BASF to Host Sustainability Summit

Cindy Zimmerman

Sustainability is the buzz word for agriculture these days, but what it really means on the ground is a matter of perspective. That’s why BASF Crop Protection is bringing agricultural thought leaders and media together in Chicago June 8-10 to discuss a grounded approach to agricultural sustainability.

basfParticipants will focus on collaboration between producers and industry stakeholders to improve agricultural sustainability, differing industry and public perception, and continuous improvements shaping the future of sustainable productivity in the U.S. and globally.

The event will feature discussions with BASF senior agricultural leaders, including Stefan Marcinowski, member of BASF’s Board of Executive Directors; Markus Heldt, President of BASF Crop Protection; and Peter Eckes, President of BASF Plant Science, along with representatives from multiple agricultural perspectives. BASF will also share its in-house analysis tool, which can measure the sustainability of products and production processes.

“BASF is creating a forum to discuss agricultural sustainability and practical solutions to help growers,” said Stefan Marcinowski. “Farmers have a tremendous responsibility to produce more than ever while continuing to protect the environment for future generations. Our conversations with representatives from stakeholders throughout the value chain will help to bring together the many visions of agricultural sustainability to a practical point of what growers need from all of us.”

In addition to focused discussions on the scientific and practical aspects of agricultural sustainability, BASF will present a U.S.-based example of its sustainability analysis tool. This scientific model compares the social, economic and environmental profiles of products and production methods. The tool can help provide tailored solutions to help growers run their businesses profitably while keeping the environmental impact of farming to a minimum and meeting the needs of society.

Panelists from throughout the agricultural value chain representing growers, economists, manufacturers, and consumer interests will share their views on sustainability and what it means to farmers. Featured speaker, Roger Thurow, former correspondent of The Wall Street Journal and co-author of “Enough: Why the World’s Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty,” also will share his perspective.

Agwired will be there to share the thoughts and opinions of presenters and panelists, including photos, video and audio interviews. Next best thing to being there!

BASF, Sustainability

Ugly Dairy Video Stirs Emotions

Cindy Zimmerman

The alleged dairy cow abuser has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty, but the emotional storm stirred up yesterday after a video depicting animal abuse on an Ohio dairy released by activist organization Mercy For Animals (MFA) is far from over.

Notice use of the word “alleged.” No one has been found guilty of anything yet. However, the owner of the dairy farm (not the star of the video who was arrested) has been receiving death threats and has not even received the benefit of the doubt from many ag industry commentators.

The video is disturbing on many levels. Many people are unable to watch it even once, let alone more than once. Which is why I question how anyone who cares deeply about “mercy for animals” could have endured recording that for four weeks. If it were me, it would have only taken one incident to immediately contact the local authorities. The people shown in the video punching, kicking, stabbing, and viciously attacking these defenseless animals are clearly sick human beings who should be held liable for their individual actions.

What is also disturbing is that most of the videotaped abuse appears to be for the enjoyment of the abuser, which is just sick and demented. The worker who was arrested talks about how much he enjoys abusing the animals. This is not normal behavior for decent human beings, who make up the vast majority of dairy farmers (and hopefully humanity in general!). As Ohio Farm Bureau Federation spokesman Joe Cornely pointed out during an interview yesterday with Buckeye Ag Radio Network, using this video to tar an entire industry is basically like using a situation where someone abuses a pet to draw the conclusion that “all pet owners abuse their pets.” Since MFA tags this horrible video “ditch cruelty – ditch dairy,” should we ditch pets as well so no animal will ever be abused again?

It is also important to note that even the experts that MFA quotes on it’s own website indicate that this is extremely unusual. “The video depicts calculated, deliberate cruelty, based not on momentary rage but on taking pleasure through causing pain to cows and calves who are defenseless. In my opinion, the individuals shown are twisted and dangerous,” said Colorado State University animal science professor Bernard Rollin. Veterinarian Dr. Geoff Ball points out, “This footage should be seen as a red flag for child, spousal and other forms of violence.” Read More

Animal Activists, Dairy

Longhorns Across The Water

Chuck Zimmerman

I visited with my good friend Derry Brownfield at his cabin yesterday and was surprised to see that he’s got some Longhorns now. They were grazing across the pond from us so I was able to snap this photo.

As always it was a nice relaxing afternoon visiting with Derry and members of his family and other friends who came along. Need to take time to do that more often.

Uncategorized

Saving Rainforests Would Help U.S. Agriculture

Cindy Zimmerman

“Saving rainforests isn’t just for treehuggers anymore.”

adpartnersThat’s the message past National Corn Growers Association president Fred Yoder of Ohio has about a new report showing that ending deforestation could boost revenue for U.S. producers by between $196-$267 billion by 2030.

Yoder participated in a conference call today releasing the report, entitled “Farms Here, Forests There: Tropical Deforestation and U.S. Competitiveness in Agriculture and Timber” which was authored by Shari Friedman of David Gardiner & Associates on behalf of the National Farmers Union and Avoided Deforestation Partners.

“American farmers and ranchers know the importance of being good stewards of the land,” said National Farmers Union president Roger Johnson, who recently returned from a weeklong trip to Brazil where he studied the interaction between agriculture and deforestation. “With family farmers fighting to hold onto their land, we’ve got to make sure we’re not being undercut by irresponsible practices like deforestation.”

Among the key findings of the report are that ending deforestation through incentives in US and international climate policy would boost U.S. agricultural revenue by $190 to $270 billion between 2012 and 2030. This increase includes $141 to $221 billion in direct benefits from increased production of soybeans, beef, timber, palm oil and palm oil substitutes. Soybean-producing states like Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana and Nebraska each stand to gain between $2.6 and $6.8 billion in increased revenue if tropical deforestation is halted by 2030. The U.S. beef industry would gain between $53 and $68 billion by 2030 if deforestation is halted, with the largest increases in revenue going to Texas, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma.

Read more about this report and state-by-state breakdowns on benefits here.

Listen to or download audio sound bites from Yoder and Johnson below:

Audio, Beef, Corn, Environment, Soybean

Will You Be At BlogWorld

Chuck Zimmerman

Registration is now open for this year’s BlogWorld and New Media Expo. I attended last year and am hoping to do so again this year schedule permitting. If you really want to hone your new media and social networking skills then this is the place to do it. It would be cool to have other ag folks there!

Join us at the World’s Largest New Media event and learn about Content Creation, Distribution and Monetization strategies, step-by-step techniques and bleeding-edge tools from the most successful Bloggers, Podcasters, Social Media Pro’s, Internet TV and Radio Broadcasters, and Podcasters! From the premier educational sessions at the Social Media Business Summit and BlogWorld Conference, to the resource-rich New Media Expo, to Amazing Networking events…it’s One economical trip, One weekend, One Big Show you can’t afford to miss!

Podcasts, Social Networking

CTIC Releases Sustainability & Biotechnology Report

Chuck Zimmerman

The Conservation Technology Information Center has just released a new report dealing with the “S” word. That would be sustainability and it’s no surprise that agricultural biotechnology will play a key role in this issue as farmers work to feed a growing world population. You can find an executive summary here.

Keeping agriculture environmentally sustainable while improving productivity is a growing challenge, and a new report shows that agricultural biotechnology is a key tool in overcoming it.

Biotech crops help growers around the world increase yields, improve crop quality and characteristics, and adopt sustainable farming practices such as conservation tillage — all vital to keeping up with the world’s growing demand for food, feed, fuel and fiber.

The booklet — “Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology” — was developed by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) to dig deep into the data surrounding the adoption of biotech crops.
 Read More

Biotech

Southern States Partners With World Equestrian Games

Chuck Zimmerman

F.E. CarterOne of the global partners with Alltech for the upcoming World Equestrian Games is Southern States Cooperative, Inc.. Representing the company during the Alltech Symposium was F.E. Carter, pictured second from right. This was a group photo of the people I interviewed during a reception for the global partners.

F.E. is a big fan of the Alltech Symposium and really appreciates sessions on topics like branding since that is something he says his company takes very seriously. He says that as a feed partner with Alltech in the upcoming games he looks forward to opportunities to promote their brand.

You can listen to my interview with F.E. below.

2010 Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Alltech, Audio

Talking Urban Gardening With Seedleaf

Chuck Zimmerman

SeedleafDuring the Alltech Symposium the media had an opportunity to take an urban garden tour. I could not make it but I did meet the tour guide, Rebecca Self, Education Director for Seedleaf.

The purpose of Seedleaf is to increase the amount, affordability, nutritional value, and sustainability of food available to people at risk of hunger in central Kentucky.

Rebecca says their goal is to nourish the community in Lexington and with an agricultural connection. She says they hope to be a bridge for urban people to understand where their food comes from. The urban garden tour was set up to showcase some of the downtown gardens they’ve helped foster.

She says the education information they provide covers all aspects of building, planting and caring for an urban garden. The organization is relatively new having started in 2008.

You can listen to my interview with Rebecca below.

2010 Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Alltech, Audio

Corn Farmers Coalition Unveils New Ad Campaign

Cindy Zimmerman

Yes, Virginia, there really are family farmers.

cornThe Corn Farmers Coalition announced today they will return to Washington this summer with a major educational program aimed at policymakers and opinion leaders who affect the fate of America’s family corn farmers.

“The vast majority of farms in America, and 95 percent of corn farms specifically, continue to be family owned and operated ventures. They aren’t some myth, but are a critical economic engine that provides most of the food, feed and fiber produced in this country,” said Darrin Ihnen, president of the National Corn Growers Association. “This awareness is important to our survival.”

Corn farmers from 14 states and the National Corn Growers Association are supporting the Corn Farmers Coalition program to introduce a foundation of facts seen as essential to decision making, rather than directly influencing legislation and regulation.

“Our mission is to put a face on today’s family farmers, showcase the productivity and environmental advances being made in the industry, provide factual information on how innovative and high tech corn farmers have become,” said Ihnen. “This is a corn farmer image effort designed for thought leaders in Washington. When all the business news out there seems to be negative, corn farmers have a great story to tell.”

The Corn Farmers Coalition will launch a major advertising campaign June 1,that will put prominent facts about family farmers in Capital Hill publications, radio, frequently used web sites, the Metro and Reagan National Airport. The program, which puts a focus on family farmers telling their story, will continue until Congress recesses in August.

See more ads here.

Among the corn farmer faces in the ads that will be popping up around DC are Kurt Hora and his family from Washington, Iowa and John & Sue Adams of Atlanta, Illinois (pictured). Listen to or download their comments from this morning’s press conference here:

Corn, Education

Portugal Participation At Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

Chuck Zimmerman

Ingrid Van DorpeThe Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will have over 60 different countries represented and one of those is Portugal. I met Ingrid Van Dorpe, Premix, during last week’s Alltech Symposium. Her company is one of the global partners in the games.

I asked Ingrid what she thought of this year’s Symposium first and she says it provides her with a glimpse of the future of animal nutrition. She takes home not only nutrition information but also other business information like branding and she feels more energized. Turning to the Games she says she expects to receive some good promotion for her business while bringing more attention internationally to the value and benefits of good nutrition for their animals.

You can listen to my interview with Ingrid below.

2010 Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Alltech, Audio, International