Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Rep. Frank Lucas

Cindy Zimmerman

New on Agri-Pulse this week:

open-micFrank Lucas (R-OK) Chairs the House of Representatives Agriculture Committee and succeeded in getting a diverse farm bill through his committee in 2012 and 2013 with over a 3/4 majority. However, the toughest battle lies ahead, with floor debate expected in mid-June. Lucas talks about the major challenges of a bill that has budget restraints and forces on both sides pulling for their respective constituents. He is also watching the Senate debate “every minute I can spare” to see what that bill can offer when House members go to conference and sign a new bill into law before the current one expires on September 30.

Listen to the Agri-Pulse Open Mic interview with Rep. Lucas here.

Agri-Pulse

GROWMARK Interns Journey to Great

Cindy Zimmerman

growmark-internsSummer is officially underway and for over 60 college students it is the beginning of a great journey as interns for GROWMARK, Inc.

“This is our 54th annual GROWMARK summer internship,” says GROWMARK University Relations Manager Ashley McClintock. “We have 61 interns this summer, representing 16 universities across North America.”

The 12 week internship program encompasses a variety of different areas within the GROWMARK system. “Most of our interns are in agronomy, we have a few in precision farming, seed, dairy, grain or commodities, and then we have a handful in energy and marketing as well,” said Ashley.

Unlike many intern programs, GROWMARK offers paid internships to allow students to not only gain valuable experience and connections, but also help them make a little money in the summer. “We view these as our employees as well and we want to make sure they get rewarded for their hard work,” Ashley explained, adding that the program is really a “mutual 12 week interview to see if these students have a future in the GROWMARK system.” In fact, about 50% of GROWMARK interns go on to become full time employees.

See the list of all GROWMARK summer interns here.

Listen to my interview with Ashley here: Ashely McClintock, GROWMARK intern program

To find out more about the GROWMARK internship program, watch the video below, created by and featuring 2012 interns.

Agribusiness, Audio, Education, GROWMARK

LMA 50th Convention & Auctioneer Championship

Chuck Zimmerman

LMA-WLAC-50th-logoMy first ever Livestock Marketing Association’s Annual Convention and World Livestock Auctioneer Championship looks to be a golden one in Montgomery, AL. I’ll not only be covering the event but will be participating in the judging. So plan to follow along with me as we plow new ground along the agriblogging highway.

For half a century, the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) has showcased the industry’s most talented livestock auctioneers and honored local livestock auction markets annually through its World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC). On June 14-15 in Montgomery, Ala., LMA will celebrate the 50th anniversary of this prestigious event when 31 semi-finalists gather at the Montgomery Stockyards to compete for the 2013 title.

This year’s World Livestock Auctioneer Championship qualifying and semi-final events highlight the professional auctioneering skills and livestock marketing knowledge of hundreds of auctioneers who competed. The WLAC contest is produced by LMA, the leading trade association serving livestock auction markets, during its annual convention as a way to promote the profession and the auction method of marketing livestock.

Ag Leader, Livestock, LMA

Syngenta Launches Clariva Seed Treatment

Chuck Zimmerman

SyngentaThe first product from Syngenta’s acquisition of Pasteuria Bioscience, Clariva, has been launched and will be available in the U.S. next year.

Syngenta announced today the launch of CLARIVA™, a proprietary seed treatment nematicide based on the Pasteuria technology acquired in 2012.

CLARIVA consists of naturally occurring soil bacteria with a unique, direct mode of action on nematodes: microscopic worm-shaped soil organisms, which cause significant damage to all major agricultural crops.

CLARIVA will be available in the USA for the 2014 growing season. It will be combined with other leading Syngenta seed care compounds as a complete solution for soybeans. Further registrations across major crops worldwide are planned.

Agribusiness, Seed, Syngenta

World Pork Expo Names New General Manager

Jamie Johansen

Irlbeck, AliciaThe National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) recently named Alicia Irlbeck as the new general manager of World Pork Expo. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the world’s largest pork-specific trade show and will be held June 5-7, in Des Moines, Iowa.

Irlbeck will oversee the strategic planning and management of all programs, exhibits and activities. She has been part of the World Pork Expo since joining the NPPC team in 2005 and will continue to serve as NPPC”s director of projects and events. Before that, she worked for the Des Moines Marriott Downtown and earned a bachelor’s degree in hotel, restaurant and institution management from Iowa State University.

“My biggest priority is making sure every last detail is addressed and communicated to make World Pork Expo the best it can be for the nearly 20,000 producers and industry enthusiasts who attend each year,” Irlbeck says. “Expo is a huge team effort, and it’s my pleasure to work with the amazing group of dedicated people who are the backbone of the show.”

For more information about World Pork Expo visit www.worldpork.org or check them out on Facebook. Follow #NPPCWPX on Twitter to stay up-to-date with event happenings. But maybe the best way to stay connected is downloading the official app, available in the Apple Store, Android Market and Blackberry’s App World.

NPPC, Pork, World Pork Expo

Monsanto Summer Learning Opportunities

Melissa Sandfort

rr-logoFarmers throughout the country will have many opportunities to attend learning events this summer as the industry pushes for more education on diversified weed management practices (DWMPs) and insight into the seed, trait and herbicide technologies expected to soon become available.

A greater number of in-field, educational events in 2013 reflects the motivation of academics, farmers, manufacturers and retailers to get ahead of the learning curve for using new weed management technologies before the products enter the marketplace.

This summer, Monsanto is planning a robust educational program called the Roundup Ready® Learning Xperience, a series of events aimed at transferring knowledge about the Roundup Ready® Xtend™ Crop System to seed dealers, retailers and others. Pending regulatory approvals, the Roundup Ready® Xtend™ Crop System will introduce Roundup Ready 2 Xtend™ soybeans, which are tolerant to dicamba and glyphosate herbicides. Featuring in-field training demonstrations, the Learning Xperience events will be held at more than 20 locations across major U.S. soybean-growing regions, specifically selected to show how the system will work across many environments.

Many farm supply companies also are preparing for new weed management technologies and application practices by attending available training and sponsoring learning opportunities for their own customers.

Each Learning Xperience site will include plots that demonstrate local Roundup Ready PLUS® Weed Management Solutions recommendations in action, as well as small-field trials showcasing the efficacy and crop safety of the Roundup Ready Xtend™ Crop System. Participants in the Learning Xperience events will get a firsthand, close-up preview of the latest innovations – management practices, seed and traits, expert perspectives and more.

Agribusiness

Last Call to Apply for 2013 Agvocacy 2.0 Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

AgChat FoundationToday is your last day to send in an application for the coolest conference on how to agvocate – the 2013 National AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 Conference. Actually, it’s really the only conference all about agvocating! Can you believe this is the 4th Annual? And it’s going to be “the best ever.”

During the Alltech International Symposium I spoke with @DairyCarrie or rather Carrie Chestnut Mess, about the conference since she is one of the committees putting it together. You’ll want to hear her describe what is already planned and why you should be a part of it.

Listen to my interview with Carrie here and get your application in: Interview with Dairy Carrie

Ag Groups

Crisis Management Training at Alltech Symposium

Chuck Zimmerman

Alltech Crisis Management WorkshopIs your farm or company ready to handle a crisis? Unfortunately, in today’s world the possibility of having to deal with one has become very high. During the 2013 Alltech International Symposium attendees could get some hands on training during a session on Crisis Management.

I worked with one of the session presenters, David Wescott, VP, APCO Worldwide. He created a crisis simulation in which a fictional company was used and a volunteer found to be the CEO of the company. David outlined a situation in which the fictional company was purported to have caused nursing home deaths from a company food product and information spread virally via Twitter. During a break I approached our fictional CEO as a news reporter with a video camera putting him on the spot to answer, “What do have to say to the public about your company product causing these deaths.” Of course, nothing had been proven and the Twitter messages were all false or completely speculative. It was fun, at least for me. Then after the break the video was played to critique how the fake CEO handled my questioning. I’d post the video but I don’t think we need to have a fake online crisis. We have enough of those as it is.

I visited with David after the first of the two sessions held during Symposium. You will hear that there is a need to have a crisis management plan so that you and your company know what to do if something should happen.

Listen to my interview with David here: Interview with David Wescott

2013 Alltech International Symposium Photo Album

Agribusiness, Alltech, Audio

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

Rural Interests Concerned About Losing Local TV

Cindy Zimmerman

“Water, sunlight, and soil are essential ingredients to agricultural businesses and the communities that rely on them. So too is spectrum, and the free, local news and information broadcasted on it.”

That’s the first line of a letter sent to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) this week from agricultural interests regarding concerns about television translator service and low
power television (LPTV).

tv-translatorSeveral organizations representing agriculture, conservation and cooperatives signed letters to the FCC and Congressional committee members urging them to research the impact that impending spectrum incentive auctions could have on television translator service and low power television service in rural areas. Last year Congress authorized the FCC to conduct voluntary spectrum incentive auctions allowing television broadcasters to sell their channels to wireless companies for a portion of the auction proceeds. Low-power television stations and TV translators are not guaranteed a channel location and will not be compensated for their moves, which may result in viewers losing current channels and limiting access to local news and information.

Dennis Wharton with the National Association of Broadcasters explains the issue: NAB Executive Vice President, Communications, Dennis Wharton

Organizations that signed letters sent to the FCC and Congress this week included, American Agri-Women, Association of Range Consultants, National Association of Conservation Districts, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, National Farmers Union, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, United States Cattlemen’s Association and Women Involved in Farm Economics.

Audio, Media