Syngenta Seeds President Leads Opening Celebration

Cindy Zimmerman

Syngenta Seeds OpeningSyngenta Seeds president David Morgan welcomed agricultural leaders, invited guests, media and employees to the official opening of the Syngenta Seeds headquarters on a beautiful Monday morning in Minnetonka. Among those in attendence were Syngenta CEO Mike Mack, Minnesota State Senator Terri Bonoff, state Agriculture Deputy Commissioner Jim Boerboom, Chamber of Commerce president David Olsen and Minnetonka mayor Terry Schneider.

Syngenta Seeds OpeningMorgan praised the employees of Syngenta seeds for their hard work and commitment and recognized three exceptional sales reps responsible for $6-10 million in sales for the various Syngenta seed brands, including Garst, Golden Harvest and Northrup King. Morgan called the new building a symbol of the company’s increasing strength in the seeds business. “Our reputation is growing as a leader in agriculture and our new headquarters reflects our accomplishments and underscores our intent as we move confidently into the future.”

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is expected to arrive shortly to join the celebration.

Syngenta Seeds Headquarters Opening Photo Album

Listen to or download an interview with David Morgan below.
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Audio, Seed, Syngenta

Syngenta Seeds Grand Opening

Cindy Zimmerman

Syngenta Seeds OpeningWelcome to the Grand Opening of the new Syngenta Seeds Headquarters in Minnetonka, MN.

We are gearing up for the festivities now at the site. The new LEED Gold certified building was just completed in July and boasts 116,000 square feet on 14 acres. There are more than 300 employees working here who enjoy such amenities as a wellness room, free health clinic, fitness facility and more.

The dignitaries are arriving now, the Syngenta employees lining up in their bright blue company shirts. Among those expected to take part in the celebration are the governor of Minnesota and several state lawmakers. Stay tuned for more.

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Syngenta

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Alltech proudly announced Tuffy’s Pet Foods as an Official Animal Health and Nutrition Partner for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010.
  • This August, BASF Crop Protection partnered with Horizon Ag to donate funds to the Stop Hunger Now organization’s record-breaking University Million Meal Week where students and community volunteers packaged 1,031,776 meals for the less fortunate around the world.
  • Pioneer Hi-Bred and Asoyia, Inc., have expanded their 2008 agreement to make Pioneer brand 1 percent ultra low linolenic soybean varieties with the Roundup Ready® trait eligible for participation in the Asoyia Identity Preserved soybean program.
  • Vermeer recently introduced a brand new 4’ x 4’ baler – its first fixed-chamber design – to maximize crop throughput and improve reli¬ability and performance in high moisture forage.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Happy Hunting Crew

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Mystic Prairie Hunting 2009Here’s the happy hunting crew at Mystic Prairie hunting lodge. The early season (preserve permit) weather has been a challenge. Hot and windy. Temps in the 80’s with wind gusting to 36 mph. Not the best weather for hunting pheasant but we got the job done.

    By the time I get this posted Cindy should be in Minnesota where she’ll be attending tomorrow’s grand opening of the new Syngenta Seeds headquarters in Minnetonka. I’m sure you’ll see some posts from there tomorrow.

    Meanwhile I’ll be traveling back via Des Moines for one more meeting before returning to ZimmComm World Headquarters. See you then.

    Hunting

    Happy FAPRI Anniversary

    Cindy Zimmerman

    For 25 years a group of University of Missouri economists has provided commodity price projections and policy analysis to the U.S. Congress, international trade negotiators, farm groups and farmers.

    FAPRI 25th anniversaryOn Friday, the MU Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) celebrated its silver anniversary with a gathering of friends and supporters, including Missouri Senator Kit Bond and FAPRI founder Abner Womack.

    Womack has turned over leadership of the unit started in 1984 to professors Pat Westhoff and Willi Meyers, co-directors of MU FAPRI. He continues as FAPRI adviser and professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics.

    “Every acre of crop land in the world and every cow in the world’s herd are represented in our models,” Womack said of the analytical team he founded 25 years ago. “Our main job remains in giving unbiased facts, based on numbers. We don’t make policy recommendations,” Womack said. “We present the facts and let policymakers determine the answers. That is our strength.”

    A silver edition Web site shows a policy timeline, a history of MU FAPRI, videos, letters and quotes from supporters.

    Research, University

    Global Harvest Initiative Webcast

    Cindy Zimmerman

    A high-level symposium held by the Global Harvest Initiative in Washington, D.C., will be Webcast live on Tuesday, September 22. The symposium, featuring U.S. leaders in food and agriculture, is focusing on ways to sustainably double agricultural output to meet rapidly growing global demand anticipated by the United Nations.

    Global HarvestGlobal Harvest Initiative’s Symposium, Agriculture at a Crossroads will include a keynote address by U.S. Senator Richard Lugar and a roundtable on agriculture innovation and productivity challenges by the CEOs of the companies that founded the Global Harvest Initiative – Archer Daniels Midland, DuPont, John Deere, and Monsanto. Other speakers represent the World Food Prize, World Wildlife Fund and Farm Foundation, among many others.

    To view the 9:00 a.m. to 5: 00 p.m. EST live Webcast, go to www.globalharvestinitiative.org.

    Ag Groups, Agribusiness

    Arenus Makes Splash with Dock Dogs

    Cindy Zimmerman

    ArenusFor a decade now, DockDogs have been entertaining audiences around the world with their high flying canines. To support their efforts, STEADFAST® CANINE, a joint health supplement from Arenus, will sponsor the 2009 DockDogs National Championship.

    Scheduled for October 16-18 at King’s Island Resort in Mason, OH, the national championship will be the single largest event that the association has ever hosted. It is estimated that 400 teams and 800 entries will participate. Four pools will be on hand to accommodate the record number of competitors.

    Arenus“STEADFAST® CANINE is pleased to partner with DockDogs to promote the high demand sport of canine dock jumping. It was a rewarding experience to see these canine athletes perform at the DockDogs World Championship in Minnesota,” said Celeste Mohatt, Marketing Manager for Arenus. “We are proud to be back at DockDogs Nationals as the preferred joint health supplement.”

    Arenus, a division of Novus Nutrition Brands, LLC, creates products like STEADFAST® CANINE that draw upon over 15 years of proven research, field studies and expertise in animal health and nutrition from Novus Nutrition Brands’ parent company, Novus International, Inc.

    Novus International

    Ag Commissioners Urge Protection of Farmland

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Most of the country’s original colonies are urging the federal government to preserve and protect our nation’s farmland.

    “Protecting farmland for future agricultural use is of utmost importance to every citizen of the United States… so critical to maintaining the future viability of our agricultural sectors and rural communities,” said agriculture commissioners and officials from
    13 states in a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. Of those 13 states, 11 were among the original colonies, which actually became 18 of our present day states. They include Connecticut, Deleware, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. The others that signed the letter are Ohio and Michigan.

    American Farmland TrustAmerican Farmland Trust (AFT) coordinated the letter commenting on the federal Interim Final Rule regarding the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP), and AFT Senior Director of Farmland Protection Programs Bob Wagner says the states signing the letter represent over 70 percent of all the acreage protected under state farmland protection programs. “These states recognize that the federal government has been a key partner in helping protect farmland since 1995, and they are offering improvements to the FRPP program so that it can be most effective and efficient,” said Wagner.

    While there are differences in agricultural practices by the states in the region, the letter identified common issues of concern, and asked that the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) allow the states maximum discretion to implement FRPP as Congress directed in the 2008 Farm Bill.

    Farming, USDA

    #FuelChat Scheduled

    Cindy Zimmerman

    fuel chatThe Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is hosting a second open on-line Twitter #FuelChat to answer questions and offer information about all things ethanol on September 23 at 2:00 pm Eastern time.

    The first #FuelChat was held in July during the evening hours but after some consultation and research, it was decided that a daytime chat might be better for those who want to engage in the conversation. Topics for the conversation are in development and suggestions should be sent to #FuelChat.

    Participants can use the application TweetChat, using #FuelChat to see live comments and questions being posted and join in the chat. For those not currently using Twitter, the first step is would be to set up an account with Twitter. Those who have never taken part in a live on-line chat are welcome to just tune in to see how it works.

    Ethanol, RFA

    Awards for Successful Farming and Agriculture.com

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The young and beginning farmers behind the Farmers for the Future project at Successful Farming magazine and Agriculture.com netted the media company two awards at the recent Media Industry News (MIN) Integrated Marketing Awards held in New York. Pictured accepting the awards on behalf of Successful Farming magazine are John Walter, Executive Editor and Jeff Caldwell, Multimedia Editor.

    Successful AwardThe Farmers for the Future program took home two honorable mention awards. The first came in the Total Integrated Program category that honors projects comprising multimedia editorial content, events and programs.

    The Farmers for the Future program includes feature stories in Successful Farming magazine, a microsite and multimedia content on Agriculture.com, a young and beginning farmer conference and a social network site.

    The Farmers for the Future social network was awarded in MIN’s Social Media Program category. The network that began in September 2008 has more than 2,100 members and offers members myriad ways to connect with one another, including blogs, forums, chat and video chat. The Farmers for the Future project is sponsored by DEKALB and the Farm Credit Foundation.

    Media