How The Dairy Checkoff Works

Chuck Zimmerman

Tom GallagherI don’t know about you but I’ve always been a little confused about how the different dairy checkoff and promotion groups relate to each other. To help explain that I spoke with Tom Gallagher, CEO of Dairy Management, Inc. (DMI).

Tom spoke at the joint beef/dairy issues forum held here yesterday. He starts out explaining that DMI is a combination of the national dairy checkoff group working with state and regional groups to market dairy products around the world. He says they’ve created a membership partnership called the U. S. Dairy Export Council to handle international marketing.

On a domestic basis he says they’ve really focused on school nutrition, especially with all the concerns over childhood obesity.

Some of the stand out projects they’ve conducted include the conversion of fast food restaurants from cardboard milk containers to plastic containers containing milk and flavored milk. On the internet they’ve developed several nutrition information destinations like one called 3-A-Day of Dairy for moms that has over 100,000 registered.

He says that with all the heightened interest in nutrition the staffs of the two checkoff organizations have worked to develop a coalition of groups including USDA to help consumers make good nutrition decisions and combat negative efforts by some other groups that have proven harmful to farmers.

Listen to my interview with Tom here (6 min.): cisc-07-gallagher.mp3

2007 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Cattle Industry Conference, Dairy

Zimfo Bites

Laura McNamara

  • Thanks to a new incentive package, timed-event ropers at the 2007 World Championship Appaloosa Show will compete for more than $40,000 in added cash and prizes. This year’s show is set for Oct. 26 to Nov. 3 in Fort Worth, Texas. Contestants in five open and non-pro roping classes will divide a cash purse of $10,500. Fund donors include Mike Mataya, M&C Ranch; and Hyman and Julia Young, owners of Appaloosa performance horse Last Day Lite. The prize list also includes an S&H horse trailer from Sundowner of Texas; one ton of Nutrena feed; trophy saddles from Luskey’s/Ryon’s and Coats Saddlery; roping dummies from Hot Heels; trophy buckles from Gist; and saddle pads from Classic Equine.
  • Merial announced today that IVOMEC® (ivermectin) 1% Injection for Cattle and Swine now features new package advantages, making it more convenient for veterinarians, dealers and producers to use. Bottles of IVOMEC 1% Injection have added security measures to prevent tampering and counterfeiting, and can now stand alone or be hung from the top or bottom of the bottle. “These changes are all part of the innovation-driven approach Merial takes as a leading animal health company that produces high-quality, user-friendly products that help further the industry.” says Dr. Steve Lerner, Director of Marketing for Merial Large Animal Businesses.
  • Syngenta Crop Protection announced brand names for its newest fungicides, both of which target diseases which often develop on vegetables and fruits during the growing season. Revus™, a new foliar fungicide, is intended for use as a preventive spray against downy mildew diseases on lettuce, brassica crops, onions, grapes and cucurbits. Revus Top™ will control late blight and early blight on potatoes and tomatoes. Due to the ability to bond quickly to the wax layer of plants, Revus and Revus mixtures offer consistent disease control even under extreme weather conditions. The second of the new fungicides, Inspire®, uses a triazole mixture proven effective in other countries. Inspire and Inspire mixtures will provide broad spectrum control of leaf spots and powdery mildews while acting as resistance management tools in the pome fruit and vegetable industries.
Zimfo Bytes

Win $25,000 for Culinary Expertise with the Cranberry

Laura McNamara

Ocean SprayGot a passion for cranberry? How about just a great cranberry recipe? Submit your cranberry concoction in Ocean Spray’s Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest and you could win $25,000.

Ocean Spray has announced its first ever Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest seeking original cranberry creations from those passionate about the little, red wonderberry. Consumers willing to indulge their passion for cooking with cranberries are eligible to earn $25,000 for the winning recipe! Consumers can enter from July 12, 2007 through August 23, 2007 online.

Recipes must be original, use a minimum of 1/2 cup of any Ocean Spray product (beverages 1 1/2 ounces), and fall into one of the following categories: Beverages, Snacks and Appetizers, Salads, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Desserts and Baked Goods. Recipes will be judged on creativity, use of product, taste, overall appearance and ease of preparation. Entries must be postmarked by August 23, 2007 and received by August 31, 2007.

Four semi-finalists will be chosen and flown to New York City early November for a final judging. The winner of the $25,000 grand prize will be announced at Ocean Spray’s “Bogs Across America” event at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. Each finalist will receive a trip for two to New York City and a one-year supply of Ocean Spray product. Each finalist recipe will also be featured on Oceanspray.com.

Food

The Synergies of Beef and Dairy

Chuck Zimmerman

Beef-Dairy Issues ForumA little bit of history is being made here in Denver today at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference. The Cattlemen’s Beef Board is collaborating with the National Dairy Council to put on a joint beef/dairy issues forum.

It’s called “Beef & Dairy: Harnessing the Synergies on Nutrition.” Some of the topics include:

The New Nutrition Environment: Common Challenges and Opportunities Looking Ahead to 2010

The Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition (NRFC) – A Case Study of the Combined Power of Dairy and Beef

The Power of Protein and the Challenges of Fatty Acids

The session will go all afternoon and I’ll have some audio from it later this evening or tomorrow.

2007 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Dairy

Zimfo Bites

Laura McNamara

  • Markstone Capital Partners, a leading private equity fund Chaired by Elliott Broidy, confirmed reports that Syngenta AG (NYSE:SYT) has agreed to acquire Markstone portfolio company Zeraim Gedera Ltd., a high quality Israeli vegetable seed company. Zeraim focuses primarily on high-value crops, including tomato, pepper and melon. Syngenta will acquire all outstanding shares in the company from Markstone for consideration of approximately $95 million. Mike Mack, Chief Operating Officer of Syngenta Seeds said: “This acquisition further expands Syngenta’s position in high-value growth segments. Zeraim Gedera’s portfolio and its strong presence in Mediterranean markets ideally complement our vegetable seeds business.”
  • For customers looking for economical horsepower in a durable, compact package, John Deere introduces a new line of 5003 Series Tractors, ranging in horsepower from 45- to 74-engine hp. “These new tractors feature 2.9L John Deere PowerTech£ engines, designed with turbocharged performance to help operators get more done, day in and day out,” says Mike Alvin, product manager, John Deere Commercial Products. “The engines provide excellent torque, fuel efficiency, and offer durable horsepower for many applications.”
  • Syngenta announced today it has begun processing redemption forms from growers who participated in the 2007 AgriEdge® Corn program and will continue receiving claims until November 15, 2007. Growers who planted corn hybrids with Agrisure™ traits are automatically eligible to participate in AgriEdge Corn programs that provide industry-leading assurances and Technology Reinvestments. Any grower who plants a qualifying NK®, Garst®, Golden Harvest® or other brand corn hybrid with Agrisure™ traits is eligible to participate in AgriEdge Corn, which protects the seed investment with a weed or insect management system.
Zimfo Bytes

StollerUSA iPod Drawing at AMS

Chuck Zimmerman

Stoller ContestIf you’re a media person and going to the Agricultural Media Summit then StollerUSA is giving you some incentive to stop by their booth at the Info Expo.

For starters, if you stop by and talk about Bio-Forge you get a $20 iTunes card.

Then you can get entered into a contest for an iPod Nano. They’ll be giving one away each session.

Oh, and they’re in booth #313. I’m going to be stopping by.

Ag Media Summit, Agribusiness

National Beef Ambassadors

Chuck Zimmerman

Beef AmbassadorsTo be an ambassador you’ve got to be passionate about your subject. These ladies are definitely that.

Pictured are (left-right) Carol Abrahamzon, ANCW, project manager from Minnesota, Joann Strom, South Dakota, Londa Johnson, Minnesota, Amanda Rankin, California and Christie Molinaro, Pennsylvania.

I asked them what it means to be a beef ambassador and what they do.

One of their most memorable experiences included getting to meet President Bush in Washington, DC. Another one was distributing beef samples at the Dover International Speedway during a Nascar Race.

Listen to my interview with the Beef Ambassadors here (6 min.): cisc-07-ambassador.mp3

2007 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference

CBB Executive Committee Meeting

Chuck Zimmerman

CBB Executive CommitteeThe executive committee is hard at work here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference.

They took a short break and before they got started again Diane Henderson, CBB staff, and I got them together for a photo.

I’ll be able to do some interviews later. They’re going to be going out to the new Cattlemen’s Beef Board offices for lunch to see what it’s like. Hopefully I’ll have some pictures of that for you too.

2007 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference

Get Your Igenity On

Chuck Zimmerman

Kevin DeHaanThe media room here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference is being sponsored once again by Merial.

Pictured here are Kevin DeHaan, director of technical services, Igenity, a division of Merial, and Wendy Mayo, Bader Rutter.

I talked with Kevin about Igenity and what it can do for cattle producers, both beef and dairy. He says that right now is a good time to think about getting some DNA profiling done to enhance the weaning process. More information is always better. I’ll let Kevin explain how and why.

Listen to my interview with Kevin here (6 min.): cisc-07-dehaan.mp3

2007 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Cattle Industry Conference

National Dairy Council Meeting in Denver Too

Chuck Zimmerman

Dairy Checkoff Mtg.The Cattle Industry Summer Conference isn’t the only thing going on here in Denver. The National Dairy Council is also meeting at the same time/place for the first time. The NDC started off with a general meeting this afternoon. Here’s what they’ll be doing tomorrow.

A unique highlight of this year’s Summer Conference will take place Tuesday, July 17, when the National Dairy Council and the Beef Checkoff team up for a nutrition symposium. The session will examine the common nutrition environment currently faced by the beef and dairy industries. Topics will include areas that the two industries work on together – the Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition, the importance of high-quality protein in the diet, and putting fatty acids into perspective.

I think this makes a lot of sense. Dairy producers are in the beef business and are paying the Beef Checkoff too.

2007 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Cattle Industry Conference, Dairy