Illinois team wins meat judging contest Down Under

URBANA, Ill. — Its first visit proved a resounding success, as the University of Illinois Meats Judging team won the Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest held at the University of New England at Armidale, NSW, Australia.

The UoI team prevailed over 10 other teams representing Australia and Japan.

“Our team won four of the six divisions: beef judging, pork judging, lamb judging and questions/reasons,” said Tom Carr, UoI extension meats specialist, who is one of the team’s coaches.

“Three of our students ranked in the top 10 overall, with Whitney Keller of Quincy placing second, Daniel Clark of Oblong third and Jeffrey Gregg of Monticello at fifth.”

Keller placed first in retail cut/primal identification and second in beef judging and questions/reasons. Clark was first in placings and Jason Perry of Bement was first in lamb judging and second in pork judging.

Other team members were Jessie Vawter of Macomb and Trent Wright of Beecher City. Coaching the team with Carr was Christine Leick of the UoI Department of Animal Sciences.

Kentucky’s Farmer elected president of SASDA

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer was elected president of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA) at the conclusion of its annual conference in Nashville.

SASDA is made up of the commissioners, secretaries or directors of agriculture in 15 southeastern states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The SASDA states accounted for more than $73.5 billion in farm cash receipts in 2005, nearly one-third of the total for the United States, according to the Economic Research Service in USDA.

“I am honored and humbled to be elected to this position,” Farmer said. “I appreciate the confidence my peers in the other SASDA states have placed in me.

“This position will give me the opportunity to represent farmers in Kentucky and the entire Southeast in discussions with Congress and USDA on the Farm Bill and on other issues that are so important to the economy of the region.”

Other officers elected for 2007-08 were Terry Peach, Oklahoma, vice president; Dr. Louis E. Peterson Jr., Virgin Islands, secretary; and Tommy Irvin, Georgia, treasurer.

SASDA is a regional association of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, which represents the 50 states and four U.S. territories in developing sound public policy and programs that support American agriculture while protecting consumers and the environment.

The 2008 SASDA conference will be held in Kentucky.

Wheat Foods announces 2007-08 exec committee

PARKER, Colo. — The Wheat Foods Council recently appointed Kathy Wiemer R.D., director of nutrition for the Bell Institute of Health & Nutrition, a division of General Mills, as its 2007-08 committee chair.

Outgoing chair Tom Mick, CEO of the Washington Wheat Commission, will continue to serve on the council’s executive committee along with Hans Hayden, wheat producer and Idaho Wheat Commission representative, and Betsy Faga, president of North American Millers’ Association.

Wiemer has been employed at General Mills for 28 years. She is responsible for ensuring that products comply with existing government and corporate nutrition regulations and policies. She also has extensive experience in providing direction to marketing and divisional research concerning nutrition issues and opportunities; coordinating product-related nutrition research studies; and developing nutrition education materials and communication programs for health professionals and consumers.

During the June board meeting, the Council recapped a successful 2006-07 program and began planning for the council’s 35th anniversary, which begins July 1. Successes include 51 million impressions resulting from a comprehensive media relations campaign and a 12 percent website traffic increase over last fiscal year.

The council also introduced a blog, authored by Scheideman and sponsored by ADM, distributed a quarterly healthcare professional newsletter, funded grain-based research through the University of Virginia and produced the “Mom, the Everyday Athlete” nationwide run/walk.

This farm news was published in the July 25, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.