DC Lamb Jam Competition Announces Best of Show

Jamie Johansen

10257417_10152395799075073_6361484202820583257_oLast week, Executive Chef Rodney Scruggs, along with Chef de Cuisine Matt Baker and the team at Occidental Grill, earned “Best in Show” with their winning lamb “dagwood” sandwich at the annual D.C. Lamb Jam, besting 20 other top chefs from the region. Sponsored by the American Lamb Board, the event drew more than 500 hungry fans to Eastern Market on May 19.

A panel of judges taste-tested more than 20 lamb dishes across five categories and pronounced the following category winners:
– People’s Choice/Best Shoulder: Chef Dimitri Moshovitis, Cava Mezze – Lamb benedict
– Best in Leg: Chef Victor Albisu, Del Campo – Lamb empanadas
– Best in Shank: Chef Erik Bruner-Yang, Maketto – Cumin lamb shank chow fun
– Best Ground: Chef Wes Morton, Art & Soul – Curried lamb sausage

Chef Scruggs, along with Lamb Jam winners from Seattle, Boston and San Francisco will convene in fall 2014 to compete for the title of “Master” at the Lamb Jam Finale in San Luis Obispo County.

Ag Groups, Food, Meat

Grant Contest to Support The Good Growth Plan

Jamie Johansen

Screen Shot 2014-05-27 at 8.32.40 PMSyngenta announced a contest for creative ideas that will support one or more of the six measurable commitments of The Good Growth Plan. The Good Growth Plan Grant Contest will award one Grand Prize of $20,000 to help the winner implement the idea. Also, three runners-up will receive $10,000 each for the same purpose. Deadline for submissions is July 14, 2014. For contest details, official rules and to submit an idea, visit www.GoodGrowthPlanGrant.com.

“Last fall, Syngenta launched around the world The Good Growth Plan, agriculture’s most ambitious and comprehensive program to help sustainably address the global food security challenge,” said Jill Wheeler, Syngenta head of sustainable productivity in North America. “As part of this effort, we have been asking others to be involved. Now we are reaching out broadly in North America with this contest to find truly innovative ideas.”

The Good Growth Plan addresses the overall food security challenge with six measurable objectives to boost resource efficiency, rejuvenate ecosystems and strengthen rural communities. One planet. Six commitments.

Agribusiness, Food, Sustainability, Syngenta

Africa: Land of Opportunity

Chuck Zimmerman

Alltech Africa SessionAfrica: Land of Opportunity was a very popular session during the Alltech International Symposium. The session was chaired by Aidan Connolly, Alltech, who opened the session with some remarks about the African marketplace.Comments from Aidan Connolly

Following that opening the session included multiple panel discussions like this one featuring, Fu Wenge, Chinese Ministry of Agriculture; Mark Lyons, Alltech; Julie Borlaug Larson, Texas A&M and Nick Smit, Alltech. This session was titled, “The New Africa: A panorama of seismic changes.” The first question posed by Aidan focused on China’s intentions and interests in Africa. The question was answered by Mark Lyons and Fu Wenge. Comments about China Interest in Africa

2014 Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Agribusiness, Alltech, Audio, International, Uncategorized

Fun in the Sun

Chuck Zimmerman

Gary Cooper FishThis is what a holiday weekend timeout looks like for the AgriBlogger. Along with buddy, Gary Cooper, AgNet Media, we re-stocked our freezers with two days of Gulf of Mexico fishing. Just think big red snapper, amberjack, mingos, triggerfish. Fun in the sun with the best water conditions we’ve had this year.

So, now it’s back to work for the ZimmComm team. We’ve been working on a little project that we hope to announce shortly.

Gary and I extend a Florida welcome to any of our clients/sponsors who would like us to help put together a custom Fun in the Sun trip. Just let us know.

ZimmComm Announcement

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

  • The Senate Thursday evening passed by unanimous consent a bill designed to help California and other Western states through one of the region’s worst droughts on record.
  • The American Soybean Association welcomed the passage by the Senate of the conference report of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA).
  • Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) announced a collaboration with Smithfield Foods and its livestock production subsidiary, Murphy-Brown LLC, that will help farmers optimize fertilizer application to grain grown for animal feed.
  • Oklahoma farmers and ranchers now have one more highly-respected NAFB member delivering their news and information, as 2012 Horizon Award honoree Leslie Smith joined the Radio Oklahoma Network May 15.
Zimfo Bytes

Time to #DitchTheRule and Let it Go

Chuck Zimmerman

EPA Ditch the RuleAfter the flooding here in Pensacola, FL a couple weeks ago I was afraid the EPA would declare my concrete driveway a “Waters of the U.S.” and not allow me to drive on it. Sounds stupid doesn’t it? But if you’re a farmer there is nothing stupid about what the EPA is doing with the proposed “Waters of the U.S.” rule that lets the agency regulate small ponds, ditches, rainwater flowing through low spots and isolated wet spots – the same as if they were a river or other navigable waterways. This is a serious threat to farming and ranching, homebuilding, energy production and other land uses.

So now its time to tell EPA to #ditchtherule!

Want more information? Get it from the American Farm Bureau Federation. Want to support this effort? Share the video below with your online community! Besides drawing attention to this important issue, it’s a darn good parody of the big Disney “Frozen” hit “Let it Go.” Missouri Farm Bureau gets the credit for it – great job!


Puddles, ponds, ditches, ephemerals (land that looks like a small stream during heavy rain but isn’t wet most of the time) and isolated wetlands dot the nation’s farmland. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) on March 25 issued a proposed rule that would expand its regulatory authority under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to these types of land features and waters, giving the agencies the power to dictate land-use decisions and farming practices in or near them. The rule will make it more difficult to farm or change a farming operation to remain competitive and profitable.

AFBF, Ag Groups, Environment, Farming, Video

How secure is my data?

Melissa Sandfort

Insights WeeklyThere has been a lot of buzz recently over precision ag data and its recent integration into the world of cloud computing. This buzz has sparked quite a debate over who really owns this data. Does the grower own this data, or is this data available for others? This debate seems to be gaining as much traction as the classic argument; “which tractor is better; green, red, blue, purple or yellow?”

If you’ve been following along in this AgFiniti blog series (if not, you can catch up here…) you know that AgFiniti offers a number of powerful file sharing tools that make your data management simple, easy and convenient. Even though you have the option to share files with your trusted advisors, you’re the only one that can allow them access to your valuable data. No one can access your files without your permission.

First, Kaleb Lindquist, Ag Leader software sales specialist, gives us an overview of this nebulous “cloud” where data is stored.

Listen to Lindquist explain

Lindquist says that while the tractor debate will probably never be solved; even though we all know there is one clear answer…Ag Leader has made an early stand on its position in the data ownership debate. The grower owns their data, period. There is no gray area, there is no fine print, the grower owns their data. He explains in more detail what AgFiniti is and how growers have complete control over their data.

Listen to Lindquist explain

If you’re still skeptical about your data being stored in the cloud, Ag Leader recommends visiting www.agfiniti.com and creating an AgFiniti account. It’s easy and it’s free. Once your account is created, you can read our Terms of Use agreement, where it states in black and white that you own your data. Ag Leader is in the business of making you more profitable, not to benefit from your hard earned and valuable data.

To learn more about what AgFiniti has to offer, visit www.agleader.com, or give us a call at 515-232-5363, we’d be happy to talk!

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Ag Leader, Agribusiness

Alltech Scientists Speaking Out

Chuck Zimmerman

Alltech Becky TimmonsThe agricultural media covering the Alltech Symposium this week heard from several key scientists during a lunch session. This provided an opportunity to meet them and ask them questions in an informal setting outside of their on stage presentations.

First up was Becky Timmons, Alltech Global Director of Applications Research and Quality. Becky loves to talk about algae and the opportunities it provides. She also did a fascinating presentation on bees and microbes which I will be doing a separate post on.

Comments from Becky Timmons

Alltech Robbie WalkerOur next speaker, Robbie Walker, is General Manager for Alltech Crop Sciences.

Robbie did a presentation during the Symposium on the five biggest threats to plant growth and yields. This is a growing area of business for Alltech and you will be interested to hear what he’s working on.

Comments from Robbie Walker

Alltech Dr. Alex YiannikourisMoving right along, we heard from Dr. Alex Yiannikouris who is Alltech Global Mycosorb and Analytical Research Director.

Alex along with our next speaker talked in the area of Life Sciences. His Symposium presentation focus was on “Detecting and mitigating the agents in air, water and food that lead to precocious puberty, male infertility and mid-life crises.”

Comments from Dr. Alex Yiannikouris

Alltech Dr. Ronan PowerThe Vice President of Life Sciences for Alltech is Dr. Ronan Power.

His focus was on the work Alltech is doing in regarding the metabolic basis of disease such as Alzheimer’s and diabetes.

Comments from Dr. Ronan Power

2014 Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Agribusiness, Alltech, Animal Health, Audio

Best Ways to Market to Millennials

Jamie Johansen

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What is the best way to market to millennials? “

I think we all could have guessed that marketing online to millennials is used most often. Digital forms of media are easily in our grasp with smartphones, tablets and computers. However, I was surprised that radio beat TV.

Our poll results:

  • Online – 52%
  • Print – 7%
  • Television – 11%
  • Radio – 16%
  • Other – 14%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What features of MyNewHolland.com do you like?”

On April 22 New Holland North America launched MyNewHolland.com, an online destination for all things New Holland and open to all farmers. Current features include the ability to create an inventory of your equipment, a section on Precision Land Management, a Configurator tool to let you design your own configuration of new equipment you’d like to order, a topical discussion on ethanol which you are invited to read and comment on and more. More features will be rolled out in the future as the community grows. As the sponsor of our weekly ZimmPoll we’d like to get your feedback for New Holland on their newest announcement.

ZimmPoll

Register Now for the Ag Industry’s Premier HR Event

Jamie Johansen

Screen Shot 2014-05-22 at 2.56.12 PMThe early bird registration discount ends June 13 for the AgCareers.com 12th Annual North American Ag & Food HR Roundtable. The event brings together human resource professionals, senior leaders, college/university career services and faculty, and association representatives to discuss recruitment and retention within agriculture and food.

This year’s Roundtable is August 5-7 in Minneapolis, MN., presented by AgCareers.com and hosted by CHS. Some of this year’s topics include agvocacy, recruiting and retaining talent in rural areas, strategic HR for multiple locations, reward and retention and overcoming challenges of connecting on campus.

The Ag & Food HR Roundtable is the premier North American event for HR and educational professionals that provides relevant content examining recruitment and retention specifically within the ag and food industry. The combination of HR and educational professionals provides a unique and rewarding networking experience found nowhere else.

AgCareers, Education, Events