Sustainability was the focus of the 2010 BASF Agricultural Solutions media summit held last week in Chicago and as part of that event BASF released a new survey on attitudes toward farmland stewardship, and a new YouTube video highlighting how farmers are feeding a hungry planet. I talked to Paul Rea, VP of BASF U.S. Crop Operations, about the survey …
Panelists Share Sustainability Insights at BASF Summit
“Holistic” and “durable” were two definitions for sustainable that were set forth by representatives of the food value chain, from farmers to food companies, who took part in a panel discussion at the BASF Agricultural Solutions Media Summit on Sustainability last week in Chicago. Nevin McDougall, BASF senior vice president for crop protection in North America, was part of the …
John Deere Military R-Gator
John Deere not only makes Gator utility vehicles for farm, commercial and recreational purposes but for the military too. This is one of the new Military R-Gator (Autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicle) which is rigged to be completely remote controlled and is equipped with a camera to send back what it is “seeing.” In the video clips I’ve posted you can …
World Pork Expo GM Thrilled with Crowds
The weather was crazy at World Pork Expo on Thursday, as a two hour torrential downpour at midday gave way to sunshine by the time the band took the stage and the roasted pigs were carved for the crowds. Some time during the rain, general manager John Wrigley stopped by to visit with the folks at the Novus International tent …
John Deere Gator XUV Offers Lots of Options
This is what the action looks like out here at Carolina Adventure World for the John Deere Gator XUV product launch and media event. I had my turn and I have video and interviews that will wait until another time. I spoke with John Gilbeck, John Deere Product Marketing Manager, about the new machines during a break in the action. …
Improved Feed Quality = Improved Pig Health
There are many elements of a pig producer’s operations that could affect both pig health and his bottom line. One such factor is the quality of animal feed. Poor quality can spell trouble for the pigs….illness, depressed growth and lower birth rates just to name a few. To learn more about how to address problems with feed and some options …
Why BASF Cares About Sustainability
Defining and improving sustainability is important for all of production agriculture around the globe, which is why BASF has taken a keen interest in the subject. Markus Heldt is president of crop protection for BASF global, located in Germany, a position he took last year after serving for many years as head of crop protection for the company in North …
Winning Hearts and Minds, One at a Time
One of the issues folks in the pork industry know they have is that too many in the public don’t understand what they do. And if they don’t understand, they’re liable not to support hog farmers’ efforts. While an event like World Pork Expo here in Des Moines is important to educate producers and industry folks, there’s also great value …
American Agriculture’s Strategic National Asset
The Corn Utilization and Technology Conference concluded today with a final general session on water usage. Opening the session was Rick Tolman, CEO, National Corn Growers Association. I met with Rick before heading back to the agriblogging highway and we talked about his message of agvocating. That of course is advocating for agriculture. Rick says we have such a great …
Pork Quality Assurance Plus: Good for Consumers & Producers
One of the highlights from this year’s World Pork Expo at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines is the celebration of the Pork Quality Assurance Plus program and the milestone of having about 60 percent of all hogs in the U.S. and nearly 50,000 producers certified under the program’s guidelines. Chris Novak, Chief Executive Officer of the National Pork …