Lots of Trade Talking This Week

Cindy Zimmerman

Since May is World Trade Month, you would think it would be a great time for Congress to pass those pesky pending Free Trade Agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama that have been awaiting approval for years. Several of the nation’s largest agricultural organizations who testified before the House Agriculture Committee this week on why it is so important to …

AFBF, NCBA, NCGA, Trade, USDA

Ethanol Potential in Giant Sweet Potatoes

Cindy Zimmerman

Giant sweet potatoes could help South Carolina get into the ethanol game and provide an alternative crop for farmers to replace tobacco. At the recent International Biomass Conference and Expo in St. Louis, Dr. Janice Ryan-Bohac attracted a lot of attention carrying around a sweet potato the size of a newborn baby. She’s the president of CAREnergy, Carolina Advanced Renewable …

Audio, Biofuels, Ethanol, Farming

Novus Expands Arkansas Feed Supplement Facility

Cindy Zimmerman

A number of dignitaries, including the Governor of Arkansas, helped cut the ribbon Tuesday on a newly expanded and LEED Silver Certified manufacturing facility in Little Rock for Novus International animal feed supplements. The Novus Arkansas site was developed in 2006 to manufacture MHA® feed supplement, a source of methionine, an essential amino acid in premixes and farm feed mills …

Feed, Novus International, Poultry

GROWMARK Associate Program

Cindy Zimmerman

Learning about various aspects of the GROWMARK system and where they might best fit is the goal of the company’s associate program and Heather Miller is working into her third rotation in the program this summer. Heather, pictured here on the left with GROWMARK Publications and News Specialist Karen Jones, has already spent six months in corporate communications, is currently …

Audio, GROWMARK

BASF Stamina F3 Cereals Seed Treatment Receives EPA registration

Cindy Zimmerman

Stamina® F3 Cereals fungicide from BASF Crop Protection has received EPA registration for seed treatment use on small grains, including wheat, barley, rye, oats and triticale. “Stamina F3 Cereals arms our growers with an effective seed treatment for their small grain seedlings,” said Don Guy, Marketing Manager, BASF Cereals Portfolio. “As one of our SeedSolutions treatments in our cereals offering, …

BASF, Seed, Wheat

His Royal Highness, Prince of Sustainability

Cindy Zimmerman

In addition to meeting with President Obama, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales gave the keynote address at “The Future of Food” conference at Georgetown University, sponsored by the Washington Post. Since the prince has “tried to farm as sustainably as possible for some twenty-six years” he was about the closest to an actual farmer that the conference had …

Environment, Sustainability, Wackos

Farmers Suing Army Corps Over Levee Breach

Cindy Zimmerman

Over 100,000 acres of prime southeast Missouri farmland is under water today after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers blew up a levee on the Mississippi River Monday night to save the town of Cairo, Illinois from flooding. The action was taken after attempts to stop it were exhausted by Missouri officials. The picture is a screen shot of the …

Audio, Corn, USDA

Novus Celebrating 20 Years of Innovation with Integrity

Cindy Zimmerman

“Innovation with Integrity” is the theme of the 20th anniversary of Novus International, which is being celebrated around the world this year. “It really is an exciting year,” Novus International Chief Sustainability Officer Joyce Cacho said during the company’s recent “Science in Action” day. “We started celebrating in January in India, we’re currently celebrating in China and we will have …

Audio, Education, Novus International, Video

Amazing Social Media Coverage of Royal Wedding

Cindy Zimmerman

The official social media coverage of the Royal Wedding is impressive and word is that the event set records for an online streaming audience. When I saw on Twitter that the Royal newlywed getaway car was an Aston Martin converted to run on 85 percent ethanol, I was first amazed that there was a biofuels angle to the wedding. When …

Social Networking, Video

Ag Communications Groups United for Japan Relief

Cindy Zimmerman

Ten North American agricultural communications organizations have joined together in an effort to provide support for the people of Japan as a result of the earthquake and tsunami. Through the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ), the American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA) is coordinating the North American effort that also includes: Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) Agricultural Media Summit LLC …

ACN, IFAJ, LPC, NAFB, NAMA