2012 NAMA Best of Show

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Chuck

Thanks to a little help from the NAMA staff I can share photos of the Best of Show winners from the 2012 Best of NAMA competition.

Up first is Best of Show – Advertising

Client: South Dakota Corn Growers Association, Sioux Falls, SD – Teddi Mueller

Agency: Paulsen Marketing, Sioux Falls, SD – Mindy Dale

Message: Agriculture is a growing and innovative industry that is very important to the state. It is also important in our daily lives as corn and other agricultural products are used to make many items we use in our everyday lives from fuel for our vehicles to toothpaste and toothbrushes.

Audience: Youth and school children in urban and rural areas of South Dakota.

Next up is Best of Show – Public Relations

Client: Case IH, Racine, WI – Julie Rudnick

Agency: Morgan & Myers/Equity Creative/Thomaswerks, Waukesha, WI – Ellen LaRose

Message: To showcase the Case IH Steiger, Magnum and Puma tractors which were postitioned to deliver Efficient Power – a combination of the most available power with the lowest fuel consumption.

Audience: Farm owners/operators, farm managers, used equipment purchasers and part-time farmers.

Congratulations to all the Best of NAMA award winners. You can find the complete list in the current issue of AgriMarketing Magazine.

2012 Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

NAMA 2012 Agribusiness Leader of the Year

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Chuck

The NAMA Agribusiness Leader of the Year is the organization’s highest award. Receiving the 2012 award is John Becherer, United Soybean Board. Here’s John (right) on stage at the 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference receiving his award from Rich Jefferson, AEM/AG CONNECT Expo, Professional Recognition Committee Chair (left) and NAMA President Beth Burgy, Broadhead. John was introduced by Rich and I recorded the remarks we heard from them for you.

You can listen to John’s remarks after receiving his award here: John Becherer Award Remarks

2012 Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

National Ag Hall of Fame Season

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Chuck

ZimmCast 346 It’s actually called the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame which was “chartered by Congress to honor the American farmer.” According to NACHOF Executive Director, Cathi Hahner, their season kicks off on April 19.

“As spring approaches, we are ready for the new season of sharing about the importance of agriculture in daily life,” said Cathi Hahner, NACHOF director. “We invite everyone to learn more about where food comes from and experience our one-of-a-kind features such as historic machinery, farming related exhibits or exploring FarmTown USA.”

I spoke with Cathi about the 2012 season which she says offers, “a full line-up of events with seasonal favorites like spring Barnyard Babies for families and children, as well as the fall Linemans’ Rodeo featuring worldwide electric workers.”

Thousands of people visit the Center which sits on a 164 acre site next to Legends Outlet Mall and Kansas Speedway in Bonner Spring, Kan. The Center relies on dues, donations, facility rental and visitor fees since it doesn’t receive any state or federal money.

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: 2012 National Ag Hall of Fame Season

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsors, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong and Monsanto, for their support.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our Subscribe page.

Meet America’s Farmers

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Chuck

You can meet a lot of America’s farmers right here on AgWired if you follow along regularly. But if you’d like to meet a whole lot of them very quickly then you might want to look at the the new YouTube Channel from the Center for Food Inegrity called “Meet America’s Farmers.”

The channel was developed to offer consumers the opportunity to observe the commitment of today’s farmers to raising safe, healthy and affordable food.

Now, individual farmers and farm organizations are invited to create their own videos for the channel, using a shared values approach to connect with consumers. The goal is to create a variety of videos featuring America’s farmers, allowing them to share their stories and “open their farms” to consumers who are interested in better understanding how their food is raised.

CFI research indicates early adopting consumers want more information about how food is grown on the farm. Consumers who participated in the research specified videos hosted by farmers would be highly useful and help build their confidence and trust in today’s farming. Creating this new channel greatly expands the number of consumers exposed to the farm through such videos. The 146 videos currently on the channel feature 79 different farmers from 12 states and 16 commodity groups and were shot and produced for use during Farmers Feed US programs over the past three years.

CFI has also written guidelines to provide farmers with criteria for developing their own videos, which can be found on CFI’s Farmer Resource Center (www.cfiengage.com). CFI will also furnish Flip cameras and support to individual farmers interested in shooting their own videos.

Those interested in more information about how they can contribute to the “Meet America’s Farmers” YouTube channel can contact Mark Crouser at Mark.Crouser@foodintegrity.org.

I picked out one of the videos on the channel that features our good friend, Andrew McCrea. Here’s what he says about farming.

The best thing about being a farmer: Being around family, bringing kids with you in the combine or tractor and giving them rides on the horse, and living in the country. It’s hard work, but a good living.

So what do you think about this effort?

Connecting Farmer2Family

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Chuck

What do you think about this concept to connect consumers directly to their local farmers in order to make direct purchases. It’s called Farmer2Family and has been started in nine European countries.

Everyone can now enjoy local and fresh produce, from their local suppliers, every day of every year.

Some 4.5 million farmers, fruit- and vegetable-growers, fishermen and the like in 9 European countries (Great Britain, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland) will be able to offer their fresh and local products directly to their customers in their village via the “farmer2family” platform.

Every farmer, vegetable and fruit growers, fisherman, hunter, all directly involved with fresh produce and registered as such, can now log on free of charge into the platform “farmer2family”. On their local page they can then offer their products to their local customers. Every supply-advert for fruit, vegetables, fish, fresh and transformed meat products …… will remain online for 7 days, but can be renewed at will. Local customers can read and react to these, but they can also demand specific products as and when they like. “The whole platform is as an open market where supply meets demand for fresh and diverse produce. It is a very local service where farmers directly meet with their customers” as explains Luc Adriaenssen, initiator of the project.

The service as proposed on the “farmer2family” platform is and will remain completely free of charge for farmers and consumers. “No commission, no intermediaries, no interference whatsoever” as confirms Luc Adriaenssen.

A few paying publicity spaces will be incorporated on each local page (also free of charge for the first year), for local shops, restaurants, sports- and cultural activities, B&B and so on.

Domestic Wine and Sweet Tea Vodka

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Chuck

ZimmCast 345 Just wanting to get back to the land was a desire that led Ann and Jim Irvin to a piece of property near Charleston, SC that is now home to Irvin~House Vineyard and the Firefly Distillery. This was one of the tour stops for the Agricultural Relations Council annual meeting crew. We spent several enjoyable hours there doing some wine tasting as well as sampling some Firefly.

I visited with Ann Irvin to learn how they got this beautiful place started. Ann says she grew up on a farm and wanted to get back to that lifestyle. At first they were just interested in having a place to go and have a garden. But they found a larger piece of property and after a drive through central Florida where they stopped at a winery they got the idea to start their own winery. They grow their own grapes and have learned along the way.

Irvin~House Vineyards is the only domestic winery in Charleston, SC. We grow the grapes, harvest them, make the wine, and bottle our wines on the property.

There is nothing quite like a stroll through our vineyards and the surrounding property. A large pond stocked with fish. Walking trails. Abundant birds and wildlife scampering about. Old oak trees with Spanish Moss shading the property. This is the true character of South Carolina’s Lowcountry hertitage.

Even the grapes we grow have Southern roots. Our wines are hand-crafted from the humble muscadine grape . This sweet grape with a fruity aroma grows practically everywhere in the South. People tell us how the taste of muscadines transport them back to their childhood.

In addition to the winery, the Irvins also work with a local tea plantation to make the first ever hand-crafted sweet tea flavored vodka called Firefly.

The Firefly Distillery is located on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, 30 miles south of Charleston. We don’t have the bright lights of the big cities. The pace is a little slower down here. We have plantations, hundred-year-old oak trees and dirt roads. Everyone is your neighbor and folks enjoy relaxing on the front porch swing, on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It’s where you can hear the crickets chirping at night and you can still see the fireflies light up the sky. It was this wonderful environment and the special ingredients found right in our own backyard that inspired us to created handcrafted vodkas unlike those made anywhere else.

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: The Irvin~House Vineyard

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsor, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong, for their support.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our Subscribe page.

Donating Eggs for Easter Again

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Chuck

I wonder how long it would take to crack 10 million fresh eggs. A long time for one person that’s for sure. That’s how many eggs that are being donated again this year by America’s egg farmers. The Easter bunny is getting a helping hand from United Egg Producers. The eggs are being donated to Feeding America’s 78 food banks in 40 states.

This is the 5th year of the program. The total is now almost 5 million dozen eggs donated! We’re going to do our part this weekend to support America’s egg farmers in our household. Colored eggs or not, we love eggs!

“If you’ve ever met an egg farmer, you know just how incredibly generous and giving these men and women are,” said Gene Gregory, president of United Egg Producers. “All year long, but especially at Easter, they proudly do what they can to support the communities in which they live and work.”

For food banks across America, high quality sources of protein, such as eggs, are especially needed and valued. According to the USDA, one large egg delivers six grams of protein, along with 13 essential nutrients, including choline, folate, iron and zinc. After a review of the nutrient composition of standard large eggs last year, USDA concluded that the average amount of cholesterol was 14 percent lower, and vitamin D content was 64 percent higher, than previously measured.

“It’s no longer just unemployed people who seek out help from their local food banks,” explained Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. “More than ever, we’re working with people who just can’t make ends meet and need help feeding themselves and their families.”

Protect The Harvest Video

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Chuck

Are you familiar with Protect the Harvest? Just received a press release from them about the video below. I sure understand their message but wish there was more information on who they are.

“Protect The Harvest” released a controversial web video entitled “The Humane Society’s Rotten Eggs,” adding its voice to the growing outcry against the attempts by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to enact dangerous new federal restrictions on egg farmers.

“Enough is enough,” declared Erik Helland, a Protect The Harvest board member. “It’s clear that HSUS cares less about protecting chickens from inhumane treatment and more about making it impossible to produce eggs or raise poultry in America. If Americans aren’t careful, HSUS will succeed in pricing eggs out of the market for most U.S. families while putting countless farmers out of business.”

The two minute animated video details the continuing efforts by HSUS to control America’s egg farmers that began with California’s Proposition 2 campaign in 2008 and have now reached Congress with H.R. 3798. The video explores the impact these proposals by HSUS will have on the economy and the food supply.

Third Anniversary AgChat

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Chuck

AgChat celebrated its third anniversary with last night’s session. I didn’t make it all the way through but it was going strong when I had to drop out. Hopefully you’ve been able to participate sometime. Judging by all the tweets things are still going strong. I am constantly amazed by the diversity of tweeters both by occupation and location. Here’s the list of questions from last night. The topic was “what’s need in SM for ag.” Our moderator was @CowArtAndMore.

Q1 via @mm98273 @TerraFresh What app or tool [as a farmer or rancher] do you find most useful for your daily operations (inc. SM)?
Q2 via @TruffleMedia Over last 3 yrs new SM channels added. Others updated. How do you feel on change?
Q3 via @cowartandmore How does Pinterest and other ‘picture type’ sites fit into a social media strategy?
Q4 via @OwyheeProduce Has the agriculture community learned how to correctly become social in terms of social media?
Q5 via @TruffleMedia Producer or Farmer? Profit or Earn A Living? What words do you use?
Q6 via @OwyheeProduce What type of content do you find most engaging in terms of agriculture through social media?
Q7 via @carabecca What are some of the ways agvocates are reaching their non-ag audience – hashtags, etc?
Q8 via @TerraFresh What has been your biggest challenge when using social media in terms of agriculture?
Q9 via @OwyheeProduce What are your goals to the non-agriculture community through the use of social media?
Q10 via @LaurenMSea @Mouseinmypocket How do we improve relating to the general public instead of other farmers?
Q11 Ok folks, what’s your one executable idea from this evening’s convo?

FeatherFest 3 a Resounding Success

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Chuck

FeatherFest 3 was a “resounding success” according to the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. The event was held in conjunction with the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau during the International Poultry Expo and International Feed Expo week in Atlanta from January 23-27, 2012.

The competition included more than 60 restaurants creating the best poultry appetizers and entrees. Restaurants competed for the title of “Best Of” in three categories. IPE/IFE convention attendees and Atlanta food connoisseurs visited participating restaurants and cast their votes for the “Best Of” poultry inspired dishes.

The results have been calculated, and two restaurants were recognized for their culinary efforts in the three categories. They are as follows:

· Most Popular Entrée: Stuffed Chicken Breast – Ruth’s Chris Steak House
· Highest Rated Entrée: Free-Range Statler Chicken, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Haricot Vert, and Garlic Herb Sauce – Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse
· Highest Rated Appetizer: Chicken Parmesan Spring Rolls with Marinara Sauce – Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse

In the top picture you can see (Left to right) Nancy Oswald, Ruth’s Chris Steak House Owner, Charlie Olentine, executive vice president of USPOULTRY; and Stephanie I. Tobben, public relations & marketing manager for Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

In the bottom photo you can see (Left to right) Amy Howard, Davio’s sales manager; Paul Dunn, Davio’s assistant general manager; Charlie Olentine, executive vice president of USPOULTRY; and Ellie Westman Chin, vice president of membership, corporate events & visitor services, ACVB.

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau thank all of the restaurants who participated and congratulate the 2012 FeatherFest® winners!

CUTC Website Updated

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Chuck

If you’re interested in the latest in corn technology then check out the updated Corn Utilization and Technology Conference website. The National Corn Growers Association says their is now more information on the poster session, session topics and many other areas of interest.

With a theme of “Back to the Grind,” CUTC will feature the cutting-edge technologies and new uses that continually improve and dynamically change the corn industry. By visiting the website today, potential attendees can explore this theme and make reservations at a discounted rate.

“The updated website makes learning about CUTC and registering even easier,” said NCGA Research and Business Development Action Team Chair DeVonna Zeug. “With new sessions on mycotoxin, exciting advances in technology and all of the newly added information, CUTC presents a broad range of topics to explore, so register today! It is simple, fast and, until Friday, offered at significant savings.”

A Wall of Wine to the Winner

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Chuck

Here’s some incentive to support the National Agri-Marketing Association’s Agribusiness Educational Foundation. How about a chance to win a wall of wine! I’ll be donating a nice chianti to the wall btw.

Join the ABEF Century Club and Get Entered to Win a Wall of Wine

The ABEF Century Club provides us, as individuals, the opportunity to contribute to this worthwhile cause. Membership in the Century Club is on an annual basis and members will be recognized on the Century Club sign in the Silent Auction area and in other conference materials. The annual membership contribution is $100.

New this year! Renew your century club membership before or during conference and be entered in a drawing to win a “Wall of Wine.” This special collection of wine was donated by members of the NAMA Executive Committee and the ABEF Operating Committee. Up to 20 bottles!

Please go to the following URL to renew your membership in the ABEF Century Club. Visit http://www.nama.org/abef/centuryclub/signup.htm.

2012 Agvocacy 2.0 Conference Announced

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Chuck

The third annual AgChat Foundation Agvocacy 2.0 event is scheduled for August 23-34 in Kansas City, MO. This is where farmers and ranchers from across the nation will convene to learn how to better support agriculture and engage with non-farm consumers. Will you be there?

Agvocacy 2.0 is hosted by the AgChat Foundation, a primarily volunteer organization that aims to empower farmers and ranchers to “agvocate” by connecting consumers with accurate information about farming and food production using social media.

“Agvocacy 2.0 is all about giving farmers and ranchers tools they need to share their stories and the story of agriculture with consumers through tools like Facebook, Twitter and blogs,” says AgChat Foundation Executive Director Emily Zweber. “Only 2 percent of people in the United States are farmers, meaning 98 percent of our population is not actively involved in food production. This leaves a huge gap between the farm and the dinner plate. Farmers have the ability to fill this gap by sharing information about their farm and production methods.”

The two-day event will explore how to effectively share agriculture’s message through:
• Twitter Community Building
• Facebook Profiles, Pages and Groups
• High-Impact Video
• Blog Basics and Beyond
• Real-World Case Studies

For farmers interested in participating, applications will be available online in May at www.agchat.org. The event will be held at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Kansas City.

AgChat will celebrate the third anniversary of #AgChat weekly conversations and the second anniversary of the AgChat Foundation the week of April 2 − 8.

AgChat Foundation Photo Contest Winner

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Chuck

The AgChat Foundation just announced the winner of their Facebook Cover Photo Contest.

Congratulations to Judi Graff for having the top pick and winning $100.00. Her photo titled “Posts Smell Tweet” earned the honor of being AgChat Foundation’s first ever cover photo! Go check it out on our Facebook page now.

Communicating The Illinois Farm Family Message

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Chuck

One of the members of our first panel discussion at the 2012 Agricultural Relations Council annual meeting is Carla Mudd, Illinois Farm Bureau. She is Manager of Consumer Communication with the task of educating non-farm folks about Illinois family farmers. One of the ways she’s doing that is through Illinois Farm Families, a coalition of several Illinois farm groups.

Carla says that two very successful parts of this program are Field Moms and a Mom’s Meetup. In both of these there is a real interaction with moms who have not grown up on the farm and are willing to learn more and share their experiences which might include visiting a farm.

Listen to my interview with Carla here: Interview with Carla Mudd

2012 ARC Annual Meeting Photo Album

Previewing ARC Annual Meeting

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Chuck

ZimmCast 342 The 2012 Annual Meeting of the Agricultural Relations Council takes place this week in Charleston, SC. I’ll be on site starting Wednesday afternoon and will bring you all the sights and sounds that I can.

To get a preview of this year’s ARC annual meeting agenda I spoke with ARC President, Mace Thornton, AFBF. Mace says more people are attending this year which marks the third year of growth for the revitalization effort that’s underway to grow ARC into the organization that it once was. The Golden ARC Awards program is also larger with more entries this year too. Mace also points to a new element of the program – the inaugural inductees to the new Agricultural Public Relations Hall of Fame. We’ll be honoring Lyle Orwig, Charleston Orwig and Don Lerch, an ARC founder. Find out more about the program in this week’s program. If you think you still want to attend it’s not too late if you get your registration done now. If you can’t make it then check AgWired or you can also follow the conference hashtag on Twitter – ~~#ARC12~~.

Post Update: The official Twitter hashtag for the ARC Annual Meeting is now: #AgRC

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: Preview of ARC Annual Meeting

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsor, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong, for their support.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our Subscribe page.

Outstanding Young Farmers Attend Ag Day Activities

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Chuck

During National Agriculture Day activities we heard from 2011 National Outstanding Young Farmer Chad Budy and his wife Danielle from Oklahoma. They were introduced during our Meet & Mingle lunch. Chad and Danielle were introduced by Orion Samuelson.

Both Chad and Danielle come from families with five generations in farming. They have a diversified farm of row crop and livestock. You’ll hear why they’re considered outstanding in their remarks.

Listen to remarks from our Outstanding Young Farmers here: Remarks from Outstanding Young Farmers

2012 National Agriculture Day Activities Photo Album

Coverage of the 2012 National AgDay Activities is sponsored by the American Seed Trade Association

Important Issues to Sorghum Producers

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Chuck

During Commodity Classic I got to visit with Terry Swanson, Chairman, National Sorghum Producers. I asked him what his message is to not only sorghum producers but all the farmers belonging to the four commodity groups at Classic and he says, “We have to be unified.” He says that altogether they’re still a small group of people that need to speak with one voice.

Terry farms in Colorado which he calls the “epicenter of the dust bowl.” This means that a safety net and crop insurance are critical for them. Conservation is also an important issue for him. He says that NSP is looking at ways that the sorghum crop can play a role in water conservation. He also says that a third of the sorghum crop is used to make ethanol, a third to livestock feed and a third is exported. Biofuels and issues surrounding them like the RFS are very important to sorghum producers. He says the RFS creates markets and that’s important to producers.

Listen to my interview with Terry here: Interview with Terry Swanson

2012 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Coverage of the 2012 Commodity Classic Show is sponsored by BASF and New Holland

Get Registered For 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Chuck

You will find Acres of Innovation at the 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference. Let’s start with the featured speakers. Get registered now if you haven’t done so yet.

How do you turn good ideas into action that influences customer behavior and accelerates the buying process? How do you grab market share and stay relevant to your clients and customers for years to come? What are the simple tools you need to rebound from setbacks stronger than ever? Join NAMA for the 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference and get the answers to these pressing questions and more!

This year’s keynote speakers are going to flip your thinking and challenge you to ask yourself the tough questions that will set you apart from the pack. Learn to identify and amplify your unique strengths to focus, stay on track and deliver remarkable results.

Opening General Session – Peter Sheahan – Making It Happen: How to Turn Good Ideas Into Great Results

Second General Session – Ross Shafer – Are You Still Relevant?

Closing General Session – Walter Bond – No One Can Stop You, but YOU

Listen to Peter Sheahan give you a preview of what you’ll find. You might want to be there just to hear his accent!