The Scientist has named DuPont as the No. 1 “Best Place to Work” among large companies in the magazine’s 9th annual survey.
Due to the rising prices of raw materials, Mitas has announced a price increase of all of its products.
A new website has been launched for Dow AgroSciences REFUGE ADVANCED powered by SmartStax.
Pfizer Animal Health announced its new U.S. web portal to better engage and connect with its customers and to create an interactive community for practicing and student veterinarians.
There are a lot of myths about eating meat. They’ve all been crushed by Meat MythCrushers! Get the truth.
The American Meat Science Association (AMSA) in conjunction with American Meat Institute (AMI), is pleased to announce the launch of the “Meat MythCrushers” campaign, an effort to reconnect Americans to modern food production and to “crush” some of today‟s more popular myths associated with meat and poultry.
The campaign is centered around a new website, www.MeatMythCrushers.com, that features twelve videos with AMSA academic experts who clearly and concisely debunk myths for consumers. A companion brochure, including detailed scientific references to support their statements, is also available on the website. You can also like them on Facebook.
This video features @iTweetMeat. Follow Chris Raines. He’s good. Really.
The Common Sense Coalition Talk Radio is alive and well. What was the Derry Brownfield Show has made a metamorphosis after his passing away and host Beth Schoenberg is carrying on the duties.
It’s: Straight Talk With A Knack For Seeing Things As They Really Are
The CommonSense Coalition is heard daily across America bringing our common sense approach to listeners. Join us as we take on big government, mega-corporations and environmental extremists. From the stock market to the stock yards, from greedy oil companies to the everyday concerns of our listeners, no topic is too hot to handle.
Over 100,000 acres of prime southeast Missouri farmland is under water today after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers blew up a levee on the Mississippi River Monday night to save the town of Cairo, Illinois from flooding. The action was taken after attempts to stop it were exhausted by Missouri officials. The picture is a screen shot of the video showing the explosions on the levee.
Now 25 farmers have joined in a class action lawsuit against the Corps contending that “the property rights of the farmers and landowners under the 5th Amendment to the Constitution were violated when a 15 foot high wall of water was released and flooded their property.” The Corps itself estimates damage to property in the path of the Birds Point levee at more than $300 million, including about 100 homes and more than 100,000 acres of farmland for corn, wheat and soybeans.
Missouri Corn Growers Association CEO Gary Marshall says the action will “not only decimate this year’s crop, but the sand and silt left behind will impede farmers for years to come. Our efforts will now focus on finding ways to identify federal and state support for growers in the spillway area.”
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is pledging help. “Notwithstanding the fact that this was a man-made initiative to breach the levee, it was a result of Mother Nature, so the crop insurance protections will be available to those landowners, both this year and most likely next year,” he told farm broadcasters in Washington DC this week.
*POST UPDATE – AUDIO*
Meghan Grebner (WMBD/WIRL Peoria) is in DC at NAFB’s Washington Watch and sent the audio of Vilsack’s comments about the levee. Listen to or download here: Secretary Vilsack Levee Comments
There’s a new ag policy group in town. Welcome to AGree.
Today eight of the world’s leading foundations launched AGree, a new initiative that will tackle long-term food and agriculture policy issues confronting the nation and the world as the population continues to grow and resources become ever-more constrained.
AGree is launching at a pivotal moment for food and agriculture policy. Over the next four decades there will be an additional 2.6 billion people on Earth to feed—a 38 percent population increase from today—in addition to the 925 million people who currently suffer under-nutrition or hunger. Simultaneously, the world faces a limited amount of easily accessible arable land, increasing pressures on freshwater quality and availability and accelerating environmental degradation.
Solutions to these challenges will require best-in-class research, comprehensive analysis and cross-sector dialogue—resources productively brought together for the first time under the AGree initiative. AGree will fill a crucial void in current agriculture research and discussions that frequently do not consider solutions across multiple sectors such as environment, energy, rural economies, and health.
AGree’s mission to nurture dialogue among diverse opinions on agriculture issues is embodied by the leaders of the initiative: Dan Glickman, former secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President Bill Clinton and a former congressman from Kansas for 18 years; Gary Hirshberg, chairman, president and “CE-Yo” of Stonyfield Farm; Jim Moseley, former deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President George W. Bush and Indiana farmer for more than 40 years; and, Emmy Simmons, former assistant administrator for Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade at the U.S. Agency for International Development and a board member for several organizations engaged in international agriculture and global development.
AGree is funded by Ford Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and The Walton Family Foundation.
I’m getting ready for the Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit. It’s time to head back out on the agriblogging highway.
The Animal Agriculture Alliance will host its tenth annual Stakeholders Summit May 5-6, 2011 in Arlington, Virginia. The Summit will bring together food and farm industry leaders to reflect on the challenges of the past decade and new opportunities to strengthen agriculture advocacy efforts in the future. The Summit is truly a one-of-a-kind event that is attended by a diverse group of decision makers, including representatives from farms, ranches, food processors, restaurants, grocery stores, legislators, universities and government agencies.
My coverage of the event is being sponsored by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and United Soybean Board. I’m looking forward to a great learning experience that will included interviews and photos. But you’ve come to expect that right?
What’s your Vision2020? For the Agri-Business Educational Foundation it’s an initiative that seeks to raise up to $4 million over the next 10 years for college student scholarships, student and young professional development programs, and support of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) Student Program. This week’s program is part of my series with the folks who are making it happen, the volunteer leaders of the ABEF.
In this ZimmCast you can listen to my conversation with Mike Gustafson, Deer’s Landing Communications, …sure-footed marketing and advertising. Mike explains the ABEF Vision2020, saying that it focuses on fund raising to provide more opportunities to create scholarships and assist student NAMA chapters.
On a personal level Mike says that he’s been a NAMA member for “a long time.” He’s seen many students move through the student organization and become professionals. He says the ABEF helps keep them engaged so they continue working in NAMA.
“I am a great believer in American ingenuity,” began Vilsack during his speech in Shenandoah, Iowa where the only first generation ethanol plant is co-located with an algae plant. “I’m a great believer in the capacity of the American farmer and rancher to literally meet any challenge.”
Vilsack recently went on an “energy” tour of the Midwest where he visited various energy projects, many that are supported by the USDA. One project, started three years ago, is the BioProcess Algae project co-located with a first generation corn-ethanol plant. The algae plant utilizes the waste carbon dioxide, waste water and waste heat to produce algal fuels and by-products. Vilsack, along with CEO Tim Burns of BioProcess Algae and CEO Todd Becker of Green Plains Renewable Energy (GPRE) all believe that farmers will soon be growing algae – just like they currently grow other energy crops such as corn. In fact, Burns’ vision is that in 10 or 15 years, when you fly over Iowa, you will see concentric circles of algae around the ethanol biorefineries.
While Vilsack was excited about the technology and partnership happening in Shenandoah, Iowa, maybe what he was more excited about was the ability for domestically produced energy to revitalize rural America. During his keynote speech, Vilsack focused on the need for innovative and creative jobs to bring bright, young people back home. Today, 16 percent of our country’s population comes from rural areas like Shenandoah, Iowa and 44 percent of our military comes from these areas.
Vilsack believes that projects such as the BioProcess Algae / GPRE project will spread across the country and rural communities. “There’s phenomenal innovation and phenomenal growth opportunities to be able to do something for your country that needs to be done and that’s to wean ourselves off of our dependence on foreign oil,” continued Vilsack. “It’s an opportunity for us to create jobs in small towns. It’s an opportunity for American agriculture to continue to respond to the challenges it has met time after time in the country.”
There are four components that Vilsack believes are the secret for success in revitalizing the rural economy: significant investment dollars, innovation, networking, and a sense of place. Vilsack said these are the reasons why the USDA was supporting this project.
He concluded, “I want to congratulate the folks at BioProcess Algae and I want to congratulate the ethanol industry and the advanced biofuels industry for coming together in this operation because it’s a model for the rest of the country and it sends a strong unmistakable message the ethanol industry and the biofuels industry is here to stay and is going to play an important role in shaping not just opportunity for America but very specifically a wonderful opportunity, an unlimited opportunity for the bright young people who want to live, and work and raise their family in the greatest part of America.”
Speaking of fresh produce. I was just a few moments ago. How about some melons? We’re at peak time of freshness according to Frontera Produce. So the company has just launched a new website for consumers called Melon Mania. Of course they have a booth at the United Fresh Convention in New Orleans.
“Our new Melon Mania website showcases our full line-up of melons: honeydew, watermelon and cantaloupe,” said Amy Gates, Executive Vice President for Frontera Produce. “We wanted to provide all the ‘not always easily accessible’ and non-traditional information about melons in a bright, fun and very consumer-friendly package. The new site highlights peak growing seasons, tips on picking the perfect melons, and custom recipes from Frontera’s own Executive Chef, Michelle Gonsalves.”
The United Fresh App is now available just in time for the United Fresh Produce Association conference taking place this week in New Orleans. It will be on my iPhone at the next iTunes sync.
The United Fresh app is available for Android, BlackBerry and iPhone users and can be downloaded free of charge at www.UnitedFresh.org/apps. The apps feature United Fresh 2011 schedules, exhibitor information and product listings, as well as convention news. Users of the app can access customized United Fresh 2011 content for each of the four United Fresh Market Segments: Grower-Shipper, Wholesaler-Distributor, Fresh-Cut Processor and Retail-Foodservice.
“We’ve come to a point at which, in a modern industry like ours, business leaders expect to be able to connect with their association in multiple ways,” said Ray Gilmer, vice president of communications for United Fresh. “The United Fresh app enables its users to quickly and easily get the information they need about the United show, in order to stay current, plan their days, and make the most of their United Fresh 2011 experience.” Users of mobile devices other than the Android, BlackBerry and iPhone can visit m.unitedfresh.org on their mobile browsers to experience the same customized features.
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