I Am Angus

Amanda Nolz

Angus Logo Did anyone catch the documentary of I Am Angus on RFD-TV last night? I’m sorry I missed its debut, but I have already heard great things about the program.

According to a recent press release by the American Angus Association, “I Am Angus is a one-hour documentary featuring the stories of people whose lives are defined by Angus cattle and Angus beef. The program also included two informational segments about Association programs and services designed to strengthen the economic position of cattle producers.
Film footage from the 1940s, 50s and 60s – narrated by radio great Paul Harvey in 1949 — will feature Angus farms and ranches, and showcase the dramatic changes in beef production, selection and marketing during the last 60 years.”

Did you watch the program last night? If so, what did you think? I’ll be waiting to watch the rerun. Even without seeing it yet, I’m sure it was a great way to boost the Angus brand and also tell the beef production story. Congratulations to those involved.

Beef

Fluidigm Workshop at Plant/Animal Genome Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

paglogoThe 18th International Plant and Animal Genome Conference is about to take place January 9-13 at the Town & Country Convention Center in San Diego, California and AgWired sponsor Fluidigm will be there. In fact they will be conducting one of the workshops titled, “Enabling High Sample Throughput SNP Genotyping for Plant and Animal Studies.”

It will be held on Tuesday, January 12, from 1:30 – 3:50 PM in the Town & Country Royal Palm Salon 1, 2, 3 rooms. Speakers include Curt Van Tassell, USDA-ARS, Bovine Testing; Jim Seeb, University of Washington, Salmon Conservation and Nanne Faber, Enza Zaden, Seed Quality Control.

You can find Fluidigm in booth 126, featuring the Fluidigm EP1™ system for high throughput SNP genotyping and digital PCR. If you’ve been following our interviews with Fluidigm, you’ll know what all this means by now! You can find stories about how Fluidigm is assisting in ag biotech by clicking here and here.

I spoke with Fluidigm’s Product Manager, Yong Yi, about the PAG Conference and the company’s involvement with it since its inception. He says the PAG is an opportunity for people doing plant and animal research to get together and share information. Genetic research is one of the top areas of focus and that’s where the Fluidigm System really has an application. Yong says their exhibit will help demonstrate their technology and their workshop will feature three of their customers who will discuss real world examples of how they use it.

Download the Fluidigm PAG Workshop invite here (pdf) and listen to my interview with Yong below:

Audio, Biotech, Farm Shows, Technology

Alltech Angus

Chuck Zimmerman

alltech-angusAlltech is now marketing its own line of Angus beef. I think my grill needs some of this!

Alltech Angus represents a Kentucky Proud partnership between Alltech and Critchfield Meats that brings you home-grown goodness in every bite. This high-quality Angus beef is raised on Kentucky family farms to deliver a tender, delicious beef choice for you and your family. Critchfield Meats and Alltech are both family-owned operations working together to serve Central Kentucky the highest quality meat products. Feel good about the food you feed your family.

You can order online via Critchfield. It’s also a Kentucky Proud Product.

Agribusiness, Alltech, Beef, Food

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

    Wish Milt Bliss a Happy Century!

    Cindy Zimmerman

    nafbThis pioneer farm broadcaster will be celebrating his 100th birthday on January 21.

    Milton E. Bliss was inducted into the NAFB Hall of Fame in 1994, the same year that Dix Harper took this photo of him. Milt’s career in radio dates back to the early 1930’s when he took a job at WHA in Madison, Wisconsin to help work his way through the University of Wisconsin. He later joined NBC in Chicago as producer of the “National Farm and Home Hour.” He also started radio and television programs on WFIL in Philadelphia. After that, Milt traveled extensively as a member of the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization, serving in Brazil, Rome, Saudi Arabia and India helping to develop farm broadcasting in other countries.

    Congratulatory letters and greetings are being compiled in a keepsake book for him and can be sent to:
    Jennifer Guenther
    7530 Roosevelt Road
    Hartford, WI 53027-9730

    Or you may send him a message directly:
    Milton E. Bliss
    N1324 Highway O
    Hartford, WI 53027

    NAFB

    AG CONNECT Expo iPhone App

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ag-connect-appAG CONNECT Expo now has an iPhone app available. Working with Core-Apps, LLC, and their Follow Me application, you can navigate the show floor like a pro. The app has interactive maps, lets you search the exhibitor directory or create your own schedule by choosing the sessions you want to attend and speakers you want to hear.

    It’s on my phone even though it does cost $1.99. As we get closer to the show I’m sure there will be more data available. It’s got a download function that lets you download exhibitor handouts for example.

    You can download the app via iTunes here.

    AEM

    ZimmComm Had a Busy 2009

    Cindy Zimmerman

    2009 was a busy year for ZimmComm New Media.

    zimmcomm new mediaBetween the two of us and our hardworking freelancers, we did 4310 posts on all websites, including Agwired, Domestic Fuel, Precision Pays and World Dairy Diary. We also did 176 podcasts and too many audio interviews to count.

    We uploaded 11,282 photos to 48 Flickr photo albums and 88 YouTube videos.

    The most popular YouTube videos on our channel in 2009 were Daryl Hannah at NBB with 6854 views, the new John Deere planter with 5876, the New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race 4557 and the tractor pull at National Farm Machinery Show 2872. Top stories on Agwired included:
    John Deere Unveils Largest Planter
    HSUS Challenges American Agriculture
    HSUS in Nebraska (tops in comments)
    Record Phone Calls on iPhone
    Get a Rustler from New Holland

    We visited over 60 different cities, from Panama City to Portland, San Antonio to Minnetonka, and San Diego to Boston – and internationally from Morocco to Egypt to Jordan. Read our travelogue here.

    Best of all – our readership was up significantly on all websites:
    Agwired – up 45% to 158,400 unique visitors
    Domestic Fuel – up 15% to 269,000 unique visitors
    Precision Pays – up 166% to 29,000 unique visitors
    World Dairy Diary – up 68% to 110,000 unique visitors

    Thanks to our of our wonderful friends in the industry for making 2009 a great year for ZimmComm. We look forward to continuing our relationships in the new decade.

    Happy New Year!

    ZimmComm Announcement

    AG CONNECT EXPO Registration

    Chuck Zimmerman

    aem-fox-adI was surprised to see ads for AG CONNECT Expo showing up on FoxNews.com this morning. But we’re getting close to the first ever AEM ag show in Orlando, FL. Got your plans made? I made my plane reservation this morning.

    Register Now

    Advance Attendee Registration deadline has been extended!

    Register to attend AG CONNECT Expo 2010 by Friday, January 8, 2010 and save over 30% on the onsite fee.

    AEM

    Last 2009 Headline Harvest Report

    Cindy Zimmerman

    So, here it is, the last BASF Headline Harvest report for 2009 with an Illinois farmer who has finished his harvest this year.

    BASF headline harvest jim wadeJim Wade of Clifton says he just finished up about two weeks before Christmas but it wasn’t as bad as 1967 when he was still had corn in January. “The biggest thing was setting in line, all of us had wet corn,” Jim told me, but overall he says “nobody got hurt.”

    Jim has been using Headline for three years now for increased yields in corn-on-corn, standability and plant health. “It keeps the plant green and we don’t want that corn to go down, especially now for anyone’s got corn left now sure wants it to be standing,” he said.

    Jim got good yields this year despite the weather challenges and won second place in the Ridge Till Non-Irrigated category for Illinois in the National Corn Yield Contest with a yield of 260.841 on his contest plot.

    Watch the video interview and listen to or download the audio of my interview with Jim below.

    Audio, BASF, Corn, Video

    What’s New With Syngenta Seeds

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Matthew ArnoldI learned what’s new with Syngenta Seeds from Wayne Fithian at the recent NAFB Trade Talk. He says that because of biotechnology the pace of new products is becoming more rapid. According to Wayne, they’re in the final stages of regulatory approval of their Agrisure Viptera for corn which they hope to have available for planting in 2010. Following that they’ll have “water optimization” which is an improved drought tolerance trait. And the list goes on and on.

    You can listen to my interview with Wayne below:

    See NAFB and NAMA Trends photos here.

    Agribusiness, Audio, NAFB, Seed, Syngenta