It’s Food Dialogues day in Boston. The city seems to be pretty happy about some baseball game last night. Wonder what that was all about (C’mon Cards!). Back to food though. The moderator for today’s live event is Bloomberg News’ Alan Bjerga and our topic is “Farm Size: Does It Really Matter.” The event will take place from 1:00 p.m. …
What You’re Not Being Told About Food Production
Today the Animal Agriculture Alliance hosted a teleconference with various third-party experts to discuss industry improvements presented in the report “Advances in Animal Agriculture; What the Center for a Livable Future, Pew Commission and Others Aren’t Telling You About Food Production.” (pdf) Third-party experts on the call included: Dr. Richard Raymond, former Under Secretary, Food Safety Inspection Service, United States …
Let’s Have a Boston Food Dialogues
Let’s have a food dialogues and let’s have it in Boston. That’s my next stop. This Thursday you can watch the live stream of the USFRA Food Dialogues on the web and follow along via Twitter with the hashtag #FoodD and of course, here on AgWired. Increasingly, consumers are hearing they should be concerned about the size of farms, and …
USDA Farm to School Census
So more schools are buying local farm products to serve in their cafeterias according to a USDA survey. That’s a good thing I guess. As a parent I’m more concerned that my kids eat good healthy food. I know this USDA program is part of their efforts to help fight child obesity and hunger. I just don’t see that being …
Canadian Cranberry Time
That cranberry was this big! At least that’s what it looks like Mike Wallis, BC Cranberry Growers Association Mgr., is saying during a presentation at Shergill Cranberry Farm, the second stop for the “farm bikers” tour group during the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation conference. Also on hand was farm manager Bob Deroche. They talked to us about the farm and …
GAP Report Unveiled at World Food Prize
The Global Harvest Initiative (GHI) released its 4th annual Global Agricultural Productivity Report® (GAP Report®) at the World Food Prize Symposium Wednesday before a record crowd of global scientists, agricultural industry experts, farmers, and development professionals. “This particular report focuses on value chains and what that means for farmers and consumers,” said Dr. Margaret Zeigler, GHI executive director. “We wanted …
Howard Buffett Foundation Initiatives Announced
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and philanthropist/farmer Howard G. Buffett were the stars at the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogues today in Des Moines, launching new initiatives to address conservation, hunger and poverty issues in Africa. For one, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation has formed a partnership with John Deere and DuPont Pioneer to promote conservation agriculture adoption and …
Meatless Monday Campaign Flops
This is no surprise to me. The Meatless Monday campaign doesn’t have the participation the organizers would like you to think they have. I have thought for some time that reports and effects of animal activists and their trendy sounding ideas are way over estimated. Thanks to the Animal Agriculture Alliance for doing this research! After weeks of investigation, the …
Kleckner Award Presented to Indian Farmer
A highlight of the Truth About Trade and Technology (TATT) Global Farmer Roundtable on Tuesday was the presentation of the first Kleckner Trade and Technology Advancement Award Fellow to V. Ravichandran, better known to friends as Ravi. He is pictured here with TATT CEO Mary Boote and chairman Bill Horan. Ravi grows rice, sugarcane, cotton and pulses on about 60 …
TATT Global Farmer Roundtable visits Couser Cattle
During the Truth About Trade and Technology (TATT) Global Farmer Roundtable we went to the Couser Cattle Company. Bill and Nancy Couser with son Tim produce corn and cattle just outside of Nevada, IA. When Tim graduated from Iowa State University, mom and dad strongly suggested that he spend some time in the corporate world before returning to the …