Agriculture is an industry in Africa that’s poised to flourish… if the U.S. would simply get involved. That’s what the Corporate Council on Africa believes and that’s why it’s hosting the 2008 U.S. Africa Agribusiness Forum in partnership with the World Trade Center Illinois. CCA President and CEO Stephen Hayes says his organization has been the voice for the vision …
Courting Commerce between Africa and the U.S.
People from all walks of life, as World Trade Center Illinois Agribusiness Director Chuck Hartke puts it, are gathering in a first-of-its-kind forum in Chicago this week in an effort to grow agricultural exchange and commerce between the U.S. and Africa. Chuck says the 300 participants of the 2008 U.S. Africa Agribusiness Forum have come together to explore how America …
From African Farm to American Fork
The Corporate Council on Africa wants U.S. investors to realize their potential in African agribusiness opportunities. That’s why the CCA is showcasing the African food value-chain at the 2008 U.S. Africa Agribusiness Forum. The CCA wants public and private sectors alike to cross borders and bring “farm to fork.” I’ll be covering the forum here at the Hyatt Regency in …
Help Flooded Farmers in the Midwest
Willie Nelson is sending out pleas for help. He’s calling for donations to help family farmers that are being devastated by severe weather and flooding in the Midwest. Severe weather in nine Midwestern states is devastating family farmers. Disastrous floods in Iowa and Wisconsin have hit farmers especially hard–more than 30 counties in Iowa alone have already been declared federal …
Take a Seat at Farm Technology Days
Wisconsin’s largest outdoor farm show now has ample seating for attendees. As part of a lesson in mass production, Wrightstown High School Tech produced 50 park benches in one day. The benches will be used at the 2008 Wisconsin Farm Technology Days held July 15-17, 2008, at Country Aire Farms. “These benches were hand made out of treated lumber – …
MobileDemand Outfits Dairy with Rugged Field PC
The technology behind farm machinery, such as tractors and sprayers, is continually becoming more streamlined with advances in computer and software innovation. So, why not livestock? MobileDemand is a rugged tablet PC manufacturer based out of Idaho and they’ve just put the power of the PC in the hands of the field staff at Wendell, Idaho’s Box Canyon Dairy. MobileDemand …
Travel and BBQ Go Together
The online travel agency CheapTickets.com is bringing consumers the best in barbecue and travel this summer. The agency has teamed up with Rick Browne, host of PBS’ Barbecue America, to launch bbq.cheaptickets.com. The new site, which features a blog written by Browne exclusively for CheapTickets, reveals undiscovered BBQ destinations around the U.S. In his blog, Browne highlights lesser known, but …
Dog Wild for Hot Dogs
Okay. So who knew just how crazy Americans are for hot dogs? I didn’t. Apparently, Hatfield Quality Meats does. The family-owned meat company says on July 4th alone, Americans will chow down on 150 million hot dogs. That’s enough hot dogs, the company says, to stretch from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles… five times over. That’s just one day. Hatfield …
Deere Goes Greener
Deere equipment isn’t the only thing that’s green about John Deere. The ag company has announced its plans to reduce its total global greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent per dollar of revenue from 2005 to 2014. The company has committed to the reduction goal in conjunction with its participation in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leaders program, which …
Deere Funds Innovation Center
A $1 million grant from John Deere will fund the development of a new John Deere Technology Innovation Center at the University of Illinois. Illini students and faculty will use the center for studies and research in agriculture, business, engineering and information technology. The new facility, which is expected to be ready by July, is located in the University Research …