Michelle Rook Interviews President Obama

Cindy Zimmerman

President Barack Obama reached out to the farm media this week to promote his administration’s National Rural Tour.

Michelle RookDoing the honors of interviewing the president on behalf of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting was past president Michelle Rook of WNAX, Yankton, SD. Michelle was able to ask Obama about several agricultural issues in the ten minute interview, including renewable fuels, the climate change bill, whether farmers should be concerned about increasing regulations, and how the government might be able to help the livestock industry.

Vice President Joe Biden, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, and Federal Communications Commission Chair Julius Genakowski kicked off the “rural road trip” today in Pennsylvania, announcing $4 billion in loans and grants to bring broadband internet service to rural communities. Other stops are planned in Alaska, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. USDA has even launched a Rural Tour website and a Twitter feed for the tour.

Listen to Michelle’s interview with Obama here:

Audio, NAFB

Congratulations Colleen Callahan

Chuck Zimmerman

Colleen CallahanI just found out that good friend Colleen Callahan has been named State Director for Rural Development for Illinois.

“Colleen Callahan will be an important advocate on behalf of rural communities throughout the state and help administer the valuable programs and services provided by the USDA that can enhance their economic success,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Callahan is currently the President of Chicago Farmers and runs Colleen Callahan Communications, where she provides communications services to a variety of organizations, including the USDA. In 2008, Callahan was a candidate for the 18th congressional district of Illinois. She has extensive experience in broadcast radio producing segments on agricultural and agribusiness issues. Callahan was the first woman elected as President to the National Association of Farm Broadcasting in 2002, and has received many awards for her broadcast work and contributions to agricultural associations. Her family raises purebred Angus cattle on a family farm near Kickapoo, Illinois. Callahan has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Uncategorized

Karlie Elliott Joins ACDC Staff

Chuck Zimmerman

KarlieACDC, not the group, has a new helper. That would be the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

We extend a special welcome to Karlie Elliott who joined the ACDC staff during May following her graduation from the agricultural communications program here, with a news-editorial emphasis. She is helping search for documents, review them and process them into the collection. This fall she will enter the masters degree program in the Department of Advertising here at the University of Illinois.

Education, University

Meat Water?

Chuck Zimmerman

Meat WaterMeat Water is billed as a “High Efficiency Survival Beverage.” Seems pretty fishy to me. Why? Because it’s the brainchild of German born artist, Till Krautkramer. Till “was born on planet earth in Heidelberg, Germany, just in time to watch the1969 moon landing. It’s possible that the ontological anxiety brought about by this historical event helped shape his rare personality type: The German With A Sense Of Humor.” He’s an artist and photographer. He’s very well connected socially since you can find him on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and a blog connected with Meat Water. And there’s even a blog to point out that Meat Water, just plain “isn’t.”

So, visit DinnerInABottle.com and pick out your favorite flavor. This one seemed especially humorous to me.

IN HONOR OF OUR NEW PRESIDENT, Liquid Innovations, maker of MeatWater™ is introducing HopeJuice™ “Kenyan Beef Stew” as the first Economic Survival Flavor exclusively for Airforce One and the White House and soon for the entire Free World as a whole.

Kenyan Beef Stew

Beef Chuck, Onions, Tomato ( Tumeric + Ginger)

I HAVE A DREAM!

YES WE CAN. . . CHANGE OUR ENERGY DRINK! This is the flavor Barack’s father was dreaming about! Tomatoes, beans and garlic along with a secret combination of African spices and the finest Kansas corn-fed beef are cooked slowly until the flavors meld together into an inspiring, hope-filled beverage that provides sustained energy for when the White House phone rings at 3AM. We promise this will satisfy both the Left and the Right! And with times the way they are, who has the cash to buy all these ingredients? It’s Economic Stimulus in a bottle!

Best enjoyed at oval office temperature!

Food

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Monsanto Company announced it has entered into a collaboration agreement with Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc., to develop new products that will enhance consumer vegetable choices.
  • BASF has more than 100 plot tours planned this summer to demonstrate the performance of the new Kixor herbicide technology.
  • The National Pork Board is seeking input from pork producers across the country for a new plan to shape the future of the U.S. pork industry. The objective of the planning process is to find new solutions to the economic, social, and scientific challenges facing the pork industry.
  • The Iowa State Dairy Association is now accepting nominations for the Ralph Keeling Leadership Award.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Reach Teach Learn With Alpharma

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Alpharma Reach Teach LearnIt seems like more and more companies, organizations and individuals are taking the initiative to help educate our young people today about where their food comes from. Alpharma has joined the effort with it’s new Reach Teach Learn program. Their goal is to “provide youth with the information they need to ensure that honest, educated decisions are made.” Of course you can find them on Twitter.

    Alpharma Inc. Animal Health announced the launch of Reach Teach Learn, a grassroots educational program, at the 2009 Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. The program supports local school districts and colleges through initiatives that encourage students to learn more about agriculture and how their food is produced, and to share their insights and knowledge about what they learned.

    “There has never been a better time to familiarize students with current agricultural trends and how their decisions affect society,” says Jeff Mellinger, Global Leader, Sales & Marketing for Alpharma Inc., Animal Health. “These initiatives are small steps towards better, more informed and educated students.”

    Reach Teach Learn consists of two main initiatives, a student video contest and an essay contest. The video contest gives college students enrolled in agriculture coursework the opportunity to display their passion for agriculture by creating a video depicting current, ethical agriculture practices. The essay contest, which will be launched for the first time this fall, was created in collaboration with “Ag in the Classroom,” a grassroots program coordinated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In this initiative high school students are asked to provide their perspective writing of an essay on agriculture based on a lesson plan based on a selected book.

    The contests will begin in September and will run through the middle of December. To learn more about Reach Teach Learn, specific initiatives and official contest rules, please visit the program Web site at www.ReachTeachLearn.com.

    Agribusiness, Education

    Leah The AAEA Intern

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Leah BighamIf you won’t be attending this year’s Ag Media Summit you can still meet the AAEA intern online. She’s Leah Bigham and she’s blogging away. Uh, Leah, can you give Den a few Twitter tips too while you’re at it!

    Hello! My name is Leah, and I am an Agricultural Communications Student, attending Fresno State University where I anticipate graduating next spring. I have been given the opportunity to intern alongside JoAnn this summer, at Farms.com in Iowa. I am excited about the opportunity, and all of the experiences I will be exposed to. I will use this blog to frequently update my readers about those experiences, and am confident this summer will provide me with the memories, experience, and contacts I drove across country in search of. Thank you for visiting!

    Now this is the kind of experience the ag editors of tomorrow need to be getting.

    ACN

    Zimfo Bytes

    Melissa Sandfort

      Zimfo Bytes

    • The early-entry deadline for the popular National Corn Yield Contest is Wednesday, July 1, the National Corn Growers Association reminds growers.
    • Safe equipment is critical when working in agricultural environments that can contain chemicals, explosive gases, flammable vapors or combustible dust. Energizer Intrinsically Safe Lights are Class I Division I safety certified, impact resistant and “safety orange” for instant recognition.
    • The Honduran Foundation for the Promotion of Investments and Exports, FIDE, will hold two free seminars in the United States this month: Chicago at the World Trade Center Illinois and FIDE, 8 a.m. to noon Friday, June 26; San Jose at the Greater San Jose Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Monday, June 29.
    • NOVUS International created a Biological Marketing Department with the addition of Bruce King as Director of Biological Markets and John Browning as Organic Acids Product Manager for organic acids.
    • Standard & Poor’s announced the launch of the S&P Agribusiness North America Index, the industry’s first index comprised solely of agribusiness companies in North America.
      Zimfo Bytes

      Blues Hog Sticks To Your Meat

      Chuck Zimmerman

      Blues Hog BBQ SauceSince it’s grilling time (as if it is ever not grilling time), I want to make sure you know about Blues Hog Barbecue Sauce. This is one of my personal favorites and goes best with pork and chicken (IMHO). So how about you? What’s your favorite sauce? Leave a comment and hopefully a link so we can find it.

      Blues Hog Barbecue Sauce comes from our original recipe created by Bill Arnold, The Pit Master & Chef of the Blues Hog Cookers. The formula is Award Winning, and made from the highest quality sugars and spices in a way which sets our standards high above other commercial sauces. Blues Hog Sauce contains no preservatives, is also low in calories and contains no fat. The sauce has been successful in winning many competitions and is being sold and shipped all over the United States as well as a few foreign countries.

      Food

      2009 Show-Me Tractor Cruise

      Chuck Zimmerman

      Show Me Tractor CruiseThis year’s Show-Me Tractor Cruise is in the books and looks like it was a good one. It is a benefit ride for Camp Quality Northwest Missouri, a summer camp and year-round support program whose lives have been changed due to cancer.

      This year’s Show-Me Tractor Cruise was another success! 321 tractors registrered for the ride…302 checked in and 272 tractors drove the route! Thanks to everyone who was part of the day and made this year’s Tractor Cruise a success! At this time, we’re estimating the total dollars raised at approximately $40,000 for Camp Quality Northwest Missouri. An official total will be announced after Independence Day.

      Mark your calendars now: The 2010 Show-Me Tractor Cruise will be held Saturday, June 26th.

      Tractor