2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Have Begun

Chuck Zimmerman

The 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are underway at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. I’m here courtesy of one of the sponsors of the games, John Deere. I’ll be tracking some of their activities here for the next couple days.

To get things started I spoke with the Vice President of Alltech, Aidan Connolly. Aidan has been here all day so I asked him about his observations. He says the games just couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. A nice rain brought in some cooler but sunny weather and the crowds have been big. It’s all building up to tonight’s opening ceremony which I’ll be attending. Aidan says the games are showcasing agriculture and people have been asking just what Alltech does since I guess this might be a first time for a company like Alltech, involved in animal health and nutrition, to sponsor the games. It’s also the first time they’ve been held in the United States! Aidan says their involvement with the games has been a “game changer.” This includes the new contacts they’ve made internationally and growth in their business. So from my perspective it all looks good from here.

You can listen to my interview with Aidan here: Aidan Connolly Interview

I have started the soon to be famous 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Photo Album. You’ll probably be able to tell who my sponsor is.

AgWired coverage of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games
is sponsored by: john-deere

Alltech, Animal Health, Horses, John Deere

Solar Apps for Ag Featured in ‘Down on the Farm Solar Tour’

Joanna Schroeder

Mississippi Solar is getting excited for the National Solar Tour, an event that showcases solar energy for ag applications, home buyers, businesses, and everyone in between. The event is overseen by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES), and this year more than 650 tours are already scheduled for early October. This is the second year that Mississippi Solar will participate in the natural grassroots event.

The “Down on the Farm Solar Tour” takes place October 2, 2010 from 9 am to 4 pm at 211 Popes Road, Carthage, Mississippi, 39051. Guided tours, which run every two hours beginning at 9 am, will highlight three distinctly different grid-tie installations. The first is a 2.4 kW solar carport ready for Tennessee-made electric vehicles rolling off assembly lines next year. Also featured is a ground-mount system with battery back-up. However, homes are not the only stop on the tour. Participants will also see the 8.4 kW, solar PV solution that sits atop a chicken house located at Spencer Pope Farms.

“Poultry farming is an energy-intensive business,” said Mississippi Solar co-founder Will Hegman. “Enormous tunnel fans are required to ventilate chicken houses. Lighting adds to the cost. There are close to 8,000 poultry farms in the State of Mississippi. If we were able to solarize all those businesses, we could offset around ten percent of the entire state’s energy needs,” he said.

Now is a great time for the ag community to adopt solar. There are currently federal tax credits of up to 30 percent available for new solar installations, not to mention the savings on electric bills.

One of the biggest expenses for poultry farmers are their electric bills, especially in areas with extreme temperatures. Even for those who don’t have chickens, solar can be installed on farm buildings including homes and barns and can also be used in irrigation applications.

According to Mississippi Solar, Spencer Pope Farms has been very satisfied with their results and are looking to quadruple the solar capacity powering their chicken houses. The energy savings coupled with the federal tax credits available for solar has been a significant improvement to their bottom line.

In addition to featuring Spencer Pope Farms, people will also be able to visit homes, and businesses that have successfully completed solar projects.

Click here to learn more about the “Down on the Farm Solar Tour.”

Agribusiness, Events, Poultry

The Trends In Agriculture

Chuck Zimmerman

This year’s National Agri-Marketing Association Trends In Agriculture conference is approaching fast. Have you considered attending? If so, now’s the time to get registered.

Innovations in communication, production and packaging are revolutionizing the agriculture industry. Combined with the dramatic increase in need for safe, plentiful food, today’s agriculture professionals must navigate the challenges of a “Globally Local” World. NAMA’s 2010 Trends in Agriculture Conference will help you stay ahead of the curve and gain an edge in the rapidly changing landscape of our global agriculture market.

Trends in Agriculture at a glance …

• Closely examine the global trends affecting agriculture such as economic growth of world markets, governmental regulations, food safety issues and more

• Get a 360-degree view of the production chain from the producer to the retail shelf from experienced panelists and agriculture experts

• Hear how ag leaders are addressing the population explosion and increased need for food now and how they’re preparing for the future

• Discover how to effectively use social media to engage consumers and build momentum around your brand

•Network with colleagues, prospects and your friends in the industry

NAMA

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Miami will host the First International Festival of Artisan Cheese, The Cheese Connection at Miami, an unparalleled event in South Florida, which welcomes more than 18 thousand lovers of cheese and of its culinary possibilities.
  • Land O’Lakes announced the introduction of its 2010 Corporate Social Responsibility Report. The new report is posted in the Corporate Social Responsibility section.
  • Charm Sciences is pleased to announce the launch of its new enhanced website.
  • EXCEDE (ceftiofur crystalline free acid) Sterile Suspension from Pfizer Animal Health is now approved by the U.S. Center for Veterinary Medicine and the FDA for the control of swine respiratory disease.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Link Up With John Deere At Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

    Chuck Zimmerman

    This weekend I’m going to get “horsey” as a good friend of mine likes to say. Next week Cindy will get dairy at World Dairy Expo. Should be a good contrast. Now by horsey, I mean I’ll be at the United States first ever Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games courtesy of John Deere. They made sure the Games are Green!

    There is already so much pre-event online information I don’t even know where to point you first. How about just staying right here on AgWired? LOL. Well, let’s get started. I’ll be on location in time for the opening ceremonies tomorrow night at the Kentucky Horse Park. I’ll be there through the early part of the week covering various aspects of the games and John Deere activities.

    If you’re media and want to get registered with John Deere then here’s where you need to go. However, if you are not registered media for the Games then you’re out of luck on that. Media registration closed a while ago. John Deere has two resource sites for the Games. There’s the John Deere World Equestrian Games website where you’ll find lots of information, including video clips. There’s also a John Deere media blog which I’ll be contributing to on which media resources will be available during the Games. Use this link to subscribe to the blog. You can follow on Twitter @JohnDeere and Facebook.

    Some other resources you’ll want to know about include the official Alltech FEI WEG blog and you can also follow on Twitter @2010AllTechWEG and on Facebook. Here’s where you can find the schedule of events. The opening ceremonies Saturday night will be broadcast by NBC as well as other selected parts of the schedule.

    Agribusiness, Alltech, Horses, John Deere

    Big Truck Tacos Wins Great Food Truck Race

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The winner of the Great Food Truck Race, Food Network, is Big Truck Tacos. This is a contest it would be fun to participate in, which I sort of did at Farm Progress Show. Of course lots of people did by voting online.

    Here’s a local news clip from Oklahoma City about the team/truck at the start of the competition.

    Food

    Got Your IFAJ Press Card?

    Chuck Zimmerman

    I just noticed that my IFAJ Press Card is out of date. Time for a new one. Why? Because it has been helpful many times when press credentials are required by a government agency or some other organization or event I have been covering. Just one of many benefits of being a member of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists.

    One of the benefits of IFAJ is an international Press Card. It’s recognized by (agricultural) institutes, governments, ministries, exhibitions, fairs and events all over the world.

    The IFAJ Press Card is only available for members of organizations/guilds, which have joined the IFAJ.

    BTW. If you’re looking for freelance help check out the IFAJ Freelance Directory.

    IFAJ

    Agvocating At National Farm-City Week Symposium

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The National Farm-City Council will hold it’s annual National Farm-City Week Symposium (pdf) on November 18 in Lancaster, PA. I’ll be there on the panel with an “Agvocacy” message. If you’d like to attend please get your ticket order in soon. BTW. Our panel will be part of a live AgriTalk broadcast that morning.

    The 2010 National Farm-City Week Symposium will address the topic “Agriculture: A Growing Story” with a panel of distinguished experts in media and agriculture. The purpose of this Symposium is to explore friendly methods that can help assist the urban media when preparing news or feature stories that could significantly and negatively impact farmers, ranchers and the many agribusiness industries.

    “Today, the chances of incorrect information on agricultural issues being mistakenly passed to the general public are not only a possibility – it is a reality that has caused serious financial damage and hardship to farmers, ranchers and others within the industry,” says Al Pell, noted national agricultural broadcaster and chairman of the National Farm-City Council.

    “The goal of this Symposium is to consider tools with which local, state and national agricultural leaders and organizations can use to assure that the information obtained by the media is from reliable and credible sources. With a successful merging of efforts with the urban media, we can more confidently be assured that accuracy will be paramount in communicating this growing story of agriculture.”

    You can bet I’ll be pointing to the AgChat Foundation which has grown quickly and become a significant source of information for farm agvocates and those who want to be. Here’s an interview with two of our founding board members that was conducted at the recent 140 Character Conference at Connected Marketing Week 2010 in San Francisco.

    Ag Groups

    Blogging Rising

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Blogging continues to grow in spite of all the naysayers who have thought it wouldn’t “go anywhere.” In fact, I’d dare say that many people who read online content don’t even know they’re on a blog and don’t really care. As you’ll see in a comment from the author of a new eMarketer report (The Blogosphere: Colliding with Social and Mainstream Media), “. . . Over time, blogs will continue to become indistinguishable from other media channels,” blogging has become sort of mainstream. Who’d have thought?

    But blogs continue to be important. eMarketer estimates that this year more than half of internet users will read blogs at least monthly. By 2014, readership will rise to more than 150 million Americans, or 60% of the internet population in the US. One reason for the rise in readership is that blogs have become an accepted part of the online media landscape.

    I love that. “an accepted part of the online media landscape.” As if it isn’t already. The reason some don’t think it already is has most to do with their own fear or dislike of the mechanism and those of us who have chosen it as our information publishing platform. Or maybe it’s something else. What do you think?

    Uncategorized

    What’s New From Pioneer Hi-Bred

    Chuck Zimmerman

    I’ve been looking for an excuse to post a Kip Cullers photo and decided the time was right. Kip, the king of bionic ag, is modeling at Farm Progress Show with an iPad showing what’s new with Pioneer Hi-Bred. That’s my connection here since I actually have an interview I did with Pioneer’s Drew Porter.

    Drew says the biggest news is Optimum AcreMax 1, “the industry’s first
    in-the-bag solution for corn rootworm refuge.” He says it helps place the right product on the right acre. In the future they will “continue to focus on additional reduced refuge technologies to bring even that next level of simplicity to the Optimum AcreMax platform.” They’re also very excited to be showcasing the Y Series soybean lineup using accelerated yield technology.

    You can listen to my interview with Drew here: Drew Porter Interview

    Agribusiness, Audio, Corn, Farm Progress Show, Pioneer, Seed, Soybean