Cooking Up a Good Podcast and Blog

Chuck Zimmerman

I’m still recovering from a turkey induced coma and food is on my mind. That’s why I was interested to see the Culinary Institute of America using some new media tools. Here’s what their podcast is about: The Culinary Institute of America’s podcast series “Insight From The Inside” gives aspiring student chefs a unique glimpse inside the world’s premier culinary …

Food

Urban Farming gives Chicagoans Second Chance

Laura McNamara

Farming is hard, rewarding work and Growing Home Inc. is giving Chicagoans in search of a job a chance to reap the rewards of work in the field. But, this field will be farmed in the city. Hoop houses are erected on the site and collards, kale, mustard greens, salad mix and spinach are a good example of the crops …

Environment, Farming, Food, Organic

Happy Thanksgiving

Chuck Zimmerman

Happy Thanksgiving from ZimmComm New Media and AgWired! Just in case you’re in need of some help in the kitchen I thought I’d point you to some resources. You can find all you need to know here courtesy of the National Turkey Federation. Me, I’m smoking mine.

Ag Groups, Food

Cheese Fuel

Laura McNamara

A Wisconsin entrepreneur says producers don´t have to rely on corn, or even cellulosic waste, to create ethanol. Joe Van Groll, Owner of Grand Meadow Energy, LLC, says he can create ethanol from cheese water waste. Joe says this new method for creating ethanol is a great alternative. He points out that the ethanol industry is the target of negative …

Corn, Ethanol, Farming, Food, Technology

Final Farewell to Mr. Potato Head at Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade

Laura McNamara

The famed mascot of the U.S. Potato Board will make one last appearance at the 2007 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The board says it plans to retire the balloon after this year’s parade. So, you might want to make a special effort to catch the annual parade and get a final glimpse at the cheerfully oversized, classic ag icon. The …

Ag Groups, Audio, Farming, Food

Thanksgiving Meal Costs Higher

Chuck Zimmerman

This came out last week during the NAFB convention but I just couldn’t get to it until now. It has taken a day or two to get unpacked from a couple weeks on the road. I’ve already got part of our Turkey Day meal purchased but I’m not finished yet. This chart is from the release sent out by the …

Ag Groups, Food

Beef U

Laura McNamara

The course objective: get more beef on more menus. The Beef Checkoff Program launched “Beef University“, earlier this year to offer the food service industry more education on beef. Beef Checkoff has partnered with Taco Bell, Boston Market and Quizno’s in the program to promote beef in food options outside the home. “Beef University” is a two cd set that …

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Beef, Education, Food, University

And the Award for America’s Worst Cook Goes To…

Laura McNamara

No. That’s not a typo. The American Egg Board really has an award for ‘America’s Worst Cook’. This year’s “kitchen klutz” winner prepared Thanksgiving Stuffing in a clothes dryer. It’s not often that a clothes dryer is a part of cooking Thanksgiving dinner, but then again, you probably haven’t spent much time with Shannon Mountjoy and her family. Her sister, …

Ag Groups, Food

Chasing After Cottonseed Oil

Laura McNamara

Cottonseed Oil is greasing up the highways during its ‘Comeback Tour.’ New uses for cottonseed oil are popping up across the U.S. and the National Cottonseed Products Association is making sure consumers can track where and how the oil is being used, even if they can’t make a cross-country trek. Cottonseedoiltour.com takes visitors zigzagging across a web-browser sized U.S. to …

Ag Groups, Cotton, Food

Getting Creative with Corn

Laura McNamara

The first-ever Morningstar Farms Veggie Creations Contest is being touted as a success. The contest urged vegetable enthusiasts to showcase their creative veggie creations. Melissa Pantel-Ku of Chagrin Falls, Ohio created the winning photo/video entry entitled, “The Unicorn: An a-MAIZE-ing beast.” Selected by veggie sculptor and founder of Veggy Art, James Parker, Melissa has won a trip for two to …

Corn, Food