- The Agricultural Leadership alumni of Kings and Tulare counties are pleased to host the 14th annual fundraiser breakfast to benefit the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation. This year’s speaker is Keni Thomas. Sgt. Thomas was deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia, during the summer of 1993 as part of Task Force Ranger, a special operation package to find and capture Mohammad Farrah Aideed, a criminal warlord. His experiences were later retold in the popular book and movie “Blackhawk Down.” Using the motto “Train as you fight. Fight as you train,” Thomas shows how an emphasis on training and continuous improvement plays a vital role in survival and success both in battle and in life. The fundraiser breakfast will take place at the Heritage Complex on Thursday, Feb. 14 during World Ag Expo. Table sponsorships are $500, individual tickets are also available for $50 with proceeds benefitting the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation. Tickets are available by calling April at (559) 735-9700 or by email at april@lagomarsino.com.
- As a result of the combined vision and partnership between SOYGENETICS and Bayer CropScience, U.S. growers can anticipate planting LibertyLink® soybean varieties in 2009. LibertyLink soybeans also will offer growers the opportunity to use the in-crop, weed-control option available with Liberty herbicide. The Liberty/LibertyLink system will enable growers to enjoy similar benefits of Roundup Ready, such as less tillage, labor, and equipment, as well as the ease, convenience and efficacy of over-the-top, non-selective, weed control.
Negotiating Skills Moe Russell Style
Here’s the latest episode of “Managerial Insight with Moe Russell.” It’s part of the Business Skills Series from Asgrow which you’ll find on Farm Industry News.
This is part one of a two parter on this subject. Look for a post on part two soon.
Kellogg Institute Expands
This is the kind of stuff you need in a news release today.
Give me some pictures and some embeddable video too. This clip starts with b-roll-like footage of the facility, followed by some sound. I’m happy to see that they not only sent it out in a multi-media news release but they’ve made it available on their own website so their customers can view it themselves.
Kellogg Company (NYSE: K) today announced that it is expanding its W.K. Kellogg Institute for Food and Nutrition Research (WKKI) located in Battle Creek, Mich., to continue to meet business needs and to achieve continued growth. The 157,000-square-foot pilot plant and office space addition will expand Kellogg Company’s existing global center for research and innovation activities. The $40 million expansion and $14 million investment in pilot plant equipment (over the next 10 years) falls within Kellogg Company’s previously reported capital expenditure guidance.
Since the WKKI facility opened in 1997, Kellogg Company’s net sales have doubled from $6 billion to almost $12 billion, and net sales from innovation have also almost doubled. In addition, numerous process capabilities have been added to WKKI as the company extended its business into new categories, and the number of employees in the facility almost doubled to support these new technologies and the company’s growth.
New Media For Weed Scientists
Tomorrow morning I’ll be making a presentation to the North Central Weed Science Society annual meeting in St. Louis. I’m really glad the weather has settled down although I wouldn’t call it balmy by any stretch. Here’s what the session I’m participating in looks like:
Communication Development: Message Delivery to Weed Science Colleagues and Clientele Symposium
Room: Grand Ballroom C Moderator: Vince Davis
8:55 Introduction and Purpose of Symposium. Vince Davis, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
9:00 Blogging and Podcasting in a World of “New Media.” Chuck Zimmerman*, ZimmComm New Media, LLC, Holts Summit, MO. (210)
9:20 Scientific Writing: Meeting the Reader’s Needs. Kent Harrison*, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH. (211)
9:40 Presenting Research to a Scientific Audience. Karen Renner*, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. (212)
10:00 Crafting the Perfect Poster: Catchy, Clear, and Concise. Christy Sprague*, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. (213)
10:20 Targeting a Certified Crop Advisor Audience: Is this Some Middle Ground? Bryan G. Young*, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL. (214)
10:40 Delivering a Message to the Producer: Present the Facts, You are the Authority! Fred Whitford*, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. (215)
11:00 Interviewing with the Media: Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say. Steve Leer*, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. (216)
11:20 Open discussion with presenters
11:40 Adjourn
Mobile Recipes From Mobio
Here’s my new Blackberry Curve showing the beef recipes that came up when I keyword searched the new Mobio mobile recipes. I like things that are simple and just plain work. So if you’re in the kitchen and need a recipe now you can just grab the phone off your belt and tap for it. Just think of all the applications that are being created to make that little mobile device your information and communications center.
Mobio Networks today announced that it has launched a new Recipes application within the GetMobio lifestyle portal for users across major U.S. carriers. From classic Christmas cookies to creative casserole ideas, Recipes provides instant access to hundreds of thousands of recipes anytime, anywhere. With Recipes you can search for recipes by keyword, occasion or course, save them to your handset for quick access and even create detailed grocery lists for last-minute shopping trips.
“Online communities are great for the millions of savvy chefs and inexperienced cooks alike who don’t want to spend hours flipping through cookbooks to plan a meal, but people aren’t always in front of a computer to access their favorite recipes,” said Ramneek Bhasin, CEO of Mobio. “Whether you’re browsing cocktail recipes on the train or searching for the perfect side-dish at the supermarket, Recipes is designed to provide all the functionality of a website with the mobility needed while on the go. And with features that let users find and download recipes, and even create custom shopping lists, we’re hopeful that Recipes will make your life a little easier this holiday season.”
Mobio’s applications are created to meet the needs of a broad spectrum of users – from those using the most popular and widely available mobile phones on the market, such as the Motorola RAZR, to more sophisticated smart phone models and interfaces including the BlackBerry Pearl. By simply entering their information once, users can personalize their experience across all GetMobio collections to create a more intuitive, seamless interaction.
Visit http://www.getmobio.com to download the Recipes on GetMobio lifestyle portal from the Web or getmobio.com/now on your mobile phone.
Aerial Applicators Hear About Fungicide Spraying From BASF
I have got to believe that the National Agricultural Aviators Association convention is a party place. These folks are meeting in Reno this week and BASF was there to present a new study.
Dr. Gary Fellows, technical manager with BASF, addressed the National Agricultural Aviators Association (NAAA) at their annual convention this week to present the results of a study by BASF and university experts on the spray coverage of aerially applied fungicide in corn.
The study, conducted in Iowa, Nebraska and Louisiana corn fields this summer, looked at how low-volume aerial applications impact spray coverage in the corn canopy. Testing of this kind is part of ongoing research by BASF to help improve the success of aerial fungicide applications.
“The preliminary findings indicate that when water per acre applied is lowered, calibration and accuracy become more important to ensure excellent coverage,” said Dr. Fellows. “That’s important because we want to help aerial applicators deliver the maximum value to their customers of Headline® fungicide in corn while being able to take full advantage of the efficiencies of the lower volume label.”
You can listen to Dr. Fellows in this clip from his talk at the convention: basf-aerial-fellows.mp3
Zimfo Bites
- Farm Bureau membership across the country has surpassed the 6 million mark for the second consecutive year—6,231,176 member families. The milestone was passed as state Farm Bureaus reported 30,838 additional members registered for Farm Bureau membership in 2007. The membership gain of nearly 31,000 member families is due primarily to the growth of several state Farm Bureaus in the South. The Tennessee Farm Bureau continues to claim the title of the country’s largest state Farm Bureau, with 629,027 member families. Other “top 10” membership states are: North Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Illinois, Texas, Indiana, Ohio and Mississippi.
- Ag Leader Technology, Inc. has donated the latest precision ag equipment to the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University for use in educating students on precision farming systems. The donation starts a new lab at ISU, complete with hardware and software.
- Beginning in 2008, Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) is joining forces with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) to bring greater value to ApHC memberships through the Appaloosa Member Advantage program. The Appaloosa Member Advantage program offers discounts to ApHC members for products on premium brands including Dodge, John Deere, UPS, Sherwin Williams Paint, Toshiba and Office Depot. To begin saving, ApHC members must call (888) 304-SPOT (7768) to activate the Appaloosa Member Advantage.
PA Invests in Youth in Agriculture
Pensylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell has announced the state will invest $110,000 in Youth in Agriculture. Rendell says the investment is integral for providing youth with the skills and knowledge they need to sustain a bright future for Pennsylvania agriculture.
Youth organizations may continue to enhance leadership and career development programs thanks to a $110,000 investment in aquaculture, animal science, food safety and other agricultural projects, announced Governor Edward G. Rendell.
The funds are part of the Agricultural and Rural Youth Grant program, which provides matching and direct grants to organizations whose projects promote development in the areas of agriculture, rural community leadership, vocational training or peer fellowship.
Recipients may be awarded direct grants of up to $2,500 for educational outreach efforts. Matching grants of up to $10,000 are given to those groups needing assistance with building and equipment funds.
Ice Storm Affecting Livestock Producers
Parts of the midwest got a break from the ice storm today but others had it hit them. Locally we got lots of rain today with temperatures above freezing.
The USDA radio news line had a good story about how it’s affecting livestock producers who still have chores to do even when the power goes out. For example, we’ve got lots of downed trees and branches, many of which have fallen on fences and roads.
Here in Missouri our Governor Matt Blunt has declared a state of emergency.
You can listen to Gary Crawford’s report here: usda-ice-storm.mp3
Farm Journal Forum Bloggers
The Farm Journal Forum is going on in Washington, DC and a couple of University of Missouri students are blogging the event.
Here’s a picture of them at the National Press Club. Thanks to Margy Fischer for the heads up.
This is the 11th Forum, and in honor of founder Sonja Hillgren this year’s event is dedicated to her memory.
And we’ve got two student bloggers from the University of Missouri. This fall Farm Journal Media donated money in a five-year commitment to fund the Sonja Hillgren Agricultural Journalism Field Reporting Institute. This is a course at Mizzou that connects aspiring journalists and practicing journalists on a multi-day in the field reporting expedition in the fall. Due to generous contributions from others in the industry, we’ve added a policy component to this institute. One graduate and one undergraduate student are attending the Farm Journal Forum and blogging about the event.
They would be Kate Hill & Katie Allen. I love this post from Kate:
Yesterday morning I had coffee at the National Press Club. I thought a whiskey would have been more in the spirit of old-school journalistic tradition, but just to be in the club was humbling. I could feel the history. I circled the room, reading every framed headline. I was proud to be a member of the press.
Yes, us bloggers are members of the press, even if some of the old timers are still having trouble accepting it.