The Chair for this year’s International Federation of Agricultural Journalists 2010 Confress is Jef Verhaeren. I spoke with him via Skype to get a preview of the conference before I get there later this week. I’ll be rolling in to Ostend, Belgium on the weekend. I first met Jef years ago at the Green Week event in Berlin and we’ve stayed in touch ever since.

One of the things I asked him about was the opening “beach animation.” The hotel we’ll be in is on the beach and apparently this event involves very large horses. I’ll know more on Saturday evening!

Jef says the theme of this year’s Congress, Between Passion and Pressure, is to reflect the fact that agriculture all over the world is facing a lot of pressure and that you have to be passionate to stay in it and keep at it. He says that’s especially true in difficult times.

My coverage of this year’s IFAJ Congress is being sponsored once again by Pioneer Hi-Bred and Novus International. Thank you sponsors for making it possible.

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsors, Novus International, and Leica Geosytems for their support.

You can listen to this week’s ZimmCast below.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our a Subscribe page.