2025 Tech Hub Live

Meeting the Rib Whisperer

Chuck Zimmerman

I’ve eaten a lot of ribs and have judged the World Pork Expo’s BarbeQlossal once upon a time. However, I have just eaten the best ribs ever. Cooked by The Rib Whisperer, Trace Arnold. He’s on a Cross-Country Cookout and I found him at the 2013 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in downtown Sturgis. The HISTORY® Cross-Country Cookout Welcomes Sturgis Motorcycle Rally …

Audio, Food, Pork

Panera Bread’s Lazy Response to Offensive Promotional Campaign

Chuck Zimmerman

It looks like Panera Bread has heard from the countryside. However, to date, their response has been lazy at best. Earlier this week Carrie Mess brought to our attention the Panera Bread campaign all about the EZChicken which implies that farmers raising chickens and using antibiotics are lazy. It has launched a grassroots campaign on Facebook and Twitter. Just follow …

Animal Activists, Food, Wackos

Panera Portraying Farmers as Lazy?

Chuck Zimmerman

I’m echoing Dairy Carrie’s comment that Panera Bread has lost another customer. She explains things much better than I can. This is the story of another company thinking they must portray their product as healthy while at the same time insinuating that other products are not. I have no doubt that there are Panera customers who want products like antibiotic …

Farming, Food, Wackos

Culvers Says Thank You Farmers

Chuck Zimmerman

Culvers is grateful to farmers so their showing their support. So eat a butter burger and support FFA! Culver’s has depended on family farms since opening its first restaurant in 1984. From the cattle ranches of the Great Plains to the dairy farms of Wisconsin, Culver’s remains committed to sourcing the finest ingredients America’s family growers have to offer. And …

Food

Farm Bureau: Fourth of July Still a Bargain

John Davis

While prices at the grocery store might have gone up a bit, our friends at the American Farm Bureau Federation say a Fourth of July picnic is still a bargain. The group’s latest marketbasket survey shows a party for 10 people with all the Independence Day favorites, such as hot dogs, cheeseburgers, pork spare ribs, potato salad, baked beans, lemonade …

AFBF, Food, Markets

Sing a Song of Hot Dogs

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s summer hot dog time and National Hot Dog Month is almost here. According to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, Americans are expected to eat 150 million hot dogs over the July 4th holiday alone, part of the 7 billion hot dogs eaten over the summer season from Memorial Day to Labor Day. That’s a lot of dogs! …

Ag Groups, Food, Meat

NMPF Creates REAL Cartoon Character

Chuck Zimmerman

The National Milk Producers Federation is getting REAL serious about the REAL Seal. Well, maybe not so much serious as having some fun. This is the cartoon character that has been created to help “revitalize and build awareness of the dairy industry’s iconic REAL® Seal.” There is already a “cartoon” with the character on YouTube. What would you name it? …

Ag Groups, Dairy, Food, Video

Food Dialogues Transparency

Chuck Zimmerman

Yesterday’s Food Dialogues topic was, “TRANSPARENCY AND FOOD: OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO TODAY’S CONSUMER.” This was part two of the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance panel discussion in Chicago on the topic. The event took place at Kendall College School of Cullinary Arts. Panelists included Ellie Krieger, moderator, RD, host of Food Network’s Healthy Appetite, and New …

Ag Groups, Food, USFRA

DuPont Exec Talks Food Security at IFAMA

Cindy Zimmerman

Food security was the topic for an address Wednesday to the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) World Forum by DuPont Executive Vice President Jim Borel. “We need a new generation of food visionaries who can see the tremendous opportunity made possible by the simple fact that people have to eat,” Borel said. The DuPont executive talked about the …

Agribusiness, Audio, Food

Harvest is Plenty, Ag Laborers are Few

Cindy Zimmerman

It was over 2,000 years ago that Jesus said “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” and that is apparently very true today in the agribusiness world. “Here in the United States, just in the next five years based on surveys that we’ve done, we know we’re going to have about 60,000 jobs available in the agribusiness enterprise …

Agribusiness, Audio, Food, USDA