“We need a new generation of food visionaries who can see the tremendous opportunity made possible by the simple fact that people have to eat,” Borel said.

The DuPont executive talked about the need for local solutions, information transfer, sustainability in a broad sense, and collaboration. His best quote was about technology. “There’s more technology in a kernel of seed corn than there is in an iPhone,” and even more than that, there’s more hope to feed the world.

The IFAMA forum also included a workshop on the Global Food Security Index, developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit and commissioned by DuPont to facilitate dialogue about measuring food affordability, availability, safety and quality on a country-by-country basis.

IFAMA 23rd World Forum Photo Album

“Thank you for choosing our capitol city to be the host for this wonderful meeting,” Black said in welcoming the group on Tuesday. “It’s a great opportunity to celebrate what we all have in common – the future of agriculture.”

Black says agriculture is still the number one industry in Georgia, which ranks at the top in several commodities. “Five billion dollar poultry industry, still leading the nation in combined poultry for meat and eggs,” he said. “We lead the nation in pecan production, pulp for paper and wood products, and we’re still number one in peanuts.” But, the ag commissioner is quick to note how much the state has diversified. “We’ve just had the first harvest of olives on the eastern coast of America,” he said proudly and the state’s fruit and vegetable industry is worth over a billion dollars a year.

Tonight’s gala banquet will be held at one of the world’s largest food industry companies, Coca-Cola, proudly headquartered in Atlanta since its founding in 1886.

GA Ag Commissioner Welcomes IFAMA
Interview with Gary Black

IFAMA 23rd World Forum Photo Album

Building upon the scientific discovery of the Double Helix structure of DNA in the 1950s, Van Montagu, Chilton, and Fraley each conducted groundbreaking molecular research on how a plant bacterium could be adapted as a tool to insert genes from another organism into plant cells, which could produce new genetic lines with highly favorable traits.

The revolutionary biotechnology discoveries of these three individuals – each working in separate facilities on two continents – unlocked the key to plant cell transformation using recombinant DNA. Their work led to the development of a host of genetically enhanced crops, which, by 2012, were grown on more than 170 million hectares around the globe by 17.3 million farmers, over 90 percent of whom were small resource-poor farmers in developing countries.

From their work in the laboratory to applying biotechnology innovations in farmers’ fields, the combined achievements of the 2013 World Food Prize Laureates have contributed significantly to increasing the quantity and availability of food.

We want to encourage all of you to put the 2014 Agri-Marketing Conference on your calendar. It will be in Jacksonville, FL next year before returning to Kansas City in 2015. We need companies, media and agencies to support the event and make it the best conference ever. The dates are April 8-11, 2014.

We’ve looked at our strategic plan to make sure we’re staying on track with things like creating and developing industry alliances. We also worked on a draft of the organizational budget for next year. NAMA is in great shape folks and that’s because of all of you who have paid your dues and gotten involved!

Bugg focuses on the agency’s agribusiness accounts. A graduate of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, she holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications with an emphasis on advertising. Bugg previously worked as both a group account lead and team lead for AdFarm. She also served as an account supervisor for McCormick Company.

An Assumption, Ill. native, Bugg is a graduate of the Missouri Agricultural Leadership of Tomorrow (ALOT), Class XI. She currently serves on the National Agricultural Marketing Association (NAMA) Executive Committee and as an at-large board member of Ava’s Grace Scholarship Foundation.

Grunkemeyer serves as an account supervisor for the agency’s health care division, heading up accounts including Barnes Jewish Hospital and Siteman Cancer Center as well as Fremont Area Medical Center. A Tekamah, Neb., native, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Creighton University in Omaha.

Grunkemeyer previously worked as an account manager for Swanson Russell in the late ‘90s, and has since worked at Children’s Hospital in Boston and a small agency in St. Louis. She spent the past nine years with Alegent Creighton Health in Omaha, most recently as the director of marketing and communications.

“Here in the United States, just in the next five years based on surveys that we’ve done, we know we’re going to have about 60,000 jobs available in the agribusiness enterprise – and we’re generating only about 28,000 graduates,” said director of USDA’s National Institute of Food & Agriculture Sonny Ramaswamy at the 23rd annual International Food and Agribusiness Management Association World Forum on Tuesday. “Not enough people are wanting to get into the agricultural enterprise although there are fantastic opportunities and we need to be thinking of helping to develop the workforce.”

That’s really the whole goal of IFAMA, to develop the workforce of agribusiness to help feed a growing world population. “Population is the mother of all wicked problems,” said Ramaswamy. “At the core of out ability to feed this population are the farmers.” However, since farmers are being subjected to so many stressors – everything from environmental challenges to political issues – we need talent in a variety of disciplines to support them.

Ramaswamy’s presentation at IFAMA ran about 45 minutes but has a wealth of information so is well worth a listen – lots of great stuff here! IFAMA address by USDA's Sonny Ramaswamy

IFAMA 23rd World Forum Photo Album

Mary Shelman is director of the agribusiness program at Harvard Business School and has been president of the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA).

“The very term agribusiness was created by a colleague of mine at Harvard Business School who wrote a book in 1958 called “The Concept of Agribusiness” so we’ve been looking at this field for an extremely long time,” Shelman said in an interview at the 23rd annual IFAMA World Forum this week. In fact, she says the same colleague who coined the term agribusiness was responsible for the creation of IFAMA 23 years ago as a way for industry and the academic community to work jointly toward professionalizing agribusiness education.

Listen to my interview with Mary here: Interview with outgoing IFAMA president Mary Shelman, Harvard Business School

IFAMA president Mary Shelman remarks

IFAMA 23rd World Forum Photo Album

IFAMA is a leading agribusiness nonprofit that brings together the best minds from all sectors of food production and consumption to improve the industry.

During his two-year term as IFAMA’s president, Simons says he will be specifically seeking to focus the organization’s efforts on global talent development for agriculture. I have interviewed Thad many times over the last several years and I can tell you that he is positively passionate about this organization and this mission.

Listen to my interview with Thad here: Interview with Novus CEO and IFAMA president Thad Simons

IFAMA 23rd World Forum Photo Album

“IFAMA – a very cool organization,” Grant began his address to some 450 attendees from 28 countries following an introductory video on the forum theme – The Road to 2050: The Talent Factor. “It’s a cool organization because you focus on solutions, you focus on the future, you look at innovation.”

Grant talked about the tremendous need for young people in the food and agribusiness industry, comparing it to last year’s historic drought in the United States. “Today we’re in a different kind of drought – and that’s a talent drought,” he said. “You don’t see plants withering, you see ideas withering and innovation gets starved.”

To help reverse that trend, Grant announced Monsanto’s commitment of an additional $3 million to the Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Program (MBBISP), focused on training the next generation of global rice and wheat plant breeders.

Listen to Grant’s address here: IFAMA Keynote address by Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant

IFAMA 23rd World Forum Photo Album

Harvey opened the panel by discussing issues facing seed companies related to marketing. He mentioned three major areas that the seed industry must address related to marketing including the impact of producer consolidation, the human talent challenge and data driven decision making. Harvey also talked about marketing execution and management issues. “Use fewer tactics and don’t do some things and stay the course,” Harvey said. “Annual planning cycles don’t mean we have to reinvent our marketing initiatives every year.” According to Harvey, great marketing groups are disciplined, consistent, and are great at execution.
Listen to Harvey’s remarks here: Ross Harvey

The focus of Sieker’s comments was the status and future dynamics of corn and soybeans. He discussed the evolution of the business, industry trends and drivers and key characteristics that will keep the agriculture sector strong. According to Sieker those keys were “managing volatility, keeping pace with velocity and creating and providing value.”
Listen to Sieker’s comments here: Blake Sieker

Ferguson rounded out the panel by talking to attendees about the challenges that the American farmer faces in the changing industry. He discussed the change over that is occurring especially related to the transition of resources and management from one generation to the next. Additionally, Ferguson spoke on the challenge farms have to plan during profitable times. “Planning during the good times is often much more successful than planning during the bad times,” Ferguson said.
Listen to Ferguson’s presentation here: Kevin Ferguson
I also caught up with Ferguson after the panel and you can listen to my interview with him here: Ferguson Interview

ASTA Annual Meeting Photo Album

During the annual membership meeting a couple of legislative resolutions were discussed to change policies for producers across the country. Chuck talked with Chelsea Good, the new Vice President for Government and Industry Affairs for the Livestock Marketing Association. She works with legislative efforts at both national and state levels.

Four key policy issues came to the forefront for members. Chelsea shared that resolutions were made in regards to animal disease traceability, the updating of the Packers and Stockers Act, LMA’s discion to stay neutral in country of origin labeling and the choice to appose the releasing of producer information by the government.

Chelsea stressed the importance of staying engaged with regulatory agencies, now more then ever, due to the fact that many of their leadership are at least two generations removed from agriculture.

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Chelsea here: Interview with Chelsea Good

Here you can find photos from the event: 2013 LMA/WLAC Photo Album

Ensuring that the Truth About Trade & Technology is told, TATT is hard at work. It has been a while since I’ve had a TATT Chat. But I got my chance during last week’s Bayer 150th Anniversary Celebration. Thanks to Michael Zirkle for the photo of me with Bill Horan, TATT Chairman and Mary Boote, TATT CEO. We talked about the big issues that TATT is currently working on. Here’s one of the things I like about TATT. Bill says “We’re able to say what a lot of companies and organizations would like to say but for political reasons and others they can’t say it.” And they don’t pull any punches!

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: Update on TATT

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsors, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong and Monsanto, Roundup Ready Plus, for their support.

Maybe one of the most important things to take place during the event was the board of directors and membership meeting. LMA is led by its members from the ground up. During this session attendees heard reports on industry and service issues, discussed committee recommendations and developed association policy.

Chuck caught up with Dan Harris, Vice President of LMA from Holton, KS about hot topics discussed and what the future holds for the organization. “We will continure to work on the animal handling situation and animal welfare here in the United States. We are going to contract with a third auditor and stay on top of this situation.”

Dan also talked about the use of technology in livestock marketing auctions and how they are looking into how auctions can advance themselves to stay connected with the ever-changing world of agriculture.

“What LMA is here for is to protect the local auction markets and protect the auction method of selling livestock in a competitive setting and gain the maxium amount of money for our producers.”

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Dan here: Interview with Dan Harris

Here you can find photos from the event: 2013 LMA/WLAC Photo Album

This is an event we have never covered before but it definitely sounds like it will be interesting with the theme of
“The Road to 2050: The Talent Factor – Meeting Future Global Needs of Food and Agriculture.” Speakers will include executives from Monsanto, DuPont, National FFA, the National 4-H Council, Heifer International and more.

Incoming president of IFAMA is a man we know very well – Thad Simons, President & CEO of Novus International – so we are very much looking forward to talking with him about this group and its focus on developing the talent and technologies needed to create sustainable food security solutions.

As always, I will be uploading photos and audio here on AgWired and on AgNewsWire which are available for download to use by the media. Should be some great content coming from this one!

We judged the 31 contestants in this year’s contest who each had to answer three questions posed by 2012 WLAC Bailey Ballou. I feel very honored to have been chosen to be a part of this group. Making careful judgement of the cream of the crop of livestock auctioneers is a responsibility and one I fully enjoyed.

Lex is a great example for any aspiring auctioneer and I think you’ll enjoy his remarks in my interview with him. He’s been attending the LMA Annual Convention since 1990 and says it’s a place where you make lifelong friends. He talks about the changes he’s seen in the industry and mentions technology as one of the biggest with the use of computers and growth in internet auctions.

You can listen to my interview with Lex here: Interview with Lex Madden

2013 LMA/WLAC Photo Album

LaVigne said participants could look forward to hearing more about advocating their industry and their strategic plan to do so. “You will see our focus in the future in our strategic plan is intellectual property,” LaVigne said. “It’s a responsibility to tell a story.”

He concluded his comments by saying, “Your association’s in great shape, and it’s because of you.”

Listen to LaVigne’s full remarks here: Welcoming by LaVigne

ASTA Annual Meeting Photo Album

As a member of ASTA, Keithly has served as the 2008-2009 ASTA Chairman, a Director-at-Large and the Western Regional Vice President. He got involved with ASTA and had the opportunity to meet many of his suppliers and people in the industry. He said he also had the opportunity to learn about seed beyond vegetables. “The future for the organization is great because the staff and the people involved will continue to figure out how to meet those needs and changes and be a part of them,” Keithly said.

Listen to Cindy’s full interveiw with Kelly Keithly here: Kelly Keithly Honorary Lifetime Member

ASTA Annual Meeting Photo Album

Sponsors will be looking for a fresh, original and convincing approach that persuades the viewer of the positive impact agriculture has on the state of Illinois, the United States and the world. All types of videos are welcome; show us your serious newscaster side or make us laugh, just remember to be positive in tone and highlight agriculture (extra points for emphasis on corn!). Video should be in one of the following categories: ethanol and the environment, locks and dams and exports, farmer imaging, nutrients/regulations, or other.

Completed application must be received no later than 11:59 PM on August 5, 2013. For complete rules, click here.

Don’t delay, you won’t want to miss out on winning the $2000 grand prize!

Summit attendees heard from some of the nation’s top apiculture researchers on the challenges facing honey bees, an important ecosystem service provider and natural pollinator.

“Healthy honey bees are essential for productive agriculture and the environment,” said Jerry Hayes, who runs Monsanto’s bee industry efforts as the Beeologics commercial lead. “As a company focused on sustainable agriculture, Monsanto has made significant investments in collaborations and R&D for the betterment of honey bee health, including the formation of Monsanto’s Honey Bee Advisory Council.”

Year-one results of a three-year partnership between PAm and Monsanto also were provided during the summit. The goal of the partnership is to educate and provide forage with growers and landowners in California about the value of planting honey bee forage on land they would otherwise leave unused. The selected flowering plants provide pollen diversity to keep pollinating bees strong.

The new campaign targets millenial and Gen-X consumers ages 25-44, and features radio ads with a new voice, actor Garrett Hedlund, who grew up on a Minnesota beef operation.

That’s the question each “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner” print advertisement asks. It’s answered with bold copy highlighting the nutritional benefits of beef along with tantalizing food photography reminding the consumer that delicious can, and does go right alongside nutritious. Each advertisement calls out an individual essential nutrient, like protein: “The Strip steak has lots of protein…and your appetite’s attention.” Another ad reminds you that a dinner with beef “has iron. The most lean, delicious and tender iron known to man.”

Chuck got the chance to visit the facilities and see the exhibit first-hand. He also interviewed Beth Roden, Bayer Director of Corporate Communications, who shared some more insight into the companies goal behind this worldly exhibition. “It’s a great way to get people to connect with Bayer and all it’s businesses and get a flavor of what we do and what we bring to society.”

The Anniversary Tour covers 22 components. Each component represents a letter from Bayer’s mission of, “Science For A Better Life.” Next stop on the tour is Latin America.

The interactive exhibition shows how the company has improved the quality of life for millions of people around the world has begun its tour of some 30 sites in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Australia. Bayer has chosen a highly creative way to portray these subjects. The Anniversary Tour brings to life the company mission, “Science For A Better Life.” The exhibition will focus on the topics of health care, agriculture and high-performance materials.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Beth here: Interview with Beth Roden

Blake Curtis, Curtis & Curtis, has served as the chairman of the organization for the past year, which he says has gone by very quickly. “It has been a year of successes,” he said. “A number of things our past chairman put into effect we’ve been able to finish up this year – the strategic plan, intellectual property rights protection bureau – these are on-going projects that we’ve been able to bring to fruition and implement.”

Newly-elected chairman Craig Newman, president and CEO of AgReliant Genetics, is especially excited about the future of the industry and ASTA’s Future Seed Executives (FuSE) program. “I’m one of the mentors of one of the students and actually our company has already hired three of that group already,” he said.

Nashville has been a great venue in the heartland for the convention and both Craig and Blake are really looking forward to racing into the future for next year’s convention in Indianapolis.

Both Blake and Craig have lots more to say in this interview: Interview with Blake Curtis and Craig Newman

ASTA 2013 Annual Convention

The interview was kicked off with concerns about this year’s harvest – too much rain in the Midwest has caused many farmers to be quite late in planting – and how this might affect feed prices. Connolly explained that many things affect feed prices, but mainly it comes down to supply and demand. He believes the demand side will stay very strong and foresees continued growth in China. However, Connolly said from his view, he remains optimistic about the harvest.

He stressed the important of getting the nutrients out of the diet. He believes the industry needs to be very concerned about intestinal health, gut health – the need to keep the pig healthy. “We need to be looking at any technologies that can improve feed efficiency.”

Alltech has products to help just this, including various enzymes and Actigen™. They are also working with antioxidants – all things Connolly said help the pig absorb nutrients better. “Basically I would say to any hog producer today, spend the money to improve feed conversion. It’s money well spent.”

Listen to my interview with Aidan Connolly here: Getting More Nutrients From A Pig's Diet

Visit the 2013 World Pork Expo photo album.

Catlett painted a picture of a world that is searching for ways to live longer and more fruitfully. He pointed to agriculture as a wonderful place to be for this development. “You want to have healthy people you can’t separate them from plants and animals and people,” Catlett said. He emphasized that agriculture has the plants and the animals and the people the world needs to stay healthy. Many times throughout his presentation, Catlett called today the “golden age of agriculture” and challenged those in the room to embrace it and keep moving forward.

I caught up with Catlett following the opening ceremony and you can listen to my interview with him here: Interview with Lowell Catlett

Also take a listen to his full keynote presentation here: Lowell Catlett Keynote

ASTA Annual Meeting Photo Album

“The reason it is very popular is it has a lot of unique features,” Jon said, including a straight-arm loader and the ability to put multiple attachments with quick couplers on the front. Moving back, he said you’ll notice a big roomy cab with air conditioning and heat and a four-speed transmission with a top road speed of over 22 mph. “And as you swing around to the backhoe, the important part, we have mechanical controls or this one has pilot controls [that] allow us to have different change patterns between backhoe and excavator,” so that different operators can change patterns with a flip of the switch.

Jon said it’s all these features and more that really separate New Holland from the competition.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jon here: Interview with Jon Hume

New Holland Construction Equipment Media Event Photos

http://agwired.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/asta-13-levi.jpg“>Levi Riggs is an Indiana native who has been with Syngenta Seeds for five years. “In February I stepped into a seed adviser role so I’m actually a dealer selling to local farmers around my area and really focusing in on that and country music,” Levi said.

He grew up on a dairy farm, studied Ag Econ at Purdue, and worked as an intern with Golden Harvest prior to its purchase by Syngenta Seeds, but he always loved music. “I sang with the Purdue Varsity Glee Club and I just had a passion for country music,” which Levi said led him to put a band together and start singing at county fairs.

Last night was the first time that Levi, with his sister Lauren and brother-in-law, played the Grand Ole Opry but with songs like “Born to Farm” it probably won’t be the last! “Corn and beans, green and red machines, he was born to farm!”

Listen to our interview with Levi here where he signs part of “Born to Farm” – Interview with Syngenta Seeds singer Levi Riggs

Check him out at LeviRiggs.com or on Facebook.

Watch the video that Meghan Grebner with Brownfield Ag News shot of Levi singing “Born to Farm.”

ASTA Annual Meeting Photo Album

“It’s very versatile because of the size and because of the swing radius on it,” he said. “It’s where you can’t get a larger machine in to do a job, where you’d have to get people to come in and hand dig it, this one will do it.”

Several features set this machine apart from its competition, including a tremendous drawbar force, good for pushing up and down hills and moving materials with a dozer blade, as well as great swing torque.

While most would think of this for construction and landscaping, Peter said he expects that this could be very handy on the farm.

“A lot of times if you have to dig trenches along the side for your dairy farm or cleaning out bins, these are compact enough to be able to get in, and they can move the bulk of the stuff out from where you can’t reach with a skid steer over corral pens and put it where you can get it with your larger equipment.”

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Peter here: Interview with Peter Nelmes

New Holland Construction Equipment Media Event Photos