Oct. 4 2013 09:35 AM

Former NFL player and champion wrestler Bill Goldberg, Nutra Blend and Elanco work to fight world hunger

There are many causes the dairy industry can come together on. We are always working to prevent misconceptions about how our cows are raised, the nutritive values of our milk and our antibiotic use. Another cause that affects producers and that needs the attention of the entire agriculture industry is the fight against hunger. It is the mission of The Chew on This Tour to be the loudest voice in the room, speaking on the behalf of the agriculture industry and sharing how important it is to efficiently produce enough food to feed the world.


The Chew On This Tour travels to feed mills, universities, fairs and special events across the country spreading their message. They will make 125 stops this year. Randy Shanks, director of sales and customer service for Nutra Blend, shared two goals of the tour. Firstly, Chew On This works to dispel myths and inform people about agriculture and food production. "People are removed from agriculture, so we're trying to educate them," he said. Secondly, they aim to raise awareness about hunger, both domestically and worldwide. Shanks emphasized how hunger and production agriculture go hand in hand. He shared that there is a need for support of animal agriculture especially to feed the hungry planet. "We recognize we can't solve the problem entirely, but our goal is to provide 100 million meals a year," Shanks said.

A key part of the tour is showing a video that features Goldberg engaging the public in a "man on the street" interview. He asks them about various aspects of production agriculture with the goal of giving them the straight facts and disproving any misconceptions they may have concerning things like antibiotics and conventional versus organic agriculture. One key fact that is shared with the audience is that by 2050, we will need 70 percent more food to feed the growing population of 9 billion people worldwide. Goldberg and the experts helping him share facts in the video also emphasized that the United States has one of the safest food supplies in the world.

Goldberg is very passionate about the efforts Chew On This is making. "I truly believe there is no bigger cause to fight for than world hunger," he shared. In sharing his passion and educating others, Goldberg uses his in-your-face attitude. "What better symbolism than having the strongest guy in the world as a spokesperson," Shanks said. Goldberg echoes Shanks sentiment. He feels that we shouldn't let groups working against agriculture speak louder than we do. "You don't hear a lot of people from the agriculture industry jumping out and making their voices heard. Who better to spout facts than me? I'm loud and boisterous and passionate about the cause," Goldberg shared.

Goldberg uses his celebrity and his passionate voice to get through to the public. After people watch the video and experience The Chew On This Tour, they are given a post viewing survey. "I can tell you personally there is a huge difference between when they walk in and when the walk out. I truly believe they will make the right decision with the right information. They make decisions based upon what the loudest person says. And so, we're getting a little louder," Goldberg said.
Return to Hoard's at Expo page.


Pires blog footer
The author is the 25th Hoard's Dairyman editorial intern. She will be a senior at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. At Cal Poly, Taylor is majoring in dairy science with an agricultural communications minor. Pires grew up on a 500-cow dairy in Merced County, Calif.

...