Beginning this weekend you’ll see a new name for Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business. As of July 1 it will be known as DuPont Pioneer. According to information I received the change is a part of the company extending DuPont’s efforts in the agricultural and food industries. The change in the name is to reflect a joint mission to find solutions to ensure that the world’s growing population has enough food. The new DuPont Pioneer name reflects this joint commitment, allowing DuPont and Pioneer to work closer together, strengthening their alignment publicly.
The DuPont Pioneer goal remains the same – to provide the best products, services and information to help growers get the highest return on every acre they farm. Nothing in that commitment will change, and Pioneer remains an important brand as it has been for more than 85 years.
Ready For John Deere Technology Summit
Hello from the John Deere Technology Summit in Des Moines, IA. This is the welcoming committee for ag media.
Starting this evening and continuing out on the farm tomorrow we’ll be learning about what’s new from John Deere. I don’t have any of that information to share with you yet but you can be sure I will. For those of you who can’t make it, keep an eye on AgWired for photos and interviews I’ll be sharing and follow along on Twitter with the hashtag – #JDTech. I’m sure we’ll be having lots of tweets from here.
ASTA Represents Vegetable and Flower Seed
During the American Seed Trade Association convention the organization’s divisions conduct business and report on activities. One of those is the Vegetable and Flower Seed Division, chaired by Kent Croon, Monsanto. I visited with Kent after his report was given. Kent works in technology development within Monsanto Vegetable Seeds. Kent says that many people think corn and soybeans when they think of ASTA but that there are a lot of companies in the vegetable and flower seed business represented by the organization. His division makes sure they don’t get lost in the conversation. ASTA works on ways to promote their seed within the industry.
I asked him if vegetable and flower seeds have the same issues as crops like corn. He says the answer is yes, especially for issues like intellectual property and phytosanitary in the export markets. Another similarity is yield but there are other unique issues as well.
Kent says that his division holds an annual meeting, the ASTA Vegetable and Flower Seed Conference. It will be held January 26-29 in Scottsdale, AZ. It will be a business focus with a large number of exhibitors showcasing products for this segment of the seed industry. Kent encourages anyone involved in the vegetable and flower seed business to consider joining ASTA.
Listen to my interview with Kent here: Interview with Kent Croon
USDA Teams Up with GE for Renewable Energy
General Electric Aviation plans to buy $5 million worth of biofuels for its jets beginning in 2015, thanks to a partnership with the USDA. The two are collaborating with the Ohio Aerospace Institute, air carriers and producer groups to develop a Midwest-regional strategy to provide renewable-jet fuel at GE Aviation’s Cincinnati-area facilities. This USDA press release features Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack discussing how this will help provide new jobs to farming areas:
“We have an incredible opportunity to create thousands of new jobs and drive economic development in rural communities across America by developing innovative ways to use agricultural products to help reduce our reliance on foreign oil,” said Vilsack. “USDA’s collaboration with General Electric Aviation will bring together multiple sectors of Ohio’s economy, including agricultural producers, to foster new innovations in the field of renewable fuels while bolstering new economic opportunities in the Midwest. USDA is proud to work alongside private and public institutions to support the research, creation and distribution of next generation energy solutions.”
This comes on the heels of the USDA giving a Value Added Producer Grant to the Ohio Soybean Council for a pilot project at Ohio State University’s Bioproducts Innovation Center to refine bio-jet fuel from soybean oil. In addition, the Farm Service Agency is working in northeastern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania to turn some non-food crops into biofuels through the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP).
Not Even a Cackle
With 100-degree weather in Nebraska this week, it seems odd to draw a comparison to a Christmas song, but the title of this post reminded me of “Twas the Night Before Christmas”. But this story has nothing to do with a mouse.
Just like any good farmer, my grandmother’s family had a little bit of everything in the late 1930s, from crops to garden to hogs and chickens. During the dry years, my great-grandmother would raise chicks for extra money. This particular year, she started in the early spring taking care of a gaggle of chickens and was anxiously looking toward August when she would sell them.
I’ve written briefly about my grandmother in previous posts because of her influence on my gardening, and this week she decided to get in on the fun and tell one of her own stories.
So take a listen as grandma takes us on her first “AgWalk” about her mother’s chickens. Listen to Grandma explain
You ask how many chickens went missing? About 350.
Until we walk again …
Alltech Symposium iBook
Have you wondered what to do with all those photos from your event? Not ready to print a book? Then take Alltech’s lead and publish an iBook.
The Alltech 28th Annual International Symposium, held May 20 – 23, 2012, in Lexington, Ky., was a venue for close to 3,000 delegates from around the world to discuss the future of agriculture and the challenge of feeding 9 billion people by 2050, as well as to explore the wide range of possible solutions to meet that challenge. While the 2012 Symposium is already “in the books,” the experience lives on in the Alltech 28th International Symposium iBook, which is now publicly available through Apple’s iBookstore and iTunes.
The Alltech Symposium iBook offers an inside look at the annual international event through a collection of photos, videos and articles. It is available as free download for the iPad through the iBookstore or through iTunes for computers.
“The Alltech Symposium is an exhilarating event filled with contagious energy and exciting new ideas — you really have to see it to believe it,” said Catherine Keogh, Alltech’s chief marketing officer. “This iBook is a great way for the delegates who attended to relive the experiences they had this year; and for anyone who couldn’t attend, this is an opportunity to get a glimpse at what this international event was all about. The great thing about this format is that through the photos and video, the story of the event can really come alive.”
The 29th Annual Alltech International Symposium is scheduled for May 19-22, 2013 in Lexington, Ky.
Most Favor Choice at the Pump
Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Will you buy E15 for your MY2001 or later car if it’s offered?”
Our poll results: Nearly half, forty-nine percent, said Yes; twenty-nine percent said No; and twenty-two percent said it depends on price. Looks like consumers are in favor of having a choice at the pump, and are fans of ethanol!
Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, ” When do you think Congress will complete a Farm Bill?” On June 20, the Senate voted 64 to 35 to pass the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012. When do you think — given that it’s an election year and amidst all other “big” news items — we will have a new “Farm Bill?”
ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.
Dr. Fred Below is Quotable on BASF Panel
Dr. Fred Below, Professor of Plant Physiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, was one of many experts on a panel at the recent BASF Agricultural Solutions Media Summit but he had some of the best quotes that were most tweeted from the event.
One of his more quotable comments was that because university extension budgets are being “cut to the bone,” the agricultural media has a greater role than ever in getting the word out about sustainability in food production. “I would love to see extension and university research have a larger role, but we simply don’t have the numbers that we need,” he said. “So we need to rely on our corporate partners and the media to get the message out.”
Below is very excited about the potential for drought tolerant corn in getting toward the ever-elusive consistent 300 bushel yield. “I can hardly wait for drought tolerant corn,” he said. “If you can even partially control the weather in your hybrid selection, that would give us a huge advantage.”
Dr. Below says that the focus on feeding a growing population is really making people pay attention to the importance of crop yield, one of his favorite topics. “It’s good to see crop yield, and agronomists, and the whole ag industry be sexy again,” he quipped. “It’s a great time to be in agriculture.”
Listen to my interview with Fred Below here. Dr. Fred Below at BASF Summit
Late Swine Nutrition Expert Honored at Pork Expo
A University of Illinois professor who spent his lifetime contributing to the livestock nutrition industry was honored at World Pork Expo earlier this month.
JBS United recognized the contributions of Dr. David H. Baker as this year’s John B. Swisher Leadership Award Winner. Dr. Baker’s family accepted the post humus award in his honor on June 5 at the Expo in Des Moines.
The John B. Swisher Annual Leadership Award (by JBS United, Inc.) is an honor presented to an individual who exemplifies extraordinary leadership qualities and who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the swine industry.
Throughout Baker’s career, he provided over 40 years of contributions to the animal and human nutrition industry. His work has helped improve the quality of livestock feed, led to the production of chemically defined diets for use in animal research studies, and increased the understanding of diseases caused by vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
With 451 peer-reviewed publications, six major awards from the American Society of Animal Science and five from the Poultry Science Association, Baker’s lifelong commitment has fundamentally advanced the scientific community in the fields of animal nutrition.
Baker’s work has been recognized by the University of Illinois, which named Baker a University Scholar, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which presented Baker with the Distinguished Service Award.
2012 World Pork Expo Photo Album
Farm Foundation Free Webinar on Data Collection
Knowledge is power, and having good data to have good knowledge (and thus, good power) is key to having an efficient operation, no matter if it’s farming or any other business. That’s why our friends at Farm Foundation will be holding a free one-hour webinar this Friday at 2 p.m. EDT on how the ag industry needs to respond to changes in data collection systems:
This webinar is organized by the Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (C-FARE), in partnership with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), and Montana State University. Farm Foundation, NFP is a sponsor.
The free webinar will review how federal budget cuts are changing the nature of data collection and data use. Four speakers will provide perspectives on how agricultural statistics are used by the food and fiber sectors, and how the changing nature of data collection, distribution and availability will impact the industry.
Speakers will include Joseph J. Prusacki, Director, Statistics Division, USDA National Agricultural Statisics Service (NASS), providing an overview of data uses, user groups and the impacts of budget cuts; Paul Hughes of Nestle Purina PetCare, looking at perspectives from the grains and oilseed sectors; Jim Robb of the Livestock Marketing Information Center, focusing on how data collection changes will impact the livestock sector; and Mark Seetin of the U.S. Apple Association, offering perspectives from the fruit and vegetable industry.
To register, CLICK HERE and to join the webinar on the day of the event, click on this link. When you are asked to log in, use the “Enter as guest” option. Type in your name and click the “Enter Room” button.