Free-Range? Pah… It’s All the Same for United Egg Producers

Laura McNamara

United Egg ProducersWhat’s important is keeping the birds happy. Happy birds produce better eggs and more of them… right? Right or wrong, the United Egg Producers say, either way, free-range birds aren’t necessarily “happier.”

Animal rights activists have long alleged that hens in modern cages live a horribly stressed life, but new research appears to debunk those claims. Researchers have discovered that free range hens experience just as much or more stress than hens raised in modern, conventional cages.

A recent study conducted by Dr. Jeff Downing at University of Sydney measured corticosterone, a hormone produced in response to stress or fear, in eggs from free range and modern caged hens. The study showed that the levels of the hormone were similar in both types of eggs.

“This study confirms what America’s egg farmers already knew,” said Gene Gregory, president of the United Egg Producers, the nation’s leading trade association for U.S. family egg farmers. “That well-run, clean modern cage housing systems have many benefits for hens as well as consumers.” Separate research studies also show that hens raised in conventional cages tend to have fewer diseases and live longer, Gregory added.Read More

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Animal Health, Farming, Food, Poultry, Research

Beef Breed Buddies

Chuck Zimmerman

Beef Breeds SocialThe Beef Breeds Social was a lot of fun even if we’re past the holidays. Who says we’re not still in a holiday spirit.

All it takes is a little spirits sometimes.

The party got started around 6pm and we were able to eat around 7pm. I already posted the menu but I can tell you that Jack Stack BBQ was awesome as usual. The bread pudding was a great way to top it all off too.

Beef Breeds SocialI thought it was interesting to see all these folks from different breed groups get together and just have some fun. They may compete by day but they are friends too.

I did an interview with a representative of three of the breeds attending which I’m going to feature in my ZimmCast on Monday morning. Don’t miss it because it’s a good one. Since we were socializing we didn’t get too serious. I know I’ll be seeing a lot of these folks again in a few weeks in Reno for the Cattle Industry Convention.

Ag Groups, Beef

A Gator Finovation

Chuck Zimmerman

John Deere Gator XUVThose John Deere people are such Finovators!

Farm Industry News announced today that the John Deere Gator XUV 850D is the winner of the ATV/Utility Vehicle category of the 2008 Finovation Awards.

John Deere earned the award after the XUV 850D tested the highest in the Farm Industry News “Utility Vehicle Rodeo,” which is a two-day product testing where farmers scored utility vehicles, from nine different companies, while completing tasks resembling farm jobs. Finovation Awards are given to the most innovative products in 20 different categories, ranging from combines to crop chemicals, published within Farm Industry News over the past year and based on reader responses and voting by the Team FIN farmers.

The winners will be officially announced at the Finovation Awards banquet held at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, KY on Thursday, February 14, 2008. Print recognition will appear in the January 2008 issue of Farm Industry News magazine. Previously, John Deere won a Finovation Award in 2007 for excellence in the 150- to 250-hp tractor category with the 7030 Series.

I’ll be attending the show so maybe I’ll get a chance to interview some Finovators.

Agribusiness, John Deere, Publication

Volunteers Run World Ag Expo

Chuck Zimmerman

World Ag ExpoThe World Ag Expo is right around the corner, a show I’ve never been to. It overlaps with the National Farm Machinery Show for one thing.

Yesterday I chatted on the phone with Shelley Kahl, 2008 Chairman. The Expo is “Where the World of Agriculture Means Business.” She’s been a volunteer for about 18 years and this year was named Chairman. You’ll like her story about going out to the show to see what her husband was up to.

If you’d like to learn more about this year’s show then give a listen to our interview: wae-08-1.mp3

Audio, Farm Shows

Zimfo Bites

Melissa Sandfort

  • Agrimarketing veteran Janis Jones has joined the Kansas City office of AdFarm as Team Lead for the Bayer CropScience team. Jones brings 20 years of experience in strategic marketing and brand building in agriculture and crop-protection, with a background that includes marketing and strategy direction for agricultural companies such as EDEN Bioscience, Novartis, Case and DuPont. Most recently, Jones worked at Holland America Line as a product manager for European operations.
  • Karen Potratz has returned to Bader Rutter & Associates, Brookfield, Wisc., as a public relations group leader on the Dow AgroSciences account. As a group leader, Potratz will oversee the agency’s public relations activities for the Dow AgroSciences crop protection, traits and seed businesses. She most recently worked at Morgan & Myers, Inc., as a senior counselor.
  • Heska Corporation announced its Des Moines-based subsidiary (Heska Des Moines) has amended its bovine vaccine distribution agreement with Agri Laboratories, Ltd. Under the terms of the amended agreement, Heska Des Moines agreed to fund a portion of development spending under the remaining research and development agreement with AgriLabs in return for certain distribution rights.
  • Pioneer Hi-Bred announces the release of 59 new Pioneer® brand corn hybrids, available to growers across North America for the 2008 planting season. This includes 23 new genetic families matched with technology from the Herculex® family of insect protection traits and the Roundup Ready® Corn 2 trait, offering more technology options for growers to meet individual field needs.
    Zimfo Bytes

    KC, MO Beef Breeds Holiday Social

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Beef Breeds Holiday SocialMy first road trip of the new year will be tomorrow for the Beef Breeds Holiday Social. This was originally scheduled in December but the date got moved for several reasons.

    This annual event is being held this year at the American Hereford Association headquarters office starting about 6pm. If you can’t make it then I think you can count on finding out about it here before the weekend is out since it is an evening event.

    I’m going to see many of my beef breed friends not for the menu which includes Jack Stack Barbecue Smoked Brisket of Beef and Hickory Roasted Pork, Garden Salad, Cheesy Potato Bake and Buttered Corn with Bread Pudding for dessert. No, I wouldn’t do it just for that. Well, maybe.

    Ag Groups, Beef

    Illinois Corn Presence in Rose Bowl

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Illinois Corn Growers GraphicThe Illinois Corn Growers made an in-game statement (or two) during the Rose Bowl. Too bad the local team didn’t win. This graphic is an example of the messages they used for this promotional opportunity.

    The game on the field may not have yielded the desired results that the University of Illinois football program had hoped for on Tuesday, but Illinois did make a significant impact. It was in fact the Illinois Corn Marketing Board (ICMB) that provided a significant “win” for the State of Illinois’ agri-business community, at the prestigious Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

    The ICMB used the national stage to deliver a few poignant messages. First, Illinois farmers want to help curb the nation’s dependence on foreign oil through the use of ethanol. Secondly, the nation can rest assured that farmers have the capacity to accomplish this, while still providing more than the necessary amount of corn as a food source.

    With the University of Illinois making an appearance in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1984, the ICMB partnered with InStadium, Inc., a sports media and marketing company, to harness the national exposure of the more than 93,000 attendees. All of this was done in an effort to increase the awareness of the uses and implications of ethanol, which is widely regarded as an environmentally friendly fuel alternative.

    Ag Groups, Corn

    USDA MyPyramid Podcast – Almost

    Chuck Zimmerman

    MyPyramid PodcastUSDA is almost podcasting on its MyPyramid website. I say almost because of this line on their podcast page: “Check back every month for a new video podcast.” Oops. That completely misses the point of podcasting which is about me watching when/where I want and being able to subscribe so I don’t have to go back to a certain web page to see if there’s a new episode.

    I think it would also be a good idea since they’re doing video to load them to YouTube. Oh, wait, I did that myself:



    Do you want to succeed with your New Year’s Resolution? Today, the first in a series of MyPyramid PodCasts on MyPyramid.gov, designed to help the public make better food choices, was launched by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP).

    This first “PodCast,” featuring CNPP Executive Director Dr. Brian Wansink, focuses on portion sizes and small steps the public can take to keep their New Year’s Resolutions to avoid unwanted pounds and inches during the holiday season. “As people turn more and more to the Internet for advice and guidance, we have a greater opportunity to introduce helpful steps to improve the nutritional health of all Americans,” said Dr. Wansink.”

    Podcasts, USDA, Video

    Cotton Board Members Appointed

    Melissa Sandfort

    cotton-board.jpgActing Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner announced the appointment of 17 members and 17 alternate members to the Cotton Board, as well as one vacant alternate member position in Mississippi created by a resignation.

    Beginning Jan. 1, the Cotton Board will consist of 37 representatives of cotton producers and importers, their alternates and one consumer advisor. The members and alternates named will serve a three-year term, ending Dec. 31, 2010.

    The re-appointed members are: V. Larkin Martin, Courtland, Ala.; Van F. Murphy, Quitman, Ga.; Jimmie G. Johnson, Vanduser, Mo.; Robert D. Robbins, Altus, Okla.; Arthur W. James, Jr., Sumter, S.C.; Willie L. German, Somerville, Tenn.; Jackie L. Burris, Wellman, Texas; Craig D. Shook, Corpus Christi, Texas; Kenneth W. Dierschke, San Angelo, Texas; Nancy A. Marino, Upper Brookville, N.Y.; Werner Bieri, Maysville, Ga.; John D. Clark, Los Angeles, Calif.; Yvonne M. Anderson, Minneapolis, Minn.; A. Mark Neuman, Champaign, Ill.; and Peter M. McGrath, Plano, Texas.

    The newly appointed board members are: Dwight W. Menefee, Lake Arthur, N.M.; and Gary E. Ross, Yardley, Pa.

    Click here for the full list of appointees.

    Cotton

    ViaGen Offers Easier Tracking of Cloned Livestock

    Laura McNamara

    ViaGenTo be honest, I haven’t really given much thought whether my milk or meat comes from a farm animal that’s unique in every way… or whether it has come from a cloned specimen. That’s probably because there isn’t a significant amount of cloned livestock out there… yet. Now that ViaGen is offering a program that tracks cloned animals with ease, though, I think I might be interested in knowing when I’m eating the real thing, or the carbon copy.

    The following is a statement by Mark Walton, President of ViaGen, and Dave Faber, CEO of TransOva:

    ViaGen and TransOva Genetics, the national leaders in the livestock cloning industry, have developed the supply chain management program to track cloned livestock. This system will allow marketers to provide consumers with truthful and accurate labels.

    Our companies worked with more than 20 groups in the food industry chain to develop a program that addresses the marketing needs of their customers.

    This proactive effort, to track clones from birth to death, will be managed through a third party registry. Each time the animal moves from one owner to another, it will be documented in the national registry. It works in the same manner as process-verified food systems like the Certified Organics Program; meat certified Halal; or coffee that is labeled Fair Trade.

    With fewer than 600 clones in existence today, consumers can be confident that this system will provide them with reliable information about the status of food products from clones.

    Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Farming, Livestock, Technology