Industrial Hemp Farms?

Chuck Zimmerman

Vote HempThe first image that came to my mind when I saw this was of a very relaxed and happy farmer harvesting his crop while listening to some cool tunes on his iPhone. I wonder if it’s going to happen. I wonder how you would market this crop and where. I wonder a lot of things sometimes.

North Dakota’s Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson has accepted the first application from a farmer for a state Industrial Hemp license. The license, which is expected to be granted, will go to farmer and North Dakota Assistant House Majority Leader David Monson, ten years after the first hemp bill was passed in the state. Farmers will make history as North Dakota is the first state to grant commercial hemp farming licenses in the United States in fifty years. It is unclear what the Drug Enforcement Administration will do when they receive requests for the licenses to be effective.

“I submitted my application for an industrial hemp license with the state Department of Agriculture earlier today,” said Representative David Monson, R-Osnabrock. “I expect that the state will grant me a hemp farming license, but I’m not sure that the $3,440 non-refundable registration fee I will send to DEA with my application for manufacturing and importing will get me anything.

Full Release

Farming, hemp

Arab Marshlands Returning To Life

Chuck Zimmerman

Arab MarshlandsHere’s one of the latest reports from Paul McKellips, Global Outreach Officer, US Embassy Baghdad, The Green Room – Public Affairs GO Team. Like a lot of what Paul is finding out, there’s way more good going on in Iraq than our mainstream media would like you to think. I guess that re-building an agricultural industry isn’t juicy news but I think it is.

From 1991 until 2003, Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist Regime nearly destroyed the Mesopotamian Marshlands, one of the largest wetlands systems in the world. Massive drainage structures were used to divert water away from the 8,000 square miles of marshes. The 5,000-year old Marsh Arab society was exiled and nearly annihilated. Thousands and thousands of residents were brutally murdered. With help from USAID, the American military and coalition partners, the new Iraqi government has been working to restore the wetlands at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates in southern Iraq. Reflooding has now covered 25- to 30-percent of the original marshlands. Contractors for USAID have already released 2 million fingerlings back into the marshes.

Full Report (Word doc)

Listen to his report:

arab-marshlands-returning-to-life.mp3
Audio, International

Freebairn Agency For MANA

Chuck Zimmerman

MANAIt’s good to see the Freebairn name again in my inbox. They just received a new client for their services – Makhteshim Agan of North America Inc.

MANA, based in Raleigh, N.C., is the North American subsidiary of Makhteshim Agan Industries, Ltd., the world’s leading provider of generic crop protection products. MANA currently offers over 45 branded insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, plant growth regulators and harvest aids to improve the bottom line of agriculture production.

Freebairn & Co. will assist MANA with development of advertising, public relations and interactive programs to support product use across the agricultural areas of the U.S. “Following a lengthy search, we were ultimately impressed with the Freebairn team’s experience in agriculture, their range of services and the agency’s broad involvement with global marketers similar to us,” explains Troy Bettner, MANA senior marketing manager.

Agencies, Agribusiness

EU Commissioner of Ag Mariann Boel

Chuck Zimmerman

Mariann Fischer BoelWe heard from a lot of politicians today but the one I think who had the clearest message was the EU Commissioner of Agriculture Mariann Fischer Boel. She’s a pretty straight talking lady and I recorded her whole press conference for you. Later in the afternoon I got to interview her personally too.

She really likes to emphasize quality in production agriculture as you’ll hear from her remarks. She wants American farmers to know that she’s going to go to the United States later this year to meet and talk with farmers. She spoke a lot about the potential of biofuels in her press conference too. Just like in the U.S., biofuels is the hot topic here right now.

Listen to my interview with Commissioner Boel (1 minute):ifaj-berlin-boel-interview.mp3

Listen to the complete press conference with Commissioner Boel and note that some parts are done by an interpreter although she speaks English throughout (49 minutes):ifaj-berlin-2007-boel.mp3

Audio, Farm Shows, IFAJ, International

German Minister of Agriculture

Chuck Zimmerman

Green Week Press ConferenceThe biggest press conference of the day is taking place right now in the ICC center next to the press rooms. Just finishing up is Germany’s Federal Minister of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture, Horst Seehofer. He’s seated second from the left.

There are hundreds of media representatives here. It’s the most I’ve ever seen for an agricultural related event. The Minister spoke in German but we have translators and I listened in for a few minutes before heading to the computer room to get online. The first questions asked of him had to do with animal welfare which seems to be a big topic here in Europe.

I’m uploading all my photos to an online Flickr photo album for you too. You can find it using this link: IFAJ Meeting- Berlin – International Green Week. I’ll keep adding to it each day.

Farm Shows, IFAJ, International

I’m Thinking Japanese

Chuck Zimmerman

IFAJ Members From JapanThe IFAJ Congress 2007 will be held in Japan this year. We have representatives here from that country. The man on the left is Yamada Masaru with the Japan Agricultural News and to the right is Tadashi MURATA. We ate supper together last night.

Cindy and I are planning on attending. It will be our first visit to that part of the world and we’re looking forward to it.

If your company would like to find out how to become more involved with IFAJ or if you’re interested in sponsoring my coverage of the organization’s 51st annual meeting this year please let me know.

IFAJ, International

Getting Caught Up On The Latest Plans

Chuck Zimmerman

IFAJ MembersHere’s a fine looking group listening to IFAJ President David Markey get our meeting started.

Right now IFAJ Senior Vice President, Mike Wilson, is talking about our next organizational meeting which will take place in Lexington, KY and hosted by Alltech, Inc. I hope I can make that meeting too.

One of the great things about IFAJ is how diverse the membership is not only in terms of nationality but also types of media the members are involved in. You’ve got broadcasters, publication editors, web editors and yes, even bloggers here.

Mike’s also giving us an overview of our professional improvement session which will take place on Saturday. We’ll learn more about “How Public Relations people can work more effectively with agricultural media – vice versa.” I think a representative of each of the IFAJ corporate sponsors will be in attendance. That ought to be interesting.

IFAJ, International

IFAJ Board Meeting

Chuck Zimmerman

David Markey, IFAJ PresidentIt’s a new day here in Berlin. Most of you reading are probably asleep still so at least you can wake up to some new content here on AgWired!

Right now IFAJ President, David Markey, is kicking off our board meeting. We’ll be breaking up into committee groups shortly. I’m going to be participating in the Host Country Liaison Committee to discuss our plans for the 2009 IFAJ Congress which will be in Ft. Worth, TX.

David is in his second year as IFAJ President and has been working to whip us into shape as an organization. He’s really reached out to members to obtain input and then implement recommendations and make it a more professional organization. I’ll have more information for you as we move along.

IFAJ, International

Perrin At Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association

Chuck Zimmerman

Lisa PerrinI may be in Berlin posting from an IFAJ meeting and International Green Week but I’m still going to have other news posts too. Like this one about Lisa Perrin’s new gig with the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association. She’ll be their marketing communications manager.

She will oversee the 3-A-Day of Dairy Mom’s grassroots network events and other consumer programs. She also will be responsible for coordinating promotion programs on behalf of Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program and will work with state Departments of Agriculture on marketing programs of mutual benefit. Perrin will be based in Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association’s Harrisburg office.

Perrin was raised on a family dairy farm in Alexander, N.Y. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Cornell University and completed the Cornell Dairy Fellows and Farm Credit programs. Most recently Perrin served as communications manager for Holstein Association USA, Inc. Additionally, she honed her commodity marketing skills with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in Denver, Colo., and Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association in Reston, Va.

Ag Groups, Dairy

IFAJ Really Is International

Chuck Zimmerman

IFAJ MemberI know you’ve heard me say before how beneficial involvement is in IFAJ. Getting outside our little comfort zones when you’re reporting on a global industry is something that all agricultural journalists should take time to do.

I will have to meet this guy tomorrow and find out what country he’s from and what he’s going to do with the video he was shooting of tonight’s presentations. I spoke with people from Japan, Finland, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Switzerland, The Netherlands and of course, the good old USA. Many of these people are becoming friends as we see each other at different meetings out and about.

I’m actually here representing Joann Alumbaugh on the IFAJ board since she couldn’t make it. Tomorrow I’ll provide a report of the plans we’re making to host the IFAJ Congress 2009 in Texas which will be held in conjunction with the Ag Media Summit.

Farm Shows, IFAJ, International