Reining Demonstration and Explanation

Chuck Zimmerman

The media attending the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games were treated to a private reception with John Deere that included a reining demonstration. Our guide was Casey Deary, Deary Performance Horses, and you can see a portion of his presentation in the video.

We had representatives of several horse organizations with us too. John Deere has a great relationship with them, including the National Reining Horse Association. I spoke with their Director of Marketing and Communications, Christa Morris.

I asked her to explain how reining works since it is such a big part of the games and is a very American part of it. Christa Morris Interview

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Photo Album

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

Agribusiness, Audio, Horses, John Deere, Video

Reining At The John Deere Place

Chuck Zimmerman

I want to thank John Deere for allowing me the opportunity to attend the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. It’s a once in a lifetime event since history has been made with the first ever games in the United States.

This evening John Deere hosted the media in their John Deere Place at the Kentucky Horse Park. Here’s Roch Dold (left) and Barry Nelson posing at the start of our event. I’ve got several interviews from the event that I think you’ll be interested in which I’ll get posted during the next several days. We’ll learn about reining for example. Lots more to come.

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Photo Album

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

John Deere

Register for Export Exchange 2010 Before It’s Too Late

Joanna Schroeder

Export Exchange 2010 is 10 days away but it’s not too late to register. You have two days to take advantage of pre-registration for the event which will connect DDGs (dried distillers grains) and course grain buyers with domestic sellers. Export Exchange is being held in Chicago and will be the place to get answers, make contacts and build your business. Conference attendees will learn from international leaders about current opportunity and constraints surrounding the export of U.S. DDGs and course grains, both of which are growing each month.

In addition, breakout sessions will cover contracting and risk management. coarse grain production, supply and demand, DDGs shipping, handling and contracting, and the use of DDGs in livestock industries.

Export Exchange is co-sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council and the Renewable Fuels Association. The event will bring together more than 170 international buyers of U.S. DDGS and coarse grains with hundreds of U.S. producers and agribusinesses. Click here to register before it’s too late.

Corn, Ethanol, RFA, USGC

Animal Agriculture Defended At WEG

Chuck Zimmerman

I was sure glad to see the Animal Agriculture Alliance here at the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games. Sarah Hubbart, Communications Coordinator, is pictured on the left. This is a big international stage with a huge contingent of media on par with the largest I’ve ever seen. Wouldn’t it have been a great place for ag to be on display? Well it is since horses are a big part of agriculture!

But more importantly these folks and common sense are about all that’s combating the deceivers at HSUS which also has an outdoor booth here. I know that’s strange but it happened and they’re pretty well restricted in what they can distribute. See my TwitPic. However, HSUS wants to end animal agriculture so they are leaving an impression with their misinformation campaign on some people who wander through the trade show. Hopefully people will wake up and get the facts from trustworthy sources like HumaneWatch.org.

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Photo Album

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

Ag Groups, Animal Activists, Wackos

Competition In Rolex Stadium At WEG

Chuck Zimmerman

It may be raining off and on today at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games but that’s not dampening anyone’s spirits that I can tell. I’m about to go on a photo walk starting with Rolex Stadium where we have the dressage competition underway.

Later this afternoon John Deere will be hosting media for a reception and I’ll be there with interviews and photos afterward.

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Photo Album

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

Alltech, John Deere

Find Farmers Markets On Your Phone

Chuck Zimmerman

Joining the ranks of the ag apps, like the AgWired iPhone App, is the Farmers Market Finder iPhone App.

Apptika Inc. has just released a new version of its popular Farmers Market Finder app which now includes over 2,500 farmers markets across the U.S. Fresh food lovers and locavores in California, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. can now easily locate farmers markets, U-pick farms, farmstands and CSA’s (community supported agriculture) using their iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.

Responding to user requests for an “open market” feature, the updated app now displays open markets (day of) in green, both in list format and on the map. Favorites are displayed in red.

Get it in iTunes.

Uncategorized

Enjoying The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 274The Olympics of horse sports, the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, is off to a great start in Lexington, KY and I’m enjoying every minute of my stay here courtesy of John Deere. These Games have been in the planning stages for years and during that time I’ve spoken with title sponsor owner, Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech, several times. I had that chance again when Dr. Lyons was escorting Haitian Harmony around The Alltech Experience. They’re a group of children who will be performing here and are part of the efforts Alltech is making to assist the needy in Haiti. As you’ll hear him say in this week’s program, any business man needs “to give back” and this is one way he’s doing it.

You will rightly also hear the pride in Dr. Lyons voice as he talks about the Games finally arriving. And you’ll hear him give full credit to his team and the partnering companies who have stepped up to provide support. I’ve also got to make a point of saying that if you want a lesson in branding your product, service or industry, you need look no further than Alltech and it’s owner. Dr. Lyons makes a comment in the program about how agriculture in the U.S. has done a terrible job of “branding” itself and I can’t agree more. Here at the Games Alltech is doing that in a big way. I wish farm groups and other ag companies had gotten involved since this is a great stage to communicate with consumers. Not sure why they didn’t. Do you? It’s my understanding the opportunity was there the requests made. Anyway, please enjoy this week’s program: ZimmCast 274 - Dr. Pearse Lyons

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Photo Album

This week’s program ends with some music from Music Alley. It’s a song titled, “Concerning Charlie Horse” by Great Big Sea. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsors, Novus International, and Leica Geosytems for their support.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our a Subscribe page

Alltech, Audio, Horses, ZimmCast

A Year In The Life

Melissa Sandfort

A couple of weeks ago, we had a major storm blow through with straight-line winds of almost 90 miles per hour. It knocked over power lines, corn, blew off shingles and took down hundreds of old trees. It was a mess, and for miles, you could see farmers with loaders and forks carrying off piles of branches. My nieces, on the other hand, found this thrilling because they could finally go count the rings on the tree stumps in Grandpa’s back yard.

As a tree grows, it produces new layers of wood around the trunk, just under the bark. If a tree is cut down, the layers are visible in a cross section. The layers appear as a set of concentric circles known as tree rings.

In general, one layer of wood grows each year. Each layer consists of two colors of wood: light-colored “earlywood” that grows in the spring and summer plus darker, denser “latewood” from the fall and winter.

Tree rings vary in size each year depending upon the environmental conditions that the tree experiences. For most locations, tree rings will be wider during years of abundant rainfall and narrower during times of drought.

By counting back from the year a living tree was cut, it is possible to determine the date of tree rings with reasonable accuracy. It ended up that this one was 19 years old. Funny – I don’t remember them planting it!

Until we walk again…

Uncategorized

John Deere Presents Reining

Chuck Zimmerman

This is what it’s all about at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Horses. Well not just horses but . . . My sponsor, John Deere is a major sponsor of the games and they are the sponsor of the Reining World Championship. Besides their pavilion they also have a reining demonstration arena set up and I just happened to walk by when one was in progress.

Now, if you don’t know much about reining don’t despair. I never did either and I’m going to make sure we do before I’m out of here. So expect to learn more about the different competition disciplines during the next couple days.

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Photo Album

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

Alltech, Horses, John Deere