The Grand Alpaca Farm is opening its gates to anyone who’s interested in learning more about Alpacas. The invitation recognizes National Alpaca Farm Days. Tim Talbott saw a news story in 1984, about Americans importing alpacas from South America and raising them for their cashmere-like fiber. Intrigued, the established surgeon sought more information. In 1985, he and his wife, Jane, …
DuPont Funds Biofuel Projects
A million dollar pledge from DuPont means Iowa State University can begin development of its “New Century Farm.” The farm will be the center for biofuel and biomaterial farm production research on the Iowa State campus. DuPont has announced a pledge of $1 million to the Iowa State University (ISU) New Century Farm, the first research effort in the United …
BASF R&D
I am in Japan now with Chuck and will be spending much of this week posting interviews and pictures from last week’s BASF trip while Chuck is covering the IFAJ events. So, I am starting at the beginning of the trip and posting the interviews with BASF executives done after the global press conference September 12. Research and development of …
Johnny Appleseed Festival
Mapleside Farms is commemorating agriculturalist Johnny Appleseed in it’s annual Johnny Appleseed Festival. The Ohio Farm began celebrating the Johnny Appleseed Festival in 1974 on what would have been Appleseed’s 200th birthday. Mapleside Farms uses a branch from an original Johnny Appleseed tree to graft onto a rootstock, which still produces fruit. The 34th annual Johnny Appleseed Festival at Mapleside …
Whole Grains Share September Promotion with Rice
September is the month for celebrating rice, and now, it’s also the month for celebrating whole grains. The Whole Grains Council held a special competition to kick off its inaugural year for recognition in September. In addition to being National Rice Month, September has, for the first time, been declared “Whole Grains Month.” To celebrate, the Whole Grains Council (WGC) …
Competing Crop Solution Companies Monsanto and Dow Launch Joint SmartStax Innovation
The competition in crop protection is getting rather friendly. Two of the largest suppliers of technology-based agricultural solutions in the U.S., Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences, are teaming up in the unprecedented release of an eight-gene stacked corn combination. See the Zimfo Bites Melissa posted for media event information. Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences LLC, a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, …
“Straight From the Horse’s Mouth”
That title comes straight from Farm Safety USA. The organization is releasing a new children’s farm safety program available on audio CD. The program will feature animals in its kid-friendly campaign. Animals teach farm safety in a one-of-a-kind, highly entertaining, audio CD series — created to educate children on farm dangers. “As farmers approach fall harvesting, safety is of high …
Growing Propane
I didn’t have any flight delays unlike Chuck and Cindy, however, my posts on the 2007 Propane Technology Forum were delayed due the strict security of the internet I was accessing at the conference. I am back at my hotel now, online now with full access. Here’s the first of many posts to come… Cutting-edge innovation and environmentally friendly applications …
Multi-Use Propane
For Robert Jacobs, it’s about maximum output. Robert is the Chairman for the Propane Education & Research Council Agriculture Advisory Committee. He headed a panel at the 2007 Propane Technology Forum that demonstrated the different ways propane application can be applied to agriculture, including heat remediation, heat defoliation of crops, heat sanitation and pest control. I spoke to Robert about …
Pairing Propane and Power
Some of the latest propane technology pairs propane with solar power to offer hybrid electricity generation systems. Stuart Weidie, Chairman of the PERC Research and Development Advisory Committee, says experts are looking at coupling propane with more than just solar energy though. I spoke with Stuart about the various opportunities his panel has been researching in combined heat and power …