It’s another road warrior day as Cindy and I move our youngest to college. That means some light posting until tomorrow.
Yesterday was a little light too because much of it was spent doing website training at the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council offices. We re-built their member website recently and Elizabeth, Joanna and I finally found time to all be together in one room at the same time. Their member website is continuing to develop but it’s a great example of what you can do with a WordPress blog site.
By the time we were done I had compiled a list of about 10 new features and changes we’re going to be incorporating into the site. The site already allows EPIC to update it very easily and frequently without having to contract an outside firm and pay big bucks to make simple changes. Now that they’re all up to date on how to post, etc. I’m sue we’ll see even more regular fresh content for members to read (and subscribe to).
Syngenta wasn’t the only company on hand at their Learning Centers program in Milford, IA. So was 
Last week Pfizer made two announcements involving their 
Pierre says that Pfizer also announced a reward for the 3 millionth enrollment in the SelectVAC program. Pfizer will mark the milestone by awarding that producer with a year’s worth of free SelectVAC products for their entire herd (up to a maximum of $5,000 in value). 
We talked a lot about corn at the Syngenta Learning Center program in Iowa but soybeans were also a major topic of discussion. One of the presenters was Gene Kassmeyer, Head of Soybeans, Syngenta Seeds.
Growers attending the Syngenta Learning Center in Milford, IA might have wished they could drive this car but they were content to grow the fuel that’s powering it around the track this season. The #17 Rahal Letterman show car was accompanied by Al Jentz, 
Al says that although he felt like he was preaching to the choir his presentation allowed corn growers to learn more about EPIC’s promotional activities and ask questions.
The latest in renewable energy vehicles from Ford joins Missouri Governor Matt Blunt’s official fleet. Ford has produced just 20 of its hybrid-electric, flex-fuel Escapes that can run on E85 fuel and Ford Manager Tony Reinhart handed Blunt the keys to one of these rare vehicles. Blunt says the specially-equipped Escape will help promote his Missouri Renewable Fuel Standard, which outlines that all fuel sold in the state will have to contain 10% percent ethanol by January of 2008. The Governor pointed out that Missouri is the fourth state to have such a requirement. The hybrid, flex-fuel also meets Blunt’s executive order that requires at least 70% of new vehicles purchased by the state to be flex-fuel vehicles.
One of the more entertaining presenters at today’s Syngenta Learning Center in Milford, IA was Dr. Fred Below. He’s a professor of crop physiology at the University of Illinois.