EPIC Founder Interview

Chuck Zimmerman

Dave Vander GriendI’ll be heading east tomorrow to Indianapolis with one stop on the way. Just to keep you interested in the greatest spectacle in auto racing I’ve got an interview for you to listen to with ICM CEO, Dave Vander Griend. Dave is a founder of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. His company is a design/engineering firm for ethanol plants.

Dave got interested in the Indy Racing League partnership when he met the late Paul Dana. He talks about that relationship in the interview. I intereviewed Dave on Ethanol Day in Indianapolis. He has a great way of looking at why the promotion and development of ethanol as an alternative fuel is so important to the United States.

You can listen to my interview with Dave here: Listen To MP3 Dave Vander Griend Interview (7 min MP3)

Audio, Ethanol, Indy Racing

Manage Your Horses

Chuck Zimmerman

EquinemaxFrom the makers of CattleMax we now have EquineMax. It’s the “complete horse management software program” from Cattlesoft, Inc. You can see screenshots and a video overview here.

The Basic Edition keeps complete records including medical treatments, breeding records, unlimited pictures and pedigree information. The program also has income and expense tracking to simplify tax records and appointment reminders to ensure vaccinations are on time.Read More

Horses

Canadian Biotech On Display

Chuck Zimmerman

Agri-Food Innovation ForumIn case you didn’t make it to BIO 2006 there’s another conference coming up in Toronto you might want to check out. It’s the 2nd annual Agri-Food Innovation Forum. If you are feeling “elite” then you can be one of the “elite gathering of researchers, academics and executives involved in bioproduct innovation in Canada and beyond.” Actually elite is a better word than exclusive.

Held in conjunction with the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing, the event will present distinguished experts and their vision, experience and success stories in this globally significant new market.

The Agri-Food Innovation Forum will take place at the Toronto Westin Harbour Castle Hotel, starting with a joint BIO-Forum Welcoming Reception the evening of July 11, followed by a half day Forum on the morning of July 12, with Canadian plenary speakers focusing on the 2006 theme: Celebrating Excellence in Canadian Industrial Bioproducts. At noon on July 12, the Forum wraps up and the BIO World Congress begins.

Biotech, International

Some New Media Resources

Chuck Zimmerman

iPressroomFor those of you wanting to know more about new media I recommend you obtain a new white paper written by Eric Schwartzman, founder of iPressroom titled, “New Media Marketing Communications.” Free with registration.

Corporate Podcasting SummitOne of those new media options is podcasting and if you’re serious about wanting to learn more about it I recommend a conference like the Corporate Podcasting Summit. Of course you can call your friendly ZimmComm New Media rep (that would be me). This is just some of the cool stuff you’ll find on ZimmComm New Media.

Podcasts

Manage Your Farm Energy Risk

Chuck Zimmerman

Energy In AgricultureWith all the buzz about energy and fuel costs small and limited resource farmers as well as any producers might be interested in USDA’s “Energy In Agriculture, Managing The Risk” conference in Kansas City, MO on June 27-28. You can register online for $90 before June 5. Here’s a draft agenda (pdf file). Some travel scholarships are available if applied for prior to May 30.Read More

Farming, USDA

Hot Dogging It

Chuck Zimmerman

Joey ChestnutThis is too good to pass up. In qualifying for the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, Joey Chestnut (pictured) downed 50 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes. This was last week at the Las Vegas qualifier. It is an American record. You can see a complete story on ESPN. Something I just learned in researching this story is that there is an organization called the International Federation of Competitive Eating. In regards to the Joey Chestnut record, IFOCE President Richard Shea said “This is the greatest thing to happen in the history of American sports. Joey Chestnut’s accomplishment may change the course of a nation.”Read More

Food

Ethanol Plant Builder

Chuck Zimmerman

Jeff Broin and Sam BodmanIt’s the final week before the Indianapolis 500. Time to get revved up. I’ll be heading on over later this week. On Thursday the IRL is having an Ethanol Forum which will feature speakers like IRL founder Tony George and USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development, Tom Dorr. I’ll report on it for you right here.

In leading up to the activities in Indiana I’m going to post some more interviews I conducted during Ethanol Day a couple of weeks ago. So let’s get started. One of the founders of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council is Jeff Broin, CEO of the Broin Companies, designers and builders of ethanol plants. Jeff is pictured on the left, next to U. S. Secretary of Energy, Samuel Bodman who attended the event. Jeff describes what EPIC does and what he thinks of all the publicity generated by the ethanol/IRL matchup.

You can listen to my interview with Jeff here: Listen To MP3 Jeff Broin Interview (3 min MP3)

Audio, Ethanol, Indy Racing

COLT Technologies Now TekVet

Chuck Zimmerman

COLT TechnologiesColt Technologies officially changed its name to TekVet, LLC last week. So when I saw this I went to their website and now I’m confused. The website says “Colt Technologies.” But in their newsroom they have the release saying they changed their name. Seems like a webpage update is in order.

In addition to the name change, the company announced it has moved its headquarters back home from Puerto Rico to a facility in North Salt Lake, Utah.

Agribusiness

FarmStack Classifieds Now Online

Chuck Zimmerman

FarmStackOnline classifieds have a new player in the agricultural arena. It’s FarmStack.com. I don’t have anything to buy or sell so I haven’t tried it out.

Basic listings on Farmstack.com are free of charge, whereas Featured and Premium listings carry a small charge. Listings by individual farmers and growers are always free. Registration on the site is free. Individual Farmers and Growers may list tractors, implements, organic foods and many farm related products to seek buyers locally, nationwide and globally.Read More

Agribusiness

Batting For Better Sales

Chuck Zimmerman

Association of Equipment ManufacturersEquipment manufacturers are gearing up for their annual marketing seminar. This year it will take place June 4-6 at the Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD. This is a pretty full scale marketing conference and since they’re going to Camden Yards for a baseball game the theme is “Take Me Out To The Marketplace.” That competitive challenge the Orioles face is much like the one any business faces as well.

Besides the annual marketing seminar, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers also has plans in place for a their AgExecutive Forum which will be held Tuesday, July 11 at the Renaissance Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont, IL.

Equipment