IFAJ President Chops Wood

Chuck Zimmerman September 11, 2008

He’s our outgoing IFAJ President and he’s also Paul Bunyon. No, actually he’s David Markey and this is one of Cindy’s pictures from tonight’s dinner which was held at Schloss Stainz.

This is a beautiful old castle where we experienced more fine Austrian wines, some traditional local dance, music and really good food.

I think Cindy said that David and Franz Fischler were chopping logs as part of one of the dances and then she got this picture. I’m not sure what that was all about. If you do then could you post a comment here to fill us in on the details?

IFAJ Congress 2008 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of IFAJ 2008 is sponsored by: and

IFAJ, Novus International, Pioneer

IFAJ Congress Tours

Chuck Zimmerman September 11, 2008

We saw some beautiful countryside today on our tour outside of Graz. There were actually 3 different tours going on simultaneously. Mine focused on specialty crops (make that apples). Cindy went on one focused on biomass and there was one on mountain farming.

We left the hotel after lunch and just got back from our dinner a little while ago. The photo album is up to date with over 400 photos for your viewing pleasure. Cindy and I have interviews, more pictures and video clips to share but no time to edit them and post them. I would like to suggest that IFAJ add a couple of requirements to Congress organizers (including in the USA next year) that time is built into the schedule to allow us to be online to post stories and also ensure we have good internet access available.

Okay, so I was on the apple tour which included a stop at a fruit packing company and two different apple farms. At our first stop the farmer not only showed us his groves and discussed the various types of apples he grows but he also poured us a glass of wine made from apples. Later on he also poured some stronger apple liquor and even some elderberry wine!

Once we got back on our bus, it was time for a quick nap before the next stop.

IFAJ Congress 2008 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of IFAJ 2008 is sponsored by: and

IFAJ, Novus International, Pioneer

IFAJ Star Prizes

Chuck Zimmerman September 11, 2008

This morning the IFAJ Star prizes for writing and photography were awarded. I don’t think any of the top winners were attending though so we had stand-ins to take their awards home. I’ll try to find a list of them to publish later.

As with a number of Congresses I’ve attended, it’s looking like our schedule will be pretty spotty for internet access or time to use it starting with the tours this afternoon and our travel to Slovenia tomorrow. Internet access here has been touch and go, which I find amazing in the online world we live in. However, I think I heard Franz Fischler says that he believes they are a little behind the rest of the world when it comes to the internet here.

So, until we can get back online I’ll leave you with an up to date photo album.

IFAJ Congress 2008 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of IFAJ 2008 is sponsored by: and

IFAJ, Novus International, Pioneer

IFAJ Member Survey Results

Chuck Zimmerman September 11, 2008

During the morning session here at the IFAJ Congress we were presented with the results of an online survey conducted for IFAJ by OEKonsult, Communication & Consulting.

One of the presenters was Kristin Allwinger, Business Development. She says they had very good participation from IFAJ members and the goal was to find out how important various topics are to them. For example, she says that 80% believe that farmers are their main audience while only 50% consider the consumer to be highly important. I think this makes sense since we’re talking about mostly agricultural publications, websites and broadcasts.

You can listen to my interview with Kristin here: ifaj-08-allwinger.mp3

IFAJ Congress 2008 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of IFAJ 2008 is sponsored by: and

Audio, IFAJ, International, Novus International, Pioneer

IFAJ Congress President Franz Fischler

Chuck Zimmerman September 10, 2008

The President of the IFAJ Congress 2008 is Franz Fischler, former Commissioner of Agriculture for the EU. Last year in Japan at the IFAJ Congress he promised us some fine Austrian wines. Tonight he made good on that with a toast at our dinner.

Prior to the dinner I spoke to him and he said that attendance exceeded their expectations. He says they have some specific objectives with the Congress. “We want to show how we organize the agricultural sector, which policy objectives we have, but would also like to show our guests concrete examples because I think this is the basis then for a good story and this interests journalists more than anything else.”

He says we’re in the southeast part of the country, called Styria, which is also the home of our “Governator,” Arnold Schwarzenegger. He told me that Austria joined the European Union in 1995 and that it has a common border with a number of the countries that also joined then. He says this has helped improve their economy and improve their output.

You can listen to my interview with Franz Fischler here: ifaj-08-fischler.mp3

Here is our welcome by Mr. Fischler at the evening’s opening dinner:

IFAJ Congress 2008 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of IFAJ 2008 is sponsored by: and

Audio, IFAJ, International, Novus International, Pioneer

Touring Downtown Graz, Austria

Chuck Zimmerman September 10, 2008

During the first day of the IFAJ Congress in Austria we went on group walking tours of Graz. Here’s Cindy and me in front of the clock tower on Schloßberg, a hill overlooking the city. Thanks to Harlan Persinger for taking our picture. There were about 20 of us in our group. I’ve got a video clip to share a little later from the tour.

The word “Schloßberg” literally means “castle mountain”, which describes it exactly. It is a hill topped by a castle, in the centre of the city of Graz, Austria.

Among Graz’s most famous tourist attractions, the castle, never occupied until its partial demolition by Napoleonic forces under the Peace of Schönbrunn of 1809, was once a place of refuge for Graz’s residents. It was turned into a public park on account of Ludwig von Welden in 1839.

The Schloßberg contains an “Uhrturm” (clock tower), which functions as a recognisable icon for the city. Near the Uhrturm there is a café with views over the old town. Additionally, on the western side of the Schloßberg, there is a small café and next to the terminus of the funicular railway there is a hilltop restaurant with views of western Graz.

IFAJ Congress 2008 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of IFAJ 2008 is sponsored by: and

IFAJ, Novus International, Pioneer

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort September 10, 2008

On Friday, June 13, the flood stage of the Cedar River reached nearly 32 feet, flooding the entire first floor of the Diamond V headquarters and much of the ground floor of the company’s manufacturing plant. At least six employees lost their homes or suffered significant damages. After months of rebuilding, Friday, Aug. 22, was a day of celebration for the company, as they showed their appreciation for all those who helped them recover. Reconstruction of the headquarters continues, and the company will move into remodeled facilities on Sept. 16.
Belt SC insecticide (flubendiamide) from Bayer CropScience has been registered by the U.S. EPA for control of several economically important Lepidoptera species for corn, cotton adn tobacco growers. According to Bayer CropScience, the material will provide rapid feeding cessation as well as long-lasting residual control for better overall protection of crop value, all without disrupting Integrated Pest Management programs.
Beginning with 2009 products, Pioneer Hi-Bred has a new numbering system based on maturity, platform (base genetics) and trait identity. All Pioneer brand corn seed names will begin with the letter P, indicating a Pioneer brand hybrid, followed by four numbers, which will be distinctive in the seed industry.
Monsanto Company announced it has received regulatory approval in China for the importation of Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans. China imports accounted for approximately 38 percent of U.S. soybean exports in 2007, making it the largest purchaser of U.S. soybeans.

Zimfo Bytes

Annual IFAJ Delegates Meeting

Chuck Zimmerman September 10, 2008

The IFAJ delegates business meeting is taking place now. It’s the organization’s annual opportunity for each country to hear from the executive committee and have a say in the business of the organization.

It looks like we’ve got a good showing. You get a true flavor of the international makeup of IFAJ when you see all the country flags hanging around the room.

Our American delegation was here on time and ready to vote. I’ll try to post some information about what business gets decided later this afternoon.

After this meeting we’ll all be going on a guided sightseeing tour of historic Graz. You can already see quite a few photos from my walk around this morning in the photo album. Later on this evening we’ll have a formal reception at the Alte Universitat Graz.

IFAJ Congress 2008 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of IFAJ 2008 is sponsored by: and

IFAJ, Novus International, Pioneer

IFAJ Congress Welcome

Chuck Zimmerman September 10, 2008

It’s the first day of IFAJ Congress 2008 activities and the good news is, our luggage arrived! This morning the Executive Committee is meeting and after lunch we’ll have an IFAJ delegates business meeting. I’m going to try to cover that.

In the meantime, the welcome committee is greeting attendees in the lobby of our hotel. I spoke with one of the Austria organizers, Verena Mayr. She says there are 227 on her list and that represents a sold out conference.

She says there are teams from each of the two countries we’re visiting who have worked together to make this event happen.

You can listen to my interview with Verena here: ifaj-08-mayr.mp3

I went out early this morning and did a walk around downtown Graz. As you might guess, I added a lot of photos to the album.

IFAJ Congress 2008 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of IFAJ 2008 is sponsored by: and

Audio, IFAJ, International, Novus International, Pioneer

Austrian Corn Greetings

Cindy Zimmerman September 10, 2008

As we arrived in Graz yesterday for the IFAJ Congress and headed from the airport to the hotel, the first landscape that greeted us was corn. Even though they are farther north latitude-wise than even Minnesota, their corn is pretty close to harvest at this point.

Once we checked in, we found a Kornland yogurt bar awaiting us on the pillows of our hotel room bed.

This Austrian company makes lots of grain-based products like cereals and granola bars. These bars are made with corn flakes and oats and topped with a yogurt cream. Not bad when you are starving after a 22 hour trip!

Still no luggage, by the way, so I am getting ready to go out and by some clothes to wear this afternoon. Figure that the luggage will not arrive until we spend money on new clothes so we better get that done!

IFAJ Congress 2008 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of IFAJ 2008 is sponsored by: and

Corn, IFAJ, Novus International, Pioneer

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