Reach Teach Learn With Alpharma

Chuck Zimmerman

Alpharma Reach Teach LearnIt seems like more and more companies, organizations and individuals are taking the initiative to help educate our young people today about where their food comes from. Alpharma has joined the effort with it’s new Reach Teach Learn program. Their goal is to “provide youth with the information they need to ensure that honest, educated decisions are made.” Of course you can find them on Twitter.

Alpharma Inc. Animal Health announced the launch of Reach Teach Learn, a grassroots educational program, at the 2009 Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. The program supports local school districts and colleges through initiatives that encourage students to learn more about agriculture and how their food is produced, and to share their insights and knowledge about what they learned.

“There has never been a better time to familiarize students with current agricultural trends and how their decisions affect society,” says Jeff Mellinger, Global Leader, Sales & Marketing for Alpharma Inc., Animal Health. “These initiatives are small steps towards better, more informed and educated students.”

Reach Teach Learn consists of two main initiatives, a student video contest and an essay contest. The video contest gives college students enrolled in agriculture coursework the opportunity to display their passion for agriculture by creating a video depicting current, ethical agriculture practices. The essay contest, which will be launched for the first time this fall, was created in collaboration with “Ag in the Classroom,” a grassroots program coordinated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In this initiative high school students are asked to provide their perspective writing of an essay on agriculture based on a lesson plan based on a selected book.

The contests will begin in September and will run through the middle of December. To learn more about Reach Teach Learn, specific initiatives and official contest rules, please visit the program Web site at www.ReachTeachLearn.com.

Agribusiness, Education

Leah The AAEA Intern

Chuck Zimmerman

Leah BighamIf you won’t be attending this year’s Ag Media Summit you can still meet the AAEA intern online. She’s Leah Bigham and she’s blogging away. Uh, Leah, can you give Den a few Twitter tips too while you’re at it!

Hello! My name is Leah, and I am an Agricultural Communications Student, attending Fresno State University where I anticipate graduating next spring. I have been given the opportunity to intern alongside JoAnn this summer, at Farms.com in Iowa. I am excited about the opportunity, and all of the experiences I will be exposed to. I will use this blog to frequently update my readers about those experiences, and am confident this summer will provide me with the memories, experience, and contacts I drove across country in search of. Thank you for visiting!

Now this is the kind of experience the ag editors of tomorrow need to be getting.

ACN

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • The early-entry deadline for the popular National Corn Yield Contest is Wednesday, July 1, the National Corn Growers Association reminds growers.
  • Safe equipment is critical when working in agricultural environments that can contain chemicals, explosive gases, flammable vapors or combustible dust. Energizer Intrinsically Safe Lights are Class I Division I safety certified, impact resistant and “safety orange” for instant recognition.
  • The Honduran Foundation for the Promotion of Investments and Exports, FIDE, will hold two free seminars in the United States this month: Chicago at the World Trade Center Illinois and FIDE, 8 a.m. to noon Friday, June 26; San Jose at the Greater San Jose Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Monday, June 29.
  • NOVUS International created a Biological Marketing Department with the addition of Bruce King as Director of Biological Markets and John Browning as Organic Acids Product Manager for organic acids.
  • Standard & Poor’s announced the launch of the S&P Agribusiness North America Index, the industry’s first index comprised solely of agribusiness companies in North America.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Blues Hog Sticks To Your Meat

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Blues Hog BBQ SauceSince it’s grilling time (as if it is ever not grilling time), I want to make sure you know about Blues Hog Barbecue Sauce. This is one of my personal favorites and goes best with pork and chicken (IMHO). So how about you? What’s your favorite sauce? Leave a comment and hopefully a link so we can find it.

    Blues Hog Barbecue Sauce comes from our original recipe created by Bill Arnold, The Pit Master & Chef of the Blues Hog Cookers. The formula is Award Winning, and made from the highest quality sugars and spices in a way which sets our standards high above other commercial sauces. Blues Hog Sauce contains no preservatives, is also low in calories and contains no fat. The sauce has been successful in winning many competitions and is being sold and shipped all over the United States as well as a few foreign countries.

    Food

    2009 Show-Me Tractor Cruise

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Show Me Tractor CruiseThis year’s Show-Me Tractor Cruise is in the books and looks like it was a good one. It is a benefit ride for Camp Quality Northwest Missouri, a summer camp and year-round support program whose lives have been changed due to cancer.

    This year’s Show-Me Tractor Cruise was another success! 321 tractors registrered for the ride…302 checked in and 272 tractors drove the route! Thanks to everyone who was part of the day and made this year’s Tractor Cruise a success! At this time, we’re estimating the total dollars raised at approximately $40,000 for Camp Quality Northwest Missouri. An official total will be announced after Independence Day.

    Mark your calendars now: The 2010 Show-Me Tractor Cruise will be held Saturday, June 26th.

    Tractor

    Lake Relaxation

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Trimble LakeThis was my scene for a while this afternoon. A group of my neighbors and I bought Trimble Lake and have cleaned it, stocked it and cut a trail around it. Actually, they did all the work so far. It’s not a big lake but big enough to fish on and enjoy the scenery.

    This was a beautiful place to sit in the shade this afternoon since it’s only about 85 degrees with a nice breeze. That’s far different than yesterday when my car registered 101 degrees and there was no breeze!

    I did some fishing but no catching while I was there. Now I need to get a little jon boat to float out on the lake with . . .

    Uncategorized

    Update From Laura

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Chorti Maya BoyAgWired readers may remember Laura McNamara, freelance photojournalist who wrote for us and covered a number of events.

    According to her latest email she’s doing well in Guatemala. This is a photo she sent along to show her John Deere friends that they’ve got fans among the Chorti Maya Indians. He’s a a young Chorti Maya boy living in a small, rural village just outside of Copan Ruinas, Honduras.

    She’s currently doing some freelance work for Revue Magazine along with some other photography projects. She’s also started selling prints of her work as well. Photography and writing are both big passions of hers along with travel. And as she puts it, “I love to document what I do, where I go and the people I meet.” You can find a lot of that on her website.

    So, if you’re interested in what’s happening in ag in Central America you might want to get in touch with her and I am sure she would be happy to help you out.

    International

    Pontifical Academy Approves Genetically Modified Crops

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Pope BenedictI’ll take the opportunity to post a photo of my main man, Pope Benedict XVI anytime. Thanks to Terry Wanzek who grows corn, soybeans, and wheat on his family farm in North Dakota and serves as a North Dakota Senator and board member of Truth About Trade & Technology, for a great letter.

    In it he mentions that the Pontifical Academy of Sciences has given it’s blessing to genetically modified crops as one solution to world hunger. Here’s the first two statutes of the Academy:

    The Pontifical Academy of Sciences, founded by Pius XI of hallowed memory, is placed under the exalted and direct protection of the reigning Supreme Pontiff.

    The aim of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences is to promote the progress of the mathematical, physical and natural sciences and the study of epistemological problems related thereto.

    Here are a couple of excerpts from Terry’s letter:

    There are some people around the world who think religion and science shouldn’t get along. For some reason, they believe the men of the cloth should disagree with the men of the lab coat, now and forever.

    They’ll be disappointed to learn that the Pontifical Academy of Sciences–an arm of the Vatican–has given its blessing to genetically modified crops. At a conference last month in Rome, it praised GM food for holding “a great potential to improve the lives of the poor.”

    This is a welcome marriage of religion and science–two powerful forces joining for the good of all.

    Farming is my profession. But it’s more than a job–it’s a vocation. The Catholic Church teaches us to show benevolence toward the poor, and to feed them when they are hungry. One of the best ways I can realize this goal is to grow as much food as possible and to make it available at the most reasonable prices. I believe it is important that all farmers, especially the resource-poor smallholders, have the right to choose the best technology available, including biotechnology when appropriate, to improve their hope of producing more food for themselves.

    Are GM foods dangerous, as so many Europeans have been told? “No substantiated environmental or health risks have been noted,” says the academy. “Opposition to biotechnology in agriculture is usually ideological.”

    I’m also glad to see that science and religion can agree and even in the face of extreme emotionalism with a political agenda.

    Biotech

    International Trade Is Now Causing Global Warming

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The folks at the United Nations are at it again, this time along with the World Trade Organization. Last time it was their idiotic report about how cows and other forms of livestock are contributing so much to global warming (now calling it climate change which I believe happens naturally every year). This time they’ve moved a step ahead to try and link global climate change to trade. Give me a break. Here’s an excerpt from the WTO press release.

    The scientific evidence is now clear that the Earth’s climate system is warming as a result of greenhouse gas emissions which are still increasing worldwide, and will continue to increase over the coming decades unless there are significant changes to current laws, policies and actions. Although freer trade could lead to increased CO2 emissions as a result of raising economic activity. It can also help alleviate climate change, for instance by increasing the diffusion of mitigation technologies.

    The fact is that the scientific evidence isn’t clear. There is wide disagreement on this issue of GHG emissions. This is just another attempt to try to create fear in the name of accomplishing a policy objective and one that will have negative impacts on business in general and agriculture in particular. As if somehow, if we would just do what the UN wants on climate policy and what the WTO wants on a Doha agreement, all would be solved and we could sleep at night. It’s just not going to happen folks.

    Here’s an excerpt from the UNEP release.

    The world cannot continue with “business as usual” and there is a profound need for a successful conclusion to the current negotiations on both climate change and trade opening.

    Sounds like the same old, “the sky is falling” story to me. But I’m sure this report will be quoted and pointed to by all the global warming wackos out there ad nauseum.

    Post Update: Alert Twitter follower @etcattlewoman pointed me to a great piece on the Wall Street Journal about the growing skepticism worldwide of man made global warming. It’s worth a read.

    Environment, Farm Policy, International, Wackos

    Katy Trail River Scene

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Katy Trail This Missouri River scene is just one reason why I like biking on the Katy Trail.

    Its very peaceful and relaxing. And my new iPhone takes pretty good pictures!

    Post Update: The first edition of this post was from my iPhone, using the WordPress app, but I found I need to work on some settings since I had to edit it afterward. I’ll keep working on it.

    While I was in the same spot I shot some video with the iPhone and uploaded to YouTube which I can now share with you here:

    Uncategorized