The School Lunch Parodies

Melissa Sandfort

Who has seen The Hunger Games – or read the books? You’ll get a laugh out of the comparisons drawn in this video. Kids these days may have some “out there” ideas (at least that’s what some of us ‘old’ folks think) but one thing they have right is that they stand up for what they believe, and speak out …

Agribusiness, Food, USDA

Flavor Infused Cottonseed Oil From Alcala Farms

Chuck Zimmerman

Pure cottonseed oil from Alcala Farms. It’s what I’ll be cooking with. Here’s why: “Silky-clear, lightweight body and flavor-neutral palate. Pure Cottonseed Oil is the perfect base for salad oils, marinades, sauces, frying, stir-frying, searing and sauteing.” It’s the original vegetable oil. Bet you didn’t know that CRISCO stands for Crystallized Cottonseed Oil. I didn’t either until I got to …

Ag Groups, Cotton, Food, Sustainability

Let’s Move Salad Bars to California Schools

Jamie Johansen

The United Fresh Foundation just announced the new campaign Let’s Move Salad Bars to California Schools. The goal is to donate salad bars to 350 California schools at the United Fresh 2013 convention in San Diego. The campaign is spearheaded by four California produce industry leaders passionate about increasing children’s consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. “This is truly a …

Citrus, Education, Food, Produce, Vegetables

Ready For Some Pensacola Seafood

Chuck Zimmerman

One of the many reasons that Cindy and I re-located ZimmComm World Headquarters to Pensacola, FL is seafood. We love fish farmers! Today we’re going to be sampling at the Fiesta of Five Flags Pensacola Seafood Festival. I think everyone loves festivals. We’ve gone to more than I can even remember. Some stand outs for me have been the Catfish …

Farming, Food

Fuel Prices Are Impacting Farms and Businesses

Melissa Sandfort

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Have high fuel prices had an impact on your farm/business?” Our poll results: Sixty-four percent said Yes, big impact on our budget; fourteen percent said Yes, minimal impact on our budget; twelve percent said No, not yet; and ten percent said No, don’t expect any. Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the …

Food, USDA, ZimmPoll

Push Back on New School Lunches

Melissa Sandfort

Healthier school lunches, required for the first time this year, are getting some push back from students and teachers across the USA who say they are still hungry after eating the noon meal. A new YouTube video parody, created by two teachers and some high school students in Kansas, has students singing We Are Hungry as they try to make …

Agribusiness, Food, USDA

New School Lunch Getting Failing Grades

Cindy Zimmerman

The bell had barely begun to ring in the new school year when complaints starting coming in about USDA’s “healthier” school lunch menu guidelines and the chorus is getting louder. The new guidelines feature lots more healthy fresh fruits and veggies, which is great, but they also cut the portion sizes and the amount of protein served to students, which …

Audio, Food, USDA

Top Farmers Markets in America Announced

Jamie Johansen

Throughout the summer farmers market shoppers from across the United States have been voting for America’s Favorite Farmers Markets. American Farmland Trust sponsors the event and is ready to announce this years winners. But the contest isn’t just about being number one. This fun-loving contest showcases the role farmers markets play in local communities and cities alike. Farmers markets are …

Food

Meals in the Fields

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s time for a meal in the field with the Farm Credit Services of Illinois. The 2012 National Farm Safety and Health Week will be celebrated September 16-22 with the theme “Agricultural Safety & Health: A Family Affair”. Even as the average size of farms continues to increase, 94% of all Illinois farms are family-owned. Most farm workers in Illinois …

Agribusiness, Food

Livestock 101 at NAMA Boot Camp

Jamie Johansen

Animal agriculture seems to be under a constant fire from those who don’t understand it. During the recent NAMA Boot Camp, Dr. Dan Thomson, Assistant Dean of Outreach and Professor at Kansas State University Vet School, addressed the basics of the industry along with issues and challenges so agri-marketers could help educate the growing population of non-ag consumers. “I think …

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, Beef, Dairy, Education, Farming, Food, Horses, Livestock, NAMA, Pork, Poultry, Swine