Almonds and Sunsets

Chuck Zimmerman

Almond Tree in BloomIt’s been a really productive day here in California working with the ZimmComm Web Man. Look for some AgWired changes soon. I also learned a lot more about my Mac since he’s been on them way longer than I have.

After leaving Bakersfield I headed on to San Luis Obispo where I’ll be presenting at Cal-Poly tomorrow. The first thing I saw lots of were almond trees in bloom. They’re beautiful and the smell is almost overpowering. I stopped in Wasco before dark to just make sure of what I was looking at and smelling. When I got out of the car the perfume almost took my breath away.

California SunsetI was driving west so it was sunset time approaching the mountains over nearer the coast. I had to take pictures and I’ve uploaded them into an online photo album you might enjoy looking at.

I passed a large area of oil wells too so there’s some interesting shots of them in the sunset. The vineyards I passed were all dormant but there were lots of them. As I came through Paso Robles it was getting too dark to see but I’m tempted to drive back through there tomorrow before sunset so I’ll probably be adding to the photo album.

Uncategorized

BASF Bids Best Wishes to Dan Muys

Cindy Zimmerman

Here at ZimmComm, it is very true that our clients are our friends and we hate to see them move on. So, it is with mixed emotions and fond memories that we say goodbye to our friend Dan Muys with Quarry and wish him the very best as he moves across the country of Canada for personal reasons. I found out Dan was leaving Quarry during last week’s Commodity Classic from his good friend and client Pat Morrow of BASF. My response was “That sucks!” She was much more eloquent. Here is her farewell message to Dan:

Today we bid best wishes to Dan Muys, soon to be formerly of Quarry Integrated Communications, who is headed west to pursue new opportunities in Calgary, Alberta. In addition to pursuing new opportunities, he will undoubtedly cheer for the Calgary Flames NHL team — the only Stanley Cup for the Flames was won 1989! Perhaps the odds are in their favor in 2008……..

On a more serious note, Dan has been a great colleague and friend to many at BASF and in the ag business. He has helped innovate and direct many of the new opportunities for the BASF crop communications these past eighteen-plus months, and has been a joy to work with and know. His legacy will be felt for a long time to come. Dan, we wish you only the best and much success and happiness in your new ventures, and many thanks for your dedication, hard work, and great spirit. Please keep in touch with your friends at BASF and through the U.S. ag industry. We hope to see your smiling face again soon!

La bonne chance et les meilleurs souhaits !

My best memories of Dan are from our BASF Germany/Brussels trip last year. He kept us all organized, didn’t get us lost too often, and spent lots of time looking for ATM machines!

Danke dank, Dan. You better stay in touch or we may just make good on that threat to kidnap you and hold you hostage in Holts Summit! Peace and all good things to you, my friend.

Agencies, BASF

Two New VP’s at Bader Rutter

Chuck Zimmerman

Bader RutterThere’s two new Vice Presidents at Bader Rutter & Associates.

Mike Fredrick has been promoted to vice president, associate creative director in the agency’s creative group. Fredrick first joined Bader Rutter in 1997 and later rejoined the agency in 2003 as a senior copywriter. In his new role, he will continue to help lead the creative group and drive the creative direction for GE Healthcare, several divisions of Dow AgroSciences and other clients.

Tom Posta has been promoted to vice president, group leader in the agency’s account management group. Posta joined Bader Rutter in 1996. In his 12 years with the agency, Posta has played a key role in developing lasting client relationships as well as growing the businesses of some of the agency’s largest clients. He will continue to work on the Dow AgroSciences and GE Healthcare accounts.

Agencies

Dupont Has FAST Corn

Chuck Zimmerman

DupontDupont (Pioneer Hi-Bred) is now able to research FAST. Included here is some video of their robot.



DuPont today opened the doors to a revolutionary approach to evaluating advanced plant genetics and new biotechnology traits that the company says will help increase productivity. DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred opened a new research and greenhouse facility that brings together cutting-edge robotics and imaging, and the capability to grow test plants at an accelerated rate.

“The technology in this new, state-of-the-art research facility will significantly increase the rate at which we bring new and better products to our customers to meet increased demand for grain for food, feed, fuel and materials,” said William S. Niebur, DuPont vice president, Crop Genetics Research and Development.

The 12,000 square foot facility expands the capacity of proprietary FAST Corn technology and introduces robotics to facilitate testing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It increases testing throughput eight-fold over the original FAST Corn facility and process.

“Innovation is at the core of our customers’ success,” Niebur said. “This new high throughput approach is exciting news for corn growers. It allows Pioneer research scientists to evaluate advanced plant genetics and critical new traits more quickly in more plants, ultimately delivering new discoveries faster to Pioneer customers.”

FAST Corn – Functional Analysis System for Traits – allows researchers to grow corn to maturity in a fraction of the time required for traditional corn. Before FAST Corn, researchers were required to wait for a plant to reach full maturity before studying the affect of new traits.

Agribusiness, Corn

Getting Ready For Some New Media Training

Chuck Zimmerman

AAEAHello from warmer California. Another day of travel and another day of delays (about 2 hours worth). I’ll be working with the ZimmComm web guru tomorrow then on to Cal-Poly for some new media training on Friday.

Early in the morning I’ll be doing a webinar test run with AAEA for a webinar we have scheduled for next Tuesday. John Phipps, U.S. Farm Report, and I will be co-presenting on the topic of blogging. I think it’s going to be fun and am looking forward to it.

I was going to point you to the AAEA website but right now it looks like there’s a problem there since I’m getting some other website showing up. Maybe it will clear out in the morning and if so, I’ll update this post.

ACN

Kip and the Bean Stalk

Cindy Zimmerman

A sample from Kip Cullers’ world record soybean yield was on display in a trophy case at Pioneer’s Commodity Classic trade show booth and it certainly received a lot of well-deserved attention. Kip’s record in 2007, you may recall, was an astonishing 154 bushels per acre.

Pioneer and BASF are two of the companies Kip credits with helping him break his own world record last year. Another is EMD Crop BioScience.

I talked with Matt Hays of EMD at the trade show and he told me how their product Optimize helps Kip and other growers optimize their yields.

“It’s a seed treatment that is LCO promoter technology that just turns on the vital growth processes in the plant,” Hays says. “Basically, it enhances your emergence, improves your plant health and handles environmental stresses better.”

Listen to my interview with Matt here:
cc-emd.mp3

Audio, BASF, Commodity Classic, Pioneer, Seed, Soybean

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • DuPont announced leadership changes to strengthen its leading biotechnology position and better serve the growing global demand for the company’s biotech- based innovations in materials, food, feed and fuel markets. Thomas M. Connelly, executive vice president, will lead the integration of biotechnology across the company’s business segments. James C. Borel, is named group vice president, DuPont Human Resources. J. Erik Fyrwald has resigned from the company. Craig F. Binetti, will continue as chairman of the Solae Company. Torkel Rhenman is named CEO of Solae. W. Donald Johnson is named senior vice president — DuPont Human Resources. Maritza J. Poza-Grise, is named vice president , DuPont Human Resources.
  • Smithfield Foods, Inc. announced the EPA appointment of Dennis H. Treacy to serve on their newly-formed Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities (FRRC) Advisory Committee. The committee is an important part of the EPA administrator’s ongoing effort to strengthen relations with the agriculture community.
  • New research from North Carolina State University indicates that applications of Bio-Forge™ by StollerUSA, with or without fungicide, increases yields of corn by as much as 13 percent. Bio-Forge can help reduce input costs while boosting the bottom line with a yield increase.
  • Four horseshoers and two equine veterinarians who have helped raise the level of care for horses feet have been inducted into the International Horseshoeing Hall Of Fame and the International Equine Veterinarian Hall Of Fame: David Birdsall, Water Mill, N.Y.; Michael DeLeonardo, Salinas, Calif.; Chris Gregory, Lamar, Mo.; Dave Farley, Coshocton, Ohio; Kent Carter, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas and Jay Merriam, Massachusetts Equine Clinic, Uxbridge, Mass.
    Zimfo Bytes

    AAEA Considering a Blog?

    Chuck Zimmerman

    AAEA ByLineCurrent AAEA President John Walter, Successful Farming, wrote about 10 opinions he’s got about the organization in the latest issue of their newsletter, The Byline. You’ve got to be a member to get it. I just had to make a comment about his opinion #5 though.

    5. We should have an AAEA blog. Maybe we could pass it around. Who wants to go first?

    Yes! That’s a good one John. I think you’re really getting it and I’m glad to hear it from the leadership. An AAEA blog would be awesome (as long as there’s someone to post onto it!). I’m only overseeing about 21 of them at the moment in varying levels of involvement but I volunteer to assist somehow. Anyone else want to step up? Let John know.

    ACN, Media

    Are Ag Journalists in Danger?

    Chuck Zimmerman

    IFAJThe latest issue of the IFAJ newsletter contains an interesting survey. It’s really just one question, “What dangers do you face in your work as an agricultural journalist or editor?” The choices are:

    You may choose more than one answer.

    Failing to try new ideas
    Budget cuts
    Media convergence
    Losing journalistic integrity
    Freedom of expression
    Emergence of new media – blogs, internet news sites etc
    No time to look ahead
    Physical dangers
    Other dangers – please explain

    I was kind of taken back at first at the concept of “danger” to agricultural journalism jobs. I took this to mean that someone is afraid. Perhaps afraid that they’ll have a job? I’ve always lived with the idea that there is no such thing as job security, that the only way I can secure an income for myself and my family is to work hard and do the best job I can. Maybe I’m missing something here. I believe we’re in a period of unbelievable opportunity in ag journalism. I don’t care if you’re a freelancer or work for a major corporation. If your job is in jeopardy then be looking for something else because there’s a lot of opportunities out there.

    I realize that there may be situations within the IFAJ membership in other countries that I’m not aware of that is prompting this kind of survey. There are still countries where there is no such thing as “freedom of the press” for example. There are countries where physical danger exists just to survive. I can’t even imagine what working in those situations are like. At least here in America I do believe we’ve got it good and the only danger I see is the first choice listed above, “Failing to try new ideas.”

    What are your thoughts on this? Feel free to comment.

    IFAJ, International, Media

    Farm Foundation Forum Podcast

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Farm Foundation ForumThe term podcast has different meanings to different people. Me, I think it has to involve RSS so it can be subscribed to. To some it’s just a web link to an audio file. That’s the way the folks at Farm Foundation Forum view it with the posting of their “podcast” from today’s discussion. The audio quality is quite good and you can find it with this link.

    The Forum topic: Factors and Impacts of U.S. Food Price Increases
    Charlie Stenholm was the moderator.
    Presenters were:
    Ephriam Leibtag, USDA Economic Research Service
    Sophie Milam, Bread for the World
    Scott Faber, GMA/FPA
    Jon Doggett, National Corn Growers Association

    The next Farm Foundation Forum is scheduled for April 8.

    Ag Groups, Audio, Podcasts