Hondo Group - WI office opening: http://thehondogroup.cmail1.com/l/407854/vdioe6/www.hondogroup.com/photoGalleries/darlington/index.html tweeted about an hour ago by Chuck
This evening we had a short reception before heading over to the Alltech Symposium International Dinner. With agriculture becoming such a global business it’s good to see “old friends” who are journalists from countries all over the world.
I only wish I was multi-lingual. Unfortunately, I speak my native language and that’s all she wrote. Fortunately, most of these IFAJ members speak at least some English.
The dedicated IFAJ/AMS planning committee is meeting early this morning to continue planning for the 2009 combined IFAJ Congress and Ag Media Summit. We’ve been reviewing the program and fine tuning things.
Sponsorship packets are almost ready and will be published soon. For those of you who have been AMS sponsors, keep in mind that in 2009 we’re going to be having hundreds of international agricultural journalists coming to the event.
My little part is the IFAJ 2009 Congress website which is up and running. If anyone would like to help, please let me know. Right now I’m seeking input and feedback on the site.
The latest issue of the IFAJ newsletter contains an interesting survey. It’s really just one question, “What dangers do you face in your work as an agricultural journalist or editor?” The choices are:
You may choose more than one answer.
Failing to try new ideas
Budget cuts
Media convergence
Losing journalistic integrity
Freedom of expression
Emergence of new media - blogs, internet news sites etc
No time to look ahead
Physical dangers
Other dangers - please explain
I was kind of taken back at first at the concept of “danger” to agricultural journalism jobs. I took this to mean that someone is afraid. Perhaps afraid that they’ll have a job? I’ve always lived with the idea that there is no such thing as job security, that the only way I can secure an income for myself and my family is to work hard and do the best job I can. Maybe I’m missing something here. I believe we’re in a period of unbelievable opportunity in ag journalism. I don’t care if you’re a freelancer or work for a major corporation. If your job is in jeopardy then be looking for something else because there’s a lot of opportunities out there.
I realize that there may be situations within the IFAJ membership in other countries that I’m not aware of that is prompting this kind of survey. There are still countries where there is no such thing as “freedom of the press” for example. There are countries where physical danger exists just to survive. I can’t even imagine what working in those situations are like. At least here in America I do believe we’ve got it good and the only danger I see is the first choice listed above, “Failing to try new ideas.”
What are your thoughts on this? Feel free to comment.
Yes, pumpkin. They’re big in the part of the world that this year’s IFAJ Congress is taking place. Two countries for the price of one. Listen to this week’s program to find out more. Cindy and I are hoping to attend this year and sample what Dr. Franz Fischler says are some of their exceptional wines.
This morning I talked to Uschi Raser, Austrian Farmers Union, who is one of the organizers of the Congress and represents Austria on the IFAJ Executive Committee. She says it’s really important to interact with ag journalists from other countries to expand your horizons. She says we’ll see how farmers are making a living on small farms, which should be interesting to us Americans. Also, if you register prior to the March 31 early bird deadline you’ll be entered to win one of 4 farm holiday weekends.
This week’s program ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. It’s called “Europa” by Dreamline. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 156 (23 min MP3)
Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:
The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes
Let’s see an even bigger group of United States agricultural journalists and communicators at the 2008 Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists. Next year it’s in Austria/Slovenia and the program looks like it will be great. Here’s the welcome message from the Congress President:
I would like to invite you to the 52nd IFAJ Congress “From the mountains to the sea†to Austria and Slovenia from 10 – 14 September 2008.
These two neighbouring countries will present to you forms of farming in the Heart of Europe which have orientated themselves less by global markets than by quality and sustainment and by partnership with the consumers in the regions. The country and its inhabitants will be the central points of presentation - and we would like to demonstrate this with concrete examples.
I am looking forward to welcome you in Austria and Slovenia in September 2008.
Yours sincerely,
Franz Fischler
President of the Congress
You can find the program here. Online registration will become available after January 1.
We may have just concluded one IFAJ Congress but it’s time to look forward to next year. The man in charge is former EU Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Franz Fischler. He’s chairing IFAJ 2008 and I met him in Japan.
I found Dr. Fischler to be very easy to speak with. He’s got me convinced that Cindy and I should go to Austria and Slovenia next year. I think he’ll convince you too. He says that we’ll get to see how a former communist country has changed and is working to keep the peace and their independence. It sounds like we’ll get some very contrasting looks at agriculture too since we’ll start out in one country and wind up in another.
The program concludes this week with music from the Podsafe Music Network. This week’s song is “Alpaca Cheese” by a Derek K. Miller. Cindy thought it should be polka but I heard enough in the Coliseum last week.
You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 140 (15 min MP3)
Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:
The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes
In this week’s ZimmCast you get to hear from Masaru Yamada, the main coordinator of the IFAJ Congress that just concluded and a number of the American delegates. Masaru is happy with how the event went and I don’t think he’s ready to do it again anytime soon. I can only imagine what it was like to conduct one of these for the first time.
Also included in this week’s program are short interviews with Greg Lamp, Kurt Lawton, Harlan Persinger, Joann Alumbaugh, Diane Johnson, Paul Queck, Den Gardner, Denny McClintic, Billy Frey and Marcia Taylor. I think everyone was surprised by the culture and how many small farms there are in the country as well as some of the problems which include a very aged farmer population.
The program concludes this week with music from the Podsafe Music Network. This week’s song is “Cost Cut Japan” by a group called Reggae Far East.
You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 138 (24 min MP3)
Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:
The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes
At least for a few hours. Once upon a time gunslingers notched their pistol for fights they’d won. Agribloggers just add another lanyard/name badge to the stack.
These are actually just from the last year or so since I start it over once the trophy I’ve got it hanging from falls off the book shelf. Now it’s got a 2007 IFAJ Congress one on top that also has an Alltech pin in it.
I think it took Cindy and me about 27 hours to get back from Japan. Nothing like leaving Sendai on a Sunday. I hope everyone made it home safely regardless of which country you are from.
You can look for some good stuff to come here on AgWired this week. Tomorrow I’ll be on the road again. I’ll be adding a couple more to the stack. See you then.
Here’s a fine looking group of Americans don’t you think?
We numbered 17 of the total in attendance. Maybe next year some more U. S. ag journalists will attend the IFAJ Congress? I interviewed the chairman, Franz Fischler, former Ag Commissioner for the EU and will be posting that later. He provides an overview of what we can expect and it sounds like it’s going to be a great event just like here in Japan.
Today we’ve got to take a cab to a train, train to Tokyo, pick up our bags from a hotel at the Tokyo train station and take a bus from there to the airport.
Since it will be a while before I’m back online I want to thank Masaru Yamada and all the Japanese delegation that worked so hard to put on this Congress and host people from so many countries. We learned a lot. I also interviewed most of our group here and will be posting their comments in my ZimmCast which should be up tomorrow.
The IFAJ Congress is over and we’re about to head on out for the long trek home. Here’s the ceremonial passing of the IFAJ flag from the Japanese to the Austrians.
Our events yesterday were held in different locations without me being able to get online again. So, I’ll be working up some posts with interviews and some video clips on the way home to post later.
In the meantime there’s about 450 photos in the photo album you can enjoy.
Today we had a free morning to shop or just plain relax here in Sendai. Our IFAJ Congress is coming to a close with tonight’s final reception. I’ll have some more posting to do which might have to wait until I’m home. Tomorrow is a travel day. The photo album is up to date though.
This afternoon we were bussed to the Sendai City Welfare Plaza for the International Symposium, “Japan’s Food and Agriculture From a Global Perspective.” Cindy was a participant in the first panel discussion. She’s seated 2nd from the right. She got to ask a question about biofuels which was answered mostly by Kazunuki Ahizumi, Professor, Miyagi University. He was sort of the featured 1st speaker on the program.
I’ll have more on the day’s activities later. For now though I’ve got to get moving to the final reception.
Here is our group from the United States at the IFAJ Congress in the lobby of the Sendai Excel Hotel doing some arts and crafts.
We were preparing our bottle opener presents to be given out to the group in preparation for our hosting of the 2009 Congress in Fort Worth, Texas. They are very nice boot-shaped openers with tags on them urging people to “saddle up.” The congress will be held July 29 - August 5, 2009 in conjunction with the Ag Media Summit. Next year’s IFAJ Congress will be in Austria and Slovenia. Looks like it will be beautiful and fascinating.
Chuck is busy right now out shopping at the “Bass Pro Shop” of electronics stores. We will have an international symposium this afternoon and tonight is our final farewell party. Tomorrow we head back to the United States and I am ready to get back home.
Cindy and I have had a very relaxing stay in Sendai the past two days. We’ve wandered around town, including the Sun Mall Ichibancho. It’s a big shopping mall that goes on for blocks in every direction.
This big clock plays music on the hour and the doors open and things move. I don’t know what it meant but it was interesting to say the least.
We also visited the Yodobashi Camera Store next to the Sendai Train Station. Think Bass Pro Shop of electronics stores. I’m going to try to get a group to go over tomorrow morning for a little shopping venture.
We’re talking two stories of nothing but all the electronics gadgets you could dream of and can’t even find anywhere else and they stock it. I think a couple of the people in our group are hoping to purchase a camera while they’re here. This is the place to go.
This is one of the workers at the Furukawa Agricultural Research Center. He was posing for us ag journalists so I’ve got to post him for you.
Cindy and I both like rice and we’ve noticed that people do eat it for breakfast as well as other meals during the day. It mostly seems to be white rice and not what we call “wild” rice which raises a nutrition question I would think. We’ve been hearing a lot about nutrition concerns during our trip and this might be something that people are going to have to deal with if they want to improve their diet. I guess this is a worldwide issue.
This post kind of gets me caught up for now. We’re going to be joining people for dinner tonight as they return from their various tours that started yesterday. I’m hoping to obtain some photos from each one to share in the photo album too.
Cindy just got done being interviewed by the main organizer of the Congress here, Masaru Yamada. It was interesting listening in while I was doing my posts. He was especially interested in Cindy’s thoughts on policy since she was just at EU headquarters in Brussels last week.
I interviewed Yoshisada Nogasaka, Research Team for Farm Machinery and Systems for NARC, the National Agricultural Research Center. He’s the guy who’s developing the software to run the prototype Autonomous Rice Transplanter we saw on demonstration at the Furukawa Agricultural Research Center. This guy is enthusiastic to say the least. He says that when he demonstrates this thing on a farm the farmer asks, “Can you leave it here on my farm?” They’re really looking forward to it but they’ll have some waiting to do. He says it could be up to 10 years before commercial production.
During our visit to the Tokyo University of Agriculture we attended a press conference with Mr. Masanori Sato, Director General in charge of International Affairs, Japan Ministry of Agriculture.
I’ve got a video of his presentation so you can see him make a statement and then listen to the interpreter. In this segment he talks about the dietary policy and situation with Japanese consumers. I was interested to find out that Japan only supplies about 40 percent of their food needs. This is obviously of concern when it comes to trade. The presentation didn’t leave much time for Q&A, which might have been a good thing considering the turmoil recently in the Ministry. Primarily he gave an overview of Japanese agriculture.
This is the way people have transplanted rice into paddies for who knows how long. That’s changed a lot now that machinery has been built to make the task much easier and faster.
When I interviewed one of the officials with the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization he asked me why man invented machines. I was stumped so he answered for me. “To do the work for us.” Right. And when it comes to this type of work I can see why you’d want a machine. The mud in the field is necessary but looked difficult to walk in.
We got to watch a demonstration of a machine with a man at the wheel but the main attraction was a prototype of a new GPS-guided planter. I’ll have more on that in another post.
One thing is obvious and that is that what we call precision ag is making it’s way around the world with applications in all types of farming. This stop at the Furukawa Agricultural Research Station was the highlight of our long travel day.
We moved on from Tokyo to Sendai via Furukawa on Wednesday. Moving a couple hundred people through a crowded train station is not an easy task. The Japanese journalists helped out though by stationing themselves at various places with signs pointing us to the right track.
Our train ride was very nice. Somehow the beverage cart only made it halfway through our car before it ran out of beer though. I hate it when that happens!
We stopped at Furukawa and transferred to buses for the visit to the ag research facility there.
To help demonstrate how import rice is to the Japanese culture we visited the Gohan Museum in Tokyo.
Cindy and I got our picture taken thanks to Kurt Lawton. Inside the museum they had a video presentation that ran continuously showing rice production. There were displays showing various ways rice is cooked and presented. And of course there was the museum gift shop.
Laura McNamara attended the Roadrunner Turbo Indy 300 in Kansas City, MO. Check out her pictures from race day.
Milk Producer Issues
In this week's program you get to meet Sarah Olson, Communications Coordinator for the National Milk Producers Federation.
Sarah says that the farm bill has been their number 1 issue lately but immigration will be a big one. She says that they're looking at blogs as they look to the future of communications.
The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists has a contingent here at the Alltech Symposium in Lexington, KY.
The dedicated IFAJ/AMS planning committee is meeting early this morning to continue planning for the 2009 combined 
The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists now has entries open for their annual Star Prize for Agricultural Photography.
The latest issue of the IFAJ newsletter contains an interesting survey. It’s really just one question, “What dangers do you face in your work as an agricultural journalist or editor?” The choices are:
Yes, pumpkin. They’re big in the part of the world that this year’s IFAJ Congress is taking place. Two countries for the price of one. Listen to this week’s program to find out more. Cindy and I are hoping to attend this year and sample what Dr. Franz Fischler says are some of their exceptional wines.
This morning I talked to Uschi Raser, 
convince you too. He says that we’ll get to see how a former communist country has changed and is working to keep the peace and their independence. It sounds like we’ll get some very contrasting looks at agriculture too since we’ll start out in one country and wind up in another.
At least for a few hours. Once upon a time gunslingers notched their pistol for fights they’d won. Agribloggers just add another lanyard/name badge to the stack.
Here’s a fine looking group of Americans don’t you think?
The IFAJ Congress is over and we’re about to head on out for the long trek home. Here’s the ceremonial passing of the IFAJ flag from the Japanese to the Austrians.
Today we had a free morning to shop or just plain relax here in Sendai. Our IFAJ Congress is coming to a close with tonight’s final reception. I’ll have some more posting to do which might have to wait until I’m home. Tomorrow is a travel day. The photo album is up to date though.
Here is our group from the United States at the IFAJ Congress in the lobby of the Sendai Excel Hotel doing some arts and crafts. 
Cindy and I have had a very relaxing stay in Sendai the past two days. We’ve wandered around town, including the Sun Mall Ichibancho. It’s a big shopping mall that goes on for blocks in every direction.
This is one of the workers at the Furukawa Agricultural Research Center. He was posing for us ag journalists so I’ve got to post him for you.
Precision agriculture is hitting the rice industry in Japan. At least it’s in R&D now at the 
During our visit to the Tokyo University of Agriculture we attended a press conference with Mr. Masanori Sato, Director General in charge of International Affairs, Japan Ministry of Agriculture. 
This is the way people have transplanted rice into paddies for who knows how long. That’s changed a lot now that machinery has been built to make the task much easier and faster.
We got to watch a demonstration of a machine with a man at the wheel but the main attraction was a prototype of a new GPS-guided planter. I’ll have more on that in another post.
We moved on from Tokyo to Sendai via Furukawa on Wednesday. Moving a couple hundred people through a crowded train station is not an easy task. The Japanese journalists helped out though by stationing themselves at various places with signs pointing us to the right track.
To help demonstrate how import rice is to the Japanese culture we visited the 
In this week's program you get to meet Sarah Olson, Communications Coordinator for the National Milk Producers Federation.
