Yesterday Harry sent in a segment from a talk radio show he frequently appears on. I thought you might enjoy it.
The regulations proposed by the Province of Manitoba government to deal with agriculture’s impact on water quality are unscientific, unenforceable, and will only put many small family farms out of business. Farm Journalist Harry Siemens debates the issue with Larry Updike, the Morning Man on News Talk CJOB Radio in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
You can listen here: 
Harry On CJOB (2:40 MP3 File)
Dealing With International Biotech Regs
Our final presentation of today here at the Pioneer event is being given by Thomas West, VP, Biotech Affairs & Business Support. It’s Thomas’ job to work on biotech regulatory acceptance around the world. I’m assuming this means he’s got some serious frequent flyer miles.
Right now he’s summarizing the situation in different areas of the world like China, India and the EU. There’s obviously a lot of regulatory action taking place in various countries.
I’m going to interview Thomas after he’s done and I’ll update this post then.
POST ADDITION:
You can listen to my interview with Thomas here: Thomas West Interview (4:06 MP3 File)
Hearing About Pioneer Research From Hawaii
After a short break this afternoon we got our virtual tour of the Pioneer Hawaii Research Station. Our presenters are Steven Lupkes, Coordinator and Cindy Goldstein, Outreach Manager. They are “online” with us on a two-way video/audio hookup. They’re talking about how and why they do research in Hawaii and the benefits and challenges it represents.
I recorded the first part of their presentation. This audio cut starts out with Cindy talking. Then there’s a few questions and answers. The questions didn’t record very well but you can hear Steve and Cindy very well. You can listen here: Virtual Hawaii Research Station (9:04 MP3 File)
Sit Down And Chill Out
Right behind the Pioneer Carver Center is a very pretty little pond which is totally frozen at the moment. I could see the geese through the window of the presentation room we’re in and had to take a quick shot of them before it gets too late.
They look pretty healthy. I’m betting that some pretty good quality corn is grown around here and these birds are well fed on the leftovers.
The warmest coat I’ve ever had was filled with goose down. It’s got to be pretty good protection or even these birds couldn’t sit on the ice in comfort.
How Pioneer Is Building A Better Bt
Presentation number two here at Pioneer is a tag team with Kyle Whitaker, Marketing Manager, who just got finished (pictured here) and Murt McLeod, Agronomy Research Scientist.
These guys are talking about “Building a Better Bt” and specifically Herculex.
Murt’s taking now and he’s focusing on Herculex RW Research and describing the experimental design testing they’ve conducted. I’m recording the presentation and will decide later if it’s something to post. I will also try to get interviews with both these guys if time permits and post them later.
POST ADDITION:
After Kyle and Murt’s presentation I interviewed Kyle and he talks about the type of research that’s led to the new Bt products developed by Pioneer. He describes availability for the coming growing season and where growers can get more information.
You can listen to my interview with Kyle here: Kyle Whitaker Interview (4:52 MP3 File)
Media Using Computers
Since this is a “media” event then there’s got to be some media. Well here we are (I’m behind the camera). It’s a pretty good group of web/broadcast/print media representatives. I think it’s interesting that you can hear 6 different computers clicking away!
I wonder how many of us are “blogging” it.
New Technology From Pioneer
The first presentation here at the Pioneer event is with Bill Kuhn, Research Director. Bill is talking about new technologies and how Pioneer is bringing those solutions to market. Before we got started I interviewed Bill about these new technologies and what their goal is in bringing the media here today. I also asked him what he thought about blogging his research so producers can follow along with him as he creates the products they’ll be using in the future.
You can hear Bill’s answers in my interview with him here: Bill Kuhn Interview (5:48 MP3 File)
Preview Of The Pioneer Event With Jerry
Well we’re in the Pioneer Carver Center now and lunch is almost over. I interviewed Pioneer, Sales & Marketing/Public Relations Manager, Jerry Harrington before things got going. He gives us an overview of the Science of Solutions media event.
You can listen to my interview with Jerry here: Jerry Harrington Interview (2:38 MP3 File)
Here’s Jerry watching the first presentation with Bill Kuhn.
Time To Blog The Pioneer Event
It’s almost time for the Pioneer, “Science of Solutions” event to kick off in Johnston, IA. I’ll be heading over there shortly.
We’ve got an afternoon full of presentations starting with Bill Kuhn, Pioneer Research Director. He’ll be updating us on the Pioneer research pipeline. Later this afternoon we’ll take a virtual tour of the Pioneer Hawaii Research Station. Then we’ll hear about the whole issue of managing worldwide biotech regulatory acceptance. I’ll be recording the presentations and conducting interviews and hope to have some of it availabe during the afternoon.
The Farm Hurt Is Deep and Wide
There doomsayers and there are realists. A report in a Saskatoon, Saskatchewan newspaper caught my attention. In my opinion, it adds to the farming confusion – But at the same time, it lays it on the line.
Family grain and oilseed farms can no longer turn a profit, and society is at a crossroads where it must choose whether to subsidize them or let them fade away, a University of Saskatchewan professor says. Agricultural economics professor Hartley Furtan says an analysis of Statistics Canada data from 2003 shows government subsidies and income earned outside farm gates kept family farms. With similar incomes in 2004 and 2005, and a bleak outlook for 2006, it’s time for society to make a choice.
“If the sector is not important enough to warrant more financial support, let the market process take its course and we will have fewer farm families with less grain and oilseed production,” writes Furtan. “If it is the families we care about, we need to consider new policies such as guaranteed annual income for farmers.”
Canada’s new Ag Minister Chuck Strahl begged about 2,000 farmers in an Ottawa, Ontario rally for more time to solve the income crisis plaguing the country’s agriculture sector. Some heckled; others even turned their back on him.
Obviously, unfair to the minister, it shows how deep the hurt is on the farm. In fact, in Ontario, 70 percent of farmers don’t get their primary income from the farm