We caught up with our president Dr. Pearse Lyons to find out why he is so excited about the acquisition of Keenan, a leading farming solutions manufacturer, in his home country of Ireland:

First of all, we are really delighted to welcome Keenan to the Alltech family. Keenan is joining a family business — a business that is not for sale and will not go public.  This coming together of our two companies is a win for both our teams.

I see this as a coming together of like-minded people. And, what makes it positive for both companies are the synergies that can occur. What makes it positive for both companies is what we can bring to farmers all around the world, with our unique technologies.

The Keenan team is going to get the benefits of our experience from having a presence in more than 120 countries around the world.  We can immediately go to our friends — and Alltech is a company of friends — in 120 countries and share the news about the Keenan “Green Machine.”  Ironically, quite a number of our colleagues not only have experience with Keenan machines, but they have actually worked for and with Keenan in places as far away as China, Australia, Canada and the Middle East.   One of our researchers did his Ph.D. on the Keenan mixer.

Keenan is on-farm and their team provides nutritional solutions direct to the farmer. Keenan and Alltech together can deliver greater value to our global farming customers with a wider variety of technological solutions. Keenan’s manufacturing strength and technological know-how provides us with a winning combination for delivering greater farm efficiency and profitability direct to our farming customers. This is a coming together of like-minded people! I firmly believe that together we are stronger.

When a local company is purchased by a global company, sometimes customers might have concerns that their experience will change.  Yes, there will be change.  We will integrate and realign synergies and get back to full performance once again in Borris, Co. Carlow. Production lines will ramp back up to full speed. Customers will receive a renewed level of support and service. We will bring positive change.

Change in life for most people creates uncertainty.  Buddha once said, “Change is never painful, only the resistance to change is painful.”  In this case, however, there is no resistance, so change will come easily.  Our acquisition of Keenan brings a change that I believe people in Borris will find very positive. Keenan is becoming part of the Alltech family and, in fact, Alltech is becoming part of the Keenan family. This is fantastic and I can’t wait for this positive outcome to play itself out in the marketplace. All I can say is this is positive.  This is just two like-minded groups coming together. We are so excited, and we see this as an opportunity of a lifetime. Welcome to our family, Keenan!

As dairy producers begin to steadily feed out their 2015 corn silage, nutritionists might want to take a proactive approach by testing their clients’ feed bunks to see what risks may be present. Since Alltech’s 2015 North America Harvest Analysis, additional testing through the Alltech 37+® mycotoxin analysis is now indicating type A trichothecene mycotoxins are on the rise.

According to Dr. Max Hawkins, Alltech Mycotoxin Management team nutritionist, type A trichothecenes, composed of T-2, HT-2, diacetoxyscirpenol and neosolaniol, have shown an increase in levels present from 33.18 parts per billion (ppb) in September to 86.38 ppb in February (as illustrated by the trend line in Figure 1). Type A trichothecenes are now present in 46 percent of all samples of corn silage.

“The levels are higher than in years past, and exactly why that may be is difficult to identify. There may be many causes,” said Hawkins.

Type A trichothecenes are produced by Fusarium molds. Fusarium molds require moisture levels at or above 70 percent humidity as well as oxygen and a temperature range that can include cool days and nights to cool nights and hot days. Corn plants stressed from insect damage or birds, plant disease, wind and hail are always a concern for mold proliferation. Corn silages that are drier, poorly packed and allow greater oxygen penetration are also at a greater risk.

The Alltech 37+ mycotoxin analysis tested 239 corn silage samples from Sept. 1, 2015, to March 8, 2016. The average sample contained 5.28 mycotoxins. The Risk Equivalent Quantity, or the risk represented by all of the mycotoxins present, is at higher risk in 59.1 percent of all corn silage samples with another 17.7 percent at a moderate risk.

“Over 75 percent of corn silage presents an increased risk to dairy cows,” said Hawkins. “This contributes to the complexity of the mycotoxin mixture that is included into total mixed rations (TMRs) and can lead to increased mycotoxin impact on cow health and performance.”

Type B trichothecenes and fusaric acid were present in more than 90 percent of the samples, while fumonisins have been found in over 70 percent of the samples. The levels of these mycotoxin groups have remained relatively constant at a moderate-to-high risk since harvest. Type A trichothecene toxins, however, have shown a steady increase since January.

In the dairy cow, type A trichothecenes first affect the rumen where they are partially metabolized. Rumen adsorption may be increased by rumen acidosis. When cellulolytic bacteria activity decreases, protein synthesis is reduced.

The ingestion of type A trichothecenes can cause reduced feed intake, slower weight gain, decreased milk production, digestive disorders (vomiting and diarrhea), acute hemorrhagic enteritis, reproductive failure, increased mortality, hemorrhages (stomach, heart, intestine, lung, bladder, kidney), edema, dermatitis, immune suppression, abomasal and ruminal ulcers and death. Serum immunoglobulins and complement proteins are lowered in calves receiving T-2 toxin. Also, a reduction in white blood cell and neutrophil counts in calves can be observed after exposure to these types of toxins.

“The increasing level of type A trichothecenes, along with the steadily higher level of type B trichothecenes and fusaric acid, creates a combination of mycotoxins that can easily increase the risk of corn silage that is being included into the TMR,” Hawkins said.

JPW Nutrition recently utilized Alltech’s 37+ mycotoxin analysis program to test corn silage and TMR samples for some of their customers in the Midwest. The results indicated type B trichothecene toxins were most prevalent; however, type A trichothecene mycotoxins were also showing up. Jason Prins, a nutritionist with JPW Nutrition, wasn’t surprised the analysis found type A trichothecenes, as he had observed issues with stomach linings being excreted and gut health challenges on the dairies.

“From a reproduction, immune response and gut health standpoint, we need to know what type of mycotoxins are having an impact. Finding out which types of mycotoxins are present in the feed allows us to make adjustments in the diet accordingly,” said Prins. “For our clients, we have found that it is better to be proactive than reactive with these issues.”

Figure 1 - Type A Trichothecenes Risk in Corn Silage

As the distance between farmer and consumer closes around the world, we must continually adapt our methods to meet the ever-growing demand for high-quality, safe food. In the webinar, “The Path of Least Resistance,” we took a dive into the world of antibiotics, specifically how they have impacted and will continue to impact the agriculture industry. The key speaker, Dr. Richard Murphy, explained why we should worry about antibiotic resistance, where we are now with restrictions on antibiotics in livestock health and what opportunities exist for your operations.

Our three key takeaways were:

1. Worldwide, scientific evidence indicates an overall decline in the total stock of antibiotic effectiveness; resistance to all first-line and last-resort antibiotics is rising.
2. The livestock and poultry industries are not only facing increasing scrutiny from regulatory bodies such as the FDA and EFSA, but, worldwide, meat processors are starting to demand change.
3. Alternative growth promotion strategies are available that utilize strategic nutritional management practices as part of an antibiotic-free strategy for animal production.

To view the webinar and get the full story behind the takeaways, click on the button below:

With the 2016 Central Plains Dairy Expo kicking off this week in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, we are gearing up for a unique educational experience. Dr. Roger Scaletti, Alltech North America Mineral Management team technical sales and support, and Tom Lorenzen, Alltech on-farm specialist, will be teaming up for an udder health workshop, helping producers take an inside look at udder health and milk quality. 

Scaletti and Lorenzen plan to give producers four key practical approaches to managing udder health and combating mastitis:

Environment

The environment that your cattle are housed in can play a major role in poor milk quality. Are your cows housed in a mastitis-infected yard, or are they in a well-ventilated dry area, with minimal contact to some of the key mastitis-causing bacteria? While udder health management is important in preventing cases of mastitis, it is also important to understand how the disease travels through the udder. According to Scaletti, it’s a process beginning with the bacteria first entering the gland, multiplying, evading host defenses and finally damaging the host. Cases of mastitis can be both clinical or subclinical and contagious or environmental.

Know your enemy

“If you cannot measure it, you cannot control it. If you cannot control it, you cannot manage it.”

These words of advice from Lorenzen ring true. Whether culturing quarters individually or utilizing a California Mastitis Test (CMT), getting an understanding of what bacteria or what quarters you are dealing with is key. To find out what type of mastitis cows are infected with, Scaletti suggests culturing milk or using a DNA test. This quick test, which only takes four hours, can examine the bulk tank or individual cows, and producers can use the same sample as collected for somatic cell count (SCC). The test can be customized to report only contagious pathogens, or you can request the full panel of pathogens that can be detected. Running a culture on infected quarters can be beneficial in understanding what specific bacteria you are fighting, and what specific treatment to which that particular bacteria will respond.

Feeding program

Nutrition and the use of organic trace minerals can play a key role in milk quality as well as managing infections before they even occur. Nutrition has been linked to improving immune function and reducing mastitis. Selenium for strong antioxidant phagocytic cells, zinc for the integrity of skin and copper for neutrophil production and antibody development are a few of the more important trace minerals involved in immune function.  Alltech has committed over 30 years to research in mineral nutrition as well as formulating technologies that meet herds’ needs while safeguarding them from potential risks.

Minerals: Form vs. function

While some might argue for more inorganic minerals in the ration, Scaletti said it is important to consider bioavailability, mineral interactions and environmental concerns. A trace mineral chelated to amino acids or peptides offers higher bioavailability and supports the animal’s natural defense system. In addition to organic mineral research, Scaletti also highlighted the importance of keeping the cow’s selenium status in check. In one recent Florida study, researchers found cows fed organic selenium had 100,000+ lower SCC than those fed sodium selenite.

To capture the dairy operations on the Fagundes family dairy in Hanford, California, Alltech’s film crew arrived early to leverage as much daylight as possible.

“We always try to arrive early,” said Alan Henthorne, corporate media manager for Alltech. “But we never beat a dairy farmer to work!”

In fact, when the Alltech crew arrived, the Fagundes dairy was already well-underway with morning milking and feedout.

Experienced in shooting on-location throughout the world, including recently in Mexico, Europe and China, this was the team’s first shoot in California, the number one milk producing state in the U.S. To put that ranking in context, the average herd size in California is more than 1000 for a dairy; in the second-ranking milk state, Wisconsin, the herd size is closer to 100.

Frank and Susan Fagundes have a 700-cow dairy, with mostly Holsteins who were not quite sure they were interested in a camera close-up.

Although Alan’s crew typically shoots with a Canon C-100 and DSLR with interchangeable lenses, the size of the dairy required a different approach: a drone.

The Alltech team has been using a small drone for a couple years, and, according to Alan, it’s already become an essential part of the team’s storytelling toolbox.

At the Fagundes dairy, the Alltech team envisioned the drone capturing the family walking with their dog among the cattle, illustrating the scale of the operation as well as the unique—albeit dusty (a camera challenge due to the drought!)—California landscape.

Drones add a certain element, however, to the dynamics of filming. Humans, cows and dogs all respond differently to the flying object.

In this particular case, the drone almost became puppy chow. “The Fagundes’ German Shepherd was determined to do his duty and protect them all from this invader,” said Alan.

So how did the cows handle their close-up?

Despite the fact that the drone must “look and sound like the biggest fly on the planet” to them, they did surprisingly well, according to the team. There was only one instance in which they almost initiated a stampede.

Alan emphasized, however, that safety in these shoots is always paramount. The drones are never used without permission and only used with complete human and animal safety in mind. In fact, studies are already being conducted to determine the minimum safe distances between drones and animals to avoid disturbing them. Even in terms of the overall shoot, camera tripod legs get equipped with the same biosecurity footwear as a human.

For the Alltech film crew, all the efforts are incredibly rewarding.

“Farmers work hard and don't always have the time to tell their own stories,” said Alan. “We're happy that we are able show how much dedication, passion and care can go into what they do, which ultimately is feeding the rest of us.

You can see the full video above and on our interactive Farmer Stories Map.

Have a question or comment?

Through decades of rapid advancements in agriculture science, Alltech has been on the cutting edge of innovation while keeping its products natural, healthful and environmentally sound. In fact, everything Alltech does is guided by the “ACE” principle, which emphasizes benefits to animals, consumers and the environment.

Because of this, Alltech’s products are excellent choices for farmers and ranchers who want to produce safe, high-quality foods in sustainable ways. Alltech’s in-house standard, known as the Alltech Quality System (AQS), is already recognized throughout the feed industry as a standard to follow. The AQS delivers the exact same level of quality assurance and traceability in each of Alltech’s geographical markets, based on a uniform process designed to meet and exceed other third-party systems of certification. 

However, because there are now so many such third-party programs, each with its own complex and constantly-evolving requirements, food producers have faced an uphill battle in keeping up with which ingredients are acceptable for use in which programs.

Enter Where Food Comes From, Inc. (d.b.a. IMI Global, Inc.), already the most trusted resource for independent, third-party verification of food production practices. Where Food Comes From has just announced the launch of its “Feed Verified” program, which enables livestock producers, feed companies and food brands alike to confirm easily and in real time that a particular product meets a specific verification or certification requirement.

The first resource of its kind, Feed Verified features a constantly updated listing by name of approved feed products and ingredients, while indicating which verification or certification programs approve each product for use. The listing is multi-species and includes direct hyperlinks to individual product websites for easy access to product and purchasing information.

Thirteen of Alltech’s products were already listed on Feed Verified at launch time, with more expected as verification procedures continue.  The featured products are:

• BIO-MOS OA
• INTEGRAL OA
• ACTIGEN
• SEL-PLEX 2000
• BIOPLEX COPPER 10% OA
• BIOPLEX COBALT OA
• BIOPLEX ZINC 15% OA
• BIOPLEX MANGANESE OA
• BIOPLEX ZMC 842 OA
• BIOPLEX HI-FOUR OA
• YEA-SACC 1026 OA
• DEMP
• SELECT TC OA

Where Food Comes From, Inc. is known for its expertise in keeping up with the latest in food production science and technology.

“A critical aspect of verifying certain livestock production practices is knowing, tracking and confirming what an animal eats,” explained John Saunders, the company’s chairman and CEO. “It may sound simple, but you have to take a step back and think about the complexity of what we are looking at. Five years ago we were only concerned about animal by-products. Today it is that plus antibiotics, growth promotants, genetically modified organisms, organic ingredients, even the percentage of forage or protein. I could go on, but the reality is that feed is emerging as the new risk in value-added livestock production. It only takes the tiniest of ingredients to disqualify an entire generation of animals from a specific verification program, even when everything else is done exactly right. That is exactly why Feed Verified came to be. We want to do everything in our power to enable farmers and ranchers to be transparent about how they are producing food, and Feed Verified is another tool to help them succeed in that endeavor.”

Alltech looks forward to working further with Where Food Comes From, Inc., as both companies continue in making it easier for food producers to deliver transparency to consumers.

To view a current version of Feed Verified, visit http://www.imiglobal.com/feed-verified.html.

Food Safety: Red Tractor’s Never-ending Pursuit

Where does your food really come from? From farm to processing plant, from supermarket to plate, it’s important to know that your food was handled in a safe and ethical manner at every step of the journey. This episode takes a look at Red Tractor, one of the most trusted food assurance programs. Alltech’s David Butler recently sat down with food industry leader Philip Wilkinson to better understand how Red Tractor provides peace of mind to the consumer. You can listen to the podcast in full or view the transcript below.

I'm David Butler and my guest today is Philip Wilkinson, Executive Director of Two Sisters Food Group. Actually that's just one of many positions that Philip holds. He took some time to talk to us about food safety, traceability and Red Tractor, the United Kingdom's leading farm and quality food assurance program. Their motto is, "we trace it so you can trust it".

So, I’m Philip Wilkinson, Executive Director of Two Sisters Food Group which is the largest poultry producer for broiler meat in Europe. I’m Vice President of AVEC, which is the European Poultry Association, a board member of the British Poultry Council, and on the Board of Assured Foods Standards in the UK.

That is a lot of hats to wear.

Yeah it is, but they are all interconnected so it works very well.

And a lot of what you do is related to messaging to the end consumer is that correct to say?

Yeah. The Assured Foods Standards brand, or mark, you would know as being a Red Tractor which is underpinned by the Union Jack, the Union flag of the UK. And, that is a mark that has been on the go now since the year 2000 when it was launched. In dollar terms the sales value in 2015 will be in the region of $22-23 billion US. So, it has come from zero to hero in that 15 years and would be the mark that the vast majority of citizens and consumers in the UK would recognize in terms of one of quality, traceability, assurance, and would give them trust.

They would know that that kind of symbolizes everything that’s important to them and their food.

We like to think so. But, it’s a little bit like painting a very large bridge. It’s never ending. You get to the end and you got to start at the beginning again. So it’s an evolutionary process. We didn’t put something in place back in the year 2000 and it stayed exactly the same in 2015. It moves with the times. We tweak it here, we tweak it there in order to keep up with what is considered to be important in the minds of consumers. At the time that this was launched, there was no carbon footprint message going around whereas we now know that is a major part of the sustainability debate. So, we are now looking at being true to that objective and G20 leaders have signed up to that agreement to hit benchmarks by 2020 and there are milestones in that process, so we have bought into that as part of our message and that will fall into our activities going forward across all meat proteins and crops, as well, because the Red Tractor does embrace all meat proteins together with combinable crops, so you know it’s a pretty big operation.

That does seem like a huge operation and it seems like it would be very difficult to create guidelines or best practices across so many different, very diverse industries. How do you do that?

Okay, and that’s a good question. Each sector is a stand-alone. So, each sector has its sector board, it has its own technical advisory committee, and what I need to share with you is that this is not an in-house initiative. This is something that is shared across the whole of the supply chain so that everyone buys into it. So, you’ve got the farming union representing the farmers. You’ve got the likes of the British Poultry Council representing the poultry processors, you’ve then got the British Retail Consortium representing the retailers. Food service representatives and also academics and independents.

And, what we do, is we have a set of standards that are compiled by those people. So they are independent. The technical advisory committees are chaired by independent people. People who have got a wealth of experience in the field but are not directly involved in the supply chain. So they may be university professors who talk about this sort of stuff and I think about ours, is a guy who was a lecturer, very very well respected, at Reading University. He has been the chairman of the technical advisory committee. So that when product, and it always does happen that there will be a food scare, there is always something that is going to happen in the food industry, no matter how hard you try, you can put an independent person to front that, because it gives far more credibility than somebody like me who is an industry person who the consumer would say, “Well, he would say that anyway.” So, it gives it and this technical advisory committee, is meeting on a bi-month basis to review the standards, review the adherence to standards, to then dole out penalties to those who don’t adhere to the standards, so that the standards have integrity. Without the integrity, the consumer wouldn’t trust them and there would be chaos.

Right, so you have input and knowledge and expertise that is coming from the people in the industry that worked in the industry for years and years and they’re contributing that, but you also have independent people on the boards.

Just to show how fair we actually are, we even have on the board of Assured Food Standards, a representative from Compassionate World Farming. It doesn’t get more open than that. These are people who would sometimes march on the Houses of Parliament or march into KFC or into McDonald’s or into Two Sisters Food Group and cry foul. So, this is how open we are and how transparent we are in embracing the thoughts and opinions of everyone before we arrive at a decision.

Wow, that’s pretty impressive. It seems a lot more genuine than, you know, a company that might create their own little kind of premium certified logo that is not backed up by anything in particular.

I think that most companies who do, do that and some decide they’re going to have their own offering underpinned by Red Tractor, but then, let’s say move slightly outside that to create a point of difference for them, they would always use the Red Tractor Assurance to underpin, but then they would also rather than it stay in house, they would also use independent bodies who audit their schemes as well. And, might even help in the compilation of those schemes.

Is there any talk of Red Tractor expanding beyond the United Kingdom?

The Red Tractor Standards are already accepted outside of the United Kingdom because companies such as ours, or some of the retailers, or food service organizations who stand by the Red Tractor mark to the consumer as their offering have product that comes in from other countries. So, even though we produce in the UK, 19 million chickens a week, we actually consume 27 million whole bird equivalents, so those birds come in from Brazil or Thailand or elsewhere in Europe and in order for it to be a level playing field, and in order for the on pack claims to be made, equivalents have to be agreed in those countries. So, if they’re not eligible to carry the Red Tractor and the Union Jack, because obviously the Union Jack is produced in the UK; however, they are audited to those standards in those relevant countries by auditors who have been checked out by the audit bodies and the competent authorities back in the UK. So, the brand doesn’t travel, but the equivalents of it, do and that is the only way we would take product in from those countries outside of the UK.

So that’s having a positive effect on the global food supply really.

Yep, and as I showed in the presentation both yesterday at the food REBELation and at the poultry REBELation, I have shown that other European countries have got their own marks and emblems and logos that are for their countries that may or may not be the same as ours. They may be slightly different, but this is something that has now gone European wide, that’s for sure. And, there’s been a lot of interest as I’ve talked in other countries all over the world either in my own capacity or doing talks for Alltech. There is a massive interest in Red Tractor and the Red Tractor, and I wouldn’t say this but I know that I’m right, the Red Tractor news has traveled globally more than I would say most of the others or any of the others that I’m aware of. The only one that would sort of be internationally recognized would be the RSPCA, the Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty of Animals which obviously goes pretty global anyway. Particularly the commonwealth countries where there would be a connection anyway.

Right, that makes sense. So how is all of this activity funded?

The Red Tractor is funded through usage of the mark on pack, so it’s fractions and fractions of pennies on a pack.

So a licensing fee?

Yes, a licensing fee which then everyone in that supply chain pays a price for. So just to give you a feel. It won’t be an exact number and I’m going to try to convert to US dollars for you, but for a poultry farm, a broiler farm in the UK to be signed up Red Tractor, it would cost circa $75-$80 a year; well in the big picture that doesn’t really even cover the auditor traveling and coming to the farm to do the audit, but because it’s funded across the whole of the supply chain, and everybody can afford to be in. If you’re a big dairy company, that’s going out on milk bottles that sit on tables, well then that’s easy, but if you are the dairy farmer you have to pay the same sort of money as they have to pay, you would never sign up in the first place. The reason why it’s been so successful is that the farm to fork supply chain has bought into it and are all doing their bit and paying for it.

The cost is shared?

People stand shoulder to shoulder.

Yeah, yeah. It benefits everybody.

Sure it does.

One last question. I assume you don’t have full traceability for everything under Red Tractor yet? Do you? Traceability is so difficult.

Well, I cited this morning in the poultry session that this is an example. We have got a slaughterhouse for chickens close to a 24 hour TESCO store that also stocks our chicken. The Tesco technical team will maybe totally unannounced arrive at their store at 7:30 – 8:00 o’clock in the morning, and they will pick a whole bird off the shelf, they will pick a packet of wings off the shelf, and they will pick some breast meat off the shelf jump in their car, drive two miles up to the road to our factory, knock on the door, technical manager plunk those on his desk and say, “I want traceability, full traceability down the production line back to the breeder farm where the eggs came from and I want you to do that in 4 hours on all of those products” We normally turn it around in somewhere between 2.25 – 2.50 hours. So the answer to your question, yes we can and I can even take it one step further in terms of supply chain for the feed that goes into the birds, whether it be the wheat or the soya I can do all that as well. So, in the poultry sector, I can’t speak on behalf of the other sectors because I’m not as close, but I would imagine it’s pretty much the same there. I sit very very comfortably on traceability.

That’s impressive!

How about that?

That’s a lot of work that goes into that.

But, it’s a great story to tell. You know when you get a TV scare and people are talking about horse meat and stuff like that, we had a minister for Food get on the prime time television BBC news when we had these issues and he said, “Obviously you can’t guarantee it because in the horsemeat scandal there’s a criminal element involved and the law enforcement authorities are dealing with that right now, but when asked the question by the interviewer, much the same as you are now, the interviewer said, “What would you do in a situation like this right now if you were a consumer?” And, the minister said, “look for a Red Tractor on the pack and that’s as safe as it’s gonna get.” So there’s no better endorsement on the BBC News program with ten million plus viewers watching. I’ll tell you that anytime.

Yeah, and you’re not going to have, you know a government Minister going out on a limb very often if that’s not a pretty safe statement.

He’s gotta be pretty cool with what he’s saying, he’s gotta be comfortable with it.

Well, thank you very much Philip.

Pleasure.

I really appreciate it. I hope you’re enjoying your time here.

Always do, I’m delighted to be back here. Always enjoy it.

I want to thank Philip for spending some time with us. You can find out more about Red Tractor at redtractor.org.uk and you can find out more about Two Sisters Food Group at 2sfg.com.

Thanks so much for listening to the AgFuture podcast and thanks to our producer Robbie Gay. If you like the podcast please share it with your friends or give us a rating on iTunes. We'd love to hear from you too. Send your comments or suggestions to AgFuture@alltech.com.

This is a guest post from Ryan Goodman.  He blogs at Agriculture Proud.

Big ideas. We know the future of food systems, demand and supply continues to grow and evolve, but what are the tools that will get us there? Who are the people who will lead us there? What are the disruptive ideas that will fuel those ideas? Sometimes it takes a REBEL to be a LEADER.

During Alltech’s 2015 international symposium – REBELation, the theme was exploring how to be a leader, bring disruptive ideas to the table and taking advantage or opportunities to move us forward through innovation. Sometimes this innovative leadership is disruptive, but it often brings about fantastic results that make change.

REBELation brought forward a variety of leaders and innovators who all had unique experiences to share. Some of whom I don’t 100% agree with their business practices, which I’ll share more about later, yet they definitely provide great examples for taking advantage of opportunities for disruptive innovation that makes change.

If you’ve ever met Alltech’s Founder, Dr. Pearse Lyons, or even heard him speak, you’ll identify him as a man with passion for what he does. He is an innovative businessman, forward thinker, challenger and a rebel. You never know what to expect he’ll say, sometimes you’ll wonder where he’s going with a point, yet his words often challenge you to think. I’ve attended several of Alltech’s meetings in the past, with trips to Lexington and France, and there’s always something new to take home.

During this year’s REBELation Opening Session, Dr. Lyons left us with a few words of advice that set the tone for our meetings ahead.

Don’t oversleep on your dreams. To be leaders, we must combine urgency and innovation to stay ahead of the curve.

Rebels innovate and are constantly seeking new products and ideas. In order to innovative and creative, you have to fall in love with doing things differently.

What’s your goal? How do you achieve it? Avoid energy vampires. Make sure your dream has purpose and passion. Don’t die with your music still in you, Do what makes your heart sing.

Dr. Lyons goes on to describe qualities of a rebel to include provocateur, firebrand, instigator, motivator, revolutionary. A leader of this type must remain calm and be kind, have a vision but at the same time, be demanding. Qualities which most definitely describe the actions of General Colin Powell, who spoke to the crowd.

I’ve never been one to follow many politics or our country’s war efforts closely, but most would definitely recognize General Powell from his time serving our country and working closely with international leaders. He is a man who has been recognized for his leadership and ability to lead his teams on several occasions, which definitely translated to some great advice as he shared his experiences with us.

A leader must…

• Be confident and have a sense of purpose. This translates to your team’s trust in your abilities.
• Understand what is expected of the leader. Leaders have to understand and convey this to those following.
• Inspire people. People who are inspired are self-motivated.
• Have optimism and confidence.
• Be relevant in today’s world, which often means keeping pace.
• Recognize performance when a job is done well.
• Know how to identify problems and fix them.
• Build bonds of trust in their organization.
• Look at opportunities in the future and know how to deal with risks when they arrive.
• Be selfless, not selfish.
• Execute the plan.

How does this apply to agriculture? As Dr. Pearse Lyons shared with the AgWired team in reference to awarding General Colin Powell with the Alltech Medal of Excellence award, “What is the number one thing missing from agriculture and business today? Leadership, and when I think of leadership, General Powell comes first to mind. He is decisive, courageous and a ‘force multiplier of perpetual optimism.”

Read more on Ryan's blog, Agriculture Proud.

Find out more about Ryan here.

Jerry O’Callaghan brings his extraordinary story to The Alltech REBELation. As a young man he moved from his Irish homeland to Brazil, where, through hard work, persistence and refusing to give up, he became a driving force in the global beef industry.

His amazing journey began nearly 20 years ago, when he took a leap of faith and joined what was then a small company, JBS, with the mission of developing its international business. And develop it, he did. Today JBS is the world’s leading animal protein producer, with O’Callaghan remaining a central force in its ever-expanding global rise. Under his leadership, JBS became the first beef company to launch an IPO. Its success has reached into other markets, including pork, chicken, dairy, lamb, leather and biodiesel.

Great achievements, however, do not come without risks, trial and error. O’Callaghan has seen every success and failure that can come with animal production, particularly within today’s challenge of feeding a growing global population. All the while, JBS’s efforts have been tailored to minimize environmental impact and to improve the communities in which it operates.

No one is better equipped than O’Callaghan to speak on the advantages of partnering with a large-scale, multi-protein company such as JBS. Join us to learn about the opportunities awaiting a progressive farmer or rancher who forms an alliance with a dynamic and globally commercial company, and learn what JBS is doing differently that sets it so far ahead of competitors in the beef industry.

O’Callaghan’s talk will provide an entrée to this Beef Symposium rich in networking and opportunity. His take on “The JBS Story: How to become the biggest and the best” will share the strategies that have molded JBS and put it in the leading position it holds today. He will impart tips on finding the right customer for every product and establishing efficient, low-cost operations. You will bring home the tools you need to find your own niche market and identify your competitive advantage in this highly competitive arena.

We invite you to join The Alltech REBELation!

For more information and to register, go to rebel.alltech.com.