Riding With A Convoy Truck

Chuck Zimmerman

Ralph GarciaTravelling along with our convoy is Ralph Garcia, Highway Safety Truck. Ralph was my ride back to the hotel last night from our welcome reception here in Salt Lake City.

It was my first time ever in an 18 wheeler and I have to say it was smooth. I interviewed Ralph about his part of the convoy and the program he’s representing out here. All of us who are driving in the convoy became certified in Highway Watch before we left San Francisco.

Ralph is a career trucker who says the Highway Watch program impressed him and he felt that supporting it was a way he could help make a difference in safety on the highway.

Listn to Ralph here: Listen to MP3 Ralph Garcia Interview (3 min MP3)

You can also see the inside of Ralph’s truck in a short video clip here: Watch wmv file Riding In The Highway Watch Truck (1 min WMV)

Audio, Video

Finally Saw Some Livestock

Chuck Zimmerman

CattleOkay. Here’s another ag shot I happened to pass on the way to Salt Lake City yesterday. This is in Nevada before getting into Utah.

I’m sure more will come up on this cross country convoy.

The biggest hassle has been getting good internet connections so far.

Beef

Agricultural Scenery On The Highway

Chuck Zimmerman

Crop DusterHello from Salt Lake City. So far on this cross country convoy I haven’t seen a lot of agriculture. However, there was this crop duster in action.

It’s kind of difficult getting a good action shot while you’re driving a truck on the interstate too.

I’m sure we’ll get into more ag-related territory as we go and I will be keeping my eyes and camera on the lookout.

Farming

Cross Country Dueling Satellite Radios

Chuck Zimmerman

Head Out On The HighwayPosting will be kind of sporadic here in the next 2 weeks. At least I think so. This AASHTO cross country convoy is a busy day of activities. You can read a lot more about it on Domestic Fuel. Anyway, one of the things I’m going to be doing is a thing I’m going to label, “Dueling Satellite Radios.” I’ll have more on this but you’ll hear about it in the video clip I’ve got for you here. I mention it because it’s “new media” and I’ve got a great interview coming up for you this weekend with a VP from XM Satellite Radio. You probably know I’m a Sirius subscriber but I’ve also got XM in the truck I’m driving so it’s going to be a cross country side-by-side comparison and I wonder who will win.

This is what my view was like as we left San Francisco this morning. Looking at the rear end of a vintage Hudson.

To help you get a feel for what it was like I had to shoot a video clip. This is definitely not recommended by the state troopers who you will see.

You can watch it here: Watch wmv file Rolling Through Town (3 min WMV)

Ethanol, Video

How I Blog – Part Two

Chuck Zimmerman

In the first post in this series I wrote out a list of all the hardware and software I use with links to all of them. In this post I’m going to address what I do with all that. There are any number of ways to blog and everyone will develop their own style and processes. A lot depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. For example, on several of our blogs I’m posting as a reporter and often on location from an event. If all you’re trying to do is an infrequent post about your company you may not need to use many of my techniques. So take what you will from this and email me if you’ve got questions or suggestions.

So let’s get started:

To begin with I normally post while I’m online. Some people may compose their posts offline and save them until they get online. I see no need to wait most of the time and am ready to publish my posts as soon as I compose them. With my computer online I then open up my blog admin panel (WordPress). Then I’ll open up Outlook, Photoshop, Ipswitch FTP_Pro and Windows Explorer. I’ll usually have several windows of Internet Explorer open too. This let’s me search for websites to link to and check my post quickly to make sure I didn’t mess anything up. Read More

Uncategorized

Low Linolenic Beans May Help KFC

Chuck Zimmerman

Kentucky Fried ChickenYou’ve probably heard by now that some idiots are suing Kentucky Fried Chicken. If not, read more about it in this story. Here’s an excerpt, “The suit seeks to force the KFC chain to stop cooking with trans fat or clearly warn customers about the health hazard.”

Although KFC thinks it’s a frivolous lawsuit, I think that word is too nice. Hey, doctor and idiotic organization, “Go eat somewhere else and leave my KFC alone!”

Of course, there may be another option. Thanks to alert AgWired readers at Monsanto they pointed out that: This type of news confirms that there is a high demand for heart-healthier soybean oils. Because of its low-linolenic acid profile, oil from VISTIVE soybeans do not need to be partially hydrogenated, thereby removing or eliminating trans fats. We expect to see more consumers demanding lower trans fats in their foods, and we think VISTIVE can help meet that demand.

Agribusiness, Food, Soybean

A Nicer Tractor

Chuck Zimmerman

Billy YatesOne of the celebrities at the Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race on Sunday was Billy Yates. He had a great time and I’m very glad to have met him.

He took a few moments for an interview. Like many that I spoke with, he’s driven a tractor growing up, but not one as nice as the competition New Holland Boomer used in the competition. As you can hear in this sound bite he thinks marketing a tractor brand to country music fans only makes sense: Listen To MP3 Billy Says It Makes Sense (21 sec MP3)

You can listen to my interview with Billy here: Listen To MP3 Billy Yates Interview (1.5 min MP3)

Audio, Tractor

E85 Observations from the Road

Chuck Zimmerman

Rick TolmanI’m not the only one writing about ethanol on the road. So is Rick Tolman, CEO of the National Corn Growers Association. Rick’s posting some road commentary on E85 which you can find on this page. It’s not quite blogging but it’s close. Here’s an excerpt from his last post:

Yesterday, I reported on the state of E85 pricing and availability as my wife, Linda, and me set out on our road trip to St. Paul, Minn. I went so far as to characterize the pricing and availability as “ugly.” I am optimistic as we travel onward that pricing and availability will improve. There is only one E85 station in the greater St. Louis area (although the NEVC Web site www.e85fuel.com lists 59 stations in all of Missouri). Illinois has nearly twice the number of stations—122—so I am hopeful the E85 infrastructure is improving.

I think it’s great stuff that NCGA members will appreciate reading. You can also hear a report from Rick on the post too.

Ag Groups, Audio, Ethanol

Moo-ving On

Chuck Zimmerman

Steve Taylor Missouri Beef Industry Council Executive Director Steve Taylor, one of our favorite “cowboys,” just gave us the news that he will soon be riding off into the sunset. He’s heading west to become the CEO of the Appaloosa Horse Club in Moscow, Idaho. Steve has been ED of the MBIC for 19 years so he thinks it’s time to giddy-up and move on. He’s been a horse lover since he was a youngster so he is excited about his new job. He will be sticking around until the end of July and says they expect to have an announcement about his replacement soon.

Beef, Horses

Support Ethanol On The Interstate

Chuck Zimmerman

Ethanol AdvocateIt’s about time to hit the blogging trail again. This time on a cross country interstate highway celebration tour.

How’s this look for an “ethanol advocate?” That’s me. I like the idea of growing our own fuel and for the next couple weeks I’ll be the official ethanol advocate representative for the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council driving along with a convoy of participants in the AASHTO Celebrate The Interstate promotion. It’s all about celebrating the kickoff 50 years ago of our interstate system.

Follow along the route here. If you’re in the area at one of our stops, please come on out and show your support. Drive along with us if you’ve got an ethanol logo on your vehicle. How about it corn growers and corn grower groups? In your state we’d love to have your support along the highway. Email me if you’ve got questions and want to participate.

I’ll be blogging the whole event here but mostly on Domestic Fuel. There will be lots of interesting photos and interviews to see and hear. If you’re a reporter, you have my full permission to download and use whatever you see.

Ethanol