By News Editor
Posted: March 8, 2013
Congratulations to Professor Maurice Boland, the newest member of Alltech’s European team, based out of Dunboyne, Co. Meath, Ireland. Boland will join Alltech as a research director, having spent the previous 40 years as a faculty member at University College Dublin (UCD) School of Agriculture.
Before joining Alltech, Boland held the position of head of the department of animal science for nine years, associate dean for research for three years and dean of the faculty of agri-food and environment for two years. In January 2008, he was appointed as principal of the College of Life Sciences and vice president at UCD, and in September 2011, he went on to become principal of the College of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine and principal of the College of Health Sciences.
Boland, whose work has been widely published in peer-reviewed journals, brings with him a considerable breadth of knowledge and experience to spearhead Alltech’s latest initiatives in the field of dairy cow fertility and sustainability.
Source: Alltech
By Jamie Johansen
Posted: December 17, 2012
What do we do when two-thirds of all grains are contaminated with mycotoxins? This question was answered at Alltech’s recent Global 500. Dairy and beef producers from across the world came together to hear from experts and share advice with each other.
Andrew Linscott, ruminant specialist for Alltech United Kingdom, talked with dairy producers about the hidden killer hitting dairies across the globe. Andrew works with both beef and dairy farmers helping them achieve better performance and animal health, as well as look at ways to improve margins on their farms.
Mycotoxins may be the elephant in the room, but it can’t stay there. We know about the problem, but what are we going to do about it?
Alltech has recently launched it’s 37+ Program. The technique can identify 38 different mycotoxins specifically. This allows for a broader approach compared to other methods that can only get a glimpse of the contamination. For more information on the program contact your local Alltech office.
Listen to Andrew’s complete presentation here: Andrew Linscott - Global 500
You can find photos from this year’s Global 500 here: 2012 Global 500 Photo Album
By Jamie Johansen
Posted: December 10, 2012
To kickoff Global 500′s first dairy breakout session last week, Alltech brought to the stage Charlie Moore, a consulting nutritionist specializing in ruminants.
He probably traveled the farthest to get to Lexington, Ky. as he calls South Africa home. Graduating from Stellenbosch University with a B.S. in Animal Science and Agronomy, he is currently a registered professional animal scientist. He mainly works with large dairy and cow/calf producers, trying to maximize the use of home grown feeds.
Charlie discussed what he feels are 10 ingredients for a successful dairy farm. For the past 20 years he has visited dairy farms and is confident that if you follow his advice your level of production will increase.
In his closing remarks he summed up his take home message by saying:
Look to optimize rumen health.
Keep an eye on cow comfort. Screen feeds for quality.
Use data already generated on the farm.
Develop an organized monitoring program.
Listen to Charlie’s complete presentation here: Charlie Moore - Global 500
You can find photos from this year’s Global 500 here: 2012 Global 500 Photo Album
By Jamie Johansen
Posted: December 6, 2012
During the opening remarks from Dr. Pease Lyons at the 2012 Global 500, he compared farmers and ranchers to heros. Such a true statement.
I took the opportunity to meet one of Alltech’s Dairy Heroes featured at this year’s Global 500. Meet Carl Chaney, dairy farmer and ice cream entrepreneur. Carl’s story is inspirational. Farming is in his blood and sharing his story is his passion.
Carl and his wife knew they had to come up with some way to pay the bills when they downsized their dairy herd and it just so happened that ice cream was the answer. They opened Chaney’s Dairy Barn after Carl learned how to make ice cream. They now have a full service restaurant and travel the state educating the consumer about milk and dairy products.
“The farm started in 1888 when my great great great grandfather starting farming. My dad started milking cows in 1940. He started with two Jersey cows. He paid $125 for the both of them. One was a grand champion cow and the other reserve. Well, I guarantee you times have changed.”
For more information about the Chaney family and their operation visit www.chaneysdairy.com. You can also like them on Facebook.
Listen to my complete interview with Carl here: Interview with Carl Chaney
2012 Global 500 Photo Album
By Jamie Johansen
Posted: November 27, 2012
It is just a week before Alltech’s 5th Annual Global 500 kicks off. Dairy and beef leaders from across the world will come together to share ideas and educate themselves on new and cutting edge technologies.
They are expecting over 500 dairy producers to attend this year’s event. Robert Brouwer, owner of a 2,800 cow diary in New Mexico, has attended the event every year since it’s beginning.
“This is a must attend event for me. Alltech continues to outdo themselves with timely and relevant topics, presented by great speakers,” Brouwer said. “It is also great to meet and interact with dairymen from across the world. The event gives me new ideas and provides an opportunity to see things from a global perspective.”
This year’s agenda will feature presentations on branding milk, social media, employee training, decreasing carbon footprints and mycotoxins as well as many presentations that will address the core theme for the event, the EPS principle: Efficiency, Profitability and Sustainability.
“As the global demand for dairy products continues to grow and our climate becomes less and less stable, the pressure to innovate is on the shoulders of today’s farmers. However, the question of how to remain profitable is a question that does not have a clear answer anymore,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. “Branding is much more important now as consumers are developing strong loyalty to brands and are more concerned about the origin of their food. Our answers must address efficiency, profitability and sustainability.”
I am excited to attend this years event and during the National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s (NAFB) Trade Talk I had a chance to talk with David Butler, Web Marketing Manager for Alltech. He offered insite to the upcoming event and shared what hot topics will be discussed. Check my interview with David here.
Also during NAFB I spoke with Ann Kopecky, Alltech’s North America Field PR Coordinator, about Alltech’s recent launch of their 37+ Program. This new mass spectrometry technique investigates 38 different mycotoxins allowing for a broader analytical approach into the contamination.
Listen to my interview with Ann here: Ann Kopecky - Alltech
By Jamie Johansen
Posted: November 14, 2012
In just two and a half weeks Lexington, Kentucky will once again open it’s doors to dairy farmers and beef producers from across the world. These agriculturalists are coming together for Alltech’s Global 500. The Alltech community offers an opportunity to find answers to your questions.
What are the modern challenges of animal production?
Where to invest?
How to target performance and profitability?
What is the future of farming?
Can sustainability be achieved?
I am excited to attend this years event and during the National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s Trade Talk I had a chance to talk with David Butler, Web Marketing Manager for Alltech. He offered insite to the upcoming event and shared what hot topics will be discussed.
“Global 500 is unique because we have progressive dairy farmers and beef producers from all over the world that come to Lexington, KY to spend three days. They get to hear some great speakers, some real industry experts, but more than that we have discussion dinners where they can share ideas and share some challenges. An opportunity for US dairy farmers to find out how their colleagues in Europe are dealing with some of the environmental regulations there that we may see here eventually.”
“Cow comfort, of course is always a big thing. Mycotoxins are a big issue this year because of the drought in the US. We will be talking about ways to manage that. And things like mineral execration and other sorts of challenges that make it really tough for farmers, especially with large herds.”
Alltech is also holding a Farms In Focus photo contest to be judged during Global 500. Snap a photo of what dairy farming means to you and submit at Alltech.com/farmsinfocus. Share via Facebook and Twitter, get all your friends to vote during the event for a chance to win $300.
Listen to my interview with David here: David Butler - Alltech
2012 NAFB Convention Photo Album
By Jamie Johansen
Posted: September 20, 2012
Ruminating on the future of beef and dairy farming will be the topic of discussion at Alltech’s 5th Annual Global 500. The event will feature industry experts who will address the changing future of the dairy and beef industries. Last year’s event was a success with 700 attendees and they are expecting over 1000 this December 4-6 in Lexington, Ky.
“Global 500 has gone from a powerful event to an astounding event,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. “In a few short years we’ve managed to get some of the industry’s most successful producers to attend and get involved in discussions that are paving the way to a future of opportunity and profitability.”
Producers and industry leaders will have the opportunity to network, discuss and discover new opportunities and challenges for 2013. The program will feature presentations on branding, social media in agriculture and finding new opportunities in challenging times. In addition to an array of presentations, attendees will be invited to take part in discussion dinners, breakout sessions and a number of farm tours.
Dairy producers will explore topics including breakthroughs in nutrition, strategies to manage feed costs, and emerging markets.
Beef producers will delve into issues such as the future marketplace, consumer demands, meat quality, greenhouse gasses and feed yard management.
Registration for Global 500 is $325, but for all those early birds out there register by November 9 for only $200. This will include all sessions, organized functions, luncheons and dinners. Register today and use the invitation code G124.
By Cindy Zimmerman
Posted: February 8, 2012
Visitors to World Ag Expo in Tulare, California next week can tour a dairy farm without ever leaving the show.
Alltech is offering the opportunity for a virtual farm tour highlighting the Tony DeGroot Dairy of Hanford, Calif. The focus topic will be the farm’s nutrition management, including their use of DEMPTM.
The virtual tour will take place in the Expo Seminar Center on Tuesday, February 14 at noon. On Wednesday, producers are invited to join Alltech at a luncheon and roundtable discussion on the Alltech Dairy Advantage and how it addresses dairy challenges in farm operations.
Alltech’s booth location at World Ag Expo is 6103 within the Dairy Center. Visit Alltech’s booth for a chance to win an iPad and learn more about the Alltech Dairy Advantage.
By News Editor
Posted: December 9, 2011
Alltech’s Global 500 conference saw nearly 700 dairy and beef producers from 32 countries!
President and founder of Alltech, Dr. Pearse Lyons opened the conference with his “Eight Big Ideas” for the dairy and beef industries:
Efficiency: the cow is a fermentor, it is designed for fiber, we can increase efficiency and feed fiber.
Green house gases: We cannot stick our head in the sand. Green house gases are a real problem and sooner or later we will be taxed.
Mineral wastage & pollution: .75 kilo of mineral waste per cow means that a ton of mineral waste per day on a 1,000 cow farm.
Creating more nutritious milk and beef.
Branding: Branding is essential. Why is soda $5 per gallon when milk is so much better for you?
Fiber: Grain is expensive or unavailable. Fiber is not only a cheaper alternative but the rumen is designed to use it.
Nutrigenomics: This is a nutrition revolution. Nutrigenomics allow us to study how nutrients switch genes on and off. We can then develop programmed nutrition plans for young animals to increase efficiency and performance for life.
Social Media: We have to tell our story.
This was followed by two days of seminars, covering everything from nutrition, to branding and social media. Experts from all areas of the industry were on hand to give dairy and beef producers all the information they need to take on the challenges of a changing industry.
To watch footage of the conference, visit the Alltech Ag Network Or check out Alltech’s blog.
Source: Alltech
By Cindy Zimmerman
Posted: December 2, 2011
Coming up next week in Lexington, Kentucky is an event that dairy and beef producers should not miss.
Since 2008, more than 800 of world’s most progressive dairy and beef producers have convened for the Alltech Global 500 to network and discuss the most relevant and challenging topics in the industry.
This year, the Global 500 explores the future landscape for the dairy and beef industries and provides a rare opportunity for global colleagues and friends to engage in open discussion on critical topics such as sustainable strategies and practices that can be implemented now and in the future.
I talked with Alltech Beef Division Manager Ty Yeast about the event, which will be held December 6-8. “Originally it started as a dairy event and with the success after the first two years in the dairy event, we expanded to the beef side as well,” Ty said. “Last year was our first ever addition of the beef event and we had over 125 participants from all over the world.” This year, Ty says they already have more than doubled last year’s registration.
Ty says the conference is really about looking at new ways of approaching a business that’s been around for a long time. “It’s innovation, it’s looking at new ways of doing things, and really breaking old paradigms on how to move forward and get to that next level of efficiency.
Interested producers can still register for the event by going to the Global 500 website. You can be sure it will be worth your while.
Listen to or download my interview with Ty here: Ty Yeast - Alltech Global 500
By Chuck
Posted: October 11, 2011
During World Dairy Expo at the Alltech reception I ran into Steve Maddox again. Steve is a dairy farmer from California and Alltech customer.
Alltech’s theme for Expo is “Who cares about production in your dairy herd? Alltech DOES!” Steve says they accomplish that by “taking a total approach socially and otherwise on the way they’re approaching it.” He encourages dairy farmers to visit Alltech because they’re putting out “top quality products.” Steve says that Alltech’s commitment to sustainability ties right in to what he’s trying to do as a farmer and working with Dairy Management, Inc. on the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards program. Steve mentions several Alltech products that have worked for him including Yea-Sacc and he’s trying out the new Alltech DEMP, Dietary Escape Microbial Protein.
You can listen to my interview with Steve here: Steve Maddox Interview
2011 World Dairy Expo Photo Album
By Chuck
Posted: October 6, 2011
Alltech held their annual World Dairy Expo reception last night and Kentucky Ale was the star once again! A lot of happy customers showed up including Chris Sorenson, United Cooperative dairy nutritionist and calf/heifer specialist. I visited with him just as the fun got started.
The theme here at Expo for Alltech is, “Who cares about production in your dairy herd? Alltech DOES!” So I asked Chris how he thinks Alltech fulfills that theme. He says he’s an analytical person so he loves the research that Alltech does that proves how their products work. He uses Alltech inoculants quite a bit and says “a lot of the guys who are using it can not believe how quick the haylage will cool down.” He’s also very impressed with Bio-Mos. When it comes to support Alltech supplies him with lots of options for contacts to get answers to questions quickly.
You can listen to my interview with Chris here: Chris Sorenson Interview
2011 World Dairy Expo Photo Album
By Cindy Zimmerman
Posted: October 5, 2011
If you happen to stop by the Alltech booth (#3204) at World Dairy Expo, make sure you take a photo of yourself and post it on their Facebook page (facebook.com/AlltechNaturally). It could win you a new iPad!
If you can’t make it by the booth, or you’re not even at expo, just post a photo of your cow on the Alltech Facebook page. The photo that has the most “likes” by the end of Expo wins the poster an iPad. Certainly worth the effort! Photos are already up there, including ours. Sure, we’ll take a new iPad if you want to like our photo!
2011 World Dairy Expo Photo Album
When we stopped by the booth, we talked to Tammy Casper, assistant marketing coordinator with Alltech. Tammy says their main message for dairy producers is that Alltech cares. “We do want to help dairy farmers and increase milk production,” she said, noting that the first day of expo was busy and fun with all the students who stopped by.
Listen to interview with Tammy here: Alltech's Tammy Casper
By News Editor
Posted: October 3, 2011
“A Brave New World” is the theme of the Alltech’s 2011 Global 500. The company will explore the dairy and beef industries’ future landscape and provide a rare opportunity for global colleagues and friends to engage in open discussion on critical topics such as sustainable strategies and practices that can be implemented now and in the future.
Join Alltech on December 6-8, 2011 in Lexington, Ky. Registration is by invitation only, so contact Alltech’s Global 500 registration team via phone: 1-859-887-3328 or email: global500@alltech.com.
What challenges and opportunities await us in this Brave New World?
· A world in which demand for fuel, food and other commodities will only continue to spike as global population and wealth increase.
· A world in which the adoption of new technologies is not optional but a requirement if you want to stay competitive.
· Finally, it’s a world of transparency in which people develop strong personal impressions of companies and producers – and communicate their feelings through social media as well as with their neighbors.
Source: Alltech
By Chuck
Posted: June 1, 2011
Dr. Jude Capper, Washington State University, Assistant Professor of Dairy Sciences (pictured on the left) is a myth buster. At the Alltech International Symposium she took on the myths about the carbon footprint of modern dairy production. Her presentation was titled, “Managing the media myth: What is the truth behind the carbon footprint of modern dairy production? Things you should know.” I spoke with her to find out what we should know.
Jude says that the main takeaway from her remarks is “If we improve productivity, we cut land use, we cut water use, we cut fertilizer and fossil fuel use and we cut the total carbon footprint.” Now how often have you heard modern dairy production portrayed in that light? But that’s the truth and a story that needs to be told. Compared to 1944 the carbon footprint of a pound of milk has decreased by 63 percent! She says we still have a lot of room for improvement too. Her research has focused on American dairy production but she says that this same trend is happening in countries around the world. I am glad we had her on the program! Dr. Jude Capper Interview
You can find more information about her research on the WSU website.
2011 Alltech Symposium Photo Album
By Chuck
Posted: May 31, 2011
Last week I attended the Alltech International Symposium. Of course dairy is a big part of the educational topics offered at this annual event. I’ve got a couple of interviews to share with you starting with this one.
Disruptive change sounds disturbing. However, perhaps it’s more of a challenge. Mandi McLeod, System Insights, Ltd., New Zealand, talked about it and its impact on the dairy industry during the Alltech International Symposium. She’s seen here being interviewed by Ireland’s RTE voice Damien O’Reilly. I spoke with Mandi after Damien to learn what is going on with dairy farming in her country and how she coaches family business strategy.
Mandi says the New Zealand dairy model is still working but needs to evolve further in light of disruptive changes in the industry. She says that their level of productivity hasn’t kept up with the price of their product which makes them vulnerable at the moment. The current pricing of dairy products is just not financially sustainable and it looks like that isn’t going to improve soon. Mandi is a family business strategist and advises dairy farmers to take a look at their business and make sure they’re using resources wisely. Sounds like common sense advice for any business. She wants people to enjoy what they are doing by finding a balance in their life and business. Having a good plan would help a family business tremendously. Perhaps you should give Mandi a call if you need help. Mandi McLeod Interview
You can find photos from the event here: 2011 Alltech Symposium Photo Album
By News Editor
Posted: March 9, 2011
Alltech’s 27th International Animal Health and Nutrition Symposium will address dairy industry challenges and provide insights and solutions to the issues that plague the dairy industry. The Symposium, entitled The Game Changers: Creative Concepts for Agribusiness to Respond to Relentless Commoditization and to Innovate for a Greener Future will be held at the Lexington Convention Center in Lexington, Ky., USA from May 22-25, 2011.
To secure your place at the 2011 Alltech International Animal Health and Nutrition Symposium, please visit Alltech’s Symposium site. For more information, please email symposium@alltech.com and be sure to join in the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag: #AlltechSymposium. Follow Alltech Symposium related news on Alltech’s agriculture and science blog.
Symposium attendees will hear from and interact with dairy industry experts during the following informational seminars:
Managing the media myth: What is the truth behind the carbon footprint of modern dairy production? J. Capper, Washington State University, Washington, USA
Win-win: Can we reduce the environmental impact of silage while increasing milk production? D. Davies, Silage Solutions Ltd, Wales, UK
Towards farm sustainability – Can we benchmark milk production economics? T. Hemme, IFCN Dairy Research Center, Kiel, Germany
The DEMP revolution: Feeding microbial protein directly to the cow. A. Gehman, Alltech, South Dakota, USA
The forgotten importance of heifer nutrition – Its impact on future cow performance. J. Heinrichs, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA
The power of dealing with the end consumer – Should farms commercialize their own milk? R. Jank, Jr., Agrindus, São Paulo, Brazil
Managing metabolic stress in high-performing dairy cows. M. Kaske, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
Is the New Zealand model still working? Meeting the challenge of disruptive change. M. McLeod, Silvanus Limited, Waikato, New Zealand
Optigen®: A Game Changer for the Brazilian dairy industry. M. Pereira, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Meeting consumer expectations – The challenges of environmentally sustainable farming. D. Tristant, AgroParisTech – Ferme de Grignon, Thiverval-Grignon, France
The five myths of trace mineral supplementation. R. Murphy, Alltech Biosciences, Dunboyne, Ireland
Programmed nutrition – The importance of measuring feed conversion. Why it is essential to dairy producer survival. C. Thorp, Kennan Systems, Co. Carlow, Ireland
Source: Alltech Symposium
By Cindy Zimmerman
Posted: January 18, 2011
“Feeding the World – 9.3 billion people for dinner in 2050″ is the theme of Alltech’s lecture tour this year that kicked off during AG CONNECT Expo in Atlanta. Dr. Mark Lyons, International Project Director for Alltech, says AG CONNECT was a great place for them to start. “We have operations in 90 countries, we’re selling into almost 120 countries,” Mark said. “So for us, it’s an excellent venue. Having a stop in Georgia is one thing, having a stop here at this event is much different.”
Now the lecture tour has moved on to stops along the eastern part of the U.S. and next week, the western part. “We’ll have 23 stops in North America and over 100 stops globally,” Mark said. “It culminates in our symposium in May in Kentucky. It’s a very important part of what we do. We estimate that we get in front of about 20,000 people a year.” There were several hundred at the event in Atlanta.
The Alltech North American Lecture Tour will present the possibilities that lie within the ACE Principle – improving the performance of the Animal, satisfying the Consumer, and protecting the Environment, one of the core philosophies of the company since 1985. This week, the tour started Ontario and Quebec and is hitting several stops around the U.S., including cities in Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin. More information about the tour, where it will be and how to attend can be found at alltech.com/nalt.
Listen to my interview with Mark here: Dr. Mark Lyons
By Chuck
Posted: November 5, 2010
Proving once again that he’s following in the foot steps of that “other” Dr. Lyons, Dr. Mark Lyons made concluding remarks in grand fashion at the Alltech Global 500.
After providing an overview of Alltech innovations with Dr. Karl Dawson during the final session of the conference Mark encouraged the participants to “Think it, Ink it.” He said they should write down at least five things they were taking away from the event that could then take action on when they got home. How many times to you hear something and wish you’d made a note of it?
You can listen to Mark’s closing comment here: Dr. Mark Lyons Closing Comment
Alltech Global 500 Photo Album
By Chuck
Posted: November 5, 2010
Dairy farmers need to know about crisis communications just as much as any other business. Those attending the Alltech Global 500 Peter Kerr, KerrComm, address this topic and provide meaningful ideas for how to cope with it. Peter is a communications consultant and he presented a very positive message about turning a negative situation into an opportunity.
He discussed how the critics of agriculture who often present very misleading or inaccurate information are successful by having very well crafted messages. Farmers need to be equally prepared so they can use opportunities to teach and present truthful information. I like his idea of also being prepared to use new communications channels like social media as vehicles to deliver that positive and truthful message. He also suggests that farmer consider consulting with a communications professional. On a final note he made a point of being truthful even if the negative publicity you may be dealing with is because of a problem on your operation. Be prepared to tell your story and what you’re doing to change things. Good advice!
You can listen to my interview with Peter here: Interview with Peter Kerr
Alltech Global 500 Photo Album
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