Here is the happy group attending the Novus International Media Day. It includes Novus and media folks. We caught a helpful staffer walking by so we could all be in the photo.
The group is having a tour and dinner this evening at the Schlafly Brewery. We’ll gather again in the morning to learn about another focus of the company before heading out to their “Green Acres” research farm.
Our tour guide for the Novus International headquarters building today was Don Vondriska, Director of Business Development , pictured on the left here speaking to attendees. As I’ve reported before when covering the facility grand opening, this is a LEED Platinum certified building and very unique. Don took us around and show how they’ve designed with the environment and employees in mind. Everything is open so you can see outside from just about anywhere. The staff leaders have the same size cubicles as everyone else. For those in labs downstairs, there are special pipes that bring sunlight into their work areas. Don says the design really helps with teamwork and collaboration. You’ll hear some chickens in the background because after the office/lab area we walked to an adjacent building where the company conducts some animal research on a small scale.
Don says they brought media in to help us better understand the diversity of products and science basis of the company. He sees future growth in a lot of different species and science based products that will include equine, companion animals and even humans.
Novus International Media Day Photo Album
You can listen to my interview with Don here:
One of the key targets for Novus International is the swine industry and to talk to us about it was Dr. Felipe Navarro. He started out asking each of us what our definition of “sustainable” is. He got a lot of different definitions. He has found that when talking about the subject it’s important to know how most of his audience defines it.
He says that the company is focusing on how to make producers more efficient. That’s a word you hear a lot here at Novus. Ways they can help a producer become more efficient will help their customers stay in business. Genetic improvements have made huge strides but now it’s very important to make sure they have good nutritional feed. He says they’re utilizing the strong scientific profile they have available in their research facilities to create solutions for their customers.
Novus International Media Day Photo Album
You can listen to my interview with Dr. Navarro here:
This photo is just to show you how important it is in today’s new media world to have electicity and internet access when you bring the media in for an event of any kind. Today I’ve been attending the Novus International Media Day which will conclude tomorrow.
As you can see, the ZimmComm big boy Macbook Pro is fired up and that’s how I’m able to post photos and interviews so quickly. Yes, I can edit one audio file while listening to the next presentation. Challenging? Yeah. But possible. So next time you plan your media day keep the new media in mind like Novus has done today!
New Holland, one of the sponsors of our coverage of the Farm Progress Show was the first company of its kind to join The Biodiesel Alliance. To talk about it I spoke with Gene Hemphill, New Holland and Tom Verry, National Biodiesel Board. NBB was the founder of the Alliance.
The Biodiesel Alliance is a diverse coalition of organizations, agencies and businesses from across the nation who find common ground in their support for biodiesel fuel. Founded and managed by the National Biodiesel Board, the Biodiesel Alliance supports information sharing and opportunities to help advance the use of clean-burning, renewable biodiesel fuel that meets high industry standards. As a result, the Biodiesel Alliance is instrumental in helping others to recognize the benefits of biodiesel to human health, the environment, national energy security and the US economy.
Gene and New Holland have been big supporters of the biodiesel industry since the days when it was called soydiesel. The company has been innovative in warranting their tractors on blends of biodiesel fuel up to 100 percent. They’ve also encouraged their dealers to join the alliance and many, many people to join the Biodiesel Backers.
Tom says the number one issue facing the industry right now is the proposed RFS2 that EPA has put forth and for which they’re soliciting comments until later this month. The proposed regs require 1 billion gallons of biomass biodiesel by 2012. That should be accomplished mostly by biodiesel but EPA is penalizing biodiesel through its measurement of its carbon score from the controversial indirect land use issue. He says they’re failing to take into account things like increased efficiency and production of soybeans.
You can listen to my interview with Gene and Tom below:
Farm Progress Show Photo Album
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Our first main presentation at the Novus International media day was on poultry marketing and research by Dr. Nasser Odetallah, Global Product Manager Enzymes. He says the products he works on help improve feed utilization efficiency in poultry as well as swine and other animals including companion animals.
He really wanted to focus on the issue of efficiency and provided some interesting examples of how we have made major strides in feeding animals so that we produce much more food but with basically the same or less animals than just back in the 1950’s. In fact, we actually feed the animals less but they produce even more. This is critical he says when you look at the projection of how much food we need to produce to feed the world in the future and to eliminate hunger and starvation. A figure he provided was that there are 6 billion people in the world and 1 billion of them go to sleep hungry and that 1 billion are not in North America or Europe, the majority live in sub-Saharan Africa, China, India and other impoverished areas. He says Novus see the world as one and they’re working specifically to alleviate hunger in those areas.
He also stressed how important food safety as a result of the increased production with the use of their products is to Novus. He also makes a point how we all have a responsibility to make better use of our resources to contribute to developing a more sustainable world.
Novus International Media Day Photo Album
You can listen to my interview with Dr. Odetallah here:
Journalists attending the Novus International media day were greeted by Scott Fleetwod, Executive Director, Global Marketing and Products. I sat down with him right after his opening remarks to discuss what he hopes we accomplish here today and tomorrow.
To start with, Scott says they’ve divided the whole marketing division of the company to one that “faces the company” called the Product Group and one that “faces the customer” called the Marketing Group. The product group develops the products while the marketing group interfaces with the consumer.
He reminded us that the company was a spinoff from Monsanto back in the mid 80’s and has grown tremendously since then. Since many of their products are targeted to animal nutrition and health he says that he believes there will be recovery in the animal industry starting with beef and even in dairy within the coming year. The company also see great opportunities to improve animal food production in developing countries where the bulk of the hungry and starving people are today.
While we’re here we’ll get to tour this new company headquarters facility which was built with sustainability in mind. Sustainability is a key work here at Novus. We’ll probably use it a lot in our coverage of the event.
I have started a photo album from out event which you can find here: Novus International Media Day Photo Album
Listen to my interview with Scott here:
AgWired coverage of the 2009 Farm Progress Show
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BASF at Farm Progress Show Photo Album
New dynamics are shaping the future for agriculture and farmers need to be watching the markets more closely than ever before to keep ahead of the game, according to market analyst Arlen Suderman with Farm Futures.
“There’s a lot of money flow factors that drive the money, that tie what happens in grains to the bond market, the energy market, the value of the dollar,” Arlen said during a talk at the BASF tent during the 2009 Farm Progress Show. “That creates a lot of uncertainty, but there’s also reasons why it happens on a day to day basis.”
Arlen talked about factors like crude oil, corn and soybean stocks, export demand and much more. “Part of the real key over the next six months is when do we get that first frost, that will be a major driver in the soybean market with demand being so strong and that will set the tone for corn and wheat as well,” Arlen said.
Listen to or download a brief interview I did with Arlen right after his presentation:
AgWired coverage of the 2009 Farm Progress Show
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Farm Progress Show Photo Album
The ethanol organization Growth Energy had a strong presence at the 2009 Farm Progress show, stressing the strong ties the renewable fuel has to agriculture and rural America. “If you want to revitalize rural America, the production of renewable fuels and energy is the greatest economic opportunity that’s come along in my lifetime,” CEO Tom Buis told me in an interview. Tom’s lifetime in agriculture began as a grain and livestock farmer in Indiana, then moved to Washington DC as an agricultural advisor to members of Congress, and as president of the National Farmers Union prior to taking his current position earlier this year.
Growth Energy was encouraging farmers to sign up for a chance to win a new, flex-fuel Ford F150 at the Farm Progress show – and urging them to join the eTeam, which CEO Tom Buis says is an important way farmers can play a role in getting the word out about the benefits of ethanol. “The eTeam is a way that everybody can get involved at whatever level to help do that, because it’s going to take a team effort,” Tom said.
Growth Energy also introduced a new initiative at Farm Progress called labelmyfuel.com, which we reported on live from the show as it happened. Organization co-chairman retired Gen. Wesley Clark says the concept of country of origin labeling for fuel makes sense from a national security perspective so people know where they are sending their money. “But beyond the national security argument, I think there is a strong case to be made for America’s own domestic liquid fuel, which is ethanol,” Clark said. “There’s no doubt that if people could see it at the pump, day after day, and choose if they want their money to go overseas or stay right here and bring prosperity at home and help America’s communities and farmers – it will stay right here.”
Listen to back-to-back interviews with Buis and Clark here:
