ethanol plant is co-located with an algae plant. “I’m a great believer in the capacity of the American farmer and rancher to literally meet any challenge.” Vilsack recently went on an “energy” tour of the Midwest where he visited …
GROWMARK Illinois Essay Contest Winner Announced
GROWMARK has announced the Illinois state winner of their essay contest for FFA members. The theme this year was “The Importance of Agriculture in Everyday Life” and the winner is Keirra DeCamp of Pleasant Hill. In her contest entry, DeCamp said: “So, the real question here is: ‘Where would you be without agriculture?’ Without agriculture, you would be inconvenienced, naked, …
Investing Back In Agriculture
Illinois and fiscal responsibility aren’t exactly words that go hand in hand but Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford is trying to change that. Earlier this week Rutherford announced his Ag Invest program in conjunction with the Illinois Farm Bureau. Ag Invest (formerly known as Cultivate Illinois) partners with eligible lenders to offer low-interest loans to Illinois farmers that can be …