Anniversary of Bayer Bee Care Center

Chuck Zimmerman

Bayer Bee Care CenterBayer CropScience celebrated the first anniversary of their North American Bee Care Center located in RTP, NC. The center is open for public tours and today there was a lot of touring going on. Thanks to Jeff Donald for a photo. Wish we could have been there.

After some lunch time remarks for the media to update them on key successes from the first year the afternoon was dedicated to self-guided tours. The Bayer Bee Care Center unifies Bayer’s efforts to understand, research, promote and communicate on bee health.

Bayer’s Jim Blome and Becky Langer were joined by Dr. Richard Reich, agricultural services assistant commissioner, North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, who spoke of the importance of the Center’s work, public-private partnerships and the importance of agriculture to the North Carolina economy. You can listen to some remarks from them here: Bee Care Center Remarks

Bayer Healthy HivesAt the celebration, Bayer announced a new initiative focused on finding solutions to improve the health of honey bee colonies in the U.S. – Healthy Hives 2020. As part of the initiative, Bayer will partner with stakeholders and experts on bee health and establish an advisory council to discuss strategies to improve honey bee health by the year 2020. The first meeting of members of the inaugural council will take place June 2-3, 2015 at the Bee Care Center.

Agribusiness, Bayer, Bees

NCGA Staff Changes

Cindy Zimmerman

NCGA-LogoThe National Corn Growers Association has made some staff changes designed to emphasize market development and sustainability.

For one, NCGA will begin an immediate search for a Vice President of Market Development, who will be responsible for managing marketing initiatives to build demand for ethanol, livestock feed, biobased products and food uses of corn.

In addition, NCGA announced that Fred Stemme is being promoted to Vice President of Marketing and Operations as he takes over new management responsibilities. Paul Bertels will continue to serve the organization as Vice President of Production and Sustainability, and Vice President of Administration Rodger Mansfield is stepping down after 19 years of service to the organization.

“Looking to the future and continued productivity increases from our corn farmers, we need to be looking for new markets to create sustainable opportunities for today’s farm families,” said NCGA CEO Chris Novak. “Sustainable corn production is a major priority for food chain partners and consumers.”

The announced changes went into effect immediately and details regarding the new Vice President of Market Development position will be available soon.

Corn, NCGA

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

  • Steve Sweitzer, Woodruff Sweitzer chief creative officer and agency principal, will retire effective April 22.
  • Swanson Russell has named Megan Carroll to associate interactive producer in its Lincoln office.
  • On May 19, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center’s AgBiotech Initiative is again convening ag biotech entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, and technology scouts for the third Ag Biotech Entrepreneurial Showcase in Research Triangle Park.
  • The Georgia Peanut Commission attended the Georgia School Nutrition Association annual conference held April 9-11 in Athens, Georgia.
Zimfo Bytes

How Will High Path Avian Flu Impact Industry?

Jamie Johansen

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What is your favorite alternative fuel (to gasoline)?”

A hands down winner in this week’s poll on alternative fuels was ethanol. Which is not a surprise. However, many may be surprised to see the clear runner-up was solar. We had many chime in for the other category. A few of those included: algae diesel, biohydrogen and biobutanol.

Here are the poll results:

  • Biodiesel – 10%
  • Ethanol – 42%
  • Propane – 9%
  • Natural gas – 7%
  • Wind – 6%
  • Solar – 17%
  • Other – 9%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, How will high path avian flu impact industry?

The states impacted by high path avian flu are on the rise. The most recent outbreak in Iowa on a chicken egg farm has led us all to wonder the short and long term repercussions it will have on the industry, exports and prices for the consumer. In this week’s ZimmPoll we want to know if you think this flu strain will transform the industry or will it bounce back quickly?

ZimmPoll

Hoard’s Dairyman’s Acquisition of Hay & Forage Grower

Chuck Zimmerman

hay-forageA company with a long history of innovating in the dairy world is taking over a publication that covers a wide variety of feed for cattle, especially in the dairy realm. Hoard’s Dairyman magazine recently bought Hay & Forage Grower, including the publication’s database. I met with Gary Vorpahl, Vice President at Hoard’s, during the Agri-Marketing Conference to talk about the deal.

“Right after the first of the year, we acquired Hay & Forage Grower,” he said, adding that his company recognizes there are big variations in how the different livestock producers feed based on where they are and what they’re trying to accomplish.

Gary said his company has always tried to do things some believe couldn’t be done. He cited how the company founder, W.D. Hoard, bucked the trend in the late 1800s in Wisconsin and tried to grow alfalfa, thought not hardy enough to make it through the tough local winters. “He proved it could live through a Wisconsin winter, and that’s how alfalfa became the major staple for the dairy industry.”

Gary also admitted they’ve been “standing on the end of the diving board” for some time, and now they’re ready to jump into this venture in Hay & Forage Grower. They expect to have their first hard copy issue available in August and September before World Dairy Expo, but they also hope to have an online version in the coming weeks. Webinars and e-newsletters are also in the works.

Listen to my interview with Gary here: Interview with Gary Vorpahl, VP, Hoard’s Dairyman Magazine

2015 Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

Coverage of the 2015 Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by New Holland and Brownfield Ag News
Coverage of the 2015 Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by New Holland     Coverage of the 2015 Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by Brownfield Ag News for America
Audio, Dairy, Forage, Hay, Media, NAMA

FAO & Partners Launch Pastoralist Knowledge Hub

Chuck Zimmerman

Pastoralists HubDo you know what a pastoralist is? Here’s one definition: a grazier or land-holder raising sheep, cattle, etc, on a large scale. Kind of sounds like a rancher to me. Why do I bring it up? Because the FAO and partners announced an online Pastoralist Knowledge Hub today. Their hope is that this will provide a platform for these folks to have a bigger voice in international policy debates and share valuable information to strengthen their agricultural livelihoods.

The Pastoralist Knowledge Hub – launched today by FAO, the European Union, Germany and other partners – will enable mobile livestock keepers to connect, to meet and discuss issues like agricultural innovations or land regulations and find shared solutions to common challenges.

“Pastoralists are able to produce food where no crops can be grown. Yet, their concerns are poorly heard by the international community,” Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General, said on Monday. “This hub is an important platform to help them project their voices, share knowledge, and affect policy debates.”
The hub also offers a growing database of research on pastoralism, contacts for a worldwide network of pastoral representatives, and discussion forums for pastoralist networks and partnering institutions.

You can learn more about it by listening to this FAO interview with Pablo Manzano. He is the Coordinator of the Pastoralist Knowledge Hub. In the interview, conducted by Sandra Ferrari, he elaborates on some of the challenges facing pastoralists today and how the knowledge hub can potentially support them. Interview with Pablo Manzano

Audio, International, Livestock

Plant Geneticist Wins CAST Communication Award

John Davis

Prakash1A plant geneticist is being recognized for his efforts to communicate. Dr. Channapatna Prakash, an honored faculty member at Tuskegee University in Alabama, will receive the 2015 Borlaug Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) Communication Award for decades of using the written word, public presentations, and TV and radio and social media to deliver clear, science-based information to the public and policymakers alike.

Colleagues focus on the widespread influence Prakash has had in the agricultural community. As one nominator points out, Prakash’s position involves research and teaching, but he has “arguably done more than anyone else in academia or industry to promote agricultural technologies that can help feed the world’s growing population.”

Prakash was instrumental in establishing the prestigious plant biotechnology research and training program at Tuskegee University, and he has a long list of influential publications and presentations—he has presented his messages about agriculture in more than 70 countries. Through teaching, research collaboration, and lectures, he has worked especially hard to promote biotechnology research and policy in the developing countries of Asia and Africa.

Educated in India and Australia, Prakash has a strong connection with those who have made an impact on global food production. Norman Borlaug once praised him for “bringing common sense into the use of biotechnology,” and Julie Borlaug Larson says that Prakash—much like her grandfather—is “dedicated to utilizing science and technology to improve the standard of living and quality of life for the world’s most impoverished and marginalized populations.”

Prakash will be honored at the World Food Prize Symposium on October 14, 2015, in Des Moines, Iowa.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Research, World Food Prize

Goldberg to Receive IFAMA Service Award

John Davis

goldberg1A man described as a visionary is being honored for his 60-year career teaching, working with industry, research and international development in agribusiness. The International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) will recognize Dr. Ray Goldberg as its Distinguished Service Award recipient on June 16, 2015 at the 25th Annual IFAMA World Conference President’s Award Dinner in St. Paul, Minnesota.

“I am honored to be celebrating the distinguished service of one of the visionaries of our field, who not only founded IFAMA, but has made invaluable contributions over a 60 year career to teaching, industry, research and international development,” said Thad Simons, President of IFAMA and CEO Emeritus of Novus. “ It is especially fitting that we present the Distinguished Service Award to Dr. Goldberg in St. Paul, considering that at the beginning of his illustrious career he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.”

A native of North Dakota, Dr. Goldberg received his A.B. from Harvard University in 1948, his MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in 1950 and his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Minnesota in 1952.

Together with John H. Davis he developed the Agribusiness Program at Harvard Business School in 1955. From 1970 to 1997 he was the Moffett Professor of Agriculture and Business and head of the Agribusiness Program. Since July 1, 1997, as emeritus professor, he has chaired the Agribusiness Senior Management Seminars at Harvard Business School and continues to teach courses. He is the author, co-author and or editor of 23 books and over 110 articles on positioning firms and institutions in the global value added food system. He also has authored and supervised the development of over 1000 case studies on various private,public, and farm cooperative firms and institutions in the global food system.

The IFAMA World Conference, sponsored by CHS and Novus, will also feature a Student Case Competition, a Symposium and a World Forum focused on the theme “Become the Solution: Food Security 2050.” An international audience of students, academics and industry leaders will gather from June 14 – 17, 2015 at the St. Paul River Center in St. Paul, Minnesota for the event.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Novus International

Ward on Wine Launches Website

Chuck Zimmerman

Ward on WinePairing wine with people is a very good concept. I have found that most people I know like certain wines and will choose them regardless of the food being served. That’s why Ward on Wine caught my eye. Mike Ward is a St. Louis-based Wine Educator. He just launched a website at WardonWine.com.

Designed to help people find a wine they appreciate, pair that wine with food, and help them enjoy that wine to the fullest, Wardonwine.com was developed with the mission of ‘Pairing wine with people.’ Utilizing the website on a mobile device enables the user to search for a specific wine by grape variety, food pairing, or region, and helps them to locate the wines they love quickly and easily in a restaurant or retail store environment. Whether searching for a favorite wine, or perhaps a new one, the website’s database also provides useful information to enhance the experience, such as a customized tasting note, tips on how to enjoy the wine at its best, as well as the wine’s general price point and rating.

The website is equally useful for both wine novices and full-blown oenophiles. According to Ward, “A little education can go a long way in ensuring your ultimate gratification of and appreciation for wine,” hence, the website also refers the user to local wine classes, tastings, and events.

Ward on WineMike began his career in the restaurant industry managing such establishments as Mike Duffy’s Pub and Grill, Remy’s Kitchen and Wine Bar and Cafe Eau and Eau Bistro in the St. Louis Chase Park Plaza. He also served as Director of Purchasing at The St. Louis Adam’s Mark Hotel, and Food and Beverage Director at The River Port Doubletree Hotel. From early on, Mike had a fascination with, and a passion for, all things wine. This fascination and passion led him to his position as Missouri State Wine Educator for Major Brands, Inc., a distributorship in St. Louis. Ward on Wine was founded in 2014 when Mike made the decision to branch out on his own.

On his philosophy of pairing wine with people, Ward said, “There is a wine out there for every person, every occasion, every journey, every place in time – Ward on Wine is designed to help you discover those wines, learn about those wines, and share those wines.”

Food

Monsanto Announces Top 5 Farm Mom’s of the Year

Jamie Johansen

farm mom of the yearWhen Monsanto opened its search for the 2015 America’s Farmers Mom of the Year, the company knew it would get a lot of fantastic nominations. This year, though, the judging was particularly difficult because of all the amazing women who were entered. Monsanto, along with the American Agri-Women (AAW) are proud to announce its new 2015 class of regional winners. Beginning today, America can begin voting online for one of these women to be named “National Farm Mom of the Year.”

“Every year we receive such heartfelt nominations about people’s favorite Farm Mom,” says Tracy Mueller, corporate brand manager for Monsanto. “But this year, we’ve especially been overwhelmed by the number and quality of the entries we received. These women have different backgrounds and ways they contribute, but one thing was always clear – their strength, perseverance and dedication to their families, farms, communities and the industry they love.”

The 2015 regional winners of the America’s Farmers Mom of the Year contest include:
– Northwest Region: Shelly Davis (Albany, Ore.)
– Southwest Region: Shelley Heinrich (Lubbock, Texas)
– Midwest Region: Sara Ross (Minden, Iowa
– Northeast Region: Amy Kelsay (Franklin, Ind.)
– Southeast Region: Megan Seibel (Roanoke, Va.)

Each regional winner will receive a $5,000 award. Their biographical information and original nomination is currently posted online at AmericasFarmers.com, where visitors can click to vote for their favorite farm mom based on the judging criteria provided in the contest rules. The woman who receives the most votes between April 24 and May 5 will be named the “National Farm Mom of the Year” — just in time for Mother’s Day. As a bonus, she will also receive an additional $5,000 prize.

Ag Groups, Farming