100+ MPH In The Pace Truck

Chuck Zimmerman

Pace TruckThis will be all for a little while until I get back to my hotel. It looked like it was going to rain here but now the sun is back out and cars are on the track running practice laps. I think I’ll head on out to see who’s running before leaving for the day.

After the Ethanol Summit program was over, it was time for a ride around the track. USDA Under Secretary Tom Dorr is inside the truck you see here on his second lap.

I got to ride in the truck afterward. They allowed 3 of us to ride along with the driver. I interviewed them all as we were making our laps today in the Chevrolet Ethanol Pace Truck.

Inside Pace TruckThe guys in the truck with me were Dan Edwards, Indy Track Racking Operations Director (driver), National Corn Growers Association Chairman, Leon Corzine and Waitt Farm Network Director, Emery Kleven. Emery took the picture of me in the back seat with Leon. You can listen to the interview here: Listen To MP3 Indy Pace Truck Interview (3 min MP3)

Just to make it interesting I also shot video clips. The first one here is a Pace Truck drive-by with the USDA Sec. inside. The second one is my ride inside the truck while doing the interview you can hear above.

Watch WMV Pace Car Drive-By (1 min wmv)

Watch WMV Pace Car Laps (3 min wmv)

Audio, Ethanol, Indy Racing, Video

Ethanol Indy Car Update

Chuck Zimmerman

Jeff Simmons and MeJeff Simmons, driver of the Rahal-Letterman Ethanol Car was on hand today to talk about how things are going. I interviewed him just after the Ethanol Summit concluded.

Jeff describes how his backup car is performing. He had to move to it after a little wall incident with the other car last week.

Jeff also says that the attention ethanol is getting from the people here at the Ethanol Summit, like USDA Under Sec. Tom Dorr, is overdue.

You can listen my interview with Jeff here: Listen To MP3 Jeff Simmons Interview (2 min MP3)

Audio, Ethanol, Indy Racing

USDA Sec Dorr Interview

Chuck Zimmerman

Len Corzine & Tom DorrOkay, I’m here and in action in Indianapolis. I’ve got a couple posts for you and you can find more on Domestic Fuel.

The keynote speaker today at the Ethanol Summit here at the Indianapolis Speedway was USDA Under Secretary Tom Dorr (pictured to the right of NCGA Chairman, Leon Corzine).

I interviewed the Secretary and asked him what his department is doing to assist in the development of alternative fuels. He says that the main ways they help are by providing small grants to companies that are starting up and developing alternative fuel alternatives like ethanol and then some initial financing in the form of low interest loans.

You can listen to my interview with Secretary Dorr here: Listen To MP3 Secretary Dorr Interview (4 min MP3)

Audio, Ethanol, Indy Racing

Off To See The Race

Chuck Zimmerman

So much to post so little time. But there’s lots more coming from Indiana this week. Time to head on over to the Brickyards. I’ve got an interesting stop on the way I may be able to tell you about sometime. One of those brainstorming a cool new idea in the delivery of information to farmers things.

Until later . . .

Uncategorized

Does Your CEO Blog

Chuck Zimmerman

Jerry KozakI just read an interesting article on e-Marketer titled, “Executives Not Quite Hot To Blog.” It reports on a study that found that “. . . only a small minority of top executives are convinced that corporate blogging is growing in credibility either as a communications medium, brand-building technique or a sales or lead generation tool.” Interesting. Not everyone buys into that viewpoint though. I wonder if they take into account those CEO’s who post personally without using a “blog.” Take the President/CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation is Jerry Kozak. He is publishing a “CEO’s Corner” on their website. Great idea and I wish more CEO’s did this kind of thing. This isn’t quite blogging but is sort of like it. Why not tell people directly what’s on your mind as the organizational leader. Read More

Uncategorized

Farmer Owned Ethanol Plant CEO

Chuck Zimmerman

Tom BranhanI hope you like to hear about the promotion of ethanol because we’re certainly going to have a lot of that over the coming days. In my lead-up to the Indy 500 I want you to meet the President of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. He’s Tom Branhan, CEO of Glacial Lakes Energy, a farmer-owned ethanol plant in Watertown, SD.

I intereviewed Tom on Ethanol Day in Indianapolis. He tells us a little bit about the success of his company and gives us some information about EPIC and how it’s working to promote ethanol. He also explains what the activities of Ethanol Day mean to the industry.

You can listen to my interview with Tom here: Listen To MP3 Tom Branhan Interview (5 min MP3)

Audio, Ethanol, Indy Racing

Webby’s Go To Aggy’s

Chuck Zimmerman

10th Annual Webby AwardsThey are called the “Oscars of the Internet,” and two ag groups have won one. They are the 10th Annual Webby Awards.

Ag winners include:

Association Category:

Webby Award: Cotton Inc – Team Cotton, Agency – Velocity Works

People’s Voice: EPIC – drivingethanol.org, Agency – Integer Group

Ag Groups, Agencies, Internet

Rookie Driver Gets Milk

Chuck Zimmerman

Marco AndrettiI won’t be in Indianapolis until tomorrow evening but agriculture was on display today. The fastest rookie was honored by the American Dairy Association of Indiana. He’s Marco Andretti and he’s award winner number 32. I thought it was interesting that they pointed out that although ethanol has been getting a lot of attention they were the first ag commodity associated with the race.

In accepting the honor, Marco will join his father, 1984 Fastest Rookie Michael Andretti, to form the first father-son duo in the award’s history. In fact, had the program been around in 1965, the Andretti family would be celebrating a three-generation sweep. Marco’s grandfather, the great Mario Andretti, was the fastest rookie qualifier in 1965, his freshman year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Read More

Ag Groups, Dairy, Indy Racing

Sugar Men

Chuck Zimmerman

Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of FloridaThe Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida just appointed Roger Hatton, a lifelong resident of the Glades, to their board of directors at its May board meeting. He will fill the un-expired term of John Schlechter ending January 2008 following Schlechter’s announced resignation from the Board this month.

They also announced the naming of George H. Wedgworth, the President of the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida, as the “Sugar Man of the Year – 2005.” Read More

Cooperatives

D&PL Acquires Syngenta Cotton Seed Biz

Chuck Zimmerman

D&PLD&PL seems to be on a roll lately. They just acquired Syngenta’s global cotton seed business. Sounds like a big deal to me. Of course the financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition is comprised of operations and assets in India, Brazil, Europe, and certain cotton germplasm in the United States.

The primary assets involved consist of conventional and transgenic germplasm containing Syngenta’s VipCot(tm) insect-resistant cotton genes. D&PL acquired a license to VipCot in 2004 and expects to commercialize varieties containing these traits in 2008 or 2009, subject to receiving regulatory approvals.

Agribusiness