Here’s What’s Wrong with the Canadian Wheat Board’s Monopoly

Harry Siemens

 

Siemens Says – This is why Farmers Must Vote to elect Marketing Choice candidates in the upcoming CWBHarry Siemens board directors’ elections because Freedom of the Press is at stake. .

 The Canadian Wheat Board has refused my registration on two CWB media events, effectively banning me from covering, reporting, and commenting on the Wheat Board’s activities from a point of view the majority of farm media and mainstream media seldom take.

 I write for three and sometimes five farm newspapers weekly and monthly, broadcast on several radio stations and radio networks daily in the United States and Canada, posting to my SiemensSays.Com website, writing in the FarmWatch newsletter, and sharing the information on talks I give in Canada and the USA.Read More

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Mystic Blogging Experience

Chuck Zimmerman

Mystic Prairie Pheasant HuntingThis is a heads up AgWired fans that I’ll be sort of off the grid for a few days starting tomorrow. Even the agriblogger has to go far afield to recharge his batteries. It’s just that time of year.

However, I’ll still be connecting periodically and I couldn’t go somewhere without blogging it.

So, posting will be light for a few days but then it cranks back up. Bear with me.

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Badger NAMA Awards Tree

Chuck Zimmerman

Badger NAMA Awards TreeThe Badger NAMA chapter must have won a lot of awards to have this many leaves on their “tree.”

The Badger National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) Chapter recently donated $500 to the building of the University of Wisconsin-Madison NAMA Awards Tree, a display that recognizes the accomplishments of the student chapter over the past 30 years.

“Since its accreditation in 1978, the UW-Madison Student NAMA Chapter, its marketing team and its advisors have been recognized by the national professional chapter with numerous awards,” says Sarah Botham, UW-Madison NAMA Advisor. “We appreciate Badger NAMA’s donation to help make our awards tree a reality.”

In 2008, this vast collection of trophies and plaques was replaced with a three-dimensional wall of recognition, featuring a unique design which will provide space for an infinite number of future awards.

The bronze sculpture takes the form of a tree, with each leaf representing one award. The awards are divided by categories and the categories identified by large acorns. Each category is represented in one section of the tree and can be updated annually, growing with the success and legacy of this renowned student organization.

NAMA

Get Your Gala On

Chuck Zimmerman

LPC Royal GalaIf you haven’t made your reservation for this year’s Livestock Publications Council Royal Gala then what are you waiting for?

There is still time to confirm your plans for the 5th annual LPC Royal Gala which will be held next Friday, October 31, in Kansas City at the American Royal headquarters.

This fundraiser is designed to celebrate and honor this year’s inductees into the LPC Hall of Honor. We will induct Greg Henderson, Drovers, into the LPC Hall of Fame and honor Bud Snidow, retired from the American Hereford Association, with the Headliner Award. The proceeds will continue the development of the LPC Heritage Center which is an ongoing project to have a permanent home for historical items from livestock publishing and the home of the Hall of Honor where the plaques of all of the honorees are placed.

There will also be a silent auction, wonderful food and fine wine plus dancing and seeing your friends in LPC and livestock publishing. Tickets are still available — Click here for complete details.

LPC

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.

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    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