The United Soybean Board is focused on the customers who use soy products – whether feed or food, fuel or new products – and that is what the USB Biobased Products Stakeholders’ Dialogue in Washington DC this week is all about. “Everything’s about the customer,” said USB director John Motter of Ohio, who is chairman of the checkoff group’s Customer …
Farm Tour Increases Agritourism in South Carolina
On June 21-21 four counties in South Carolina will host the 2014 Catawba Regional Ag + Art Tour. It’s the largest free farm tour in the nation with 48 sites along the tour. It’s a self-guided tour of farms featuring local artisans at each stop, and it’s the only farm tour in South Carolina that features artisans. “Participants on the …
Past and Present USDA Deputies at USB Event
The current and former Deputy Secretaries of Agriculture were together on Tuesday in Washington DC at the United Soybean Board Biobased Products Stakeholders Dialogue. It is being held at George Washington University where Kathleen Merrigan now serves as Director of Sustainability and she was pleased to host her successor Krysta Harden as keynote speaker at the event. Both Harden and …
ASTA Distinguished Service Awards
Two individuals were honored for their distinguished service to the seed industry at the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) annual meeting last week. June Blalock retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service in April of this year, after having served as the technology licensing program coordinator in the ARS Office of Technology Transfer for more than years. …
High Standards Required for Food Marketing
Recent Food Dialogues panelist Clarke Caywood (left), Professor, Integrated Marketing Communications Dept., Northwestern University, has some interesting perspectives when it comes to the topic of “Integrity in Food Marketing. I visited with Clarke prior to the start of last week’s program and asked him what that subject means to him. He says it has a lot of legal as well …
Next NAMA Webinar
This one is titled, “Why You Don’t Work in Agriculture Anymore.” It will be held on June 26, 2pm eastern, for 1 hours. Cost is $50. Register here. Today, consumer perceptions about everything from animal welfare and antibiotics to GMOs and government regulations can have a substantial impact on farming operations of all kinds and sizes. If agricultural marketers hope …
Zimfo Bytes
The National Corn Growers Association is now seeking well-qualified candidates for the position of Chief Executive Officer. In a recent election at the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST), Dr. Mark Armfelt was chosen as the President-Elect for 2014-2015. On the five year anniversary of the opening of the BioResearch and Development Growth (BRDG) Park, has announced that, it …
Secretary Vilsack Talks T-TIP in Europe
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is in Brussels today starting a week-long trip to Europe to meet with European agricultural and trade officials and other industry stakeholders. In addition to Brussels, Vilsack will visit with officials in Luxembourg, Paris, and Dublin. While overseas, Vilsack will discuss the expansion of agricultural trade, the importance of agriculture’s role in the U.S.-European Union (EU) …
BASF Panel on Future of Food and Agriculture
The Future of Food and Agriculture was the focus of a panel at the BASF Ag Media Summit last week in North Carolina, moderated by one and only Max Armstrong. Members of the panel included (left to right): Brazilian farmer Aurelio Pavinato, celebrity chef Cat Cora, North Carolina producer Bo Stone, Futurist.com founder Dr. Glen Heimstra, and University of California …
FuSE Celebrates 10 Years of Training Young Seed Execs
During the 131st American Seed Trade Association’s Annual Convention in Indianapolis, IN. the Future Seed Executives (FuSE) held a joint FuSE/Management Skills committee meeting focused on the Power of Inclusive Leadership. I spoke with FuSE founder and Vice President, Business Development for Gro Alliance, Jim Schweigert, and he shared what lead him to start this group for young professionals in …