Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Laura McNamara

Houston Livestock Show and RodeoThe Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo boasts 21 star entertainers for this year’s event. Tickets go on sale starting tomorrow (Saturday, January 12).

The 21 different star entertainers scheduled to perform at the 2008 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo represent a wide variety of musical genres. Together, these superstars have garnered numerous music industry honors, including 18 GRAMMY(R) awards, 73 Country Music Association awards and 90 Academy of Country Music Awards.

Here are few from the lineup…

Monday, March 3 Tim McGraw

Tuesday, March 4 Faith Hill

Wednesday, March 5 Kevin Fowler

Thursday, March 6 Alan Jackson

Friday, March 7
Black Heritage Day sponsored by Kroger Food Stores John Legend

Other entertainers scheduled to perform throughout the event include Martina McBride, Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus, Sugarland, Rascal Flatts, John Fogerty, Toby Keith, Clay Walker, Brad Paisley, Duelo/Los Horoscopos de Durango, Miranda Lambert, Big & Rich, Fergie, Dierks Bentley, Pat Green and Brooks & Dunn.

Ag Groups, Farm Shows, Farming, Livestock, Rodeo

Beltwide Media Dinner

Chuck Zimmerman

Media DinnerThe National Cotton Council and Cotton Board hosted the media with a dinner last night that was the best meal I’ve had at the Opryland Hotel so far. Most of us are leaving this morning as the Beltwide comes to an end.

I want to thank Marjory Walker and Brad Robb for all their help while here and especially for a great dinner. Thanks also to BASF and Quarry Integrated Communications for their sponsorship of my coverage of this year’s Beltwide. A lot of us will be back here in just a few weeks for Commodity Classic. At least some of us will now know our way around the maze.

AgWired coverage of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences
is made possible by: BASF


Beltwide Cotton Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, BASF, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

Dealing With Cotton Acreage Change

Chuck Zimmerman

Mark LangeThis afternoon I had a chance to meet Dr. Mark Lange, President and CEO of the National Cotton Council. This is him speaking at a lunch earlier today.

I actually interviewed him along with Don Molino, Louisiana Agri-News Network and Keith Merckx, Texas State Networks. Of course Don had to ask Mark about the WTO so we got him on a roll.

He says that with cotton acreage down and looking like it will continue to decline this year one of the challenges in the industry is farm management. Many cotton producers are also growing or looking at growing other commodities like wheat and therefore there’s a need to help them deal with a diverse crop. He wouldn’t really make a prediction about acreage decline but said he wouldn’t be surprised to see it be 10 to 12% this year.

Download my interview with Dr. Mark Lange here: Dr. Mark Lange Interview (8 min mp3)

You can also listen to the interview with Mark immediately here: beltwide-08-lange.mp3

AgWired coverage of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences
is made possible by: BASF


Beltwide Cotton Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, BASF, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

Headline History

Chuck Zimmerman

Jerry MinoreThe Marketing Manager for Headline for BASF is Jerry Minore (right). He was working the booth this morning and from the sound of it the traffic has been heavy with growers wanting to know about this new fungicide tool.

I know I’ve posted several interviews about Headline but in this one I got Jerry to talk a little bit about the history of the product. For example, he says that they introduced it in 2003 for use on wheat, potatoes, peanuts, sugar beets and citrus. Then in 2005 it got registration for corn and soybeans. Then late last fall for cotton.

Download my interview with Jerry Minore here: Jerry Minore Interview (3 min mp3)

You can also listen to the interview with Jerry immediately here: basf-beltwide-08-minore.mp3

AgWired coverage of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences
is made possible by: BASF


Beltwide Cotton Conference Photo Album

Audio, BASF, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

Sustainable Challenges For Cotton Incorporated

Chuck Zimmerman

Berrye WorshamOne of the participants in our media round table on sustainability was Berrye Worsham, President & CEO of Cotton Incorporated. Thanks to my good friend Brad Robb I was able to interview Barrye today.

He says that one of the key challenges for marketing cotton today is that word, sustainability, especially from an environmental standpoint. For one thing he says that cotton has had a negative image in this area due to some very outdated and mis-information. So one of the things they’re doing is working to overcome that hurdle.

Another participant in the session was Peter McGrath with J.C. Penney Company. He told us that this is not a fad that will go away soon. So Barrye says that it’s important to know what retailers want since they’re being proactive in making sure that the products they sell adhere to good environmental practices. He says that it’s not that consumers are demanding it but that they assume that companies are acting responsibly.

Some of the ways Cotton, Inc. is communicating it’s message includes surveying farmers for data that can be used to support claims of environmental responsibility and the conducting of one on one meetings with manufacturers and retailers, re-designing their website and doing some industry advertising.

Download my interview with Barrye Worsham here: Barry Worsham Interview (6 min mp3)

You can also listen to the interview with Barrye immediately here: beltwide-08-worsham.mp3

AgWired coverage of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences
is made possible by: BASF


Beltwide Cotton Conference Photo Album

Audio, BASF, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

Technical Posters on Display

Chuck Zimmerman

Poster RoomThe Beltwide poster board session is open for viewing.

I’ve got to say that I’ve never really understood the value of posters. However, they’re still very much in use and by many organizations. I guess it just seems to me that there are other ways to accomplish the purpose in terms of information transfer.

However, if I was to do a poster I’d use the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid). Sometimes they get so crammed with information that they’re like some billboards you see. They’re there but you don’t have time to read them.

AgWired coverage of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences
is made possible by: BASF


Beltwide Cotton Conference Photo Album

BASF, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

Human Foliage

Chuck Zimmerman

Walking VineI’m really not sure what to make of this.

I guess you’d call it a walking vine maybe. There’s actually a person under those leaves and she(?) is on stilts. Every once in a while she moves around in sort of a vine clinging way. I know, I should have shot some video of it and maybe I still will.

Once thing’s for sure. It creates a crowd real quick when it starts moving.

I’ll bet it’s one of the most photographed things in the hotel today.

Walking VineI saw it at lunch today and I like the comment I heard which was something like, “I would hate to see the bushes moving on my way back to the room after attending a late night reception!”

Yes that would be something you’d probably have a problem with. I think that some of the growers here who were partying pretty late may have still seen some of the foliage moving even without a person inside.

AgWired coverage of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences
is made possible by: BASF


Beltwide Cotton Conference Photo Album

BASF, Beltwide Cotton

Focus on Cotton Physiology

Chuck Zimmerman

Bill RobertsonThe Manager of Cotton Agronomy, Soils and Physiology for the National Cotton Council is Bill Robertson. He’s been with the Council for about a year. Coordinating the Beltwide is one of his duties.

He says that he’s also working on reviving the Cotton Physiology Education Program and that one of the key components of that is the Cotton Physiology Today newsletter. I asked him if he’d thought about blogging on the subject. Just an idea. Gotta keep planting the seeds.

Anyway, we did an interview a little while ago so you can learn more about what the Council is doing in terms of education opportunities for growers.

Download my interview with Bill Robertson here: Bill Robertson Interview (12 min mp3)

You can also listen to the interview with Bill immediately here: beltwide-08-robertson.mp3

AgWired coverage of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences
is made possible by: BASF


Beltwide Cotton Conference Photo Album

Audio, BASF, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

Cotton Picking Precision From John Deere

Chuck Zimmerman

One of the exhibitors here at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences is John Deere for whom we manage their Precision Pays website. So it was a great opportunity to find out about what they’ve got new for cotton producers. I spoke with Jamie Flood, Product Marketing Manager, just as the trade show was kicking off.

Of course John Deere has their new self-propelled cotton picker which was announced at their product launch last fall. Jamie explains how that machine fits into a precision management plan. He also says that the equipment is meant to simplify a producer’s operation and that he’s heard very positive and good interest from growers who are looking at it.

Download my interview with Jamie Flood here: Jamie Flood Interview (3 min mp3)

You can also listen to the interview with Jamie immediately here: beltwide-08-flood.mp3

You can also watch the interview if you’d like as well:

AgWired coverage of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences
is made possible by: BASF


Beltwide Cotton Conference Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, BASF, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton, Equipment, John Deere, Video

Dairy Diet

Laura McNamara

Loyola Marymount UniversityThose who’ve vowed to drop the pounds for their New Year’s resolutions should drink milk. At least, that’s what Loyola Marymount University suggests. The university says milk is great for helping pinch in that waistline.

If your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, calcium and dairy can help, according to new research by Loyola Marymount University Professor of Natural Science Hawley Almstedt and her student Alexandra Hybki. The everyday nutrients found in milk may be the key to helping you size down this year.

People on fad diets or extreme weight loss plans often avoid dairy products because they believe those foods are high in fat. Some dieters go so far as to completely stop consuming dairy products. Research indicates that not only will those dieters not lose weight, but even more importantly, the lack of calcium and dairy will have a harmful impact on bone material density, according to Hybki and Almstedt.

The study also found most Americans do not consume their daily recommended amounts of calcium, especially when dieting. In all age groups, men typically consume more calcium than women. Men ages 20-39 average more than the daily intake, while only 80 percent of women in the same age range meet the recommended amount. Women between 40-59 years of age reach only 62 percent of the recommended calcium intake, whereas men in this age group reach 81 percent. It is critical people consume the appropriate amount of calcium, which plays a major role in helping build and maintain bone density, thereby reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

Dairy, Food, Research