My first stop after registering for the Alltech Symposium was the tour of their new Winchester, KY Algae plant. Here’s one of the many tour groups getting to see the facility in action today. The company purchased the plant late last year and is in the process of fully converting it into a scaled-down replica of a large production system …
GROWMARK Propane
Here’s the latest installment of our “Getting To Know GROWMARK” series. I talked propane with Randy Miller, Director of Propane Operations. He says that they’ve been marketing propane for years with grain drying being a big part of their business. Home heat is also important. They’ve expanded their territory significantly, including into the northeast. Randy says that propane is a …
Ready To Change The Game At Alltech Symposium
It’s almost time for the 2011 Alltech Symposium. I’m headed that way tomorrow so you’ll see coverage of this fantastic event on AgWired starting Sunday afternoon. Here’s some preview information: A record 2,100 attendees are on their way to Lexington, Kentucky; traveling from 72 countries and 46 U.S. States. As usual, the speaker line up for this year is full …
Drive Green Challenge at Hudson River Tractor
It’s Drive Green Challenge time again this weekend. Today I’m in Clifton Park, NY visiting with Hudson River Tractor Company. I spoke with one of the owners, Tory Northrop, who gave me some background on how the company came together. He’s in the group photo of the family members out here for today’s event. Tory says the merger that made …
Rural America Key to Energy Security
“I am a great believer in American ingenuity,” began Vilsack during his speech in Shenandoah, Iowa where the only first generation ethanol plant is co-located with an algae plant. “I’m a great believer in the capacity of the American farmer and rancher to literally meet any challenge.” Vilsack recently went on an “energy” tour of the Midwest where he visited …
GROWMARK Illinois Essay Contest Winner Announced
GROWMARK has announced the Illinois state winner of their essay contest for FFA members. The theme this year was “The Importance of Agriculture in Everyday Life” and the winner is Keirra DeCamp of Pleasant Hill. In her contest entry, DeCamp said: “So, the real question here is: ‘Where would you be without agriculture?’ Without agriculture, you would be inconvenienced, naked, …
Investing Back In Agriculture
Illinois and fiscal responsibility aren’t exactly words that go hand in hand but Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford is trying to change that. Earlier this week Rutherford announced his Ag Invest program in conjunction with the Illinois Farm Bureau. Ag Invest (formerly known as Cultivate Illinois) partners with eligible lenders to offer low-interest loans to Illinois farmers that can be …
Teixeira Joins International Agri-Center
The International Agri-Center announced that it has named Liza Teixeira as Director of Communications. In her role, Teixeira will manage communications for the International Agri-Center, World Ag Expo, California Antique Farm Equipment Show and the Heritage Complex. Teixeira graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural science with minors in both …
How Do uShip Ag Equipment or Livestock
If you’re shipping heavy ag equipment or livestock then uShip has some ideas they asked us to pass along. A big one is what to do with an empty truck or trailer after it makes a drop off. How about putting something in it for the return trip? It can not only save you money but helps the environment at …
GROWMARK Facilities Planning and Logistics
Here’s the latest installment of our “Getting To Know GROWMARK” series. We’re going to talk about facilities planning and logistics with Tom Nealey, Facility Planning/Certified Grain Systems Specialist. He says they touch many parts of the company from an equipment standpoint. That includes fuel and propane delivery trucks. Also included are national account programs for members for equipment, vehicles and …