It’s time for one of the best shows of the year, the 2013 Alltech International Symposium. Maggie Seiler, ZimmComm summer intern, and I are on our way. This is a fantastic event for a (perhaps) future agriblogger to jump right into the waters. We’ll kick off our Symposium adventure this evening at the International Welcome Reception and Dinner, featuring world …
Dear World: Agriculture
Robert Fogarty, photographer and founder of Dear World, may not think he’s changing the world but I might disagree. He takes pictures of people who are changing the world but in the process he’s doing his part to do the same. So who is Robert Fogarty and what is Dear World? We aren’t changing the world, but we take pictures …
Monsanto Names 2013 Farm Mom of the Year
Betty Rosson, a Virginia grain and cattle farmer, is Monsanto’s 2013 America’s Farmers Mom of the Year. Betty’s nomination, submitted by son Charles, was chosen by judges of American Agri-Women as regional winner for the Southeast. Online voting was conducted in early May, during which time anyone could visit AmericasFarmers.com, read regional winners’ nominations and cast a vote for one …
Supreme Court Rules for Monsanto
The Supreme Court today ruled unanimously to protect the intellectual property rights of Monsanto‘s genetically modified soybean seed. The U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Bowman v. Monsanto, a case regarding an Indiana farmer who planted saved Roundup Ready soybean seed, ruling that “patent exhaustion does not permit a farmer to reproduce patented seeds through planting and harvesting …
Syngenta Builds on Garst® Seed Legacy
Even as the Syngenta-owned Garst and Golden Harvest® brands are being launched under the revised Golden Harvest brand, Syngenta intends to uphold the quality, reliability and legacy that have become synonymous with the Garst brand and the Garst Seed Advisor. “Roswell Garst’s commitment to customers – to be a trusted advisor in addition to a seed dealer – is the …
BASF to Produce Renewable BDO
BASF plans to begin production of 1,4-butanediol based on renewable feedstock (renewable BDO) using the patented process of California-based company Genomatica. The one-step fermentation process is based on sugars as a renewable feedstock. BDO and its derivatives are widely used for producing plastics, solvents, electronic chemicals and elastic fibers. The starting materials for the production of conventional BDO are natural …
Sharing Media Ideas with Farm Credit
Here’s the “Meet the New Media” panel at the 2013 Farm Credit Idea Share. More on that in a moment. But first, to learn more about Idea Share, I spoke with Leigh Picchetti, Senior VP, Communications, Farm Credit Reputation Management Program. She says, “Idea Share is an annual meeting for Farm Credit System employees who have a responsibility within their …
Studying Affects of Weather and Climate on Cattle
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded $19.5 million to support research, education and Extension activities associated with climate solutions in agriculture aimed at the impacts of climate variability and change on dairy and beef cattle. USDA remains focused on carrying out its mission, despite a time of significant budget uncertainty. The announcement is one part of the Department’s efforts …
Purina Launches Cool Cow App
The Cool Cow mobile app puts the tools dairy producers need to monitor and address heat stress at their fingertips. Research shows that cows can begin to show the effects of heat stress at a Temperature Humidity Index or THI of 68. Reproduction can be impacted at a THI of 55.[1] Heat stress and an associated 10 percent to 35 …
New Format for Beltwide Cotton Conference
The National Cotton Council coordinated Beltwide Cotton Conferences has a new format that no longer includes the production conference component but continues the forum’s technical conferences and adds emphasis to the consultant’s conference. The 2014 Beltwide Cotton Conferences, set for January 6-8 at the New Orleans Marriott Hotel, will include a half-day Cotton Consultants Conference and the day and a …