Team Beef members compete in a variety of activities like the Boston Marathon which demonstrate the value of beef as a nutrition source. In addition to Team Beef members competing in Boston this year, the National Beef Ambassadors were also on hand. I was very glad to learn that our Ambassadors had left shortly before the tragedy that happened there …
Shuanghui International to Purchase Smithfield Foods
We’re talking a lot of pork in this deal. See the full release here. Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NYSE:SFD) and Shuanghui International Holdings Limited today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement that values Smithfield at approximately US$7.1 billion, including the assumption of Smithfield’s net debt. Shuanghui International is the majority shareholder of Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development …
IFAJ Media Tour to Uganda
A select few members of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists have an opportunity to travel to Uganda this November on a tour. Following the great success of the Kenya tour in 2012, IFAJ and AgriCord/Agriterra are proud to offer 15 IFAJ journalists again the opportunity to have a first-hand look at farm issues in the developing world. By organizing …
LMA 50th Convention & Auctioneer Championship
My first ever Livestock Marketing Association’s Annual Convention and World Livestock Auctioneer Championship looks to be a golden one in Montgomery, AL. I’ll not only be covering the event but will be participating in the judging. So plan to follow along with me as we plow new ground along the agriblogging highway. For half a century, the Livestock Marketing Association …
Syngenta Launches Clariva Seed Treatment
The first product from Syngenta’s acquisition of Pasteuria Bioscience, Clariva, has been launched and will be available in the U.S. next year. Syngenta announced today the launch of CLARIVA™, a proprietary seed treatment nematicide based on the Pasteuria technology acquired in 2012. CLARIVA consists of naturally occurring soil bacteria with a unique, direct mode of action on nematodes: microscopic worm-shaped …
Last Call to Apply for 2013 Agvocacy 2.0 Conference
Today is your last day to send in an application for the coolest conference on how to agvocate – the 2013 National AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 Conference. Actually, it’s really the only conference all about agvocating! Can you believe this is the 4th Annual? And it’s going to be “the best ever.” During the Alltech International Symposium I spoke with @DairyCarrie …
Crisis Management Training at Alltech Symposium
Is your farm or company ready to handle a crisis? Unfortunately, in today’s world the possibility of having to deal with one has become very high. During the 2013 Alltech International Symposium attendees could get some hands on training during a session on Crisis Management. I worked with one of the session presenters, David Wescott, VP, APCO Worldwide. He created …
Reaction to COOL Decision
USDA has issued the final rule for mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), including an amendment to the regulations for muscle cut covered commodities derived from animals slaughtered in the United States. The decision pleased some livestock organizations, but disappointed others. “We are deeply disappointed with this short-sighted action by the USDA,”said National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Scott George. …
Alltech Lyons Glimpse the Future
A pair of Dr. Lyons bid us goodbye from the 2013 Alltech International Symposium. Here are son/father, Dr. Mark Lyons and Dr. Pearse Lyons. Dr. Mark Lyons, vice president of corporate affairs at Alltech, talked to us about the importance of food safety as he shared the company’s vision for helping expand agricultural production in China. According to Lyons, food …
Alltech Symposium Tweetup
It was tweetup time at the Alltech International Symposium last night at the Lexington Brewing location downtown. We had a big crowd show up to meet each other in person and enjoy some fun and fellowship. Alltech played a lot of what I would call farmer agvocacy film clips, many of which I had never seen. Most were funny and …