Almost Time For IFAJ Congress 2008

Chuck Zimmerman September 5, 2008

Cindy and I got to know Franz Fischler, former EU Commissioner of Agriculture, at last year’s IFAJ Congress in Japan. Prior to his work with the EU he was Austria’s Minster of Agriculture and Forestry. This year he’s President of the IFAJ Congress in Austria/Slovenia.

I would like to invite you to the 52nd IFAJ Congress “From the mountains to the sea” to Austria and Slovenia from 10 – 14 September 2008.

These two neighbouring countries will present to you forms of farming in the Heart of Europe which have orientated themselves less by global markets than by quality and sustainment and by partnership with the consumers in the regions. The country and its inhabitants will be the central points of presentation – and we would like to demonstrate this with concrete examples.

I am looking forward to welcome you in Austria and Slovenia in September 2008.

Yours sincerely,
Franz Fischler

Cindy and I leave Monday for this exciting adventure. We’ll be sharing our journey with a number of other American ag journalists, some of whom are heading out today or this weekend. Internet and schedule permitting, you’re going to once again find out all about what’s going on right here thanks to the generous support of our sponsors.

Pioneer Hi-Bred is sponsoring our coverage of the IFAJ Congress for the 4th consecutive year and we welcome 1st time sponsor for this event, Novus International. Without their support we wouldn’t be able to bring you all the latest news and information from one of the most unique agricultural communications events in the world. Next year it will be our turn here in the United States to host the event.

AgWired coverage of IFAJ 2008 is sponsored by: and

IFAJ, International

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort September 5, 2008

Exports of U.S. agricultural-related equipment to nations around the world topped $5.8 billion dollars for the first half of 2008 compared to mid-year 2007 numbers, for an increase of 30.5 percent, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Asia and Central America recorded modest gains while all other major world regions reported substantial growth, led by Australia/Oceania and South America.
Monsanto Company and Evogene Ltd. have entered into a five-year research and development collaboration focused on identifying key plant genes related to yield, environmental stress and fertilizer utilization. The agreement is intended to enhance research efforts to discover and deliver novel, yield-enhancing technologies at a time of increasing demand for grain globally.
IRON Solutions announced at the Farm Progress Show that it has been acquired by a new group of investors. Spearheading the acquisition is the leading “Software-as-a-Service” (or SaaS) venture capital firm StarVest Partners. StarVest is joined in a limited partnership with Dublin Capital Partners and Spring Mountain Capital and strategic investor GVIC Communications Corporation. Current investors in IRON Solutions will retain a 10 percent ownership stake in the new company, IRON Solutions.
Mr. Modibo Tiémoko Traoré, a former Minister for Rural Development with the Government of Mali, has taken over as FAO Assistant Director-General charged with the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department.

Zimfo Bytes

Ethanol at AgNite

Cindy Zimmerman September 4, 2008

One of the very cool things about the AgNite event in Minnesota this week was the way it united all aspects of the agriculture industry. The 50 sponsors included agribusinesses, corn growers, food processors, livestock, dairy and poultry producers, and the ethanol industry. Some of these groups have been at odds with each other in recent months over the impact of ethanol production on grain and feed prices, but for one glorious night they all got together and put aside their differences to showcase our nation’s unparalleled ability to produce food, feed, fuel and fiber.

The Renewable Fuels Association was a gold level sponsor of the event, thanks to the involvement in the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council of members like Randy Doyle of Al-Corn Clean Fuel in Claremont. “We are producing fuel as well as food here in Minnesota and that’s a great story to tell,” Randy says. “We’re creating a domestic source of energy. All we’re doing is harvesting solar energy. Those corn plants out there are the best solar collectors we’ve found and our job is just to turn it into liquid fuel that we can use in our cars.”

Unfortunately, I never got a photo of Randy at AgNite, but I did get an interview, which you can listen to here: agnite-alcorn.mp3

Be sure to check out the AgNite Photo Album for 200 pictures from the event.

AgWired coverage of AgNite is sponsored by: and

Audio, Ethanol

Feeding America

Chuck Zimmerman September 4, 2008

You may be familiar with an organization called Second Harvest. Now you need to know it by the name, Feeding America. The new name was announced September 1. George Braley (front left) is their Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy. He was one of the people on hand Tuesday at their regional network member, Second Harvest Heartland, to bring attention to the needs of hungry Americans. He says the name was changed to better reflect their mission and to better relate with Americans.

George says AgNite provided a great opportunity to bring attention to the name change and also to Hunger Action Month. He says this month is being celebrated by food banks and other anti-hunger organizations.

Besides the food packing event held in conjunction with the RNC, he says they also conducted one in Denver at the DNC. He says hunger is an issue from which you can draw support from both parties.

According to George, Feeding America distributes over 2 billion pounds of food a year with a goal of 3 billion. Much of it comes from private donations but a lot comes from state and national government programs too. He says they have a team on the ground in Louisiana to see how to best provide food aid to needy people. If you’re interested in helping their efforts, here’s where you can learn more.

Listen to my interview with George here: agnite-08-braley.mp3

Be sure to check out the AgNite Photo Album for 200 pictures from the event.

AgWired coverage of AgNite is sponsored by: and

Audio, Food

Princess Kay of the Milky Way at AgNite

Chuck Zimmerman September 4, 2008

Helping educate the people attending AgNite was Princess Kay of the Milky Way. She’s Kristy Mussman, a 3rd generation dairy farm family member.

She’s still pretty overwhelmed by her selection as the 55th Princess Kay. “It’s an unbelievable feeling, knowing that one day I was just a dairy farmer’s daughter and then going through all the processes for dairy princesses and knowing that not only do I represent my family but I also represent the 4,700 other dairy farmers across the state of Minnesota. I am blessed to have that opportunity.”

Kristy says AgNite is a great opportunity since there are so many people attending who are willing to hear what people in agriculture have to say.

Listen to my interview with Kristy here: agnite-08-mussman.mp3

Be sure to check out the AgNite Photo Album for 200 pictures from the event.

AgWired coverage of AgNite is sponsored by: and

Ag Groups, Audio, Dairy

Chris Novak New Pork Board CEO

Chuck Zimmerman September 4, 2008

The National Pork Board has a new CEO. He’s Chris Novak from Indiana. He says it’s “like coming home for me.”

Novak has served as executive director of the Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana’s corn organizations. He led the merger of two soybean organizations and helped build partnerships between Indiana’s soybean, corn and livestock commodity organizations. He also worked to secure passage of a new state corn checkoff.

“This is a challenging time for the U.S. pork industry because of the volatility in the markets, but also a time of great opportunity,” said Steve Weaver, a pork producer from Elk Grove, Calif., and president of the National Pork Board. “That is why I and my fellow National Pork Board members are so excited to have someone with Chris Novak’s experience and abilities to work with us in meeting those challenges and identifying those opportunities on behalf of all U.S. pork producers.”

Ag Groups, Pork

AgNite Was Incredible

Chuck Zimmerman September 3, 2008

AgNite was really an incredible event on several levels. The participation on the part of the agricultural community was impressive with over 50 companies and organizations involved. The Minnesota Agri-Growth Council staff was awesome. From 3pm to 3am it was non-stop activity, with people like Cindy and me needing assistance. The staff smiled throughout it all. There’s too many people to thank but I would like to thank Leslie Shuler in particular since she has been our primary contact for the project. It was an event we’ll always remember.

This is a shot of the crowd in one area of The Depot, where the event was held. It’s just prior to the Styx concert. Styx was awesome btw and the crowd loved them. How old are those guys? We weren’t allowed to take pictures of them or you can count on the fact that you’d see one here. (I didn’t, really . . . ).

Special thanks go to AgStar Financial for making ZimmComm’s participation and our AgWired coverage possible. We’ve still got some more content to post, but for now, it’s time to head on home to headquarters.

Be sure to check out the AgNite Photo Album for 200 pictures from the event.

AgWired coverage of AgNite is sponsored by: and

Uncategorized

Hormel Provides Protein Punch for Hunger Relief

Cindy Zimmerman September 3, 2008

Joe Swedberg is Vice President of Legislative Affairs of Hormel Foods Corporation and currently chairman of the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council, the coordinators of the gala AgNite event held in the Twin Cities on the second night of the Republican National Convention.

Joe was also on hand earlier Tuesday during a potato-packing event held at Second Harvest Heartland to highlight the work that agribusiness does to aid the hungry in Minnesota, the nation and the world. “As a company we support Second Harvest and are the primary protein sponsors for Second Harvest,” Joe said. He says that Hormel was one of the primary sponsors for AgNite because “Minnesota plays such an important role in agriculture and we’re one of the larger agriculture-oriented businesses in the state.”

Listen to my interview with Joe Swedberg here:
agnite-08-hormel.mp3

Be sure to check out the AgNite Photo Album for 200 pictures from the event.

AgWired coverage of AgNite is sponsored by: and

Agribusiness, Audio

FFA Helping Educate at AgNite

Chuck Zimmerman September 3, 2008

The primary purpose of AgNite was to showcase and educate attendees about agriculture.

What better way than to have your state FFA officers on hand? One of them was Sydney Place who is Minnesota FFA State Reporter. Sydney had an exciting day because she not only attended AgNite but it was also her first day of college. She says,

“It is such an exciting time to be a part of agriculture right now. There are some challenges and some things that need to be worked on in agriculture right now but the exciting part about being an agriculturalist is you have the opportunity to find solutions to those problems.”

Listen to my interview with Sydney here: agnite-08-place.mp3

Be sure to check out the AgNite Photo Album for 200 pictures from the event.

AgWired coverage of AgNite is sponsored by: and

Ag Groups, Audio, Education

Agribusinesses Proud to Sponsor AgNite

Cindy Zimmerman September 3, 2008

CHS is a Minnesota-based, farmer-owned, diversified agribusiness that was a proud sponsor of the AgNite event held on the second night of the Republican National Convention in the Twin Cities.

CHS Governmental Affairs Director Jim Bareksten is a board member of the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council, which coordinated the gala event celebrating food, agriculture and bioenergy – all of which are important to this company. “We’re a Fortune 200 company, we’re owned by farmers, and it is good to be involved,” Jim told me. “When you have a group of 17 farmer-directors that lead our company and you bring up an ag event of this magnitude to them, some of them being from different parties, they all jump on board and say let’s promote agriculture.”

Listen to my interview with Jim Bareksten here:
agnite-08-chs.mp3

Be sure to check out the AgNite Photo Album for 200 pictures from the event.

AgWired coverage of AgNite is sponsored by: and

Agribusiness, Audio

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