Forbes Media Hosts AgTech Summit

Kelly Marshall

AgTech SummitForbes Media will be hosting its second AgTech Summit on July 13-14, 2016 in Salinas Valley California.  More than 500 of the brightest and most entrepreneurial minds will be attending this two-day, invitation-only event, hoping to tackle some of agriculture’s greatest challenges.

The event is expected to bring about lively debate and offer great networking opportunities.  It will also be a site for showcasing the latest innovation for farmers and those in the agriculture industry.

Activities begin with field demonstrations and a plant tour of Mann Packing and Taylor Farms and continue with a tour of Tanimura & Antles’ farmworker housing complex.  The Innovation Showcase and Plenary Sessions are back from last year, featuring more than 35 AgTech startups.

Speakers Include Julie Borlaug, Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture, Texas A&M; Mike Macrie, SVP/ Chief Information Officer, Land O’Lakes, Inc.; Kip Tom, Managing Member and CEO, Tom Farms; Jorge Heraud, Co-founder and CEO, Blue River Technology; Dr. Ron Meeusen, Managing Director, Cultivian Sandbox; Robert T. Fraley, Ph.D., Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Monsanto; Sara Menker, Founder and CEO, Gro Intelligence; and Bruce Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Taylor Farms, among others

“This summit is a fantastic opportunity for the AgTech community to discuss real solutions in accelerating new technologies and capabilities in farming,” said Bruce Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Taylor Farms. “We are currently in trials with eight of the participating companies we met during last year’s Forbes AgTech Summit.”

“We are convening over 500 of agriculture’s leading voices to debate, discuss and showcase innovative solutions to the most daunting challenges facing global agriculture,” said Paul Noglows, Executive Producer of the Forbes AgTech Summit. “We can think of no better place to do that than historic Main Street Salinas where the Salinas and Silicon Valley’s meet.”

The founding partner of the Forbes AgTech Summit is SVG Partners and its Thrive Accelerator. Presenting sponsors include Western Growers and the City of Salinas. Partner sponsors include Land O’Lakes, Inc. and Monsanto. Supporting sponsors include Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Driscoll’s, Novozymes, Produce Marketing Association and Taylor Farms. Hartnell College will be hosting the Field Demos at its Alisal Campus and both Mann Packing and Taylor Farms will be hosting plant tours. The official travel partner is Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau. The Mixing Bowl is Program Partner for the Summit.

For more information, please visit http://www.forbesconferences.com/event/2016-forbes-agtech-summit/.

Agribusiness, Events, Precision Agriculture

New Faces Sought By @USFRA

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA®) is looking for a few new faces.

USFRA Faces - Thomas Titus of Illinois, Jay Hill of New Mexico, Erin Brenneman of Iowa, Carla Wardin of Michigan, and Darrell Glaser of Texas

USFRA Faces – Thomas Titus of Illinois, Jay Hill of New Mexico, Erin Brenneman of Iowa, Carla Wardin of Michigan, and Darrell Glaser of Texas

This year, through the Faces of Farming & Ranching program search, USFRA is looking for its third class of standout farmers and ranchers who are proud of what they do and strive to be sustainable and technology-driven, eager to share their stories of continuous improvement and are actively involved in sharing those stories in public and on social media to help put a real face on agriculture and shine a light on the heart, personalities and values that are behind today’s food.

“The impact of farmers and ranchers leading the conversation about how food is grown and raised is imperative in gaining trust with today’s consumers,” said Nancy Kavazanjian, USFRA Chairwoman. “We’ve seen strides in sustainability and technology on the farm, yet misconceptions about genetically engineered (GE) crops, antibiotics and pesticides confuse consumers, so these ambassadors for agriculture are critical in setting the record straight and participating in these influential conversations about food production.”

Farmers and ranchers who grow and raise an assortment of foods through various methods, on differing scale and across all regions of the country are encouraged to apply, as it is important to show American agriculture and all of its diversity.

“People genuinely want more information about farming and ranching, and talking to people as a representative of the industry sharing the facts, but also addressing their feelings, is an interesting part of this role,” said Carla Wardin, one of USFRA’s current Faces of Farming & Ranching and a Michigan dairy farmer. “I’d encourage everyone to apply, because not only does it help you improve as a communicator, but you can also make an impact on the consumers’ view of today’s agriculture being progressive and committed to responsible practices.”

Interested farmers and ranchers can apply for the program online by July 10, 2016 and will need to include a home video of less than three minutes describing themselves and their farm or ranch. Among other criteria, farmers and ranchers must have an existing social media presence, either through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and/or a blog. A combination of public voting and USFRA judging scores will be used to determine the winners, who will be announced on November 9 at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention (NAFB) in Kansas City.

Social Media, USFRA

NAFB Member Dies Tragically in Auto Accident

Kelly Marshall

Gary DiGiuseppeLong-time member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters, Gary DiGiuseppe, died as a result of an automobile accident last week.  Mr. DiGiuseppe was on his way to work at KARN Radio when the accident occurred.

Gary had been a broadcaster for more than 40 years, spending time at Michigan Farm Raido Network, Brownfield Network, KWMT Radio and the Arkansas Radio Network.  He was currently serving as the morning newscaster for ‘First News with Kevin Miller” on KARN and providing daily newscasts for The Arkansas Radio Network.  He also did freelance work and his pieces were featured in several publications.

NAFB will remember Gary as an involved member, serving on multiple committees, editor of Chats, and resolutions chair.

His obituary is as follows:

Gary John DiGiuseppe, Little Rock, AR and St. Clair Shores, MI. Loving husband of Mary (Handy-Wild). Dearest father of Annie Marie and the late Andrew; step-father of James Wild. Dearest son of Leonard and Virginia DiGiuseppe. Brother of Carol DiGiuseppe-Zuniga (Dr. Jorge) and the late Joseph. Nephew of John DiGiuseppe Sr. (Joanne), Frances Chiesa (Russell), and the late Leonard Tagliavia (Gayle).

Gary attended Roeper City and Country School, De La Salle Collegiate, University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University before starting his career in journalism and radio. Gary was a deeply private man who spoke few words, expressed a tremendous writing talent, was an accomplished musician and gained national respect and recognition as a broadcaster and journalist. He loved his family, his work and held firm to important principles, never wavering. He will be missed.

Visitation Sunday, June 5, 2016, 4:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. at the Charles Verheydan Funeral Home, 16300 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Park, MI. Funeral Mass Monday, June 6, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. with in state at 9:00 a.m. at St. Lucy Catholic Church, 23401 Jefferson, St. Clair Shores, MI.

NAFB

Get Corny with #CUTC16

Chuck Zimmerman

Corn Utilization Technology ConferenceCorn technology might conjure up many different ideas in your mind. Think ethanol, feed for animals, boiled corn for the table and much more. Follow along this week as I attend the Corn Utilization Technology Conference and we’re going to learn about a lot more than that.

Session topics at the CUTC will cover wet and drying milling technology, traits/breeding/biotechnology, biorefining and uses for starch. There are quite literally many new uses for corn and in fact, that is a topic that will be covered all on its own. My job is to interview researchers working on very complex projects and get them to explain in easy to understand language. I can do it. I’ve done it before.

So follow along on AgWired this week and the hashtag, #CUTC16.

Ag Groups, Biotech, Corn, CUTC, NCGA, Technology

Potatoes USA Inspires International Chefs

Lizzy Schultz

RTM-Chefs Potatoes USA brought 21 chefs from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines on a reverse trade mission (RTM) to the U.S. to learn about U.S. potatoes and products, as well as new and creative ways to put them on menus back home.

The RTM began with potato training in Idaho, then switched to a two-day training session at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Portland, OR. The final segment of the trip was the National Restaurant Association annual conference and trade show in Chicago.

The Idaho portion of the trip first brought the international chefs to a fresh packing shed and dehydrated potato processing facility in Idaho Falls. The group received intensive training on dehydrated potatoes at Miles Willard Technologies, and allowed to directly observe the scale, sophistication and quality of U.S. potatoes and products. The next stop was Boise, where chefs met with Lamb Weston, the Idaho Potato Commission and the J.R. Simplot Company.

The Oregon Potato Commission sponsored the group’s two-day cooking workshop at the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute. The workshop included cutting edge culinary demonstrations with dehydrated, frozen and fresh potatoes, two opportunities to prepare dishes with U.S. potatoes and products, and training by a lead instructor on classical potato preparations and dishes.

The group then traveled to Chicago for the National Restaurant Association annual conference, which offered the chefs an extra opportunity to learn about U.S. food products, including potatoes, which they can feature in their restaurants plus all of the other aspects of the restaurant business.

All of the chefs expressed sincere gratitude to participate in this “experience of a lifetime,” and all participants felt that their views and thoughts about potatoes had completely changed. There was complete consensus that their experiences in the U.S. could be applied in their own restaurants.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Education, Food, International, Potato

GreenStone Farm Credit Teams With Ag Incubator

Lizzy Schultz

image001 GreenStone Farm Credit Services recently announced that the community and agricultural lender has made a $25,000 contribution to the Great Lakes Ag-Tech Business Incubator, a non-profit organization that focuses on helping farmers and entrepreneurs rapidly commercialize their ag-technology machinery, equipment or software innovations.

The Incubator will utilize the financial contribution by providing business startup services to clients. GreenStone will also offer its expertise to Incubator clients in areas such as financial counseling, lending to qualified clients, and business finance training to clients and ag-tech entrepreneurs.

“For the last century, GreenStone has supported organizations, programs and initiatives dedicated to advancing agriculture. This partnership with the Great Lakes Ag-Tech Business Incubator fits with our commitment to help Michigan ag-technology based businesses get started and become successful,” said Dave Armstrong, President and CEO of GreenStone Farm Credit Services.

Farmers, entrepreneurs and business owners who have an ag-technology idea or invention and would like more information about the business services offered by the Incubator can visit their website here. Farmers and industry professionals interested in helping to review and/or test new ag-technologies being developed by Incubator clients should also contact the Incubator team.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Farm Credit

AgCareers.com Earns User’s Choice Award

Kelly Marshall

AgCareersAgCareers.com is being recognized as one of the top online employment services.  WEDDLE’s gathered information from job seekers about online sites in 2015 and AgCareers.com was named as one of the best, earning the prestigious User’s Choice Award.

Thirty sites from among the 200,000 on the internet today earned this distinction.

“There is no higher accolade than the recognition provided by satisfied customers,” said Peter Weddle, Chief Executive Officer, WEDDLE’s LLC. “Selection as a User’s Choice Award Winner is proof positive that an organization is, in fact, among the elite in its field.”

“We are delighted that our candidates and employers have voted AgCareers.com as a User’s Choice Award winner,” said Eric Spell, AgCareers.com President. “We take pride in being the leading ag-specific career portal and job board, and plan ongoing developments to continually enhance the experience for our users,” added Spell.

AgCareers

Nebraska Woos Biobased Companies

Joanna Schroeder

© Zivana | Dreamstime.com - Nebraska State Flag Photo

© Zivana | Dreamstime.com – Nebraska State Flag Photo

Nebraska is ramping up its bio-based partnerships and wooing new companies to move to the state. According to a recent Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED), bioscience companies employ more than 16,000 people in the state with the industry growing at a faster pace than the national average. For instance, several global and national companies are already located in Nebraska, including: NatureWorks (corn-based plastics), Novozymes (enzyme technology), Purac (lactic acid), Laurel BioComposite (bioresins from distillers grains), Pharmgate (animal pharmaceuticals) and many more.

“Nebraska is well-suited to capitalize on the next wave of scientific breakthroughs in the biosciences,” said Phil Kozera, executive director of Bio Nebraska Life Sciences Association. “There are many opportunities for next-generation companies to evolve in Nebraska, which leads to job creation and strengthening the state’s global leadership in value-added agriculture.”

Nebraska is the nation’s second largest ethanol producer with 25 plants. Ethanol and its co-products can serve as the foundation for many next-generation bioproducts from green chemicals to nutraceuticals and animal feed supplements.

Todd Sneller, Nebraska Ethanol Board administrator notes, “Ethanol plant locations have a steady and abundant supply of grain, oilseeds, biomass and livestock, on which many bio-based technologies depend. Nebraska has all the raw materials necessary to create strategic partnerships with bio-based companies.”

The state has also implemented several economic development incentive programs to lure additional biosciences companies to Nebraska. For example, Nebraska Advantage offers significant tax incentives for companies that relocate or expand their businesses in the state.

“In order to foster the development and growth of these enterprises, we actively collaborate between government, education, business and agriculture to reduce red tape,” said DED Director Courtney Dentlinger. “This strong partnership between the public and private sectors is a major factor in attracting companies to locate in Nebraska.”

Agribusiness, Biofuels, Ethanol

Apply for 2016 E4D Trip to China

Lizzy Schultz

IFAJ2016 will mark the 5th annual International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) Exposure-4-Development Tour, and this year’s attendees will get the opportunity to explore agriculture and mechanization in China!

The attendees, a group of 12 jury-selected journalists from around the world, will have the chance to travel through Beijing, Changzhou and Shanghai, China, for a first-hand look at farming and development in the world’s most populous country.

Journalists will meet farmers and visit dairy and produce farms in two Chinese provinces, see the world’s most advanced tractor factory, which produces Massey Ferguson Global Series tractors scaled for small-scale farmers, meet the network behind one of the world’s most creative machinery marketing programs: AGCO’s distribution partnership with virtual marketing giant Alibaba.

The group will also meet in the nation’s capital with officials and Chinese journalists for an in-depth exploration of China’s agricultural policy.

The tour will begin in Beijing on 23 September 2016 and depart Shanghai on 30 September. Each participant will be responsible for his/her travel arrangements and costs to and from China. Tour expenses for the week in China will be 400 euros. All lodging and in-country travel, and most meals, will be covered under the tour. Each participant will receive an official letter of invitation from AGCO and IFAJ, which can be used to arrange a press visa for the trip through the Chinese Consulate in the journalist’s home country.

Interested journalists can click this link to download the application form. Once the form is completed, applicants must send it to their guild representative, and have their guild fill in this application their behalf. Every guild can submit one nominee and one alternate.

Submit samples of your work as requested in the application. Deadline for guilds to submit their nominees is 10 July 2016. Participants will be selected by 29 July.

Ag Groups, IFAJ, International, Journalism

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Talia Goes

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  • Woodruff Sweitzer (WS) recently announced the addition of Darlene Hanenburg to its Minneapolis/St. Paul office and Jessee Swezey to its Kansas City office.
  • The Center for Dairy Excellence has named Jayne Sebright, an Adams County native, as Executive Director of both the center and the Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania.
  • Barchart, a leading provider of financial market data and technology, announced that Mark Haraburda has been named CEO.
  • Scott Swinton, a professor and former associate chairperson in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics at Michigan State University, has been elected by his peers as President-Elect of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA).
  • As farmers busily work on the farm this time of year, National Farmers Union (NFU) hopes to raise awareness about farm safety issues and best practices through a series of 10 educational videos.
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