Hog Stampede at WPX

Cindy Zimmerman June 7, 2008

About 100 Harley Davidson motorcycles cruised down the main drag at World Pork Expo Saturday morning – the annual “Cruisin’ with the Hogs” event. Gotta appreciate the tie-in there. Harley Davidson has actually been quite prominent around the expo this week I noticed.

I wondered why the NAMA Bombers and Leah Guffey weren’t here – it was certainly an event they could appreciate! Maybe next year guys…put it on your calendar.

Enjoy the video of the WPX hog cruisers:

World Pork Expo Photo Album

AgWired coverage of World Pork Expo is sponsored by:

Novus International, Video, World Pork Expo

Celebrate Food the Slow Way

Laura McNamara June 7, 2008

San Francisco is hosting the largest celebration of American food in U.S. history. Slow Food Nation is expected to attract tens of thousands in an experience that highlights the connections between plate and planet. The celebration is scheduled for Labor Day weekend, August 29 through September 1, 2008.

The majority of Slow Food Nation’s events will be free and open to the public; certain events are ticketed. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, June 4 at http://www.slowfoodnation.org/.

“Slow Food Nation will catalyze a huge shift in how Americans perceive and prioritize food. Through the four-day event, we hope to build momentum and demand for an American food system that is safer, healthier and more socially just,” said Anya Fernald, Executive Director of Slow Food Nation.

Participants will savor food from across the U.S. at Taste, a 50,000 square foot pavilion; meet farmers and producers at a marketplace surrounding a 10,000 square foot newly-planted urban garden in the heart of the City; and learn from visionary speakers. Slow Food Nation will also feature a music festival, workshops, films, dinners, hikes and journeys.

Slow Food Nations is a part of the international Slow Food movement. The movement says it is dedicated to creating a framework for deeper environmental connection to our food. It aims to inspire and empower Americans to build a food system that is sustainable, healthy and delicious.

Ag Groups, Environment, Food

Putting the Pork in World Pork Expo

Cindy Zimmerman June 6, 2008

What would World Pork Expo be without Pork? I guess just World Expo – right??

There is an abundance of pork at WPX, actually. Every hospitality tent offers pork for breakfast, lunch, dinner and/or appetizers. Kinda goes with the territory, doncha know?

Here we see our National Pork Producer president Bryan Black cutting up some pork outside the NPPC tent, and a luau-style roasted pig being carved up by the folks with Automated Production Systems (AP).

There will be lots more pork at the expo on Saturday with the Great BarbeQlossal when over 80 teams will be competing for the title of Grand Champion.

Here’s a video of AP carving up the pig:

World Pork Expo Photo Album

AgWired coverage of World Pork Expo is sponsored by:

Food, Novus International, Pork, Video, World Pork Expo

Novus Nutrition Innovation

Cindy Zimmerman June 6, 2008

The slogan for Novus International is “Performance Through Innovation” and that is why they employ more than 50 Ph.D. Animal Nutritionists and Doctors of Veterinary Medicine who work continuously to create new products and programs for animal health and nutrition.

One of those is Dr. Brad Lawrence, a swine nutritionist who is manager of technical services for the Novus pork business unit. He is pictured here with Jeremy Lutgen, Novus marketing and PR. Guess which one has the PhD? Hint: it’s not the bald guy in the shades.

Brad says one of the main questions producers at World Pork Expo have been posing is how do they optimize energy for their animals, given all the feed ingredients there are available today?

“Just as we see at the pump every day when we fuel up, energy is the single most expensive ingredient that a producer is going to put into his animals’ diet, and they are trying to look for ways to minimize the cost of that energy or optimize their return,” Brad says.

He talks about the research Novus has done on their high energy diets and some of the products and programs they offer for producers.

Listen to Brad’s interview here: wpx08-novus-brad.mp3

Or download here:
Brad Lawrence Interview (4:30 min MP3)

World Pork Expo Photo Album

AgWired coverage of World Pork Expo is sponsored by:

Animal Health, Audio, Novus International, Swine, World Pork Expo

Flying Pigs

Cindy Zimmerman June 6, 2008

Who says pigs don’t fly?

They do at World Pork Expo. The flag is a perfect image of the weather we had today in Des Moines – windy and sunny. Just a beautiful day.

It’s fun to walk around the expo and see just how clever people are with the whole pig theme. You can see more shots of pig props in the photo album.

World Pork Expo Photo Album

AgWired coverage of World Pork Expo is sponsored by:

Novus International, Swine, World Pork Expo

Glorious Day at WPX

Cindy Zimmerman June 6, 2008

For the second night in a row last night we had a major storm pass through the Des Moines area, and for the second day in a row the weather has been gorgeous.

Today was even better than yesterday, which did get a bit muggy at times, even though we had some high winds. It was sunny and very pleasant.

People have been having a wonderful time here and the Street Band got rocking about 3 pm. Saturday activities will include Cruisin’ with the Hogs Harley Ride in the morning and the Great BarbeQlossal. Hopefully it will be another glorious day.

World Pork Expo Photo Album

AgWired coverage of World Pork Expo is sponsored by:

Novus International, World Pork Expo

Cindys are Never Blah

Cindy Zimmerman June 6, 2008

Two Cindys are twice as fun as one and never blah!

My buddy Cindy Cunningham with the National Pork Board/Pork Checkoff stopped by the Novus International tent to do a “Cindy Show” with me.

Among the many things we talked about were how the pork checkoff is helping producers find new ways to save money on their operations during these days of high input costs and the great success story of pork exports and how the pork checkoff has helped the US move from being a net pork importer to being the second largest exporter in the world.

Cindy also talked about “Pork on the Move” – a mobile tour with 23 stops planned for this year. “We open up a big trailer, grill pork for people, let them sample it and have producers on hand to talk to the public about pork,” Cindy said. The smaller of the two trailers was on the grounds of the expo this week, while the bigger one is in Chicago at the big Blues Festival this weekend.

Listen to the Cindy show here: wpx08-novus-cindys.mp3

Or download here:
Cindy Cunningham Interview (8:00 min MP3)

World Pork Expo Photo Album

AgWired coverage of World Pork Expo is sponsored by:

Ag Groups, Audio, Novus International, Pork, World Pork Expo

What’s Up With Watt

Cindy Zimmerman June 6, 2008

Longevity for a family-owned and operated business is not all that common in today’s world of acquisitions, especially in the agribusiness and media worlds, but Watt Media is the exception to the rule.

Greg Watt is the fourth generation president and CEO of Watt Publishing, a business started by his great grandfather J.W. Watt in 1917 through an acquisition of a poultry publication called Poultry Tribune. As they celebrate 91 years in the business, Greg says they now cover the agribusiness industry with publications on a global scale, including Pig International and Feed International.

In my interview with him, Greg talks about how the publication business has changed over the past nine decades, moving into more new media like webcasting and podcasting, their gold level sponsorship and involvement at World Pork Expo, and how they are forming partnerships with some of their clients like Novus International to better serve the livestock industry.

Listen to Greg’s interview here: wpx08-novus-watt.mp3

Or download here:
Greg Watt Interview (8:30 min MP3)

World Pork Expo Photo Album

AgWired coverage of World Pork Expo is sponsored by:

Audio, Livestock, Media, Novus International, Pork, Poultry, World Pork Expo

Watch the New Holland/Michael Peterson Celebrity Tractor Race Live!

Laura McNamara June 6, 2008

AgWired.com will be bringing you live coverage of the New Holland/Michael Peterson Celebrity Tractor Race. AgWired Live TV will be streaming the race on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Viewers can watch thirty celebrities compete to be the fastest tractor on the lot on a post here or on the AgWired Live TV Web page. Celebrity racers include Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Jimmie Van Zant, Rolling Ston’es Chuck Leavell and National Biodiesel Board CEO Joe Jobe. Of course, Michael Peterson will be hosting the event.

2008 CMA Music Festival Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the CMA Country Music Festival is sponsored by:

Ag Groups, New Holland

Michael Peterson and Joe Jobe Perform on XM

Laura McNamara June 6, 2008

The executive director of the National Biodiesel Board is not just a country music fan, but also a country music singer… well, for his wife and kids at home at least. But today, Joe got a bit more exposure than a home audience. He performed live on the Dave Nemo Show on XM Radio with renowned country music singer/songwriter Michael Peterson.

Michael and Joe also delved into energy issues, renewable fuels and where all that fits in with public policy. Joe says the National Biodiesel Board is aiming to have biodiesel replace five percent of the national supply of diesel fuel. He says that is equivalent to the amount of diesel the U.S. if refining and importing from in Iraq. In other words, he says the National Biodiesel Board is aiming to replace the diesel fuel we get from Iraq.

Some critics arguing against renewable fuels point out that the alternative fuel sources will never fully replace the need for oil. But, Joe says that’s not the point, “That’s like saying if you can’t do everything than you shouldn’t do anything.” Joe says The National Biodiesel Board simply doesn’t share that frame of thought. That’s why it has launched the BioTrucker Fuel Card. The card offers card holders cash price on all biodiesel fuel at 5,000 participating locations and special discounts at select truck stops all without any transaction fees. Those interested can sign up for the card at BioTrucker.com.

Both Michael and Joe lauded the farmers that make up the nation’s ag industry. Joe says agriculture is a powerful industry that fosters cutting-edge, technological innovation. “Ag is slow to move but powerful to respond,” Joe said.

You can listen to the entire broadcast of the Dave New Show with Michael and Joe here:
cma-08-xm.mp3

I also got some videos of Michael and Joe while they were singing and strumming their guitars. You can watch the videos here:

2008 CMA Music Festival Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the CMA Country Music Festival is sponsored by:

Ethanol, Farm Progress Show, Media, Podcasts, University

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