The head of Pfizer Animal Health’s Veterinary Medicine Research and Development facility (called the Farm) is Dr. Cathy Knupp. She was on our program at their media event titled “Delivering Solutions Through Research and Innovation.” I’m really learning a lot attending these type of R&D programs!
Dr. Knupp supervises global research and development activities for the company. Sounds like a big job to me. She welcomed us to their facilities and I interviewed her to learn more about the Farm. She says that it can take a decade for the whole discovery and development process to work to bring a new product to market.
The research headquarters in Kalamazoo is 2,100 acres and they’ve got 170 different programs in research right now.
You can listen to my interview with Dr. Knupp here: pfizer-vmrd-07-knupp.mp3
Or if you’d like you can download it here: 
Dr. Cathy Knupp Interview
Unlike a lot of the midwest temperatures here in northern Iowa have been fairly moderate. We also got some nice rain overnight.
Eric Tedford is Technical Brand Manager, Fungicides for Syngenta. He was on our program here at the Syngenta Learning Centers media briefing to talk about soybean management strategies.
One of our presenters here at the Syngenta Learning Centers media briefing is Brad Wiersum, Head, Renewable Fuels Strategy, Syngenta Seeds. His topic was their biofuels strategy.
Most people don’t know it, but Tad Whitten – owner of Motorsports Management – says ethanol has been used as fuel for more than 100 years. That’s why Tad is operating exhibits at the 2007 Missouri State Fair and the 2007 Iowa State Fair. He wants to educate people on the history of ethanol as a fuel source in the U.S. I stopped by Tad’s exhibit at the Missouri State Fair where he has a replica of 1933 Ethanol filling station. The old-time exhibit features skits throughout the day, which creates a conversation between a filling station attendant and a customer who is filling up his tank with ethanol. An audience can then “eavesdrop” at the scene and learn about the corn-based fuel. At the filling station, Tad filled me in on some ethanol history. You can listen to the interview here: 
We’re getting ready to finish up here in the Syngenta Learning Centers media briefing. Right now we’re hearing from a couple of growers who work with Syngenta. It’s nice to get their perspective on things.
If you’ve never heard Dr. Mike Boehlje, Center for Food & Agricultural Business, Purdue University, speak then you’re missing a good performance. He is passionate about his work. He just completed his presentation on “Farming in the 21st Century” here at the Syngenta Learning Centers media briefing.
The first speaker on the program is Jim Elliott, 
The media briefing portion of our Syngenta Learning Centers event is now officially underway.
The temperature here at Lake Okoboji is wonderful compared to at home. It’s cool, cloudy and we’ve got a nice breeze.
The program is about to kick off here at