Maple Leaf Meats in Brandon gearing for twin shifts….

Harry Siemens

mapleleaflogo.gifWith the addition of a second shift at its Brandon, Man processing plant, Maple Leaf Foods will ramp up in slaughter capacity over the next six to eight weeks. According to Maple Leaf spokesperson Jeanette Jones, the current hog slaughter capacity of 45,000 to 50,000 hogs per week will climb to at least 75,000 per week by the end of October.harry-siemens-2.JPG

Here is Harry’s audio commentary on this issue. ss091007mav.mp3

Part of the increase in hog numbers will come as Maple Leaf continues with its stated plan to close processing facilities in other parts of the country – including its Marion Street facility in Winnipeg, which is scheduled to close Oct. 26 – and consolidate operations in Brandon.

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Audio, International

Equipment Trader Insider Blog

Chuck Zimmerman

Equipment Trader OnlineI noticed recently that Equipment Trader has a blog called the Equipment Trader Insider.

In fact, their blog was one of many to pick up on AgWired coverage of the Farm Progress Show. They also linked to some other bloggers covering the show like Karlie Elliott, who is a junior at the University of Illinois, majoring in Agricultural Communications. She was there doing it for Monsanto. Monsanto also had Shane Roethle, Agronomist, blogging about their exhibit. What a concept. A company blogging about their activities. Who’d have thought that possible? Hmm?

Agribusiness, Equipment

Ethanol Wins IndyCar Season

Chuck Zimmerman

Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 and IndyCar Series Champion Canadian Club Driver Dario FranchittiWell, the 2007 IndyCar series is over and as we’ve been saying all season, “ethanol won.” I hope you had a chance to watch some of Laura’s coverage over on Domestic Fuel. She did a great job posting 31 times with most posts containing interviews. She’s also got 179 photos online in her photo album. Thanks to the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council for once again sponsoring our event coverage.

Obviously she was in victory lane after the race too. Here’s her take on the winner:

Just one word is fitting for Canadian Club Driver Dario Franchitti: Champion. Dario cinched the the 2007 Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 after Scott Dixon fell behind the Scottish driver in the last few hundred feet of the race after racing with Dario neck and neck. The win also secured Dario the 2007 IndyCar Series Title. The Andretti Green Racing teammate also won the Indy 500, the Iowa Indy 250 and the Richmond Indy Challenge, where he set both a track record and an IRL record. Rumor has it Dario will be switching to stock cars next season. A report on Yahoo.com confirms that sources say Canadian Club will replace Coors Light as the sponsor for Ganassi’s No. 40 Dodge in NASCAR and Dario will make the switch with Canadian Club. After winning the Championship Sunday, Dario consistently dodged questions about the move.

Listen to a clip of Dario’s comments at Victory Lane here:

Franchitti_Dario2.mp3

Listen to Dario’s comments about the race here:

Franchitti_Dario.mp3

Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 Photo Album

Ethanol

Off to Deutschland

Cindy Zimmerman

BASF logoWhile Laura is heading back from Chicagoland, I am heading off to Deutschland – Germany, that is. Just getting in the mood. I mean, who calls it Deutschland anyway, except the people who live there?

The trip is a ag media tour of BASF with about six other American ag journalists. We will be flying in to Frankfort and visiting in an around Limburgerhof, where the BASF headquarters is located. Later in the week, the group will be going to Brussels, Belgium to visit with EU ag officials at the European Parliament.

BarcanI started getting in the mood for the BASF trip last week at the National Institute for Animal Agriculture ID/INFO Expo in Kansas City where traceability was the topic and one of the presenters was Cristian Barcan with BASF’s traceability project. He spoke on Quantifiable Food Safety and Measurable Sustainability with the Help of a Whole-Chain Traceability Network and why that is important to a company like BASF which makes ingredients for fish and livestock feed, among many other things.

Listen to my interview with Cristian here:
niaa-expo-07-barcan.mp3

I do leave on September 10 and scheduled to arrive in Frankfurt on 9-11, so I was happy that the German authorities were on their toes and caught those alleged terrorists with plans to bomb that airport!

Agribusiness, Animal Health, Audio, BASF

I Stand at the Crossroads

Harry Siemens

img_3942.jpgHarry Siemens – There comes a time in one’s life when you have to stand up and take notice. I’m at such a point in my life right now. I found out on August 14, that three possibly four of my arteries to my heart are blocked from75 to 95 percent. That was the message Dr. Hussain gave me when I woke up after the angiogram that he had just performed at the St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Go home and take it easy because your heart is in good shape, but your arteries are not, so don’t do anything silly until we can get you an appointment with a heart surgeon.Read More

International

Jenny Pickett New NAMA EVP/CEO

Chuck Zimmerman

NAMA 50NAMA has a new Executive Vice President/CEO and we want to congratulate her. NAMA president Stephanie Gable says it best in her announcement. Way to go Jenny!

Dear NAMA Member:

I am pleased to announce effective September 15, 2007, Jennifer Pickett will assume responsibilities of Executive Vice President/CEO of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA). Jenny is an accomplished not-for-profit professional with more than 16 years of executive leadership experience and a comprehensive understanding of the agricultural industry.

We conducted an extensive search for the new NAMA Executive Vice-President/CEO that resulted in a highly qualified pool of 70 applicants. It was Jenny’s combination of skills, experience and forward-thinking ideas that made her the most convincing choice for the position. We’re excited to work with Jenny in her new role and believe she can help the organization adapt as we continue to focus on the changing needs of our members.
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NAMA

Off to Chicagoland

Laura McNamara

Team Ethanol IndyCar Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay Those of you who’ve been keeping up to speed with the Indy Racing League know that the league is rounding out its 2007 season at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, IL this weekend. I’m here at the track covering the close of a landmark year for Team Ethanol and the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. All IndyCars have been running on 100% ethanol fuel throughout the season. It’ll be interesting to see how the league, Epic and the IndyCar drivers finish up the the first fully-powered ethanol season.

If you want to keep track of my coverage you can find it on energy.agwired.com.

Thursday EPIC held another ethanol pump promotion to educate consumers about E10 and E85 ethanol fuel blends. Team Ethanol’s new IndyCar Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay greeted consumers at Gas City in Joliet and doled out autographs and even a couple of race day tickets.

You can listen to my interview with Ryan here:
Hunter-Reay_Ryan.mp3

Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 Photo Album

Audio, Ethanol

Husker Harvest Days Turns 30

Chuck Zimmerman

Husker Harvest DaysI’ve been asked by several people if I’ll be attending Husker Harvest Days. Wish I could but I’ll be conducting a new media training class for ag communications grad students at the University of Guelph. This will be the big 3-0 for the show.

Husker Harvest Days has a special memory for me because I attended on September 11 in 2001. I remember driving there from Omaha, NE with Kim Lang who was my boss at the time when I worked for DTN. We had the radio on kind of low in the car that morning and weren’t really paying any attention. When we got to the show and walked in one of the first places I walked up to was a booth that had a tv and a growing crowd around it. I walked up wondering what was going on and like everyone else I was horrified and glued to the screen from that moment on. I think it was an Army recruitment booth if I remember correctly. By late in the day I think most of the booths there had acquired a tv to follow the events.

We drove back to Omaha the same day that President Bush landed there at the Air Force base. I think he had left by the time we got back. I then drove home to Missouri and kept looking at the skies, especially when I passed Kansas City International airport. It was eerie not to see planes flying.

So, I’ll miss the show this year but I’ll be flying to Toronto next Tuesday. I feel very safe doing so by the way.

Farm Shows

Zimfo Bites

Melissa Sandfort

  • DEKALB has announced the launch of DEKALB WingWear, a clothing line featuring custom-designed graphic apparel and accessories for young men and women ages 15 to 24. A portion of all DEKALB WingWear proceeds will be donated to help fund a new DEKALB Ag Youth Scholarship for high school and collegiate students pursuing agriculture-related degrees. Ten students will be awarded a $2,500 DEKALB Ag Youth Scholarship; all scholarship dollars will be administered via the National FFA.
  • Pioneer introduces 21 new High Total Fermentable (HTF) ethanol hybrids for 2008 planting for growers looking for more bushels per acre and more ethanol per bushel. These hybrids deliver higher levels of fermentable starch, resulting in higher ethanol output. Currently, Pioneer has more than 180 HTF-designated hybrids available across a wide range of maturities. In addition, many Pioneer HTF ethanol hybrids contain the Herculex I or Herculex XTRA insect protection traits which reduce insect damage to grain and prevent molds and mycotoxins. This helps maximize grain yields and ensures a more consistent supply of high-quality grain.
  • Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns reappointed one member and appointed one member and two alternates to serve on the National Peanut Board. The terms for all of the appointees will run from Jan. 1, 2008 to Dec. 31, 2010. More information on USDA Research and Promotion Programs, can be found here. Secretary Johanns also announced 33 appointments and three alternate appointments to the United Soybean Board. All appointees will serve three-year terms, beginning December 2007. Click here for a complete list of appointees.
Uncategorized

FAZD Provides FMD Information

Chuck Zimmerman

FAZD WebsiteIn case you don’t know much about foot and mouth disease there’s a new website with all the information. It’s produced by the National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease at Texas A&M University.

As a Department of Homeland Security National Center of Excellence, the National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense is focused upon the development and application of integrated transcending methods and capabilities that specifically address priority areas set by the Department of Homeland Security. It is a key and active participant in the evolution of the national network of collaborating and cooperating universities, national and federal assets, and private sector partners.

You’ll find some good Q&A on the topic among other things. I’m not sure what “transcending methods and capabilities” are but I’m sure they do them well.

University