40 Year Old Ding Dongs

Chuck Zimmerman

Hostess Ding DongsIt’s hard to believe Ding Dongs are 40 years old. If I wasn’t just about to cook supper I’d be tempted to go get a box right now.

Ding Dongs — named for chiming bells used in vintage Hostess television commercials — are ringing 40 sweet years as one of America’s all time favorite snack cakes. Just one bite of the iconic chocolate cake enrobed with chocolate icing and Hostess’ signature rich creamy filling leaves little doubt as to the source of Ding Dongs’ enduring appeal.

Some Ding Dong facts:

  • Ding Dongs were launched on March 18, 1967.
  • Over the years, Ding Dongs have had brushes with Hollywood fame, with reports indicating that chocolate lover and singing sensation Kelly Clarkson is a fan of Ding Dongs as well as the lead character in TNT’s award-winning crime drama, The Closer.
  • Hostess must have known that you’ll feel like royalty when you bite into a Ding Dong — when Ding Dongs were first introduced, they were actually called King Dongs.
  • In the Northeast, Ding Dongs were originally known as Big Wheels.

Food

Future Agriblogger & Farm Podcaster

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-111 - AgJ and an iPodLast week I got to speak to the AGJ Capstone class at the University of Missouri. We talked about blogging and podcasting and some ways they might think of using these new communication channels when they get out in the real world.

Afterward I interviewed Jessica Pollard who’s a senior at Mizzou and interested in public relations. She says that she definitely sees an application for what we talked about in her future. In this week’s program I also have my interview with Edith Gaffner, the Grandma with an iPod courtesy of New Holland.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 111 (14 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:

zimmcast111-3-19-07.mp3

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.

Audio, Podcasts, University

My News Feed Subscriptions

Chuck Zimmerman

NetNewsWireI’ve been asked more than a few times what news feeds I subscribe to. I actually change them periodically although some of them have remained the same for quite a while now. One way to share your news subscriptions is with an OPML file.

Since I moved to a Mac I’m now using NewsGators’s NetNewsWire which syncs with the online version. This way I have my news feeds on my hard drive or I can check them from any computer.

So if you’re interested, here’s where you can find my OPML file. Let me know if you want to suggest any feeds that I should be subscribing to.

Uncategorized

Serving Green Today

Chuck Zimmerman

Green LobsterHappy St. Patrick’s Day. Proving that you don’t have to eat corned beef and cabbage today (which is cooking in my kitchen) the folks at Lobster Gram have a very unusual dinner choice for you.

It’s their “Green with Envy” special.

Be the envy of every seafood lover with this tantalizing dinner! Emerald green 8-10 oz. North Australian lobster tails, Premium Crab Cakes, and Shrimp and Corn Chowder will satisfy your taste buds as well as your stomach.

In either case I suggest having with a nice cold Irish Cream Ale.

Food

Florida Needs Ethanol

Chuck Zimmerman

Florida Needs EthanolEPIC has a new web domain for people in Florida to learn more about the benefits of ethanol. You can find it at Florida Needs Ethanol. The launch was timed today to coincide with the 12 Hours of Sebring American Le Mans Series race. The cars in this series will be running on a blend of 10% ethanol this year. To help promote the new website they’re conducting an aerial advertising campain.

The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) has taken to the skies as part of a multifaceted effort to open the Sunshine State to ethanol-enriched fuels. The Omaha-based consumer marketing arm of the ethanol industry has launched an aerial advertising campaign throughout the state with the message, “Florida Needs Ethanol,” and directing consumers to their website www.floridaneedsethanol.com.

The website provides useful information about the performance and environmental benefits of the renewable fuel, as well as ways in which consumers can join the movement to make ethanol more widely available in the state. “Florida has one of the nation’s fastest growing populations,” said Reece Nanfito, the senior director of marketing for EPIC. “The demand for fuel will obviously continue to grow in the state, so it is critical that Floridians have the opportunity to make a choice at the pump for a more stable, environmentally-friendly energy future.”

Ethanol

American Heritage Farm Museum

Chuck Zimmerman

American Heritage Farm MuseumWhile I visited Edith Gaffner earlier this week to deliver her iPod I spoke to her husband about the American Farm Heritage Museum which is a project they support.

At the American Farm Heritage Museum, we believe in working together to keep the past alive. By preserving tractors and holding our annual Heritage Days program, we are able to show a younger generation what life was like for us, for our parents, and for our parent’s parents. We believe there is a great deal to be said for the generations of farmers who worked the land year after year. Our museum is a tribute to their hard work.

A couple of events planned there this year include their Heritage Days festival July 27-29 and the Second Annual Outhouse Festival & Auction on October 13. Plan to go if you need a new outhouse. The museum is located 45 miles east of St. Louis on I-70, exit 45.

Ag Groups

It’s Time For The Pfizer Pfeud

Chuck Zimmerman

Pfizer PfeudThe Pfizer Pfeud sounds like a family affair. However, it’s really a battle of wits with a $10,000 prize to the winning team. Pictured left to right are Dr. Gary Neubauer, Pfizer Animal Health, Dr. Bill Thatcher, University of Florida, Dennis E. VonRoekel, Dan Maynard, Will Szoszorek and Lorin Berge

It was a battle of East versus West during the Pfizer Pfeud game-show-style educational competition at the Western Dairy Management Conference held recently in Reno. Sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, two teams of five dairy producers and veterinarians put their Dairy Wellness Plan knowledge to the test. The winning team earned the right to direct a combined $10,000 in university scholarship contributions to the schools of their choice.

“This is the first time the conference has included an event with scholarship dollars associated,” said John Smith, event co-chairman from Kansas State University and captain of the West team. “The event was a lot of fun, there were a lot of spectators enjoying the action, and ultimately, the activity benefits students who will lead the dairy industry in the future.”

When the competition ended, the East team posted the winning score. Team members included:

Team Captain: Bill Thatcher, D.V.M., Gainesville, Fla., contributing to the University of Florida Department of Animal Science; Will Szoszorek, Green Valley, Wisc., playing for the University of Wisconsin – Platteville; Dennis E. VonRoekel, Baldwin, Wisc., supporting Iowa State University; Lorin Berge, Valders, Wisc., contributing her winnings to the University of Wisconsin – Madison;
and Dan Maynard, Chazy, N.Y., directing his winnings to the University of Vermont.

Agribusiness

Sec. Johanns On National Ag Day

Chuck Zimmerman

Sec. of Ag JohannsIt’s almost National Agriculture Day and in anticipation U. S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns held a press conference yesterday. He’s seen here at the Kick-off for National Ag Day at the National Press Club. You might be interested to see what he had to say. In his speech he spent some time talking about the farm bill and the barriers to getting into farming. Here’s an excerpt on this subject:

Now, one thing I heard loud and clear from you during the Farm Bill Forums was: there’s a great deal of interest in entering farming. But the barriers these days to young people, we were told, were still very high. I am aware of the financial burden facing young farmers. A combine goes for over $200,000. Tractors don’t cost much less. National farmland values have increased 65 percent in the last five years to an average of $1,900 an acre, and in some parts of our country much, much higher.

I don’t know about you, but when I was your age I’ll guarantee you I did not have that kind of money saved up.

So our proposals are designed to help beginning farmers overcome those hurdles. Think about this: We propose giving beginning farmers a 20 percent increase in the direct payment. This will add about $250 million to their income over the next decade if that proposal is adopted on Capitol Hill. I’m also aware that beginning farmers and ranchers are often less familiar with support in the form of conservation programs. What’s more, the typical beginning farmer owns a smaller operation of 50 acres or less, which isn’t always competitive when applying for conservation support. Read More

USDA

Mizzou BBQ Team Tames The Tiger

Chuck Zimmerman

Mizzou Tiger Steak ChefsThese chefs are from the University of Missouri-Columbia’s Mizzou BBQ Team. They made a name for themselves in a national cooking competition recently with “Tiger Steak.” Pictured are Mizzou BBQ Team captain Greg Chase with team member Natalie Kollars at the National Meat Association Meat Expo in Las Vegas. According to Greg, the team was just organized in May of last year and has already been very successful.

“Our first competition out of the gate in September we took first place in Beef Brisket, beating out 28 professional barbeque teams in the state,” said Chase. “From that, we were invited to go to the National Meat Association Meat Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada in February.”

For that event, Chase says the team was asked to produce a brand new meat product for competition.

Tiger Steak“So we did some thinking and tried to find a product that would be unique to the university in Columbia and chose to put something together called ‘Tiger Steak’ which is an original product that actually looks like Truman’s paw print when you finish cooking it off.”

The Tiger Steak features lean ground sirloin, spices and provolone cheese baked into a tiger paw-shaped pie crust. Chase is pleased to report that the team finished second in the national competition.

“We actually ended up being the only original product in Las Vegas and we did take runner up so we are very, very proud to come back with that.”

Ag Groups, Beef, University