Honoring Monte Reese

Chuck Zimmerman

At the joint business meetings this morning, retiring Beef Board COO, Monte Reese was presented with a plaque in appreciation for his service to the organization. Presenting the award are Ken Stielow, new chairman of the Beef Board and Vice chairman, David Bateman and immediate past chairman, Jay O’Brien. I’m sure Monte will be receiving some more awards. In fact, …

Ag Groups, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference

NCBA Media Room Mania

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s near the end of the Cattle Industry Convention here in Nashville. Grace (Yard-O-Beef Spokesmodel) and Joe Schuele are starting to pack things up. To see how much progress they’ve made you’ll need to watch the video. We may not have been able to sample Grace’s Yard-O-Beef but it’s not like we haven’t been well fed here in the media …

Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Video

Showing the Blog to the Secretary

Chuck Zimmerman

Before he got started with the speech and press conference, Secretary Johanns toured through the media room. I figured that since he’s the head of USDA and it oversees the Beef Checkoff that he should know about the Beef Board Meeting.com blog. So when he got over to my work area we took a little tour of the website and …

Ag Groups, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, USDA

Mike Johanns Press Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

After Secretary Johanns gave his speech during this morning’s general session here at the Cattle Industry Convention he held a press conference. My recording starts while he’s talking about the issue of ethanol and high feed prices. He describes how the administration is working to promote and develop alternative sources of biomass to create ethanol. He also answers questions on …

Audio, Cattle Industry Conference, USDA

Speech by Secretary Johanns

Chuck Zimmerman

U. S. Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns was on hand here in Nashville today. He’s been on the road since announcing the administration farm bill proposal. I was able to obtain a copy of his speech this morning if you would like to listen. I was in the media room posting onto Beef Board Meeting.com so I’m afraid I can’t …

Audio, Cattle Industry Conference, USDA

The John John Show

Chuck Zimmerman

Mike John is on the left and John Queen is on the right. Mike’s the outgoing president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and John is the incoming. The changeover takes place tomorrow. I interviewed them together this morning and asked them about the challenges they faced and will face in the cattle business. I think Mike has a future …

Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference

Steak at the Stock-Yard

Chuck Zimmerman

I want to thank Billy Frey, Alltech, for taking us out to dinner last night. I was told that the best place to get a steak in Nashville is the Stock-Yard Restaurant, one of the top ten steak restaurants in the U. S. That’s where we went and it was all I had heard. Pictured are left to right, Jorge …

Agribusiness, Cattle Industry Conference

NAFB at NCBA

Chuck Zimmerman

The National Association of Farm Broadcasting is on display again this year at the NCBA Trade Show. Here’s executive director Bill O’Neill and Jeremy Povenmire helping tell the story of farm broadcasting and handing out information. There are a lot of farm broadcasters here at the convention this year. In fact, I’ve been told that it’s one of the highest …

Cattle Industry Conference, NAFB

Cattlemen Getting iPods

Chuck Zimmerman

Here’s the Elanco Animal Health 40 iPods in 40 hours promotion in action at the trade show in Nashville. If you’re going to support new media efforts in your communications strategies there’s not a better giveaway is there. Elanco sponsors all the Truffe Media Networks “AnimalCasts,” which are regular bi-weekly long form commodity-specific podcasts. ZimmComm has teamed up with Truffle …

Cattle Industry Conference

USDA Beef Checkoff Survey Results

Chuck Zimmerman

The USDA recently announced the results of a nationwide Beef Checkoff survey that they had done by the Gallup Organization. At the Beef Checkoff update session yesterday Gallup representative, Donna Kholpak, pictured here with Kenny Payne, USDA, gave a summary of the survey and answered questions. I interviewed her right before the session. She said she was personally surprised with …

Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference