New DuPont Innovation Center Launched in Iowa

Talia Goes

tn-DuPont-Johnston-Innovation-Center-752DuPont opened its Johnston Innovation Center, the company’s second innovation center in the United States and 12th around the world, focusing on the company’s unique integrated science capabilities across the food, agriculture and energy value chains.

The 3,500 square foot space and adjoining collaboration room showcases the latest company technology, applications and products created to meet the world’s biggest challenges, including food security, energy and protection. During the opening event, Chair and Chief Executive Officer Ellen Kullman, also announced two recent DuPont projects in Iowa that further demonstrate the company’s commitment to growing its research capacity globally in order to address the demands of a growing world population. DuPont Pioneer will break ground on a new research facility, Beaver Creek II, in Johnston in the fall of 2013 – a project that will add 100 new jobs to the Des Moines metro area. Additionally, DuPont is investing over $200 million in its Nevada, Iowa commercial cellulosic ethanol production facility. The construction of the facility will employ over 1,000 construction workers. It will employ over 60 full time jobs and involve hundreds of farmers who will supply the stover to the facility upon completion.

Agribusiness

Embracing Change Throughout The Beef Community

Jamie Johansen

lma-13-janesThe beef community is no stranger to change. Understanding it may not always be easy, but embracing it is key. During the recent 2013 Livestock Marketing Association’s Annual Meeting and World Livestock Auctioneer Championship attendees heard multiple times about different changes in the industry. Technology is one of those changes that improves efficiency and makes it easier for cattlemen to do their job.

Lori Janes, with The Cattlemen’s Resource, Inc., was one of the many exhibitors of the Industry Showcase trade show. Chuck took the opportunity to chat with her about their software OrderXpress.

OrderXpress is a software program for backgrounders, stockers and feed yards. Throughout the LMA Convention Lori spoke with attendees about their new modules, keeping in mind that the customers of livestock markets are also her customers. Because of her many years in the beef industry, she speaks their language and understands their backgrounds.

A new platform The Cattlemen’s Resource has taken to is the blogosphere. Their goal is to start a blog full of technological information for cattlemen. They want to start the conversation, be able to answer their questions and find out better ways they can help cattlemen across the country.

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Lori here: Interview with Lori Janes

Here you can find photos from the event: 2013 LMA/WLAC Photo Album

Audio, Beef, Livestock, LMA

How UF is Engaging Talent to Feed the World

Cindy Zimmerman

ifama-13-hannah-ufThe University of Florida (our alma mater!) was one of the land grant universities singled out by the director of USDA’s National Institute of Food & Agriculture Sonny Ramaswamy during his talk at the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) World Forum last week as those who have been making changes to prepare students for the future of the industry. UF Department of Agriculture Assistant Professor Hannah Carter was at the forum and took part in a panel on engaging talent to feed the world.

“Really the question is where are the people going to be who are answering the questions about how do we feed the world, how do we shelter the world, climate change – where are the folks going to come from that work on these tough issues,” Hannah told me. “There’s a lot of opportunities in agriculture and we actually can’t fill the jobs that are going to be there…and I feel like we need to sell agriculture a little better.”

Hannah was at the forum to represent the Challenge 2050 Project at UF. “It’s truly to go beyond the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and find students who want to engage in these complex problems but might be working in bio-medicine or engineering,” she said. “What we’re finding is students who never really considered ag as an opportunity or pursuit look at these big ideas and problems and say ‘hey, I can play a part in that.'”

Listen to my interview with Hannah here: UF Assistant Professor Hannah Carter at IFAMA World Forum
IFAMA 23rd World Forum Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Education, University

SAI Platform Checklist Launched at IFAMA

Cindy Zimmerman

sai-platformThe International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) World Forum last week featured the global launch of the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Checklist, the “world’s first practitioner’s guide” to the sustainable outsourcing of agricultural raw materials.

ifama-13-ernestoSAI president and Coca Cola Senior Manager of Sustainability Ernesto Brovelli said the purpose of the checklist is based on the fact that the job of farmers is to farm, not to fill out forms. “We want to make their life easy,” he said. “We want these tools, these assessments to be simple, to be educational because sustainability is a new area. Allowing them to self-assess themselves they develop self-awareness of what are important sustainability aspects.”

Recognizing that sustainability can be defined in different ways, Brovelli also participated in a session at IFAMA on establishing a common language and benchmarking standards for agricultural sustainability “and this is what the checklist does.”

You can download the checklist on the SAI website and find out more in this interview with Ernesto. SAI president Ernesto Brovelli at IFAMA World Forum


IFAMA 23rd World Forum Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Sustainability

LMA’s Industry Showcase Provides Networking

Jamie Johansen

lma-13-frankeThe 2013 Livestock Marketing Association’s Annual Meeting and World Livestock Auctioneer Championship in Montgomery, Al. brought together cattlemen and other members of the beef community to network and learn more about the industry.

One great opportunity to do both of those things took place during the Industry Showcase. The trade show allowed attendees to see first-hand new products and ask questions from the experts.

Chuck spoke with Jake Franke with Anipro who exhibited at the event. Anipro is a feed supplement that can be found throughout the United States. It is designed to help cow/calf producers find a quality supplement to add to their nutrition program. Jake specifically works with the Premium Nutrition Network, which is a value-added program to help cow/calf producers, stockers and backgrounders get a comprehensive feeding prospective for their herd.

He added that the convention was full of hospitality and a great opportunity to meet many prospective customers.

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Jake here: Interview with Jake Franke

Here you can find photos from the event: 2013 LMA/WLAC Photo Album

Audio, Beef, Livestock, LMA

Conservation in Action Tour Almost Full

Chuck Zimmerman

2013 CTIC TourMy next stop on the agriblogging highway will be the 2013 Conservation in Action Tour in Illinois. There are only a few seats left. I’ve been attending Conservation Technology Information Center tours for years now and they are loaded with information. This tour is July 9-10 in Livingston, IL. A pre-tour seminar on July 9 has also been added. Learn more about the tour in the video below.

This tour will feature three stops focusing on soil health, nutrient management and drainage water management. Farmers, agribusiness personnel, media and others involved in agriculture will be attending to hear from speakers with experience in several aspects of conservation, such as building soil health, efficiently managing nutrients and controlling the water that drains from fields. Featured speakers include Jason Weller, chief of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Denise Keehner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Jean Payne, president of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association.

Along with the tour, Solutions from the Land and CTIC will be presenting a seminar on July 9 discussing the Indian Creek Watershed Project. This event will be held at the Marriott before the tour’s evening social. The program for the pre-tour seminar can be accessed here (.doc). To sign up for this seminar, click here.

Ag Groups, Conservation, CTIC, Farming, Video

NMPF Creates REAL Cartoon Character

Chuck Zimmerman

REAL Seal CharacterThe National Milk Producers Federation is getting REAL serious about the REAL Seal. Well, maybe not so much serious as having some fun. This is the cartoon character that has been created to help “revitalize and build awareness of the dairy industry’s iconic REAL® Seal.” There is already a “cartoon” with the character on YouTube. What would you name it?

“The REAL® Seal has been around for nearly 40 years,” said Jim Mulhern, Chief Operating Officer of NMPF. “This character is intended to bring the importance of looking for REAL® dairy products and foods made with REAL® dairy products to life.”

The first order of business will be naming the character, according to Mulhern, who said a name will be chosen through an on-line challenge.

“We want kids to learn how to differentiate real dairy products and foods made with real American dairy products from the vegetable- and nut-based pretenders,” said Mulhern. “To highlight this important distinction, we are launching a campaign to name the character.”

Names may be submitted through the REAL® Seal website: www.realseal.com. All entries must be received by August 31, 2013. The top three names entered will be posted in September on the REAL® Seal Facebook page (www.facebook.com/realsealdairy) and subject to a vote. The name with the most votes will be declared the winner.

Ag Groups, Dairy, Food, Video

Senate Leader Says No Farm Bill Extension

Cindy Zimmerman

reid-fbSenate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) says no to another farm bill extension.

In remarks on the Senate floor Monday prior to starting business on the immigration reform bill, Senator Reid began by noting that last week’s defeat of the farm bill on the House floor was “the first time the House of Representatives defeated a farm bill since the program was created in the 1930’s.”

Reid says he was sorry to hear the House leadership blame the defeat on the Democrats. “They had to blame someone. They couldn’t blame themselves, even though they should,” he said.

The Senate majority leader urged the House to take up the farm bill passed by the Senate by 66 votes. “I want everyone within the sound of my voice, as well as my colleagues on the other side of the Capitol to know that the Senate will not pass another temporary farm bill extension,” said Reid. “It’s time for real reform that protects both rural farm communities and urban families who need help feeding their children.”

It is still not clear just what, if anything, the House will do about the situation.

Listen to or download Reid’s comments here: Senator Harry Reid on Farm Bill

Audio, Farm Bill

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

BIVI Swine Team Changes

Cindy Zimmerman

boehringer-ingelheim-logoBoehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) has announced several new additions and changes in its swine division recently.

Two new employees joined the team Swine Division in April. Gregory Lewis is regional sales manager and Nathan Schaefer, DVM, is a professional services veterinarian. Both joined the company in April. Lewis was area sales manager for Land O’ Lakes for the past two years and previously spent 19 years in various sales management and marketing positions with Alpharma. Dr. Schaefer spent two and a half years as a swine production veterinarian for Iowa Select Farms in Iowa Falls, Iowa, where he oversaw the health management of the company’s farrow-to-wean and gilt development programs.

bivi-jpJean Paul (JP) Cano, DVM, has been promoted to senior associate director of Swine Professional Services. Cano earned his DVM in Venezuela and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He gained broad experience as a swine practitioner in Venezuela, where he also wrote a number of peer-reviewed journal articles. Cano joined the BIVI Swine Division in 2009. We’ve interviewed JP a couple of times here on AgWired – once at World Pork Expo in 2010 and again at the 2012 PRRS Symposium.

Erin Johnson, DVM, has been promoted to technical manager on the PRRSolutions Team, which leads the Area Regional Control & Elimination (ARC&E) efforts and is supported and advised by recognized PRRS experts from across the U.S. The team conducts and coordinates the research, design and development of the ARC&E and plays an active role in supporting efforts of ARC&E working groups across the country.

Agribusiness, Boehringer Ingelheim, Livestock, Swine