Write About a Future In Cotton

Chuck Zimmerman

My Future In CottonDo you have a future in cotton? Want to have one? Then write an essay and enter this Deltapine scholarship program.

The future of the U.S. cotton industry continues to rely on new talents and fresh perspectives. To keep bright young minds involved in cotton, Monsanto is creating the Deltapine Class of 09 scholarship program. The program will award nine $1,000 college scholarships to high school students in the class of ’09 who are interested in a career in cotton.

The scholarships will be awarded to nine students whose essays best express “My Future in CottonSM.” Eligibility requirements include:
· High school seniors who will graduate in 2009 with plans to enroll in a full-time undergraduate accredited 2- or 4-year college or university with the intent to engage in a course of study related to agriculture or agribusiness.
· A minimum GPA of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale; involvement in agriculture or with agricultural organizations; and living in a cotton-producing state.
· Those applicants whose families are directly involved in cotton production will be given special consideration.
· Persons related to employees of Monsanto, its agencies or competitive companies are not eligible to participate.

To apply, go to http://www.MyFutureInCotton.com for complete eligibility and criteria requirements. Winners will be announced on Jan. 6, 2009 at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences in an Antonio, TX, and listed on the Web site Jan. 7, 2009. All winners will be notified via email prior to this date.

Cotton, Education

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Novartis Animal Health US, Inc. sponsored an interactive quiz at the recent 2008 American Association of Bovine Practitioners Annual Convention. This activity resulted in donations of $2,470 to the AABP Amstutz Scholarship Fund and $500 to the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s student AABP Chapter. Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine took top honors.
  • The 17th annual National No-Tillage Conference program featuring 46 speakers will be held Jan. 14-17, 2009, in Indianapolis, Ind. Click here for full conference details.
  • Penton Media’s National Hog Farmer magazine launches a digital edition of the magazine. In addition to the feature stories, columns and Blueprint editions, the digital edition contains all of the information available in the print version, plus interactive capabilities, clickable table of contents, keyword search capabilities, and convenient links to advertisers and other industry resources. Click here to start receiving your digital edition every month.
  • Schering-Plough Corporation has announced the transition of leadership of its Animal Health unit from Ruurd Stolp, D.V.M., Ph.D., to Raul E. Kohan, who was previously the Deputy Head of the Animal Health unit. In his role as senior vice president and president, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, Kohan will continue reporting to Fred Hassan, chairman and chief executive officer.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Grain Power For Your Life

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Grains For LifeI don’t know about you but I like corn in all its various forms, fuel for my body or fuel for my car. Here’s some new research that shows just how healthy the milled food products can be. Someone please get me a bowl of grits! Corn – a Grain For Life.

    New research just published in the October issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reveals significant health benefits in milled yellow corn products. The study, authored by Purdue University professor Dr. Mario Ferruzzi, demonstrates milled yellow corn products are rich in antioxidants, especially carotenoids such as lutein. Additionally, the bioaccessibility level of carotenoids milled corn products is high, often more than 50% bioaccessible.

    Carotenoids are yellow and orange plant pigments known for their association in the prevention of chronic diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease and macular degeneration. Vegetables such as carrots, spinach and tomatoes are frequently associated with high levels of carotenoids; however, given the findings of this study, milled yellow corn products should be included in this category of antioxidant-rich foods. Read More

    Ag Groups, Corn, Food

    AAEA Members Please Take Survey

    Chuck Zimmerman

    AAEAHello AAEA members. Your cooperation is requested in taking a short survey. AAEA Members only!

    Can you help us out? AAEA members Karen Simon, Jim Evans, Owen Roberts in addition to Stephen Banning are conducting a survey of AAEA member attitudes as an update of a published study that was done with AAEA members ten years ago.

    We hope you will take the survey so that it will really represent the attitudes of AAEA members. There are no right or wrong answers. Your opinions are very important.

    All responses are confidential and it takes about 9 minutes to complete.The aggregate results will be available in the near future.

    Will you help us out? Just click on the link below:

    http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=_2fdSJfjmj5q6BlKwLerEIfQ_3d_3d

    If you have any questions, please contact Karen Simon at KSimon@iasoybeans.com.

    ACN

    COSDA-naughts Learning New Media

    Chuck Zimmerman

    COSDA ClassThanks to Ted Quanrud, North Dakota, I’ve got a picture from my COSDA blogging class. We went at it hard and heavy for 4 hours and had a great discussion (even though the hotel’s internet access died right when I started).

    Today we’re going to focus on podcasting and I’ve opened up lots of web pages “just in case.” After our session I’ll be heading up to Omaha for an EPIC meeting but I’ll be back on line later this evening.

    Uncategorized

    National FFA Alumni Association Blog

    Chuck Zimmerman

    FFA AlumniMaster agriblogger, Joy Carter, Georgia Peanut Commission, has put her skills to work for the National FFA Alumni Association. She’ll be posting from the convention in Indianapolis this week and is one of the presenters at the National FFA Alumni Workshops. Here’s a few items she wants you to be aware of:

    Alumni Benefit Auctions
    – Online Timed Benefit Auction running Oct. 15-29, 2008
    Available online for bidding at www.unitedcountry.com/ffaauction/

    – Silent Benefit Auction will be held Oct. 22-24, 2008 at the Indianapolis Convention Center, Ballroom 500.

    – Live Benefit Auction, held Friday, Oct. 24, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. (EDT) at the Indianapolis Convention Center – Auction will be broadcast online at www.unitedcountry.com/ffaauction

    The annual live, silent and online benefit auctions are held to raise funds to provide scholarships for students to participate in the Washington Leadership Conference and for college students enrolled in agricultural education. The success of the auction directly determines the number of scholarships awarded.Read More

    FFA

    Catching Up With Ev Griner

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCast-192 - Catching Up With Ev GrinerDuring last week’s Sunbelt Ag Expo the first person I interviewed was Ev Griner. Ev has been in broadcasting since 1948 (60 years)! He’s an icon of the farm broadcasting business in the deep southeast and is still producing daily programming for Southeast AgNet. I’ve known Ev for a lot of years but hadn’t seen him in over 10 years.

    Ev and Vivian GrinerSo we sat down and got caught up and I recorded our conversation for you. Ev has seen a lot of changes in communications as you can well imagine. So when I asked him for his advice on how to communicate to today’s farmer he just said, “Communications.” He says that the farmer has not only always been open minded but looking to technology to help him in his business and that includes how he gets information.

    While I was in Moultrie, GA, I got to have supper with Ev and his wife, Vivian (pictured here). It was a great time and I’m glad I got the chance.

    The program this week ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. This one is called “Cotton Picking Blues” from Son Seals. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

    You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 192 (18 min MP3)

    Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:Interviews with Ev Griner - ZimmCast 192

    The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes

    Audio, Media, Sunbelt Ag Expo, ZimmCast

    Iowa Farmer Participates in World Food Prize

    Cindy Zimmerman

    There were many corporate, government and organization types at the World Food Prize symposium last week in Des Moines – but there were lots of real farmers as well, from all over the world. The opportunity for farmers from different countries to network with each other is very valuable, especially for sharing ideas to increase productivity.

    World Food Prize Laura FoellLaura Foell is a producer from Schaller, Iowa who is a member of the United Soybean Board. This year was the third time she has been to the World Food Prize events and she enjoys the ability to interact with farmers from other countries. Earlier this year she went to Africa with some other “Women in Soy” to help other women farmers in that country. “Because 80 percent of the agriculture is done by women,” she says. “We went out to the villages where women are actually being entrepreneurs and selling products and we’re hoping to get soy as a textured protein into their selling so they can add that to their diets.”

    “We had women who had HIV tell us that putting soy in their diet helped them maintain their weight or even gain weight,” she added. And she says that soybeans can not only be used for food and feed, but for fuel and even fiber as well.

    Listen to my interview with Laura here: wfp-08-laura.mp3

    See photos of the World Food Prize event here.

    Audio, Soybean, USB, World Food Prize

    COSDA Blogging Class Underway

    Chuck Zimmerman

    COSDA LunchHere we are in the COSDA blogging class.  I’ll add a picture later but for now I’m just showing how to do a post in WordPress.

    We’re having a really good discussion and I’m hearing a lot of excellent questions, some of which pertain to a government organization blogging.

    Post Update: The picture is our group having lunch just now in the hotel. We had a great session on blogging and will have an even better one tomorrow on podcasting.

    Uncategorized

    Zimfo Bytes

    Melissa Sandfort

      Zimfo Bytes

    • The United Soybean Board (USB) currently seeks nominations for its annual Outstanding Achievement Award and Excellence in Communications Award. This is given to an individual, organization or group that has made an outstanding positive impact on the soybean industry and the soybean checkoff. Click here for a nomination form or contact Jennifer Anthony, 888-235-4332, ext. 1978. Deadline is Dec. 1, 2008.
    • DTN/Progressive Farmer announced that it will host its second-annual agriculture summit on December 7-9 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile. The 2008 DTN/Progressive Farmer Ag Summit, “Brave New Worlds: Your Map for Managing Ag Risk,” will feature industry experts who will provide advice to help producers map their 2009 profit strategy while taking an in-depth look at today’s volatile commodity markets. Click here for more information or to register.
    • Leica Geosystems’ parent company, Hexagon Group of Sweden, announces the acquisition of Rinex Technology of Perth, Australia, with an office in the Kansas City area. The first new product resulting from this acquisition will be a full-color, full-function touch screen that will work directly with the Leica mojoRTK auto-steer system to provide additional functionality including contour and pivot guidance, mapping and record keeping.
    • ASTM International has now officially published the highly anticipated biodiesel blend specifications on the ASTM website for general use. Click here for more information about biodiesel, including manufacturers’ warranty positions for its use. The ASTM International biodiesel standards can be purchased from ASTM Customer Service (610-832-9585; service@astm.org) or online.
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