At the recent NAMA Trends in Agriculture conference one of our panel discussions featured Tom Dorr, U.S. Grains Council. The panel topic was “Meeting the Growing Demand for Exports for Trade.” Thanks to Paulsen Marketing for supplying this video clip with Tom.
Much of American agriculture is dependent on international trade. What does this mean for the future if the ag industry in our country? NAMA Trends in Agriculture explored that issue with a panel that included Tom Dorr, the President and CEO of the U.S. Grains Council. Dorr shared his thoughts on what solid export policy for the U.S. should look like.
Let’s Talk Turkey
It’s Thanksgiving week and that means it’s time to talk turkey. That’s exactly what a new digital book from FarmFlavor.com does. It’s titled, Let’s Talk Turkey, and features recipes, tips and other turkey-related facts and information. I’m planning on smoking my turkey this year. How about you? By the way, take our ZimmPoll and let us know if the increased price of food is going to have an impact on your meal this year.
You can download the e-book at farmflavor.com/turkeymagazine.
The e-book features recipes for baked and roasted turkey, as well as recipes for dishes made with leftover turkey. Readers will also find preparation tips and techniques; the e-book even includes a comprehensive guide to frying turkey including instructions and safety information.
“Almost ninety percent of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving,” says Jessy Yancey, FarmFlavor.com content director. “The turkey really is the centerpiece of the holiday meal, so we decided to focus our efforts on providing readers the best information on preparing turkey, as well as an interview with one of America’s turkey farmers.”
Let’s Talk Turkey is stuffed with turkey trivia, such as the answer to why commercial turkeys’ feathers are white. The e-book also takes a look at the business side of Thanksgiving with a profile of Kauffman Turkey Farms, one of the last independent family-owned farms in the nation.
You can find Thanksgiving recipes for more than turkey here.
Hot water bath anyone?
At first glance, this looks like a funky cookie cutter. Or a toy soldier’s hat. Or a broken top off of a flour sifter. But the technical term for it is a jar lifter. (I know, I’m using big words.)
Another one of the joys of canning was the hot water bath. Unless you had hands of steel for removing glass jars from scalding hot water, you had to use one of these to grab hold and pull it out. I’ve always been the one who uses luke-warm water for washing dishes, so I’d opt for the jar lifter.
My grandmother spent the better part of a day last week cutting pumpkins, spooning out the insides, slicing it into pieces, pureeing it and then making crustless pumpkin pie, which my husband swears is better than pumpkin out of a can. I’ll take his word for it. All I know is that canning and preparing food when my grandmother was young was a chore, to say the least. I’m so thankful for our plentiful food supply and the convenience it provides working moms today.
Until we walk again …
Zimfo Bytes
- Monsanto’s Genuity VT Double PRO RIB Complete has received registration from the U.S. EPA.
- TISCO has launched the new TractorPartMart.com, a fast and reliable source for finding tractor and combine parts and other agricultural equipment online to help keep farmers operational and in the field.
- Animal Health Institute member companies invested $689 million in 2010 on the discovery and development of new medicines for animals and the maintenance of existing products.
- DuPont announced strong seed product performance results for the 2011 North America harvest.
Jeff Simmons Talks Productivity To Feed Growing Population
At the recent NAMA Trends in Agriculture conference our keynote closing speaker in a shared Session with NAFB was Jeff Simmons, Elanco. He spoke about “Productivity to Feed a Growing Population.” Thanks to Paulsen Marketing for supplying this video clip with Jeff.
A growing wave of food insecurity threatens more than 1 billion people around the world. Solutions exist today to help meet food needs. Jeff Simmons, President, Elanco, talked about the real issue we have today is feeding ourselves and how technology can play a major role in accomplishing that.
Fueling Up To Play 60
Former NFL wide receiver Eddie Kennison attended the NAFB Trade Talk to talk about Fuel Up To Play 60, a collaborative program between the NFL and National Dairy Council. I spoke with him to learn more about it.
Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council (NDC) and NFL, in collaboration with the USDA, to combat childhood obesity.
Fuel Up to Play 60 helps students make positive changes in their schools by improving opportunities to consume nutrient-rich foods and get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. The ultimate goal is to ensure changes made at school are sustainable and complements – not competes with – an academics-focused environment.
Eddie says they’re “trying to send a message across the nation really to help children and parents understand the things that need to go into their body to help them to stay healthy and to stay healthy for a long time.” Eddie has kids of his own so this program is very close to his heart. When it comes to milk he says that after a heavy duty workout a glass of chocolate milk helps him recover faster than any other drink out there.
Listen to my interview with Eddie here: Interview with Eddie Kennison
2011 NAFB Convention Photo Album
Coverage of the NAMA Trends in Agriculture & NAFB Convention is sponsored by BASFCongress Restricts Implementation of GIPSA Rule
Implementation of USDA’s proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyard’s Administration (GIPSA) rule is being restricted under legislation passed yesterday by Congress.
Congress passed a $19.8 billion 2012 agricultural spending bill Thursday that includes language blocking USDA from implementing the controversial reforms to livestock and poultry marketing proposed last year and opposed by major livestock organizations, including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).
NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Colin Woodall says this means USDA is barred from conducting any further work this year on sections of the rule not yet finalized. “The other four provisions in the farm bill will be going final, and those focus more on poultry than on the cattle industry,” he says. “All of the other outstanding issues that had to do with the cattle industry have either been taken off the table or with this language have been defunded. So it really protects the cattle industry and makes sure that we can continue to develop new marketing alternatives without the government getting involved.”
Woodall stresses that this is not the end of the battle because the defunding language runs only through the end of the fiscal year, which is September 30, 2012. “At that point in time, USDA could revisit the rule, especially in regards to competitive injury and undue preferences,” he said. “So, we need to make sure that we maintain the pressure on Congress to try to find a permanent fix to keep the government out of cattle marketing for as long as possible.”
Listen to or download my interview with Colin here: NCBA's Colin Woodall
Zimfo Bytes
- Vets Plus, Inc. has appointed Steve Vale to its staff as Vice President, Sales and Marketing.
- U.S. Soybean Export Council Technical issues Director Kim Nill provided extensive information on the sustainability of U.S. soybean production.
- This Thanksgiving season, people throughout the food system will be using social media to show their thanks for food and raise awareness of agriculture through the AgChat Foundation’s #foodthanks campaign.
- Alltech is proud to announce the second ever Global Beef 500, taking place Dec. 6-8 in Lexington, Ky.
Meet New NAMA President
If you don’t know our new National Agri-Marketing Association President then give this week’s program a listen. I visited with Beth Burgy, Broadhead, who took over the helm at NAMA during the Trends in Agriculture conference.
Beth says the big project for NAMA is going to be implementing the new strategic plan. That plan includes three strategy areas that are: Increase our strategic partnerships on both the local and national level; Communicate with members and partners more effectively and Grow NAMA membership in non-traditional segments. Beth says NAMA is a growing organization and in great condition.
Listen to my conversation with Beth in this week’s ZimmCast: Beth Burgy New NAMA President
Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsor, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong, for their support.
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John Deere Combine Can Sculpture Revealed
Well, John Deere has finished the sculpture for Project “Can Do.” This farm scene with an S-Series combine harvesting a field of corn needed approximately 323,000 cans of food to complete. The finalized sculpture was revealed at an event today at the John Deere Pavilion.
I spoke with Katie Dierker, Division Marketing Manager for the S-Series combines. Katie says the right model S-Series combine can harvest enough wheat in a day to make 1 million loaves of bread or when it comes to corn, it can go through the equivalent of 30 football field in an hour or 350 acres per day. That sounds like big productivity!
Learn more about the project in my interview with Katie here: Interview with Katie Dierker
Post Update: Here’s a time lapse video of the sculpture being built. Pretty cool video.