Minnesota alumnus builds 21st century bait shop

SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa - Feb. 25, 2010 -- You can buy leeches and worms online? According to Minnesota alumnus Mark Jewell, of Jewell Outdoors, www.jewelloutdoors.com, the answer is always yes. While many people who grow up in agriculture are involved in typical farming operations like dairy, beef, or crop production. Jewell’s story is a little different. “Growing up as the son of a leech farmer was an experience very few friends could relate to,” said Jewell. Nicknames like “leech guy” or “leech wrangler” were common. This experience, coupled with a life changing FFA career set Jewell on the path to where he is today.

"In FFA, my Supervised Agricultural Experience program was based in Specialty Animal Production (Entrepreneurship). We raised and trapped thousands of pounds of leeches. The educational opportunity available through FFA taught me the value of owning and operating my own business,” said Jewell. “Not only did I win awards because of my SAE, I learned the value of a good idea, an honest day’s work and record keeping.”

Jewell decided to take his passion for web and social media marketing and combine it with his many connections in the live fishing bait industry. The product is Jewell Outdoors, a 21st Century Online Bait Shop that delivers live bait direct to the front doors of people who fish. “In 2009, we tested the waters of selling live bait online,” said Jewell, “and the result was growing to a customer base of nearly 500 people, in 25 states.” 

Jewell Outdoors uses YouTube to showcase how they catch and process their products, Twitter to engage in conversation, Facebook to find new fishing friends, and a tailored social network for customers who want more. 

This year, Jewell Outdoors is adding a new service of value to FFA members in many states. The company is offering to help FFA chapters raise money by participating in its new Partners Program. Agriculture teachers can register their chapters and receive a special promotional code. FFA members can then share this information with family members, neighbors and friends. Each time that chapter’s code is used, Jewell Outdoors tracks the sale and pays the chapter a 10 percent commission. 

The specialty products of Jewell Outdoors are leeches and Canadian Night Crawlers, although the line is quickly expanding. “More than 50,000 pounds of leeches will get used in the United States every summer,” Jewell said, “We’ve captured the online market for these little suckers by providing a superior live bait product and ridiculously courteous customer service. We evaluate our leeches and night crawlers like producers evaluate cattle. We also offer the unique service of shipping direct to your front door, place of work or fishing destination. Our concern for customers is top priority. We’ve gone so far as to provide an online social network, Twitter account, and Facebook pages, so we are always available to our customers."

Jewell Outdoors will soon be offering an extended line of fishing, hunting and camping gear. However, just like the FFA and the agriculture industry, they will stay true to their roots and continue to provide live bait better than anyone else.

Jewell was initiated by Lambda Chapter in 2000.

information courtesy of AgPR. 

Tennessee-Martin alum named Grand President Award winner

PHILADELPHIA – Feb. 20, 2010 – Michael Revelle was recently honored with the Alpha Gamma Rho Grand President’s Award during the 2010 AGR Leadership Seminar. His efforts consistent with the AGR Promise and Values qualified him for this award.

Revelle is an emergency physician for the Jackson Madison County General Hospital and Medical Director for the Medical Center EMS in Jackson, Tenn. He has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Tennessee-Martin and Doctor of Medicine from the University of Tennessee-Memphis.

Revelle was voted Emergency Physician of the Year in 2004 and Doctor of the Year among more than 200 physicians at Jackson General in 2005. His professional development has promoted lifelong career success within the industry. Revelle has also served in the National Guard for several years where he served two tours of duty in Iraq. He was recently promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Through his contributions to agriculture, Revelle continues to farm a small row crop farm of cotton, corn and soybeans and remains involved with the local farming community. His efforts represent the breadth, sophistication, scope and relevance of agriculture.

Revelle continues to be involved with Alpha Gamma Rho by assisting his local chapter and alumni with Founders Day events.

Administered and nominated by a selection committee, including Regional Vice Presidents, the Grand President’s Award is awarded by AGR for business excellence and professional achievement. It is awarded to specific fraternity alumni age 40 or under who have achieved remarkable success in their professional careers. This award demonstrates an honorable acknowledgement of Revelle’s leadership, professionalism and knowledge of his industry.

Iowa State alumnus named AGR Grand President Award winner

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Feb. 16, 2010 – Dan Foor was recently honored with the Alpha Gamma Rho Grand President’s Award during the 2010 AGR Leadership Seminar. His efforts consistent with the AGR Promise and Values qualified him for this award.

Foor is Market Lead for Monsanto’s CANCAR Region, consisting of 28 countries in South America, Central America and the Caribbean. His responsibilities include leading a team of six professionals who direct all marketing aspects of Monsanto’s seeds and traits business in the region. He has an Ag Business/International Ag degree from Iowa State University and an Executive Master’s in International Business from St. Louis University.

Through his contributions to agriculture, Foor has improved agricultural productivity by providing great products and accompanying support to farmers of various size and sophistication. His professional development has promoted lifelong career success within the industry. To attract members representing the breadth, sophistication, scope and relevance of agriculture, Foor has sought to ensure continued interest in the pursuit of agricultural careers through an annual scholarship to his high school FFA program.

Foor continues to be involved with Alpha Gamma Rho by serving on the 2010 Convention Steering Committee for the upcoming Convention in St. Louis.

Administered and nominated by a selection committee, including Regional Vice Presidents, the Grand President’s Award is awarded by AGR for business excellence and professional achievement. It is awarded to specific fraternity alumni age 40 or under who have achieved remarkable success in their professional careers. This award demonstrates an honorable acknowledgement of Foor’s leadership, professionalism and knowledge of his industry.

Alumnus named NC State's 14th chancellor

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Feb. 8, 2010 -- AGR honorary initiate, Dr. William Randolph “Randy” Woodson, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at Purdue University, has been named chancellor of North Carolina State University.
     
Woodson, 52, becomes NC State’s 14th chancellor. He will assume his duties no later than May 1. He was initiated by Purdue's Delta Chapter in 2004.
      
As Purdue’s chief academic officer, Woodson is responsible for overseeing all academic programs on the West Lafayette and four regional campuses, as well as providing leadership for Purdue’s libraries, student services, admissions and enrollment management, graduate school, continuing education, international programs, diversity and inclusion, and information technology. Under his leadership, Purdue has begun to implement a new strategic plan that calls for significant improvements in student access and success, a doubling of research volume, and a renewed emphasis on meeting global challenges in the areas of food, energy, climate and sustainability. He also is a distinguished teacher and researcher specializing in the field of plant science.

In recommending Woodson, UNC system president Erskine Bowles said, “There is not a doubt in my mind that Randy Woodson is absolutely the right person to lead North Carolina State today and in the years ahead. Over the past 25 years, he has accumulated a wealth of academic and leadership experience at one of the best land-grant institutions in America. At each step along the way, he has proven himself to be an engaged and effective leader who promotes openness and collaboration, strategic thinking and creative problem-solving, and a real-life commitment to academic excellence and student success. He also has earned a reputation for great integrity, sound judgement and an unwavering commitment to the special mission of the land-grant university. I am convinced that Randy Woodson brings the right mix of experience, expertise, skills and passion needed to be a truly great chancellor for NC State, and I am thrilled that he has agreed to join our leadership team.”

Chancellor James Woodward welcomed Woodson to the NC State family.
      
“Dr. Woodson brings an understanding of the importance of land-grant universities and their role in our world,” Woodward said. “His extensive leadership experience as an executive officer, administrator and faculty member at Purdue afford him the appreciation for NC State’s own land-grant mission and its vital importance to the people of North Carolina. We are excited to have Dr. Woodson and his family joining NC State and look forward to his leadership.”

"The search committee reviewed many applicants to get to the six strongest candidates," said Bob Jordan, a trustee and the chair of the search committee. "Our research on these six led to three finalists. The committee is 100 percent comfortable with the result of its work. What we have heard since we made our decision gives us further confidence that we made the right choice."

Woodson became Purdue’s provost on May 1, 2008. Before that appointment, he served as the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture for nearly four years. As dean, Woodson led the college’s effort to hire more than 100 new faculty; partnered with the College of Science to launch the Climate Change Research Center; developed or enhanced a number of student-success programs such as leadership development and study abroad; increased sponsored research from $41.6 million in 2003-04 to $67 million; hired more than 100 new county educators; and created the college’s Office of Multicultural Programs.

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AGR introduces Lifelong Learning Program initiative

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Feb. 3, 2010 -- Alpha Gamma Rho is pleased to announce the development of a new educational program that will provide each and every brother with superior lifelong personal development and professional success.

The Lifelong Learning Program will include online continuing education and training options for new members, chapter officers, alumni board members, chapter advisers and housemothers. These new web-based tools will foster lifelong personal development through innovative educational, leadership and social opportunities.

Alpha Gamma Rho has a committee engaged in this initiative and is pleased with the work that has been done so far. The Fraternity plans to select a highly qualified vendor who will begin to provide this high quality continuous learning portal later this year.

Oklahoma State alum inducted into livestock hall of fame

DENVER -- Jan. 29, 2010 -- Oklahoma State alumnus Bruce Brooks was one of three livestock professionals inducted into the Livestock Marketeers Hall of Fame at the National Western Stock Show Club.

The Livestock Marketeers is an informal fraternity of livestock fieldmen, auctioneers, sale managers and related livestock business leaders. The Livestock Marketeers group was started in 1965 by Harry Green, Ross Miller and Claud Willett. Their purpose was to form a fraternal organization of livestock professionals, and to make annual awards in order to stimulate younger members of the industry to succeed in their chosen profession.

Auctioneer Brooks was Iowa-born and raised, but headed south to attend Oklahoma State University. He was a member of the OSU livestock judging teams of 1969 and 1970, as well as Block & Bridle. C.D. “Pete” Swaffar and Ted Aegerter of the American Shorthorn Association hired him after graduation, and Brooks travelled the southwestern states for ASA. He later worked the same territory for the Drovers Journal in 1972-1974, working for J. Neil Orth. In the fall of 1974, Brooks joined Ken Holloway at American Cattle Services, specializing in purebred Limousin marketing.

In 1975, Brooks began auctioneering purebred cattle sales and has continued in that field ever since, working predominantly Limousin and Shorthorn events. In 2004, he started including real estate sales on his schedule when he joined Williams & Williams Auction Co., Tulsa, Okla.

Married to Kathy Jane O’Brien since 1977, Brooks has a son, Lance, and two daughters, Kristy and Amy. They also have four grandchildren. The family was actively involved in showing and selling steers and heifers, primarily Limousin, through the 1980’s and 1990’s. A Brooks family highlight includes winning Grand Champion Limousin Heifer honors twice at the National Western Stock Show’s junior contest: Amy in 1994 and Kristy in 1995. They currently specialize in running a stocker-feeder operation in southern Oklahoma.

A member of both the North American Limousin Foundation and the American Shorthorn Association, Brooks is a past president and vice president of the Oklahoma Limousin Breeders Association. In 1998, Bruce and Kathy received the OLBA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, primarily in recognition of their work with junior programs. He’s a member of the Saddle & Sirloin Club in Oklahoma City to help promote 4-H and FFA, and also serves on the Love County Soil Conservation board.

“I’ve always been a great believer in the auction business,” Brooks said after being roasted by Doug Paul of The Stock Exchange, Ken Holloway of American Cattle Services, and Don Cagwin of Cagwin Cattle Services. “I learned from Don and Ken to take care of business . . . I appreciate very much the opportunity to sell for these folks and being part of your team.”

Brooks was initiated by Pi Chapter in 1967.

information courtesy of the Cattle Network.

Chapter continues to rebuild membership

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. -- Jan. 28, 2010 -- Truman State alumnus George Magers received a call in early 1979 that would challenge the resilience of AGR’s Beta Iota Chapter at Truman State. Told to rush to his fraternity house, Magers pulled up to see the house burning. More than 30 of his fraternity brothers stood barefoot in the snow, many of them having come outside with nothing but the clothes they wore to bed.

“When you lose everything, and I mean everything was lost, you wonder if you’re even going to be able to rebuild,” Magers said.

Magers, who today works in Kirksville, Mo., at Merschman Seeds and acts as Beta Iota’s financial adviser, said AGR was able to get the financial support it needed to rebuild the house through lenders. But because of changes in the mission of the University over the course of the ‘80s and ‘90s, AGR has seen a drastic decrease in members due to the reduced number of agricultural science students on campus. However, through their commitment to recruit men of the highest potential while representing the breadth, sophistication, scope and relevance of agriculture, the chapter is now beginning to rebuild its membership.

“The mission [of the University] was different when I went to school there,” Magers said. “Students in [AGR] at that time were several hundred, so we had a large pool to pull from. Forty to 50 members was pretty common for our chapter.”

Today, the chapter functions with 13 members, a sizable improvement from the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, when they were down to four.

Junior Adam Priest, who has been affiliated with AGR the longest of the current undergraduate members, said he’s pleased to see the way the Fraternity has progressed in recent years and it’s commitment to  engaging all brothers in lifelong success.

“When I joined, I was the fifth guy, and we had another guy graduate,” Priest said. “And then we joined all these guys. I was really happy to see that growth, and I’m hoping to see it grow even more.”

Beta Iota continues to reflect, value and advocate diversity in membership. Out of 13 current members, only seven are agricultural science majors, however all share an interest in agriculture. AGR Noble Ruler Kurt Nagel said the fraternity is open to anybody looking to pursue a career in diverse world of agriculture.

Nagel said Monsanto, an AGR corporate sponsor, has an established group of AGR alumni that helps graduates receive jobs out of college. He said AGR has built a good rapport with many agriculture companies.

“One guy was getting a job down at somewhere like [Archer Daniels Midland Company], one of those pork producers,” Nagel said,. “He sat down and talked to the guy, and he told him he was in AGR, and they talked for a while. And he said, ‘Yeah, you had the job as soon as you told me that, I just wanted to talk to you.”

Nagel said this is one reason their recruitment efforts have become more successful in recent years. But Nagel said they are not satisfied and are looking to continue expanding.

Although they had to sell the house on Osteopathy in 1996 due to a lack of members, Magers said they are in the beginning stages of a search for an additional house to their current one at the corner of Normal and Mulanix.

Magers said he credits some of the increase in numbers to an increase in support of the agriculture department from the Board of Regents.

Overall, Magers said he likes the direction the fraternity is headed. He said AGR avoids some of the problems caused by having a larger group of men in the same house.

“We’re excited about some of the things that the boys are doing now. We’ve got a good size, and we’re at a manageable level,” Magers said.

Magers said the fraternity has been through a lot since that early morning phone call over 30 years ago and continues to represent the AGR Promise and Values.

“We’ve worked our way out of it, we have no debt, and now we have the guys that are really on a recruitment move,” Magers said. “Hopefully it’s a sign of great things to come.”

information courtesy of Truman State University Index.

Missouri alum receives lifetime achievement award

CHILLICOTHE, Mo. -- Jan. 25, 2010 -- Based on his outstanding contributions to the community, Missouri alumnus Paul Steele received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards banquet.

Outgoing Chamber President Diane Garber presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Steele. The recipient of this award, which is presented annually, must be a respected resident of the community, a leader and someone who makes a significant contribution to the community over many years. Additionally, the recipient must have led several campaigns to promote the community and special events.

Garber said that Steele has invested time, money and effort into other businesses around the area. In addition to farming, some of his other business ventures have included T&R Soil Service, S&S Construction and KMZU and WHB radio stations.

“A generous, giving heart and spirit exemplify the way our winner lives his life,” Garber said.

Steele has served on the boards of Chillicothe State Bank and the Litton Agri-Science Learning Center capital campaign. He served as president of the Board of Curators. He also served 15 years on the Chillicothe Board of Education, serving as president three terms.

Steele was initiated by Theta Chapter in 1959. Steele was also awarded the AGR Brother of the Century Award in 2004.

information courtesy of the Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune.

AGR brother missing in Haiti found

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Jan. 15, 2010 -- Purdue alumnus Ben Wicker and his father, who were missing in Haiti since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Tuesday, have been found alive and well. Although family members have not had direct communication with Wicker or the rest of the mission group, they are confident all members of the group are safe. Wicker and his father are now working to help with recovery efforts.

Click below for more information.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20100115/LOCAL18/1150384/

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/east_central/Ind.-missionaries-foun

d-safe-in-Haiti

Thank you to all who have passed this information along. Please continue to keep the group and Wicker family in your thoughts.

Chapter continues to reflect diversity in membership

After successfully recruiting men with diverse degree paths, the University of Wisconsin-Madison continues to reflect another example of diversity in its membership.

There are many new faces at Iota Chapter. One of those is Andries Jan David Olie, an international exchange student from the Netherlands, who was recently initiated and is living in the house.

Iota Resident Adviser Robby Weyker contacted the UW-Madison College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Study Abroad Office about the possibility of an exchange student filling a vacancy. 

“Andries seemed like the perfect fit and was interested so the Iota Chapter welcomed the opportunity to host Andries as a win-win situation for all involved” said Weyker.

Originally from the city of Amsterdam, Andries is in the first year of a two-year Master of Science in nutritional physiology at Wageningen University in Holland, where he also received his Bachelor of Science in nutrition and health. Before pursuing his degrees, Andries served on the Dutch police force for 3.5 years. While at the UW-Madison, Andries is taking classes in Spanish, general human genetics and even zoology.

Brand Value No. 7 states that, as an organization, AGR members should “attract members representing the breadth, sophistication, scope and relevance of agriculture.” Andries’ focus may be on human nutrition, but the science behind his study reflects back to the production of food for human consumption, thus he is pursuing a degree in the food, fiber and life sciences field.

As chapter adviser, Brad Garrison would encourage all chapters to consider “non-typical” agricultural related degree paths such as human nutrition, microbiology, biochemistry, etc. Benefits can include an expanded representation across campus and higher overall GPAs.

Brand Value No. 8 states that, as an organization, AGR members should “reflect, value and advocate diversity in our membership and professional lives.” There are numerous ways we can pursue a more diverse membership, and Andries represents several of these ways.

Andrew Hoffman, Andries’ roommate, said “Andries is not only from a foreign country and pursuing a non-typical agricultural degree path, but he is also a few years older than the rest of us because he is a graduate student and spent time in the police force.”

Since coming to America, Andries has become actively involved around the Iota house teaching everyone how to play Dutch card games, assisting with a philanthropy event, and attending sporting events including a Badger football game as well as a Brewer’s baseball game. 

“He continues to work out regularly so we hope he helps us all maintain a healthier lifestyle,” Hoffman said,

So far, living and studying in Madison has been a great experience for Andries, and the opportunities for his membership to positively impact Alpha Gamma Rho are endless. Not only did he have a positive impact on the Iota Chapter during the fall 2009 semester but his return to the Netherlands and continuation of his master’s degree could present opportunities for Alpha Gamma Rho on an international level. 

Andries recently returned to the Netherlands.

“It was a really nice experience to live in the AGR house, and I had a great time thanks to all of you guys,” Andries said.

Garrison asks that all members join in welcoming Andries as an Alpha Gamma Rho brother and congratulating Iota Chapter on its continued pursuit of “a broader and better agriculture” through strategic recruiting efforts.  

"I challenge all chapters and brothers, whether undergraduate or alumni, to continue to exhaust resources available to them in an effort to seek diversity in Alpha Gamma Rho recruitment efforts," Garrison said.

Co-written by Andrew Hoffman, Iota undergradute and Brad Garrison, co-adviser for UW-Madison Iota Chapter. Hoffman was intitiated by UW-Madison in 2008. Garrison was initiated by Mississippi State in 1997.

Auburn alumnus takes top spot at farmers federation

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Jan. 15, 2010 -- Alabama Farmers Federation President Jerry A. Newby recently announced the appointment of current Governmental Affairs Director Paul Pinyan to the position of executive director.

A native of Cullman County and 12-year veteran of the Federation, Auburn alumnus Pinyan will begin his new duties Feb. 1. In making the announcement, Newby noted that Pinyan’s farm background, knowledge of agricultural issues and dedication to the Federation make him an ideal choice for the position.

“It has been my pleasure to watch Paul develop as a leader within our organization,” Newby said. “Having grown up on a farm, Paul has a passion for agriculture and is committed to serving the farmers of Alabama. His understanding of the legislative process as well as his communications skills will be extremely valuable as the Federation works to promote agriculture, grow membership and represent farmers in Montgomery and Washington.”

Pinyan, who joined the Federation as an area organization director in 1998, holds a bachelor’s degree in animal and dairy science from Auburn University, a master’s degree from Alabama A&M University in agribusiness education and a juris doctorate from Faulkner University’s Jones School of Law. He previously worked 10 years with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

In 2000, Pinyan moved to the Department of Governmental Affairs as director of agriculture and environmental legislation. He was named assistant director of that department in 2004, and was promoted to department director in 2007.

Pinyan said he looks forward to working with the Federation staff to address the needs of members.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to continue addressing the changing needs of farmers throughout the state,” Pinyan said. “The Federation has a rich history of working to improve the quality of life of Alabama families. Our broad membership is a reflection of the state, and our members represent the values and work ethic that make Alabama great. This broad-based membership makes the Federation uniquely able to recognize and address the needs of Alabama residents.”

Pinyan, 44, lives in Auburn with wife, Kristie, and their two teenage sons, Andrew and Will. He was also previously an adviser for Xi Chapter. Pinyan was initiated by Xi in 1986.

information courtesy of ALFA Farmers Federation.

Minnesota's Lambda Chapter assists in local philanthropy

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Jan. 7, 2009 -- Alpha Gamma Rho undergraduates at Minnesota's Lambda Chapter helped raise more than $1,300 in two weeks for the local community's philanthropy, Toys for Tots. See video below (AGR mentioned around 1:20).

AGR's Vermont Chapter feasts on traditional Italian Christmas Eve fare

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Dec. 21, 2009 -- The clams were Mahogany instead of Manila, and he had not been able to find live eels, but chef Tony Di Ruocco made do as he worked recently to recreate the traditional Christmas Eve seafood feast of his native southern Italy for AGR members.

Nor was the Burlington setting quite the same as his childhood home on the Italian island of Capri where, he recalled, his mother, “a fantastic cook,” conjured culinary magic out of her tiny kitchen, including the multi-course “Feast of the Seven Fishes” for eight or nine family members every Dec. 24.

“What a woman can pull out of a small space ...,” Di Ruocco marveled as he looked around the relatively large kitchen over which he now presides at the University of Vermont’s Alpha Rho chapter house in Burlington.

Di Ruocco, 63, was chef-owner of the well-regarded Italian restaurant, Villa Tragara, in Waterbury for 22 years. He sold his restaurant in 2002 and, since then, has spent about half of each year back in Capri helping with his brother’s restaurant.

This fall, he decided to look for work closer to his Moretown home. The restaurant business, however, was not calling him back. “I already got my glories,” he said with a smile.

A Craigslist posting for a fraternity cook with an enviable weekday-only schedule caught Di Ruocco’s eye, and he sent in a resume. The AGR brothers couldn’t quite believe someone of his experience would want to be their cook, so they didn’t call — until two other cooks failed to work out.

Cooking for his 'guys'

On a recent morning, as the mustachioed and thoroughly Italian Di Ruocco bustled about the kitchen prepping for the seafood meal, members of AGR wandered through the kitchen to grab bowls of cereal and mugs of coffee, say good morning to Tony and check out what was in the works for dinner.

Every available surface was crowded with platters, ingredients and equipment. A pan of eels, lobster, and a small whole red snapper sat by the sink. A bowlful of clams chilled on ice; a colorful salad of marinating vegetables was tucked between a counter and a cupboard; and a pile of struffoli — bite-size, citrus-scented, deep-fried pastry nuggets — waited on the huge commercial stove for their honey syrup bath followed by a shower of candied fruit and candy sprinkles.

Most of the lunches and dinners Di Ruocco prepares for the 16 residential AGR brothers (all 28 members eat together on Monday night) are not quite as involved. But, the young men all agreed, whatever Tony cooks — whether a simple meaty lasagna for lunch or homemade winter squash ravioli and stuffed pork loin with Marsala wine sauce for the recent winter formal dinner — it’s really good.

“I love these guys,” Di Ruocco said with a big grin. “I can cook what I want. They eat all the time, and they never complain. They all come in and talk to me and are nice guys. It’s a family.”

Di Ruocco jumped at the chance to share the Christmas Eve seafood dinner with his “guys.” Christian Ruf, a junior from Connecticut and the Alpha Rho Noble Ruler, has some Italian heritage and was familiar with the meal. His mother’s cousin — coincidentally also from Capri — owns an Italian restaurant, and Ruf had gone there with his family occasionally over the years for Christmas Eve. “There were times I didn’t know what I was eating, but it was good,” Ruf said. “I told Tony that people would eat it. I wouldn’t say that all our brothers will have the taste for it, but I’m excited.”

He was probably not quite as excited as Di Ruocco, who had even driven up to Montreal in search of live eels for the dinner only to learn that they would not be available until the week before Christmas. The chef has not had many opportunities to enjoy this particular culinary and cultural tradition since he left Capri at the age of 21.

Preparing the courses

In 1988, his parents came to Vermont, and his mother cooked the seven courses at his house. “We did it for 30 people. She was the cook, and my brother and me, we were assistants. It was wonderful,” Di Ruocco said. The one time he offered the traditional Christmas Eve meal at Villa Tragara, he recalled with some disappointment, “The customers — most of them — they think it was too much. But for me it is a passion.”

It helps not to eat too much earlier in the day, as was the practice when Di Ruocco was young in Capri: “We would eat just one piece of fried baccala (salt cod) at lunchtime.”

For Italian Catholics, Christmas Eve was traditionally a holy day during which many fasted in anticipation of the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ and then, after sundown, enjoyed a celebratory and typically meat- and dairy-free meal — hence the seafood, particularly in the southern part of Italy.

The number of courses actually varies and can include seven, nine or even a dozen with different reasons given for the symbolism of each. Many Italians will explain their own tradition, as Di Ruocco does, by simply saying: “It’s custom.”

For the AGR version of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, Di Ruocco did plan seven courses, although not all were fish.

The first would be a “giardiniera” of carrots (orange and yellow), cauliflower (white and green), sweet peppers, cucumbers and turnips lightly pickled in vinegar and water. “The acidity opens the stomach to receive the seven courses,” the chef explained.

This would be followed by clams two ways: simply sauteed with garlic, parsley and white wine and also served over spaghetti with garlic and cherry tomatoes.

Course number four would be the eel, which he deftly skinned, starting with the help of a pair of pliers and then, with one firm yank, pulling the whole skin down off the long creature. It would be lightly dusted with flour, fried and served with a classic Italian agrodolce (sour-sweet) sauce simmered down from onions, balsamic vinegar, sugar, pine nuts, bay leaves, raisins and a touch of fresh mint.

Then he would offer the famed baccala, or salt cod, a southern Italian staple, which had been soaked for four days, the water changed each day, to remove most of the salt. These meaty hunks of white fish would be quickly pan-sauteed in olive oil and then finished in the oven with a sauce of garlic, lots of fresh parsley and sweet red cherry tomatoes plus capers and black brine-cured olives. (Italian Gaeta ideally, but Kalamata from Greece work too, Di Ruocco said.)

A huge mound of washed broccoli raab also sat waiting to be cooked and anointed with olive oil, whole cloves of browned garlic and a generous dash of crushed red pepper flakes.

The centerpiece of the meal would be a zuppa di pesce, or fish soup: a tomatoey broth made with fish stock and studded with lobster, clams, mussels, squid, octopus and red snapper, each added at a different time to ensure they were cooked perfectly.

Read on...

Wisconsin-Madison AGR receives distinguished ag award

MADISON, Wis. -- Dec. 8, 2009 -- Wisconsin-Madison AGR Ben Brancel was presented the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s “Distinguished Service to Agriculture” award during the organization’s 90th Annual Meeting in Wisconsin Dells.

“Ben Brancel is a farmer who looked far beyond his own farm gate and made an impact on all of agriculture in Wisconsin,” said Bill Bruins, WFBF President.

Brancel currently serves as a state relations liaison for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, where he is helping map out the future of the Wisconsin Agricultural Research Stations. Brancel is a fifth generation farmer from Marquette County, where he and his wife, Gail, farm 290 acres and raise Angus beef cattle. His resume includes serving as the 42nd Assembly District in the State Assembly from 1987 to 1997, during which time he rose to the rank of Assembly Speaker. He was then appointed by former Governor Tommy Thompson as the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. In 2001, the Bush Administration named him the Wisconsin Director of the Farm Service Agency.

“Ben is a big-picture type of guy,” Bruins said. “When he was the Agriculture Secretary he led a group to Holland to get an up-close look at that country’s systems approach to farming. Early on, he saw the value of agriculture working with the environmental community to develop programs that were sustainable.”

“That trip turned out to be the genesis of what would become Wisconsin’s Discovery Farms and Pioneer Farm projects, and Ben is really the founder of those programs in Wisconsin,” Bruins said.

“As part of the Assembly leadership team he worked diligently with his colleagues to craft our state’s Right to Farm and use value assessment of farmland laws. These two pieces of landmark legislation remain critically important to the future of agriculture in Wisconsin,” Bruins said. “As the powerful Assembly Speaker, he was a very effective leader with a steady hand.”

“At the end of the day, we always knew we could count on Ben to be a friend to agriculture, and for that he is very deserving of the highest individual honor in recognition for service to Wisconsin agriculture that Farm Bureau bestows,” Bruins said.

Brancel was initiated by Iota Chapter in 1998.

information courtesy of Wisconsin-Madison CALS.

Tyson Foods names AGR alum new CEO

SPRINGDALE, Ark. -- Dec. 2, 2009 -- Chairman of the Board John Tyson, of Tyson Foods, Inc., announced that the Board of Directors of Tyson Foods has chosen Tennessee-Knoxville alumnus Donnie Smith, formerly senior group vice president of Poultry and Prepared Foods, to be the company's president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. Additionally, Jim Lochner, currently senior group vice president of Fresh Meats, has been named the company's chief operating officer.

"The Tyson Board and the Tyson family congratulate Donnie Smith and Jim Lochner and wish them the best for the future success of our company," Tyson said. "We appreciate Leland Tollett stepping into the CEO role earlier in the year and working so hard to help turn the company around. Significant progress has been made. I have worked with both Donnie and Jim for a number of years and am convinced that they are the right leadership team for this next phase in the evolution of our company. Their extensive experience inside the company has fully prepared them to continue the progress we have made in the last year."

Leland Tollett, who has been serving as interim president and CEO of the company since January, will continue in the coming months to assist Smith and Lochner in the transition, and he will be available for strategic advice and support. "When I was called back to help get our company back on course, I was asked how long I would be in this role. I jokingly said, 'somewhere between three months and three years, hopefully sooner than later.' That time is now, and our company has been profitable for an extended period of time and it has been personally gratifying to me to have been able to lead a great team of people in turning our company around in a relatively short time. I know Donnie and Jim are ready to take on these new responsibilities and lead the great team of managers we have in our company. I've enjoyed being back at the company this year, but while I'll continue to be available for advice should it be needed, the amount of time I spend on company matters will be reduced significantly going forward," Tollett said.

Donnie Smith, 50, joined Tyson Foods in 1980 after graduating from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville with a degree in Animal Science. After seven years experience in various live poultry production jobs, he moved to the corporate headquarters in Springdale, Ark., to join the Tyson commodities purchasing group. Since then, he has had various leadership roles in the company, including Purchasing; Environmental, Health and Safety; Food Safety and Quality Assurance; Manufacturing Services; Information Systems; and Logistics, before becoming senior group vice president of Poultry and Prepared Foods.

"I started with Tyson Foods 29 years ago, and I've been very fortunate to serve in several roles for this great company," Smith said. "At every turn, I learned a different aspect of what we do, but the most important thing I've learned is that we have an amazing team of individuals that are dedicated to producing results. I am honored that I will now serve these team members as the leader of our company, and I am certain that 2010 and the years to come are going to be great for our shareholders, our customers, and other stakeholders. Yes, we, like everyone else, have seen some struggles in these economic times, but I am certain that through the leadership of our team, the efforts of all our team members with our customers, and the focus on operational excellence, we will succeed."

Smith was initiated by Alpha Kappa in 1978.

information courtesy of Tyson Foods.

Arkansas alumnus receives high honor in Panama

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Nov. 25, 2009 -- Arkansas alumnus Paul Noland, a professor emeritus at the University of Arkansas, was recently honored for his role in starting an agricultural teaching, research and extension program in Panama in 1951. Former Arkansas student, Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli, gave Noland the Vasco Nunez de Balboa Award, the highest civilian honor given by the Panamanian government.

Martinelli said the program stimulated the growth of his nation's agriculture and provided academic ties that brought Panamanian students, including his brother and himself, to UA's campus in Fayetteville, Ark.

Noland was honored during a delegation of alumni administrators and business executives on an academic trade mission to Panama led by Arkansas Chancellor David Gearhart last month.

Noland was initiated by Alpha Iota Chapter in 1955.

information courtesy of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Iowa State alumnus inducted into Angus Heritage Foundation

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Nov. 23, 2009 -- Each year, the American Angus Association honors selected individuals who have made significant contributions to the Angus breed. This year the Association Board of Directors selected six Angus breeders for induction into its Angus Heritage Foundation for their dedication toward the advancement of the Angus breed. Iowa State alumnus, Oliver Hansen was one of those six.

Other inductees included Dwight D. Eisenhower, Paul and Lynn Hill and Bill and Priscilla Wilson. The inductees and/or their families were recognized during the Annual Banquet, Nov. 16 during Angus events in Louisville, Ky. Each received a framed certificate, and all names will be engraved on a plaque at the Association’s Saint Joseph, Mo., headquarters.

Hansen grew up as a youth in Dixon, Iowa, helping with the Laudmere Angus herd his father, William Hansen, established in 1931. After graduating from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in animal science, Oliver enlisted in military service in 1942 and served until 1946 when he was discharged as a 1^st Lieutenant. That same year he began employment with Liberty Trust & Savings Bank in Durant, where he later became president. He currently serves as chairman of the board of directors.

He also serves as chairman and president of Liberty Bancorporation in Durant. He’s been an active member of several banking associations, and through them, has worked extensively to promote agriculture. He has served as the state of Iowa’s superintendent of banking and as the state’s chairman of the agricultural promotion board. Despite his successful banking career and busy schedule, Hansen always maintained a passion in the Angus industry. He served as the president, secretary and sale manager for the Eastern Iowa Angus Association from 1947 to 1961, and has worked throughout his Angus career to support junior Angus members. He also helped initiate a Tri-County Livestock Judging Contest, now in its 45th year, for 4-H, FFA and interested youth.

Among his many other achievements, Hansen was inducted into Iowa State University’s Agricultural Council Hall of Fame and received the 2007 Lyle Haring Memorial Award from the Iowa State Fair. Today, the Hansens have 700 acres with 90 registered Angus cows, corn, beans and alfalfa. Current partners in the operation are Todd and Bonnie Duckett, now in their 17th year on the farm.

Hansen was initiated by Eta Chapter in 1940.

information courtesy of American Angus Association.

New Hampshire alum's company to appear on hit ABC show

LEE, N.H. -- Nov. 23, 2009 -- New Hampshire alumnus Geoff Carlton’s company, Maximum Velocity, LLC., will be featured in a significant role on ABC’S “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”. The episode airs Nov. 29 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

In late September, Maximum Velocity was asked to participate in the show by transforming a soon-to-be-demolished home into an extreme BMX, inline skating, skateboarding and FMX stunt course. The program was shot at The Marshall Family’s home in Lyme, N.H.

“Within a few hours of arriving on set we’d successfully transformed the Marshall Family’s front yard, back yard and entire house into a skate park. Then host Ty Pennington got a gleam in his eye and the rest is MVST and Extreme Makeover – Home Edition history,” said Carlton.

Maximum Velocity is an action sports company started in 1994 at the University of New Hampshire and is now based in Lee, N.H.  Maximum Velocity performs BMX, inline skating, skateboard and FMX shows and events throughout the world.  The company entertains millions of people for theme parks, half-time shows, corporate parties, the Special Olympics opening ceremony, USOC, state fairs, monster truck shows, FMX shows and festivals.

“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” is currently one of ABC's top-rated series. The show averages almost 16 million viewers worldwide and is hosted by Ty Pennington. The series is devoted to rebuilding families' homes when the family is in need of new hope. 

Carlton was initiated by Omega Chapter in 1994.

Alpha Gamma Rho grieves over recent member death

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Nov. 22, 2009 – Alpha Gamma Rho members mourn the recent death of a Michigan State Chapter member after he was found unresponsive in his room around 5:30 a.m. on Nov. 21, 2009. Law enforcement was notified immediately, and Brian McMillen, age 22, was taken to Sparrow Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The cause of his death is still unknown.

Alpha Gamma Rho Executive Director Phil Josephson expressed the fraternity’s sympathy for McMillen’s family, friends and to all AGR brothers at the Michigan State Chapter. “Brian’s death was a horrific loss, and we extend our sincere condolences to his parents and family. The entire family is in our thoughts and prayers. We will all miss him terribly.”

Based on the initial investigation, there was no wrongdoing or foul play.  There was no chapter social event or party precipitating McMillen’s death. There was no alcohol provided, served or sold by the chapter, according to the fraternity. The chapter, its officers and the university are fully cooperating with the investigation. 

“Brian was a good student, good leader, a very good son and a good AGR brother who will be missed by all who knew him.  We pray God’s blessings on the entire family and others,” Josephson said.

McMillen was initiated by Alpha Gamma Rho’s Tau Chapter in 2005. He was involved in the College of Agricultural and Natural Resources and in the fraternity. McMillen served as the Treasurer of Student Senate for the college, Vice Noble Ruler of Recruitment for AGR for two years and also served as the chapter’s historian.

Delaware alumnus honored for career success

NEWARK, Del. -- Nov. 16, 2009 -- In celebration of the University of Delaware's Homecoming, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources bestowed four of its alumni Distinguished Alumni Awards. It was the second year for the awards, one which went to AGR Daniel Camenga.

Camenga, who received a bachelor's degree in landscape horticulture in 2001 and Master of Science degree in public horticulture administration in 2003, was the interim director of corporate relations at the University of Rochester (N.Y.) at the time of his nomination. There he was responsible for facilitating corporate engagements across the university to strengthen corporate philanthropy and assist in other mutually beneficial relationships between the university and industry.

Camenga joined the University of Rochester in 2007 as associate director of corporate relations.

Upon his graduation from UD in 2003, Camenga served as the deputy operating officer for Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion in Canandaigua, N.Y., In just over two years, he contributed to the comprehensive effort that transitioned the historic site from impending foreclosure with a $1.4 million debt to long-term security and a positive balance sheet.

He then became associate director of the Rochester Housing Council, where he managed a team of employees in landlord-tenant mediation and homeownership assistance and led fundraising initiatives.

Camenga received a master of business administration degree from the University of Rochester in 2007.

He continues to support the Beta Upsilon Chapter, where he was initiated in 1998.He has often returned to UD to share his post-graduation experiences with students in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.

The CANR Distinguished Alumni Award is presented at Homecoming each year to three individuals based upon the nominees' record of outstanding career accomplishments, service and leadership, and community service activities, especially as associated with the University of Delaware.

information courtesy of the University of Delaware.

Ohio State alum takes top spot at ad agency

Pemberville, Ohio -- Nov. 12, 2009 -- Ohio State alumnus Robert M. McClelland  joins Farmer + Yoakam Advertising Agency Ltd., Pemberville, Ohio, as President. McClelland teams up as a managing partner of the fast growing agency with fellow partners, Ohio State alumnus Phillip Farmer and Jason Yoakam.

In making the announcement, McClelland said, “The decision to join this dynamic new agency was an easy one. Since its founding in 2006, Phil and Jason have grown the firm to over a million dollars annual revenue and are on track this fiscal year to substantially surpass that mark. The agency’s wide open thinking and utilization of technology to collaborate with clients for goal-driven results sets us apart as a new generation of communication firms.”

McClelland will lead Farmer + Yoakam overall operations, client development and agency growth initiatives. His nearly 20 years of experience in marketing, communications and professional services has not gone unnoticed to agency founder Philip Farmer: “Having known and worked with Rob before and having watched his many accomplishments, we are confident his leadership will set a successful course for our agency’s continued growth.”

For the past 10 years, McClelland as Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, has been instrumental in the founding and growth of Adayana, Inc., a $55 million global human capital development and learning services company. Prior, his diverse background includes key roles at Ciba-Geigy (now Syngenta), Meyocks & Priebe Advertising and BroadVision.

He is a 1992 graduate of The Ohio State University and currently resides in Germantown, Md., with his wife, Shelly, and their five children. He was initiated by Beta Chapter in 1991 and Farmer was initiated by Beta Chapter in 1989.

Farmer + Yoakam offices are located in Pemberville, Ohio (near Toledo) with operating locations in Minneapolis and Washington, DC. Farmer + Yoakam is an integrated, technology-focused marketing communications agency built upon wide open thinking and is focused on serving clients dedicated to the business and life of rural America.

information courtesy of Farmer + Yoakam.

Auburn alum's cattle company captures national award

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Nov. 9, 2009 -- It was soon after the Crash of ’29 that Fleet Hollinger saw a good portion of his income head South as his tenant farmers packed up and went looking for jobs in the Mobile shipyards.

“He didn’t know what to do,” said Auburn alumnus Leo Hollinger, recounting a long-ago conversation with his grandfather. “The only thing he knew to do was to fence off some of that cotton land, plant some winter grazing and buy some little steers. He wound up sending all three boys to college, including one to veterinary school.”

But the story doesn’t end there. More than eight decades after Fleet’s own economic stimulus decision, Hollinger Cattle Co. has captured the 2009 National Stocker Award, recognizing the Wilcox County farm now owned by Leo and wife Jeannie Hollinger as the nation’s top stocker cattle operation for its efficiency, innovation and management.

Sponsored by BEEF magazine and Elanco Animal Health, the four-year-old competition awards $5,000 cash to the winner along with expense-paid trips to the annual Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio and the BEEF Quality Summit in St. Joseph, Mo.

More importantly, however, the competition highlights the importance of the stocker industry — an often-misunderstood segment of the cattle industry that requires risk management, timing, flexibility and preparation.

For the Hollingers, that means taking freshly weaned calves too lightweight for the feed yard, grazing or feeding them through the fall and winter for peak gain, and carefully managing their health before shipping them to a feedlot for finishing.

“Feedlots don’t have time to wean calves, and they don’t have time to treat sick calves,” Leo Hollinger said. “They are willing to pay that labor bill and that vet bill if they know the calves they are getting are well-managed. They don’t want problems. They are in the business of feeding cattle, and they want calves that are ready to start eating.”

“Most of the calves weaned in the United States are not ready to go to the feed yard at that point in time,” he said. “Somebody has to be the shock absorber to take this flood of cattle in the fall, and get them ready to be put on feed in a way that the feedlots can also, hopefully, make some money and produce an orderly fashion of beef.”

Nominated for the award by Dr. Don Ball, a forage specialist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the Hollingers entered two groups of cattle — one of 854 heifers and another of 179 steers — in the fall-winter grazing division of the competition.

As one of three finalists selected by a team of independent judges, the Hollingers had to submit detailed profit metrics for the calves, a process that Leo said took 40 to 50 hours to complete. Profitability figures accounted for 60 percent of the judging, and required exhaustive tracking of expenses.

“One thing about it was that it gave Leo a much better idea of what was going on with the business,” said Jeannie, a retired Extension specialist whose main job is bookkeeping and weighing the cattle in truckload lots. “It was like a self study. He had to do a lot of looking back.” Leo said it was particularly eye-opening to discover that 63 percent of his total gain went to expenses unrelated to feed or grass, things like veterinary medicines, labor, interest, commissions, marketing fees, transportation, death loss, etc.

Read more at AlfaFarmers.org

K-State alumnus inducted into Meat Industry Hall of Fame

CHICAGO, Nov. 3, 2009 -- One AGR out of 21 industry legends was inducted as a charter member into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame. Kansas State alumnus Dell Allen was recognized as an outstanding business steward because of his dedication to the meat industry.

Along with the inductions during a formal ceremony at Chicago's Union League Club, an endowed scholarship fund was announced in honor of Allen. The scholarship was created by Intervet-Schering Lough Animal Health to fund graduate studies in animal science at Kansas State.

"Dell Allen's dedication and service to the industry will inspire many more students to follow his footsteps," said Dr. David Hayes of Intervet.

The Meat Industry Hall of Fame was created to be a repository of that history and a shrine to the leaders and legends who vision, skill and dedication shaped and sustained the meat industry as the leading sector of food production.

After receiving his Ph.D. in Animal Husbandry, Allen taught courses in animal and carcass evaluation and coached the K-State Meats Judging Team at Kansas State. One of his most important and proudest contributions from those days remains the young people he has attracted to the profession, many of whom are now in positions of leadership.

He then moved on as Vice President of Technical Services and Food Safety at Excel Corp., part of the Cargill organization. There he was responsible for coordinating Total Quality Management and training programs company-wide, as well as quality assurance for beef and pork. He served as Food Safety Coordinator for the entire Cargill Meat Sector, and his dedication to bringing meat science and the meat business together greatly benefited his company and the entire industry.

Today, Allen is retired but remains a familiar face at many industry events and a formidable voice for improving the quality and safety of America's meat supply.

Allen was initiated by Alpha Zeta Chapter in 1959.

information courtesy of Meat Industry Hall of Fame.

AGR receives lifetime achievement award for advancing vet medicine

PHILADELPHIA -- Oct. 26, 2009 -- In 2001, he took the pledge to live the AGR Promise. Demonstrated through his 50-plus year career, industry professionals are now recognizing and rewarding him for his accomplishments, which have also proven to be consistent with the AGR Promise and Values.

The Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association has presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to Wisconsin-Madison AGR Harry Rozmiarek, DVM, PhD, director of laboratory animal medicine at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Rozmiarek was recognized for a lifetime of dedicated service to the advancement of veterinary medicine, animal health and welfare, and laboratory animal medicine during his vast and unparalleled career.

"We are fortunate to have someone of Harry Rozmiarek’s caliber administering our laboratory animal facilities," said Jeff Boyd PhD, Fox Chase’s chief scientific officer. "His wealth of experience and his keen scientific mind has enabled him to make great progress in expanding and modernizing our facilities, which serve as the engine for almost our entire research operation."

Rozmiarek earned his veterinary degree from Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 1962 and has had a lifelong career as a veterinarian, starting with 20 years on active duty with the US Army Veterinary Corps. By the time he retired from the Army as Colonel in 1983, he was Board certified in Laboratory Animal Medicine, had completed his master’s and residency in laboratory animal medicine, earned his doctorate in immunology from Ohio State and was elected national President of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science.

While in the Army, he served as veterinarian to a number of presidents. In addition, Rozmiarek was the consultant for laboratory animal medicine to the Surgeon General of the Army and was the first Army veterinarian to be awarded the "A" professional designator in laboratory animal medicine. Upon his retirement from the Army, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and the Commander’s Award from the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases.

Not only has he created a successful career for himself, he inspired a pursuit of academic excellence through several programs he established. Following three years at Ohio State, Rozmiarek joined the University of Pennsylvania in 1987 as University Veterinarian. He established Penn’s University Laboratory Animal Resources program of centralized animal care and use and served as its first director where he fostered lifelong personal development through innovative educational and leadership opportunities. He also established and directed a formal training program for veterinarians in Laboratory Animal Medicine. He received grant support from the NIH for laboratory animal medicine training, facilities improvement, and comparative medicine research at the University of Pennsylvania during this time and was elected President of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine.

As an accomplished scientist, he has also engaged others in professional development and has promoted lifelong career success. Rozmiarek has authored more than 60 scientific publications and presentations throughout his career, publishing extensively in the fields of immunology, toxicology, virology, infectious disease, and laboratory animal management and husbandry.

He spent one sabbatical with the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the Legislative Office for Research Liaison and continues to serve as the Chair of their Science and Medicine Committee, and another sabbatical as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Cambridge in England studying laboratory animal welfare. Rozmiarek received an honorary academic degree from the University of Pennsylvania and was awarded Professor Emeritus recognition upon his retirement in 2007. He is also a visiting Professor of Laboratory Animal Medicine for the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.

Rozmiarek was appointed by the National Research Council in 2003 as the national representative from the United States to the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science, and currently serves on the ICLAS Governing Board. He serves on the Scientific Advisory Committee for malaria vaccine development for the US Agency for International Development, is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation for Laboratory Animal Care International, and on the Board of Directors of Public Responsibility for Medicine and Research. The American Veterinary Medical Association awarded him its 1996 Charles River Prize for distinguished contributions to laboratory animal medicine, the AALAS awarded him their prestigious Griffin Award in 1995, and in 1983 he received the AALAS Research Award. In addition to his work at Fox Chase, he continues to consult actively with industry, academia and the government on laboratory animal medicine management and facility construction projects.

Now retired, Rozmiarek has not only proven his deserving of the Lifetime Achievement Award, but that he continues to Live the Alpha Gamma Rho Promise each day along the way.

Rozmiarek was initiated by Iota Chapter in 2001.

information courtesy of Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Cornell alumnus honored with outstanding leadership award

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. -- Oct. 26, 2009 -- Cornell alumnus Lawrence J. Van De Valk, director of the Empire State Food and Agricultural Leadership Institute (LEAD New York) was recently honored by the International Association of Programs for Agricultural Leadership (IAPAL) with their Outstanding Leadership Program Director award. 

"Several other IAPAL program directors and countless agricultural leadership program participants are AGR alumni," noted Van De Valk. "Leadership development is a lifelong journey, and our (IAPAL) programs can be viewed as a continuation of the leadership journey that may begin with initiation in AGR. I know that my time as a Zeta brother at Cornell was my introduction to leadership development. If you are not familiar with the agricultural leadership development program in your state, I would encourage any AGR alumnus to look into this outstanding continuing professional leadership development opportunity." 

IAPAL is a consortium of agricultural and rural leadership development programs in nearly 40 U.S. states and Canadian provinces, and several other countries including Australia, New Zealand and Scotland. More information and a directory of other programs can be found at: www.iapal.net. Van De Valk is the 11th director to receive the organization's highest award. Selection of the recipient is based on creativity, leadership, vision, integrity and program quality. The award is sponsored by Dr. L.S. Bill and Polly Pope of College Station, Texas. Dr. Pope was previously director of the Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership (TALL) Program.

Van De Valk, initiated by Zeta Chapter in 1985, is a senior extension associate in the department of education, at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. He has served as director of the LEAD New York Program since 2001 and is a graduate of class 6 of the program. He was awarded the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service in 2006 and previously served as professor in the Agricultural Engineering Technology Department at SUNY Cobleskill.

information courtesy of LEAD New York.

Hall of Fame member demonstrates lifelong involvement to his college through major gift

AMES, Iowa -- Oct. 26, 2009 -- To demonstrate lifelong involvement in the colleges and universities we call home, AGR Hall of Fame member has made a major gift for Iowa State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Marvin and his wife, Janice, Walter have donated a major gift to Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The couple have pledged $1.5 million toward the construction of a new $7 million state-of-the-art agriculture pavilion facility. The pavilion will enhance animal interaction education and outreach in animal agriculture and is scheduled to be built south of campus on land currently used by the department of animal science’s equine program.

The agriculture pavilion will include a 125-by-250-foot arena with seating for 1,000 people. The arena will be an ideal location for students to gain valuable experience through interactions with animals, including courses, agricultural judging and skills competitions. The arena is also well suited for hosting short courses, training sessions, and livestock, dog and equestrian shows.

The all-weather heated pavilion, with its arena, classrooms and animal holding areas, will serve a broad array of multiple teaching and public events involving many different animal species. Four energy-efficient classrooms accommodating up to 35 people each will be constructed beneath the arena seating area.

“The agriculture pavilion will provide us with a much-needed facility to hold indoor courses in a high-quality learning environment,” said Wendy Wintersteen, Iowa State’s Endowed Dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “The pavilion will also provide an inviting environment for recruiting young people who are interested in learning more about the diverse career opportunities in animal agriculture and related fields. It will allow us to showcase a diverse set of activities and events, especially those that make compelling statements about the promising future in animal agriculture and related fields.”

“My family and I are pleased to lend support for this very important initiative,” Marv Walter said. “For far too many years, young Iowa State animal science students have needed a facility like this to further their hands-on skills with livestock. To be competitive with other land-grant institutions, a laboratory and classrooms of this quality are badly needed. We are glad to help kick off this effort and invite others to join us.”

A 1962 animal science graduate of Iowa State, Walter also holds a master’s degree in animal science from the university. He is the president and owner of Dayton Road Development Corporation and founded Carriage House Meat & Provision Co. Inc., W and G Marketing, Ames Processed Foods, Webster City Custom Meats, Walter & Associates and other agriculture-related small businesses. He was initiated by Eta Chapter in 1959 and named a Hall of Fame member in 2008 at the AGR National Convention.

A past member of the ISU Foundation Board of Directors, Walter is an ISU Foundation Governor and a past president of the ISU Alumni Association Board of Directors. He is the recipient of both the Alumni Medal and the Alumni Merit Award from the ISU Alumni Association and the Floyd Andre Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The Walters have a lifetime of involvement with Iowa State and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Janice spent a number of years working in the office of then Dean Floyd Andre in the College of Agriculture. It was during this time that she and Marv met and were married. Janice has been an active volunteer in many organizations in Ames. The Walters have two daughters, Allyson and Stacy, who are Iowa State graduates.

This gift is part of Campaign Iowa State: With Pride and Purpose, the university’s $800 million fundraising effort. More than $715 million in gifts and future commitments for facilities and student, faculty and programmatic support have been made to Campaign Iowa State.

information courtesy of Iowa State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Wisconsin-Madison alum takes top spot at National Dairy Shrine

FORT ATKINSON, Wis. -- Oct. 26, 2009 -- The associate editor of Hoard's Dairyman magazine has been elected president of the National Dairy Shrine. During the organization's 60th annual meeting, Wisconsin-Madison alumnus Corey Geiger was elected to the post, in which he becomes the leader of the 18-member board.

Geiger has served as associate editor for the publication since 1995, where he is responsible for a variety of regular columns and coordinates the popular Round Table series and Annual Cow Judging Contest. He also served as an advisor to the Young Dairy Leaders Institute; board member and president of the Wisconsin Holstein Association; newsletter editor and fundraiser for Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity's Iota Chapter; and instructor at Badger Dairy Camp.

During the past year, the organization also added 469 new members to bring the membership roles to 17,600 members from across the U.S. and Canada. And the NDS presented over $40,000 in scholarships to 28 outstanding young people.

Geiger was initiated by Iota in 1991.

information courtesy of Wisconsin Ag Connection.

Two AGR undergrads selected for Wisconsin-Madison homecoming court

MADISON, Wis. -- Oct. 22, 2009 -- The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) was well represented on the 2009 University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Homecoming Court with two AGR undergraduates on the 10-person court. Alex Newman and Andrew Mulrooney were selected to the Badger Homecoming Court based on their academic achievements, campus activities and their community involvement.

Their selection is a great honor given the fact there are 2,439 undergraduate students in CALS and 28,692 undergraduate students on the entire UW campus. Both members were shown at the end of the parade route a day prior to the Homecoming game at Camp Randall.

Newman is a senior majoring in genetics. He hopes to attend medical school to become either a pediatrician or clinical geneticist. He maintains a 3.84 grade point average. On campus, the Menomonee Falls, Wis., native is the Philanthropy and Sponsorship Co-Chair for UW-Humorology. In addition, he is Secretary of CALS Ambassadors and is a Nursing Unit Volunteer at Meriter Hospital.

Mulrooney is a senior majoring in ag business management. He recently has accepted a job from Ecolab in its food and beverage division. The Bagley, Wis., native currently serves as Noble Ruler of Iota Chapter. Mulrooney also serves as a CALS Ambassador and is an employee at the UW Meat Science Lab.

Both Newman and Mulrooney were initiated by Iota in 2006.

Wisconsin-Platteville alum named director of ag sales

FORT ATKINSON, Wis. -- Oct. 22, 2009 -- Wisconsin-Platteville alumnus Chuck Miller has been named Director of Agricultural Sales at Nasco, a Fort Atkinson, Wis., based mail-order company.

As Director of Agricultural Sales, Miller will be in charge of the sales of farm supplies and equipment for Nasco’s Farm & Ranch catalog and agricultural teaching aids for Nasco’s Agricultural Sciences catalog, be involved in product and vendor selection for both catalogs, represent Nasco at conventions and meetings throughout the country and work to develop new proprietary items to be sold under the Nasco label.

Prior to coming to Nasco, Miller worked for 26 years at Alta Genetics in Watertown, Wis., with his most recent position being Senior Manager and Director of Distribution. Miller has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville where he was initiated by Beta Gamma Chapter in 1973.

Originally born and raised on a dairy farm near Oshkosh, Wis., Miller currently lives in Cottage Grove, Wis., with his wife Cheri. He is currently a member of the National Dairy Shrine and the Holstein Association, and is a past member of the Wisconsin Purebred Dairy Cattle Association. Miller has also served on the World Dairy Expo Board of Directors.

Nasco International, a division of the Aristotle Corporation, publishes over 25 different mail-order catalogs serving education, health, agriculture, and industry worldwide. The Aristotle Corporation has facilities located in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin; Modesto, California; Otterbein, Indiana; Saugerties, New York; Plymouth, Minnesota; Fort Collins, Colorado; Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin; and Newmarket, Ontario, Canada.

information courtesy of Nasco.

Grand President initiated into Sigma Alpha Sorority

INDIANAPOLIS -- Oct. 21, 2009 -- Larry Warren, Grand President of Alpha Gamma Rho, was recently activated as an Honorary Member of Sigma Alpha Sorority, during its 2009 Founder's Breakfast held in Indianapolis on Oct.17, 2009.
 
"Sigma Alpha Sorority is proud to have Mr. Warren as our newest member'" said Lisa Campion, National Board President. "He has always shown great support of our sorority and our members, and has been a welcomed guest at our last two National Conventions." 
 
Sigma Alpha was founded Jan. 26, 1978, at The Ohio State University so that women could come together to support and promote one another in the field of agriculture. Since its inception, Sigma Alpha has become a national organization with over 50 chapters at universities throughout the United States.
 
The sorority promotes professional development and fellowship for women planning careers in the agriculture industry. Its members strive for achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. Chapters are involved in a variety of community and collegiate programs and activities. In addition, the Sigma Alpha National Alumni Association provides for further professional and personal development following graduation. The women of Sigma Alpha are making their mark in agriculture everyday.

Colorado State alumnus named Fellow of Wildlife Society

MONTEREY, Calif. -- Oct. 16, 2009 -- Colorado State alumnus Dr. Robert D. Brown, dean of the NC State University College of Natural Resources was recognized as a Fellow of The Wildlife Society (TWS) at the Society's 2009 annual meeting.  The career award recognized Brown’s contributions to science and to The Wildlife Society. 

After receiving a B.S. and Ph.D in animal nutrition, Brown served on the faculty of Texas A&I University in Kingsville and then as a research scientist for the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at that institution. Brown’s research focused on the development of antler growth in deer as a model for osteoporosis in elderly humans and on comparative wildlife nutrition and physiology. He has published over 120 articles and has edited three books on such species as White-tailed, Axis and Sika deer, Nilgai antelope, Javalina and Bobwhite quail, as well as on higher education and conservation policy.

In addition to his research and classroom teaching, Brown has served as Head of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries at Mississippi State University and the Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Department at Texas A&M University. There he also served as Director of the Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IRNR) and Coordinator of the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit.  

Brown served The Wildlife Society as Southwest Section Representative, then national Vice President, President-Elect, President and Past President. He chaired numerous TWS committees including a successful $3 million fund-raising campaign. He has also been President of the National Association of University Fisheries and Wildlife Programs, Chair of their Section on Fish and Wildlife and their Board on Natural Resources and Chair of the External Review Panel of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. He has served on the Board of the Texas Nature Conservancy and in an advisory capacity to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. 

In 2006, Brown was appointed Dean of the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University, where he also serves on the Board of the North Carolina Forestry Association, the North Carolina Forestry Council and the Center for Paper Business and Industry Science at Georgia Tech. He was initiated by Rho Chapter in 1966.

information courtesy of NC State.

Kansas State alumnus named VP at Beef Association

DENVER -- Oct. 9, 2009 -- Industry veteran and Kansas State alumnus Todd Johnson has been tapped as the new vice president of Owner-Member Services at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). Johnson, currently with the Kansas Livestock Association, will join NCBA in January.

NCBA’s producer leaders recently created an organizational strategic plan to better serve members, and NCBA CEO Forrest Roberts subsequently re-aligned staff to better execute the plan, and created the Owner-Member Services department. As its name implies, Owner-Member Services will provide value and services for all types of NCBA’s owner-members, including producer and feeder members, state cattlemen’s affiliates and state beef councils. Johnson will lead the team and will also serve on NCBA’s senior leadership team.

Johnson comes to NCBA with a wealth of experience. In 1995, Johnson joined the staff at NCBA affiliate Kansas Livestock Association (KLA), and until 2004 he coordinated membership recruitment efforts and worked as part of the government relations team. In 2004, Johnson joined the staff of the Kansas Beef Council as executive director. Prior to KLA, he worked at the American Hereford Association as director of youth activities.

Johnson was raised on a commercial cow/calf and backgrounding operation in Central Kansas, and holds a degree in Agricultural Economics and Animal Sciences from Kansas State University. He remains engaged in the family farm with his parents and brother. 

“NCBA always seeks and engages the best talent in the business and Todd is no exception,” said NCBA CEO Forrest Roberts. “His beef industry background and association experience will make a direct and immediate impact on the key leadership role he is taking within his new team. I am confident that he will lead this team to quick and efficient execution of our volunteer leaders’ strategic plan and provide excellent and innovative value to our owner-members.”

Johnson was initiated by Alpha Zeta Chapter in 1990.

information courtesy of National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

North Dakota State Chapter breaks ground for house renovations

Auburn alum campaigns for Alabama Ag Commissioner

JASPER, Ala. -- Oct. 6, 2009 -- Auburn alumnus Dorman Grace has a proven record of success in Alabama agriculture. A third-generation farmer, he’s dedicated to providing a safe, economical and environmentally friendly food supply to consumers. He is now taking his agricultural experience to run for Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture.

The Commissioner’s office is responsible for regulating farms and conducting food safety inspections in Alabama. The Commissioner can help create jobs by developing new markets for Alabama farm products. However, the Commissioner’s job is not just limited to agriculture. The Commissioner protects consumers by verifying the accuracy of the produce scale at your local grocery store and the gasoline pumps at your neighborhood gas station. The Commissioner oversees the inspection of pesticides and regulates those who treat homes and businesses for termites. The Commissioner preserves the Alabama way of life by protecting consumers, the environment, wildlife, farms, rural areas and small towns. 

Grace began his career on the family farm in 1978 after earning a degree in agriculture from Auburn University. He and his wife, Susan, are now sole owners of Grace Farms focusing on poultry, cattle and timber. 

With roots in the poultry business, Grace is an advocate for the industry through his involvement in numerous organizations. He is a former Director and past President of the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association. The Grace family was named “Alabama Poultry and Egg Association Farm Family of the Year” in 1990 and 2009. He was a Gold Kist “Top Producer” in 1990-1991.

Through his leadership in the Alabama 4-H Foundation, Grace was involved in the development of the Environmental Science Education Center completed in 2007. The Center houses the Coosa River Science School program which will prepare Alabama youth and educators in protecting and enhancing the environment. 4-H is the largest out of school youth organization in the U.S. with 58,000 Alabama youth members representing every county in the state.

A member of Jasper's First Baptist Church where he previously served as Chairman of the Deacons, Grace has taught seventh grade boys Sunday school for 20 years. He is a graduate of the Leadership Walker County Program. Grace and his wife are the proud parents of two sons – Cade, 21, who is studying horticulture at Auburn University, and Judson, 18, currently a student at Bevill State Community College planning to transfer to Auburn University to pursue an agribusiness degree.

Grace was initiated by Xi in 1976.

information courtesy of DormanGrace.com

Oregon State alumnus named CEO of Agricultural Retailers Association

WASHINGTON D.C. -- Oct. 5, 2009 -- The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA), the voice of the agricultural retail and distribution industry, has named Oregon State alumnus Daren Coppock as the organization’s new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Coppock is an experienced association leader with deep ties to the agricultural community having been raised on a farm in Oregon and serving as an advocate for production agriculture for the past decade. He joins ARA from the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) where he served as the organization’s CEO since July of 2001.

“Daren’s history of leadership, strong communications skills and previous experience serving as a voice for agriculture on the Hill and with federal agencies, combined with the experience, abilities and commitment of our current ARA staff will make for a very strong team and bright future for our association,” said ARA Chairman Ken Manning, vice president of the Pacific Intermountain region with Wilbur-Ellis Company.

While Coppock served as NAWG’s CEO, the association scored a number of policy achievements including significant progress toward making the introduction of biotech wheat; successfully defending the direct payment in the 2008 Farm Bill negotiations; and advancing discussions to ease rail transportation concerns. He also managed an extensive renovation of the building that the NAWG Foundation owns on Capitol Hill, which houses NAWG and four outside tenants. Prior to joining NAWG, Coppock held key positions with the Oregon Wheat Growers League including executive vice president and member services director. 

“I look forward to joining the team at ARA as we tackle some important agricultural challenges on behalf of agricultural retailers,” said Coppock. “I’m impressed by the leadership of the organization and eager to get out and meet some of the members in the coming months.”

Beginning on Nov. 1, Coppock will begin transitioning from his current position with NAWG to ARA and will be working full time for ARA by Jan. 1, 2010. He is filling the position vacated by ARA’s former President and CEO Jack Eberspacher, who passed away in July after a brief battle with cancer. 

The national search for ARA’s new president and chief executive officer was successfully conducted by Pete Metzger the vice chairman of the global executive search firm CT Partners.

Coppock was initiated by Alpha Beta in 1986.

information courtesy of AgriMarketing.

Florida alumnus to run for Florida Ag Commissioner

BARTOW, Fla. -- Oct. 1, 2009 -- Congressman Adam H. Putnam has represented the people of Florida's 12th District in the U.S. House of Representatives since January 2001, when at the age of 26 he became one of the youngest members of Congress in history. Today, no longer the youngest, he has served in his party's leadership and is a member of the Committee on Financial Services, which oversees all components of the nation’s housing and financial services sectors.

In February of this year, Florida alumnus Putnam declared his candidacy for the office of Commissioner of Agriculture in the 2010 election. While running his campaign for Commissioner of Agriculture, he will complete his fifth term as Congressman of the Twelfth Congressional District.

If elected, Putnam will be a member of the Cabinet that sits on the board of Financial Services Commission, which oversees the Office of Insurance, Banking and Securities. The Cabinet also overseas the Division of Bond Finance, Electrical Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Board,  the Department of Revenue, Department of Law Enforcement among others.

As Ag Commissioner, Putnam plans to seek to ensure Florida and its bond rating remains in the best shape as citizens seek their way back from a down economy. He will take a leading role to help state banks survive and will encourage energy companies to utilize alternate energy so there won’t be any dependence on foreign sources of energy.

Other duties of Ag Commissioner include coordinating and assisting port security with the Federal Government as well as the USDA, handling consumer complaints for Florida citizens, registering entities that sell business opportunities, managing almost one million acres of state forest, inspecting feed, seed, fertilizer and pesticides among others.

A fifth generation Floridian, Putnam brings to Capitol Hill the common sense values he learned growing up in a farming family. He has led improvements to a wide array of laws affecting Floridians, ranging from agriculture and children to small business and social security. During his time in Congress, Putnam has served as a member of the committees on Agriculture, Budget, Government Reform and the powerful committee on Rules. In 2003, Putnam was selected to lead the subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Census, making him the youngest subcommittee chairman since World War II. In that post, he worked to reduce the risk of cyberterrorism and was responsible for legislation that strengthened federal computer security.

For the 110th Congress (2007-2008), Putnam's peers selected him to chair the Republican Conference, his party's third highest leadership post. Previously he had served as Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, another leadership post. He declined to seek reelection to the Conference Chairmanship for the 111th Congress, saying he wanted to focus more closely on issues important to Florida and to have the latitude to forge bipartisan consensus on policy matters where possible. Putnam describes one of his goals as helping to “turn the lights back on in the Idea Factory. We can’t just say ‘no,’ we have to provide constructive ideas to move the nation forward.”

Florida’s 12th District is composed of most of Polk County and portions of Hillsborough and Osceola counties. Positioned along the I-4 Corridor, the district reflects the economic and cultural diversity the Sunshine State. Here are rapidly changing communities near the major metropolitan areas of Tampa and Orlando, as well as cattle ranches, citrus groves and small towns that still evoke Old Florida.

Putnam was born in the heart of the 12th District, in the city of Bartow in 1974. There, he graduated from Bartow High School and went on to the University of Florida, where he graduated with his bachelor’s degree in economics. After graduating from UF he returned to work in his family’s citrus and cattle operation and won election to the Florida House of Representatives, where he served from 1996-2000. Today, Putnam, his wife, Melissa, and their four children reside in Bartow, Fla. He was initiated by Alpha Gamma in 1992.

Tenn-Knoxville alumnus wins prestigious business award

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. – Sept. 30, 2009 – A 35-year Dale Carnegie Training franchise owner who began his career by organizing classes for college students at the University of Tennessee has been awarded the Dorothy Carnegie Award for outstanding contributions to the company.

Tennessee-Knoxville alumnus Glyn Ed Newton, a part-time resident of Lebanon and only the fourth person in the company’s history to win the award, began his career after graduation. The award is named for the late Dorothy (Mrs. Dale) Carnegie who is credited with taking the company world-wide after her husband began the training in 1912 as a public speaking course for businessmen.

Newton, a native of Lawrence County, Tenn., was attracted to the company after he took the Dale Carnegie course as a high school student in Lawrenceburg, where he won awards in public speaking contests.

“The Dale Carnegie business has provided me with an opportunity to hire and develop people and to achieve measurable results for organizations and individuals. Seeing people develop potential has been a rewarding experience,” Newton said.

Newton is married to the former Lynda Leftwich of Lebanon. They have residences in Lebanon and in Knoxville. He was a member of the Lebanon/Wilson County Chamber of Commerce, and he and his wife are members of Lebanon First Unite Methodist Church.

“It was gratifying to be a part of a business where one can see immediate results from people who are involved in our training,” he said. “Lynda and I were also attracted to the family friendliness of the company.”

His history in sales dates back to the early 1960s. While an agriculture major at UT, he began selling Bibles and dictionaries for the Southwestern Company in Nashville to pay his college tuition and expenses. It was through this experience that his potential in business became apparent.

“Some of my ag experience at UT was great business training, but spending four summers working with Southwestern opened my eyes to other possibilities, and I began to shift my focus to entrepreneurship,” he said.

He began his Carnegie career in Knoxville, subsequently moving to Montgomery, Ala., to buy the South Alabama Carnegie franchise in 1975. He expanded his operations to include franchises in parts of Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia, Kentucky and Middle and East Tennessee.

In addition to his Carnegie, he served on the board of directors for the Mobile, Ala. Chamber of Commerce, was regional vice president for AGR and served on the boards of several companies.

For nearly 40 years, he has been a part of Lebanon business community where his company office was once located and where he owns business property.

Newton was initiated by Alpha Kappa in 1964.

information courtesy of The Lebanon Democrat.

New Hampshire alumnus turns to milking his own profits

MILFORD, N.H. -- Sept. 21, 2009 -- One of the few dairy farms left in the Nashua area has taken to selling its most recognizable product directly to consumers. New Hampshire alumnus Walker Fitch's farm in Milford is now selling "raw milk" – that is, milk that hasn't been heated to kill bacteria, in the process known as pasteurization – at its farm stand. It also is selling beef from its own cows.

The current state of the milk market, which has seen prices plummet to the point that New England states are looking at ways to support their dairy farms, prompted the fifth-generation farm to branch out.

"They're paying us 50 percent less for our milk" than a few years ago, Fitch's father, David, said. "We're eliminating the middleman. We need to make a living."

Jugs of the milk are available only at Fitch's Corner Farm Stand, at the corner of North River Road and Lyndeborough Center Road, north of the Souhegan River in west Milford.

To sell the milk in other places would require a whole new set of licenses from the state Department of Agriculture, the Fitches said.

"It would be nice if we could supply all of the local vendors, but that is for the future," said Walker Fitch. "We are trying to see if there's a market out there for it."

The topic of raw milk is controversial.

The federal Food and Drug Administration frowns on unpasteurized dairy products because the heating process in pasteurization kills bacteria that can be dangerous. Its Web site says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found "more than 800 people in the United States have gotten sick from drinking raw milk or eating cheese made from raw milk" in the last decade.

Advocates of raw milk, however, say that pasteurization also removes some of the healthy bacteria and much of the taste, and that the benefits of properly handled raw milk outweigh the risks.

A national push, called Campaign for Real Milk, has been trying to get states to loosen regulation and make it easier for farms to sell raw milk.

In New Hampshire, this debate led to a clash between state law, which says stores can sell raw milk, and food protection rules, which say that only farms can sell it. The state law eventually overrode the rules, so in theory, raw milk can be sold almost anywhere.

Currently, the state's Food Protection Section lists nine places that hold milk sanitation licenses to sell more than five gallons of raw milk a day, either from cows or goats, or other unpasteurized dairy products such as cheese.

Many other places in the state sell raw dairy products, however, including very small operations with a few animals to large dairies that sell only a small amount, often limited to friends. One Web site lists 30 places that sell raw milk or dairy products in New Hampshire.

In a way, the new Fitch business is a return to the family past. Fitch's great uncle, John, "used to have a milk route, delivered milk with a horse and wagon back in the '30s," he said.

The Fitches are milking about 100 cows and are one of few dairy farms left in the region.

The flavor of raw milk is a little different from the pasteurized variety and it takes a little getting used to.

"But once you use it, you don't want to go back," David Fitch said.

Since the milk isn't homogenized, the cream separates from the milk in the bottle, providing some real coffee creamer

The farm is also selling beef from its own cows.

"When we decided to get into it, we found a butcher who is approved" by the United States Department of Agriculture, Walker Fitch said. "People are getting concerned about what is in their food, growth hormones and antibiotics. We don't have any of that. It's amazing how times have changed – it's like going back (in time). My grandfather talked about when everybody had their own cows and chickens and gardens," he said.

These days, few people have cows, but many now have gardens and a small flock of chickens is getting more popular.

"What it comes down to," Walker Fitch said, "is people are sick of what's in the stores. They come here to get fresh produce."

Walker was initiated by Omega in 1993.

information courtesy of Nashua Telegraph

Colorado State alum joins online auction company

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Sept. 18, 2009 – Purple Wave Auction, an online auction firm, announced Colorado State alumnus Wayne Graffis joined the company’s business development department and will focus on Purple Wave’s expansion in the agriculture equipment market.

“Due to our continued success with our no reserve, online auction model, we are pleased to be able to bring quality people on to the team,” said Purple Wave CEO Jerrod Westfahl (Kansas State, ’93), “Graffis brings exceptional professional experience to the table that is consistent with Purple Wave’s commitment to growing customer base.”

With over 25 years of experience in agricultural finance, Graffis owned and managed Capital Resources Funding Group, Inc. providing services to commercial banks in 10 states as well as work with Farm Credit and commercial banking.  Graffis earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State in Vocational Agricultural Education and was initiated by Rho Chapter in 1974.

In spring 2009, Purple Wave Auction began concentrating on vehicles, heavy, construction and agriculture equipment online auctions.  Compared to the last year, Purple Wave’s 2009 sales volume in the agricultural, construction and heavy equipment asset categories has more than doubled that of the prior year.

“We have been very fortunate with the growth we’ve seen over the past several months,” said Westfahl.  “With Graffis on our team, we hope to continue Purple Wave’s success in bringing value to our customers.”

Other AGR alumni at Purple Wave include company founder Aaron McKee (Kansas State, ’91), Director of Equipment Auction Division Doug Regehr (Kansas State, ’93) and Operations Manager Michael Braun (Kansas State, ’93).

Prevent flu outbreak by adapting healthy tips 

As the weather cools, coughs and colds tend to fill the air and flu season typically begins. However, with recent outbreaks of the H1N1 virus, flu season seems to be getting an early start this year.

At least one, possibly two, members of Arkansas’ Alpha Iota Chapter have been affected by the virus, according to The Loop, an e-newsletter sent by Larry Ropp, the chapter’s adviser.

Although the chapter is taking cautionary action, AGR believes that by knowing about flu treatment and prevention options, all chapters can be better prepared to face the flu season.

AGR encourages chapters to adapt the specific needs and tips below for effective ways to prevent and treat the H1N1 virus pandemic.

Prevention:

• Get season flu shot at nearby flu clinics or with a hometown doctor.
• Get H1N1 shot when available.
• Wash hands frequently before and after eating, after using the restroom and after coughing or sneezing.
• Use antibacterial gel often.
• Cough/sneeze into a tissue and dispose of tissue. If tissue is not available, cough/sneeze into elbow.
• Frequently clean living quarters, especially common surfaces with antimicrobial products per directions concentrating on phones, door handles, remote controls and computers/work stations.

If ill with flu-like symptoms:

• Contact Noble Ruler, Housemother and Chapter Adviser.
• Contact the Office of Greek Affairs.
• Leave campus and go home to recover if possible.
• Identify area of chapter house where member can reside with little contact with others.
• Provide meal delivery to the member so they are not eating in common areas with healthy members.
• Designate a “sick” bathroom for only members that are ill to utilize. Clean this area regularly.
• Treat symptoms accordingly.
• Rest.
• Designate “flu buddies” for sick members to check-in with every few hours and to bring meals, medicine and other supplies to ill members.
• Those with symptoms should limit interactions with others (except to seek medical care) for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever.
• Do not attend class. Contact faculty members.
• Do not attend work. Contact supervisor.
• Do not require members to come to chapter meetings or other events when ill.
• Contact a medical provider if you experience any of the following symptoms: rapid breathing, shortness of breath, severe or persistent fever, severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea and sudden dizziness or faintness.

Food Service & Preparation:

• Deliver all meals to rooms of members that are ill.
• Encourage members to wash hands or utilize hand sanitizer before and after meals.
• When serving meals family style, members should use their own clean utensil to dish food.
• Waiters/kitchen stewards should be educated on food preparation guidelines.
• Suggested foods to stock: soup, broth, Jell-O, oatmeal, tea, crackers, popsicles, turkey sandwiches.

Household Cleaning/Laundry/Waste Disposal:

• Throw away tissues and other disposable items used by sick people. Wash hands after disposing items.
• Clean common areas utilizing hot, soapy water and household disinfectant per directions.
• Encourage members to clean personal spaces often with the same techniques, especially phones, remote controls and computers.
• Linens, eating utensils and dishes belonging to those who are sick do not need to be cleaned separately, but should not be shared.
• Wash linens using household laundry soap and tumble dry on a hot setting.
• Clean hands after handling dirty laundry.
• Share prevention information with chapter members.

Flu Facts and Information:

Center for Disease Control

World Health Organization

AGR Brother of The Century, Nobel Prize winner dies

DALLAS  -- Sept. 14, 2009 -- Agricultural scientist Norman Borlaug, the father of the "green revolution" who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in combating world hunger and saving hundreds of millions of lives, died Saturday in Texas. He was 95.

Borlaug died just before 11 p.m. Saturday at his home in Dallas from complications of cancer. Borlaug was a distinguished professor at the Texas A&M University in College Station. He was also a 1994 Minnesota honorary initiate and Brother of the Century.

The Nobel committee honored Borlaug in 1970 for his contributions to high-yield crop varieties and bringing other agricultural innovations to the developing world. Many experts credit the green revolution with averting global famine during the second half of the 20th century and saving perhaps 1 billion lives.

Thanks to the green revolution, world food production more than doubled between 1960 and 1990. In Pakistan and India, two of the nations that benefited most from the new crop varieties, grain yields more than quadrupled over the period.

Equal parts scientist and humanitarian, the Iowa-born Borlaug realized improved crop varieties were just part of the answer, and pressed governments for farmer-friendly economic policies and improved infrastructure to make markets accessible. A 2006 book about Borlaug is titled "The Man Who Fed the World."

"He has probably done more and is known by fewer people than anybody that has done that much," said Dr. Ed Runge, retired head of Texas A&M University's Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and a close friend who persuaded Borlaug teach at the school. "He made the world a better place — a much better place. He had people helping him, but he was the driving force."

Borlaug began the work that led to his Nobel in Mexico at the end of World War II. There he used innovative breeding techniques to produce disease-resistant varieties of wheat that produced much more grain than traditional strains. He and others later took those varieties and similarly improved strains of rice and corn to Asia, the Middle East, South America and Africa.

"More than any other single person of his age, he has helped to provide bread for a hungry world," Nobel Peace Prize committee chairman Aase Lionaes said in presenting the award to Borlaug. "We have made this choice in the hope that providing bread will also give the world peace."

During the 1950s and 1960s, public health improvements fueled a population boom in underdeveloped nations, leading to concerns that agricultural systems could not keep up with growing food demand. Borlaug's work often is credited with expanding agriculture at just the moment such an increase in production was most needed.

"We got this thing going quite rapidly," Borlaug told The Associated Press in a 2000 interview. "It came as a surprise that something from a Third World country like Mexico could have such an impact."

His successes in the 1960s came just as books like "The Population Bomb" were warning readers that mass starvation was inevitable.

"Three or four decades ago, when we were trying to move technology into India, Pakistan and China, they said nothing could be done to save these people, that the population had to die off," he said in 2004.

Borlaug often said wheat was only a vehicle for his real interest, which was to improve people's lives.

"We must recognize the fact that adequate food is only the first requisite for life," he said in his Nobel acceptance speech. "For a decent and humane life we must also provide an opportunity for good education, remunerative employment, comfortable housing, good clothing and effective and compassionate medical care."

In Mexico, Borlaug was known both for his skill in breeding plants and for his eagerness to labor in the fields himself, rather than to let assistants do all the hard work.

He remained active well into his 90s, campaigning for the use of biotechnology to fight hunger and working on a project to fight poverty and starvation in Africa by teaching new drought-resistant farming methods.

"We still have a large number of miserable, hungry people and this contributes to world instability," Borlaug said in May 2006 at an Asian Development Bank forum in the Philippines. "Human misery is explosive, and you better not forget that."

Norman Ernest Borlaug was born March 25, 1914, on a farm near Cresco, Iowa, and educated through the eighth grade in a one-room schoolhouse.

"I was born out of the soil of Howard County," he said. "It was that black soil of the Great Depression that led me to a career in agriculture."

He left home during the Great Depression to study forestry at the University of Minnesota. While there he earned himself a place in the university's wrestling hall of fame and met his future wife, whom he married in 1937. Margaret Borlaug died in 2007 at the age of 95.

After a brief stint with the U.S. Forest Service, Norman Borlaug returned to the University of Minnesota for a doctoral degree in plant pathology. He then worked as a microbiologist for DuPont, but soon left for a job with the Rockefeller Foundation. Between 1944 and 1960, Borlaug dedicated himself to increasing Mexico's wheat production.

In 1963, Borlaug was named head of the newly formed International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, where he trained thousands of young scientists.

Borlaug retired as head of the center in 1979 and turned to university teaching, first at Cornell University and then at Texas A&M, which presented him with an honorary doctorate in December 2007.

"You really felt really very privileged to be with him, and it wasn't that he was so overpowering, but he was always on, intellectually always engaged," said Dr. Ed Price, director of A&M's Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture. "He was always onto the issues and wanting to engage and wanting your opinions and thoughts."

In 1986, Borlaug established the Des Moines, Iowa-based World Food Prize, a $250,000 award given each year to a person whose work improves the world's food supply. He also helped found and served as president of the Sasakawa Africa Foundation, an organization funded by Japanese billionaire Ryoichi Sasakawa to introduce the green revolution to sub-Saharan Africa.

In July 2007, Borlaug received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor given by Congress.

Plans for a memorial service to be held at Texas A&M were pending.

information courtesy of Associated Press.

AGR launches newly designed Web site

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Sept. 1, 2009 -- It is with great pleasure that Alpha Gamma Rho announces the launch of the new and improved AGR national Web site and social networking platform developed in partnership with Celect.org (formally Chapter Communications). This new system will allow AGR to integrate and network nearly all of the organization’s online activity.  Most importantly, it will provide online business tools to streamline communication and use the Internet to recruit, connect and reconnect with all Alpha Gamma Rho members and potential members nationwide.

Please login to view the private “members only” section of the site. In the private section, visitors can view private pages, update personal profiles and create/join AGR socially networked online communities called “groups”. The “groups” feature allows visitors to share photos, files, calendar events and blogs with other AGRs nationwide.

Over the next few days there are bound to be a few hitches as Alpha Gamma Rho puts the final touches on the Web site. AGR appreciate any feedback and hopes visitors enjoy discovering the Web site’s unique communication features.

Purdue alumnus selected to serve on Indiana Ag Board

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Aug. 31, 2009 -- Lt. Governor Becky Skillman, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, announced a transition in leadership at the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA). Purdue alumnus Joe Kelsay, a sixth generation dairy and crop farmer, has been selected to serve as the next Indiana Agriculture Director. Later this fall, Kelsay will succeed Anne Hazlett who will then serve as Chief Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry under ranking member U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss.

“Anne’s passion for agriculture helped the State Department of Agriculture surge forward, strengthen partnerships, and set the course for the future,” said Lt. Governor Skillman. “Talent like that doesn’t go unnoticed. Fortunately, in her new position, she will continue to work everyday to allow agriculture to flourish in Indiana and across the country.”

A 1999 graduate of Purdue University in agricultural economics, Kelsay farms full-time with his father and brother in rural Johnson County. In addition to milk production, Joe and his wife Amy operate a farm tour business, Kelsay Farm Tours LLC, which teaches thousands of children and families each year about life on the farm. Beyond his experience in production and business development, Kelsay has held a wide variety of leadership positions in the agriculture industry. He was the Indiana FFA State Vice President from 1995 to 1996. He currently serves as Chairman of the State Young Farmer Committee in Indiana Farm Bureau and is president of the Indiana Professional Dairy Producers. Further, he is a member of the Purdue University Dean of Agriculture’s Advisory Council as well as the ISDA Agriculture Advisory Board.

In his role as the Indiana Agriculture Director, Kelsay will lead the state’s efforts to promote and strengthen the agriculture industry. “I cannot think of a person more suited for this critical leadership role than Joe Kelsay,” Skillman said. “With his zeal for agriculture, proven leadership abilities, and entrepreneurial spirit, Joe will be a tremendous asset for all facets of Indiana agriculture. I am very much looking forward to working with him as we continue to grow the agriculture sector to an even greater piece of our state’s economic revitalization.”

Kelsay will assume his responsibilities in early November upon completion of the 2009 harvest. He was initiated by Delta in 1996.

information courtesy of IN.gov

Chapter succeeds through advocating diversity

Wisconsin is known for one thing besides the Packers, Badgers and beer-dairy. As our vehicle tags indicate, Wisconsin is "America's Dairyland." (Contrary to some commercials and with all due respect to the Golden State, happy cows do not come from California.) I am not a native Wisconsinite, but since moving here last year, I am fully embracing the culture that Wisconsin has to offer. Milk tastes better in Wisconsin and I have developed a newfound love of cheese curds and frozen custard!

Alpha Gamma Rho's Brand Value 8 states that, as an organization, we shall "reflect, value and advocate diversity in our membership and professional lives." Iota Chapter at UW-Madison is an excellent example of how AGR can, and should, adapt to an ever-evolving agriculture. Iota member are not only proud of their recent recognition with the Maynard Coe Chapter Efficiency Award or that they consume the largest volume of milk per capita of any AGR chapter, but Iota is also proud that it has evolved by advocating diversity in its membership.

A chapter consisting predominantly of dairy science majors since being chartered in 1915, Iota has seen recent success in actively recruiting students pursuing degrees that stretch beyond production agriculture to those with degree paths such as Biochemistry and Microbiology. The membership demographic has recently shifted to a majority of nondairy science majors. Many reasons exist for this shift. Not the least of these reasons is that UW-Madison, like many campuses, is increasingly becoming more competitive to gain admission and the demographic of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences has shifted towards a female majority. The same percentage of "farm boys", who may not have put forth the best academic effort in high school, are simply not being admitted so there is a smaller pool of "farm boys" to recruit from (although none of our chapters really seem to exhaust all the prospective members who meet our qualifications). There are other reasons and benefits for this evolution.

Besides the natural benefit of diversity being that undergraduates have the ability to learn more from one another, other benefits that Iota has realized include an expanded representation across campus and a higher overall GPA. For example, Brother Paul Pamula is studying Microbiology and plans to attend dental school while Brother Ryan Adams, who grew up on a farm, chose to pursue a degree in Biochemistry and plans to attend physical therapy school. In order for these men to gain admission into their respective specialty schools, they must have an excellent GPA in addition to active involvement in extracurricular activities. Besides other contributions these brothers make within the chapter, Adams maintains a 3.41 cumulative GPA while Pamula maintains a 3.98, directly benefiting the chapter by contributing to a higher overall chapter GPA.

Iota has also embraced diversity amongst its advisers, thus advocating diversity in its professional lives. On a campus and in a state known for the dairy business/science, none of Iota's co-advisers are involved in the dairy business: one studies swine nutrition with an emphasis on mineral nutrition while the other is involved with the sports turf industry. Brother Tom Crenshaw, a Co-Adviser to Iota for 12 years, is Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences and Director of the UW Swine Research and Teaching Center at UW-Madison. He was an undergraduate at Alpha Upsilon Chapter at the Tennessee-Martin where he received a B.S. degree in Animal Science in 1974. As a December 2000 Mississippi State graduate with a B.S. degree in Landscape Contacting/Management, I worked in the landscape industry for four years before taking a sales job selling products used in the sports turf industry. I'm not exactly what you would think of as a typical adviser for Iota, but I have been embraced because of the different perspective I can offer. Admittedly, I know very little about production agriculture, but I give the guys credit. They are genuinely appreciative of the diverse perspectives that Crenshaw and I give them: one from a more agricultural research/academic viewpoint and the other which is more from the business world.

There are many ways we can embrace diversity within our organization and Iota Chapter is experiencing many benefits that are a byproduct of diversity within an organization. Diversity not only makes Alpha Gamma Rho stronger on the campus of UW-Madison, but it will also make us a stronger nationally (and hopefully internationally very soon).

written by Brad Garrison, Co-Adviser for UW-Madison' Iota Chapter. Garrison was initiated by Beta Tau in 1997.

Cornell alum to serve on Wisconsin State Board of Ag

FOND DU LAC, Wis. -- Aug. 18, 2009 -- Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin member John Koepke, Cornell alumnus, has been appointed by Governor Jim Doyle to serve on the Wisconsin State Board on Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The Board on Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is a nine-member board that serves as a policy-making body for the Agency. Koepke’s appointment is effective immediately and will continue through May 1, 2015.

In making the appointment, Governor Doyle stated, “I am pleased to appoint John Koepke to the Board on Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. His background as a successful dairy farmer and active member of Wisconsin’s agricultural community will be incredibly valuable to the board.”

PDPW’s executive director Shelly Mayer applauds Governor Doyle’s selection, noting, “It’s great to have an active dairy producer like John serving our state in this capacity—and I’m pleased that John is willing to serve and help to position Wisconsin as a world leader in agriculture, food safety and consumer protection. With dairy representing more than $20 billion of the state economy, it is absolutely critical that dairy has a voice on this rule-making board.

“John is a young, enthusiastic leader who is a critical thinker and understands dairying. He will make educated, well-thought-out decisions that consider what is best for dairy producers and Wisconsin. He’s a bright, thoughtful individual.”

Koepke and his wife, Kim, are active PDPW members. Koepke operates Koepke Farms Inc. in partnership with his dad Jim and uncles Alan and David. Koepke Farms milks 330 Holstein cows and has 970 acres dedicated to corn, soybeans and hay.

Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin is a dairy-producer founded organization that provides educational programs and services to fellow dairy producers. PDPW’s mission is “to share ideas, solutions, resources, and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.”

Koepke was initiated by Zeta Chapter in 1992.

information courtesy of wdexpo.org.

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