Racing and Food On The ZimmCast

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-118 - Bobby Rahal and World Ag ForumThis week on the ZimmCast (I know I’m a little late) you can hear an anecdote from Bobby Rahal about his racing career and learn more about the World Agricultural Forum.

Bobby says that his best time in racing was when he won. That’s not surprising. I’m sure I’ll see him again later this month in Indianapolis at the Indy 500.

Also in the program I’ve got interviews with Ray Cesca, President of the World Agricultural Forum and Leonard Guarraia, founder of the WAF. They talk about the mission of the organization and what they hope to accomplish as this week’s World Congress taking place in St. Louis.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 118 (13 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:

zimmcast118-5-10-07.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.

Ag Groups, Audio, ZimmCast

May is Beef Month

Chuck Zimmerman

Beef Month in MissouriWe can’t forget that May is Beef Month and here in Missouri our governor, Matt Blunt, made a proclamation at the state capitol. Missouri beef cattle industry representatives presented Governor Matt Blunt with the Healthy Beef Cookbook in honor of May Beef Month. Left to right: Governor Blunt, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association president Merrel Breyer, producer Jimmy Long and son Jack, Missouri Beef Industry Council staff member Dawn Thurnau, and MBIC board member David “Blue” Geier.

May is Beef Month in Missouri. Representatives of both the Missouri Beef Industry Council and the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association were recently at the state capitol to receive the official proclamation from Governor Matt Blunt.

Cole Camp cattleman Jimmy Long and his eight-year-old son Jack helped to present Governor Blunt with a copy of the Healthy Beef Cookbook during the proclamation.

“We are number two in cow-calf production and this proclamation is the recognition of the fact that we are one of the leading agricultural industries in the state of Missouri,” Long said.

Missouri Beef Industry Council board member David “Blue” Geier of California said it helps to have the governor’s support for the industry. “I think the governor realizes the importance of agriculture, not just beef, but all aspects of agriculture,” Geier said. “It’s important to the Missouri economy all the way through.”

Ag Groups, Beef, Food

Pork Taste of Elegance Winner Again

Chuck Zimmerman

Joseph RoyerLet’s go from chicken to pork now. Here’s Joseph Royer who just won the 2007 Taste of Elegance contest sponsored by the Pork Checkoff.

Joseph Royer, executive chef at the Saturn Grill in Oklahoma City, won top honors in the 18th annual national Taste of Elegance contest May 7 in San Diego, Calif. The competition, sponsored by the Pork Checkoff, featured 24 chefs, all winners of state and regional Taste of Elegance contests. Royer earned Chef Par Excellence honors with his winning entrée of Modern Noodle Bowl with Shoulder, Ribs, & Belly and a check for $5,000. This is the second Taste of Elegance title for Royer. He won in 2004 for his Confit of Smoked Pork Belly with Asian Spiced Pork Tenderloin entrée.

Pork Elegance“The national Taste of Elegance contest brought some of the nation’s best chefs together to share their talent using pork,” said Dianne Bettin, a pork producer from Minnesota and National Pork Board member. “By reaching chefs through Checkoff programs like this, the goal is to increase pork items on menus.”

In the national contest, competing chefs from Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin created original pork entrees that were judged for taste, appearance and originality. The Taste of Elegance contest was created to encourage chefs to use pork more frequently in creative, non-traditional ways.

Ag Groups, Food

47th National Chicken Cooking Contest is Inspiring

Chuck Zimmerman

National Chicken Cooking ContestBirmingham, AL was the place to be for the 47th National Chicken Cooking Contest.

A “spectacular” dish combining boneless chicken breasts with jasmine rice, shredded coconut and a crunchy Thai-style slaw took first place and the grand prize of $100,000 in the 47th National Chicken Cooking Contest here Friday.

National Chicken Cooking Contest WinnerMichelle Anderson, a training analyst from Eagle, Idaho, created the dish -“Thai-Inspired Stuffed Chicken Breast and Slaw” – and prepared it for a panel of food writers and editors in a competition involving a contestant from every state in the Union and the District of Columbia.

“The dish looked spectacular and tasted delicious,” said Nancy Dell’Aria, food editor of Woman’s Day magazine and chairman of the panel of media judges. “It had several different textures and a delightful crunch. We knew it was a contender from the first bite.”

The contest is sponsored by the National Chicken Council and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, with the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association serving as local host. Elise Durbin, secretary-treasurer of the Marshall Durbin Companies of Birmingham, is chairman of the Contest.

Ag Groups, Food

Farm Journal Honors Sonja Hillgren

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Journal MediaAs a way to honor the late Sonja Hillgren, Farm Journal has set up the Sonja Hillgren/FARM JOURNAL Ag Journalism Field Reporting Institute. This “will allow the spirit of the late Sonja Hillgren to live on in future reporters at her alma mater, the University of Missouri-Columbia.”

The Sonja Hillgren/FARM JOURNAL Ag Journalism Field Reporting Institute is the backbone of the “Field Reporting on Food and Natural Resources” course in the University’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. Designed to get students into the field to practice their craft, the Institute features a three-day, expedition-style design that allows producers, practicing journalists and students to interact and work together. The Institute explores the vast scientific, economic and social changes under way in U.S. agriculture and their impact on the food supply and the environment. Students meet, learn from and interview leading researchers, government officials, food industry representatives and others – out in the fields, on the rivers and at the facilities where these issues take shape.

You can find out more information and make a contribution of your own here.

Publication, University

I’m A Godfather Again

Chuck Zimmerman

Mizzou AgribloggersHere’s me with the Mizzou agribloggers Julia and Nicki from earlier today at the World Agricultural Forum. According to their blog, I’m the Godfather of ag blogging. Now that’s a catchy title don’t you think?

Besides writing for their blog Julia and Nicki are helping the World Ag Forum staff by writing reports from the “Breakout Sessions.”

World Agricultural Forum Photo Album

Ag Groups, University

The World Ag Forum On AgriTalk

Chuck Zimmerman

AgriTalkMike Adams, the host of AgriTalk (center) thought I must be going through AgriTalk withdrawal on AgWired since I haven’t posted a picture of them in so long. No, they don’t pay me to do this (they should). I just run into them so many places.

This is Mike interviewing World Agricultural Forum Chairman, James Bolger, this morning. Next to him is the producing machine, John Herath. He’s got a nice camera btw and takes good pictures which you’ll find on their website. An extraordinary thing for a radio show.

I am no longer at the World Congress of the World Agricultural Forum but am expecting to obtain some coverage via the Mizzou Ag Journalism Bloggers.

World Agricultural Forum Photo Album

Ag Groups

A Fighting Slogan For R-CALF

Chuck Zimmerman

R-Calf USAR-CALF has an official slogan. They say it was approved along with all the resolutions proposed at their annual convention in January. The votes were handled via mail-in ballot.

The record 23 resolutions dealt with topics ranging from animal health to animal identification to marketing to property rights to international trade issues – and to the organization’s now-official slogan: “R-CALF USA: Fighting for the U.S. Cattle Producer,” a proposal brought forward by the group’s membership committee.

The R-CALF USA Membership Committee brought forward the resolution to establish an official slogan, which passed by a vote of 3,177-98. It reads: “WHEREAS, R-CALF USA was formed by U.S. cattle producers in 1998 because they believed that the largest segment of the U.S. cattle industry – the producer segment – was in need of a national organization representing the interests of U.S. producers exclusively; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that R-CALF USA membership adopt this official slogan: “R-CALF USA: Fighting for the U.S. Cattle Producer.”

Ag Groups

Missouri River Flooding

Chuck Zimmerman

Missouri River at Jefferson CityHere in central Missouri we’ve all the sudden become river watchers. Who knows how high this is going to go.

AgWired fan, Lane McConnell was out and about today with her camera and got this picture of the state capitol from underneath the Hwy. 63 bridge over the Missouri River just outside Jefferson City. The river has definitely risen since I was in town yesterday morning. Lane says there were about 50 people standing around watching the river when she was there talking about the floods of 1993 and 1995.

Flood stage here is considered to be 23 feet and right now we’re at 26.9 with a crest expected by Sunday according to the National Weather Service. If we reach the level predicted our local airport would be under water along with a whole lot of river bottom farm land.

Uncategorized

Address By Mariann Fischer Boel, EU Ag Commissioner

Chuck Zimmerman

Mariann Fischer BoelThe Commissioner of Agriculture and Rural Development for the European Economic Union is Mariann Fischer Boel. She was the keynote speaker on the program today here at the World Agricultural Forum.

You can listen to her speech here while she’s finishing up with questions and answers. In her talk she tries to clear up misconceptions about farmers, farming and the policies of the EU. In particular she provides some historic detail on the EU CAP (Common Ag Policy). She says they’re continuing the move to reduce subsidies. One of the key words heard here is sustainability and she does make a point about the care the EU needs to use in moving forward so that their farmers sustain their prosperity.

You can listen to the speech here: world-ag-forum-07-boel.mp3

World Agricultural Forum Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, International