I love the Farm Progress Show. Within three days, I get to see more new products and ideas than I do the rest of the year. Just try walking the show grounds without getting excited about this industry. Your chest just puffs up with pride. When you're part of an industry that feeds the world every day, it’s contagious. I love it even more when I see new ideas implemented on a successful farm. This evening, I witnessed just such a scenario at beef producer (and Wallaces Farmer Master…

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Have you seen the Walmart “steak over” commercial? If not, check out the video below. I first saw this during NBC’s primetime Olympic coverage. Clearly Walmart spent a pretty penny to put this in front of viewers. I love it; and I hate it. Let’s discuss the love part first. I love how the mega-retailer is associating quality beef with value. I’ve long been a fan of delicious red meat at a bargain price. If you’re into grass-fed, hand-massaged…

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There are certain people in this world who have the rare ability to put a smile on your face, regardless of the situation. Maralee Johnson was one of them. Her leadership at the Illinois Beef Association made it feel less like an association and more like a family. This was fitting, since most Illinois cattlemen would probably agree it's less of a business endeavor and more of a family affair. One of my favorite days on the job was serving up "beef sundaes" at the Illinois Beef…

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  Last night, I had an epiphany. When debating the economics of organic, sustainable, green, or (insert buzzword here) food production, we’re speaking the wrong language. When consumers hit me up with their activist food production spiel, I always respond with, “Yeah, but how much are you willing to pay for ground beef?” In discussing it with my wife, I realized a lot of folks don’t know what a reasonable price for ground beef is. Sure, the moms of the world…

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Since President Obama took office, many farmers have felt the U.S. EPA has been out to get them.   As justification, most point to their seemingly endless expansion of power in the name of cleaning up production agriculture. Discussing things such as a flatulence tax for livestock farms seemed laughable at first.   As these "world changers" kept pushing for cleaner this and that, at the expense of ag, we got a little worried. Well, now we've got a big reason to be scared…

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It's back to the drawing board for the National Animal Identification System. Last week, ag secretary Tom Vilsack announced the USDA will make sweeping changes to NAIS.   In particular, it seems the only time animals need i.d. is when they move across state lines. Also, there's no longer any mention of premises registration. However, two common themes remain: disease traceback and state implementation.   From the start, NAIS measures have drawn the most ire from beef producers, who would be…

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This whole condemnation of technology within farming practices is getting out of hand.   Today, I read an Op-Ed piece from the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/opinion/31niman.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&emc=etal). The use of the word "traditional" immediately jumped off the page and raised my blood pressure. Essentially, the author uses "traditional" as the antithesis of "factory farm." Thus, if you have cows on pasture, you're traditional. If you operate a CAFO, you're…

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It seems true life is always funnier than fiction. Case in point: I'm still laughing about something that happened last week. I was at the Master of Beef Advocacy graduation session in Collinsville, Ill. Daren Williams, the program coordinator with National Cattlemen's Beef Association, was explaining how to be advocates for beef in everyday life. Early on, Williams asked the class if we knew someone who was a practicing vegetarian. Theo Graff was one of the only students who didn't know a…

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I've always been a science fiction fan. Growing up, I remember a 1987 movie called "Masters of the Universe." It starred Dolph Lundgren (the Russian in "Rocky IV") as He-Man. The movie was chock full of poor acting and so-so special effects.   However, I still remember one particular scene with crystal clarity. See, the premise is, He-Man is an other-worldly strong man, with a really large sword and penchant for doing good. As the plot unravels, He-Man and his friends wind up on planet…

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I love it when readers call the office to chat. It's great to find out what issues are striking a chord.   Last week, a reader called to discuss premise registration for livestock owners. Illinois recently tried to institute a rule for the 2008 State Fair. The state tried to make premise registration mandatory if you wanted to show an animal at the fair.   As this reader told me, livestock owners went crazy. The state says premise registration will help health officials pinpoint and lock…

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