I’ll be updating and monitoring this feed as much as I can during the next several hours of the Farm Foundation’s Transition To A Bio Economy Conference: Global & Trade Issues. The focus is on biofuels.
Update: I’ve closed the session but it’s archived for you to “replay” if you’d like. I’ll be posting speaker interviews over the next several hours.
Transition To A Bio Economy Conference: Global & Trade Issues Photo Album
Wally Tyner is an energy economist with the Dept. of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University. He’s one of the first speakers on the Farm Foundation, Transition To A Bio Economy Conference: Global Trade and Policy Issues. I was able to speak with him before the program kicks off this afternoon here in Washington, DC.
Wally says Farm Foundation decided to host a series of conferences a couple years ago. There are to be five in all and this is the fourth one. You can find out information about them on the Farm Foundation website.
This conference will focus on biofuels from a global perspective with participation from the European Union and Brazil. We’ll hear some contrasting viewpoints since Wally says that the EU has taken a different approach to requiring biofuels than the US. In his presentation he’ll focus on cellulosic or second generation biofuels. The hope is that the conference will incite or promote discussion even though Farm Foundation itself doesn’t take positions. He says they believe they’ve accomplished the objective with the conferences so far.
The next one in the series will focus on extension and it’s role across the country in biofuels production. It will be held in Arkansas in June.
You can listen to my interview with Wally here: ff-global-09-tyner.mp3
You can download the interview with this link (mp3).
You’ll be able to find photos from the conference here:
Transition To A Bio Economy Conference: Global & Trade Issues Photo Album
I’m glad to find out that the Brownfield Network will be sponsoring the internet access at my NAMA breakout session on social media and I thank them. Internet access is really becoming such an important part of everyday life and business that I was determined to find a way to have it.
This brought up an idea that I’m sure isn’t new but I thought I’d throw out there for conversation. If you’re planning a convention or meeting of any kind and sell sponsorships why not create one just to cover the cost of providing internet access? I don’t mean internet access for the media room or for a grouping of computers in a hallway either. I mean, negotiate a deal with your hotel or convention center. Say, “We want wireless access everywhere all the time.” How much would that cost? Why not do it? I don’t care if they’re farmers or not. We all need it today.
So what do you think? Realistic? New sponsor idea? If you don’t think it’s a good idea, why not?
I’m heading east out of a sunny St. Louis in just a few minutes to Washington, DC. I’ll be covering Farm Foundation’s “Transition To A Bioeconomy Conference – Global Trade and Policy Issues.”
I should have online coverage and Twitterage starting after lunch tomorrow here and on Domestic Fuel. I’ll be posting photos and interviews which all media are welcome to download and use.
So stay tuned.
Alert AgWired reader Michael Kopka has pointed out, Tractor Chasers is a John Deere website. As if you hadn’t already figured that out.
I’ve been off the grid for a couple days but am back in the saddle. I got this notice on my way out of town on Friday so Cindy handled the duties of pointing you to the Tractor Chasers website.
What do you think of this kind of campaign? You know we’re doing work for John Deere on a completed unrelated project – DriveGreenTractors.com.
Feel free to comment away.
I’ve heard of storm chasers, but this is the first I ever heard of “tractor chasers.”
Agwired was alerted to these so-called “Tractor Chasers” who are endeavoring to get a glimpse of the new John Deere 8RT Tractor that’s scheduled for release this August. They even have their own website and YouTube videos and everything. Hmmmm….
Check out the first of two videos so far here – check out the website or YouTube for others:
The staff of Osborn and Barr were encouraged to “Show Your AgNess” during a photo competition in honor of National Ag Week.
O&B serves as the agency of record for several agricultural clients, including the United Soybean Board and the Propane Education and Research Council, so it was a good way to help the staff get back to their ag roots and recognize the importance of the industry.
The winners are pictured here. Steve Washburn won for this pic of him visiting some fine feathered friends at a layer operation owned by his wife’s family in Texas. The other photo represents public relations account representative Andrea Mollet showing her first heifer at the Bond County Fair in Illinois. Even though it’s not real clear that it is actually her, we believe her. Remember, the goal was not top-notch photography here – judging was based on overall “AgNess” – a new word for the agribusiness world!
Support is growing for the new global agriculture trade show set to debut January 2010 in Orlando. AG CONNECT Expo 2010 made several announcements this week about support for the show.
For starters, the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) will co-locate its annual Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference (AETC) with the new international agriculture exhibition. It will also conduct its annual AE50 “innovation” awards program at AG CONNECT and spotlight the AE50 winning products at the show.
The North American Equipment Dealers Association (NAEDA) joins a growing list of industry groups that have endorsed and will participate in the show. NAEDA will also serve as a major organizer of the AG CONNECT Expo “Preview Day” that will allow dealers and their customers to interact with key decision makers from manufacturers in attendance. That will be held on January 12, the day before the show officially gets underway. In addition, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association announced their support of the show this week.
Last, but definitely not least, AG CONNECT Expo 2010 has been selected to be part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Buyer Program, which will help to recruit international attendees and encourage connections with exhibitors who sell to the global marketplace. This is a huge deal for the international show, according Charlie O’Brien, vice president of agricultural services with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) which owns and operates AG CONNECT Expo. “With the involvement of IBP, attendees and exhibitors at AG CONNECT Expo will benefit from potential trade leads and matchmaking opportunities, international insights into key ag issues, as well as the opportunity to learn different business practices in the context of a global agriculture trade show,” said O’Brien.
AG CONNECT Expo 2010 will be held January 13-15 at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center. Registration officially starts June 1, but exhibit space sales are already up for grabs. Find out more here.
