There were 3 separate tours going on today at the IFAJ Conress. I got picked to go on the forestry and nature tour. We started out at the Moelven company timber plant where they mainly make laminated trusses.
Here you can see a worker trimming a curved truss that’s made out of many separate boards of pine wood.
To get a better perspective you can watch a short video clip of this guy at work: 
Trimming a Truss (2 min WMV)
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At our opening night reception and dinner we heard from the CEO/President of Tine, the Norway dairy cooperative that makes Jarlsberg cheese. This year is the 50th year since they began making this great cheese. You can see the nice display of food we had with a Jarlsberg cheese wheel centerpiece.
I interviewed Tine President Hanne Refsholt prior to the reception and asked her to describe Tine and the dairy business in Norway. It sounds like dairy producers here have some of the same concerns as dairy producers in the United States.
Listen here to learn more about the dairy business in Norway: 
Hanne Refsholt Interview (6 min MP3)
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The president of the IFAJ Congress 2006 organizing committee is Mari Bjorke, Geno (pictured here with one of our tour bus drivers).
I finally got a chance to interview her late yesterday. Since I’m on the committee that’s planning the IFAJ 2009 Congress in Ft. Worth, I asked her about what it took to put together this meeting. She says they started almost 7 years ago.
Listen to Mari tell us how the Norwegians are going to “feed our senses” while we’re here: Mari Bjorke Interview (3 min MP3)
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Karen Simon (L), Iowa Soybean Association and Diane Johnson (R), Livestock Publications Council, wanted their picture on AgWired today, so here they are.
They’re posing at the Moelven company office where we learned about the forestry industry in Norway today. The little munchkins with them are the mascots from the winter Olympics that were held in this area in 1994.
I’ve got a lot more to post for you but it’s going to have to wait until later this evening after dinner since we’ve got to go get on another bus.
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The swine industry has become increasingly alarmed just in the past year or two about the incidence of what has become known as PCV-AD, or Porcine Circovirus Associated Diseases.
At a PCV-AD update meeting sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. last week, veterinarians and members of the media were updated on the latest information available about this emerging disease complex. One of the presenters was Dr. Tom Gillespie, a swine practitioner from Rensselaer, Indiana and immediate past president of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians. He is also chairman of the AASV committee on PCV-AD.
I didn’t get a good picture of Dr. Gillespie at the meeting, but I did do a fairly long interview with him about this issue which the broadcaster in me decided to make into an audio report. It’s a pretty darn complicated issue that needs more than just a post to explain – so here is a 4:30 report with Dr. Gillespie. Tom Gillespie.
To find out more about PCVAD, check out these websites – pcvd.org, thepigsite.com and pighealth.com.
Here’s a the view from my room. I have this fantasy of going upstairs on this break and taking a nap. Shh. Don’t tell anyone.
I know you’re probably thinking, “Chuck, can you post any more today?” How much can we absorb in one visit? I posted a little heavy on purpose because we’ve got a reception/dinner thing tonight and then have to get up early to leave for an all day adventure and I don’t know when I’ll have time to post next. I’m betting late tomorrow evening.
So, sit back, relax and scroll down. Read, listen and enjoy. In fact, just Feed Your Senses!
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The ZimmCast is coming to you from Norway this week. He’s a busy man, but IFAJ President David Markey took a few minutes out to visit with me.
David has his own publishing company and was re-elected for a second term as IFAJ President this morning. One of the things I asked him was why companies should get involved with IFAJ and interact with agricultural journalists at this annual meeting.
Listen here: ZimmCast 80 (9 min MP3)
The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes.
One of the exhibitors here at the IFAJ Congress in Hamar, Norway is DeLaval.
DeLaval is represented by several people like Mr. DeLaval Norway, pictured here. However, I interviewed Barbara Strunk who works for DeLaval in Germany.
I asked Barbara about what they were featuring in their display here. One of the key things they’re focusing on is cow comfort and that’s just as true in the United States as anywhere else.
You can learn more about what message DeLaval has for journalists here: Barbara Strunk Interview (3 min MP3)
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I mentioned that we’re feeding our senses here in Norway on mares milk. What’s that you may ask.
It’s just what it sounds like and to learn more abou it I interviewed Mette Johnson, Equi Libre AS, who was here to serve us some samples. It’s in the glass in front of her.
Learn a little more about mares milk in my interview with Mette. Mette Johnson Interview (5 min MP3)
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One of the coolest things about IFAJ is that the members are a mix of publication editors and broadcasters like Adrienne Francis here who works with ABC Rural in Australia. This only makes sense in today’s new media world folks.
Of course in the United States we’re kind of behind the times since we still have separate organizations for editors (AAEA & LPC) and broadcasters (NAFB). Maybe IFAJ will grow and show these organizations the way to work together. It’s already happening with the growth of the Agricultural Media Summit. We just need to get NAFB on board and that will be a truly full bodied conference.
Adrienne is interviewing Max Ivan Lindkjolen, Max Trading, who was cooking up some awesome elk sausage for us here.
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