Ag in the Kitchen Inspires New Gaming Software

Laura McNamara

Hell's KitchenWe’ve seen video games based off movies and books and movies based off video games. But, how about video games derived from T.V. shows? Better yet, how about cooking shows? Ludia Inc. is teaming up with Granada America Digital Media to offer a gaming version of the “Hell’s Kitchen” television series.

The multi-year, worldwide exclusive agreement with Granada will see Ludia bring “Hell’s Kitchen” games across all major platforms including PC, console and mobile.

“The show has millions of viewers, and the game will bring the fun of the kitchen boot camp experience from the TVs to the PCs and consoles of this rapidly growing audience,” Ludia founder and CEO Alex Thabet explained.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is prominently featured throughout the game, blazing up the kitchen with his trademark intensity. “His likeness will taste and comment on the culinary creations of players, as well as judge their overall performance. The game will also feature a recipe book with several of Gordon Ramsay’s favorite food concoctions for players to print, try out and share.

The game is slated to coincide with the upcoming fourth season of “Hell’s Kitchen” in the USA in 2008.

Advertising, Food, Technology

Zimfo Bites

Melissa Sandfort

  • Syngenta Crop Protection and Pioneer Hi-Bred announced an agreement to promote glyphosate-based Touchdown® herbicides, Quilt® fungicide, and Pioneer® brand corn hybrids and soybean varieties for the 2008 growing season. The program applies to Touchdown Total and Touchdown HiTech non-selective herbicides, as well as Quilt fungicide for corn. All three Syngenta products are eligible for financing through the TruChoice® Opportunity Program from Pioneer. In addition, growers planting Pioneer seed products and using these Syngenta products will be eligible for financial incentives. Growers using Quilt fungicide and either Touchdown Total or Touchdown HiTech on their Pioneer corn acres are eligible for a Corn Offer on these products. Pioneer soybean customers using either Touchdown product can receive a Soybean Protection Offer in case of replant or crop loss due to weather.
  • The European Commission announced it has granted full food, feed, processing and import approval of grain corn and derived products containing the HERCULEX® RW Rootworm Protection trait, as well as the stack of HERCULEX I Insect Protection and Roundup Ready® Corn 2 (RR2), into the European Union (EU). HERCULEX® Insect Protection was developed through a research collaboration between Dow AgroSciences LLC and Pioneer Hi-Bred. HERCULEX® I Insect Protection provides the broadest above-ground, in-plant insect protection available today against pests like European and southwestern corn borer, western bean cutworm, black cutworm and fall armyworm.
  • Hereford enthusiasm and numbers continued to climb at the Keystone International Livestock Exposition (KILE) in Harrisburg, Pa., as exhibitors competed for top honors at the first National Hereford Show of the season. A record-breaking 202 head of Herefords were showcased on Oct. 5, up 33 head from last year and 66 from 2005. Mark Ebling, Cleburne, Texas, judged the event. Four L Hereford Farm, Atwood, Tenn., dominated the bull show taking home grand and reserve honors. View complete results of the KILE National Hereford Show here.
  • The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has formed The Poultry & Egg Institute, a new initiative within the association that will focus its efforts on developing and implementing industry-specific education and training programs to help companies identify and reduce poultry industry property loss and enhance employee safety and retention. With industry input, the department also will identify and maintain informational resources that address key industry issues.
    Uncategorized

    Deadline Approaching for Agribusiness Forum Early Bird Rate

    Laura McNamara

    2007 Agribusiness ForumJust a reminder about the upcoming 2007 NAMA Agribusiness Forum: early registration deadlines and the hotel cut-off date is just days away. Early birds have until October 29th to get a discounted registration rate.

    The early registration deadline and hotel cut-off date for the 2007 Agribusiness Forum is one week away on Monday, October 29. After October 29, registration rates will increase and any hotel reservations made after October 29 are subject to higher rates and potential unavailability.

    Ag Groups, Agribusiness, NAMA

    Farm Bill Disappoints National Corn Growers

    Laura McNamara

    National Corn Growers AssocitationThe Senate Agriculture Committee has passed its version of the 2007 Farm Bill, but the National Corn Growers Association was hoping the bill would include more literature outlining improved risk management tools.

    The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is pleased the Senate Agriculture Committee included a revenue option in the 2007 farm bill, but is disappointed by the committee’s action to strip a key component of the optional revenue-based countercyclical program, the integration with federal crop insurance. It is a missed opportunity to provide a better risk management tool in the new farm bill, said NCGA President Ron Litterer.

    Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) included a state triggered revenue countercyclical program – called the Average Crop Revenue (ACR) program – in the package he presented to the committee this week. Included in that package was a requirement to integrate crop insurance with the revenue program.

    An amendment accepted by the committee on a voice vote stripped the crop insurance integration from the revenue package. Corn growers support an optional revenue program starting in 2010.

    Litterer—on Capitol Hill for the markup—sees the progression of events as a first step in a revenue option to improve the farm bill package. “While we are pleased a revenue package is in the final bill reported out of committee, NCGA is deeply disappointed with this setback,” he said. “The amendment makes the revenue proposal a much less attractive option to growers.”

    NCGA has received assurances from Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin, Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-IL), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) that they will work toward a revenue package that is a viable option for corn producers.

    The bill is expected to be on the Senate floor the week of Nov. 5.

    Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Corn, Farm Policy, Farming

    NAMA Announces 2007 Agribusiness Forum Lineup

    Laura McNamara

    2007 Agribusiness ForumNAMA has an impressive lineup for this year’s Agribusiness Forum:

    International economist Don Reynolds will deliver a fast paced overview of major trends in the global economy and how they will impact agriculture. From new economic developments to currencies, energy, interest rates and more, Reynolds will address recent market volatility in the financial markets and how you can prepare for – and profit from – today’s changing marketplace.

    Dr. Claudia Mobley will discuss developing markets, the rise of health and wellness concerns and more. Learn how changing lifestyles and cultural shifts impact your bottom line…and how you can come out ahead!

    Matt McKinney covers food and agriculture for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. He has followed the Chinese food scare, the rise of the organic industry, food innovations from Cargill and others, and the supermarket industry’s chase for consumer dollars in the Wal-Mart age.

    Kevin Coupe is a writer specializing in creating unique portraits of “Main Street”-type businesses in the U.S. and around the world, focusing on the unique dynamic that exists between retailers, manufacturers and consumers. Working in print, video and online, Coupe captures the special relationship between shopkeeper and shopper, especially in a technological society in which the rules and roles are constantly changing.

    Mary Rosenthal will present what has been required regarding supply chain education – including “Smart Care,” stakeholder engagement and issues management in order to bring this new material to market both here in North America and globally.

    Vidya Jwala will explore the elements pulling the chains of today’s retailers. Learn how longer lead times affect ad in-stock planning and how supply chain directors work with suppliers to utilize “lift” information from advertising.

    Ag Groups, Agribusiness, NAMA

    Cibus Trait Co. Expands in U.S.

    Laura McNamara

    Cibus LLC Cibus LLC, a San Diego-based company that prides itself on “harvesting the power of genetic diversity” has opened a new office. Cibus now has a more central location.

    The privately held San Diego-based trait development company announces the opening of a new St. Paul, Minnesota office.

    Cibus executive management, including James Radtke, Ph.D., vice president of product development, and David Voss, vice president of commercial development, will be based in the new offices, located at 6053 Hudson Road, Suite 201, Woodbury, Minnesota.

    “The St. Paul facility will enable us to work more closely with our agricultural partners in the upper Midwest,” Walker said. “We are excited about this opportunity to enhance existing relationships and forge new ones.

    Ag Groups, Technology

    Posting Alert

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Just so you are aware. The agriblogger will be taking a couple of days of R&R starting Friday until Monday so my posting will be “light.” That doesn’t mean there won’t be valuable information right here on AgWired though.

    Don’t go away.

    Uncategorized

    Rural Lifestyle Info in Ag Census

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Gene DanekasOne of the sources of a lot of information for anyone needing to research the rural lifestyle market is the USDA Census of Agriculture. You might think it’s just about corn, soybeans, hogs and cattle but you’d be wrong.

    According to Gene Danekas, Director of Ag Statistics, USDA-Missouri, (pictured on the left in his booth at the Country Living Olympics) there’s valuable information in there. He says you’ll find information right down to the county and zip code level on all sizes of operations. He says the rural lifestyle farms contribute significantly to the overall U. S. economy as well as local economies. All the data is publicly available via their website.

    Gene wants rural lifestyle farm owners to know that they are a vital part of agriculture. He says they’ll be doing an update study at the end of this year when they send out 2 1/2 million questionnaires. The new report should then be available around February of 2009.

    You can listen to my interview with Gene here: cla-07-danekas.mp3

    Country Living Outlook Conference Photo Album

    Audio, USDA

    Farm Broadcasters Targeting Rural Lifestyle

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Bill O'NeillIn just a few short weeks it’ll be time for the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention. I’ll be blogging the whole event so hopefully you’ll be looking forward to that. NAFB’s Executive Director, Bill O’Neill (pictured on the right) attended the Country Living Outlook Conference. I spoke to him about what he was getting out of it.

    Bill says that all of the information he heard contributes to a growing body of knowledge about the rural lifestyle market. He’s one of the people who calls it a diversified market. That’s something I heard a lot. Bill says he’ll take back ideas for future research that NAFB will do to enhance their study from last year (pdf) for the benefit of its members.

    We also talked about the upcoming convention. It’s the 63rd NAFB Convention and I’ve been to a lot of them but not that many. Bill says they’ll have a panel of marketers on the program talking about the rural lifestyle market.

    You can listen to my interview with Bill here: cla-07-oneill.mp3

    Country Living Outlook Conference Photo Album

    Audio, NAFB

    2007 World Championship Appaloosa Show

    Chuck Zimmerman

    World Championship Appaloosa ShowI don’t know where you’re spending your Halloween but I’ll be at the 2007 World Championship Appaloosa Show in Ft. Worth, Texas. I hope they’ve got candy.

    This year’s show has some interesting features like a Chocolatey Challenge ATV Giveaway and a free screenings of the award winning short film , “Trail End,” starring Emmy-nominated actor Barry Corbin.

    So to get yourself in the mood you can hear all about it from Appaloosa Horse Club CEO Steve Taylor. He covers the whole program.

    You can listen to the interview with Steve here: awcs-07-taylor-pre.mp3

    Ag Groups, Audio, Horses