A Sunny Announcement From BASF and Nidera

Chuck Zimmerman

International Sunflower ConferenceIt looks like a morning of “joint-development” announcements. This first one is from BASF and Nidera.

BASF and Nidera today announced the introduction of CLHA-Plus – a new genetic trait for the CLEARFIELD Production System for Sunflowers – at the 17th International Sunflower Conference held in Cordoba, Spain.

CLHA-Plus is the result of a long-term joint development program between BASF and Nidera, a leading sunflower seed breeding company that supplies genetics worldwide. “Nidera’s expertise in sunflower breeding and biotech development techniques complements our core competencies in AHAS genes and imidazolinone tolerance technology,” said Alyson Emanuel, Director, Global Strategic Marketing Herbicides of BASF’s Crop Protection division.

Agribusiness, BASF, International

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Monsanto Chairman, president and CEO Hugh Grant announced a three-point commitment to help increase global food production in the face of growing demand, limited natural resources and a changing climate. Monsanto has committed not only to meet, but exceed this threshold for its core crops, while addressing other critical needs: develop better seeds, conserve resources and help improve farmers’ lives.
  • The Board of Directors of the Nutrients for Life Foundation has selected Harriet E. Wegmeyer to serve as its first full-time executive director. Wegmeyer began her duties in mid-May. Wegmeyer had served as the director of communications at The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) since 2002.
  • American Farmland Trust (AFT) has chosen Nash Huber of Nash’s Organic Produce in Sequim, Wash., for its annual Steward of the Land Award. Nash and his team grow more than 100 types of produce, pasture raised pork, and seed crops on 400 sustainably managed acres in the Dungeness River Valley-a unique micro-climate that allows year-round production. He will receive the $10,000 AFT prize for his environmental stewardship and farmland protection efforts, the largest such award in the agriculture sector.
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    Farm Podcaster Fuel

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Podcaster FuelThis is what gets the agriblogging farm podcaster going on a Monday morning. Rocket Fuel from Coffee Zone. If you need some, let me know and I’ll do the deal for you and ship it. It’s $12.50/lb. plus shipping and handling.

    So, posting was light on AgWired over the weekend. After all, it was Father’s Day weekend. Happy Father’s Day yesterday to all you Fathers.

    Now that the caffeine is starting to kick in I feel a posting blitz coming on. That remains to be seen but it could happen. I’ve already got a number of fresh, “first of the week,” news releases in. It looks like BASF was first. Give me a minute to read through them and we’ll see what gets posted.

    Uncategorized

    Agriblogging Professional Improvement Opportunity

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Blogworld & New Media ExpoFor you agribloggers and farm podcasters seeking some professional improvement opportunities this summer, here’s one. It’s the Blogworld & New Media Expo. The dates are September 20-21 in Las Vegas. I am thinking about going.

    They’ve got these interesting tidbits about blogging on the Expo homepage. You’ll find links in them to where they got the information.

    Important Blogging Statistics

    * Over 12 million American adults currently maintain a blog.
    * More than 147 million Americans use the Internet.
    * Over 57 million Americns read blogs.
    * 1.7 million American adults list making money as one of the reasons they blog.
    * 89% of companies surveyed say they think blogs will be more important in the next five years.
    * 9% of internet users say they have created blogs.
    * 6% of the entire US adult population has created a blog .
    * Technorati is currently tracking over 70 million blogs .
    * over 120 thousand blogs are created every day .
    * There are over 1.4 million new blog posts every day .
    * 22 of the 100 most popular websites in the world are blogs .
    * 120,000 new blogs are created every day .
    * 37% of blog readers began reading blogs in 2005 or 2006 .
    * 51% of blog readers shop online .
    * Blog readers average 23 hours online each week .

    Podcasts

    Missouri River is MO Bigger

    Chuck Zimmerman

    MO River CrestWe may not have the flooding you’ve been seeing stories about in Iowa but the Missouri River crested here at Jefferson City today and is expected to have another crest soon. It rained half the day today so we’ve got more flooding coming.

    This is a shot of the Capitol under the bridge over the river, leading into town. Normally there’s a boat ramp here but the water is all the way to the top.

    I’m betting this is one of the most photographed shots in town. Right before I got here a local tv crew was shooting the same scene. Click on the picture for a bigger version.

    Uncategorized

    Bader Rutter Adds Wirth

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Bader RutterMore growth at Bader Rutter.

    Bader Rutter, an integrated marketing services agency based in Milwaukee, hired Kim Wirth as an assistant account executive and promoted Lindsay Sasse to assistant account executive in the agency’s account management group.

    Prior to joining Bader Rutter, Wirth worked for Publicis Dialog in San Francisco.
    Wirth is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She will be working on the Dow AgroSciences account.

    Sasse joined Bader Rutter in 2007 and most recently served as an administrative assistant. Sasse holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay. She will be working on the Dow AgroSciences account.

    If you’d like us to post what’s happening at your agency then make sure you send me your annoucements.

    Agencies

    Monsanto Completes Acquisition of De Ruiter Seeds

    Chuck Zimmerman

    De Ruiter SeedsMonsanto continues to grow its seed business. This time with De Ruiter Seeds.

    Monsanto Company announced today that it has completed its proposed acquisition of De Ruiter Seeds Group B.V., a Dutch-holding company that owns and operates De Ruiter Seeds, for EUR546 million in cash, or approximately $850 million at current exchange rates, less net debt.

    Monsanto will start to transition the De Ruiter Seeds business into its vegetable seeds division alongside its other business units, Seminis and the International Seed Group, Inc. (ISG). Monsanto’s vegetable seed business will serve its customers through three dedicated platforms: protected-culture, open field and regional vegetable seed businesses. The De Ruiter Seeds business will serve the protected-culture vegetable seed market, Seminis will serve the open-field vegetable seed market, and ISG will serve customers of regional seed businesses. Until the transition is complete, business units will continue to conduct business as usual.

    Agribusiness, Seed

    Turkey Talk on Facebook

    Laura McNamara

    The National Turkey Federation is becoming more savvy in online social networking. June is ‘Turkey Lovers’ Month’ and to celebrate, the federation is debuting its new identity on Facebook.com

    The federation chose to focus the concept on Facebook, to reach a younger audience that is talking with their peers through this social networking community. Campaign participants will add a “turkey voki” — a small, talking cartoon turkey — to their profile areas and share it with their friends across Facebook.

    The talking turkey voki has the right elements to spread the National Turkey Federation’s message virally. The talking turkey delivers a humorous, customizable message and it wears a t-shirt that says “Shake Your Tail Feather”. The voki also says, “Do I make you hungry? Happy Turkey Month!” Users can customize the talking turkey’s clothes and choose to load up their own voice to the turkey voki with their phone or computer. The voki platform allows users to send the talking turkey to friends, or post it on a social network profile area or blog.

    The tested message, “Shake Your Tail Feather,” was an almost-unanimous choice among the younger audience. Participants said they chose the phrase because it made them want to get up and dance.

    Facebook users can find the talking turkey in the Voki Voice Avatars application.

    Ag Groups, Food, Poultry

    Farm Foundation Elects New Chair

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Farm FoundationRichard Hahn succeeds Sara Wyant as chair of the Board of Trustees of Farm Foundation.

    Barry Flinchbaugh of Kansas State University was named Vice Chair. The election took place at the Board’s annual meeting June 7, 2008, in Canandaigua, NY.

    Established in 1933, Farm Foundation is directed by a Board of Trustees comprised of leaders in agriculture and the food system. Farm Foundation works as a catalyst for sound public policy by providing objective information to foster a deeper understanding of issues shaping the future of agriculture, food systems and rural regions. Farm Foundation does not lobby or advocate. Its primary product is comprehensive, objective information on economic and public policy issues.

    Ag Groups

    Zimfo Bytes

    Melissa Sandfort

      Zimfo Bytes

    • Deere & Company has completed the acquisition of Plastro Irrigation Systems, Ltd., headquartered in Israel, to add significant momentum to the growth of John Deere Water Technologies.
    • The Poultry Science Education Fund of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Harold E. Ford Foundation supports student recruitment at colleges and universities with poultry science courses that do not have a full department with a poultry science degree. Applications for funding requests (recruitment grant of up to $7,000) are now available here.
    • The Wisconsin Guernsey Breeders Association will be hosting the National Guernsey Convention from June 26 through June 30th in Middleton, Wis. A complete schedule of events is available here.
    • Geile/Leon Marketing Communications is pleased to be recognized in The St. Louis Business Journal ‘s annual list of fastest growing private companies. Geile/Leon ranked ninth out of 50 in the St. Louis Community.
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