Land O’Lakes giving $25 million to University of Minnesota

Land O’Lakes is investing $25 million in University of Minnesota academics and Gopher Athletics— one of the largest single corporate commitments in University history and the largest commitment ever made collectively by Land O’Lakes Inc. and the Land O’Lakes Foundation.
“Today’s announcement underscores our commitment to educational excellence and further strengthens our investment in the pipeline of talent from the University of Minnesota,” said Christopher Policinski, president and CEO of Land O’Lakes, Inc. “Land O’Lakes has doubled in size over the past five years and is committed to continue to grow its food and agricultural businesses both domestically and internationally.  It is going to take high caliber talent to achieve our business goals.  We are pleased to be partnering with the University to help create a holistic student experience that equips graduates for a competitive marketplace, but also inspires the well-rounded talent necessary to meet the challenge of feeding a growing global population. We look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship and building a strategic partnership with this great institution.”
The monetary commitment is largely philanthropic, but also includes an element of sponsorship. It is one of the first ever agreements between the University and a business partner to have a broad-ranging impact that will include support for student-athletes and academic programs, including student scholarships, academic and development excellence within Gopher Athletics, internship opportunities and faculty research, among other things. It will fund projects and initiatives throughout numerous University departments and colleges including Intercollegiate Athletics; the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences; the Carlson School of Management; and the College of Science and Engineering.
“Meaningful partnerships with Minnesota businesses are vital to the success of our students and the state’s economic future,” said University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler. “The 40-plus-year partnership between the U and Land O’Lakes is one in which we take great pride. This new commitment and innovative model of support will advance our teaching, student support, athletic programs and research mission, and will further position the U as a continued leader in addressing society's pressing challenges.”
As part of the commitment, Land O’Lakes will receive naming rights to a new center for excellence that will be located in the Athletics Village, the centerpiece of Gopher Athletics’ new facilities plan. The 60,000 square-foot facility will house academic, nutritional and leadership development programs for all University students and student-athletes alike, and is anticipated to open in fall 2016.  Fifteen million dollars of the commitment will fund this facility.
The $25 million commitment will be provided to the university from 2015 to 2024.

Landmark Services Cooperative holding annual farm management workshops

Landmark Services Cooperative will be hosting its annual farm management workshops February 4 in Deforest, Wis., and February 5 in Janesville, Wis.
“The 2013 farm management workshops will provide useful planning and production tools for agriculture producers of all scopes and sizes,” said Kristi Lange, communications and events coordinator for Landmark Services Cooperative. “As this year’s theme suggests — “Every farm has a history: Managing your farm for the future” — discussions will help producers combine lessons learned with new industry tools to plan for a successful year.”
The 2013 Landmark farm management workshops will include presentations on market outlooks, cutting-edge technology, agronomy, animal nutrition, grain and energy topics to help producers best plan for 2013.
The February 4 workshop will be held at the Comfort Inn & Suites in Deforest, Wis., and the February 5 workshop will be held at the Pontiac Convention Center in Janesville, Wis. Both sessions will run from 10:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The 2013 keynote speaker will be Mike Pearson, host of the nationally syndicated show Market to Market. During his presentation, titled “What’s Driving Agriculture in the Year Ahead?” Pearson will provide a forecast for U.S. farm markets and global trends and discuss his experiences as a full-time lender and part-time farmer in south-central Iowa.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to choose two breakout sessions from four farm planning workshop options:

• "Great expectations in fueling your farm: What to expect in 2013 fuel markets and how to eliminate the unexpected." Presented by Phyllis Nystrom of CHS Hedging and Landmark Energy.
• "Turning up the heat for bigger yields: Hot topics for spring planting." Presented by Landmark Agronomy.
• "It’s like money in the bank: Looking at your profit potential and managing inputs based on market outlooks to reap the rewards." Presented by Landmark Grain and Landmark Agronomy.
• "Bridging the generation gap: Succession planning from boomer to millennial." Presented by Liz Henry, associate director of Renk Agribusiness Institute and Landmark Animal Nutrition.

Expert predictions on future of agriculture

Four industry experts gave a wide range of opinions on how world agriculture can face the challenge of feeding the world's growing population during a Smart Debate at the 2012 Alltech Summit May 22. Opinions from the four varied widely, but all agreed that technology and education -- of both the people in agriculture and the general population -- are key in achieving that goal.
The panel consisted of Tom Arnold, CEO of Concern, Ireland; Sean Rickard, senior lecturer in business economics, Cranfield University, UK; Dr. Marcus Vinicius Pratini de Moraes, former minister of agriculture and food supply, Brazil; and Tom Dorr, CEO of U.S. Grain Council.
Agriculture's poor reputation, largely influenced by negative reporting in the mainstream media, was seen as a hinderance to the industry's success. "We have developed significant technology, and we have produced a good food system in the United States, yet we are seen in a negative light," said Dorr. "We have to get the word out."
In a press conference following the debate, the group was asked how the agriculture industry can get its message across to the world and influence public opinion. Their responses can be seen in this video: A prediction about the future of agriculture . 

Women leaders in agriculture aim to empower female veterans

With the help of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency, Annie’s Project and Oxfam America, the Farmer Veteran Coalition is hosting the “Empowering Women Veterans: Success in Agriculture Business and Well-Being” conference, aiming to bring women veterans together in an environment specifically designed to address their unique experiences and needs in agriculture.
The conference, being held in Davis, Calif. on July 7–8, will be the first of its kind, and women leaders in business and agriculture will speak to participants about the challenges faced by women, the tools to mitigate risk in their agricultural ventures and available programs to help women farmers succeed. Educational topics will include the RMA five areas of risk(production, price (market), financial, legal and personal); business structure and farm contracts; an introduction to Quicken Software (with free software); loans, debt and credit; direct marketing; and farm labor. Most importantly, the event will be a gathering point for women veterans from across the county with the potential to build community and relationships among many who are isolated on rural farms.
“This conference will raise awareness of the attendees’ national and local benefits and resources, and will address their needs both as veterans and as farmers," said Tia Christopher, Farmer Veteran Coalition fellowship fund director. "These powerful women will have a chance to learn about and take with them valuable resources which will support and ease their transition into civilian careers.”

Novus celebrates 20th anniversary of ‘innovation with integrity’

Novus International celebrated its 20th anniversary yesterday at its headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., with a three-day event for its customers, hosting 36 clients that represented 15 countries. Speakers at the celebration included Dr. Jon Hagler, Missouri Director of Agriculture; previous Novus president Joe Privotts; Dr. William Danforth, professor at the University of Sao Paulo; and Novus president and CEO, Thad Simons.
“Integrity and innovation: those words do not usually go together. It’s not a concept that you very well think about together, but for us, it’s very fundamental,” said Simons, explaining Novus’ mission of “Innovation with Integrity.”
“Integrity was part of our core values from the beginning. We have that integrity our customers need to have to build those long-term relationships. And innovation means different things to different people,” he continued. “To me, innovation means the application of technology. What’s innovative is actually getting technology into the hands of people in a way they can use it.”
Novus will continue to host appreciation celebrations for customers and partners at its facilities throughout the world, including China, Belgium, Brazil, Spain, Thailand and Australia

More farmers using technology for efficient planting

Farmers are increasingly using global positioning, computers and other electronics to help them make the most of seed, fertilizer and other critical inputs during planting season, according to reports.
“Precision [agriculture] technology helps growers get more acres planted within their window of opportunity,” said George Huber of Trimble Navigation. “Precision ag will allow them to plant 24 hours a day if they choose.”
Other reasons for adapting the technology include environmental stewardship, the desire for traceability and lower production costs. “The current economic times demand lowering the risks of growing a crop, and this is an excellent time to invest in the tools of precision agriculture,” said Huber. Larger operations, he said, will benefit from the increased efficiency of using computer technology to spread effective management over more acres.

USDA announces awards to fight hunger

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced 27 awards that will be given to various organizations to help fight hunger.
Funds for the awards come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). "The Community Food Projects grants give low-income communities the tools and resources they need to become self-sufficient in meeting their food needs while also responding to the nutritional issues of the community."
The recipients of the awards are:
* Chugachmiut, Inc., Anchorage, Alaska, $25,000
* Community Serviced Unlimited, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., $299,375
* California State University, Monterey Bay, Calif., $250,000
* Common Good City Farm, Washington, D.C., $170,000
* Athens Land Trust, Athens, Ga., $287,690
* Our School at Blair Grocery, New Orleans, La., $299,600
* Angelic Organics Learning Center, Rockford, Ill., $299,184
* Four Directions Development Corporation, Bangor, Maine, $30,000
* Community Teamwork, Inc., Lowell, Mass., $45,543
* Community Action Duluth, Duluth, Minn., $19,805
* Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn., $299,410
* Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources, Hattiesburg, Miss., $299,693
* National Center for Appropriate Technology, Butte, Mont., $297,757
* YMCA of Central New Mexico, Albuquerque, N.M., $180,342
* Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, Ithaca, N.Y., $24,997
* Why Hunger, New York, N.Y., $250,000
* Myrtle Ave Commercial Revitalization and Development, New York, N.Y., $212,280
* New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, Rochester, N.Y., $25,000
* Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey Counties, Dayton, Nev., $300,000
* Corvallis Environmental Center, Corvallis, Ore., $25,000
* Adelante Mujeres, Forest Grove, Ore., $20,185
* Community Food Security Coalition, Portland, Ore., $250,000
* Southside Community Land Trust, Providence, R.I., $25,000
* Northwest Indian College, Bellingham, Wash., $25,000
* FareStart, Seattle, Wash., $299,545
* Fondy Food Center, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisc., $289,594
* Growing Power, Milwaukee, Wisc., $250,000

I Love Farmers…They Feed My Soul formalizes non-profit status

I Love Farmers…They Feed My Soul orignated as  a grassroots effort by a young people to support American family farmers and ranchers, has now become an official non-profit organization.
 I Love Farmers…They Feed My Soul originated out of the frustration by young people who have a passion for agriculture but realized few of their peers really know how their food is grown in America. Additionally, they were angry at the way agriculture is often wrongly portrayed in the mass media and political campaigns.
Using new media technology, the group decided to take matters into their own hands and launched an aggressive social media blitz to share information about family farmers and ranchers. I Love Farmers…They Feed My Soul has become one of the fastest growing Facebook groups on the planet about agriculture. Today more than 27,000 people are engaged in daily conversations in the Facebook group. Additionally, the group created a website and apparel line to make supporting family farmers and ranchers fun.

Report urges sustainable agriculture systems

A new report from the National Research Council on sustainable agriculture systems concludes that policies need to look beyond low cost and high production. The report, “Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century,” urges national agricultural policies and research programs to adopt a holistic perspective to farming that encompasses multiple end goals.
Sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation and published by the National Academies Press, the report outlined four goals:
1. Satisfy human food, fiber and feed requirements, and contribute to biofuels needs
2. Enhance environmental quality and the resource base
3. Maintain economic viability of agriculture
4. Improve the quality of life for farmers, farm workers and society

Technology seminar set for poultry, egg industries

The US Poultry and Egg Association’s Poultry and Egg Institute will hold its 2010 Information Systems Seminar July 19-22 in Nashville.
“What’s New in the IT Industry” will include information on new hardware, software and applications for the poultry industry.

Alltech launches project in Haiti

Alltech founder Pearse Lyons announced his company’s philanthropic arm will establish a program in Haiti this summer to help people there following the devastating January earthquake. The agricultural program, a component of the Alltech program of philanthropy, will include a packing and distribution center to provide employment and training.
In addition, a health clinic and school will be built, as well as a sustainable agricultural enterprise with crop and animal production. Initially, a small dairy and goat herds will be developed with suitable housing and facilities, and an egg production unit will be established. Alltech employees will volunteer time and effort and Alltech will assist with logistics and financing.

Victam Asia 2010

It is hard to judge a show if it is your first visit. Victam Asia 2010 has been billed as the "biggest ever" and, talking to exhibitors, the commercial stands occupied more space this year than in previous editions.
However, in comparison with European shows, the number of attendees seemed low.
Victam does not attract the crowds that some other shows do but again, talking to exhibitors, their impression was that visitor numbers were lower this year. Once official figures are published, however, a different story may emerge.... Read the full blog on www.animalagnet.com.

National Teach Ag Day recognized by Congress

National Teach Ag Day took place on February 25 as part of the National Teach Ag Campaign of the National Association of Agricultural Educators and was recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives. Sponsors of the day included Campbell Soup Company, Landmark Nurseries and the National FFA Foundation.
“The future of agriculture is in education,” said Pearse Lyons, president and founder of animal health company Alltech. “As leaders within the agricultural industry, it is our job to engage and educate the next generation on the important role of agriculture in our lives and to nurture a passion for our industry.” Alltech supports two educational programs: the Alltech Young Scientist Award, an annual international competition for undergraduate and graduate students focusing on animal feed technologies, agricultural developments or agriculture management; and Alltech Kidzone, an interactive Web site that provides children and teachers with information on farming, food and the environment.

FSIS issues new directive to inspectors

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued FSIS Directive 5010.1 regarding food safety topics that inspectors should include at weekly meetings with food production establishments. The directive is a response to concerns that inspectors are failing to discuss some important food safety issues at these meetings.
Suggested topics to be addressed include in-plant observations, handling issues “that do not rise to the level of noncompliance but warrant discussion,” FSIS policies and guidelines, changes to the establishment’s processing and handling methods that could affect food safety, and results of industry-wide tests for salmonella, E. coli and violative residues.
The full directive can be downloaded here.

Annual meat conference slated for March

The 2010 Annual Meat Conference is scheduled for Sunday, March 7-Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Fla.
This annual conference addresses consumer trends, marketing and merchandising, technology, human resources and meat department profitability. There will also be educational sessions, a tech fair and a product tasting reception.
The event is co-sponsored by Food Marketing Institute and the American Meat Institute in conjunction with the American Lamb Board, National Cattlemen's Association, National Chicken Council, National Pork Board and the National Turkey Federation.
Rosen Shingle Creek is located at 9939 Universal Blvd., Orlando, FL 32819. Room reservations can be made directly with the hotel by calling +1.866.996.9939. The reservation cut-off date is February 12, 2010.
For more information, visit www.meatconference.com.

USDA to train farmers in sustainability, marketing

The USDA will advance $17 million to 29 institutions to train farmers in sustainability and aspects of marketing.
The 2008 Farm Bill authorized the funding awarded through the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the successor to the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service.
Farmers with less than 10 years of experience are eligible for course work offered by land grant universities and qualified institutions. Funding is part of the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food program, initiated in September 2009. The object of the initiative is to promote the success of family farms including direct marketing to consumer and schools in the local area of production. Education, outreach mentoring and internship opportunities are offered by the program.
The funding announcement was made by Kathleen Merrigan, deputy secretary of the Department of Agriculture, at an event at Hidden Stream Farm in Elgin, Minn.