BeefCast update for June 11, 2010, So You Think You Have A Tough Day?

After a trip to Chicago earlier this week, I am reminded once again how great the distance is between consumers and the farm. While the mileage from downtown Chicago to the nearest farm may not be long, the distance in understanding of consumers and food production is continually growing.

We need to establish education as one of our top priorities and work diligently to close this education gap that exists today. So I challenge each of us to do a little more to help consumers better understand our story of producing their food.

Take a couple of minutes and share with me some of the steps that you have taken to help educate our consumers (feedback). Or just share some of your thoughts on how we, as an agriculture community, can do a better job of educating.

BeefCast^® Conversations

So You Think You Have A Tough Day?

MP3 file Captain Scott O'Grady, former US Air Force fighter pilot, shares his story of survival after being shot down by the enemy. Part 1 and Part 2

U.S. Dairy Group Plans Another Herd Buyout

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT), said it will conduct its 10th herd retirement program. "It is our belief that a herd retirement at this time will add to the positive momentum already building and should result in speeding up the milk price recovery already in progress," Jerry Kozak, president of the National Milk Producers Federation, said in a statement.

What Does A Cattle Welfare Scorecard Look Like?

MP3 file Temple Grandin, world renowned cattle handling expert, offers her thoughts on how to effectively create a cattle welfare scorecard for your operation. Thanks to DairyCast for this post!

Agriculture Telling its Story

What is the Minnesota Soybean Ambassador Program? Emily Zweber (@ezweber), chats with @mnsoyambies of Minnesota Soybean about the Minnesota Soybean Ambassador program.

Latinos... “Low Hanging Fruit” For Animal Rights Activists? From Orlando Gil: When you look at efforts from just about every industry in the United States trying to tap into the emerging Latino market, one has to wonder when Animal Rights Activists will follow suit. What has been done by leading animal rights organizations to reach out to this market?

Farms beset by spies Dr. Ronald Lemenager shares a post by Holly Zachariah from the Columbus Dispatch: "Dave Thorbahn knows his business is a target. Some of his 184 employees already have been offered cash to videotape what goes on inside his barns. Who offered them the money or why, Thorbahn can’t say. It could have been someone looking for trade secrets, but he suspects otherwise. He wonders whether it was someone working for an animal-rights organization that wanted a peek inside Select Sires, a bull-semen facility with 1,791 bulls in 57 barns in Ohio and Pennsylvania."

BeefCast^® Conference Connection

Updated presentations from the 2010 Animal Ag Alliance Stakeholder's Summit: Truth, Lies and Videotape: Is Activism Jeopardizing Our Food Security?

Video: Reaching Friends, Family & Urban Consumers Sarah Hubbart, Communications Coordinator, Animal Agriculture Alliance, talks about the impact & value of social networking.