Seed World magazine has produced a series of video interviews that are now available on their website. These are part of their Giant Views of the Industry series and contain interviews taken at the International Seed Federation World Seed Congress, the American Seed Trade Association annual convention and the National Association of Plant Breeders annual meeting, as part of its Giant Views of the Industry video series.
Topics discussed by top industry executives from the American Seed Trade Association, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Applewood Seed, HM Clause, Monsanto Company, Syngenta and more include plant breeding, intellectual property, regulatory updates, seed trade issues, trends in the flower and vegetable industry and much more. Given today’s highly evolving business landscape, these interviews provide valuable insight and information to everyone involved in the U.S. seed trade.
Here’s an example of one of the clips you’ll find. North Carolina State University watermelon and cucumber breeder, Todd Wehner, talks about why more funding is critical moving forward.
Zimfo Bytes
- Issues Ink has expanded its business development department to include two results-driven business development representatives, Jeff Hamilton and Hiten Shah.
- Geosys is adopting a new visual identity in preparation for its 25th anniversary in 2012. The new identity was unveiled during the launch of Geosys’ new website on Sept. 12.
- The Adisseo Group, one of the worldwide leaders in the animal nutrition additives, has just finalized the acquisition of 90% of Innov’ia shares.
- Mark Szymanski joined the National Potato Council as director of public relations.
NFocus Forum Connects Suppliers and Producers
NFocus Partners and Beck Ag recently partnered to hold the “NFocus Forum for Agribusiness” to allow ag suppliers from throughout the country to connect with some of the industry’s top producers.
“Producers no longer have the luxury of time for multiple supplier meetings. Now more than ever, it’s critical for suppliers to understand the purchasing patterns and input decision making of large producers. The NFocus Forum for Agribusiness allowed the industry’s leading suppliers and producers the opportunity to quickly and easily understand one another’s goals, challenges, and needs,” said Kim Nicholson, co-founder of NFocus Partners.
The Forum, which took place at Lake Lanier Islands Resort in Georgia, was a three day event where ag suppliers had the opportunity to have one-on-one meetings with a group of pre-screened growers. This format offered them the chance to hear unfiltered feedback and build a deeper understanding of the unique goals, problems and purchasing behaviors of some of the largest industry producers.
“I like this approach to marketing our company because we know what we’re getting for our money. Results can sometimes be difficult to measure with standard ad campaigns. With this Forum I know exactly who has heard my message,” said Scott Peterson, Marketing Manager, Bio-Rational Products, SipcamAdvan.
The Forum was designed to accommodate the time-sensitive needs of busy producers, while still offering direct opportunities for producers and suppliers to connect in a controlled environment with a dedicated agenda.
Find out more here.
Isn’t Climate Change Inevitable?
“Change is inevitable. Change is constant.” – Benjamin Disraeli
Let me say first off, I am not a climate change denier. There’s plenty of proof to satisfy me that the climate of the Earth can and does change over time. It has done so multiple times over the last four billion or so years of its existence – billions of years before we got to roam the planet. However, I do question the notion that humans are a) causing it or b) can do anything to reverse it. I also question why some people believe that any climate change would be catastrophic.
A new campaign by “This is Climate Change” (TICC) has posters up in Reagan National Airport showing glacial retreat in North America. “Consequences of glacial retreat include changes in local ecosystems,” TICC notes. Aren’t ecosystems changing all the time? Wasn’t most of North America covered in glaciers not so very many millennia ago? Had the climate not changed and allowed the majority of glaciers to retreat, we would probably have a much smaller United States of America and Canada probably wouldn’t exist. And, frankly, I think when you compare the photos it looks a whole lot more inviting without all that ice on it – but that’s just me. I’m not a big fan of ice.
As stewards of the land, humans have an obligation to care for our precious resources of land, air and water. However, we should not presume in our role as caretakers that we are omnipotent, or that we know what is best. The world has been evolving and the climate has been changing way longer than we have been here, both constantly and inevitably. It is very likely that the climate will continue to change, for better or worse (in our opinion), no matter what we do or do not do.
If you look up quotes about change, you will find many that say what change is, like Disraeli. Change is eternal, perpetual, immortal, sweet, the essence of life, the signal for rebirth – but it is also difficult, hard work and frightening. As humans, we tend to fear change, even when the change is good.
It was Charles Darwin who said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” I would think that includes climate change.
Alltech Ag Network To Live Stream FFA Convention
The FFA is taking advantage of the Alltech Ag Network to stream live from the convention in October. Here are (pictured left to right) Dwight Armstrong, CEO of the National FFA Organization, and Billy Frey, general manager of the Alltech Ag Network.
In a significant technological move forward for agriculture, the National FFA Organization will stream its 2011 National Convention in Indianapolis Oct. 19-22 live online via the newly launched Alltech Ag Network on iHigh.com. The televised convention will be accessible real time via computers, iPads and all iPhone, Android and BlackBerry mobile devices.
As FFA membership stands at more than a half-million students throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, iHigh.com expects this to be their largest telecast ever. Yet the significance of the convention broadcast goes beyond record-breaking metrics.
“Agriculture is taking the lead in communications, moving high tech to engage the world in its story,” said Billy Frey, general manager of the Alltech Ag Network. “iHigh.com’s unique platform enables it to, for example, on a recent Friday night, broadcast more than 170 high school football games simultaneously and live to mobile devices free of charge. This is a capability far beyond many major sports organizations and applications. FFA is now harnessing this power, broadening its reach at a time when our growing population is moving increasingly far away from the stories of the farm and the origins of their food.”
You can find the broadcast schedule here.
MyWay RTK Launches MyWay Xchange
The precision ag arena has certainly been seeing a lot of activity in the development of new online and mobile tools. Here’sa new one from MyWay RTK called MyWay XChange.
Today MyWay RTK LLC officially launched MyWay Xchange, a new online tool that will connect MyWay resellers and customers in real time. MyWay designed the reseller portal to give resellers live information about their customers and base stations within their respective coverage areas, enabling them to ensure their customers’ RTK service is always performing at optimum levels. MyWay Xchange features a real time map that indicates the current or last known position of each customer. Having access to this live 
information allows resellers to specify a user’s proximity to surrounding base stations, so they can easily diagnose a connection issue in the event a user leaves the coverage area inadvertently. In addition, live streaming from base stations means resellers know at once if a base station ever goes offline.
“In the event a customer ever has a connection issue, the reseller now has the tools to resolve the matter quickly,” said MyWay RTK general manager, Andy Hill. “MyWay Xchange was engineered to not only alert resellers about current problems, but to also help them anticipate possible risks. Essentially, this tool helps minimize the chance a customer ever gets disconnected because of distance or weather problems.”
As MyWay Xchange features live Doppler Radar coverage for the entire United States, resellers can see both active customers and current weather conditions simultaneously on one screen. In the event severe weather conditions limit a user’s RTK service, the reseller can easily diagnose the problem’s source without leaving the office. Resellers can also use the radar coverage to view weather forecasts and warn customers of impending severe weather conditions beforehand.
A mobile version of MyWay Xchange – available at www.mywayxchange.com – has also been developed, providing resellers an easy and effective way to manage subscriptions, mount points, and login credentials while on the go. The mobile site offers benefits to subscribers as well, letting them manage their accounts and create custom profiles right from the field.
“These MyWay mobile tools let you manage your account without having to return to the office or farm during a hectic day,” said Hill. “It’s a convenience that will help MyWay customers and resellers to keep moving while they’re moving.”
Corn Grower Leaders Reflect on Serving Industry
As the National Corn Growers Association prepares to start a new fiscal year this weekend, some old faces (not OLD old!) are being replaced with new ones on the Corn Board. “Off the Cob” podcaster Cathryn Wojcicki did interviews with three retiring board members to find out what they learned and experienced through service and to ask for any advice that might benefit farmers considering stepping up to a leadership role.
Over the last several years, Iowa farmer Daryl Haack served as the Corn Board’s liaison to NCGA’s Public Policy Action Team, chaired the Ethanol Committee, and represented the organization to the Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee, the BNSF Railway Ag Business Council and the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
Daryl says that while board involvement does require a significant time investment, serving on the Corn Board presents an unparalleled opportunity to enrich the lives of its members through opportunities to work with some of the most influential individuals both in the industry and in the country as a whole. “If you do have the time to get involved, the Corn Board presents a unique opportunity in that it allows you to meet people with whom you may not ever have another opportunity to interact,” he said.
Listen to Daryl’s comments here: Daryl Haack
During his tenure on the Corn Board, Minnesota farmer Jerry Larson chaired NCGA’s Finance Committee and served on the Association Relations Committee, Ethanol Committee and Research and Business Development Action Team.
Jerry stresses that potential leaders must understand the value of communications to all stakeholders. “It is of the utmost importance that we communicate our message back home, be it state-by-state, farmer-to-farmer, or even to the general public,” he noted.
Listen to Jerry’s comments here: Jerry Larson
Finally, Off the Cob spoke with Dave Nelson, a farmer from Belmond, Iowa who served as the Corn Board liaison for the NCGA Research and Business Development Action Team, the Ethanol Committee and the Biotechnology Working Group, and as NCGA’s liaison to the National Pork Producers Council.
“During my years on the Corn Board, we saw some very good times for corn growers,” Dave said. “We saw the market for corn expand and ethanol become a mainstay, both utilizing corn and marrying with the livestock industry in the use of distillers dried grains as a valuable feed source.”
Listen to Dave’s comments here: Dave Nelson
Look – Corn! Look – More Corn!
Over the weekend, we loaded up 10 bales of hay onto my husband’s flatbed trailer and took five kids under the age of 5 on a hay rack ride. For about an hour, we toured the 10 rectangular miles around our house and ended at our make-shift pumpkin patch. Since “real” pumpkin patches were too far away to drive to, we ditched some little ones and about 15 gourds in the field entrance up the road.
The kids had a great time and no one fell off, so that’s a success in my book. Here are some snippets of the conversations I heard along the way:
Look – corn!
Look – more corn!
Look – sunflowers (they were wild daisies, but to a 5-year-old, one in the same)!
Look – a bridge!
Look – rocks!
Look – soybeans!
What amazed me was how these two-word sentences held such great enthusiasm and amazement at what farmers do every day. If only everything in life were seen through a child’s eyes.
Little did they know that we were having a bonfire and s’mores later! Nothing like a full day of fresh air, pumpkins and chocolate to put a 3-year old to sleep.
Until we walk again …
Fall Burndown Will Help Start 2012 Off Right
To say that 2011 has been a rough year is an understatement, but the combines are rolling and the soybean harvest is underway. The first harvest figures for the season were reported by USDA this week and it is running behind schedule with just 5% complete so far. Nearly every state is behind both last year and the five year average, and the bulk of the crop is rated fair to good.
As we get closer to putting this year in the rear view mirror, it’s already time to look ahead and get a fresh start for 2012. BASF Herbicide Technical Market Manager Dr. Dan Westberg says the key is getting ahead of weed control with an effective fall burndown program. “Dense populations of winter annuals like marestail can interfere with or delay planting,” Dan says, suggesting that growers can combine fall burndown with fertilizer application. “If you have an effective fall burndown, you’re not losing the fertilizer you apply in the fall to those winter annual weeds and allows greater flexibility come spring.”
One option for fall burndown is Kixor® herbicide technology in a product like Sharpen. “Its unique chemistry provides broad spectrum, broad leaf weed control of more than 70 weeds, including winter annuals and weeds resistant to glyphosate ALS inhibitors and triazines,” said Dan.
To optimize the burndown performance of Kixor, Dan suggests the best practices known by the simple acronym A-C-T-T: Adjuvant, Coverage, Tank Mix, Timing.
Listen to or download Dan explain it all here: Dan Westberg on fall burndown
Find out more from BASF at KixorHerbicide.com.
Canadian Wine Tasting
One of my tour stops during the 2011 IFAJ Congress was Jackson Triggs Vintners. We had an excellent lunch and wine tasting that included some of their icewine. One of the take-aways was that Canada produces more than just good ice wine. We had a nice red and white wine during our sampling.
Following lunch we toured the wine making facility with our guide, Carlee. We started out in a vineyard and then moved inside to the production area and ended where the wine is stored before bottling. One of the interesting things I remember Carlee saying is that the vineyards are planted in north/south rows now due to the direction of the wind off Lake Ontario. We could see some older vineyards planted the opposite direction. You can hear Carlee talk about their wine making in this video.
2011 IFAJ Congress Photo Album
Coverage of the IFAJ Congress is sponsored by PIONEER Hi-Bred