Alltech has a beautiful headquarters building here in Lexington, KY. We got to tour the facilities this afternoon and you can find the pictures I was allowed to take in the online photo album.
Right before we got started we were welcomed to the building and given a little background on Alltech. I recorded our presenter and you can listen to him here: alltech-symposium-07-tour.mp3
It’s afternoon now and our IFAJ board meeting group took a break to tour the Alltech headquarters building. First we stopped at the convention center to get registered and then board a bus.
I understand there will be almost 1,700 people here from around the world attending the Alltech Symposium. It’s truly an international experience. In fact this evening’s dinner is called an international dinner. I assume we’ll have an interesting menu.
Good morning from Lexington, KY and the IFAJ board meeting here at the Radisson hotel right across the street from the Convention Center. Our hosts, Alltech, will be holding the sessions for their 2007 International Feed Industry Symposium there starting tomorrow.
This morning I’m doing a presentation for the IFAJ board on blogging and podcasting. It’s going to be a quick overview in which we’ll discuss the basics and look at some live examples and then discuss how they can use these tools in their own media companies. I’ve pre-written this post to use as an example of a live post during my presentation. So I’ll be adding the picture and including it as we’re “live.”
I hope my U. S. agricultural media buddies are taking notice that their counterparts around the world are taking a serious look at how to incorporate new media into their own professional development program and for their own mechanisms to communicate their message. Of course if you’re attending the Agricultural Media Summit this summer you’ll have a chance to learn more at one of the sessions I’ll be conducting there!
Tonight at dinner we were treated to superb service.
Here’s IFAJ president, David Markey (left) and James Campbell (right) with our server and her Ireland cap they presented her with.
I think some of these folks got out on the golf course today and had a little fun. Some of us just spent the day getting here.
I’ll have interviews and a lot more pictures over the next couple days.
Hello from downtown Lexington, KY and the Alltech International Feed Industry Symposium and IFAJ board meeting. This is the fountain right outside our hotel. We just got back from dinner at the Woodlands Grill. The award winning chef uses Kentucky Ale in his recipes so of course we had to go there. In case you didn’t know, Alltech owns the Kentucky Ale brewery and I’m hoping to fit in a tour before I have to leave.
So tomorrow morning I’ll be addressing the IFAJ board meeting to talk about blogging and podcasting and showing examples of how these new media tools can be put into practice in an agricultural communications company. If we can do it then I’m sure others can too. Right?
Let’s get back to Kentucky Ale. I got back to my room after dinner and what to my wandering eyes should appear but a six pack of my favorite beer – Kentucky Ale. I like the people at Alltech. I’m interested to hear about the discussion on “Food, Feed or Fuel?” I’ve heard mixed remarks so far. This is an international group and I’ve already spoken with people from the USA, England, Ireland, Albania, Ecuador, Venezuela, Netherlands, Spain and a few other countries. It all depends on your perspective I guess.
I’ve heard it said that in the Unites States we like to drink the best and burn the rest. Here in Kentucky they like to make something called bourbon which I’ve been told you can only find in Kentucky. I tried this one. I always thought a certain Tennessee whiskey I liked was bourbon but tonight I learned that it isn’t. So I guess you learn something new every day, right?
I’ve started an online photo album of course so keep it in your favorites as I build on it while I’m here.
It’s off to Lexington, KY for the 23rd Alltech International Feed Industry Symposium. I’ll be arriving late Saturday and activities get kicked off on Sunday.
Bright and early on Sunday I’ll be doing a short presentation on blogging and podcasting for the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists board meeting which is taking place there. This group of editors and broadcasters from around the world have a keen interest in new media and it should be fun to show them what we’re doing and answer their questions.
Alltech has pulled out all the stops to make this year’s Symposium a great one. The event runs through Wednesday of next week but I’ll be returning on Monday in time for my youngest daughter’s high school graduation. Like just about every meeting I’ve been to this year the topic will be food vs. fuel. They raise a lot of questions on the website and program so I assume we’ll hear some answers while there. You can count on learning what some of them are right here.
We’ll be country rocking at this year’s Farm Progress Show. They’ve decided to add country music entertainment to the show this year in Illinois with two good acts.
Tracy Lawrence and Tracy Byrd are set to perform their popular country music hits on the Farm Progress Show stage, sponsored by Grinnell Mutual, in a live country music concert Wed., Aug. 29, at the 2007 Farm Progress Show. Known as the nation’s largest outdoor ag showcase, the 54th annual Farm Progress Show will be held Aug. 28, 29 and 30 at its permanent biennial location in Decatur, Ill. The concert follows the close of the second show day and will start at 5:30 p.m.; concert gates will open at 4:30 p.m. Lawrence and Byrd are respected and popular country artists and will entertain the concert crowd with their current hits and additional Billboard chart-topping country songs.
“We are pleased and excited to have Tracy Lawrence and Tracy Byrd performing in one concert just following the show’s second day. Each performer is a headline act, and this double-header lineup of top country talent really sets our concert apart,” said Don Tourte, Farm Progress national sales and events director. “It’s another milestone for the show and a great way to bring greater enthusiasm to the event and attract even larger show attendance to the Decatur area.” The concert will be held near Richland Community College, just south of the Farm Progress Show exhibit field. Tracy Byrd will perform first, followed by Tracy Lawrence. Concert attendees will park in the same lots used for show visitors.
The ZimmCast is done and this week you can listen to interviews with Joel Jaeger, founder of Your Farm and Ken McCauley, NCGA president. Joel just launched Your Farm, the coolest online community for farmers and with it he’s made available the USDA/FAS 1614 Farm Subsidy Database which you can search.
ZimmComm freelance reporter Mike Rogers actually did the interviews for me this week. In his interview with Joel you’ll hear about why he’s started Your Farm and put the database online. Then in the interview he did with Ken we hear a grower’s take on putting the farm subsidy database online and what he thinks about having a new place for farmers to gather online.
This week’s ending song is “The Peace Within” by Barry McCabe which you can find on the Podsafe Music Network.
You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: 
ZimmCast 119 (25 min MP3)
Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:
zimmcast119-5-17-07.mp3The 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.
Would you pay $345.95 for four 12 oz. strip steaks – raw steaks, mind you, not cooked.
That’s the price on-line for “Kobe-style” strip steaks, as marketed by Allen Brothers – a company some Rush Limbaugh listeners might recognize. That compares to $159.95 for the same quantity of U.S. Prime, dry-aged strip steaks – or just $104.95 for U.S. Prime, not dry-aged. I wonder if Rush buys the Kobe-style? Maybe, maybe not – but somebody buys it and more consumers these days are demanding beef with lots of marbling, despite the health benefits attributed to leaner cuts.
Dr. Keith Belk, professor at Colorado State University’s Center for Red Meat Quality and Safety, provided that information for the ag editors attending the Elanco Animal Health Sensory Evaluation Briefing this week at ISU. The point he made is that consumers are increasingly more willing to pay more for tenderness. One example of that is the success of Certified Angus Beef and other branded beef products.
“Quality grades and marbling itself has become extremely important,” says Belk. “Prime and upper two-thirds of Choice branded beef are commanding a large demand and returning a large amount of money back throughout the production chain. That’s the signal consumers are sending to us.”
Listen to my interview with Dr. Belk here:
belk.mp3Read more on the Beef Quality Center website.
The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council is teaming up with the IndyCar Series, Sinden Racing Service, and Rahal-Letterman Racing for a national sweepstakes. The “Race to Go Green” Sweepstakes” offers you a chance to win lots of instant prizes and have your name entered in a grand prize drawing.
Instant winners will be drawn online and notified throughout the season. The grand prize winner will be announced on August 5, and will be flown with a guest to Chicago for the season ending race at Chicagoland Speedway. During the race weekend, winners will receive the ultimate IndyCar experience including: a two seater ride, a pace car ride, a garage tour and much, much more.
Fans can enter to win on the EPIC website.
You would think that with all the Indy Car races I’m covering I’d get a ride in one wouldn’t you?
