Blackberry Farm Chef Peter Glander

Chuck Zimmerman

Peter GlanderThere’s just something about a “Gourmand” property that attracts me. Enough to let you know about Blackberry Farm. Never been there. Want to go. Especially now that they have Peter Glander as executive chef.

This season, in conjunction with the opening of its new FarmStead, Blackberry Farm announces the arrival of Executive Chef Peter Glander. From the Indiana farm where he was raised to the world-famous kitchens of Manhattan — and now, to rural Relais Gourmand destination Blackberry Farm — Glander has always had a passion for the soil’s bounty in every season.

“Peter’s intimate knowledge of the land and his exceptional culinary achievements speak for themselves,” says Sam Beall, proprietor of the 4,200- acre country estate. “He will complement the FarmStead perfectly.

Blackberry Farm — often described as “Easy to get to. Hard to leave.” — is located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee. This 51-room Relais & Chateaux/Relais Gourmand property offers some of the world’s finest wines, cuisine, fly fishing, horseback riding, hiking, cycling, sporting clay and mountain biking opportunities. In addition to an abundance of outdoor activities, Blackberry Farm offers an Aveda Destination Spa and a series of annual cooking schools and culinary events featuring Blackberry’s own celebrated staff along with other world-renowned guest chefs and vintners. For reservations and information, please call 800-993-7824 or visit www.blackberryfarm.com.

Farming, Food

Zimfo Bites

Laura McNamara

  • Monsanto’s DEKALB Genetics and John Deere are supporting the formation of a new grower group for customers in the Great Plains area. The Great Plains Canola Growers Association (GPCGA) will provide representation, education, promotion and leadership support to canola producers primarily in the states of Oklahoma and Kansas. “As a wheat farmer for many years, and now as a canola farmer, I’m pleased to work with DEKALB and John Deere to get this association off the ground,” says John Haas, newly named board director for GPCGA from Larned, KS. “Having a network of fellow farmers and industry representatives is important as we begin exploring the opportunities for canola production in our area.Canola production is new to the Great Plains, where wheat has been traditionally grown year after year in a continuous rotation. More growers are now considering canola which is showing great promise as a rotational crop to wheat.
  • Diamond V® representatives today lauded an approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to broaden the use of selenium yeast ingredients. The FDA amendment allows the use of all selenium yeast ingredients in feed supplements for limit feeding beef cattle and in free-choice salt mineral mixes fed to beef cattle. “Selenium plays an important role in the health and performance of beef cattle, and the new ruling allows for greater flexibility to incorporate selenium yeast into free-choice mineral mixes,” says Bruce Hageman, Director of Marketing and Sales Services for Diamond V. Diamond V is considered the market leader in the manufacturer of fermented feed ingredients and high-selenium yeast products, including SelenoSource˙AF and DiaMune˙Se for dairy, beef, swine, poultry and aquaculture markets world-wide.
  • A report will be submitted jointly by 17 organizations on Thursday to the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, created by Congress to analyze and make recommendations on how to equip the nation’s transportation system to meet future needs. The primary objectives of the future transportation system must be to reduce congestion, remain globally competitive, and meet the growing mobility needs of the 21st Century. “We must preserve and modernize the system, improve performance, and add substantial capacity in highways, transit, rail, airports, and seaports,” said John Horsley, Executive Director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
Zimfo Bytes

Ag Media Summit Info Expo Floor Plan

Chuck Zimmerman

Info Expo Floor PlanIt looks like we’re going to have a great Info Expo at the Ag Media Summit. This is the floor plan. Click on the image to see a bigger one that you can read.

I think there are 65 organizations exhibiting this year which is a record. There’s no way I’ll be able to personally visit with all of them but I’ll try my best. There will be a lot of relationship building going on there between these organizations and the media representatives attending.

You can find the floor plan here too (pdf).

AgWired coverage of the Ag Media Summit
is being sponsored by: AgraGate Climate Credits Corporation

Ag Media Summit

Farm Bill Update From Secretary Johanns

Chuck Zimmerman

USDAWhat’s happening with the Farm Bill is the subject of more press releases than we can count lately. I don’t focus a lot of time on policy but it’s important to know what’s going on.

This morning U. S. Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns, held a press conference to bring us up to date and explain the Administration’s position on things. You can hear his remarks here if you’d like. They’re only about 15 minutes. usda-farm-bill-press-conf.mp3

Post Update: One of the interesting things Sec. Johanns says is that he and his entire team of advisers will recommend that the President veto the bill proposed by the House Ag Committee if it is adopted in its current form. Sounds like there’s still a lot of work to be done.

Audio, USDA

Zimfo Bites

Laura McNamara

  • Dr. Angela Baysinger, DVM, of Bruning, Neb., has joined the Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc., (BIVI) swine division as a field veterinarian providing technical support for Nebraska, Kansas and other key accounts in the western U.S. She earned both her bachelor of science and DVM degrees from the University of Missouri, as well as a master’s degree in epidemiology from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Most recently, Dr. Baysinger was vice president at Farmland Foods, responsible for on-farm food safety with oversight of their USDA Process Verification Program and animal handling and welfare programs.
  • Diamond V® representatives today lauded an approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to broaden the use of selenium yeast ingredients. The FDA amendment allows the use of all selenium yeast ingredients in feed supplements for limit feeding beef cattle and in free-choice salt mineral mixes fed to beef cattle. “Selenium plays an important role in the health and performance of beef cattle, and the new ruling allows for greater flexibility to incorporate selenium yeast into free-choice mineral mixes,” says Bruce Hageman, Director of Marketing and Sales Services for Diamond V. Diamond V is considered the market leader in the manufacturer of fermented feed ingredients and high-selenium yeast products, including SelenoSource˙AF and DiaMune˙Se for dairy, beef, swine, poultry and aquaculture markets world-wide.
  • The Illinois Corn Growers Association, along with the Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Soybean Association, Iowa Corn Growers Association, and Waterways Council Inc., will be hosting a series of educational barge tours along the Illinois River on Aug. 6, 2007 and along the Mississippi River on Aug. 8, and Aug.14, 2007. On the barge tour you will experience the mechanics of river transportation, hear local businesses explain how they utilize the river, as well as hear a presentation on watershed management and environmental restoration. All participants must be at least 12 years of age or older. Boarding a barge may be difficult for those with disabilities or mobility restrictions. Barge tours are free of charge. Optional services for bus transportation are available for purchase upon reserving a seat. Registrations are on a first come first serve basis and the reservation deadline is July 27, 2006.
Zimfo Bytes

Are You On The Factory Farm Map?

Chuck Zimmerman

Factory Farm MapWhile I was attending the Cattle Industry Summer Conference someone said to me that one of the biggest dangers facing livestock producers in this country are the animal rights activists. I don’t know about you but it seems to me like they’re getting more aggressive and I guess fooling a lot of people out of their money in the process. They sure seem to spend a lot of it. Although livestock production is one of these whackos favorite targets I’d say it’s a lot broader than that. Just check out Spira/Grace sometime and surf through all the websites and organizations they’re connected to and support. Examples include, Sustainable Table, The Meatrix, FactoryFarm.org, Eat Well Guide and there’s a lot more if you click on through. If you’re not aware of what they’re doing then you should be. I’d love your take on what they’re doing online to reach consumers and if you think that’s having any impact on your business. Hopefully you’ll see the need to invest in some online tools to be part of the conversation that’s taking place whether you like it or not.

This post was inspired by yesterday’s release by Food and Water Watch (another whacko group) of an interactive Factory Farm Map. Is your’s on the list? They’re the same group that released a report recently titled, “Rush to Corn Ethanol Is No Farm or Fuel Solution.” I read through that one. It makes a bunch of wild unsubstantiated claims, raises questions that aren’t answered and when they actually do point to science they admit positives about ethanol production. Unfortunately it’s the kind of sensationalist junk the mainstream media likes to pick up on.

I sure wish we could get some more of their creativity channeled into communicating facts and not just emotion from people who may even be well meaning in their intent but just don’t have the knowledge or experience to know what they’re talking about. I’m being generous I know. The reality is that a lot of people behind these groups have an agenda which includes things like population control. I guess the animals would be better off if it wasn’t for us people. Me, I’m a Person who likes to Eat those Tasty Animals.

Environment, Farming, Food, Wackos

On the Cutting Edge of Cotton

Laura McNamara

Case IHThe latest innovation in the cotton industry merges two integral processes to offer growers a more efficient production of cotton. And more growers can get their hands on the technology too. Case IH manufacturing has gone commercial with cotton.

The machine is the Case IH Module Express 625, which allows growers to save capital, fuel and labor by combining cotton harvesting and module building in a single operation. The Benson plant is ramping up production to fill orders for the Module Express in time for this fall’s harvest. The new machine continues a Case IH tradition of cutting-edge cotton technology.The Case IH Module Express has the potential to transform the cotton industry, because it’s designed to fit the needs of ginners as well as growers, says Trent Haggard, Case IH marketing manager for cotton harvesting.

Farmergy“Our engineers made sure that the Module Express fit with existing cotton production practices, with no additional handling, logistics or costs,” Haggard says. “That’s especially important when you consider that many of today’s cotton growers are also gin shareholders… ginning Case IH modules and traditional modules together is a seamless operation. A modern cotton gin that produces 60 ginned bales per hour will be equally maximized while ginning the Case IH module,” Haggard says.
Read More

Ag Groups, Cotton, Equipment, Technology

Farmergy Has Smart Energy Solutions

Chuck Zimmerman

FarmergyFarmergy held a webinar today with U. S. Congressman John Shimkus who gave an energy bill update to start things off. Farmergy is the company started by Osborn & Barr Communications’s Steve Barr who serves as Chairman and Mark Green who is the President and CEO.

Here’s what Farmergy does:

Now you can reduce your operation’s dependence on costly traditional energy while saving time and money. Using renewable energy solutions, Farmergy can help you protect your operation against volatile energy costs, blackouts and power failures.

What can Farmergy do for you?

* Our engineers use a software tool called SmartEnergy PRO™ to analyze your complete energy needs and opportunities
* Complete renewable energy blueprint and plan
* Obtain grants, loans and tax credits specific to agriculture and rural development
* Product sourcing from best-in-class manufactures
* Complete installation with Certified Farmergy Installer

You can hear Mark Green describe Farmergy from today’s webinar here: farmergy-1.mp3

Agribusiness, Audio

Ag Media Summit Update

Chuck Zimmerman

2007 Ag Media SummitIt’s only days until the 2007 Agricultural Media Summit. I’m heading that way on Friday. From what I’ve heard we’re at about 568 registered! Let’s all give Diane Johnson fits and have about 500 more show up as walk-ins. Now that would be cool. Demand to go on Saturday’s tour too. I’ll be there to take the picture.

Okay, so if you’re not going then you know where to turn right? Yeah. You’ve got it. Think photo album, interviews, posts, hopefully some YouTube videos. I’m just not sure how all that will turn out, especially on Saturday since I think we go to a bourbon distillery. I’ll be doing my best.

One of the exciting things about this year’s event is our international attendees. We’ve got 14 media professionals from Mali in western Africa coming. They’ve been at the campus of Oklahoma State doing internships I guess. You can count on me spending some time with them and letting you meet them online.

This event has a lot of groups involved. The first person (not Diane, Den or Steve) who posts a comment correctly identifying all of these will get a set of ZimmComm New Media retractable ear buds. They are, AAEA, LPC, ABM, NACT, ARC and IFAJ.

AgWired coverage of the Ag Media Summit
is being sponsored by: AgraGate Climate Credits Corporation

Ag Media Summit

Beach Boys in Branson at RFD-TV The Theatre

Chuck Zimmerman

Beach BoysIt looks like things are cooking at RFD-TV The Theatre. The Beach Boys are about to kick off their performances starting this week.

Tomorrow they’re having a press conference but I can’t go. Branson is a ways and it’s been a while since I’ve been there. Maybe someday soon. It looks like the show kicks off at 7pm.

From what I’ve heard some big things are happening with the theatre this fall. I’m sure more information will be coming out about that.

Media