AgWired

Monte Shaw’s replacement has been announced by the Renewable Fuels Association. We hope to meet him on the road somewhere soon.

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is pleased to announce that Matt Hartwig has been hired as Communications Director. Matt will be taking over for Monte Shaw, who has served the RFA in that role for the past five and a half years.

RFA President Bob Dinneen stated: “The U.S. ethanol industry is growing at an unprecedented rate and the issues the industry faces every day demand a broad understanding of a number of complex topics. But with his agriculture and consumer advocacy background, Matt will be able to hit the ground running.

The National Chicken Council has some new officers as of yesterday when they were installed in Washington, DC. I learned on their website that last month was national chicken month. I think I did my part even though I wasn’t aware of it.

Don Jackson, president of the poultry division of Foster Farms, Livingston, California, was installed today as Chairman of the National Chicken Council, the trade association for the chicken production and processing industry. Mark Hickman, president and chief executive officer of Peco Foods, Inc., Tuscaloosa, Alabama, took office as Vice Chairman, and Mike Welch, president and chief executive officer of Harrison Poultry, Bethlehem, Georgia, became Secretary-Treasurer.

The National Chicken Council represents integrated chicken producer-processors, the companies that produce, process and market chickens. Member companies of NCC account for approximately 95 percent of the chicken sold in the United States.

I’ve been meaning to post something about America’s Heartland but just never seem to have a good opportunity. However, American Farm Bureau sent out a release about their celebration of the premier of the show. They, along with Monsanto, are the 2 main sponsors.

The recent premiere of America’s Heartland, a new national public television series on American agriculture, was celebrated Wednesday at a screening and reception at the American Farm Bureau Federation headquarters. AFBF and Monsanto are providing major sponsorship of the weekly series, which is shot on location on farms and ranches across the country and will consist of 20 half-hour original programs during the first season. Public television station KVIE of Sacramento produces the series.

“To all of us involved in the miracle of American agriculture, the new America’s Heartland public television series represents a precious opportunity,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “America’s Heartland is about our love for the land, our dedication to the production of food and fiber and our focus on the fundamental American values of family, hard work and independence,” said Stallman.

You can visit this link to see if there’s a station carrying it in your area.