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 …
Beltway Beef Commentary
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has launched its first ever Beltway Beef audio program. The weekly commentary will feature NCBA members, leaders, staff and more. The talk is all policy all the time, honing in on critical issues inside the nation’s Beltway that have a direct impact on U.S. cattle ranchers across the country. This week you’ll hear Colin …
Hondo Group Happenings
My on-going series of interviews with the leadership at agricultural advertising and public relations agencies continues again this week. I just got off Skype with Lynn Balinas, President, The Hondo Group. Lynn has a long background in agribusiness with several companies. That work took him all the world after which he joined the “agency world.” He wound up in Texas …
Iowa Corn Growers Join The Team
Here’s the whole group of participants at the Iowa Speedway last week doing the Iowa Corn Growers Join The Team promotion. You’ve got Iowa State, Indy Car, University of Iowa and Iowa Corn Growers gathered together. The emcees for the program and games that were played included Craig Floss, CEO, Iowa Corn Growers and Bruce Gaarder, former farm broadcaster and …
Iowa State Coach Ready To Wrestle Corn Growers
He’s not a sideline kind of guy. At least I don’t think so. He’s Iowa State Wrestling Head Coach Kevin Jackson. He also was not selected to compete in the Iowa Corn Growers Join The Team competition at Iowa Speedway last week. He says he’s disappointed and was “overlooked” since he’s the best athlete on the staff. He says he …
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 …
Indy Lights Driver Loves Corn
I don’t think he makes his living shooting baskets. He’s Josef Newgarden, Indy Lights driver. He was also one of the competitors at the Iowa Corn Growers Join The Team promotion at Iowa Speedway. Josef gets pumped up, about competing and about corn. I think you’ll hear his intensity in my interview with him. Josef called our event a “prep …
Ethanol Potential in Giant Sweet Potatoes
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 …
Iowa Corn and State Universities Make Great Partners
Former Iowa Hawkeye and NBA basketball player, Ryan Bowen, was a master of the remote controlled cars at the Iowa Corn Growers Join The Team promotion at Iowa Speedway. Ryan, who is now the video coordinator for the men’s basketball team, was there to celebrate the recently announced partnership between Iowa’s corn growers and the state’s two major universities in …