IFAJ-Alltech Agricultural Journalism Award Announced

AgWired Animal, Alltech, IFAJ, Journalism

The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) and Alltech are proud to announce a new award that recognizes excellence and leadership by young journalists. The IFAJ-Alltech International Award for Leadership in Agricultural Journalism will be presented during ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE19), held May 19–21, 2019, in Lexington, Kentucky, USA.

The award marks a long tradition of celebrating journalistic achievements that began with late Alltech founder Dr. Pearse Lyons. A storyteller himself, Dr. Lyons appreciated the ability to share the stories of agriculture.

Young journalists (aged 40 years or younger by Dec. 31, 2019) can be nominated through their IFAJ guilds via the online application form. A global winner will be selected by an international committee based on their journalistic achievements and the leadership they demonstrate within their guild. The global winner receives complimentary registration and a travel stipend to attend ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference, where they will be recognized on stage in front of a global audience of nearly 4,000 attendees and press.

The deadline for nominations is March 15, 2019 – find more information here on the IFAJ website.

Pig Farmers Pack 900 Meals for Orlando-Area Children

AgWired Animal, Audio, Pork, Pork Checkoff, Pork Forum

The National Pork Board kicked off activities for Pork Industry Forum in Orlando this week by packing 900 meals to help feed hungry children in the area in partnership with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Contributing to a better way of life in the communities where pig farmers live and work is one of the We Care ethical principles.

“We have a We Care principal that we live by and we are really in tune with the environment and we really care about our community,” said NPB member Deborah Ballance of Fremont, NC. “We like to give back to the community we may be visiting.”

Second Harvest Food Bank’s Hi-Five Kids Pack program will distribute the meals. Since 2006, the program supports educators seeking a solution to students who came to school sick and unable to learn on a Monday because they had not eaten since their school lunch the previous Friday. Second Harvest Food Bank partners with elementary schools that have a significant percentage of student participation in free and reduced-cost lunch programs to distribute the packs.

Learn more in this interview with Ballance: Interview with Pork Board member Deb Ballance, North Carolina

National Pork Industry Forum virtual newsroom

Fighting Fescue Toxicity

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Cattle Industry Conference, Video

The decrease in productivity caused by fescue toxicosis has been estimated to cost U.S. beef producers more than $2 billion per year due to reduced growth and diminished reproductive efficiency. At the recent Cattle Industry Conference and NCBA Trade Show, Alltech territory manager Klair Hartzold talked to us about how Alltech is focusing on prevention.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Klair here: Interview with Klair Hartzold, Alltech Territory Sales Manager

2019 Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

AlzChem Names U.S. Sales Lead for Creamino

AgWired Animal, Animal Health, Feed, Nutrition, Poultry

AlzChem Animal Health has named Dr. John Thomson as the U.S. Sales Manager for Feed Additives, particularly Creamino, a patent-protected preparation of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA).

During his career, Thomson has managed research programs with a number of different feed and nutrition companies, provided technical support and training to customers and staff, and worked with customers to implement improvements. Recently, he was responsible for the management of research and technical support programs for Creamino, an innovative, patent-protected preparation of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA).

Creamino feed additive was invented by AlzChem in Germany. For more than a quarter of a century, AlzChem has specialized in manufacture and formulation of creatine for human nutrition. The feed ingredient Creamino presents a significant new opportunity to improve animal health and feed efficiency. It is currently sold for broiler and turkey production. AlzChem is committed to expand the Creamino label to allow use for swine and other animals in the future.

Thomson will work out of the U.S. headquarters for AlzChem in Marietta, Georgia.

Read more from AlzChem.

Luke Perry’s Ties to Farming and Biodiesel

AgWired Animal, AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, Audio, biodiesel

Luke Perry is being eulogized for many reasons upon his sudden passing this week at the age of 52, but not so much about his rural background and his support of biodiesel.

Back in 2006, Luke Perry showed up at the National Biodiesel Conference in San Diego sporting an FFA jacket with his name on it and talked about the agriculture influence in his early life and how he was converted to biodiesel by actress Daryl Hannah.

“My neighbors growing up farmed soybeans and I used to work in the bean fields, I’m from Ohio, you know,” said Perry, during an informal press conference with Hannah. He admitted that he was not an FFA member in high school and called it “one of the biggest regrets” of his life.

“I thought I could escape the farmer in me,” said Perry. “When I got to the point where I could live anywhere in the world that I wanted, what did I do, I bought land and cows and a tractor. Because you can’t escape who you are.”

Perry was very enthusiastic and informed about biodiesel in the press conference. Listen here: 2006 National Biodiesel Conference presser with Luke Perry and Daryl Hannah

2006 was the first biodiesel conference on the Biodiesel Conference Blog and it also featured Willie Nelson.

How Alltech is Helping Develop Careers

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Cattle Industry Conference, Video

Tyler Thomas first learned about the Alltech Career Development Program during the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention and this year at #CattleCon19 he shared his testimony about the program and how it’s set him up for a future career in animal science.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Tyler here: Interview with Tyler Thomas, Career Development Program Participant

2019 Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

Animal Ag Bites 3/4

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Animal Bites

  • The 2019 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) had a terrific year with 32,931 poultry, meat and animal food industry leaders from all over the world in attendance, setting a new record. There were also 1,426 exhibitors with 600,732 square feet of exhibit space, two more records. The Expo is the world’s largest annual feed, meat and poultry industry event of its kind and is one of the 30 largest trade shows in the United States. IPPE is sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, American Feed Industry Association and North American Meat Institute.
  • The American Poultry Historical Society added five inductees into the Poultry Industry Hall of Fame for 2019. They include Earl Benjamin, D. W. Brooks, Mark Cook, Abit Massey and Jim Perdue. The induction ceremony was held at the International Production & Processing Expo at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

Where’s the Content?

AgWired Animal, AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, AMVAC, BASF, Bayer, Commodity Classic, Farm & Gin Show, FMC

ZimmComm had a crazy week of content creation – from Destin, Florida and the BASF Stoneville Legacy Club, to the Bayer AgVocacy Forum, the BASF Science Behind, and Commodity Classic in Orlando, and the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show in Memphis. If you are looking for it all, it’s being posted on the virtual newsroom for agriculture AgNewsWire.

Sometimes we gather content faster than we can get edited and posted, and that has definitely been the case this week. Add to that the fact that the Orlando Convention Center where Commodity Classic was held could not seem to provide the media room with decent internet access and we are running a little behind. All I can say is that I am glad it was Chuck at Classic this year and not me!

Here are direct links to the AgNewsWire newsrooms for each event where links to photo albums, audio and video are being posted:

2019 BASF Legacy Club Events

2019 Bayer AgVocacy Forum

2019 BASF Science Behind

2019 Commodity Classic

FMC at 2019 Commodity Classic

AMVAC at 2019 Commodity Classic

2019 Mid-South Farm and Gin Show

Secretary Sonny Shines at Commodity Classic

AgWired Animal, AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, Audio, Commodity Classic, usda

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue visited the 2019 Commodity Classic Friday and addressed most of the major issues being discussed at the big annual meeting of corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum farmers.

Perdue talked about the farm economy, farm bill implementation, ethanol, and a lot about trade. He also addressed many of the same issues during a press conference with the many members of the farm media in attendance. Here are both for listening and downloading.

Classic19 Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue remarks

Classic19 Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue press conference

2019 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Why CRYSTALYX® is the Leading Brand of Supplements

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Cattle Industry Conference, Video

The CRYSTALYX® Brand has become a leader in supplements for the cow-calf industry for many reasons. The supplements are manufactured by Ridley Block Operations, a division of Ridley USA, with headquarters in Mankato, Minnesota and production facilities in South Dakota, Texas and Kentucky to allow for reliable, consistent distribution of CRYSTALYX® products.

Nutritionist Jill Larson provides an overview of the brand products and what makes them unique in this interview from the Cattle Industry Conference and NCBA Trade Show.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Jill here: Interview with Jill Larson, CRYSTALYX® Brand Supplements

2019 Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album