The Business Side of IFAJ

Jamie Johansen

ifaj-13-delegates-mtgThe International Federation of Agricultural Journalist’s Congress in Argentina wasn’t all fun and games. Business had to take place too. During the business meeting delegates met to vote on issues and discuss changes within the industry.

Here is an excerpt from the delegate meeting to let IFAJ members who were unable to attend and future members gather a better understanding of what the business side of the organization is all about.

Listen to an excerpt from the meeting here: IFAJ Delegate Meeting

2013 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

Coverage of the 2013 IFAJ Congress is sponsored by Novus International and Dupont Pioneer
Agribusiness, Audio, IFAJ

A Boat Captain’s Tale

Jamie Johansen

ifaj-13-boat-captainA highlight to Chuck’s recent trip to Argentina for the International Federation of Agricultural Journalist (IFAJ) Congress, was during the livestock tour where he witnessed gauchos drive horses and cattle across a local river.

Unable to turn down the opportunity for a unique interview, Chuck chatted with the Argentinian boat captain while he guided the tour boat across high waters. The captain said he gives fishing tours using his Tracker boat, but seasonally high amounts of rain have left the river quite full and fish scarce.

But have no fear, the high water doesn’t make it impossible for the horses and cattle to cross. The boat captain said they always make it across and are great swimmers.

Listen to Chuck’s conversation with the boat captain here: Interview with Argentinian Boat Captain

2013 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

Coverage of the 2013 IFAJ Congress is sponsored by Novus International and Dupont Pioneer
Audio, Beef, Horses, IFAJ

BASF to Acquire Verenium

Cindy Zimmerman

BASF BASF Corporation has entered into an agreement to acquire biotechnology company Verenium Corporation.

The agreement, in which BASF will purchase all of the outstanding shares of Verenium’s common stock for US$4.00 per share, has been unanimously approved by both Verenium’s and BASF’s Boards of Directors. Based on all outstanding shares and including all net financial liabilities, the enterprise value would be approximately US$62 million. Verenium is based in San Diego, California, and generated sales of US$57 million in 2012. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year.

VereniumVerenium Corporation is focused on the development and commercialization of high-performance enzymes. According to a BASF press release, the company believes that combining “Verenium’s scientific and technological excellence with BASF’s enzyme activities and its global access into all relevant markets will strengthen BASF’s footprint in the strategic enzyme growth market.”

Agribusiness, BASF

What Partnerships Mean to New Holland

Jamie Johansen

9605978993_0be8a60cfd_cNew Holland has continued to develop their support for the ethanol industry. Their relationships with other leaders in agriculture and beyond has added growth and partnerships to their brand.

Director of Growth Initiative Institutional & Speciality Sales, Ron Shaffer, shared that the New Holland brand is focused on growth and his job revolves around anything that will grow revenue for the company.

“We formed a couple of different business units focused on the niche markets in self propelled forage and SP sprayers in crop production. Then another big part of my job is working with our partners, such as our relationship with Growth Energy and American Ethanol. That has been a very good partnership that was started about two years ago. We’ve seen growth that has been really good for the brand and our dealers.”

With these partnerships, New Holland has hosted events at the Growth Energy plants, touching about 25,000 people in their local communities. He also reminded us that New Holland is the only company that has opening supported ethanol production and it’s contribution to food, fuel and jobs in local communities.

NASCAR is another area where New Holland has had a longstanding relationship with. Throughout the past 30 years New Holland been a part of nearly all the tracks across North America. Ron said, “It is truly one partner supporting another partnership, it’s all tied together.”

Listen to Chuck’s complete interview with Ron here: Interview with Ron Shaffer

2013 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Coverage of the 2013 Farm Progress show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience, Growmark and New Holland
Audio, Ethanol, Farm Progress Show, NASCAR, New Holland

First Annual National Eat Local Day

Talia Goes

National-Eat-Local-Day-med-res7-1024x589Chef Sarah Stegner of Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook, IL and Cindy Kurman of Kurman Communications, Inc. in Chicago have founded National Eat Local Day to be held annually on the Fall Equinox, which this year is on September 22.

“Our hope is that leading chefs across the country can work together to raise awareness of the importance of supporting our local sustainable farms. We hope to increase the flow of local sustainable food to the restaurant tables across the country in order to protect our farm lands and to ensure their success so future generations have access,” said Stegner.

Joining the two in their efforts are restaurateur Alice Waters and her chef Jérôme Waag at Chez Panesse (Berkeley, CA), Alison Price Becker at Alison Eighteen (New York City, NY), Stephanie Pearl Kimmel at Marché (Eugene OR), François de Mélogue at Figue Mediterranean (La Quinta, CA), Mark Grosz at Oceanique (Evanston, IL), Paul Fehribach at Big Jones (Chicago, IL), Jamie Leeds at Hank’s Oyster Bar and Lounge (Washington, DC), Nora Pouillon at Restaurant Nora (Washington, DC), Norman Van Aken at Tuyo (Miami, FL), Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris at Prairie Grass Cafe (Northbrook, IL), and Rick Bayless at Frontera Grill and Topolobampo (Chicago, IL). The list will continue to grow. For more information, please visit the website at www.nationaleatlocalday.com.

Agribusiness, Food

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

    Zimfo Bytes

  • University of Georgia mycologists in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences found one Macrocybe titans—a species that produces the largest mushrooms in the Western Hemisphere—in the lawn of an abandoned Athens home last October.
  • The iPhoneography webinar on September 30th is designed for anyone who wants to enhance their cell phone photography and be inspired to be more creative.
  • The National Alpaca Farm Days will be held September 28th and 29th at Alpaca farms across the Nation.
  • Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced loans to help finance the construction of broadband networks in rural Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon and South Dakota.
Zimfo Bytes

Policy Panel at NAMA Fall Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

nama-panelThe NAMA Fall Conference featured a policy panel moderated by Sara “Legs” Wyant of Agri-Pulse, and featuring Mike Deering with the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, Garrett Hawkins with Missouri Farm Bureau, and Steve Censky with the American Soybean Association.

The need for a new farm bill was the major topic of discussion. “We’re all kind of waiting to see what happens with this,” said Deering. “It’s like the cartoon ‘Peanuts’ where Lucy’s holding that football and Charlie Brown’s running as hard as he can to kick it and ends up falling flat on his butt and that’s the same thing we’re dealing with right now as an industry, working together and trying to kick that ball over the finish line but it keeps getting pulled back.”

Deering says they have been busy on the state level fighting against the Humane Society of the United States with the Missouri Right to Farm amendment that passed the state legislature this year and will go to the voters next fall. “It just gives farmers and ranchers in the state the right to farm,” he said. “It’s absolutely vital that we have some protection in our state to keep these wackos out of here.”

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Mike here: Interview with Mike Deering, Missouri Cattlemen's Association

2013 NAMA Fall Conference Photo Album

Audio, Beef, Livestock, NAMA

The #FoodD Conversation

Jamie Johansen

food-dialogues-como-13-16-editedU.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) & Missouri Farmers Care brought the Food Dialogues to Columbia, Missouri. Expert panelists discussed animal welfare, livestock handling, conventional vs. non-conventional farming and much more. The purpose was to simply start conversations with consumers about where their food comes from and how it is produced.

Dan Kleinsorge, Executive Director for Missouri Farmers Care, spoke with me after the event and shared that the goal was to bring the consumer and the farmer closer together. That goal was met and the hope is consumers will have a better understanding of the food system. Dan also shared that they are working on some exciting things that will be unveiled in the upcoming year.

“I think there are two take home messages from the food dialogues. One is we’ve got to keep having these dialogues. We’ve got to keep promoting ourselves and keep talking about what we are doing, why we are doing it and how we are doing it. And do a better job explaining agriculture to the public. The other take away is that the conversation is not going away. This is something that people have really keyed in to these days and it’s going to be a big issue from years to come.”

Listen to my complete interview with Dan here: Interview with Dan Kleinsorge

Don’t worry if you missed the live stream of the event. The archived videos can soon be found on Missouri Farmers Care & USFRA’s YouTube Channels. You can also search the hashtag #FoodD to find out what those who watched it live had to say.

Audio, Food, USFRA

Soybeans Get Boost from Biodiesel

John Davis

USBlogoThe longtime and still primary feedstock for biodiesel has received a bump up in its demand and value. Figures from the United Soybean Board show that in order to meet this year’s federal requirement of 1.28 billion gallons of the green fuel this year, it will take 9 billion pounds of vegetable oils and animal fats, with a majority, at least 4.8 billion pounds, coming from soybean oil. That equals out to 430 million bushels of American soybeans.

“There’s value for soybean farmers from the growing market use of soybean oil for biodiesel,” says Gregg Fujan, a USB director and soybean farmer from Weston, Neb. “It expands the market for our soybeans, which also increases the price we receive.”

According to research commissioned by soybean farmers in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota through their state soy checkoff boards, biodiesel contributed to a $15 billion increase in soybean-oil revenues between 2006 and 2012. Over that time period, this raised the price of soybeans by 74 cents per bushel.

Biodiesel already qualifies as the Nation’s first EPA-approved Advanced Biofuel. Guess that makes soybeans the first advanced feedstock.

Uncategorized

Nutrition Bill Passes House

Cindy Zimmerman

lucasAll Democrats voted against the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act, but nearly all Republicans voted for it, enough to pass the bill that finally completes the House work on a farm bill.

“This has been an unusual process, but it remains my goal to get a five-year farm bill enacted,” said House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK). “It shouldn’t be this hard to pass a bill that ensures all of us in this economy have enough to eat. And that’s what a farm bill does.” Rep. Lucas floor remarks

petersonA series of Democrats took to the floor to argue against the bill that contains reforms that would save nearly $40 billion in food stamp costs over ten years.

“There’s no reason to pass this bill other than to placate some people that want to make a point,” said Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), ranking member of the agriculture committee. “This bill isn’t going any place in the Senate, the president wouldn’t sign it, so I don’t know what we’re doing.”Rep. Peterson floor remarks

However, passage of the bill does pave the way now for a farm bill to finally make it to conference committee, according to Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). “As I understand it, the Senate probably will have to re-appoint conferees,” he said during his weekly press briefing before the bill was passed. “When they ask for a conference, we’ll appoint our conferees as well, and the sooner the better.”

Whether the sooner is soon enough to get a new bill signed into law before the current farm bill extension expires on September 30 remains to be seen.

Audio, Farm Bill