Meet Marcus Spotts, iPod Owner

Chuck Zimmerman

Marcus and His iPodThe kind folks I met with this afternoon to talk about podcasting and how to apply it to their business and customers let me stay online for a few minutes after we got done. So I’m proud to introduce you to Marcus Spotts, Nora Springs, IA who won the New Holland “Down on the Farm” Classic iPod Keepsake Contest. I know we could have come up with a longer name for it if we had tried.

Agribusiness, Commodity Classic

Press Conference Headline

Chuck Zimmerman

RIck ChambleeAt the Commodity Classic last week BASF held a press conference to talk about Headline fungicide. One of the presenters was Rick Chamblee, Technical Services Manager. I think the primary message he had to provide for us media types to communicate to growers was the recommendations BASF makes for using the product on corn and soybeans.

Agribusiness, Audio, Commodity Classic

Hard At Work Ag Journalists of Tomorrow

Chuck Zimmerman

Commodity Classic 42Here’s two of the hardest working ag journalists at Commodity Classic. What do you think of student bloggers Margy and Mary? Really. I’d love your feedback. These young women posted even more than I asked for. For all I know they may still have more to say. They still have a login.

Commodity Classic

Good Bye and Good Beach

Chuck Zimmerman

Yesterday afternoon Tami, Rodney, and I all went to the beach. We were heading toward Venice Beach but we ended up first at Santa Monica Beach. It was beautiful! There was a pier with a Ferris Wheel and a Roller Coaster.

Commodity Classic

There is Nothing Like Being an Ag Journalist

Chuck Zimmerman

Ag Journalism – what is that? Well, my five-second explanation is it’s journalism with a focus on agriculture, the food system, and the life sciences.

The biggest appeal for me in Ag Journalism is the variety of issues impacting this industry.

Although I spent the last few days in Anaheim, California at the Commodity Classic with the focus of discussions on the corn, soybean and wheat industries, there are numerous topics impacted by these commodities. For example, the Secretary of Agriculture’s speech yesterday included comments about CAFTA, the Doha Round, river navigation, trade with China, the Farm Bill, soybean rust and biofuels.

Agriculture is united in the interest in technology, productivity, markets, and rural development. No matter where farmers are meeting, or where news is announced, the implications are global because of their breadth of influence.

Now who wouldn’t want to report on something like that?

Commodity Classic