One of the best parts of National Ag Day Activities is seeing and meeting all the young people who attend. Most are receiving support to come to Washington, DC through the organization they belong to. We have a lot of blue coats here for example. I met two of them this morning and asked what brought them to the events. …
We Need Both RFS and Farm Bill According to Senator Stabenow
Addressing the attendees to the Agri-Pulse reception last night was Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwomen, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. I visited with her briefly after her remarks. I first asked her what she thought about the importance of the work that’s being done by groups like USFRA which held a Food Dialogues event prior to the reception. …
Senator Pat Roberts Just Tells It Like It Is
The Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Senator Pat Roberts, made comments during the Agri-Pulse reception last night. I got to visit with him briefly afterward. Senator Roberts says the idea of trying to get urban America better understand where their food comes from is “a mountain we’ve been trying to climb for years …
National Ag Day Morning Coffee Break
The start to today’s National Ag Day Activities was coffee in the USDA Atrium. We’ll be back here for dinner this evening and to hear from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. The Secretary has become a regular on AgWired lately. This morning our program was moderated by Orion Samuelson and our speaker was Krysta Harden, USDA Chief of Staff. …
Agri-Pulse Holds Successful Reception
Agri-Pulse held another successful reception in advance of National Agriculture Day. The reception is held in appreciation not only of farmers but also all who work on behalf of the industry including lawmakers in Washington, DC. Sara says the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance Food Dialogues event held just prior to the reception was a good fit with what Agri-Pulse …
USFRA Hold Food Dialogues Prior to National Agriculture Day
In conjunction with the second annual agricultural appreciation reception held by Agri-Pulse the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance held a special edition of their Food Dialogues titled, “The Future of Food and Farming.” The panel tried to deal with the question, “Is technology in agriculture creating environmental improvements and economic growth or perpetuating public fears?” That seems like a loaded …
Pioneer Drought Tolerance Innovations
During Commodity Classic Pioneer Hi-Bred held a press conference titled, “Innovations in Drought Tolerance: Delivering Rain or Shine.” This featured feature Pioneer’s research innovations in drought-tolerant corn hybrids, 2011 performance data on Optimum® AQUAmaxTM hybrids, and improved management options for growers. On hand was Jeff Schussler, Senior Research Manager. Results from actual on-farm trials in 2011 show Optimum® AQUAmaxTM corn …
Ethanol on Stage at New Holland Club Blue
During the 2012 Commodity Classic New Holland held a “Club Blue” event at the Grand Ole Opry for their dealers to discuss their new national marketing campaign. It was also a time to talk about partnerships with industry related organizations and that included Growth Energy, another AgWired supporter. On hand to talk to the attendees was Tom Buis, CEO, Growth …
Sending Animal Agriculture Offshore Would Increase Food Costs
Leading off a press conference during Commodity Classic for the United Soybean Board was Vanessa Kummer, Chair. The topic was Consumer and Food Safety Costs of Offshoring Animal Agriculture (pdf). This is a Soybean Checkoff funded study. Also pictured on stage are Lewis Bainbridge, USB Director (seated) and André Williamson, Agralytica, (standing) the company that conducted the study. Paying more …
Partnerships at Commodity Classic Important to BASF
BASF Crop Protection is one of the biggest sponsors of Commodity Classic, encompassing everything from the hotel shuttle buses to scholarships and other awards programs to the final banquets. BASF participated in both the American Soybean Association (ASA) and National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) banquets during the 2012 Commodity Classic and was honored to have company executives speak during those …