[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – They chronicle the tragedies and triumphs of the world’s greatest athletes, human and horse. They write, photograph and broadcast rain or shine, carrying the heavy weight of their storytelling gear from stadiums to media centers, rising before the sun and sustaining themselves with caffeine and love of the story when day has faded into darkness.

The McCauley’s Alltech A+ Award turns the spotlight on these storytellers. Honoring the best of equine journalism, the awards program is now in its eighth year and includes a new partner, McCauley Bros.

Nestled in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass region, home and nursery of the world’s finest horses, McCauley Feeds (McCauley’s) has been nourishing champion equine athletes since 1938. McCauley’s, now an Alltech company, is a dedicated equine-only nutrition company specializing in the formulation of premium feeds and nutritional supplements. They are home to one of the equine community’s most trusted technical teams, aligning expertise and practical experience with personalized problem-solving.

From affordable maintenance to elite performance products, McCauley’s covers a wide range of needs and delivers quality-assured nutrition programs to all horses and horse owners. McCauley’s facility is a medication-free plant, dedicated exclusively to the production of premium equine feeds.

“The International Alliance of Equestrian Journalists (IAEJ) is delighted that Alltech, through their company McCauley’s, has renewed their support for the A+ Awards,” said Pamela Young, president of the International Alliance of Equestrian Journalists. “We’ve had some great entries and winners since Alltech and the IAEJ first collaborated on these awards in 2010. I think I can speak for all our members when I say Alltech’s generous support is much appreciated by everyone who works tirelessly to convey the excitement of competition and the beauty of man’s relationship with horses. I am equally pleased that McCauley’s has agreed to expand the broadcast category to include our friends in radio and television.”

The theme for this year’s contest is “Partnership.” Articles, interviews and photos entered should convey the unique partnership between humans and horses. Winners receive $500 and a display award. Entry to the McCauley’s Alltech A+; Award is open now to submissions in the following categories:

Article

Broadcast (including webcasts, podcasts, videos, radio and television)

Photography

For details and requirements of entry, please visit www.equijournalists.com <http://www.equijournalists.com>, and see contest news on the home page or click on “Awards.” The deadline for submission is January 30, 2018.

[DUBLIN, Ireland] – Alltech Ireland has long been a leader in both the Irish and European agriculture industry. Located in Dunboyne, Co. Meath, it became the first Alltech office to be established in mainland Europe in 1981 and serves today as Alltech’s European headquarters and Bioscience Centre. Last week its research team celebrated being awarded the Agricultural Laboratory of the Year by the Irish Laboratory Awards, the benchmark for those demonstrating excellence, best practice and innovation within Ireland’s lab industry.

Richard Murphy, director of research at Alltech, praised his dedicated team members on achieving such recognition.

“At Alltech, we strive for success,” said Murphy. “Our innovative solutions and cutting-edge technologies deliver for our customers and farmers and so this award is a tremendous achievement for us as a research team.

“We are very thankful to the Irish Laboratory Awards as they celebrate not only science but also innovation and leadership, all of which are very highly regarded by our team here at Alltech. We would like to dedicate this award to not only the Irish Alltech team but also to our customers who are the inspiration for our work.”

Alltech’s European Bioscience Centre serves as Alltech’s pivotal research centre in Europe. The research work carried out at the centre specialises in cellular biotechnology, and the team of 20 scientists based in Dunboyne have developed unique insights into specific focus areas such as yeast cell wall architecture, trace element chelation, bio-marker detection and microbial population dynamics. This work has resulted in the development of new solutions, services and analytical tools that improve producers' profitability and efficiency

“We have approximately 20 full-time scientists on-site in Dunboyne,” said Murphy. “We are very proud of our highly educated team and close links with Irish universities. The majority of the team have earned their Ph.D. or master’s degree with Alltech. Since redevelopment work in 2013, the team at Alltech are very lucky to work in labs of exceptional quality and standard thanks to Mrs. Deirdre Lyons, Alltech’s director of corporate image and design, who is responsible for designing our labs to provide a state-of-the-art platform that enables young scientists to work with Alltech's expert team of biochemists, microbiologists and nutritionists.”

Alltech’s European Bioscience Centre is one of three major bioscience centres around the world and each centre has its own focus. The centres are complemented by more than 20 research alliances with leading universities globally. Alltech’s research team are responsible for over 500 patents awarded to Alltech globally.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – Two students accepted the top global awards for the 12th annual Alltech Young Scientist (AYS) program, the world’ most prestigious agriscience competition for university students.
The AYS awards, recognizing pioneering research in the agriscience sector, were presented at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE17), an event dedicated to inspiring innovation in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, held May 21–24. Now in its 33rd year, the annual international conference is expected to draw approximately 4,000 attendees from nearly 80 countries to network and discuss disruptive ideas in business, technology, food and agriculture.

The global undergraduate winner was Joshua C. Gukowsky, who attends the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the U.S. Gukowsky was offered a fully funded Ph.D. position and $5,000 USD. The global graduate winner was Jonas de Souza, who attends Michigan State University in the U.S. De Souza was offered a fully funded postdoctorate position and $10,000 USD.

Dr. Aoife Lyons, director of educational initiatives and engagement at Alltech, and Victoria Liu, Alltech Young Scientist program manager, presented the awards in the famed Rupp Arena during ONE17.

“This year, we encouraged students to think about the ONE disruptive idea that will transform the way we think and work in agriculture in order for it to thrive and be sustainable,” said Lyons. “The international panel of judges, led by Irish professor Maurice Boland, was encouraged by this group of hugely talented students, all of whom place a huge emphasis on their scientific education.

“I speak for all of the judges on this year’s panel when I congratulate the 2017 winners,” continued Lyons. “The students not only exemplified great skill, but also aptitude and curiosity, which, in our minds, demonstrate their potential as the scientific leaders of tomorrow.”

This year, the program received more than 150 nominations from 134 professors, representing the world’s top 121 universities from 36 countries. To participate, students were nominated by their professors and submitted scientific papers on topics such as animal health and nutrition, agriculture analytical methods, food chain safety and traceability, human health and nutrition, and other agriscience-related sectors. Each student’s paper first competed within their own region of North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, or Europe and Africa. The first place regional winners, eight in total, were invited to an all-expenses-paid Alltech Discovery Week in Kentucky that culminated at ONE17, where a panel of leading judges selected the winners for the 2017 program.

“Thank you, everyone — this is a great honor to receive this prize,” said de Souza, the graduate winner. “Thank you to Dr. Aoife Lyons for putting this competition together to support new and young scientists. We are all winners in this program.”

De Souza’s research focused on altering the ratio of dietary palmitic, stearic and oleic acids, or fatty acids, in diets with or without whole cottonseed and the responses of dairy cows.

“Wow, thank you so much — I was really not expecting this,” said Gukowsky, the undergraduate winner. “First and foremost, I want to thank my parents and family.”

Gukowsky’s research featured detecting antibiotic residues in the foods we consume.

Entry for the 2018 program will open in September 2017.

For more information about ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference, visit one.alltech.com. Join the conversation online with #ONE17.

Breakthrough technologies discussed at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference

33rd annual event attracted a record 4,000 attendees from nearly 80 countries

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] — During ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE17), 70 speakers, including the brightest international minds in science, agriculture, technology and business, highlighted technologies that have the potential to revolutionize agriculture and make the next big leap in productivity possible.

Across all agricultural sectors, digital technologies and applications are emerging that are disrupting production systems and supply chains, creating radically different business models and enabling farmers and agribusiness to work with levels of precision and insight that were previously unimaginable.

“Technology will change beyond belief,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech. “Things are changing at a rapid pace, and companies need to start thinking like startups: go and grow fast.”

Sharing his perspective from more than 36 years in business, Dr. Lyons listed his five key elements for success in this ever-changing marketplace:

1. Speed

2. Leadership

3. Culture

4. Training

5. A unique dynamic of “fun”

“We’re in the midst of an agri revolution — it’s happening right here, right now, and it’s exciting,” said Robert Walker, CEO of KEENAN, who addressed attendees on disruptive and data-driven technologies.

During his talk, Walker highlighted how KEENAN, an agriculture manufacturing specialist, partners with technology companies such as Vodafone and Intel to provide farmers with instant information on their herds’ feed ration through cloud computing.

Peter Diamandis, founder of the XPRIZE Foundation and co-founder of Singularity University, addressed attendees on disruptive innovations, highlighting that the only constant is change, and the rate of change is increasing.

“To stay ahead in any industry, companies and entrepreneurs must think in an exponential way, as it’s exponential technology that will transform every industry,” he said.

Diamandis was awarded the Alltech Humanitarian Award, which is bestowed annually to someone of strong character who uses their accomplishments to positively influence and inspire other people.

The three-day conference also heard from George Blankenship, former executive at Tesla Motors, Apple Computer and GAP Inc., Lisa Bodell, founder and CEO of futurethink, Jack Bobo, senior vice president and chief communications officer at Intrexon, and many more.

The program was closed by global phenomenon Riverdance, which performed traditional Irish dance on the main stage in Rupp Arena.

ONE17 attracted approximately 4,000 attendees from nearly 80 countries across the globe.

The conference will return to Lexington, Kentucky, USA, May 20–23, 2018.

Visit one.alltech.com for highlights from the event. Presentations will be made available in June on the Alltech Idea Lab. Sign up now for free access at ideas.alltech.com.

Former Tesla executive George Blankenship receives Alltech Medal of Excellence at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference

Innovative and influential disruptor recognised for his contributions to the customer experience

Alltech’s conference, now in its 33rd year, opened today in Lexington, Ky, USA

[LEXINGTON, Ky] – Former Tesla Motors, Apple Computer and GAP Inc. executive George Blankenship received the Alltech Medal of Excellence at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE 17), an event dedicated to inspiring innovation in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, May 21-24. Now in its 33rd year, the annual international conference is expected to draw approximately 4,000 attendees from nearly 80 countries to network and discuss disruptive ideas in business, technology, food and agriculture.

Blankenship received the Alltech Medal of Excellence from Dr. Pearse Lyons on the main plenary stage in Rupp Arena at ONE17. Alltech’s highest accolade, the medal is awarded annually to someone of great accomplishment and leadership. Previous honorees include former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Norman Borlaug, the father of “the Green Revolution.” Blankenship received the medal in recognition of his ability to create unrivaled customer experiences with two of the most disruptive brands of our time: Apple and Tesla.

“George Blankenship is the epitome of disruption, and I pay homage to his strategies in leadership and breaking the norm,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. Businesses that think they can thrive by doing the same things again and again will not thrive and survive in this era of disruption. Our ONE conference this year is all about celebrating those who take risks and disrupt the norm.”

Blankenship pioneered Apple, Tesla and GAP’s retail philosophies, transforming the customer experience. At Apple, he crafted one of the most dominant retail growth strategies in recent history, growing brand loyalty and exponential profit. Then, at Tesla, Blankenship redefined the car buying experience, moving the Tesla brand into shopping malls, something never done before by a car manufacturer.

“I am thrilled to be here today,” said Blankenship. “Never ever let anyone get in the way of what you know is the right thing to do deep down inside. This conference is about the ONE thing that makes a difference.”

Blankenship shared his disruptive advice with the record crowd at ONE17:

• Pick ONE thing to focus on. That ONE thing could turn into something magical.
• Sometimes you have to think about doing the impossible.
• Have a simple message.
• Celebrate your successes and your failures.
• To change the world sometimes you have to do the impossible. It is not impossible; it just has not been done yet.

Follow highlights from ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference by visiting one.alltech.com, and join the conversation online with #ONE17.

Speaker presentation clips will be made available in June on the Alltech Idea Lab. Learn more and sign up for access at ideas.alltech.com.

Atlanta brewery takes home the overall grand prize for their beer Tears of My Enemies

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] — Over 5,000 craft beer aficionados attended the fourth annual Alltech Craft Brews & Food Fest on May 20, 2017, at the Lexington Convention Center. This festival featured over 65 breweries from across the country, and food from local vendors and some of the best chefs in the state of Kentucky.

More than 50 breweries from four countries submitted 325 unique beers, which were judged by an expert panel of judges according to Beer Judge Certification Program guidelines. At the end of the day, and the bottom of the glass, the Commonwealth Cup was awarded to Tears of My Enemies, a scotch barrel-aged milk stout brewed by Monday Night Brewing in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Alltech Craft Brews & Food Fest marked the beginning of ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE17), held May 21–24 in Lexington, Kentucky. The international conference is expected to be attended by nearly 4,000 people from as many as 80 countries. For more information, visit one.alltech.com.

Follow Kentucky Ale® on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter (@KentuckyAle) for updates as well as information on the Alltech Craft Brews & Food Fest. For more information about Alltech Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co., visit www.kentuckyale.com.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] — In just a few short weeks, some of the brightest scientific thinkers from colleges and universities around the world will gather under one roof for an opportunity to compete at the highest level and be rewarded for their innovative research. The Alltech Young Scientist (AYS) program, now in its 12th year, features the world’s largest agriscience competition, with 154 nominations from 134 professors representing 121 universities from 36 countries in 2017 alone.

The regional finalists will attend AYS Discovery Week, held in conjunction with ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE17), May 21–24 in Lexington, Kentucky, to present their papers to a panel of international judges. The prizes include a fully funded Ph.D. position for the global undergraduate winner as well as $5,000 USD and a fully funded postdoctorate position and $10,000 USD for the global graduate winner.

The regional finalists selected for the graduate AYS award and their paper topics are:

• Tanimowo Damilola, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
  • “Broiler nutritional programming using betaine”
• Syed Saad Gilani, University of Adelaide, Australia
  • “Gut health biomarkers in poultry”
• Delano Dias Schleder, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil
  • “Shrimp resistance to stress and disease”
• Jonas de Souza, Michigan State University, United States
  • “Fatty acid metabolism”

The regional finalists selected for the undergraduate AYS award and their paper topics are:

• Sophie Hazelden, Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom
  • “Pre-weaning dietary supplementation in piglets”
• Sujiyanto, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
  • “Trehalose supplementation for heat-stressed broilers”
• Nicolàs Curubeto, Universidad Argentina de la Empresa, Argentina
  • “Edible coatings for food applications”
• Joshua Gukowsky, University of Massachusetts Amherst, United States
  • “Detecting antibiotic residues in foods”

“The Alltech Young Scientist program provides a great opportunity for students to showcase their research talent in front of a global audience, including some of the most respected leaders within agriculture and agriscience,” said Dr. Aoife Lyons, director of educational initiatives and engagement at Alltech. “We are rewarding the undergraduate and graduate competition winners with the opportunity to join our global team.”

For more information about the Alltech Young Scientist program and to view the regional placements from this year’s program, please visit: AlltechYoungScientist.com and stay connected through the Alltech Education Facebook page.

Tanimowo Damilola, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, has been selected as a graduate regional finalist for the 2017 Alltech Young Scientist program.

Syed Saad Gilani,University of Adelaide, Australia, has been selected as a graduate regional finalist for the 2017 Alltech Young Scientist program.

Delano Dias Schleder,Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil, has been selected as a graduate regional finalist for the 2017 Alltech Young Scientist program.

Sophie Hazelden,Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom, has been selected as an undergraduate regional finalist for the 2017 Alltech Young Scientist program.

Sujiyanto,Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, has been selected as an undergraduate regional finalist for the 2017 Alltech Young Scientist program.

Nicolàs Curubeto,Universidad Argentina de la Empresa, Argentina, has been selected as an undergraduate regional finalist for the 2017 Alltech Young Scientist program.

Joshua Gukowsky,University of Massachusetts Amherst, United States, has been selected as an undergraduate regional finalist for the 2017 Alltech Young Scientist program.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] — Strengthening its commitment to bringing the latest field-proven technologies to Western U.S. livestock producers and companion animal owners, Alltech has purchased WestFeeds, a leading animal nutrition company in Montana.

“WestFeeds has a strong reputation of providing producers with high quality animal nutrition products,” said Michael Castle, COO of Alltech. “We believe there is great benefit for our customers in our teams joining forces for the future.”

With state-of-the-art manufacturing plants in Billings and Great Falls, as well as outlets in Billings, Dillon, Great Falls, Lewistown and Miles City, Montana, WestFeeds has a demonstrated commitment to local support.

“Our WestFeeds team is embracing the opportunity to join Alltech because we can see very clearly how our companies’ strengths complement one another, to the benefit of our customers,” said Jerry Begger, general manager of WestFeeds.

Begger will continue leading WestFeeds, assisted by ten-year Alltech veteran Kyle Klimpke.

WHAT:Join Dr. Kate Jacques, director of nutrition at Alltech, as she discusses the key obstacles keeping your operation from being profitable and the three ways to combat these issues. Learn the secrets of Alltech’s trademark technology Bio-Mos® and the results producers are seeing in their calf crops year in and year out.
 

WHEN:Thursday, May 11, 2017
2:30 p.m. ET
 

WHERE:Reserve a spot: http://go.alltech.com/strike-out-scours.
 

OTHER:Jacques’ presentation will be followed by a live question-and-answer session.

About the speaker:

Dr. Kate Jacques is currently the director of nutrition at Alltech, based in Nicholasville, Kentucky. In addition to leading research trials, Jacques provides technical and sales support to Alltech staff. Prior to joining Alltech, she received her Ph.D. from Kansas State University. Jacques has been with Alltech for over 30 years and is an expert on the gut health of ruminant animals.
 

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] — ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE17), held May 21–24 in Lexington, Kentucky, will host a focus session specifically dedicated to the equine industry. Experts and enthusiasts alike will gather for intriguing discussions on innovations in the industry, from disrupting traditional nutritional and breeding practices to brand development.

“We believe it’s important for those in the equine industry to gather here, in the horse capital of the world, to be inspired to harness the disruption on the horizon for horse health,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech. “Our equine focus session will facilitate open discussion and drive disruptive thinking for the future.”

ONE17 equine focus session

• Disrupting Traditional Nutritional Practices: How do we rethink diet formulations for horses? When it comes to equine nutrition, how can we bring new discoveries and techniques out of the lab and into the mainstream?
• Using Enhanced Nutrition and Partnerships to Drive Market Share Growth: While others were cutting costs and cutting corners, find out how Gain Feeds harnessed innovation, research and traceability to set themselves apart with premium offerings and, in the process, became Ireland’s biggest selling feed brand.
• Thinking Differently: The Secrets Behind Growing the Iconic Coolmore Brand: Beginning from humble roots, Coolmore has grown into a premier global brand and a household name. Discover the secrets that contributed to building one of the leading equine operations in the world today.
• Breaking the Mold on Traditional Breeding Techniques: Hear from one of the pioneers of equine embryo transfer and surrogacy as she shares the lessons that were learned from these innovations as well as what other practices and methods may be on the horizon. What role does diet play? Have we overlooked blind spots that may present opportunities for disruption?
• Changing the Face of Breeding and Performance Through Genomics: Genetic testing is becoming more accessible and affordable with each passing year. What are some of the unexpected ways that DNA profiling is already changing our industry? Is it cause for concern, or is it cause for excitement?
• Driving Tourism in the Horse Capital of the World: When you close your eyes and think of Kentucky, what do you see? For many, they see rolling pastures, miles of fences and picturesque horse barns, thanks in large part to the work of Horse Country and its partners. Learn how these collaborations are built, what it takes to brand a region and build a revenue stream, and if it could work in your area.

For more information on the ONE17 equine focus session, visit http://one.alltech.com/equine.

ONE17 is approved for 7 ARPAS and 35 AAVSB RACE continuing education units.

Join the conversation on Twitter with #ONE17.