By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER
Ohio Correspondent

MAPLEWOOD, Ohio — With the goal of encouraging trade between Ohio and Israel, Chris Gibbs traveled 6,000 miles to attend AgroMashov 2010, a noted agricultural trade show in the Middle East.

Gibbs was a delegate for the Ohio-Israel Agricultural Initiative of the Negev Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Cleveland. That foundation promotes initiatives that contribute to the agricultural self-sufficiency of the Negev region.

“We took representations or literature and samples from eight different Ohio agricultural companies that wanted to be represented at the trade show in Israel,” said Gibbs, who likened the show to the Power Show Ohio held in Columbus each year.

“We had an Ohio Pavilion, a booth. We were available to Israeli farmers, producers and manufacturers to talk about trade between Ohio and Israel. We had some companies that we wanted to focus on, and hope that we made some contacts there.”

Once the crowd at the trade show – producers, manufacturers and interested individuals – found out Ohio was represented, they overwhelmed the delegates, wanting to meet with them to discuss selling products. “They wanted to use Ohio as a gateway into the United States,” Gibbs said.

Some of the Ohio companies presented at the trade show received interest from Israeli farmers and other agricultural professionals, he said. Contacts were made that could result in deals and collaborations between companies.

“When you’re planting corn, you can expect results for the price of seed,” said Gibbs, who has a grain farm. “But when you attend a trade show, it’s more like sowing a new hayfield. You have to wait to see what grows to know if it has been successful.”

Based on contacts made at the show, a buyer is coming to Ohio who wants 4,000 beef cattle per month to be shipped to Israel, Gibbs said. One highlight for him was the opportunity to meet Israeli President Shimon Peres. He had known Peres might stop at the show.

“I thought maybe I’d get a chance to shake his hand. I actually stepped out in front of him as his entourage was moving,” Gibbs said. “I extended my hand and chatted about the initiative to trade agricultural products between Ohio and Israel. He nodded his head and said ‘This is a really good thing.’”

Before leaving Israel, Gibbs visited a dairy farm; the Israeli Holstein dairy cow is said to be the highest producing dairy cow in the world. On Kibbutz Revivim in the Negev Desert, he also observed the Smart Nursing Station (SNS). The device uses Israeli software and is made up of American, Dutch and Israeli parts.
“This nursing station uses radio controlled collars on calves, greater than 10-day-old calves but prior to weaning-bucket calves,” Gibbs said. “One unit will take care of 50 to 60 head. Each calf wears a radio controlled collar.”

The calf walks into the station, where the computer recognizes the calf, weighs it and dispenses the exact amount of milk replacer. The calf takes the milk through a nipple. After consuming the correct amount of milk, the calf is gently pushed from the station.
It takes about a day for the calf to be trained to use the device. Gibbs said collaborations can be achieved through continued awareness in both Ohio and Israel that Ohio is open for business to Israeli technology, such as the SNS, and that Israel is open for business for Ohio technology, research and development and products.