Ethanol God-Father Hits the Airwaves

Laura McNamara

David BlumeThe man known as the “Ethanol God-Father” is set to tackle the “myths” about ethanol in Oregon, Illinois, Wisconsin and California. Blume will be giving speeches at various Renewable Energy Conferences and Seminars. The “Bio-expert” will also be featured on XM radio and T.V.

The International Institute for Sustainable Agriculture has announced that its founder and current Executive Director, David Blume has been asked to appear on radio, TV and as a lead speaker for a number of renewable energy symposiums in the coming two months. Blume is globally acknowledged as the “god-father” of ethanol and is a leading advocate and expert on renewable solutions to the global need for inexpensive, non-polluting, and sustainable energy and food sources.

Blume’s coming talks provide unrivaled insight into the practicality of transforming US energy production and use to a totally sustainable model. Blume presents myth-busting facts, scientific data, and proven methodologies that give audiences a revolutionary first-person look at truly sustainable solutions to global warming, green house gas emissions, food resource issues as well as provide them with a road-map to a new post-oil economy.

As part of his coming in-person appearances, Blume will be a featured guest on the Thom Hartmann Radio Program. Now in its fifth year of national syndication and heard globally on XM and Sirius satellite radio, Hartmann’s program is carried in 7 of the nation’s top 10 media markets and 14 of the top 25 markets. Hartmann is also a featured commentator in the new Leonardo DiCaprio environmental documentary The 11th Hour.
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Ag Groups, Ethanol, Farming

Scholarship Contest Honors National Rice Month

Laura McNamara

National Rice MonthThe U.S. Rice Federation hopes a grand prize of $3,500 will entice high school students to join the campaign to promote rice for National Rice Month. The contest will dole out a total of $10,000 in scholarship money.

Scholarship opportunities await high school students in rice-growing communities as they head back to school. September is National Rice Month, and the USA Rice Federation is sponsoring a scholarship contest to encourage rice promotion and support education.

High school juniors and seniors whose families are directly involved in the rice industry are eligible for the USA Rice NRM scholarships. To qualify to win, students must run a promotion in their local community during September with U.S.-grown rice as the central theme.

The contest will be held in the six major rice-growing states: Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas. Nine scholarship prizes totaling $10,000 are available. The grand prize is a $3,500 scholarship. Additional prizes are: second place, $2,000; third place, $1,500; fourth place, $1,000; fifth place, $750; and sixth place, $500. Three honorable mention prizes of $250 each also are available.

The grand-prize winner and a chaperone will receive an expense-paid trip to the 2007 USA Rice Outlook Conference, December 2-4, in Orlando, FL, for the scholarship presentation.

Initiated by an act of Congress in 1991, September marks the seventeenth annual National Rice Month celebration, a time when America salutes its rice farmers, millers and everyone involved in the U.S. rice industry.

Farming, Food

Laura Mayfield New President of McCormick Company

Chuck Zimmerman

Laura MayfieldA new era and a new president for McCormick Company. The company announces Laura Mayfield as the new president. She’ll be leading and managing offices in Kansas City, Amarillo, Des Moines and Fairport, N.Y.

“We’re excited about the new leadership Laura brings to the company,” says Mark Perrin. “Laura is very familiar with McCormick. She has worked with many of our account teams during the past several years and will continue to bring the same high-level professionalism and energy to her new duties.”

Mayfield brings 14 years of marketing communications experience to McCormick Company with a deep understanding of relationship marketing and utilization of new media. Her background includes marketing management positions at two Kansas City companies, including the past six years with DATACORE Marketing, Inc., a marketing services company which provides data management and strategic implementation of marketing activities. Mayfield is a graduate of Drury University in Springfield, Mo.

With the announcement of Mayfield as president of McCormick Company, Mark Perrin is named president of JLM1926 Holdings. McCormick Company, McCormick Canada and The Hondo Group operate under JLM1926. Kathy Cornett serves as chairman for JLM1926.

Agencies

Zimfo Bites

Laura McNamara

  • Employee Management for Production Agriculture is a conference designed for all agricultural managers, from mid-level or unit managers to human resource personnel. The conference is set for Oct. 11-12 at the Kansas City Airport Marriott. Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service along with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and National Pork Board are sponsoring the two-day event.
  • The Southern Illinois University Carbondale College of Agricultural Sciences is pleased to invite you to the 2007 Agricultural Sciences Fall Job Fair. This year’s event will take place Tuesday, October 9th and Wednesday, October 10th. The College of Agricultural Sciences is home to many diverse majors representing all aspects of the global food, agriculture and natural resource industry. The College of Agricultural Sciences will host a “meet and greet” reception for students, faculty and employers on Tuesday, October 9th, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in Room 209 of the Agriculture Building. This session received very high marks from employers in 2006 and will allow those in attendance to meet with faculty and students from the College in a casual business setting. If you are unable to join us on Tuesday evening, please consider attending the job fair on Wednesday, October 10th, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Agriculture Building.
  • North Carolina State University and Monsanto Co. has announced a $675,000 grant focusing on growing the university’s Center for Plant Breeding and Applied Plant Genomics, housed in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The Monsanto grant will fund five plant breeding graduate fellowships per year over the next three years. A leadership-training program also will be established for plant breeding graduate students at NC State and other select institutions across the country. The program will help students learn the business of science, develop leadership skills and establish a virtual support network, as well as provide internship opportunities at Monsanto breeding stations.
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How The Best Was Won

Chuck Zimmerman

Best of NAMA Call For EntriesI’m guessing most of you are not online reading AgWired this weekend and I’m not doing a lot of posting either. It is “Labor Day” weekend after all. However, just in case you’re taking a peek now (or later this week). . .

It’s time for you to start thinking about your Best of NAMA entries. This year’s theme is “How The Best Was Won.” The brochure which came in the mail might be stretching it just a tad where it says, “An epic tale of guts and glory.” However, if we get the time to put together some entries this year I have had a few moments this past year that took a little bit of the guts part. Like at Farm Progress Show when I climbed on top of the grain bin next to the media tent to take photos. I do not like heights and although there was a ladder and rail I can’t say that’s my favorite thing to do.

You can find out all about the Best of NAMA Call for Entries on the NAMA website. The deadline for entries is October 12, 2007.

NAMA

Zimfo Bites

Laura McNamara

  • Illinois, in partnership with Ford Motor Company, is set to play a major role in advancing new clean vehicle technology with the introduction of Ford’s first of its kind E85 Hybrid Escape. Five of the 20 Ford E85 Hybrid’s in existence were delivered to the State of Illinois and the Illinois Corn Growers Association at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois. Two additional vehicles are going to Commonwealth Edison.
  • Grower leaders from opposite ends of the state have been elected to lead the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) and the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) for the next year. Julius Schaaf, a grower from Randolph in Fremont County, has been named the new ICPB chair. Schaaf also represents Iowa with the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), where he currently leads the USGC’s Asia Advisory Team. Kyle Phillips, Knoxville, serves this year as the ICPB past chair, and Darrel McAlexander, Sidney, moves up to chair-elect. Tim Burrack, Arlington, joins the officer team as ICPB secretary/treasurer. Tim Recker, who raises corn, soybeans and hogs near Arlington in Fayette County, will serve as the new ICGA president. In addition to officer positions, Recker chairs the Iowa Corn Political Action Committee and serves as a delegate at NCGA’s policy conference. Bob Bowman, DeWitt, serves as the ICGA past president. Gary Edwards, Anamosa, advances to ICGA president-elect, and Don Elsbernd, Postville, is newly elected as the ICGA’s secretary/treasurer.
  • Soybean producers growing Pioneer® brand low linolenic soybeans again will be able to receive an attractive premium for their crop at more than 115 locations across the heart of the Corn Belt. The market for low linolenic soybeans continues to expand, increasing contracting opportunities for growers. Low lin soybean growers will earn a premium of $.60 per bushel for on-farm storage of low linolenic soybeans and a premium of $.55 per bushel for harvest delivery. Additionally, growers can participate in an early purchase offer from Pioneer. With a purchase of 250 units of Pioneer low linolenic soybeans by Oct. 10, 2007, growers earn 25 free units. Contract growers also are eligible to earn a rebate on DuPontTM Asana® XL, Assure® II and PunchTM crop protection products from DuPont Crop Protection used on their 2008 Pioneer low linolenic soybean contract acres. The soybean oil from Pioneer brand soybeans is marketed as TREUSTM Low Linolenic Soybean Oil from the Bunge DuPont Biotech Alliance to food companies to help meet increasing demand to reduce or eliminate trans fats in products while preserving flavor and shelf life.
Zimfo Bytes

Harvest Labor Weekend

Chuck Zimmerman

Corn HarvestThis is what I saw a lot of coming home from the Farm Progress Show and then again today when I was out in the field.

It’s perfect weather to be out in the field so I’m sure this is going to be a busy weekend of harvesting.

While I was out today there was a kind of infrequent breeze which made for a lot of dust devils. I tried to get a picture of one but they didn’t cooperate with when my camera was ready.

Corn HarvestA large one crossed over the highway in front of me at one point carrying a lot of corn trash with it. It was interesting to see swirling corn leaves moving through a soybean field which was on the opposite side of the highway from where it started.

I’m starting to get the dust from the Farm Progress Show out of my system. I know the streets are paved but I didn’t notice much less dust than normal. I had to take my camera to the shop this morning to have it professionally cleaned. I tried but just couldn’t get it all out. I’ll have it back Tuesday. This coming week promises to be a catch up week for me finally. Laura will be going to Chicago to the Peak Anitfreeze Indy 300 which gives me a road break. Thank you Laura.

Farming

Zimfo Bites

Laura McNamara

  • A new ethanol plant project that would make both grain based ethanol and cellulosic ethanol will be good for Kansas and its agriculture industry, according to corn and sorghum growers. Abengoa Bioenergy announced on Aug. 23 that it would build a hybrid ethanol project that would feature an 85 million gallon grain-based ethanol plant and a 30 million gallon cellulosic ethanol plant. Abengoa officials pointed to the unique synergy between the two ethanol processes. Leaders of the Kansas Corn Growers Association and Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association agree. “The cellulosic ethanol would be made from the crop residue, like sorghum and corn stalks, and that can create an additional revenue stream for growers,” KGSPA President Greg Shelor of Minneola said. Cellulosic ethanol can also be made from grasses, forage sorghums and other cellulosic materials.
  • Garst Seed Company is adding seven new NK brand soybeans to its broad lineup of 64 high-performing varieties for the 2008 planting season. Garst advanced only the top varieties with high yield potential and a strong disease package, including resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN), sudden death syndrome (SDS), Phytophthora root rot and brown stem rot (BSR). Garst will offer growers both NK brand soybeans and Garst brand soybeans. These soybeans match the needs of nearly every soil type and have the characteristics and traits that add value to our customers’ business,” says Christopher Cook, agronomy services manager for Garst. For the 2008 planting season, Garst’s soybean lineup includes varieties in the Group 00 to Group V maturity categories. Garst’s entire lineup includes the Roundup Ready1 trait.
  • Syngenta announced today that it has obtained full regulatory approval in Japan for Agrisure® RW, its corn rootworm insect control corn seed. Agrisure RW now has full approval in the United States, Canada, and Japan, and import approval in Australia and New Zealand. Syngenta’s innovation in genetics and traits such as Agrisure RW is helping growers meet the rapidly expanding demand for corn. The Agrisure brand spans a wide range of products bringing new choices to growers including Agrisure CB/LL, Agrisure GT, Agrisure RW, Agrisure GT/RW, Agrisure GT/CB/LL, Agrisure CB/LL/RW and Agrisure 3000GT. With this approval, Agrisure RW grain can now be accepted by elevators exporting grain to Japan. However, Syngenta is committed to and will continue to implement the grain stewardship program with growers through the end of 2007. In 2008, Agrisure RW will be part of the seed industry’s Market Choices grain direction program.
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Farm Bill Food Battle Video

Chuck Zimmerman

In the never ending push by whacko groups to impact American production agriculture there’s a new video out from the folks at Free Range Studios. It’s called The Farm Bill Food Battle. It looks like the same folks who brought us The Meatrix and other humorous but so off base productions. They demonstrate great creativity as I’ve pointed out before. Too bad they can’t channel it to a good cause. Unfortunately their emotional but non-science based ideas probably tempt a lot of gullible people to donate money to them so they can produce more.

It is good for a laugh though. I’m looking forward to enjoying some non-organic, good old fashioned produced by the American farmer food this holiday weekend. I hope you do too.

Farm Policy, Wackos

Zimfo Bites

Laura McNamara

  • The National Corn Growers Association is joining producer organizations, suppliers and conservation groups in an agriculture sustainability initiative that will examine practices for sustaining production agriculture. The initiative is meant to support the group’s idea that agricultural production should not negatively impact the environment by providing growers with diverse, economically viable options in production. The initiative aims to increase productivity to meet future nutritional needs while preserving the environment, develop access to safe, nutritious foods for improving human health and developing an improved social and economic well-being of agriculture communities.
  • Dow AgroSciences announced that it will continue to expand its global corn germplasm portfolio and corn business with the acquisition by its affiliate Agrigenetics, Inc. of Duo Maize, a corn germplasm company focused primarily on early maturing germplasm silage applications for northern climates. Duo Maize is based in Rossum, Netherlands. “The technology will further enhance and expand the strong silage market presence Dow AgroSciences has achieved in the U.S. with our silage specific product line as well as position Dow AgroSciences as a key player in European silage applications along with our existing corn product offering,” said Jerome Peribere, Dow AgroSciences president and chief executive officer. Duo Maize technology will provide a new opportunity for Dow AgroSciences to build its silage and grain corn business as well as to expand usage of its Herculex* brand portfolio of insect resistant technology for which Dow AgroSciences expects European registration soon.
  • The second annual Michigan Bio-Economy Summit will be held on Sept. 12 and 13 at the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing, MI. The Michigan Bio-Economy Summit will bring together state and national commercial and industrial leaders in the fields of renewable fuels, bio-products, bio-refineries, methane and research. Since the Michigan Corn Growers Association (MCGA) and Corn Marketing Program of Michigan have been partners with the Michigan Agri-business Association (MABA), MCGA members are able to attend at a reduced rate. “This summit will be a great opportunity for those interested in learning more about the different sectors relating to Michigan’s bio-economy,” said Jody Pollok, CMPM executive director.
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