Discussion Group Dinners End The Day

Chuck Zimmerman

Discussion DinnerThis evening the Alltech Symposium ended with a series of simultaneous discussion group dinners. I went to the one on biofuels which was moderated by Dr. Mark Lyons.

Here’s my table. Prior to the general discussion we ate and talked at our individual tables. At mine we had folks from the Dominican Republic, Philippines, Korea and the United States. It was interesting to hear the perspectives on biofuels of people living in countries that don’t have our capabilities or feedstocks for conversion into fuel.

You can hear a short sound bite here of what our discussion sounded like: alltech-symposium-08-biofuel-dinner-cut.mp3

Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Alltech, Audio

Feeding a Growing Population

Chuck Zimmerman

Osler DesouzartThe third person on the debate team for the Alltech Greenest Generation debate was Osler Desouzart, President of OD Consulting, Brazil. He is no soft spoken, hold back his feelings kind of guy and I like that. He got asked about his thoughts on how to feed the growing population of the world.

My recorder ran out of batteries when the press conference started so I don’t have his answer to a question he was asked about the idea of people basically quitting their consumption of animals as a way to overcome the current concerns for enough grain, etc, yadda, yadda. He pretty much said that it was a “Stupid Idea.” Yeah. Economic vegetarianism? Who would even come up with such a thing?

You can listen to him answer the first question here: alltech-symposium-08-desouzart.mp3

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Alltech, Audio

David Byrne Speaks to Food Safety

Chuck Zimmerman

David ByrneAfter Mike Johanns got the first question in the Alltech Greenest Generation debate it was David Byrne’s turn. He is the former EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection.

He was asked if we can capture consumer confidence on food safety and how can industry and regulators work together to achieve it. Of course he has a very significant amount of experience on this front since he was in his office at the time that BSE was an explosive issue in the EU.

You can listen to him answer the question here: alltech-symposium-08-byrne.mp3

Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Alltech, Audio

Mike Johanns on Stage Again

Chuck Zimmerman

Mike JohannsOur former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture is now running for the office of U.S. Senate and he’s still great talking about agriculture on stage.

Here he is at the Alltech Symposium. The debate was for the most part very cordial. I think Johanns did a very good job of addressing the questions and talking to the issues in a very direct way.

To give you a taste of it I’ve got his answer here to the first question from Alltech’s VP, Aidan Connolly: alltech-symposium-08-johanns.mp3

The debate session was over an hour long and followed by a press conference where the issues of food vs. fuel and farm subsidies came up again. The bottom line from all three presenters seemed to be that the market and farmers will rise to meet demand and that new technologies are here now and not off in the future. No one’s starving because of biofuels. No one will.

Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Alltech, Audio

The Greenest Generation Debate

Chuck Zimmerman

Alltech Debate TeamRight now the Alltech Symposium afternoon general session is featuring a debate with these guys pictured with Dr. Pearse Lyons (top). They are Mike Johanns, former U.S. Sec. of Ag, David Byrne, former EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection and Osler Desouzart, OD Consulting.

Afterward we’ll be visiting with them in a press conference and I’ll have more for you later.

Until then . . .

Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Alltech

Alltech Young Animal Scientist Award

Chuck Zimmerman

Alltech Young Animal Scientist AwardThe winner of the Alltech Young Animal Scientist Award is Craig Louder, Utah State University. He’s pictured between Dr. Mark Lyons and Inge Russell.

In addition to his first place overall award there were 4 regional winners, of which Craig is one. The others include:

Asia-Pacific

Bayu Mangkurat, Indonesia, Diponegoro University

Europe-Africa

Zhelyazko Sabev, Bulgaria, Trakia University

Latin America

Mateus Silveira Lopes, Brazil, Universidade Federal de Pelotas – UFPel

Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Alltech, University

Focusing on Farm New Media

Chuck Zimmerman

My Blogging SessionI just finished doing Blogging 101 for the international ag media attending the Alltech Symposium.

Thanks to Liz Broomall, Alltech intern, for taking the photo. Ignore those empty chairs. The crowd was all around there and behind Liz.

I kind of rambled around on the subjects of blogging, podcasting, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr. I was also very surprised to be speaking to a group where no one raised their hand to say they have a blog or a podcast! Ag media, hello, it’s a new media world.

As it turns out we did have a couple people here like Ned Arthur with Truffle Media Networks and Emmy Koeleman, All About Feed, who are getting it.
Felix Sammartino
I collected everyone’s cards for a drawing and want to say congratulations to Ing. Agr. Felix Sammartino, Expoagro, who won an “I’ve Been Blogged by AgWired” t-shirt.

Now he can say that he really has been blogged.

I want to thank Alltech for the opportunity to talk about a subject I dearly love and that’s agriblogging and farm podcasting. There were some great follow questions which shows me that these folks are thinking about how their business is changing.

Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Alltech, Media, Podcasts

Nutrigenomics to Define Alltech’s Future

Chuck Zimmerman

Dr. Karl DawsonThe man in charge of research on a worldwide basis for Alltech is Dr. Karl Dawson. He has been the guy who starts things off, like here at the press conference for the opening of the new Nutrigenomics Center and then again at the opening session.

I spoke to him after this press conference. He says the company has moved into an area that they had only dreamed about with the opening of their new research center. He says it contains an extensive analytical capability for not only product development but also quality assurance. As a company he believes the work they do there will define their future and when you talk about customizing diets for animal nutrition I think I would agree.

You can listen to the interview I did with Dr. Dawson here: alltech-symposium-08-dawson.mp3

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Alltech, Animal Health, Audio

The Other Dr. Lyons Talks Energy

Chuck Zimmerman

Dr. Mark LyonsDr. Mark Lyons is the son of Alltech founder and President, Dr. Pearse Lyons. At the press conference yesterday he kept getting referred to as the “other Dr. Lyons.” I think he’s used to it. In fact, Mark says his sister has a PhD too.

Mark has been working on international projects for the company and will be heading up the company’s newest project to build a cellulosic ethanol plant in Springfield, KY. He’s thrilled with the news the company had last Friday that they’re receiving not only a $30 million grant from the Department of Energy but an additional $8 million grant from the state of Kentucky for the project. He says this will help the company to think even bigger as they develop the facility.

You can listen to an interview I did with Mark here: alltech-symposium-08-mark-lyons.mp3

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Alltech, Audio, Ethanol

Digital Signs Greet Participants

Chuck Zimmerman

Digital LizI would dare say that Alltech is one of the most multi-media savvy companies I’ve worked with and I’m sure it’s because of the talent the company has invested in. I’m just proud to be working alongside them here in Lexington at their Symposium in my own little way.

As an example of one thing they’re doing that is just plain “cool,” is the digital signs positioned around the convention center.

In the photo you can see an avatar of a real person (Liz Broomall, Alltech intern) who greets and talks to participants as they wander around the exhibits. I’m going to try to interview her about the project later.

Post Update: I did interview Avatar Liz and you can listen to her describe the project here: alltech-symposium-08-liz.mp3

This morning the latest video in the Alltech YouTube account is one that features highlights from the opening sessions yesterday:

Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Alltech