Category Archives: Events

New York Hosts Veal/Dairy Tour

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The New York Beef Industry Council (NYBIC) once again invited more than 50 industry influencers to an educational veal/dairy tour of New York State. The dynamics of this year’s tour was different than the tour of 2010 as this year’s attendees were a mix of chef educators and their students. Six different culinary schools, along with food service, retail, dietitians and media, were present for a farm-to-fork look at the veal and dairy industries.

The tour discussed how the dairy industry impacts the veal industry, the aspects of group housing and feeding, veal nutrition, Veal Quality Assurance, Veal Issues Management, and Packer Processing, including inspection and grading. Center-of-the-Plate expert Steve Olson and Executive Chef Dave Zino conducted a 90-minute veal cutting and cooking clinic. After the lectures, attendees were sent to the “hands-on kitchen”, tied on aprons and cooked up a veal storm creating eight culinary dishes to be served for lunch.

Tours such as the one hosted by the NYBIC are a way for farmers and ag groups to showcase the transparency of the industry on a local level. It gives industry influencers (such as bloggers, media, foodservice reps, chefs and dietitians) a chance to freely ask questions and express their concerns over myths and misconceptions that are often portrayed about agriculture, which enables them to then communicate the FACTS with the consuming public.

GROWMARK CEO Pleased with Pursuit of Maximum Yields

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GROWMARK CEO Jeff Solberg is very pleased with response to the FS Green Plan Solutions program to help growers discover new methods that will help them attain maximum yields.

I had a chance to chat with Jeff as he attended the Pursuit of Maximum Yields (POMY) grower event last week in Collinsville, Illinois. He told me that the program is designed to help growers meet the challenges of feeding a growing world population. “We believe that the production that we have to have to feed the world is so important,” Jeff said. “The way that you go about it is through good, sustainable, environmentally-sound practices which allow us to farm with freedom, to do it in the right way, and to make sure that we get the yields to feed all the people we’ve got coming at us in the next 30 years.”

2012 is a big year for GROWMARK and for cooperatives throughout the entire world. “We have a double celebration this year,” Jeff says. “It’s the International Year of Cooperatives, but it’s also GROWMARK’s 85th anniversary. It’s a unique way of doing business and it’s also a really great way of doing business.”

Listen to my interview with Jeff Solberg here: GROWMARK CEO Jeff Solberg

Check out photos from the two Pursuit of Maximum Yields events held in Iowa and Illinois this month.

Photos from Illinois Pursuit of Maximum Yields Event

Photos from Iowa Pursuit of Maximum Yields Event

National Farm-City Week Symposium Topic Announced

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“Childhood Obesity: The School Lunchroom Debate,” will be the 2011 topic of the annual National Farm-City Week Symposium held at the Griffin Gate Marriott, Lexington, Ken., on Thursday, Nov. 17. The public is invited to attend.

The purpose of this symposium will be to explore the issues around childhood obesity in the United States and how it can be managed through healthy choices made available in the school lunchroom.

The Symposium begins at 10:30 a.m. EST and will continue until 2 p.m. Discussions from 11 a.m. until noon will be broadcast live by the nationally syndicated AgriTalk radio show, hosted by nationally noted broadcaster, Mike Adams. It will include a lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. with a topic-related speaker.

Symposium participants and the lunch speaker will be announced later.

For more information on the National Farm-City Council Symposium on “Childhood Obesity: The School Lunchroom Debate,” contact Holly Fritz at 610.621.2253 or holly.fritz@hbfritz.com.

The event kicks off National Farm-City Week from Nov. 18-25, ending on Thanksgiving, and celebrates the important partnership between farm and urban residents in providing the nation with a bounty of food, fiber, fuel and a growing list of other products.

Not Your Typical Tractor Show

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Looking for a tractor show that is a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll? Than look no further than the upcoming 2011 Cambridge Tractor Show and Ag Day that will be held on Saturday, August 6 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm in Cambridge, Illinois. There are not only lots of tractors “through the ages” to enjoy, but also a multitude of shows including a pedal tractor show, semi-tractor show, farm truck show, hit and miss motor show, and lawn and garden tractor show.

Still not enough variety for you? Then check out the featured tractor this year, which is a Farmall tractor sporting a Maytag motor that was chosen by Mayor Jim Crouch. It’s a 1952 Farmall Super M White Demonstrator tractor owned and restored by Dave and Angie Charlet of Cambridge.

Other tractors of note that will be on display include the “Pink and Red” 1948 M Marmall tractor specially painted to bring awareness to heart disease and breast cancer. This tractor is also owned by the Charlet’s and was restored by Chad Hutchingon, also of Cambridge, in memory of his mother Sylvia Hutchinson who died of heart disease.

While we have to leave some of the fun as a surprise for attendees, we will tell you that a fun new activity this year is an “pedal” tractor pull. There will also be fun ag-related games for kids of all ages 1 -100+. For more information contact Karen Hutchinson at 309-937-5859.

Growing AgCareers

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ZimmCast 309There’s never been a better time for careers in agribusiness with a bigger variety of jobs that span the spectrum from production to promotion.

“I just feel like it’s a very exciting time to be in agribusiness,” says Eric Spell, president of AgCareers.com. He should know, since they have been specializing in human resource services to the agriculture and food industry for nearly 15 years now, starting out as a print newsletter. “Year to date, we’ve had 23,000 jobs posted on our site, and we’ve had just over 50,000 applications to jobs on our site,” said Eric. In 2010, there over 36,000 agribusiness jobs in North America were posted on AgCareers.com with nearly 22,000 jobs posted in the Midwest region alone!

In addition to the job board, AgCareers.com offers a number of other services and tools for human resource professionals, including the upcoming 9th AgCareers.com Ag HR Roundtable, August 1 – 3, 2011 in West Lafayette, Indiana, which is being hosted this year by ADM and Purdue University. Eric says the event brings together agribusiness employers, professional organizations and college career counselors “to talk about issues facing the recruitment and retention of entry level and professional level talent in our industry.”

This year for the first time, the HR Roundtable will be followed by the 2011 National Academic Programs Summit with the theme of “Creating Change: Reforming Curricula for a 21st Century Education” where participants will be able to receive input from the agribusiness employers at the roundtable on what changes they would like to see in preparing young people for careers in the industry.

AgWired will be blogging the Ag HR Roundtable this year and finding out more about this important topic that impacts everyone in the agribusiness industry. In the meantime, listen to this edition of the ZimmCast featuring my interview with Eric Spell of AgCareers.com: Growing AgCareers with Eric Spell

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.

Join us at InfoAg 2011

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InfoAg 2009 was a terrific success. Over 650 participants shared in presentations on a wide range of topics on technology applications and data management and interpretation. As with previous InfoAg Conferences, the networking among participants was again a highlight of the experience. New relationships formed at InfoAg will lead to greater benefits and opportunities for those involved.

InfoAg 2011 will be held July 12-14 in Springfield, Ill.

Coverage of the event will be sponsored by Ag Leader.

AGRITECHNICA Will Feature Smart Farming

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2011 commodity classicAgricultural equipment and machinery manufacturers are implementing more advanced electronics into their products these days to help farmers become ever more efficient. That’s why “Smart Farming” will have its own special segment at Agritechnica 2011, November 15-19 in Germany.

During the 2011 Commodity Classic, I had a chance to chat with our friends Malene Conlong and Annette Reichhold with DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft – German Agricultural Society) who organize the bi-annual Agritechnica. Malene says they chose “smart farming” as the special topic to highlight during Agritechnica this year. “You guys in America actually started this off with your precision farming and this is something that we’ll be exploring in depth,” she said. “By 2050 we’ve got 9 billion people on the earth and these people have to be fed somehow and I think smart farming is one of the ways that will be possible.”

Agritechnica started in 1985 and is the world’s largest agricultural machinery and equipment exhibition, with 2300 exhibitors and 355,000 visitors. They recently partnered with the AgConnect Expo here in the United States to build up a similar show on this side of the Atlantic on the off years – even though they will technically be held in the same calendar year.

Listen to or download my interview with Malene and Annette here: 2011 Agritechnica Preview

2011 Commodity Classic Photo Album

NFocus Forums for Agribusiness in August

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NFocusMajor corn and soybean producers and agribusiness suppliers will convene this August for the NFocus Forums for Agribusiness.

“We are providing the opportunity for 30 to 40 large-acreage corn and soybean producers to meet in one-on-one private sessions with key suppliers,” says Kim Nicholson, managing partner of NFocus Partners, LLC. “With the number of producers farming 5,000 acres or more of corn or soybeans having grown four-fold in just the past 5 years, the purchasing dynamics and supplier needs for this producer group has changed dramatically. What makes the NFocus Forums for Agribusiness efficient is that it brings together key decision makers from both major producers and suppliers in an organized strategic setting.”

NFocus Partners is partnering with BeckAg to pre-screen forum participants. Suppliers will have the option of 10 to 15 meetings with producers who are matched to suppliers and their products and services. “Suppliers will have agendas and pre-call planning information well in advance of the meetings to allow for customized presentations for each producer,” says Stephanie Liska, president of BeckAg.

The NFocus Forums for Agribusiness will be held August 22-25, 2011, at Legacy Lodge, located at Lake Lanier Islands, Georgia. For more information, visit www.nfocusforums.com/home.

Keynote Speakers for Animal Ag Conference Announced

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Leaders in research and industry will headline the upcoming 2011 Annual Conference of the National Institute for Animal Agriculture, April 11-14th, 2011, in San Antonio, Texas, as they talk about how to feed a world that’s expected to need nearly twice as much food in 2050 than what is needed today.

To discuss this issue (and more), NIAA will feature Dr. Terry Barr, Senior Director of Industry Research, CoBank, Washington, DC; Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Agriculture Economist, University of California, Davis, CA; Mr. Charlie Arnot, Center for Food Integrity, Kansas City, MO; Dr. Peter Groot Koerkamp, Professor Biosystems Engineering / Agrotechnology & Interim Professor in Animal Production Systems, Wageningen University, Netherlands; Mr. Ian Reece, Rabobank, New York, NY (Invited); Dr. Molly McAdams, H-E-B Foods, San Antonio, TX (Invited); Mr. Mark Anstoetter, Shook Hardy & Bacon, Kansas City, MO; and Mr. Clint Hickman, Hickman Family Farms, Buckeye, AZ … plus, plenty of input and ideas from the folks attending the four days of seminars and meetings.

If you’re involved in animal agriculture, it’s definitely an event you won’t want to miss.

Register before March 1st and save 50 bucks off the $450 registration fee. More information is available here.

American Farmland Trust Invites You to “Dine Out for Farms” this Week

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Need a good excuse to dine out this week? Well, the American Farmland Trust invites you to have a meal out on the town in support of farms in this country now through October 16th:

“We hope that many consumers will be a friend to farms and join us at the table during the national Dine Out for Farms™ week October 10-16,” says Jon Scholl, President of American Farmland Trust (AFT). “Restaurants in 17 states signed up to participate in this inaugural event because the chefs recognize the need to protect America’s farmland and support family farmers. Farmland is a key ingredient that farmers need to be able to grow provisions for restaurateurs and our own kitchen tables.”

This national, week-long event is designed to bring together restaurants and consumers together to support a sustainable future for America’s farms. Scholl wants to make sure people make the connection with food and the land.

“It’s never been more critical than it is today for diners and consumers to reconnect with the farmers who grow their food. That’s not only so we can have farm-fresh food but also because of the critical issues facing our nation—including food security and healthier diets,” Scholl adds. “The United States has been losing nearly one million acres of farmland each year, and the farms and farmland most under threat are near cities where the majority of our dairy, fresh fruits and vegetables are grown.”

And as Oliver Monday with The Market Restaurant in Gloucester, Massachusetts, one of the participating restaurants, points out, “Without land, there will be no farms. Without farms, there will be no food.”

More information is available at www.farmland.org/dineout.

Solar Apps for Ag Featured in ‘Down on the Farm Solar Tour’

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Mississippi Solar is getting excited for the National Solar Tour, an event that showcases solar energy for ag applications, home buyers, businesses, and everyone in between. The event is overseen by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES), and this year more than 650 tours are already scheduled for early October. This is the second year that Mississippi Solar will participate in the natural grassroots event.

The “Down on the Farm Solar Tour” takes place October 2, 2010 from 9 am to 4 pm at 211 Popes Road, Carthage, Mississippi, 39051. Guided tours, which run every two hours beginning at 9 am, will highlight three distinctly different grid-tie installations. The first is a 2.4 kW solar carport ready for Tennessee-made electric vehicles rolling off assembly lines next year. Also featured is a ground-mount system with battery back-up. However, homes are not the only stop on the tour. Participants will also see the 8.4 kW, solar PV solution that sits atop a chicken house located at Spencer Pope Farms.

“Poultry farming is an energy-intensive business,” said Mississippi Solar co-founder Will Hegman. “Enormous tunnel fans are required to ventilate chicken houses. Lighting adds to the cost. There are close to 8,000 poultry farms in the State of Mississippi. If we were able to solarize all those businesses, we could offset around ten percent of the entire state’s energy needs,” he said.

Now is a great time for the ag community to adopt solar. There are currently federal tax credits of up to 30 percent available for new solar installations, not to mention the savings on electric bills.

One of the biggest expenses for poultry farmers are their electric bills, especially in areas with extreme temperatures. Even for those who don’t have chickens, solar can be installed on farm buildings including homes and barns and can also be used in irrigation applications.

According to Mississippi Solar, Spencer Pope Farms has been very satisfied with their results and are looking to quadruple the solar capacity powering their chicken houses. The energy savings coupled with the federal tax credits available for solar has been a significant improvement to their bottom line.

In addition to featuring Spencer Pope Farms, people will also be able to visit homes, and businesses that have successfully completed solar projects.

Click here to learn more about the “Down on the Farm Solar Tour.”

Corn Farmers Will Reach New Heights

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The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) is focused on reaching out to Iowans and consumers to tell them about the value of Iowa corn farmers. One avenue in which they do this, is through their sponsorship of the Cy-Hawk series and last Saturday, the University of Iowa beat Iowa State in the football game known as the Super Bowl of Iowa. ICGA was there to tell consumers about all of the products that contain corn.

ICGA CEO Craig Floss said that during the game, they were able to get out advertising messages and talk about the importance of Iowa’s corn fed economy and what corn means to the job outlook and picture in Iowa. They were also able to tell the story of how ethanol fits into the picture and what that means for Iowa corn farmers.

A lot of people don’t understand that there is no competition between food, feed, fuel, and fiber. You can find corn in any of these products, said Floss, and he also explained that anything that can be made from petroleum can also be made from corn.

“We hope and we know that the majority of Iowans, 80 plus percent of Iowans, use ethanol every day, which means everywhere they go, they’re using something produced from a corn grower,” said Floss.

The big game happened to fall on 9-11 this year, a day that most of us will never forget. I asked Floss why this day is so important to Iowa’s corn farmers.

“There is no other liquid form of petroleum product like ethanol that can actually replace foreign produced oil. And the bulk of our oil comes from countries that have governments that are not like ours,” said Floss. He continued that everyone was touched by the event and has a connection to the event and we need to find a way to send less money to those countries. That is why we like corn farmers. They’re good for our economy and good for our security.

Floss concluded that corn farmers will continue to exceed the needs of all those products that need corn and that we haven’t seen anything yet.

You can see pictures from game day in the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day photo album.

You can listen to my interview with Craig Floss here. Iowa Corn Farmers Will Reach New Heights

Corn, Corn Everywhere

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The crop report was released last week and the USDA is predicting a record harvest – even after accounting for excessive rain in areas of the Midwest. In Iowa alone, 40 percent of the corn crop goes to ethanol but nationally only 20 percent of the total corn crop goes to ethanol. Also, the livestock industry is the largest consumer of Iowa corn.

I was able to spend some time with the Iowa Corn Growers Association’s (ICGA) new President Dean Taylor last Saturday before the Iowa versus Iowa State football game. My first question for Dean, was in fact, what are we going to do with all this corn? We’re going to produce feed, food, fiber and fuel, he said.

“The fuel, the feed, the fiber, the ethanol….all these things are very important. Especially now that we grow so much corn, we have to remember that what we put into ethanol was never even in the market for feed in the past because we’re just growing that much more corn,” said Taylor.

ICGA along with the Corn Promotion Board joined together to sponsor the Cy-Hawk series – the men’s football, basketball and wrestling matches. I asked Taylor why this sponsorship was so important. He said it’s a great opportunity to showcase all of their products and what they do in Iowa. “It’s contributing to our fuel situation in this country because it’s homegrown instead of imported and that adds to our bottom line. It adds a little bit to our fuel security and the way to look at it, every little bit helps,” said Taylor.

So, what is a product that uses corn that many don’t realize? Bioplastics. When corn is added to bioplastics in replacement of oil, then the plastics become biodegradable. But bioplastics are just one product among thousands that use corn. To learn about the other products, visit www.iacornfed.com.

Well, Iowa won the football game in a landslide but that didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits. In conclusion, Taylor said, “Every day is a corn day and every day is a winning day for Iowa corn farmers.”

You can see pictures from game day in the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day photo album.

You can listen to my interview with Dean Taylor here. Corn, Corn Everywhere

ICGA CEO Craig Floss Interviews Captain Cornelius

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For us Iowa State fans, this has been a tough game to watch. But hey – we are playing the #9 ranked team in the country and this is an ISU re-building year with a new coach, Paul Rhoads. In case you are following the Iowa State versus Iowa football game via this site, the score is now Iowa 35, Iowa State 0 with 10 minutes left in the second half.

For you football fans, if ISU doesn’t score a touchdown in this game, this will be the third year in a row they’ve failed to visit the end zone. Even so, they have won in the past three years – on field goals.

While many Iowa corn growers were making predictions on the game, Captain Cornelius was also making a prediction, for both teams. He is impartial – or at least that what we think he mimed when Iowa Corn Growers CEO Craig Floss interviewed him in the member tent this morning before the game. I guess this means that Captain Cornelius’ predictions were right.

After his insightful interview, Captain Cornelius headed to the ICGA consumer tent where he met the football fans and encouraged them to learn more about all the products that are made with corn.

You can see pictures from game day in the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day photo album.

Kickoff!

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I arrived in Iowa City last night to some wet and dreary conditions. But new Iowa Corn Growers President, Dean Taylor, promised that not only are Iowa corn farmers experts at growing our food, they are also experts at moving out the rain and bringing in blue skies when needed. Well, I’ll be, but Taylor was exactly right! It is a beautiful day in Iowa City for the Iowa State versus Iowa football game. The Iowa Corn Growers are a sponsor of the Cy-Hawk series and have been engaging in a fun promotion called Iowa Corn Fed Game Day, where fans are being educated on the very important role Iowa corn farmers play.

I’ve had a blast hanging out with over 900 of Iowa’s corn farmers and maybe what has been most fun, was being on the field for kickoff. Iowa won the coin toss and so Iowa State kicked off the game. So far, Iowa has dominated – the score is 28 to 0 after the first half.

Prior to the game, I spent time at the Krause Family Plaza and took pictures of the thousands of fans who signed up to for a chance to win $5,000 in food or $2,500 in free fuel. They also played a ginormous game of corn hole (see Iowa Corn Fed Game Day photo album.”), as well as a grocery store game. Players had the chance to win t-shirts, koozies and key chains and by the time the game started, thousands of people were sporting their new Iowa Corn Fed Game Day t-shirts.

During the pre-game festivities, the Iowa Corn executive board members were invited on to the field as a thank you for their support of Iowa and Iowa State athletics. They were also thanked for all they do to feed and fuel our country. Earlier in the day, Dick Gallager, Chairman of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, noted both Iowa State’s and Iowa’s tie to agriculture. Iowa State has one of the top ag programs in the country, while Iowa’s helmets say anf, which stands for America needs farmers.

Well, let’s hope the second half goes better for ISU….

You can see pictures from game day in the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day photo album.

Iowa Corn Growers Excited for Game Day

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The rain couldn’t dampen spirits as nearly 100 VIP Iowa Corn growers had the opportunity of a lifetime to experience football weekend from the inside of University of Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium. The Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board held a VIP reception on the media floor of University of Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium where they learned about what goes into making a college football game happen. In this case, the big game tomorrow is Iowa State versus Iowa.

They also had the opportunity to hear from former University of Iowa player, Lew Montgomery, part of the 1991 Rose Bowl team.

Iowa Corn Fed Game Day, a promotion designed to educate consumers about the role Iowa corn farmers play in producing our food and fuel, is actually a sponsorship of the Iowa versus Iowa State football game, basketball game and wrestling matches. Iowa Corn has been traveling around the state holding events and telling consumers about the more than 4,000 products that contain corn. My favorite product so far – hairspray.

Although there were more red Iowa State shirts in the building then the Iowa athletic staff anticipated, they took it all in good cheer as they personally thanked the corn growers for their support of Iowa athletics, but more importantly, their dedication to growing America’s food.

Following the brief presentation, new ICGA President Dean Taylor, a grower from Prairie City Iowa, said a few words. He thanked the University of Iowa for their hospitality and making the reception possible. He also mentioned that the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day sponsorship reflects what a great relationship ICGA, Iowa State and University of Iowa have and what an important role the partnership plays in helping educate consumers about food and fuel.

You can see pictures from the event in the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day photo album.

Hammin’ It Up for Iowa’s Corn Farmers

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I will root, root, root for Iowa State….tomorrow that is during the Iowa State versus Iowa football game in Iowa City. I will be sitting on the sidelines with nearly 900 Iowa corn farmers who helped grow the corn that produced the ethanol that I will put in my car to drive to the game. Once I get to the game, I will be eating food also made from the corn they have grown and will be using products made with corn.

This past week, the Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board have been educating fans about the benefits of ethanol as well as the role Iowa corn farmers are playing in biofuels development. Iowa is the number one producing state of both ethanol and corn. This has been highlighted all week during several promotions in conjunction with Kum & Go as part of the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day sponsorship and on Tuesday, Herky the Hawk was hamming it up for ethanol.

Speaking of corn, corn is an ingredient in more than 4,000 products and is an important part of our daily lives. Who knew, right? Fans will learn more about these products when they stop by the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day tent at the Krause Family Plaza near Kinnick Stadium tomorrow between 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Those who stop by can register to win $5,000 in free food and $2,500 in free fuel. You can also register online at www.iacornfed.com.

I will be posting updates tomorrow during the game. In the meantime, to get you pumped up for ethanol, watch Jerry Lalor with Fox 100.7 interview the non-talking but ethanol loving Iowa mascot, Herky the Hawk.

Iowa Based Kum & Go Supports Iowa Corn Farmers

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Iowa based Kum & Go is a huge supporter of Iowa farmers. They sell ethanol and they sell products in their store made from corn. In Iowa, 31 of their stations sell E85 and in total 62 of their stations sell E85. In addition, every Kum & Go station offers consumers the choice to choose E10. The company is so passionate about offering consumers ethanol blends at the pump, that they have become a long-term partner with the Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board.

To help better educate consumers about the role Iowa corn farmers play in their everyday lives, the Iowa Corn Growers are in the midst of the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day promotion. As part of this initiative, this past Tuesday, the organizations jointly hosted three pump rallies around Iowa City, Iowa. I spoke with Matt Chase to learn more.

Not only is the promotion is designed to educate consumers about ethanol, but also to educate them about how many everyday products use corn – more than 4,000. But consumers don’t have to worry about having to make a choice between food, products or fuel. Iowa corn farmers, along with corn farmers around the country, are growing enough corn to meet all of our needs. In fact, this year is expected to be another record harvest using less land than in previous years.

You can learn more about food, fuel and products at www.iacornfed.com where you can register to win $5,000 in free food and $2,500 in free fuel. You can also learn more about the uses of corn by visiting the Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board during Saturday’s Iowa State versus Iowa football game in Iowa City. They will have a booth with fun activities set up in the Krause Family Plaza from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm on Saturday, September 11, 2010.

Check out the photos from the pump rally here.

Agriculture: A Growing Story

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“Agriculture: A Growing Story” will be the 2010 topic of the annual Farm-City Week Symposium held at the Lancaster Host Resort in Lancaster, Pa., on Thursday, Nov. 18. The public is invited to attend.

The purpose of this symposium will be to explore friendly methods that can help assist the urban media when preparing news or feature stories that could significantly and negatively impact farmers, ranchers and the many agribusiness industries.

The Symposium begins at 10:30 a.m. EST and will continue until noon. Discussions from 11 a.m. until noon will be broadcast live over the nationally syndicated AgriTalk radio show, hosted by another nationally noted broadcaster, Mike Adams. It will be followed by a lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. with a special speaker.

Symposium participants and the lunch speaker will be announced later.

For more information on the National Farm-City Council Symposium on “Agriculture: A Growing Story,” contact Holly Fritz at 610.621.2253 or holly.fritz@hbfritz.com.

The event kicks off National Farm-City Week from Nov. 19-26.

Iowa Corn Indy 250 Only Race On U.S. Corn Ethanol

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AgWired fans know that I’ve had an opportunity to cover quite a bit of Indy, as in Indy Racing League. In fact, it was the move by the IRL to ethanol as a fuel in their cars that got us started covering what was happening in the renewable fuels industry. This week I get back in action at the Iowa Corn Indy 250 in Newton, IA. I’ll be on location by Thursday with pre-race activities being conducted by the Iowa Corn Promotion Board.

For a preview I spoke with Craig Floss, CEO, Iowa Corn Growers and Iowa Corn Promotion Board. This week’s race is the only one of the season where the fuel is American made corn ethanol. The IRL switched to ethanol from Brazil once there was no longer a Team Ethanol car in the series. However, Iowa Corn Growers have made sure there’s still one race that uses an American product.

Craig says the race has provided Iowa corn growers with a great platform to publish messages about ethanol, food, fuel and the livestock industry all of which are import components of their marketing efforts to make corn “disappear.” This is year four and they’ve come back for more. The name recognition has really increased during that time both in Iowa and nationally.

You can listen to my interview with Craig here.

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