- Agriculture Under Secretary Nancy Johner for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services announced the appointment of Dr. Brian Wansink as the Executive Director of the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP). Dr. Wansink currently serves as the John S. Dyson Professor of Marketing and the Director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab in the Department of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. At CNPP Dr. Wansink will be responsible for overseeing the planning, development and review of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the food pyramid known as MyPyramid.gov and programs including the Healthy Eating Index, the USDA Food Plans, the Nutrient Content of the U.S. Food Supply, and the cost of raising a child.
- Ag Leader Technology, Inc. announced that planter monitoring functionality has been added to the planter control system, SeedCommand. SeedCommand now tracks and logs average population while monitoring seed spacing. A color bar graph and population display provide this information to operators in real-time. These capabilities allow growers using SeedCommand to eliminate planter monitors from their tractor cabs completely – monitoring and controlling necessary planting functions from the InSight™ display. For the 2008 growing season, planter monitoring functionality is available to replace KINZE KPM I, II or III planter monitors.
- William Bradley, a Gallatin County corn grower, is the recipient of the Illinois Corn Growers Association’s (ICGA) top award presented at the organization’s annual meeting Nov. 20, 2007. The World of Corn Award goes to individuals, organizations or businesses for making significant contributions to the corn industry. The special award, now in its 17th year, was created to recognize the global importance of corn, and specifically honor individual pacesetters that have made Illinois a leader in the corn industry.
