ASTA Meets Ag Day

Chuck Zimmerman

During the National Ag Day banquet I met one of our sponsors for Ag Day coverage, Andy Lavigne, American Seed Trade Association. Andy says ASTA is 127 years old and was started by seed companies to promote high quality seed. Member companies produce seed from alfalfa to zucchini and everything in between. If it can be grown from a seed, …

Ag Day, Ag Groups, ASTA, Audio

Ag Day Essay Contest Winners

Chuck Zimmerman

The winners of the National Ag Day Essay Contest have been announced. There are two of them, one for a written entry and one for a video entry. In the photo is written essay winner Nora Faris, Concordia, Missouri with Dr. John Bonner, Chair of Ag Council of America who presented her with her check during the National Ag Day …

Ag Day, Audio, Video

Happy Trails to Derry Brownfield

Cindy Zimmerman

“Bury Derry Day” was a day of mixed emotions for family, friends and fans who attended his funeral and celebration of life Wednesday in California, Missouri. There were many tears, but I would say that most of them were tears of laughter remembering Derry Brownfield’s life. I have not laughed so hard in a long time listening to his oldest …

Audio, Media, Video

Chairman of Ag Day

Chuck Zimmerman

The Chairman of the Agriculture Council of America is Dr. John Bonner, CAST. During National Ag Day activities he was busy and had the pleasure to introduce the Essay Content winners. I’ll more on that in my next post. I spoke with him about ACA and Ag Day. John says that ACA is having a great year and points out …

Ag Day, Audio

House Ag Chairman Lucas Addresses Ag Day

Chuck Zimmerman

We’ve got youth in agriculture here at National Ag Day from just about every organization you can think of including the FFA. Introducing our lunch speaker today was Victor Salazar, Connecticut FFA state president. He was introduced by Orion Samuelson and I’m thinking that alone made an impression on him. But then it was his turn to do the introduction …

Ag Day, Audio

A Voice For Ag Day

Chuck Zimmerman

The man with the voice no one will forget, Orion Samuelson, WGN, emceed the National Ag Day Mix & Mingle Luncheon today. I spoke with Orion before the program got started to get his thoughts on Ag Day and learn what we’ll be doing this celebrate American agriculture day. Orion says that we’ve had Labor Day to honor labor in …

Ag Day, Audio

Syngenta at Commodity Classic

Chuck Zimmerman

Syngenta held a press conference at the recent Commodity Classic to discuss challenges growers have in the upcoming season and the Syngenta commitment to make their R&D investment “local” to the grower. Getting things started was Tracy Mader, head of product marketing for Syngenta Seeds. He asked the ag media how many new technologies they had heard about, seen or …

Agribusiness, Audio, Commodity Classic, Syngenta

Remembering Derry Brownfield

Chuck Zimmerman

I just received word that my very good friend Derry Brownfield has passed away. I’m kind of in shock and will update this post when I get more information. I’ve known Derry almost all of my professional career in agricultural communications and am finding it hard to imagine a world without him. This is a photo from a couple years …

Audio, Media

Coufal-Prater Equipment Shows Green

Chuck Zimmerman

Spending a day at a farm implement dealership is not only fun when you can drive brand new equipment but also an education. It’s also a way to get to meet new farm friends too! That’s what I did earlier this week at Coufal-Prater Equipment’s John Deere Day which was held at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, TX. Pictured …

Audio, John Deere

BIVI Offers A Triple Threat for Pig Disease Control

Joanna Schroeder

I learned a lot during Boehringer Ingelheim’s (BIVI) 2011 Swine Health Seminar, but maybe my biggest take away was that there are three diseases that seem to be a problem for the swine industry: mycoplasma, flu and PRRS. I also learned some other valuable information: BIVI has a triple threat for swine disease control called 3FLEX. This I learned more …

Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pork, Swine