At this morning’s Producer Huddle, formerly known as general session 2, the President-Elect of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, Greg Akagi, was on stage.
The session was a sports team theme so Greg’s comments followed that line. When he was finished he got everyone to “break the huddle” by yelling “team.”
You can listen to Greg here: cic-09-akagi.mp3
There are a lot of photos in the convention photo album. Check to see who you know:Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album
The ZimmCast was done this morning in the NCBA media room and contains my first interview with Forrest Roberts in his new role as the CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. AgWired would like to congratulate him. He’s sure got some big shoes to fill coming in after Terry Stokes!
I was just one of many who interviewed Forrest today. He’s pictured here being interviewed by Mike LaPorte, KRVN.
Forrest grew up in Texas on a diversified family livestock farm that got involved in a retail venture marketing directly to the consumer. He says that has provided him with a good perspective on not only production agriculture but also consumer marketing. He says he’s always had a passion for this industry and his predecessor, Terry Stokes, was a mentor to him. He says that NCBA has a lot of challenges ahead and I love his analogy of “drinking from the firehose” right now as he tries to absorb all he has to know to do his job.
So, I hope it’s appropriate to say, “Run Forrest, Run.”
You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: 
ZimmCast 205 (7 min MP3)
Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:Interview with Forrest Roberts - ZimmCast 205
I also recorded his press conference this morning which you can listen to here: cic-09-roberts-press.mp3
Or you can download it here: Forrest Roberts Press Conference (MP3)
The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes
At this evening’s media reception my good buddy Evan Slack, Evan Slack Network, was honored when NCBA President, Andy Groseta, called him up to the podium to congratulate him on 50 consecutive years of covering the Cattle Industry Convention.
Evan says he’s seen a lot of changes in that time. I’m sure he has. Evan has always been a big supporter of the cattle industry and it was a very nice of NCBA to recognize him in front of his peers this evening.
Remember that you can find full size versions of all our event photos online:Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album
Novus International has been gathering entries for an “all-star” prize package ever since their first event at the International Poultry Expo way back on Tuesday at lunch. That’s when I took this photo of Novus team members Tricia Beal and Lorraine Magney collecting the entry forms.
The package itself has all kinds of fun goodies in it – including an autographed Lou Brock baseball jersey – all wrapped up in a baseball barbeque grill that is just too perfect for tailgating.
At some point – either here or later – the winner of the prize package will be randomly drawn from probably thousands of entries at this point and notified. I assume they will ship the prize to the lucky winner – they don’t have to be present to win!
International Poultry Expo Photo Album
AgWired coverage of International Poultry Expo is sponsored by:
See all the posts from the International Poultry Expo using this link.
As the name implies, the International Poultry Expo is a global event that attracts poultry industry professionals from around the world.
I had the pleasure of meeting Jorge Bedoya, president of the Columbian Poultry Industry Association, at the U.S. Soybean Export Council booth and got to talk with him about how soybean producers in this country have helped grow the poultry industry in Columbia.
Jorge says their relationship with the U.S. soybean industry started ten years ago and the numbers speak for themselves. “In the last decade, the poultry industry in Columbia more than doubled,” he told me. “The per capita consumption levels of poultry protein have skyrocketed. It’s a strategic partnership that we developed through the years and we hope we can strengthen in the coming decade.”
The poultry industry is one of the largest employers in the rural areas of Columbia and it is one of the fastest growing industries in that nation. “Basically, it puts on the table of consumers two of the most important proteins for Columbian citizens,” Jorge says.
Listen to my interview with Jorge here:
usb-columbia.mp3
You can also download the interview here: Jorge Interview (mp3).
International Poultry Expo Photo Album
AgWired coverage of International Poultry Expo is sponsored by:
See all the posts from the International Poultry Expo using this link.
Once again I’ve had the opportunity to meet our latest Beef Ambassador team. This is a picture of them with Carol Abrahamzon, Project Manager for ANCW at the opening general session. Due to budget constraints they had to go home early today but at least they got to spend some time here at the national convention with members of the industry.
This morning they had a blogging lesson and I’m looking forward to seeing what they come up with. AgWired has offered to sponsor the Beef Ambassador’s blogs. We’ll see how that goes.
In the interview you’ll meet all of them and learn why they decided to become Ambassadors and what they’ll be doing in the coming year.
You can listen to my interview with them here: cic-09-ambassadors.mp3
I’ve updated the photo album and there’s a lot in there to see so feel free to browse:Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album
A man best known for stealing bases during his stellar career was stealing hearts today at the Novus booth during the International Poultry Expo.
Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Brock, an all-star for the St. Louis Cardinals in his day, really hit a home run for Novus at the expo. He spent two hours signing autographs and taking pictures with hundreds of expo attendees. He and his wife Jackie, pictured here with several members of the Novus team, are very gracious and special people and it was a pleasure to meet them.
I did a quick interview with Lou about his outlook on life and what he thought about being a part of the International Poultry Expo this year.
Listen to that interview here:
ipe-09-brock.mp3
You can also download the interview here: Brock Interview (mp3).
Anyone who got their picture taken with Lou at the Novus booth can find those photos in the photo album link below.
International Poultry Expo Photo Album
AgWired coverage of International Poultry Expo is sponsored by:
See all the posts from the International Poultry Expo using this link.
A little ditty about Rick and Diane . . . sounds like a song. Actually it’s Rick Coyle, Northern Ag Network and Diane Johnson, Livestock Publications Council. I really have no idea what they’re doing here in the news room at the Cattle Industry Convention.
I do know that the Livestock Publications Council is having a lunch meeting today and I probably won’t be able to make it. Maybe someone will share a note and a picture from it though (hint, hint, Diane).
2008 was a year the poultry industry would rather forget, but the outlook for 2009 is brighter, according to Tom Hensley, president of Fieldale Farms in Baldwin, Georgia. He presented “The Industry Outlook: An Executive Management Perspective” at the International Poultry Expo this morning.
Hensley is optimistic about this year. “You can’t be in the chicken business unless you’re an optimist at heart,” he says. “I think that our feed costs are going to come down.”
While he believes ethanol production has impacted the industry tremendously, he thinks there will eventually be some equilibrium. “We love our corn growers, without them we don’t exist – chickens can’t eat anything but corn. But I still say corn’s coming down.”
Listen to my brief interview with Tom here:
ipe-09-hensley.mp3
You can also download the interview here: Hensley Interview (mp3).
International Poultry Expo Photo Album
AgWired coverage of International Poultry Expo is sponsored by:
