McGregor Company Wins Environmental Respect Award

Chuck Zimmerman

Environmental Respect AwardThis is the 15th year of the Evnironmental Respect Awards and it’s a very good way to recognize how well ag companies care for the environment. Let’s face it, if farmers and others in ag didn’t take care of the environment where would they make a living? It only makes sense and I think most of the general public knows it!

The McGregor Company Wins National Award for Environmental Stewardship

DAYTON, Washington (July 14, 2005) – The McGregor Company branch facility located in Dayton, Wash., was honored with the national Environmental Respect Award Thursday, July 14 at a special ceremony in the United States Capitol Building.
Environmental Respect Award GroupThe awards, sponsored by DuPont Crop Protection and CropLife® magazine, are the agricultural industry’s highest recognition for environmental stewardship among U.S. agricultural retailers, those who serve farmers and ranchers with the seed, nutrients, pest control and agronomic information critical to effective crop production.
Upon receiving the 1992 Washington State Environmental Respect Award, the Dayton McGregor crew upgraded their outdoor containment equipment with stainless steel tanks, new plastic fused piping, and new sealant inside the containment. Facility storage includes two overhead dry fertilizers, a bulk ammonia storage tank, a bulk liquid fertilizer storage containment area, and an indoor chemical warehouse.

You can download the executive summary of the awards program here: Environmental Respect Awards Summary (PDF File)

Regional winners include:

Helena Chemical Co., Alachua, FL
Cornhusker Ag Aviation, Inc., Grant, NE
Royster-Clark, Inc., Melfa, VA
Greg’s Feed and Seed, South Wayne, WI

For more information contact K. Elliott Nowels (440) 602-9161.

Agribusiness

CAFTA-DR Passes House

Chuck Zimmerman

House of RepresentativesOkay. Since you’re going to hear about this from everybody you may as well hear it here too. The House passed CAFTA-DR last night. Vote was 217-215. Does that not tell you how divided people are on this issue? Most ag groups seem to be for it so you’ll see and hear a lot of “congratulations” stories from them. Not all in ag are happy though and certainly not all politicians. For example, take the House Democrat Ag Committee. Here’s an excerpt from Collin Peterson: “Tonight’s House vote on the Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, was a tragedy for American agriculture and rural communities.”

So far I’ve heard from the pork producers and the corn growers on their approval of the vote and I anticipate many more. Now let’s see what the President does. Of course he is a CAFTA supporter!

Uncategorized

U.S. Farm Report Gets New Host

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Journal MediaIt looks like Orion Samuelson and Max Armstrong are making a big career change! Wonder what they’re going to do?

John Phipps to Head New U.S. Farm Report On-Air Team
Philadelphia, PA – July 27, 2005 – Farm Journal Media today announces further details regarding talent and the editorial format for U.S. Farm Report…Town and Country Living. Headlining the announcement is the naming of John Phipps as the program’s new host and managing editor, along with Al Pell as agribusiness director, Dyanna DeCola as national news anchor and Mike Hoffman as meteorologist.

With these changes, long-time farm broadcasters Max Armstrong and Orion Samuelson will no longer continue as hosts of the program. “After much discussion with both Max and Orion, it became clear that this represented significant change for both of them and they decided to move their careers in other directions – a decision we didn’t welcome, but one that we totally respect. They have faithfully served agriculture and this program for many years. We will continue that legacy, and hope to work with Max and Orion down the line,” stated Andy Weber, CEO of Farm Journal Media.

For more information contact Brian Conrady. AgWeb.com

Media

Garst Giving Away Seed To Celebrate 75th

Chuck Zimmerman

Garst Seed CompanyHere’s a great way to celebrate 75 years! Give stuff away. You’ve gotta like that. I’m sure growers will. Garst Seed Company has gone through a lot of changes since it was the Garst & Thomas Hybrid Corn Company back in 1930!

Growers Can Win 75 Acres of Free Garst® Brand Seed Corn As Part of Garst’s 75th Anniversary Program
Garst To Show Appreciation to Industry By Awarding More than 6,000 Acres of Free Seed

SLATER, Iowa, July 27, 2005 — Garst Seed Company is celebrating 75 years in the seed industry by giving growers the chance to win 75 acres of free Garst® brand seed corn. Garst will reward 86 growers across the United States a total of 6,450 acres of free Garst seed.
Producers can sign up to win the free seed corn by visiting the Garst booth at various farm shows or attending one of four Demonstration Days at the Garst/Syngenta Learning Centers. In addition, growers can also qualify for the 75 acres of free seed by talking to their Garst Guy about Garst’s True Blue Customer Rewards program and having their name registered in this free drawing.

For more information contact Lori Thomas.

Agribusiness

New Ethanol Facts Consumer Website

Chuck Zimmerman

ethanolfacts.comWith all the different “facts” floating around in the media this last week or so the folks at the National Corn Growers Association decided to do something about it. They created a new website called Ethanolfacts.com. It’s just what it says it is, a clean easy-to-navigate site with facts in terms consumers can understand. We’ll see if consumers can find it now!

Ethanolfacts.com Provides Consumers with Comprehensive Source on Ethanol

ST. LOUIS (July 27, 2005) — During the past 20 years, American motorists have driven billions of hassle-free miles using ethanol-blended gasoline. Yet many questions about this growing fuel remain. A new web site, ethanolfacts.com, sets the record straight by offering consumers a single source of reliable information on this rapidly growing alternative to fossil fuels.

Ethanolfacts.com is an easy-to-use, comprehensive source of key ethanol informational links, as well as basic facts about ethanol and its benefits to the U.S. consumer.

For more information contact Mimi Ricketts, NCGA, 636-733-9004, Ext. 112.

Ag Groups, Ethanol

ZimmCast With AAEA President Susan Davis

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 22What a busy week it has been! Getting ready for the ARC meeting and AMS immediately following. For our ZimmCast this week I interviewed AAEA president Susan Davis. Susan talks about AAEA and what to expect at the Agricultural Media Summit.

You can listen to this week’s ZimmCast here Download MP3 File

The ZimmCast is the official podcast of AgWired. You can subscribe using the link in our sidebar.

ACN, Ag Media Summit, Audio, Podcasts, ZimmCast

Cattle Industry Summer Conference Focus of MBIC Report

Chuck Zimmerman

MBIC ReportIt’s time for the cattle industry leadership to gather in Denver for the annual Cattle Industry Summer Conference. Missouri is well represented and in this week’s MBIC Report, at-large board member for the Missouri Beef Industry Council, Jon Kleiboeker talks about the conference and how cattle producers are involved, including his joint nutrition & health committee work.

You can listen to the MBIC Report here Download MP3 File

The MBIC Report is a weekly podcast of AgWired. You can use the link in our sidebar to subscribe.

Audio, Beef, Podcasts

Ethanol & Weather On CornTalk

Chuck Zimmerman

Corntalk PodcastLast week a lot of attention was given to an AP story about an old study saying ethanol costs more to produce than it’s worth. Pretty strange timing when you consider the energy legislation work going on in Washington, DC. In this week’s CornTalk program, Missouri Corn Growers Association CEO, Gary Marshall, discusses the flaws in the study that was quoted and talks about the weather concerns for the state’s corn crop.

You can listen to CornTalk here Download MP3 File

CornTalk is a weekly AgWired podcast. Use the link in our sidebar to subscribe.

Ag Groups, Audio, Podcasts

World Food Day October 16

Chuck Zimmerman

World Food DayWorld Food Day is scheduled for October 16 and the theme is “Agriculture and intercultural dialogue.” This event is organized the the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. “It will highlight biodiversity’s role in ensuring that people have sustainable access to enough high-quality food to lead active and healthy lives.”

World Food Day (WFD) was established by FAO’s Member Countries at the Organization’s Twentieth General Conference in November 1979. The date chosen – 16 October – is the anniversary of FAO. It has since been observed every year in more than 150 countries.

I attended World Food Day in Rome in 2001 which was held in conjunction with the First International Workshop on Farm Broadcasting at which I was a participant in what they called Working Group I, which focused on “Creation of a Network Linking the African Farm Radio Broadcasters with the American Farm Radio Broadcasters Via the INTERNET”. It was a memorable event. FAO has a goal to eliminate hunger in the world and is very involved in issues like food safety as well.

Uncategorized