American Agriculture’s Strategic National Asset

Chuck Zimmerman

CUTCThe Corn Utilization and Technology Conference concluded today with a final general session on water usage. Opening the session was Rick Tolman, CEO, National Corn Growers Association. I met with Rick before heading back to the agriblogging highway and we talked about his message of agvocating. That of course is advocating for agriculture.

Rick says we have such a great story to tell that he calls us “agriculture’s strategic national asset.” The agribusiness sector is so productive and has many success stories but unfortunately some of the discussion going on at the national level is very negative. So he says it’s up to us to change the conversation around. That’s why NCGA has worked at not only creating its own social media information channels but has scheduled workshops for growers to learn how to use today’s new communications technologies to make their voice heard in the online conversation. If you know me then you know how much I agree with the approach NCGA is taking! Rick says that it’s very important for farmers to make their voice heard because research shows that consumers are more trusting of information about food when it comes from the farmer than many other sources.

You can listen to my interview with Rick below.

Don’t forget to check out the CUTC Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Corn, CUTC, NCGA, Social Networking

World Pork Expo Attendees Entertained by Local Marching Band

Joanna Schroeder

In an earlier post, John wrote about the National Pork Board’s (NPB) celebration of its Pork Quality Assurance Plus program and the milestone of having nearly 60 percent of all hogs in the U.S. and nearly 50,000 producers certified. This announcement was made during a morning press conference, as part of the World Pork Expo in Des Moines, IA.

This afternoon, NPB made a public presentation and kicked off the celebration with the Earlham High School marching band. The group marched down Grand Avenue and through dozens of exhibitor tents and ended their journey in front of NPC’s “We Care” trailer. During the brief presentation, a success ‘o meter was unveiled and after the conclusion of the presentation, the celebration was rounded out with free maple bacon ice cream.

Follow more of our coverage from World Pork Expo at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines here on Agwired.com and on our Twitter accounts @jdavisreporter, @jmschroeder, and later this week, @farmpodcaster … hashtag #WPX10. You can also check out the event in our World Pork Expo 2010 Photo Album.

AgWired coverage of the World Pork Expo 2010 is sponsored by:
Novus and boehringer-ingelheim.

Novus International, Pork, Swine, Video, World Pork Expo

Pork Quality Assurance Plus: Good for Consumers & Producers

John Davis

One of the highlights from this year’s World Pork Expo at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines is the celebration of the Pork Quality Assurance Plus program and the milestone of having about 60 percent of all hogs in the U.S. and nearly 50,000 producers certified under the program’s guidelines.

Chris Novak, Chief Executive Officer of the National Pork Board says while consumers trust farmers, they don’t always understand what producers do. He says, even in areas, where hogs operations are more common, such as Iowa, too many people don’t know what they’re getting with a quality piece of pork and too many times overcook it, ruining its natural, juicy flavor and texture. And Novak says that message is even more important to audiences in Los Angeles and New York, who might be even more removed from the farm environment.

“We’re going to make certain the messages we put out are just as relevant to a housewife or husband [anywhere] who is preparing the family meals [that pork] is healthy, convenient and fun as well. And we know we can offer that with pork.” Novak adds that they hope their efforts will increase per capita spending on pork by 10 percent.

And from the other end of the line, the National Pork Board wants to emphasize to producers how easy it really is to become certified under the Pork Quality Assurance program.

“Most producers are already doing probably 90 percent of [the requirements under the program],” says Tim Bierman, National Pork Board president and a pork producer from Larrabee, Iowa. He adds that while there are a few things a farmer might have to do a little differently, they should jump right in and get rolling to get their operations certified.

“If there’s something [producers] need to change, there’s no penalties or anything like that. It’s just another set of eyes, and it could help them be more efficient.”

Listen to more of my conversations with Chris and Tim in the players below.

Follow more of our coverage from World Pork Expo at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines here on Agwired.com and on our Twitter accounts @jdavisreporter, @jmschroeder, and later this week, @farmpodcaster … hashtag #WPX10. You can also check out the event in our World Pork Expo 2010 Photo Album.

You can download (mp3) and listen to Chris’ remarks here: wpx10-novak.mp3

You can download (mp3) and listen to Tim’s remarks here: wpx10-bierman.mp3

AgWired coverage of the World Pork Expo 2010 is sponsored by:
Novus International

Audio, Novus International, Pork, Swine, World Pork Expo

Novus International Welcomes Pork Producers to World Pork Expo

Joanna Schroeder

I’ve been hanging out in the Novus International tent this morning during World Pork Expo and the place is busy with activity. Two areas that have been highly discussed around the tables are American legislation to ban the use of certain antibiotics in livestock and poultry. This has already been done in Europe and with the global marketplace for food, other countries are looking at adopting similar European policies. A second topic of interest has been the importance of feed quality and the problems that pork producers have been having over the past 12-18 months dealing with micotoxins.

Since these issues are so important, I sat down with Helen Stebbens, Ph.D. in Pig Nutrition for Novus Europe to discuss organic acids, an alternative to antibiotics that have been used with much success overseas. In addition, I spoke with Scott Moore, Regional Sales Director for Novus about the importance of feed quality and some products that producers can use to combat issues such as micotoxins. Check back later today for both of these stories and audio interviews.

And don’t forget to check out our World Pork Expo 2010 Photo Album.

AgWired coverage of the World Pork Expo 2010 is sponsored by:
Novus International

Novus International, Pork, Swine, World Pork Expo

BASF Introduces Sustainability Analysis Tool

Cindy Zimmerman

BASF ChicagoSustainability has become a challenge to the agriculture industry because everyone seems to have a different definition of the word and ways to objectively measure sustainability are seriously lacking.

BASF ChicagoBASF announced an Eco-Efficiency Analysis tool during the 2010 Ag Media Summit in Chicago today that examines the entire lifecycle of a crop to measure and manage sustainability. “When we look at all the inputs that go into producing, storing, transporting, applying and then disposing of a crop protection product, we have a more detailed approach of measuring inputs, outputs and benefits,” says Paul Rea, BASF vice president for crop protection in the U.S.

The real bottom line to better sustainability is really simply increasing yields, and Paul says that can be achieved in a variety of ways. “Such as the use of new technologies, new innovations that can actually help farmers achieve more with less,” he said. That includes plant health products like BASF Headline that increase yields, as well as biotech advancements in areas such as drought tolerance.

Listen to an interview with Paul in the player below.

BASF Ag Media Summit on Sustainability photo album

Audio, BASF, Sustainability, Uncategorized

Carney: More Upbeat at This Year’s World Pork Expo

John Davis

It’s a much more upbeat attitude at this year’s World Pork Expo in at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.

National Pork Producers Council President Sam Carney, a pork producer from Adair, Iowa, welcomed members of the media this morning and says they are expecting much bigger crowds than they’ve seen in the last couple of years because of the economy and concerns over H1N1.

“We’re expecting about 15,000 people, we have over 400 exhibitors, 1700 pigs in the open show, and between 23-27 countries coming.”

Carney also had a couple of quick comments about the 2012 Farm Bill and the NPPC’s stand of just making sure nothing is in there that will hinder producers.

“We do not want our producers to be tied down. We want them to have the freedom to sell their pigs.”

Carney points out that over the last three years, the pork industry has gone through some of the worst times in its history, and NPPC wants to make sure the Farm Bill will help them recover.

You can hear Sam’s remarks in the player below.

Check out our World Pork Expo 2010 Photo Album.

AgWired coverage of the World Pork Expo 2010 is sponsored by:
Novus International

Audio, Novus International, Pork, Swine, World Pork Expo

China Perspective On CUTC

Chuck Zimmerman

Li BinThe Corn Utilization and Technology Conference has international participants. We have quite a few from China. I had an opportunity to speak with Li Bin, CEO, Xin Jiang Tianda Biotechnology Co., Ltd., pictured here with Linyi Li, Novozymes China, my interpreter. Thank you Linyi!

I asked him what stimulated his interest in participating. He says that corn utilization in China is one of the largest in the world and he wanted this chance to see what kind of products and technology we have. He is impressed with the organization and diversity of information provided here. He was very interested in how ethanol and production by-products like DDGs have developed here in the United States since they have not progressed to that point in China yet.

You can listen to my interview with Li Bin below.

Don’t forget to check out the CUTC Photo Album

I’ll be heading out from the CUTC today to see the newest utility vehicles being introduced by John Deere. So see you from there next.

Ag Groups, Audio, Corn, CUTC, International

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • According to the new Rabobank U.S. Farm & Ranch Survey, more than 70 percent of U.S. agricultural producers now report that they have taken a range of measures on sustainable ag practices – the highest level since the survey began in 2008.
  • The United Soybean Board/soybean checkoff will sponsor the National Tractor Pullers Association’s 2010 season and its newest competition division, the Light Pro Stock class. As part of this new program, all of the tractors competing in the Light Pro Stock class will run on biodiesel.
  • A newly-released International Food Information Council survey shows that an overwhelming percentage of consumers will choose foods that are produced through biotechnology based on environmental benefits and sustainable agricultural practices.
  • Biagro Western is now licensed to distribute Bluestim in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Bluestim is a natural, organically certified and environmentally safe product tested on a wide variety of open field vegetables and crops under commercial cultivation conditions.
    Zimfo Bytes

    BASF Welcomes Ag Media to Summit in Chicago

    Cindy Zimmerman

    BASF ChicagoChuck is with corn growers in Atlanta, John and Joanna are covering the Pork Expo in Des Moines, while I am toughing it out with my dear friends from BASF and some of the nation’s finest agricultural journalists in the sumptuous Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago. I am seriously thinking I got the best job this week!

    Pictured are Eric Sfiligoj with CropLife, Pat Morrow with BASF, and Willie Vogt with Farm Progress at the opening reception for the 2010 BASF Agricultural Solutions Media Summit. The theme of the summit is “A Grounded Approach to Agricultural Sustainability” and our day on Wednesday will be spent hearing from representatives of BASF and various agricultural experts about the topic.

    BASF ChicagoTo kick off the event, we got to learn a little bit about the more colorful history of the Windy City from Chicago historian and author Rich Lindberg, who autographed copies of his book “Return to the Scene of the Crime – a Guide to Infamous Places in Chicago” which features notorious figures like John Dillinger and Al Capone.

    Dale Minyo with Ohio Ag Net did a short interview about the more “grounded” history of Chicago’s agricultural background, which started with the stockyards at the end of the Civil War. Even that ties in with the criminal history of Chicago, according to Rich, who explained how scam artists ripped off Midwest farmers coming off the trains. Interestingly, he says the great-grand nephew of Mike McDonald, the crime boss who led that scam in the 1870s, now works at the Chicago Board of Trade. Listen to that interview in the player below.

    Check out photos from the event in the 2010 BASF Ag Media Summit photo album.

    Audio, BASF

    Info, Food and Fun at World Pork Expo!

    John Davis

    It’s World Pork Expo eve (that’s a holiday, right?), and we’re here in Des Moines, Iowa to keep you up-to-date on all the news from event.

    This evening as producers, industry leaders and media converge on Central Iowa in anticipation of the next three days of information, I caught up with Cindy Cunningham, Assistant Vice President of Communications with the National Pork Board (aka, Pork Checkoff spokesperson), and she reminds everyone to also get some great food and have some fun at this year’s World Pork Expo.

    “The Pork Checkoff this year is sponsoring a hospitality tent, and we’d love to have all of our producers stop by and try some bacon ice cream and some maple-glazed bacon doughnuts.”

    She adds they are also offering some important information and education in the form of the PORK Academy … Producers Opportunity for Revenue and Knowledge.

    “PORK Academy is really a seminar session that covers everything from manure management to nutrition [to marketing and economics]. It’s really designed so pork producers can get this information, take it home and put it into practice in their own operations.”

    Cunningham says they are also celebrating the success of the Pork Quality Assurance Program, with nearly 50,000 producers certified in their education levels and practices in animal care, food safety and providing consumers with a safe, wholesome food supply.

    Finally, she wants people to have some fun.

    Come out and have some fun with us at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. And if you can’t be here, follow coverage here on Agwired.com and our Twitter accounts @jdavisreporter, @jmschroeder, and later this week, @farmpodcaster … hashtag #WPX10. You can also check out the event in our World Pork Expo 2010 Photo Album.

    Hear more of my conversation with Cindy in the player below.

    AgWired coverage of the World Pork Expo 2010 is sponsored by:
    Novus International

    Audio, Novus International, Pork, World Pork Expo