Rob Cook is one of the digital pioneers in agricultural communications. He now works for Vance Publishing overseeing CattleNetwork.com. Rob and I sat down for a conversation about CattleNetwork.com and the Vance acquisition while we were attending the Cattle Industry Summer Conference.
His family has been in the cattle business a long time. He says that about 7 years ago, 6 or 7 feedyards got together to start CattleNetwork.com as an online place to get business information. Since then it has grown to an audience of 800,000 repeat visitors who visit the cattle news portal. Rob says the biggest growth has been in the cow/calf sector.
Income for CattleNework.com comes from subscriptions, distribution agreements (CattleStore.com) and advertising with advertising being the largest source of dollars. He says that they had been working with Vance for some time but did this deal since Vance wanted to provide its customers with a more “blended offering” that includes print, video and web. I asked him how they put out so much content and he says they’ve created a very process oriented system that automates a big percentage of the information collection and distribution. Rob says the model for CattleNetwork.com has been replicated for their AgNetwork.com which covers 15 different commodities.
I asked him if they were considering podcasting and text services and he says they definitely are. He says the number one call they get from producers is a request to make CattleNetwork.com more compatible for phones! Like us here at ZimmComm, he was told 6 years ago that no one would use the internet but those same people now have iPhones and are using texting.
Looking ahead, Rob says their focus in 2009 is creating more value added information. He says they’re also working on a new market reporting system too.
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The program this week ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. Since we’re talking about cattle and last week was a lot of work with the Beef Board, you get to listen to “Chipped Beef” from the Blackouts. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 180 (24 min MP3)
Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:
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The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes
The Cattle Industry Summer Conference is over. It’s been a great week of cowboys, steaks and following the grass roots process of the work of the NCBA and CBB. Helping me wrap up my coverage is CBB Chairman, Dave Bateman. I want to thank CBB for once again having me in as their Beef Board Blogger.
I spoke to Dave after the joint board meeting was over. Dave says it’s been a great conference. He says we’re looking at some difficulties like decreasing revenues due to things like cattle numbers being down along with lower imports.
Dave says committee members rose to the occasion though by prioritizing projects and that they have done an exceptional job. He says there’s a “unity of decisions” although that doesn’t mean everyone is happy with every decision. As he puts it, no one likes to see really good programs get cut back. He says that they’re beyond cutting the fat and now they’re cutting into the muscle.
Dave does point to a bright spot which is foreign markets. He says that the numbers are up and for that reason they’ve put some extra money into the foreign markets program.
He also says that the conference has been a good place to start the effort to improve the Checkoff with recommendations. In conclusion, he says that with the cow herd shrinking, “we’re a victim of our own success.” He says producers are so much more efficient in terms of production that revenues haven’t kept pace.
You can listen to my wrap up interview with Dave here:
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In a highly applauded encore appearance, Baxter Black, entertained at the CBB annual dinner.
Baxter is the voice of Checkoff producer communications radio spots. He says it’s very important for producers to know what’s going on with their investment.
One observation he made when I spoke with him is how things get done here. He says it’s stunning to him that anything gets done. He was in some of the committee meetings and he says you hear all kinds of different opinions, sometimes arguing, but at the end of the day it seems like the best decision is made. Baxter also says that the Checkoff program is very important and needs to continue to be funded.
Listen to my interview with Baxter here:
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For those of you who haven’t ever heard Baxter tell a story then check this one out. In it he tells about how cowboys are environmentally friendly:
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The first ever winners of the BQA Award were announced today.
Quality. It’s not only a word written in an instruction manual but a responsible action – one must live it and then teach it. That was the underlying theme this week as two producers were honored with the national Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) award, created to recognize outstanding beef and dairy producers from across the country who incorporate BQA principles as part of the day-to-day activities on their operations. The winners were selected based upon their commitment to beef quality assurance while operating sustainable cattle operations.
This year’s winners were Jim Docheff, Diamond D Dairy from Longmont, Colo., and Anne Burkholder, Will Feed Inc. from Cozad, Neb.
A common trait among the two winners is a strong desire to continually improve BQA on their operations while successfully encouraging others around them to implement BQA. The National BQA award winners are selected annually by a committee of representatives from universities, state beef councils and cattle industry groups. For more information about the beef checkoff or BQA program, visit www.bqa.org, www.dbqa.org or www.beefboard.org.
Listen to my interview with Jim and Anne here:
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In a real show of gratitude, we allowed Joe Schuele, USMEF, to attend the media reception here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference. We even let him say a few words. We did it because we appreciate all his hard work in the media room for years.
Joe let us know how much he enjoyed doing it and said that we’d be taken care of very well by Grace Webb and Melissa Tessitore, pictured here with him.
Inspirational speaker and writer, Rebecca Long Chaney, is working on a series of agricultural education books for pre-schoolers and elementary school children. Here she’s seen with her exhibit at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference.
The book she’s promoting will be available through her website soon. This first book, which she had for sale, is written from the perspective of her twin daughters, raising their first orphan beef calf they found in a field. The book follows along from the field to when they get the calf halter trained.
Rebecca says the next book will focus on dairy, with her daughters spending a day on a neighbor’s dairy and working in a local creamery. She’s very passionate about teaching the truth about animal agriculture to children and says that this project is one she’ll be working on for years.
Rebecca was born and raised on a dairy farm and now raises registered Hereford beef cattle.
Listen to my interview with Rebecca here:
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Tom Ramey, CBB’s CEO sure has his hands full dealing with some challenging times for the Checkoff. This morning he made a presentation at the second general session of the Summer Conference. You can listen to his presentation below.
I also interviewed Tom and found out that there are two main issues of special importance to the Checkoff here at this conference. The first one, according to Tom, is the budget. The recommended budget was presented at the CBB Update Session and committees will be looking at the parts that affect them during their meetings. Tom says that Checkoff dollars are down and that it’s a tough time right now. He says some difficult decisions will need to be made.
The other big issue is the process to create recommendations for ways to improve the Checkoff. Tom says the staff has sent out over 300 letters soliciting comments and that they’ll be organizing meetings with a number of the organizations targeted. Once those comments come in the staff will organize them and scrub them so that the Admin Subcommittee, which is charged with overseeing this process, can look at them on the merit of the comment without being affected by seeing who wrote them. Then the staff will be helping organize meetings with the committee to review the comments and formulate recommendations prior to the end of the year.
Tom says producers here seem excited about what the Checkoff is doing but are concerned about the budget. He says these are difficult times for the beef industry.
Listen to my interview with Tom here:
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Listen to Tom’s general session presentation here:
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The red-shirted Beef Ambassadors have been wandering the halls here at the Summer Conference. I spoke with two of them this morning, Leticia Varelas, NM (L) and Jennifer Rassler, PA. They wanted to make sure I pointed people to their blog: Raising The Steaks. I hope you’ll take some time to see what these ambassadors of the industry are doing.
In my interview they each talk about projects they’ve been involved with like:
Summer Photo Contest: So, our mission for you is to capture those little moments of you washing your animal, leading him around, or how well you take care of them. Let your photo show how your involvement with the beef cattle production project really encourages you to be aware of animal welfare. So what we want from you is your best photo. Send it in to us at our email, which is raisingthesteaks@gmail.com. Feel free to include a caption about your picture. The contest deadline is October 1st, so you’re sure to have the perfect moment for a picture. Be sure to include an email adress where we can contact you. Photos will be judged, and a winner notified. Check back for more details as we get this contest rolling.
Penn State Blood Drive: Jennifer says they held a blood drive that had the slogan, “Beef, It’s What’s For Donors.” They fed donors hamburgers and gave them t-shirts too. She says it was the biggest blood drive they’ve ever held.
YouTube Videos: Both of these ambassadors produced YouTube videos for Earth Day to showcase the positive things farmers do for the environment. You can find Leticia’s video here and Jennifer’s video here.
Listen to my interview with Leticia and Jennifer here:
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By now you know that the new CBB website is MyBeefCheckoff.com. I just realized that it’s what you get when you type in the old CBB web domain too.
One of the features you’ll soon find on the new CBB website will be producer profiles. The idea is to find out what producers (beef and dairy) think about the programs and activities of the Checkoff.
To get things started I did a number of interviews today and will get many more before the end of the summer conference. I started out with Jim Eschliman, Ericson, NE. He’s a dairy producer and it has been his career. He says they milk 140 cows but have around 300 head all together.
So when it comes to the Beef Checkoff he says that we have to continue to promote beef and get dairy producers to understand that fact. As he says, they’re beef producers too.
Jim says it’s important for dairy and beef producers to understand how to handle their animals and especially pay attention to the shipping process.
He sells cull cows and steers and thinks the Checkoff has increased the price he receives. As he puts it, “The Checkoff really helps.”
You can listen to my interview with Jim here:
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The Zimfo Bytes you see several times a week have been a very well received feature of AgWired. It allows us to post more nuggets of news to help keep the agrimarketing community informed. Melissa Slage, Cattlemen’s Beef Board, is the author of Zimfo Bytes. She’s pictured with Lynn Heinze at yesterday’s CBB Admin Subcommitte mtg.
This morning I talked to Melissa about what she does at CBB and their new website, MyBeefCheckoff.com. Melissa is Trade Media Manager which means she’s responsible for news releases and trade show activity. She’ll be at the upcoming Ag Media Summit for example.
I’ve logged in to MyBeefCheckoff.com and am glad they finally got a website that’s intuitive and easy to find things I need.
You can listen to my interview with Melissa here:
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The Cattlemen’s Beef Board Administration Subcommittee got things started here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver today. I spoke with CBB Chairman, Dave Bateman, about what we can expect to see happen during this meeting.
Dave says that producers come together here at the summer meeting to do the work of the industry.
He says that the committee structure of the CBB is part of the groundwork of what happens here and that part of the process is to get the most bang for the buck while increasing beef demand.
One of the exciting topics they’ll be talking about is international markets. Dave says that the current value of the dollar, coupled with some real opportunities, makes for some interesting challenges. He says that attendance is expected to be slightly higher this year.
I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot more about this, but Dave also mentions the process that has been started here for recommending improvements to the Beef Checkoff Program.
You can listen to my interview with Dave here:
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The first thing I did after getting into Denver today was go to lunch with my buddy, Evan Slack. He took me out for some excellent comfort food. Catfish, greens, cornbread, candied yams and sweet tea. Mmm, mmm. Tom’s Home Cookin’
Then he and I went to the Apple Store and AT&T store. I’ve got to wait until the end of November to be eligible for the iPhone discount (unless I can sweet talk my local rep into a deal). The iPhone data plan will save me almost $20/month so it’ll pay for itself if I can git ‘er done. We’ll see.
When I got to the downtown Sheraton there were a couple of poor, bedraggled protesters on the street. Before I could get my camera out they were ushered away by the local cops I think. They just kind of disappeared. Gotta feel sorry for those people. It’s a free country and they’re entitled to their opinion. But the animal rights wackos don’t ever quit trying to get in your face. Hey, have your opinion but just don’t try to stick in my space, eh?
I just bought my plane ticket to Denver for the Cattle Industry Summer Conference. I just don’t think prices are going to improve. Got yours?
The cattle industry comes together twice a year to discuss current issues as a group, to work on programs and initiatives, and to set the course we should take with our various projects for the betterment of the beef cattle industry. The Cattle Industry Summer Conference features meetings of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board, American National CattleWomen, Inc., Cattle-Fax and National Cattlemen’s Foundation.
Here cattle industry members will meet in both NCBA Policy committees and subcommittees and Joint committees and subcommittees to discuss current developments, to work on initiatives developed at Convention, and to make plans for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins October 1st. Issues Forums will be open to all registered attendees at the Summer Conference, and will include hot topics. Everyone is encouraged to participate. A CBB Meeting and NCBA Board of Directors Meeting will also be held.
Download the brochure here (pdf) or register here.
On the road again. Here’s Oakland Airport on the way to Reno. It was a beautiful day for flying. On the way out there were plenty of cowboy hats on the plane.
The Cattle Industry Convention is a multi-organizational meeting and I’m not even going to try to cover all of it.
The meeting will feature joint and individual meetings by five industry organizations:
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board
American National CattleWomen, Inc.
Cattle-Fax
National Cattlemen’s Foundation
At the NCBA Trade Show, over 250 companies will offer attendees a chance to see the latest products and services while networking with other cattle producers. In addition, many booths will feature giveaways, games and prize drawings. Whether you are looking for farm vehicles, fencing, feed supplies, animal health products or the latest in technology, you’ll find it right here under one roof.
Once we got to Reno we were welcomed in the airport. Things are kind of quiet here tonight since the main portion of the meeting doesn’t really get kicked off until Wednesday.
You’ll be able to keep track of all the fun and excitement I can find in an online photo album of course. The challenging part of this meeting is moving back and forth from the convention center and the Grand Sierra Resort that I’m staying in which is where the CBB is having a lot of their meetings.
I’ll be Rushing off to Reno early on Monday to attend the Cattle Industry Convention once again. You’ll be able to follow all the action right here on AgWired.
I’ll also be the Beef Board Blogger on Beef Board Meeting.com. This will be the third year that the Cattlemen’s Beef Board has blogged their activities at this major national event which includes interviews and copies of all their committee activities. It’s transparent communications at its finest.
While I’m in Reno, Cindy and John Davis will be in Orlando for the National Biodiesel Conference. I’ve been the Biodiesel Blogger for a couple years for them but this year we’ve got a conflict so Cindy and John will be taking care of the duties there.
For those of you who might have been wondering if I made it back from Denver the answer is yes. Captain Evan Slack is a great pilot. We ran around some clouds and “weather” on the way to Kansas City. One of the choices as we got near Salina, KS was north or south. We went south and it was the right decision. I think that’s an experienced pilot’s instinct kicking in.
One thing is for sure. You get a much better view than on a commercial airline. You also get to help out the pilot when he needs something from the back seat. This next picture is Denver from the air soon after we took off from the airport where Evan keeps his plane.
We had to cross a little warm front with some unbelievable clouds that were so close you could reach out and touch them.
This is when I remembered my little camera again and made a short video clip for you.
I didn’t think you wanted to hear the engine noise so I added a part of one of Evan’s interviews he did at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference from his Friday midday show.
It’s getting near time for me to close up shop at ZimmComm New Media’s temporary Denver headquarters. The Cattle Industry Summer Conference is almost at an end. If you want to get a good overall summary of what happened from a Beef Board perspective then visit Beef Board Meeting.com.
At last night’s CBB dinner we were entertained by Mr. Cowboy Poet, Baxter Black. I think just about everyone got their picture taken with him. He’s the volunteer voice of the Beef Board and they loved him.
You can listen to one of Baxter’s stories here:
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I’ve interviewed Amanda Nolz more than once at a previous cattle industry meeting. Once was at last year’s winter meeting and once again last summer. Well, this ambassador for beef is now a blogger and I’m proud of her.
Amanda is pictured here talking with Beef Board Executive Committee member Don Hullman at one of the meetings here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference. I hope you check out her blog at Chewing the Cud. Here’s a little bit about Amanda from her site: “A contagious passion for agriculture and a respect for the individuals involved motivate Amanda Nolz to tell her story. As a fifth generation rancher, she grew up on a Limousin cattle operation in southeastern South Dakota. After serving as the 2006 National Beef Ambassador, Amanda Nolz has grown into a strong youth voice in agriculture. Whether speaking with producers, educating consumers, or facing agriculture’s biggest adversaries, Amanda uses her energy and passion to tell the food production story.
With the help of agricultural activist Trent Loos, Amanda has extended her blog Chewing the Cud to the airwaves, which airs throughout the Midwest on Dakota Trails and Tales. She has been published in numerous agriculture journals and has traveled the country touting her message to different agricultural organizations. Amanda is a sophomore Ag Communications student at South Dakota State University and is spending the summer as an intern with the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service in Washington D.C.” You can hear her latest show here (mp3).
Another beef ambassador who’s now a blogger is Chris Molinaro, pictured here with Baxter Black at last night’s CBB dinner. You can find Chris at Beef Matters.
Here’s a welcome message from Chris that you’ll find on her site: “My name is Chris Molinaro and I am one of your 2007 National Beef Ambassadors! Not only is it my responsibility, but it is my passion to promote the safe, wholesome, and nutritious product brought to you by the American beef producers! This blog will include my thoughts and view points on topics related to the beef industry, I will tell it like it is:the truth-the facts-and the REAL story behind the beef you eat!”
Taking good care of the land got rewarded last night for 6 farms around the country. The regional winners of the National Environmental Stewardship Award Program were announced.
“The six regional winners have made extensive efforts to work closely with their local communities and government agencies, including the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), to implement conservation programs that benefit everyone. They have seen the value in utilizing conservation programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) on their operations. These folks showcase how the implementation of cooperative research efforts, educational events and government programs can really pay off.
“We are also proud to announce that 2007 marks the 17th year of the Environmental Stewardship Award Program. Over the years, we have seen an exceptional number of applications, and we look forward to the continued growth of this prestigious award program. We thank Dow AgroSciences LCC and the NRCS for their dedication to sponsoring this award program, which honors environmental innovation and perseverance among U.S. cattle producers.”
The 2007 Regional ESAP Winners are…
-Region I: Sunrise Club Calves, Shippenville, Pennsylvania
Nominated by Pennsylvania Cattlemen’s Association
-Region II: Dee River Ranch, Aliceville, Alabama
Nominated by Alabama Cattlemen’s Association
-Region III: Oak Knoll Ranch, Salem, Missouri
Nominated by Top of the Ozarks
-Region V: Roaring Springs Ranch, Frenchglen, Oregon
Nominated by Oregon Cattlemen’s Association
-Region VI: Yolo Land & Cattle Co., Woodland, California
Nominated by California Cattlemen’s Association and California Rangeland Trust
-Region VII: Alexander Ranch, Sun City, Kansas
Nominated by Comanche Pool Prairie Resource Foundation
Thanks once again to Merial for not only sponsoring the media room but also last night’s reception. It was in a very cool place, the Buckhorn Exchange. Their website says they have Colorado liquor license #1.
According to Evan Slack it’s the oldest bar in Colorado. He should know right? Just kidding Evan.
I’m hoping for good weather tomorrow for the flight home. I came out to Denver on a one way with Southwest and Evan’s flying me home in his Mooney. This should be interesting. Say a prayer for me.
Rob Cook is one of the digital pioneers in agricultural communications. He now works for Vance Publishing overseeing CattleNetwork.com. Rob and I sat down for a conversation about CattleNetwork.com and the Vance acquisition while we were attending the Cattle Industry Summer Conference.
ZimmCast 180 (24 min MP3)
The Cattle Industry Summer Conference is over. It’s been a great week of cowboys, steaks and following the grass roots process of the work of the NCBA and CBB. Helping me wrap up my coverage is CBB Chairman, Dave Bateman. I want to thank CBB for once again having me in as their 
In a highly applauded encore appearance, Baxter Black, entertained at the CBB annual dinner.
The first ever winners of the BQA Award were announced today.
In a real show of gratitude, we allowed Joe Schuele, USMEF, to attend the media reception here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference. We even let him say a few words. We did it because we appreciate all his hard work in the media room for years.
Inspirational speaker and writer, Rebecca Long Chaney, is working on a series of agricultural education books for pre-schoolers and elementary school children. Here she’s seen with her exhibit at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference.
Tom Ramey, CBB’s CEO sure has his hands full dealing with some challenging times for the Checkoff. This morning he made a presentation at the second general session of the Summer Conference. You can listen to his presentation below.
The red-shirted Beef Ambassadors have been wandering the halls here at the Summer Conference. I spoke with two of them this morning, Leticia Varelas, NM (L) and Jennifer Rassler, PA. They wanted to make sure I pointed people to their blog: 
By now you know that the new CBB website is 
The Zimfo Bytes you see several times a week have been a very well received feature of AgWired. It allows us to post more nuggets of news to help keep the agrimarketing community informed. Melissa Slage, Cattlemen’s Beef Board, is the author of 
The Cattlemen’s Beef Board Administration Subcommittee got things started here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver today. I spoke with CBB Chairman, Dave Bateman, about what we can expect to see happen during this meeting.
The first thing I did after getting into Denver today was go to lunch with my buddy, Evan Slack. He took me out for some excellent comfort food. Catfish, greens, cornbread, candied yams and sweet tea. Mmm, mmm. 
I just bought my plane ticket to Denver for the 
On the road again. Here’s Oakland Airport on the way to Reno. It was a beautiful day for flying. On the way out there were plenty of cowboy hats on the plane.
At the NCBA Trade Show, over 250 companies will offer attendees a chance to see the latest products and services while networking with other cattle producers. In addition, many booths will feature giveaways, games and prize drawings. Whether you are looking for farm vehicles, fencing, feed supplies, animal health products or the latest in technology, you’ll find it right here under one roof.
I’ll be Rushing off to Reno early on Monday to attend the 
While I’m in Reno, Cindy and John Davis will be in Orlando for the 
For those of you who might have been wondering if I made it back from Denver the answer is yes. Captain Evan Slack is a great pilot. We ran around some clouds and “weather” on the way to Kansas City. One of the choices as we got near Salina, KS was north or south. We went south and it was the right decision. I think that’s an experienced pilot’s instinct kicking in.
We had to cross a little warm front with some unbelievable clouds that were so close you could reach out and touch them. 
It’s getting near time for me to close up shop at ZimmComm New Media’s temporary Denver headquarters. The Cattle Industry Summer Conference is almost at an end. If you want to get a good overall summary of what happened from a Beef Board perspective then visit 
I’ve interviewed Amanda Nolz more than once at a previous cattle industry meeting. Once was at 
Another beef ambassador who’s now a blogger is Chris Molinaro, pictured here with Baxter Black at last night’s CBB dinner. You can find Chris at 
Taking good care of the land got rewarded last night for 6 farms around the country. The regional winners of the 
Thanks once again to 
Cool Interactive Ideas in new media was the topic of a NAMA Boot Camp presentation by Erin Holte, Martin Williams.
