Web Article Samples
Sample Web article: Posted to National Pork Board’s Web site, Pork.org
Purpose: educate the client’s target audience, promote the accomplishments of the Pork Checkoff, help client expand its “digital footprint” online
Wall Street Welcomes The Other White Meat® Tour
Pork blazed a tantalizing trail through New York City this summer when nearly 3,000 employees, traders and staff of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) enjoyed an incredible lunch of pulled pork on a homemade bun, coleslaw and homemade potato chips, courtesy of The Other White Meat® Tour ’09.
“We were invited by the NYSE, and the event was a complete success,” says Howard Greenblatt, national foodservice marketing manager for the Pork Checkoff, who notes that the pork promotion was endorsed by Smithfield Meats. “People swarmed the streets and the lines were long, even though we handed out the pork sandwiches as fast as we could.”
As The Other White Meat Tour crew served the meal, Dr. BBQ, Ray Lampe, conducted live cooking demonstrations on-stage, showing the audience how to prepare spice rubs for different cuts of pork. The entire event was broadcast live on the 12-foot by 12-foot Jumbotron on Wall Street.
“This was a lot of fun, and it offered a great opportunity to educate lots of people about pork and let them know that pork tenderloin is as lean as a skinless chicken breast,” says Lampe, a well-known cookbook author who teaches barbeque cooking classes across the country and writes the “Ask Dr. BBQ” column for Fiery Foods and BBQ Magazine. “It’s always a pleasure to work with the Pork Checkoff, because they put on first-class events.”
The barbeque bash attracted plenty of national media attention, adds Greenblatt, who notes that Nation’s Restaurant News, Food Arts and other leading publications covered the event. “Ray Lampe was a big hit, the rain held off and the NYSE’s director of marketing told me they haven’t had a response like this in five years. The event was everything we wanted it to be, and it offered a wonderful way to promote pork.”
The pork party continues at the Big Apple BBQ
Following the Wall Street lunch, The Other White Meat Tour remained in New York City for the Big Apple BBQ in mid-June.
“The Big Apple BBQ is such a pork-centered event, and it was awesome to hand out the most pork samples of any place we’ve been,” says Traci Rodemeyer, manager of pork information for the Pork Checkoff.
Momentum continues to build for the 2009 tour, which kicked off in Scottsdale, Ariz., in May and is allowing America’s pork producers give back to local communities. When consumers in 12 select cities enter the Pork's No. 1 Fan contest, 10 pounds of pork will be given to feed those in need through local food bank. At the recent City Stages World Classic in Birmingham, Ala., the Pork Checkoff donated 380 pounds of pork. The event was covered by all the major networks, including NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX.
Join the tour
To add to the fun, Pork Checkoff is inviting consumers nationwide to share why they are the “Next Pork Personality.” Through August 31, passionate pork fans everywhere can submit a video on TheOtherWhiteMeat.com to spotlight their best tip for grilling pork.
The three finalists whose creativity and enthusiasm for pork comes through loud and clear will be selected for a live finale grill-off in New York City. Each will prepare a pork recipe that showcases their tip for Guy Fieri and a panel of judges. The winner of the “Next Pork Personality” will receive $5,000, a Char-Broil® grill and grilling accessories.
To join the tour online, log onto www.TheOtherWhiteMeat.com and click on the “Follow Us on the Road” link to find grilling recipes from tour spokesperson and celebrity chef Guy Fieri, the tour schedule, photos and videos from recent events, information on the “Next Pork Personality” contest, and more.
Sample Web article: Posted to Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers’ Web Site
Purpose: educate the client’s target audience, including farm and non-farm residents; highlight the contributions that agriculture makes in Iowa, help client expand its “digital footprint” online
Young Farmer Talks Turkey in Cherokee County
By Darcy Maulsby
If a wise man creates more opportunities than he finds, then Rod Parker’s willingness to invest in five turkey barns is creating new options in agriculture not only for this young Cherokee County farmer, but for his younger brothers, as well.
“Not everyone is the given the chance to farm, so I feel very fortunate,” said Parker, 27, who noted that four generations of his family have farmed the land in Iowa. “However, the fastest way to take down the business is to draw too many incomes off of one farm, so I was looking for ways to diversify our operation.”
Turkeys seemed like a possibility, based on Parker’s conversations with friends and neighbors who raise the birds for Sara Lee Foods, which recently expanded its processing facilities in Storm Lake. Construction on Parker’s five 650-foot-long barns, which hold up to 12,000 birds each, began in the summer of 2008. During an October 2008 open house at Parker’s Pilot Township farm, which was hosted just days before the first group of four-week-old tom turkeys arrived, many friends, neighbors and local officials gathered to tour the new barns and congratulate Parker.
“Livestock is an essential part of Iowa’s economy,” said Mark Buschkamp, executive director for Cherokee Area Economic Development. “In Cherokee County, agriculture is economic development. I know a turkey operation is big investment and a long-term commitment, so it’s great to see this.”
Building a future in farming
Farming has long been a way of life for the Parker family, who has lived south of Cherokee since 1948. Rod’s parents, Robert and Peggy, raised their three sons and one daughter on the farm where they still live and work, just half a mile east of the new turkey barns. The Parkers’ farm includes a farrow-to-finish swine operation with 60 sows, along with 400 acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and oats. Rod joined the family business full-time after completing his farm management degree at Iowa Lakes Community College in May of 2002.
“I always knew I wanted to farm since I was a little kid,” said Parker, who now farms 160 acres of his own land.
The idea to diversify into the turkey business took root two years ago, when Parker started researching the possibilities. Parker considered not only his own future, but ways to help his brothers get involved in agriculture, including Curtis, who will graduate in December 2008 from Northwest Missouri State University with an agronomy degree, and Ryan, a student at Northwest Iowa Community College. Parker also made personal visits to his neighbors to keep them informed about his plans.
“It’s tough for young farmers to get started,” acknowledged Robert Parker. “The turkeys offer a way for Rod to stay on the farm and can help the other boys get involved in the farm at some point.”
Protecting the environment
Parker followed the proper protocols to establish his turkey operation, from applying for the required construction/design permits to acquiring a stormwater discharge permit from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Parker’s barns also feature the latest technologies to ensure the comfort of the birds, from the feeding and watering systems to misters and fans that help cool the birds in during hot weather.
The floors are covered with a bedding of wood shavings and oat hulls, which provide a soft, dry environment for the birds. A skimmer removes the solids from the bedding, and in Parker’s all-in, all-out production system, the litter will be cleaned out after the birds are taken to market. Parker plans to use as much of the litter on his family’s cropland as possible to save on fertilizer costs.
“I’m glad we hosted an open house at the barns,” added Parker, who is a Golden Harvest seed dealer and a board member of the Cherokee County Pork Producers. “This gave the community a first-hand look at the technology we use today to provide humane care for the birds year-round and produce the food that will end up in the meat case. It also helped us educate the public about the ways farmers protect the environment.”
Neighbor Mickey Conley, who lives a mile north of the Parkers, said she admires what Rod Parker is doing. “We’re all really tickled about his new turkey operation. This is economic development for Cherokee County, and we need it.”
SIDEBAR:
Quick Facts about Iowa’s Turkey Industry*
- Iowa ranks 9th in U.S. turkey production and 5th in turkey processing.
- Annually Iowa’s turkeys consume 10 million bushels of corn and 110,000 tons of soybean meal.
- Based on the cost for commercial fertilizer, one turkey produces more than $1 worth of Iowa-grown fertilizer.
- The economic value of Iowa turkey production is more than $200 million.
*Information supplied by the Iowa Turkey Federation.