Social Media Advance

     Social media advancement means being a part of the conversation. Engaging in what your industry is talking about is vital for growth and development. I have learned this applies in every aspect of our culture. We are communicators; people who bounce ideas back and forth.

     In agriculture, social media has not previously been a hot topic. We spend our time in a corn field, a greenhouse, a tradeshow. We have networked face to face. But, things are changing. What does it mean now that a grower's technical question has an answer that is only a click away? What does it mean that we can find the next "product development extraordinaire" on our LinkedIn account?

    I've invested some time in thinking about where our agribusiness is headed - tomorrow, 3 years, 5 years from now. I know that social media and social networking will be an immense part of the journey.

More thoughts to come!

Helping Others

FMC Corporation Donates $75,000 to Philippines Typhoon Relief Efforts through the American Red Cross to support ongoing recovery efforts in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan.  FMC has seaweed processing operations in Cebu, Philippines, supporting its Health and Nutrition business, and an IT regional service center and business operations in Manila.

"We are all shocked and saddened at the devastation in the Philippines from the October earthquake and Typhoon Haiyan," said Pierre Brondeau, FMC president, CEO and chairman.  "Although we are extremely grateful that all of our employees throughout the Philippines are safe, we know that the storm's impact across the country has displaced families, impacted food supplies and damaged telecommunications infrastructure. Our thoughts are with the Philippine people during this very difficult time, and we hope these funds assist with critical recovery efforts."

I am so proud to be an employee of FMC Corporation!  

What does FMC stand for?





I am often asked, “What does FMC stand for?” Well, here is the story behind our brand.

“FMC was founded in 1883 and was originally known as the Bean Spray Pump Company, named after John Bean who developed the first piston pump insecticide sprayer. Success followed and, after acquiring another company, the named was changed to Food Machinery Corporation, which soon became Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation and eventually became known as FMC Corporation.” (www.fmccrop.com)

What does it really mean to build a brand? I think it means having all of your employees excited and engaged with the products or services they sell. I think it means development of social media advancement, communications, marketing initiatives, and network relationships. FMC is the fastest growing company in our industry, and I know we will continue to pursue building our brand name to reach as many people as possible.

Marketing Associate

Since my last post I have moved 1,100 miles away from home to live in the great city of Philadelphia, PA. I am a new Marketing Associate with FMC Corporation! I will be working specifically with segment planning, social media advancement, and communications. I am very excited to begin what will hopefully be a life-long career with this company. I miss the southern region, but I am so appreciative of all that I learned during my sales internship experience. My goal for this new position is to learn as much about business strategy, marketing analysis, and product development as possible.

Happy Tuesday!

Display (TM)

"The newest cotton harvest aid for cotton growers who demand reliable defoliation with less regrowth and rapid control of viney weeds. Display is a PPO that comes as a concentrated, low-use rate formulation. It delivers excellent results even in cool temperatures, and tank mixes easily with adjuvants and other harvest aid chemistries." -Taken from www.fmccrop.com  

The featured fields are in Isola, Mississippi. As you compare the two pictures above, you probably can see a distinct difference. The top picture was taken just 36 hours after the cotton field was sprayed and the bottom picture was taken exactly 7 days after. The results of Display (TM) cotton defoliant are remarkably fast - which is very important when seasons are changing and the crop was planted late. Display (TM) has consistently shown positive results while saving growers up to 4 days harvest time! 

And time is money.  

The Dreaded Pigweed

    This is the dreaded pigweed. A plant feared and faced in any region of the United States with a growth hormone faster than a racecar. It is a summer annual that germinates from late winter through summer season. It grows incredibly fast and spreads like wildfire; seeds spread inch by inch to cover an entire field. If farmers don't carefully clean their machines they could potentially ruin a clean field if just one tiny pigweed seed hits the ground. They are nitrate-accumlating in certain environmental conditions. Nitrate is found in fertilizer, but too much can be posionous. The weed can be killed by herbicides if it is caught young (and I mean smaller than 3 inches tall). However, once that baby hits 4+ inches you can forget about it.

   The pigweed especially interests me because of its growth potential. I have seen a one inch pigweed on a Monday and by the end of the week it was up to my hip! Once the weed takes over it is hard to distinguish your crop and weed regrowth becomes a problem later on.

   The weeds on the left have not invaded the corn on the right because the corn has been sprayed with some Anthem (TM) herbicide to protect it. This is just a great example of what I've seen all summer from Texas to North Carolina. One thing I'd like to research is possibility for transforming pigweeds into biofuels. A plant this strong should be manipulated for benefits - we just need to figure out how to do it!

Curry Farms

Along my journey I met the Curry family who reside near Rayville, Louisiana. Mr. Bentley and his delightful wife Sandy open their home to their community each year. They have lived on this farm for most of their lives and have created a wonderland. You should see how beautiful it is!

There are pumpkin patches in their backyard. Also, they farm Christmas trees!! They invite friends, family, and community members to come and celebrate the fall season. People come from many miles away to gather a Halloween pumpkin and an authentic tree for their home.

There are goats, donkeys, chickens, and other critters roaming around. They love attention, and food of course. When I become a home owner later in life I hope to have several acres and lots of wildlife to share my afternoons with.



Last but not least there is a huge catfish pond! Perfect resource for a fish fry or relaxing on the dock. Their home is also open for birthday parties and carnival get-togethers! I just had to share these pictures because I had such a good time exploring. If you'd like more information about Curry Farms, please visit   http://www.curryfarms.net/CURRY_FARMS/HOME.html

Happy Monday!