I’ll bet you didn’t know John Deere is into landscaping did you? I didn’t until I was out on a Drive Green Utility Tractor Show stop. It’s called John Deere Landscapes.
John Deere Landscapes approaches the Industry from a whole new vantage point. Like you, we face the future with a healthy respect for the past. Our heritage is one of true value-added customer service, and our combined companies offer over 30 years of success in the industry, based on that same outstanding level of customer service. This story continues as we grow, expanding our branch network. At John Deere Landscapes, we want to be where you need us. So come on in… find out what we do, and how we strive every day to support the Industry’s top professionals.
When I was on location at our Houston stop I met Ronnie Borel who is an outside sales representative for John Deere Landscapes. He gave me an overview of the products offered by this division of the company. He says they offer about 95% of what the landscape contractor needs.
In Raleigh, while I was at the Dixie Deer Classic stop, I met the Nobles who have their own landscaping business. Although they own a John Deere tractor, they’re in the market for one with a little more horsepower. The Drive Green Utility Tractor Show is certainly the place to do that.
It’s nice to be ahead of the curve don’t you think? Hopefully, a growing number of you agrimarketers out there are jumping onto the online bandwagon. Your customers are already there. Yes, farmers too. But how many of you still can’t grasp the concept of what a blog is or Twitter? Agencies, how are you really serving your client’s needs when you don’t understand the concepts much less the technology? Is pasting a paragraph of text on a web page a blog? No. But I still see some of these weak attempts to “get with it.”
I know that there are many of you who get it. But there are still a lot who don’t. Take a look at this excerpt from a story on AdWeek about an IBM consumer research project.
NEW YORK Ad agencies are years behind in catching up to digitally savvy consumers who are moving their media habits online more quickly than expected, according to new global research from the IBM Institute for Business Value.
The first thing that popped into my mind was, “than who expected?” It has seemed obvious for years that consumers (farmers) were moving media habits online. Even ag industry research like the USDA NASS surveys and NAFB has shown this.
IBM found that between 2007 and 2008, the proportion of consumers saying they used social-networking tools soared to 60 percent from 33 percent; for online and portable music services it more than doubled to 46 percent; mobile Internet nearly tripled to 41 percent; and access to mobile music and video quadrupled to 35 percent.
In contrast, 80 percent of the ad executives interviewed expect the industry to be at least five years away from being able to deliver cross-platform advertising, encompassing sales, delivery, measurement and analysis.
Five years away from being able to effectively place your client advertising dollars? I’m not sure I get that. I think what it means is that social networking and new media channels of communication don’t fit into nice little computer programs with pretty charts and graphs. It would be nice if it did but while we wait for people who are way geekier than me to come up with all that, how about getting started and investing your media dollars where your customers are? Spend a portion of it at least and start to figure it out before someone else does and you’re wondering where all your business went.
Most new media advertising is less expensive than traditional media. Is it possible that the fear that “we won’t make as much money” is keeping some back from investing in it?
You might want to take a look at the IBM research which is available online:
Previously labeled for use on pigs three weeks of age or older only, pork producers can now vaccinate piglets against salmonellosis at one day and older orally or intranasally with Salmo Shield Live.
Important communications lessons learned from the biofuels industry’s fall from grace will be presented at the upcoming Communicating Renewables Summit, April 21-23, 2009 in Minneapolis, MN. Click here for the full conference program and registration information.
Purina introduces seven new horse feeds, designed to help horses obtain a shinier coat, healthier hooves, better body and muscle condition and overall better nutrition in 60 days. Six of the seven horse feeds contain Purina’s new, patented Amplify Nugget, a palatable and nutrient-rich extruded particle that is easy for horses to digest.
Don’t miss your opportunity to sign up for Poynter’s upcoming seminar, Essential Skills for the Digital Journalist. The deadline is Monday, March 23, 2009, and the tuition is $895.00. It’s a little steep for my budget, but I think this is a great investment for any print journalists at every experience level who want to ensure they have the skills they need to weather the digital transition. In every one of my journalism courses at South Dakota State University, my professors preach about the challenges of anyone in the print journalism field. I think it’s going to be increasingly important to stay ahead of the curve and be able to use online media tools with ease. If you agree, and if this seminar sounds interesting to you, here is what Poynter has to say about this seminar.
Get the skills you need to thrive in journalism’s digital age: Master the basics of audio, video and other multimedia tools. We’ll teach you the key skills, as well as how to navigate ethical pressure points in emerging platforms. Most importantly, we’ll explore how to change the way you think about storytelling and the role of independent journalism in the service of democracy.
You’ll learn: Key multimedia skills, including audio and video. How to recognize and negotiate the ethical issues specific to multimedia. What it takes to survive and thrive in a constantly changing landscape. How and why you need to build your brand as a journalist. The leadership skills and knowledge you need to chart your own career path.
Last October, a new checkoff-funded program was released called Master of Beef Advocacy (MBA). The program consists of six, 1-hour core courses for the 2009 fiscal year: beef safety, beef nutrition, animal care, environmental stewardship, modern beef production and the beef checkoff. This self-guided, online program is a way to equip producers with the tools needed to represent the beef industry with consumers and the media.
I recently spoke with MBA contact person Daren Williams about the success of the program, and he says that MBA is off to a great start! To date, 250 individuals have applied to participate in the program. Participants are moving quickly through the courses, and the program continues to grow. Daren also asked why my name was missing from the participant list, and I told him I had to pass my final semester of classes at SDSU before I started tackling my Master of Beef Advocacy degree.
I think this program is an excellent marketing strategy on a grassroots level. Cattle producers will improve their ability to communicate their knowledge in this industry to those that need to hear it most. This is in an outstanding way to start spreading a positive message about food production and animal agriculture. I think this is a good case study to observe, and this concept could be used in other ways in this industry. As for now, I better get to studying. Graduation is only a couple months away, and I’m excited to start my Master of Beef Advocacy course!
To learn more about the Master of Beef Advocacy program, link to the press release here, contact Daren Williams at dwilliams@beef.org, 303-850-3346 or contact their state beef council.
I just noticed in Broadcasting & Cable magazine that Jonathan Adelstein has been nominated by the Prez to head up USDA’s Rural Utilities Service. He’s an FCC Commissioner currently.
Adelstein would be administrator of the RUS program. The White House gave Adelstein props for “efforts to improve rural telecommunication s and broadband” while at the commission.
The story says RUS has $2.5 billion in broadband stimulus grants to hand out.
A lot of people might have stopped eating peanut butter recently but I’m sure not one of them. I’m glad to see that Smuckers continued it’s annual Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest. Somehow in all the excitement of Ag Day and spring I missed the fact that they announced the winner of this year’s contest. This sounds like a recipe worth trying.
Today, the makers of Jif(R) peanut butter announced Jordyn Boyer, 10, of Lebanon, PA, as the winner of the Seventh Annual “Jif(R) Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest(TM).” Jordyn was inspired by an authentic Louisiana sandwich to create her Po’ Boy Peanut Butter Chicken Cheesesteak Sandwich. Her sandwich is made with Jif Creamy Peanut Butter, chicken, peppers, onions and mozzarella cheese. For added flavor, she created a dipping sauce of Jif peanut butter, Worcestershire sauce, honey and honey mustard. Jif, the trusted pantry staple for more than 50 years, awarded Jordyn with a $25,000 scholarship fund, a Jif gift basket and the title of the nation’s most creative peanut butter sandwich.
Quarry is taking the celebration of agriculture across the border. Quarry Integrated Communications is using National Ag Day in the U.S. and National Agriculture Awareness Day in Canada (Jan. 28) as a platform to increase awareness and appreciation for one of North America’s largest and most significant industries among its non-agricultural teammates.
Through a series of unique workplace initiatives, including presentations about the economic impact of agriculture in Canada and the United States, Quarry is seeking to make each of its teammates ambassadors for agriculture in the communities where Quarry has offices – Raleigh-Durham, N.C., San Jose, Calif., and Waterloo and Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
“The January and March Ag Day commemorations were introduced in Canada and the U.S. because agriculture is an industry that increasingly many people don’t know much about – particularly those living in urban areas,” says Bob Wilbur, Senior Vice-President, Agri-Food at Quarry. “We want to do our part as an organization that’s committed to agriculture to raise awareness for its vital role in our society. Typically, people think of farming as a relatively homogeneous, simple way of life. But it’s actually quite the opposite – a diverse, complex and technologically-advanced industry. We are seeking to educate our non-ag Q-mates on the important role agriculture plays in the global economy and in the everyday lives of consumers like them.”
The American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers wants to remind you that you’ve got another week to get your ad in their annual directory.
Whatever it takes, don’t miss this chance. Reach new customers, grow your business and stretch your advertising dollars.
Simply click here, fill out the order form and click to submit. If you don’t have an ad ready, just let us know and we’ll design it for you!
The ASFMRA member directory will be mailed directly to 2,500+ members, suppliers, organizations, educators and other decision makers. This is the perfect chance to tell your customers the benefits of doing business with you – stand out from the crowd and jump from the page!
Ad deadline is Friday, March 27. Simply click here, fill out the order form and click to submit.
QUALISOY has announced its board members and yearly objectives for 2009. Pioneer VP of Crop Product Development Dennis Byron, PhD, a member of the board since its start in 2004, was elected as Chairman of the Board for 2009.
LPC Critique Contest entries must be received by March 20 at 5 pm. Awards will be presented on Aug. 3 in Fort Worth, Texas, during the Ag Media Summit. Click here for more information on this year’s Ag Media Summit.
Farmers are ready to slash corn acreage this spring, fueling a record switch to soybeans, according to new Farm Futures research. The magazine’s annual planting intentions survey puts U.S. corn acreage at 82.46 million this spring, down 4% from the 86 million put in a year ago. Soybean acreage would soar to a record 80.73 million, up more than 6% from last year’s 75.7 million.
I also thought I’d point you to a company I recently became familiar with that makes barbeque accessories. Raggitty Ass Redneck Equipment make some great quality stuff you won’t find anywhere else. Here’s an interesting story about them that involves ZimmComm client, Southeast AgNet. RARE doesn’t have a website and so, thinking creatively, Southeast AgNet’s Gary Cooper just did an extended post on his website for them and voila, they have a website. Granted it’s just a page for now but I think it shows one way you can creatively use the tools we now have in this new media world. State of the Barbecue Industry Report
The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) has conducted the HPBA Barbecue
Lifestyle, Usage & Attitude Study* on a biennial basis since 1983. The following is
select information from that study for the State of the Barbecue Industry Report.
A Sizzling Industry
• More than 16.7 million grills and smokers were shipped in 2008, marking an 18
percent increase since 2003.
• Nine out of 10 (95 percent) grill owners used their grill in the past year, an
increase of 4 percent over 2003.
• Nearly eight out of 10 (77 percent) households own an outdoor barbecue grill or
smoker, a 5 percent increase from 2003.
• Sixty-eight percent of households own a gas grill, followed by charcoal (37
percent) and electric (2 percent).
• LP gas grills continue to be the most widely owned type of grill, with 94 percent of
all gas grill owners owning an LP gas grill.
Grill Usage
• The majority of grill owners use their grills year-round (58 percent), and 45
percent use their grills one to two times per week during the peak grilling season
(May through September). (more…)
Since I just did a post on Osborn & Barr why not another one. I learned on a phone call with the company this week that they’ve acquired a social media company, Elasticity, which is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the agency. They’re looking for a summer intern for the new division too. Key Responsibilities:
Update, promote and publicize social networking sites for clients;
Develop and participate in blogs;
Manage content and increase supporter numbers on social networking properties such as Digg, Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed, YouTube, Second Life, Care2, MySpace, Wikipedia, external blogs and more;
Online and database research and reporting responsibilities;
Adapting appearance of social networking presences to be more visually appealing;
Communicating with members and supporters of social sites and networks by using frequent bulletins and messages;
Researching and assisting in the creation of new applications;
Identifying new opportunities for engagement in social networking spaces.
These sound like the responsibilities every company needs to have in their staff.
I’m sure a lot of you are doing what you can to thank American farmers on National Agriculture Day. Feel free to share what you’re doing and include pictures if you have them. Here’s what Osborn & Barr is doing in St. Louis. Post Update: The photo is of the tractor described below mid day on Ag Day.
Tractor display and food drive at Kiener plaza fights hunger and champions regional agribusiness
Kiener Plaza may play host to some of St. Louis’ most vibrant urban businesses, but it still sprawls under the shadow of the Arch – the Gateway to the West and a dramatic symbol of this city’s ties to a passionate, inquisitive and agrarian foundation.
National Agriculture Day recognizes and celebrates the abundance provided by agriculture. Food production is an importation part of agriculture, and during a time of economic instability, the need for affordable and healthful food is in high demand.
In recognition of National Agriculture Day, food donations are being accepted at Kiener Plaza. Look for the red tractor – the quintessential symbol of agriculture – on display. The goal is to fill the tractor’s loader (bucket) with food to benefit the St. Louis Food Bank. The event is sponsored by Osborn & Barr Communications, the nation’s leading agriculture and rural marketing agency. Many of its professional staff of more than 100 grew up on farms or still farm. Members will be onsite to assist with the food drive.
Date and Location:
Friday, March 20, 2009
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Donations will be accepted during this time)
Kiener Plaza, 500 Pine St.
We’ve got Ag Day, Earth Day and now Solar Day. I hope we have a sunny one here in mid MO.
Move over Earth Day. There’s a new environmentally friendly semi-holiday coming up, and it’s none other than Solar Day. This day doesn’t just thank the sun for shining, though. It’s meant to educate the public about the benefits of using solar energy, and how residents can take advantage of solar options in their areas. Solar Day 2009 will be held all throughout the United States on the first day of summer, which lands on Sunday, June 21 this year. If your interest is piqued by this news, be sure to check out SolarDay.com, the official home of Solar Day, and a portal for all sorts of news on the solar industry.
I caught The Today Show this morning, and I was excited to see an entire segment dedicated to the Twitter phenomenon! Some people love it; some people hate it. However, there is no denying that this social network is here to stay! The Today Show segment explains it as a cross between text and blogging with 140 characters. It goes to the masses, and it’s a great way to spread the word. It’s like an amped up word-of-mouth service, and it’s free!
Once apprehensive about it, I’m totally hooked! Do you Twitter? Who do you follow on Twitter? How do you decide who is worth listening to? Why do we care what’s going on in the lives of others? I’m a curious tweeter that wants to know! Watch this video here for tweeting vocab, tips and an explanation of this craze that’s hard not to love! Oh, and you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/AmandaNolz. Let’s be online social networking friends!
There’s a new website to help connect soyfoods companies with soybean suppliers.
The Soyfoods Association of North America (SANA) is committed to helping soyfoods companies connect with soybean suppliers. Soybeans are used to provide a wide range of products including edamame, soymilk, soy-based meat alternatives, tofu, tempeh, miso, shoyu, natto, soy yogurt, non-dairy frozen desserts, nutrition bars, chips, and cereals. Soyfood manufacturers in America welcome a supply of high quality soybeans that meet their diverse needs. The web site, www.soybeanpremiums.org, developed by the Illinois Soybean Association and sponsored by the Iowa Soybean Association and the Indiana Soybean Alliance, easily connects soyfood companies with growers of a wide variety of premium soybeans.
Have you heard of Team ZIP? When you discover the power of protein in the land of lean beef, you can be sure that Team ZIP is close by! I recently signed up for the Brookings 40th Annual Half Marathon, and my sister and I are going to tackle 13.1 miles wearing Team ZIP jerseys (Beef is a great source of zinc, iron and protein!) There are hundreds of people that have teamed up with beef, and they blog about their experiences at the Team ZIP blog spot. Here is a description of this exciting group…
The Power of Protein is all about experiencing the body benefits of eating beef and building lean muscle as you train for running, cycling, triathlon or other athletic events — or just in living a healthy, active lifestyle. If you are a beef eater and an athlete (weekend warriors welcome!), join Team ZIP (Zinc/Iron/Protein) to “Live the Brand” and demonstrate the “Power of Protein in the Land of Lean Beef.”
I’m excited to represent the beef industry in my first half marathon, and I’m thrilled to explore new marketing strategies to enhance the beef brand! Hey, a girl has to ditch her laptop once in awhile to get some fresh air; it might as well be for a good cause! To join Team ZIP or order a “Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner Jersey,” contact Daren Williams at dwilliams@beef.org. In the meantime, I will keep all of you updated on my training, my lean beef recipes and my progress as I promote the industry that I love! Beef, it’s what’s for dinner!
I’m addicted to several blogs that I read each day, including one titled OMSH, Oh My Stinkin’ Heck. OMSH is the creation of blogger and web designer, Heather Sanders, and she is full of great ideas to increase readership to your own personal websites. I ran across this blog post titled, “The OMSHville B.O.R.E. Method,” that I have found to be useful in my online efforts with blogs and social networks. OMSH recommends a three-step process called the B.O.R.E. Method that will help you succeed in your own online strategies.
First, OMSH says that bloggers need to be attentive to, and timely in, their correspondence. Interacting with the readers is a great way to create an online community. Take the time for the people that take time to read what you have to say. Second, don’t forget there is give and take. OMSH recommends several ideas to accomplish this including: Q&A sessions, giveaways, do-it-yourself tutorials, host an online forum, etc. Finally, the third step is to check your pride at the door. It’s important to keep learning and growing as fast readership grows.
For the full blog post, head to OMSH and read, “The OMSHville B.O.R.E. Method.” It was definitely a refreshing take on the classic blog lessons we have all learned along the way. And, while we’re talking about lessons learned, do you have any tricks you have picked up along the way to maintain a dynamic site for users to consume? Let’s compare notes; I’m excited to hear your thoughts!
In this week's program Chuck talks with David Armano, Global Innovation and Integration.
David conducted a presentation on delivering expert opinion via social media to an audience at the start of International Poultry Expo week. He's got some great information about who consumers trust and how you can use today's consumer behavior to help communicate your message.
Last October, a new checkoff-funded program was released called 
I just noticed in 
The latest edition of the Pork Industry Report from the 
Quarry is taking the celebration of agriculture across the border.
The 
The first day of Spring gets the outdoor griller’s heart all pumped up. Many of us are “year-rounders” but it is nice to have warmer temperatures. The 
Since I just did a post on 
National Agriculture Day recognizes and celebrates the abundance provided by agriculture. Food production is an importation part of agriculture, and during a time of economic instability, the need for affordable and healthful food is in high demand.
We’ve got Ag Day, Earth Day and now Solar Day. I hope we have a sunny one here in mid MO.
There’s a new website to help connect soyfoods companies with soybean suppliers.
Have you heard of Team ZIP? When you 
In this week's program Chuck talks with David Armano, Global Innovation and Integration.
