Alltech held their first ever Farming Film Festival this year with their Symposium theme of Game Changers. They invited people to tell their “game changing” story of an innovation that helped them on their farm. The first and second place winners were picked by a panel that included myself as well as Dale Miller of National Hog Farmer and Hoard’s Dairyman’s Lucas Sjostrom. Third place was determined by the highest number of online votes.
First place was awarded to Adam Dotson who submitted Good Shepherd Cheese, which told the story of a sheep farm in Kentucky. You can watch it below. Second place went to the video Cow Comfort, entered by Jonathan Klingenfus who explained how his family farm turned a crisis into an opportunity. Third place was awarded to Lauren Chase’s Telling The Montana Family Ranching Story.
I spoke with Allie Hembree, North American Public Relations Coordinator, Alltech, about the Farming Film Festival and other new technological features of this year’s Symposium. She says participation in the festival was great and they plan to do it again next year. Listen to my interview with her to hear what else is new from Alltech at this year’s event. Allie Hembree Interview
Follow the action on the Alltech Innovations Blog, including photos, interviews and there will be live streaming of certain sessions.
The Great Debate has become a feature of the Alltech International Symposium. This year it is being called The Game Changers Debate. The goal is to “identify the game changers that will allow agribusiness to respond to relentless commoditization and innovate for a greener future.”
NCBA was joined by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), American Soybean Association (ASA), National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and National Pork Producers Council (NPPC). NCBA President Bill Donald started it all off by saying that the pending trade agreements are long overdue and the unprecedented delay is putting U.S. agriculture at a competitive disadvantage.
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The Graduate Winner is Wai-Fun Leong – Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia. She will receive a $10,000 scholarship.
As part of the game changing experience that 2,200 people are having here at the Alltech International Symposium Damien McLoughlin, National University of Ireland, spoke about transforming your company using five ideas from companies that have done so in a big way. 
At this year’s Alltech International Symposium there is a new educational track called The New Ag Network. It is a series of presentations on how businesses can market themselves in the new media world we live in today as well as dealing with new regulations and more. One of the presenters is Troy Hadrick, farmer and social media speaker. You can find Troy at 
One of the highlights of the Alltech International Symposium is the Kentucky Night Dinner. This year it was held again at the Kentucky Horse Park in the Alltech Arena. This was the site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.