College To Career Workshop

Chuck Zimmerman

Drake & CompanyIf you’re new to the professional world of agribusiness you can find help. For example, you might consider the “How to Manage the Transition from College to Work” seminar coming up August 10 at the Drake & Company headquarters in St. Louis.

The seminar will be conducted by Eric Spell & Erika Brandt of AgCareers.com. It’s also sponsored by Alpha Zeta. I hope that Eric and Erika have blogging in their presentation since it can be a big help to anyone wanting to move their career forward (if done right). Here’s the registration form. (pdf)

BTW. Alpha Zeta has a blog.

Uncategorized

AEM Moves Into New Office Building

Chuck Zimmerman

Association of Equipment ManufacturersA picture can almost be as good as being there. Almost. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) just put the finishing touches on a new office building. They held an open house in June to “not only showcase its new headquarters office to attendees but also educate them – in a fun and informal way – about AEM and the industry segments it serves.”

The new AEM office is located in the former Allis-Chalmers tractor manufacturing plant in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin suburb of West Allis. The industrial renovation of the plant site has won awards for blending modern design with the character of the past such as exposed brick and other structural elements of the original facility.
“We wanted to use this opportunity to share our enthusiasm for our work and workplace with our members as well as our industry, business and community associates and friends,” stated AEM President Dennis Slater.
Entering the new AEM office, visitors are greeted by dozens of detailed machinery models of all sizes and types, many of them decades old. Slater emphasized that while AEM has a rich heritage of more than 100 years of service, it is focused on the future and its leadership role helping members and the industry meet the challenges of the global marketplace.

Ag Groups, Equipment

Learn About Nutrients For Life

Chuck Zimmerman

Nutrients For LifeThe fertilizer folks want the general public to know more about the societal benefits of modern agriculture. One of the ways they say they’re doing that is by creating supplemental educational materials for middle and high school science curriculums. Those materials will be used for the first time this fall.

I’m guessing by the letter I just received from them in the mail that they’re looking for additional support too. If you’re interested please visit them online.

Ag Groups

Pork Industries Move Forward with Livestock ID

Chuck Zimmerman

Harry SiemensThe president of the Canadian Pork Council says Canada, the United States and Mexico are moving in the same direction when it comes to developing systems for tracking the movement of livestock. Livestock identification and traceability was one of the issues discussed recently as representatives of the Canadian and US pork industries gathered in Winnipeg for the annual meeting of the Canadian Pork Council.
CPC president Clare Schlegel says, despite developing some differences in the systems, the Canadian, American and Mexican industries all recognize the need for coordination. Read More

International, Pork

Mobile Broadband

Chuck Zimmerman

Sprint Broadband CardYou might think that with only this one post today that it’s a kind of lazy day in Holts Summit. I wish. For the RW, it’s time to mow the yard, weed and trim, run errands, get in a proper workout, help with house cleaning and cook supper. While supper is cooking I am taking the time to do a little bit of computer work.

For example, I’m setting up this new Sprint Connection Card on my notebook. Sprint now has their EV-DO broadband working in most major cities and to get that high speed internet connection you need a card like this. My old one just won’t cut it. However, with a 2 year agreement these are cheap. Then I’ve got an unlimited data account for $59.00/mo. I am usually in Sprint service just about everywhere so I’m hoping this will save on those $5 to $11/day connections you get hit with everywhere (airports, hotels, etc.). I’ll bet I’ve spent twice this monthly fee in the last month for example. So . . . we’ll see how it works. They promise great high speed connections and I’ve heard good things about it.

I’ll get to try it this coming week in Raleigh, NC and then in Portland, OR.

Internet

Evan Davies Now EVP For McCormick

Chuck Zimmerman

Evan DaviesIt looks like Evan Davies is getting a whole new level of responsibility at McCormick Company. He’s just been named Executive Vice President.

Davies has being instrumental in directing and managing the DuPont/Pioneer account team since joining the agency in 2002. In addition to those duties, he has played a vital role in managing overall client services for the agency, specifically in the areas of tracking, compliance and accountability. Davies is based in the company’s Kansas City office.

“Evan has further elevated our tradition of high-quality client service and has had an integral role in helping us achieve several milestones in growth since joining the agency,” says Mark Perrin, McCormick President. “In the past 18 months alone, we’ve expanded to include a Canadian office, international media relations capabilities and most recently, launched Aquarium, a stand-alone company and one of the first of its kind in the Midwest to utilize a nontraditional toolbox of new or participative media solutions to engage customers.”

Congratulations Evan.

Agencies

Farm Credit Turns 90

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm CreditUsually you don’t brag about being 90 years old but the Farm Credit System is. Actually their birthday will be July 17. To let the world know, the Farm Credit Council just sent out a Talking News Release through AgNewsWire.AgWired.com.

Rural America’s customer-owned partner, the Farm Credit System, celebrates its 90th anniversary of service on July 17, the date when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Farm Loan Act in 1916.

Today, with more than $108 billion in loans financing agriculture and its related cooperatives, rural homebuyers, small community water and waste disposal systems, rural electric and telephone systems and the export of U.S. farm commodities, the Farm Credit System is the oldest and largest financial cooperative in the nation.

“For 90 years, the Farm Credit System has served agriculture and rural America as a dedicated, reliable, competitive, and customer-owned source of credit and related services. We look forward to a bright future for U.S. agriculture and America’s rural communities,” said Wayne Lambertson, a Maryland farmer who currently serves as Chairman of the Farm Credit Council, the System’s trade association.
 (Full Release)

You can listen to one of the soundbites from Wayne here: Listen To MP3 Wayne Lambertson (mp3 file)

Agribusiness

DTN Gets Weather Customers

Chuck Zimmerman

DTN MeteorlogixIt must be nice to pick up 20,000 customers just like that. That’s what DTN Meteorlogix just did by obtaining the customers of Surface Systems, Inc.

DTN, the world leader in weather forecasting, display and decision support technology, today (July 11) announced the acquisition of Surface Systems, Incorporated (SSI) weather forecasting customers. DTN will integrate SSI’s weather forecasting customers into its weather business, Meteorlogix. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed. DTN will provide services to existing SSI weather forecasting customers, making available DTN’s state-of-the-art weather and pavement forecasting systems, innovative satellite, online and mobile weather display systems and patented weather-monitoring alerting technology. SSI, a division Quixote Corporation, will retain the manufacturing, sale and maintenance of weather and pavement hardware sensor technology.

Media, Technology

Hearing From Monte Reese

Chuck Zimmerman

Monte ReeseIs there anyone who doesn’t know Monte Reese? The Beef Board’s Chief Operating Officer was on the program at this morning’s board meeting to give a report on the activities of the Checkoff.

Monte started out talking about how much has been accomplished in the 20 years of the Checkoff. He says that producers have created a solid science-based research foundation which has time after time prevented severe consumer confidence crises.

Monte also made a point of letting producers know how many expressions of appreciation he has received from other commodity groups for the Beef Checkoff’s perseverance in the face of a severe legal challenge. Since that final Supreme Court decision he says most of the challenges to other groups have been dismissed.

You can listen to Monte’s remarks here: Monte Reese Report (10 min. MP3 File)

Audio, Beef