This is one of my favorite photos from yesterday at the 2011 World Dairy Expo. Yes, it’s the men’s bathroom. I had to wait until it was empty to snap a shot.
World Dairy Expo and the sponsors and exhibitors waste no space to get a message out there. In the bathroom we had advertising across the top of the mirrors and as you can see in their reflection, also above the urinals. I just couldn’t resist. It made for an interesting picture.
You can see a full size version in the photo album if you want to read the message.
The U.S. Army pointed me to this great story about our soldiers in Afghanistan doing agribusiness duty. The photo comes from Staff Sgt. James McDonnough. In it Sgt. 1st Class Randy Wright, a pest management specialist with the Illinois Army National Guard’s 1-14th Agribusiness Development Team, takes the reigns on a team of draft horses during a visit to an Amish farm Sept. 13, 2011. The 1-14th ADT visited multiple farms in the Amish community to assess agricultural practices and technologies, which could be implemented during their upcoming deployment to Kunar Province, Afghanistan.
Approximately 60 Soldiers from across Illinois, as well as two Soldiers from Michigan and South Dakota respectivley, have been deployed to Kunar province since June with the Illinois Army National Guard’s 1-14th Agribusiness Development Team.
The 1-14th Agribusiness Development Team, or ADT, which consists of a headquarters element, a security force platoon and a platoon of 12 agriculture experts, have been assisting the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, or GIRoA, in revitalizing and establishing a strong, growing and sustainable agriculture industry.
The Illinois team’s mission is part of a broad effort that involves multiple National Guard ADTs from several states, each operating within its own province. The teams typically come from mid-western states, such as Missouri, Nebraska, Indiana and Iowa, which are known for agriculture production.
Col. Fred Allen, commander of the 1-14th ADT, said it makes sense for Illinois to field such a specialized team.
“Illinois was a great choice for a few reasons,” said Allen. “We are one of the largest agriculture states in the U.S., both by population and production. This is also represented within our National Guard formations and the many citizen Soldiers who work full time in the agriculture industry. Illinois also has some of the top agriculture colleges in the nation, at both community college and university levels. It was amazing how many Soldiers we found in our ranks that had, or were working toward, agriculture degrees.”
The Illinois Soldiers have educations and backgrounds in agronomy, plant and soil science, forestry, engineering, pest management, zoology and hydrology.
The green movement rhetoric seems to have ramped up lately. I guess a lot of people are watching too many end of the world movies? Whatever the reason is, it prompted our latest ZimmPoll question, “Do you think the world population will be 10 billion by 2050?” This prediction is being used by all kinds of organizations for all kinds of purposes. But how accurate is it? Here’s what you think. 40% said Exactly or really close; 24% said How can anyone know; 19% said Much more and 17% said Much Less. A lot of people point to a United Nations report for this number. However, they readily admit that no one can know. Here’s an excerpt from the 2004 report that says it pretty clearly. You can find the latest report with revisions here (pdf).
Projections recently issued by the United Nations suggest that world population by 2050 could reach 8.9 billion, but in alternative scenarios could be as high as 10.6 billion or as low as 7.4 billion. What will population trends be like beyond 2050? No one really knows. Any demographic projections, if they go 100, 200, or 300 years into the future, are little more than guesses. Societies change considerably over hundreds of years—as one can readily see if one looks back at where the world was in 1900, or 1800, or 1700. Demographic behaviour over such long time spans, like behaviour in many spheres of life, is largely unpredictable.
Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “How do you feel about the corn supply/demand status?” It has been a tough weather year in some areas of the corn belt. After listening to an NPR show yesterday that featured as a guest Bob Dinneen, Renewable Fuels Association, it was obvious there is a lot of worry and misinformation about our corn supply in the public and on the part of activist environmental groups. What do you think? Take our poll and feel free to comment. Thank you.
Diamond V unveiled a new corporate brand strategy that supports the unique Diamond V portfolio of trusted products and services: “The Trusted Experts in Nutrition & Health”.
CropLife America honored Col. Ed Duskin, executive vice president of the Southern Crop Production Association, with its Lea S. Hitchner Service Award for his nearly 40 years of exceptional leadership in agriculture.
A new online service called TabVertiser.com is providing businesses with a way to easily buy and sell advertisements on Facebook, the popular social networking site, with just a few simple steps.
ZimmComm loves beef. That’s why we are a sponsor of the National Beef Ambassador program. This past weekend I was a judge for the competition although I had to do it from ZimmComm World Headquarters and not in Wooster, OH. It was very interesting seeing how the contestants responded to an anti-beef blog post. That was one of the things that they were graded on as part of the competition.
To get a full wrap-up report on how the competition went I spoke this morning with Sarah Bohnenkamp, project coordinator. Sarah provides an overview of the purpose of the program and describes the group of contestants and the different types of activities they participated in. You can see a photo of the new team with a list of their names here. We’ll get to see the new team at the Cattle Industry Convention, the first of many events they’ll attend in 2012.
The ZimmComm team is on site at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. This is the 7th year we have been here at WDX, but the first time the two of us have been here together. We were both here one year but switched off, so not together, and I have been here by myself or with daughter Carly for the past four years. It’s always nice when we get to be somewhere together!
Our great photographer friend Harlan Persinger took this shot for us this morning. The sweet heifer who posed with us is a Guernsey who goes by the name of Safari, owned by Krista Richardson of Ohio. Thanks to Harlan, Krista and Safari!
Photos are being uploaded, the weather is great, and we are enjoying seeing the usual suspects here in the media room. Thanks to our coverage sponsors this year, listed below.
The National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) has a new Director of Marketing and Communications who is no stranger to agriculture. She’s Becki Rhoades. Welcome Becki.
NAFB Executive Director Tom Brand says Rhoades’ extensive experience in marketing, working with clients across the nation, wealth of experience in communications, background in agriculture and working knowledge of farm broadcasting will be beneficial as the association continues to promote farm broadcasting as a key part of communicating with producers.
“Becki has worked for over ten years with the Kansas Department of Commerce coordinating marketing activities. She specialized in working with businesses to promote their products and services. I know those she interacts with on the job will instantly be able to see the enthusiasm she has for agriculture,” said Brand. “She understands first-hand the importance of farm broadcasting and has a passion for working with people and helping them make sound decisions. She is an ideal fit for our NAFB members.”
After college, she was a communications manager at the National FFA Headquarters in Indianapolis, where she managed the news desk at the National FFA Convention. She then moved to Topeka to work for the Kansas Livestock Association as assistant editor for the Kansas Stockman Magazine and the KLA Newsletter.
After more than four years in limbo, trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama have finally been sent to Congress by the White House and could be voted on by next week.
“The series of trade agreements I am submitting to Congress today will make it easier for American companies to sell their products in South Korea, Colombia, and Panama and provide a major boost to our exports,” President Obama said in a statement.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said completing the agreements “will level the playing field and secure markets for America’s farmers, ranchers, growers and producers ahead of competitors in the global marketplace.”
Once the agreements were turned loose by the president, agricultural organizations immediately began calling on Congress to end the wait and pass them. “America’s farmers and ranchers have much at stake and the fact these three agreements are moving forward is very good news for our economy,” said American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman. “Combined, the three FTAs represent nearly $2.5 billion in new agriculture exports and would create the economic growth that could generate support for up to 22,500 U.S. jobs. These gains will only be realized if the three agreements are passed by Congress and implemented.”
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Bill Donald welcomed the news but cautioned that the agreements are far from implemented.
“Today marks the biggest leap forward we have seen in nearly five years when the trade pact with Colombia was signed,” said Donald. “Our entire country, especially rural America, is nearing a historic moment.”
Donald said cattlemen “will not rest easy until the agreements are fully implemented.”
Plan to attend the Livestock Publications Council Royal Gala Fundraiser on October 28. The event will be held from 7-11pm at the American Royal Headquarters in Kansas City, MO. On the menu are cocktails and hors d’oeuvres food stations featuring Certified Hereford Beef® and Smoked Currie Ham.
The program includes the unveiling of the 2011 Hall of Honor inductees: Dr. Glenn Grimes, Professor Emeritus, University of Missouri – Headliner and A.J. Smith, Lone Wolf, Oklahoma – Hall of Fame, as well as the announcement of the 2012 Hall of Honor Inductees, Silent Auction and Dancing! Recommended Attire:
Girls – Dress your best ‘BLING’ outfit accompanied with fancy boots and belts
Guys – Cowboy hats, boots and starched jeans
Limited seating available – Please send your donation ($50/person) by October 17, 2011
Send your reservation to: Megan Crudup, A Royal Gala, 304 W. 8th St., Kansas City, MO 6410
he funds raised during the annual Royal Gala are used for the ongoing improvement of the LPC Heritage Center at the American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri. This is the eighth year for the Gala.
John Weber (Minnesota), Kim Rounds (California), Arika Snyder (Pennsylvania), Rossie Blinson (North Carolina), and Emily Jack (Texas) were chosen as the 2012 National Beef Ambassador Team at the annual competition, funded in part by the beef checkoff, held Sept. 30 – Oct. 2 at the Shisler Conference Center and Hilton Garden Inn in Wooster, Ohio. Eighteen senior contestants, ages 17-20, were judged in the areas of consumer promotion, classroom presentation, media interview technique and issues response.
Contestants from throughout the country vied for a place on this elite team of agriculture advocates and $5,000 in cash prizes sponsored exclusively by Farm Credit. Additionally five educational scholarships totaling $5,000 were given by the American National CattleWomen Foundation, Inc. For the past several years, one Beef Ambassador has also been chosen for a prestigious USDA internship in Washington DC.
This year’s contest also hosted a junior competition for youth beef industry advocates ages 12-16. 11 passionate contestants vied for cash prizes, competing in two judged categories: Media Interview and Consumer Demonstration. The first place winner was Austin Gaspard (Louisiana), the second place winner was Abigail Grisedale (California), and the third place winner was Rachel Purdy (Wyoming). They all took home checks sponsored exclusively by Farm Credit for their top scores.
Professor Jenks Britt, D.V.M., D.A.B.V.P. from Western Kentucky University Department of Agriculture, received the Mentor of the Year Award from the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and Merck Animal Health.
Osborn & Barr has expanded its team of communication professionals to include seven individuals who will support the agency’s growth in account service, public relations, media, production and network administration.
The Alltech Global 500, to be held in Lexington, KY Dec. 6-8 will offer dairy and beef producers insight into critical agricultural issues including sustainability and new technology.
My neighbors up the road, that is. Since my family planted soybeans across the highway this year, I had to go to the adjacent field to cut down some corn for my outside decorations. I hope they don’t mind. It was only about 8 stalks. And I picked ones that had fewer ears so the squirrels weren’t climbing our overhang all day trying to eat the corn off.
I think this is something I take for granted – the fact that “decorations” are just across the road whereas city folk have to buy dried corn cobs at Hobby Lobby.
Think about all of nature’s resources in our back yard that make for great decorations: leaves, pinecones, corn stalks, pumpkins (if you grew them in your garden this year).
Corn is about $6.50 per bushel. There are roughly 50 ears of corn per bushel. I have maybe 10 ears on my stalks outside, so maybe I’ll pony up the $1.30 I owe my neighbors. Or maybe I’ll call it an even trade for taking Black Kitty off their hands.
(And by the way, I asked my neighbor for permission when I saw him in church on Sunday.)
John Deere officially opened a sparkling new LEED-certified sales and marketing center in Olathe, Kansas on Friday with the help of employees, government officials, and other special guests.
“This 126,000 square foot facility has been laid out to enhance the work environment for employees and has the most up-to-date technology so we can communicate and train work groups around the world,” said John Lagemann, Vice President, John Deere Ag & Turf Division.
Dave Everitt, president of the Ag & Turf Division, thanked John Deere employees and dealers for the record breaking performance of the company in the third quarter of this year. “All of our efforts are aimed at rapidly moving in a new global arena to help our customers feed and fuel the world,” he said. “We are investing nearly $3 million a day to get that job done.”
Attending the grand opening ceremony to help John Deere celebrate this additional investment in the Kansas economy were U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), Governor Sam Brownback and freshman Congressman Kevin Yoder (R-KS).
One of the highlights of the ceremony was the unveiling of the new building’s crowning centerpiece that stands at the main entrance – one of the original John Deere deer statues that were first made some time around the early 1900s. Regional controller Mike Snyder explained that an unknown number of the statues were commissioned by the son of John Deere in 1893 to be made by the W.H. Mullins Company of Salem, Ohio. “The statue is made out of hand stamped copper sheets, riveted and welded together and mounted on a steel frame,” he said, noting that Charles Deere saw the statue at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago and liked it so much he decided he wanted enough of them to be placed at every John Deere branch office and factory in the country. “Over the years, the importance faded and some were lost but recently company CEO Hans Becherer began a program to find and restore as many of them as possible.” The statue at the Olathe office is one of only 14 the company currently has.
Here is the audio from the opening ceremony, which includes remarks from Barry Nelson, Lagemann, Everitt, Snyder, the congressman, senator and governor. It’s only about 30 minutes long and there’s some pretty good stuff here our farm media friends might like to use: Opening of new John Deere Olathe Facility
See a video of the statue unveiling and ribbon cutting below:
This week the ZimmComm team goes dairy as in World Dairy Expo. Most of our coverage will be found on World Dairy Diary starting on Tuesday.
You can find the daily schedule here. You can also follow what’s going on at Expo with the official Twitter hashtag, #WDE11. Use that in your tweets so we can see what you’ve got to say.
Dairy industry enthusiasts will soon be traveling from faraway places to the Alliant Energy Center in Madison October 4 through October 8 to take a virtual trip “Around the World of Dairy in 5 Days”. World Dairy Expo, the destination, is expecting over 65,000 producers and industry professionals to converge from 90 countries for the five-day dairy celebration.
More than 2,500 head of North America’s most beautiful bovines from 37 states and 7 Canadian provinces will parade across the colored shavings within the themed Showring where official judges with a keen eye for cattle will select the champions. Each animal brings along a traveling caravan of professional fitters to make sure that their stay in Madison is clean, comfortable and relaxing.
We’d like to thank the companies listed below for their sponsorship of our coverage of this year’s show. Without them it wouldn’t be possible.
The National Beef Ambassador Program (NBAP) competition is taking place this weekend. Sure wish I was in Wooster, OH! But I’m judging remotely and really enjoying the tweets and pics I’ve seen.
Here’s one courtesy of Sarah Bohnenkamp, Program Manager. NCBA President, Bill Donald, is interacting with a NBAP contestant during the consumer portion of the event.
Monsanto Company announced it has acquired Beeologics, which researches and develops biological tools to provide targeted control of pests and diseases.
Syngenta consolidates U.S. Communications with Martin Williams Advertising, Gibbs & Soell.
FFA New Horizons relaunched in September to rave reviews from the magazine’s sponsor, the National FFA Organization, and its more than 500,000 members.
Osborn & Barr has added Lisa Bocklage as account supervisor to its team of marketing and communication specialists
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.
This is one of my favorite photos from yesterday at the 2011 World Dairy Expo. Yes, it’s the men’s bathroom. I had to wait until it was empty to snap a shot.
ZimmPoll is sponsored by 
ZimmComm loves beef. That’s why we are a sponsor of the 
The ZimmComm team is on site at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. This is the 7th year we have been here at WDX, but the first time the two of us have been here together. We were both here one year but switched off, so not together, and I have been here by myself or with daughter Carly for the past four years. It’s always nice when we get to be somewhere together!
“The series of trade agreements I am submitting to Congress today will make it easier for American companies to sell their products in South Korea, Colombia, and Panama and provide a major boost to our exports,” President Obama said in a statement. 
One of the highlights of the ceremony was the unveiling of the new building’s crowning centerpiece that stands at the main entrance – one of the original John Deere deer statues that were first made some time around the early 1900s. Regional controller Mike Snyder explained that an unknown number of the statues were commissioned by the son of John Deere in 1893 to be made by the W.H. Mullins Company of Salem, Ohio. “The statue is made out of hand stamped copper sheets, riveted and welded together and mounted on a steel frame,” he said, noting that Charles Deere saw the statue at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago and liked it so much he decided he wanted enough of them to be placed at every John Deere branch office and factory in the country. “Over the years, the importance faded and some were lost but recently company CEO Hans Becherer began a program to find and restore as many of them as possible.” The statue at the Olathe office is one of only 14 the company currently has. 
In this week's program Chuck talks with David Armano, Global Innovation and Integration.
