Even though the word “crisis” is being used liberally here at the World Food Prize Norman Borlaug Symposium, there is a great deal of focus on solutions to feeding a growing global population. The “Global Agricultural Crisis of the 21st Century” was the topic of the keynote speaker for the symposium kickoff, Sir Gordon Conway, who is chief scientific adviser …
Charging Ahead in a Transitioning Bioeconomy
How we develop rural jobs as the country moves to a bioeconomy was the latest subject tackled today at the Farm Foundation’s Transition to a Bioeconomy: Environmental and Rural Impacts Conference in St. Louis. One of the key speakers during this session was USDA’s Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas Dorr, who talked about how we need to move forward …
Roasted Corn Makes You Grin From Ear To Ear
When it comes to farm show food booths, one that’s getting a lot of business at Sunbelt Ag Expo is Roasted Corn. Ron is the roasting man and I found him early in the morning before things got busy. He cooks with propane and says he does about 75 ears at a time. He like the combination of yellow and …
World Food Prize Press Room
This is Justin Cremer, director of communications for the World Food Prize, at the door of the press room. Not too many media types here yet – more will be on hand for the bigger events, like the Laureate’s Forum tonight and the actual presentation of the World Food Prize on Thursday. One person who is here is Susan Carter …
World Food Prize Events Underway
The World Food Prize Norman E. Borlaug International Symposium is getting underway here in Des Moines with a couple of side seminars early this morning. The opening ceremony takes place at 1 pm central time. One of this morning’s seminars was hosted by USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service, and since we didn’t have a speaker program for that event, I was …
Zimfo Bytes
A recent survey (2008 Intern and New Grad Benchmark Report) of agriculture interns and new graduates released by AgCareers.com provides university and industry professionals with compensation information such as salaries, intern housing costs and relocation packages. This was the first year for the survey, but AgCareers.com is planning to conduct the survey on an annual basis. If you are interested …
Transition to a Bioeconomy About to Begin
The latest in a series of Farm Foundation-sponsored meetings on how to transition the country to a bioeconomy is about to get underway this morning in St. Louis, Mo. Transition to a Bio Economy: Environmental and Rural Development Impacts is taking place at the Hyatt Regency-Union Station today and tomorrow, and your intrepid blogger will be here to update you …
New T4000 Orchard Tractors From New Holland
Peach and blueberry growers just got a new tractor option from New Holland. I met with Andy Reinert, Mid-Range Tractor Marketing Manager, and learned all about it. He says the Sunbelt Ag Expo is the first place they’ve displayed the new tractor in the U. S. It’s got more power (comes in 62 to 82HP) and he says growers will …
Tyron Spearman is Sunbelt Media Mogul
When you come to the Sunbelt Ag Expo media room you experience Tyronny. At least that’s what I’m calling it when Tyron Spearman is in charge. I’ve known Tyron for a long time but hadn’t seen him in years since I haven’t been in the southeast much. He’s been involved with every Sunbelt Ag Expo (31 years). When I spoke …
Flame Your Pests Away
One of the companies exhibiting products in the Georgia Propane Gas Association building here at Sunbelt Ag Expo is Flame Engineering. They’ve got a full line of Red Dragon agricultural products. Red Dragon Agricultural Flamers kill unwanted weeds and grasses, break down old growth to make room for new, destroy insect habitat and provide safe & effective control without the …