The board of directors of the Agricultural Relations Council (ARC) has approved creation of the first agricultural hall of fame for public relations to recognize individuals for lifetime achievement. Our friends at Agri Marketing magazine are the founding sponsor of the ARC Agricultural Public Relations Hall of Fame. The first awards will be presented next year to one or more deserving ag public relations professionals.
“This new hall of fame will very simply and properly recognize legends in ag public relations,” said Deron Johnson, immediate past president of the ARC board of directors and creator of the concept. “As ARC marks its 58th anniversary in 2011, it’s a perfect time to launch a formal program that honors those who have made important contributions to the execution and advancement of agricultural public relations.”
Mace Thornton, president of the board, says ARC is the right organization to found and present this award each year. “Our mission is to serve the unique needs of public relations professionals in agriculture, food, fiber and other related industries,” Thornton says. “We are eager to recognize those who came before us and paved the way for what we accomplish today for the ag industry.”
During the organization’s annual meeting in Fort Myers, Fla., in February, the ARC board began considering a re-branded recognition program that would fold the current Founders Award into a revamped award to be presented annually by the national organization. Thus, the hall of fame concept was born.
“We are thrilled to be part of this new program,” said Lynn Henderson, Agri Marketing magazine publisher and founding sponsor of the ARC Agricultural Public Relations Hall of Fame program. “This new award is long overdue and we are excited to publicize and promote this program throughout the ag communications industry.
Thornton said a committee will be formed soon to develop criteria. This announcement is another in a series of developments over the past two years that has brought the ARC back to prominence. The ARC also recognizes creative work with the Golden ARC Award Program, also recently re-instituted by the organization.
If you’d like to serve on the committee please contact ARC President Mace Thorton or ARC Executive Director Den Gardner.
Alltech recently announced the restructuring of its global headquarters marketing team based in Nicholasville, Kentucky.
“The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games transformed Alltech,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. “We are a stronger company internally as a result of the teamwork required to make the event a success, and our increased profile in the past few years has led to innumerable opportunities. With this in mind, we must ensure that we do not continue business as usual, but we are placing the right people in the right places to move Alltech forward. Our best days are ahead of us.”
“As our industry environment and our customers’ businesses evolve, so too must the Alltech team to ensure we continuously deliver value,” said Catherine Keogh, global marketing director for Alltech. “Our core mission – the ACE Principle through which we provide natural nutritional solutions that benefit the Animal, Consumer, and Environment – remains unchanged. Today this mission is more relevant than ever.”
Keogh has returned to the company’s headquarters in Nicholasville, Ky. to revamp Alltech’s marketing strategy for North America. A resident of France and a native of Ireland, she has led the company’s global marketing strategy for nearly 20 years.
Among the changes at Alltech, our good friend Billy Frey has been named Advertising and Digital Marketing Manager. Frey, an 11-year veteran at Alltech, has assumed leadership of Alltech’s in-house media studios and will be focused on driving the company’s message through global advertising and emerging media strategies. For the past six years, Frey was the North America PR manager.
At the just completed SXSW, farmers and agriculture were very much a part of the discussion. For example, Emily Zweber, Jeff Fowle, Chris Chinn and Zach Hunnicutt shared “how farmers are using social and new media to bridge the gap between the 2% of the population who are farmers, and the remaining 98% of people who are not.” The panel was moderated by Marla Schulman. You can listen to it here: Agvocacy 2.0 Panel
There are other presentations which you can find online if you’d like to listen in that include one on “How Farmers Get Serious Business Done With Mobile.” You can find these on the SXSW website and some have been posted to the AgChat Foundation website. Farmers are getting involved and once again showing the world that they’re on the leading edge of technology. If farmers are your customers then hopefully you or someone on your staff is staying up to date!
For the eighteenth year, GROWMARK held it’s Iowa Essay Contest. The winner in 2011 is Sarah Goode of Coggon, Iowa.
The theme of this year’s contest was “The Importance of Agriculture in Everyday Life.” In her contest entry, Goode said: “At the forefront of technology and innovative comprehension, agriculture provides for our basic needs and cravings, aiding our way of life to be physically and emotionally fulfilling.”
As the contest winner, Goode will receive a $500 scholarship from GROWMARK at the Iowa FFA State Leadership Conference, held in Des Moines during April. The North-Linn FFA chapter will also receive a $300 award in honor of her accomplishment to help future students.
Four state runners-up will each receive a $125 scholarship. The runners-up and their FFA chapters are, in alphabetical order: Katie Johnson, Okoboji FFA, Milford, Iowa; Dustin Konrad, Des Moines FFA, Des Moines, Iowa; Samuel Reilly, Midland FFA, Oxford Junction, Iowa; and Jordan Walker, Emmetsburg FFA, Emmetsburg, Iowa.
I got the new iPad 2 yesterday and thought I’d share my first impressions. In fact I’m typing this on the new one with the WordPress app. The first comment is that thinner and lighter are an apt description. It just feels sleeker. And the first wasn’t bad. So for portability purposes this is a plus.
With iTunes, syncing all my stuff was a breeze. I had backed up my old iPad first of course. Then just plugged the sync cable in and that was that. It just doesn’t get any easier than that. I’m typing on the built in keyboard because I forgot my wireless one. But it is not as difficult as some people have made it out to be.
I have all my same apps. The ones I use the most are Mail, Twitter, The Weather Channel, Kindle, Netflix, iPod, Newspapers, USA Today, iBreviary, Maps, Safari, Google, Friendly, Contacts and Calendar but I have a lot more including 1Password, iDisk, DocsToGo, Dropbox. Apps are where it’s at!
The new iPad is a little easier to hold while sitting because it is lighter and I have to comment on the new smart cover. I’ve got a white iPad with the blue leather smart cover. This cover is cool! It attaches with magnets and knows where to fit them. It only covers the screen but that’s okay with me. I’m going to be putting this into a carry on bag or have it lying on a coffee table. I’m not worried about scratching the back. The cover turns it off when I close it automatically. Then the iPad turns on instantly when I open it! That doesn’t sound like much but its a nice user friendly feature. The cover is in panels that allow you to either swing it around to the back to read your book or fold into several configurations as a stand like I’m doing now to type. I recommend this cover!
Now let’s talk about some other improvements. Can you say cameras? Front and back and I’ve already used FaceTime with a friend. Works great. I haven’t used Skype on it yet but I’m sure that will work fine too. Having these cameras opens up a whole new world of opportunities!
Before I got it I was asked if it would have a USB port. It does not. But I had already gotten the camera kit which includes a USB adapter that worked fine on my original. That let’s me connect a Multi card reader for example to plug in compact flash cards.
I also bought the original adapter to let me plug this into a projector but still haven’t found this to be too useful. But then I really don’t use Keynote (PowerPoint) that much. I don’t use this to plug into a wide screen tv either. I have my Apple TV for that.
Finally, I have the wifi only version. I either use this where I have wifi or I have my iPhone 4 with a tethering account to create my own wifi. I saw no need to have an extra monthly bill! Does this replace my MacBook Pro? No way. Do I use it a lot? Yes. I have learned to love reading books and watching movies on it. It’s great for checking email, Twitter and Facebook. It’s a lot easier to pull out on the plane and use. I do wish they’d get rid of that rule to have all electronic devices turned off on takeoff and landing though!
So there you have it. It gets my highest recommendation. What did I do with my original? It has replaced Cindy’s Sony Reader. Now if Sony and Apple would just see eye to eye on their app . . .
Post Update: I added the photo after I got back from the coffee shop.
AGROTAIN continues to line up the university research on the performance of their products that control nitrogen loss.
At the Commodity Classic earlier this month, plant science professors from the University of Kentucky and the University of Delaware presented some of their findings during a press conference. They were also available to talk with growers at the AGROTAIN booth and recorded a segment of the AGROTAIN educational series on RFD-TV that aired on March 7.
Dr. Greg Schwab, University of Kentucky, has been researching the performance of inhibitors in no-till corn under high loss conditions. “AGROTAIN under those high loss conditions performs just as well as the ammonium nitrate fertilizer,” he said. “This is important because a lot of our farmers historically have used ammonium nitrate but find it harder and harder to get it and it’s much higher priced.”
Dr. Greg Binford, University of Delaware, tells farmers to make sure the products they use are supported by data. “I think there’s clear data with AGROTAIN to show that it is definitely a urease inhibitor,” he said. “DCD which is a product in SuperU and AGROTAIN Plus, there’s definite data to show that it’s a nitrification inhibitor. So both are providing the mode of action that they claim they are.”
“What we’re really talking about is loss. Anytime that you have a producer putting urea fertilizer out, it’s subject to loss – upwards of 30%,” said John Hassell, AGROTAIN International’s Manager of Research and Agronomic Development. “Today, we’re seeing urea prices around $500 a ton and if you’re losing 30% of that, you’re losing $150 right off the top. So, it’s really important that we be able to provide a technology to protect urea fertilizers and that’s what AGROTAIN does.”
AGROTAIN also recently released some new data from California and Arizona that shows the effectiveness of AGROTAIN technology in controlling nitrogen (N) loss for higher yields in almonds, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, corn, cotton, lettuce, rice, tomatoes, and wheat.
Woodruff Sweitzer announces the hiring of Lisa Adams to the position of Vice President, Director of Public Relations. In this role, Adams is responsible for the management, growth and development of the Woodruff Sweitzer U.S. public relations functions and team. Adams will be based in the agency’s Kansas City office.
Adams supports the organization with 20 years of experience in strategic product and portfolio campaign management, public relations and public affairs in the agribusiness and business-to-business sectors. Prior to joining Woodruff Sweitzer, Adams was Director of Public Relations for AdFarm.
“Lisa’s experience, talent and passion for results-driven public relations supports our commitment to superior client service, continued growth and our unique promise in delivering unexpected ideas,” says Terry Woodruff, President of Woodruff Sweitzer. “We are excited to bring Lisa’s marketing and corporate communications skills to the forefront of our clients’ business and brand strategy successes. Her contributions will strengthen the equity of their brands and messages through new public relations initiatives and reputation management strategies.”
Adams holds a M.B.A. from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and a B.S. in Agricultural Communications from The University of Illinois. Prior to her position at AdFarm, Adams’ career has included public relations, advertising and corporate communications roles with Rumrill-Hoyt/Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA/Chiat Day, Bader Rutter & Associates and IMC Global.
ZimmComm New Media is proud to announce and welcome John Brown as our intern this semester.
John brings over 5 years of marketing experience as well as a healthy knowledge of 21st Century communications strategies. He comes to us from Columbia College, where he is in his final year of pursuing a degree in Business Administration with a double major in Public Relations and Advertising.
“I am excited to work with ZimmComm New Media and learn more about social media and marketing,” said John, “Chuck and Cindy are very knowledgeable and fun to work with, I couldn’t ask for a better fit.”
John has been working with us for a couple of months now, mainly on promotional activities, including the upcoming NAMA annual meeting. That is where you will get a chance to meet him as he will be at the booth with Chuck during the last hours of the trade show.
John is our first ever real intern and we are happy to be able to work with him and show him a little bit of what we do and how we do it. John is also (coincidentally!) the boyfriend of our youngest daughter Caitlin, who is also attending Columbia College and about to finish her degree in marketing.
Agricultural equipment and machinery manufacturers are implementing more advanced electronics into their products these days to help farmers become ever more efficient. That’s why “Smart Farming” will have its own special segment at Agritechnica 2011, November 15-19 in Germany.
During the 2011 Commodity Classic, I had a chance to chat with our friends Malene Conlong and Annette Reichhold with DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft – German Agricultural Society) who organize the bi-annual Agritechnica. Malene says they chose “smart farming” as the special topic to highlight during Agritechnica this year. “You guys in America actually started this off with your precision farming and this is something that we’ll be exploring in depth,” she said. “By 2050 we’ve got 9 billion people on the earth and these people have to be fed somehow and I think smart farming is one of the ways that will be possible.”
Agritechnica started in 1985 and is the world’s largest agricultural machinery and equipment exhibition, with 2300 exhibitors and 355,000 visitors. They recently partnered with the AgConnect Expo here in the United States to build up a similar show on this side of the Atlantic on the off years – even though they will technically be held in the same calendar year.
It’s Spring folks and that means it’s about time for farmers to get in the field! And just in time to help them out, Precision Laboratories has a mobile application that will be very helpful. It’s the Mix Tank App which was just recently announced. In this week’s program we’re going to learn more about it and the company.
I spoke with James Reiss, Vice President of the agricultural chemistries business and Daniel Ori, Marketing Specialist. The company is headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois and provides “specialized chemistries applied to plants, seed, soil and water to maximize resource and biological performance potential while stewarding the environment.” It was founded in 1962 and entered the ag industry in 1976.
There are several things about their new mobile application that really help set it apart and I think ultimately will make it successful. To start with, the Mix Tank app provides a service that you can’t find on the web right now and it’s one that is not only needed now but will become increasingly important as time goes on. This unique, needed service, is a really good characteristic of a good app. It seems to be rock solid in performance, at least from my short time using it on an iPod Touch. And finally, it allows you to save custom tank mixes and share them out via email, Twitter and Facebook. As you’ll hear Jim and Dan say, this app has been really well received by not only farmers but retailers and consultants who want to use it as a way to communicate their recommendations to customers!
It’s a classic farm-house icon. The rooster on top of the barn. At least that’s what I always thought they were. But my grandfather proved me wrong with this combination weather vane/lightning rod in the shape of a horse.
This one is made out of copper and scrap metal so it’s heavy. Today, they’re made of aluminum. Back then, they showed the wind direction and acted as a lightning rod; today, they only tell you which way the wind is blowing on the horse’s rear end (or rooster’s tail feathers).
Now I know it’s kind of hard to see from this picture, but either my dad or my uncle was a pretty good shot with a BB gun and got this ol’ horse right between its hind legs.
Meredith Corporation has announced the tablet launch of three of its most popular brands — Better Homes and Gardens, Parents and Fitness — on the iPad.
Here’s another blast from the past from the American Angus Association. It was produced in the late 1960′s or early 1970′s to show how and why young cattle producers could become Angus breeders. You’ll love the scenery. And guess what? You can still become an Angus breeder. Just give them a call to find out how.
Speaking of very impressive young people making an impact at National Ag Day activities let’s hear from Iowa State University student, TJ Masker. Why? Because he told me that his iPod Touch has the AgWired App installed on it! Yes, this is a pure testimonial for why you should have the app on your iPhone, Touch or iPad (Android version coming soon). TJ also did a great job introducing Ag Day speaker Jonathan Coppess too.
The National FFA isn’t the only agricultural youth education organization involved with Ag Day. I visited with several more this week starting with Jessica England, President (left) and Lauren Greaves, First Vice President, Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow. I learned that you pronounce it A-C-T to start off! This college level student organization promotes leadership with agricultural communications majors. They were attending Ag Day activities because they wanted to help make sure elected leaders in the Capitol were aware of how important the industry of agriculture is. We also talked about different activities conducted by ACT like their annual meeting that’s held in conjunction with the Ag Media Summit.
You can listen to my interview with Jessica and Lauren here: ACT Interview
Another organization represented at National Ag Day was 4-H. I spoke with Brad Copenhaver, Virginia Tech, who has been active in 4-H for many years. He says his Grandmother has been a 4-H volunteer for over 50 years! He started with 4-H when he was nine years old. He served on his state 4-H cabinet and is still involved. He was asked to be a 4-H representative at National Ag Day activities to help promote how important agricultural education is.
You can listen to my interview with Brad here: 4-H Interview
And I also spoke with Nancy Barcus, Agriculture Future of America. Nancy is the Director of Leader Development Programs. She says that AFA works with college men and women who are preparing for a career in agriculture with leadership programs that help them become more competitive. There were twenty five student members attending Ag Day activities. She says that their attendance helps them understand how policy affects agriculture.
You can listen to my interview with Nancy here: AFA Interview
One of the sponsors of Ag Day is Fastline, represented at National Ag Day activities by Matt Coniglio, pictured here with some of the attendees at Tuesday’s banquet. You might even be able to guess who they are!
This was the first year for Fastline to sponsor Ag Day. Matt says that they wanted to become more involved on a national level with the agriculture audience. I asked him what he would say to all those companies who are considering becoming sponsors (you are, aren’t you?). He says, “I would encourage anybody to become involved. This is our industry. It’s where we all have our livelihood. And it’s obviously a really important industry for our country.” He hopes that this celebration will help encourage a stronger, unified ag community.
The General Counsel for the Senate Ag Committee is Jonathan Coppess. He was one of the speakers at the National Ag Day lunch. Jonathan was introduced by FFA student, TJ Masker, Iowa State University. In his remarks Jonathan provided some background on the farm safety net and then talked about the current situation with the farm bill. As you would expect, budgets are an issue and another one is farm credit. One of his responsibilities is going to be helping write the new farm bill! He says they’re going to have less funding to work with.
You can listen to TJ introduced by Orion Samuelson, emcee, and then Jonathan’s remarks here: Jonathan Coppess Presentation
During National Ag Day activities I visited with some big time supporters who are urging other companies and organizations to get involved. I’m going to share their thoughts with you here starting with Barry Nelson, John Deere, who is serving as Secretary/Treasurer for the Agriculture Council of America (pictured center). John Deere is one of the partner sponsors of Ag Day. Barry says they’ve been having Ag Day activities in Washington, DC since 1973 and have developed a pretty good brand. He says the job of the board of ACA is to plan what they’re going to do for the next Ag Day. In addition to the events in Washington, DC they also supply materials and support for other Ag Day events around the country via the website. He also makes a point that this is one day out of the year when everyone can get together to support the industry even if their competitors.
Also serving on the board of the Agriculture Council of America is Kent Schescke, National FFA. He says that FFA has been involved for years as a sponsor and by having students participate as student advocates. They spent Monday at the 4H Center getting some preparation for visiting with legislators to talk about agriculture. He says that building good leadership skills goes hand in hand with good advocacy skills.
The newest member of the board of the Agriculture Council of America is Colin Woodall, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (pictured on the right). Colin says there are two things that really prompted NCBA to become involved as a sponsor of Ag Day. One is the ability to use Ag Day as a mechanism to reconnect with the American consumer. The second thing is getting young people involved and Ag Day spends a lot of time getting that done. He says that these things are extremely important. Like Barry and Kent, he encourages more companies and organizations to get involved.
Another board member of the Agriculture Council of America is Tamara Freund Kass, DTN/The Progressive Farmer. The company is also a partner sponsor of Ag Day. Tamara says she got nominated to the board by Barry. She says the board had a great meeting prior to the banquet and discussed how they can continue to get more people involved in Ag Day. She also makes a point of how this celebration of agriculture is an opportunity for varied industry interests to come together in a united way.
Beginning April 1, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be conducting the 12th National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.
The United Soybean Board has retooled its website to sharpen its focus on meeting the needs of the nearly 600,000 farmers who grow soybeans in the United States.
The Alliance to Feed the Future was announced during National Ag Day activities by Dave Schmidt, President, International Food Information Council. There are already 48 who have joined the Alliance. Their goal is “building understanding and promoting the benefits of modern food production, processing and technology.” The reason? “As misperceptions about modern food production and technology become increasingly common, a new alliance has formed to better articulate how our food is produced.” He made the announcement during the luncheon and you can hear his announcement here: Alliance to Feed the Future Announcement
I also interviewed Dave and asked him about his organization as well as the newly formed alliance. You can listen to my interview with Dave here: David Schmidt Interview
More about the Alliance:
Members span all sectors of the food value chain and include professional societies, commodity groups, industry and academia to coordinate via the Alliance to help multiply the effects of their individual and joint efforts to tell the true story of modern food production.
“The more consumers understand how their food is produced, the more they can appreciate the role modern agriculture plays in providing safe, affordable, and nutritious food” says Dave Schmidt, President and CEO at the International Food Information Council, who coordinates the Alliance. “The Alliance will be a clearinghouse of resources to increase consumer understanding of this role.”
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.
The board of directors of the Agricultural Relations Council (ARC) has approved creation of the first agricultural hall of fame for public relations to recognize individuals for lifetime achievement. Our friends at Agri Marketing magazine are the founding sponsor of the ARC Agricultural Public Relations Hall of Fame. The first awards will be presented next year to one or more deserving ag public relations professionals.
Alltech recently announced the restructuring of its global headquarters marketing team based in Nicholasville, Kentucky.
At the Commodity Classic earlier this month, plant science professors from the University of Kentucky and the University of Delaware presented some of their findings during a press conference. They were also available to talk with growers at the AGROTAIN booth and recorded a segment of the AGROTAIN educational series on RFD-TV that aired on March 7.
Woodruff Sweitzer announces the hiring of Lisa Adams to the position of Vice President, Director of Public Relations. In this role, Adams is responsible for the management, growth and development of the Woodruff Sweitzer U.S. public relations functions and team. Adams will be based in the agency’s Kansas City office.
ZimmComm New Media is proud to announce and welcome John Brown as our intern this semester.
Agricultural equipment and machinery manufacturers are implementing more advanced electronics into their products these days to help farmers become ever more efficient. That’s why 
It’s Spring folks and that means it’s about time for farmers to get in the field! And just in time to help them out, 
Speaking of very impressive young people making an impact at National Ag Day activities let’s hear from Iowa State University student, TJ Masker. Why? Because he told me that his iPod Touch has the 
The National FFA isn’t the only agricultural youth education organization involved with Ag Day. I visited with several more this week starting with Jessica England, President (left) and Lauren Greaves, First Vice President, 
One of the sponsors of Ag Day is 
The General Counsel for the 
During National Ag Day activities I visited with some big time supporters who are urging other companies and organizations to get involved. I’m going to share their thoughts with you here starting with Barry Nelson, 
Also serving on the board of the Agriculture Council of America is Kent Schescke, National FFA. He says that FFA has been involved for years as a sponsor and by having students participate as student advocates. They spent Monday at the 4H Center getting some preparation for visiting with legislators to talk about agriculture. He says that building good leadership skills goes hand in hand with good advocacy skills.
The newest member of the board of the Agriculture Council of America is Colin Woodall, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (pictured on the right). Colin says there are two things that really prompted NCBA to become involved as a sponsor of Ag Day. One is the ability to use Ag Day as a mechanism to reconnect with the American consumer. The second thing is getting young people involved and Ag Day spends a lot of time getting that done. He says that these things are extremely important. Like Barry and Kent, he encourages more companies and organizations to get involved.
The 
In this week's program Chuck talks with David Armano, Global Innovation and Integration.
