The National Association of Farm Broadcasting recently released its latest Internet Usage Study. Cindy spoke with Ted Haller at their convention and I thought I’d have a chat with him about it too since the organization sent our a release on it last week. You can download a pdf with some of the key findings of the study on their website (pdf). The survey explores producer activity and preferences in accessing the Internet for agricultural business information, as well as use of texting and social media. Specific to broadcaster interests, it also probes interest in e-newsletters and the preferred content of agribusiness-focused Web sites.
Among key findings noted by Haller in the new research:
the Internet is revealing “quintiles” of usage — a sign of what Haller calls “settling,” with indications of core usage in the low range of 20 percent and the high range of 50 percent, depending upon the specific online behavior/activity surveyed
those producers using the Internet are very active, for the most part, with e-mail, weather, markets, and futures the top draws
unlike other media, “what I do not do” is still a larger number than “what I do;” but the “I do’s” appear to be in normal quintiles and represent an attractive target
As you’ll hear Ted say in our conversation, traditional media options like radio will not go away. However, the use of the internet by farmers will only continue to grow and these numbers are proof of that. He also describes how useful the internet is now to companies with a limited budget and those who have a “big budget” and are now spreading it across more media options.
Thanks to AgWired Sponsor, Fluidigm, for their support of the ZimmCast.
You can listen to this week’s ZimmCast below.
The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our a Subscribe page.
I’m on a flight to San Francisco right now and using in-flight wifi for the first time. Works great. I’m getting some email work done among other things.
I’m also continuing to read “Six Pixels of Separation.” I hope you are too. One of the first points Mitch Joel hits on is the idea that providing free content can make you money. I think the question I get asked most often is, “How do you make money doing this?” Well, Cindy and I have built our whole business via new media using blogs, podcasts and social networking. As Mitch says, we’re all connected now. We can instantly connect with almost anyone. This has fundamentally changed the way business is conducted. For example, your brand is no longer what you say it is. It’s what Google says it is. Why? Because people are searching and finding lots of information about you and your brand. What are you doing to make sure those top results are links or information to you?
I’ll keep pointing out some interesting ideas as I come across them in this book but so far I think it’s the best one I’ve read that puts what we’re doing in language that business people can understand. If I was an agency, I’d buy this book for my client. Unless of course you’re a “traditional” marketer and still think these social media mechanisms are just wastes of time.
Does web analytics give you a headache? Do you have anyone on your staff who has training in how to understand web analytics? If you don’t then you’re not unusual. A story today on eMarketer provides some survey results about what marketers are thinking on this subject.
To prove the success of their campaigns, marketers need analytics. But many report frustration with understanding and using the Web analytics tools necessary to prove their success to management, according to “The Web Analytics War Reader Survey” by Unica.
The biggest challenge for marketers was integrating Web analytics with other marketing solutions, cited by 46% of respondents. Verifying the accuracy of data was a problem for 41% of marketers, while 32% reported trouble with analytics that were not comprehensive and 29% complained of budgets that were too small.
I take exception to the statement above about analytics proving success. If by analytics they mean just web analytics. By this I mean that just because I can deliver a ton of impressions (visits, visitors, clicks, click throughs, etc.) it doesn’t mean the company sold anything. But how often does an agency or marcomm staff member justify an investment by providing a report that says, “We spent X$’s and got a story that aired on 200 radio stations, a feature in a publication with 100,000 “subscribers” and a web banner or post that had 10,000 visitors.” Wow. Sounds good. But what was the result? Did they sell more? Did that story actually air on those stations? Who listened? Did every subscriber read the feature in that magazine? Did every web visitor see and/or click through on the banner or post? How often do you get that much detail? Ever?
I want to find out how you agrimarketers are tackling this issue. What metrics do you want from the web? What is meaningful? What form do you want it in? Are there certain services or software you prefer? If you place a banner ad, what do you want reported to you? How often do you need to see information? What do you consider reasonable?
This is a very important issue in today’s new media world and one that I have spent countless hours researching and discussing. As ZimmComm has developed online communities that revolve around a blog I don’t think reporting unique website visitors is very helpful for you in evaluating an investment in an advertising order. Why? Because there are over 12 other measurements that have nothing to do with website visitors that need to be considered. Here’s an example:
Let’s look at one day’s traffic on AgWired. It can be as high as 1,000 unique visitors. If I post your story does that mean that only 1,000 people saw it? No way!!!!! Consider that there are almost 1,000 subscribers to the AgWired RSS feed. They may not visit the site. That’s part of the value of the RSS feed. Consider that every post goes to my Twitter account with almost 1,600 followers and that every time one of my tweets is re-tweeted, it is seen by their followers. Consider that Twitter feeds my Facebook profile where I have 350 friends. Consider that this also updates my FriendFeed. Consider that the images or video I’m using in the story may be included in my Flickr or YouTube account. Consider that there are over 40 other websites that have installed the AgWired widget which displays homepage posts on their website. I’m not even counting the other less used social networking mechanisms I’m utilizing like Posterous, MySpace, etc.
But even beyond the above, what about the search engine aspect of all those places on the web that I have posted/distributed content that are now showing up in key word search results or key word news alerts? What about all the people who are re-publishing my information or sending it to their friends, neighbors and colleagues? Of course now you’ll ask the question, “Who are these visitors?” That’s a topic for another post.
Yeah. It adds up and all the sudden the total number of impressions for that one post could grow from the initial 1,000 unique visitor impressions to as many as 5,000 impressions. In fact, this number may only be good for just that one day or point in time. All our stories are archived. We never delete them. How much higher will that number grow within the next week, month and year?
This is what I’m talking about. This is what we do and excel at. This is what we preach and this is what can help grow your brand.
More information is always better and with a lot of information circulating about how marketers are moving their budgets online, this should be good information for ag media planners to have. I do hope questions are asked about social networking mechanisms like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc. We know from other studies that farmers are reading blogs and listening to podcasts while even producing their own. The social networking phenomenon is taking place in ag and I have no doubts we’ll see that verified by this new study.
NAFB is initiating its third major national research study in four years, with the Internet Ag Information Usage Study commissioned with Ag Media Research, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Building on the National Producer Media-Use Wave Study of 2008, the new project is asking large farmers and ranchers about their Internet access practices and preferences for agribusiness information, including use of the mobile Web. The survey, to query 1,200 national producers, also asks about the relative value of different types of agribusiness information as delivered via the Web.
Media veteran Ted Haller has consulted on the project, including seeking input toward the questionnaire from leading industry marketers and agencies. With most industry research closely held or proprietary, NAFB again will make public the outcomes of this new survey.
Results are to be introduced during the November Annual Convention, Nov. 11-13 in Kansas City.
48% of large acre corn/soybean growers send 5 or more text messages a day! That’s just one of the findings from a survey conducted by Nicholson Kovac. In this week’s program you can hear Sheree Johnson, Nicholson Kovac Senior VP and Director of Media talk about their findings.
Just when I was about to write a post inspired by Jeff Jarvis, on media measurement I received the announcement about the agency survey and it’s a lot more relevant to you agrimarketers out there. Nicholson Kovac took the initiative to survey growers to find out information that is needed by agencies and companies who are having to make decisions on media choices to reach their customers. Well they sure found out that farmers are online and involved socially. Also amazing is how much they depend on and use their mobile phones.
Here’s some more information on what they found.
Sixty-two percent of large acreage, U.S. corn and soybean growers have sent or received text messages during the past year, according to the newly released Agriculture New Media Usage Study (corn and soybean segment focus), conducted by Nicholson Kovac, Inc. (www.nicholsonkovac.com) The Agriculture New Media Usage study is the first-of-its-kind in the agribusiness industry. It provides comprehensive insight on the use of social media and new media among large acreage corn and soybean growers – including Internet usage, social networking and mobile phone activities − for business and social purposes.
“We know that crop producers, especially larger operators, are fairly tech savvy, but nothing exists that we are aware of that validates and confirms their use of new media and social media tools,” said Sheree Johnson, senior vice president, director of media services, Nicholson Kovac. “This new media research provides a number of eye-opening statistics on how corn and soybean growers use their phones and computers, and how they are engaged in social networking.”
In addition to the percentage of growers sending or receiving text messages, the study reveals the high degree of frequency of texting, as well as other mobile phone activities such as taking photos, e-mailing, downloading ring tones, accessing GPS and more. Forty-eight percent of those texting send five or more texts per day, and 63 percent of respondents indicated they have taken pictures with their mobile phones.
The 35-page study also explores in detail the Internet usage of these growers, including how they are accessing their Internet and for what topics they search:
Forty-seven percent spend five or more hours per week online, and 23 percent spend 10 or more hours online
Besides utilizing e-mail, accessing weather and market reports are the highest ranked in terms of Internet use for their business/farm
In addition, 85 percent of respondents indicated that they visit Web sites related to their farm operation, and 76 percent check manufacturers’ Web sites
The study also explored the presence of crop producers on Facebook™, Twitter™ and other social networking sites. It also details growers’ usage of blogs, forums and/or message boards. Search engine usage and preference were also explored.
“While there appears to be some confusion and lack of familiarity about social networking, blogging, etc., when social networking brands (ie., such as Facebook or Twitter) were mentioned, many respondents confirmed they are actively using these sites,” said Johnson. “The early adopters and growers who are influencers in their communities are already engaged in exploring new media platforms.”
Almost 60% of of U. S. farms now have internet access and the use of DSL has become the most common method of accessing it. The National Agricultural Statistics Service just released its latest Farm Computer Usage and Ownership survey results. Here’s some key findings. Notice how much higher the numbers are for farmers with incomes over $100,000!
DSL was the most common method of accessing the Internet, with 36 percent of U.S. farms using it, up from 27 percent in 2007. In 2007, dialup was the most common method of accessing the internet. Dialup access dropped from 47 percent in 2007 to 23 percent in 2009. Satellite and wireless were each reported as the primary internet access methods on 13 percent of those U.S. farms with Internet access. Cable was reported as the primary access method
on 11 percent of the farms.
A total of 59 percent of U.S. farms now have Internet access, compared with 57 percent in 2007. Sixty-four percent of farms have access to a computer in 2009, the same level as 2007. The proportion of U.S. farms owning or leasing a computer in 2009, at 61 percent, was up 1 percentage point from 2007. Farms using computers for their farm business increased 1 percentage point from 2007 to 36 percent in 2009.
In 2009, 81 percent of U.S. farms with sales and government payments of $250,000 or more have access to a computer, 79 percent own or lease a computer, 69 percent are using a computer for their farm business, and 76 percent have Internet access. For farms with sales and government payments between $100,000 and $249,999, the figures are: 70 percent have access to a computer, 67 percent own or lease a computer, 52 percent are using a computer for their farm business, and 63 percent have Internet access. Of the farms with sales and government payments between $10,000 and $99,999, 62 percent reported having computer access, 59 percent own or lease a computer, 38 percent use a computer for their farm business, and 57 percent have Internet access.
For crop farms, 65 percent have computer access and 40 percent use a computer for their farm business in 2009, up 1 and 3 percentage points from 2007, respectively. Internet access for crop farms has increased to 60 percent in 2009, compared with 56 percent in 2007. In 2009, a total of 63 percent livestock farms have computer access and 58 percent have Internet access.
Here are a couple of new online resources to get information about food and farming in the United States today. Both are backed by the Center For Food Integrity.
Best Food Facts employs the Food Integrity Index.
The Food Integrity Index is designed to provide balanced, objective information to help consumers make informed choices. We have partnered with leading universities to provide information on common questions or issues about the contemporary US food system. The Index provides a quick overview of the issue and the conclusions. A link is provided to the full research for more information.
The other site is Farmers Feed Us.
Across our great country, farmers and ranchers work each day to produce the food you and your family enjoy. To us, farming is much more than our chosen profession. It is a commitment to providing you with safe, nutritious and affordable food, caring for our animals and our land, and giving back to our communities.
We invite you to explore this site and learn more about what we do each and every day. You can tour our farms, meet our families, and see for yourself how we grow the food that ends up on your family’s table.
Here are the organizations supporting the CFI.
The Center for Food Integrity is supported by more than 20 organizations representing each segment of the food chain, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, Dairy Management Inc., Elanco Animal Health, Fair Oaks Dairy Farm, Foster Farms, Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana Packers Company, Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, International Association of Fairs and Expositions, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Kentucky Soybean Promotion Board, Michigan State University, Missouri Department of Agriculture, Monsanto, National Pork Board, National Pork Producers Council, Novus International, Ohio Farm Bureau, Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin, Purdue University, United Egg Producers, and United Soybean Board.
The new website features a section dedicated exclusively to E85, plus a news center and quick facts, as well as links to follow RFA on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr.
The site also invites visitors to sign up to “stay informed, share your stories and become a part of the discussion about clean, renewable fuel in the United States.”
We’re all pretty comfortable making statements like “Did you Google for it?” Do you think we could start saying “Did you Bing for it?” Just doesn’t seem to have the same ring to it. Microsoft unveiled it’s new search engine over the weekend – Bing.
The move to make sure all Americans have access to high speed internet access continues to gain momentum. This week Acting FCC Chairman, Michael Copps, released a report to be used as a starting point for the development of policies to continue to deliver broadband to rural areas. I believe this is needed to help restore economic growth and opportunities for people living the country life.
Recognizing that the need for broadband in rural America is becoming ever-more critical, Congress in the 2008 Farm Bill required the FCC Chairman, in coordination with the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, to submit a report to Congress describing a rural broadband strategy. Entitled “Bringing Broadband to Rural America: Report on a Rural Broadband Strategy,” (pdf) the report byActing Chairman Copps identifies common problems affecting rural broadband, including technological challenges, lack of data, and high network costs, and offers some recommendations to address those problems.
Broadband “is the interstate highway of the 21st century for small towns and rural communities, the vital connection to the broader nation and, increasingly, the global economy,” Acting Chairman Copps said in the report. “Our nation as a whole will prosper aa concerted effort to bring broadband to rural America.”
In the report, Acting Chairman Copps notes that Congress has provided new direction and support for federal broadband policies and initiatives, in particular through the American Recoveryand Reinvestment Act of 2009. In addition to providing $7.2 billion for broadband grants, loans and loan guarantees administered by the Agriculture and Commerce departments, that law charges the FCC with developing a national broadband plan by next February.
I love this statement in the report on why broadband matters:
In addition, we not only surf the web, send e-mail, form social networks, and download music and video, but also become ourselves creators of web-based content as we blog about local or world events, and become publishers in our own right.
Here’s what it says about agriculture:
It is clear that access to fixed and mobile broadband services also has the potential to enhance the efficiency and productivity of a number of agricultural activities in rural areas. Farmers, particularly those with smaller operations or in more remote locations, can materially benefit from real-time access to weather and crop reports and to databases of local and national agricultural extension services. For example, farmers can be warned if there is a heightened risk of a plant blight, a livestock disease, or an insect infestation; examine the problem; and know immediately what they need to do to address it. They can call upon Internet-driven tools and applications to consult with experts and precisely calculate the additional inputs they might need to enable their fields to flourish and their animals to thrive—with less waste or risk to the environment. Detailed online market information can help farmers time the sales of their products more profitably. Web-based interaction can help consumer-focused farmers develop a personal relationship with their clientele to assist in bringing the right products to markets at the right time—saving time, fuel, and frustration.
Syngenta Crop Protection has redesigned the online face of the company, FarmAssist.com.
With more than 30,000 visitors per month, FarmAssist® provides users with up-to-the-minute agricultural news and commentary, local weather customized by zip code, market observations and agronomic and product information.
The refreshed FarmAssist provides a better user experience, allowing visitors to navigate more easily through current industry news, updated educational materials and a new audio/visual library, featuring agronomic and product information, crop-related videos and customer testimonials. The new site improves upon the previous site that was set in place more than four years ago.
“The revamped site features a number of improvements over the old site,” said Anthony Transou, Syngenta internet marketing manager. “We were able to update the design, making navigation easy and efficient, and add improved features to provide users more agronomic resources. We continue to analyze our service offerings for our customers and provide them with the best information in whatever manner is most convenient for their business.”
I liked the way this release came across in announcing the company’s new website. For one thing the company representative didn’t say, “We’re excited to . . . ” She made a very open statement that just seems very genuine to me.
Dosatron International, Inc., today launched a new version of their website, www.dosatronusa.com. The new version introduces a totally new design, a new organizational structure, and new features, such as on-demand video and a blog.
“The redesign of the dosatronusa.com website has been a company goal for several years,” said Pam Temko, Dosatron’s vice president of sales and marketing. “We realized that our old site, while it contained good information, was a little inaccessible for those not already familiar with Dosatron. With this design upgrade, our site moves into the twenty-first century and more fully represents the Dosatron brand: innovative, cutting-edge and top-of-the-line.”
You can find the blog here. They’re using WordPress (hooray) and even better, they’ve got an AgWired link in the sidebar! Now that’s how you pitch a blogger just in case you’re wondering. I love it.
Here’s an example of one of the video clips they have available to customers. Notice that it’s loaded into their YouTube account.
Can SEO’s and Journalists Really Be Friends? This was the question asked by Rachelle Money at CyberJournalist.net. Because journalists often shy away from “stuffing” key words into their articles to gain online traffic, Money explains the art of using SEO’s and how journalists can use them to improve their writing.
The SEO mantra: ‘content is king’ is one shared by journalists. We’ve always believed writing to be incredibly important. The SEO wants to create great content and the journalist wants to write a good news story. Both SEO and journalist want their articles to be read by as wide a readership as possible. It’s important that they appeal to readers and generate some debate. Maybe it’s the journalist’s ego but we want our stories to cause a stir, we want people to respond to them through comment sites, forums and blogs. That means our stories need to be found on the internet in the first place, and that’s why SEO has to become our new best friend. Put simply, we can use SEO to make sure that many more people read our stories.
So, when you are compiling blog posts, updated your twitter or writing an article for publication, do you think about using keywords to reach a wider readership? If so, what are those key words, and how should a person identify them and use them correctly? The world of journalism is certainly evolving, and those not willing to change might be left in the dust. I thought this article might stimulate some dialogue, so let’s compare notes!
Cindy and I are in post-NAMA recovery. However, we may be physically tired but we’re emotionally charged. Those of you in agricultural marketing and communications will be too once you hear this week’s program which features an interview with Curt Blades, Successful Farming. They just finished the 2009 Farmer Use of Media Study and Curt shares some of their findings. To get the full story you’ll need to contact him. He’s pictured here speaking to the student luncheon at the NAMA convention.
As you would expect, farmer use of the internet as a source of news and information has skyrocketed and this study provides further documentation of that fact. Curt says the study is projectable and provides breakouts for age and income demographics. Once again it shows that the higher the farm income level, the higher the use of the internet. He says they also found that high speed internet access is much more widespread than many think. I think you’ll enjoy hearing about this new study of farmer media use habits.
This week’s program ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. It’s a song titled, “Surgery Successful Oh Yeah”, by Scott Clous. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 216 (20 min MP3)
Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes
AgWired coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by: and .
Have you played Combine Combat? If so, you’ve played one of the top 5 magazine web games according to minonline.com. Here’s what they said about it:
Years after its release, Agriculture.com’s simple arcade game remains one of the few b2b online games around, and it still holds up. You try to clear a field with your combine before the computer-controlled rival. There are several points of brilliance here. The John Deere-sponsored game uses Deere logos as power-ups and has you collect their new products as bonus points, all the while informing you of their product benefits. And then there is the ambient music (think Terminator for farm equipment) and background bird noises. We need more b2b games with this much attention to detail…and raw combat among professionals. There must be some uproarious game notions lurking somewhere in the minds of waste management or medical device trade publishers.
Successful Farming is sponsoring AgWired coverage of the NAMA Convention this week and I know I’ll have more SF news as the week progresses.
As I prepare to graduate in May and begin my career as a freelance writer, I want to be sure I get started in this field on the right foot. What tools are journalists using, and how do they communicate with each other? Are you on LinkedIn? I have been invited by several people already, but I haven’t taken the plunge. I figure it’s just ONE more profile I would need to keep up, and my Facebook profile is already an outlet for people to find me online.
If you aren’t familiar with LinkedIn. This is a social networking tool aimed for professionals. Currently, over 35 million professionals login to share ideas, connect with colleagues and share their working profiles. The site boasts that with LinkedIn you can, stay informed about your contacts and industry, find the people and knowledge you need to achieve your goals and control your professional identity online.
If you are on LinkedIn, what do you like about it? If you aren’t, why have you never joined? What do you think about networking with professionals online? Is this the best way to share your resume or communicate with colleagues? Don’t be counted out; weigh in with your thoughts and ideas! Thanks for your input!
Food recalls seem to be fairly frequent lately and it seems like the general public really doesn’t get good information about what is actually being recalled. I would blame that at least in part to journalists trying to be “sensational” with the effect of scaring the crap out of people who then tend to over react. Okay, got that out of my system.
There is a website now on which consumers can get factual information about the pistachio recall:
As part of ongoing collaboration with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pistachio growers and processors today announced a new Web site — www.pistachiorecall.org — that lists specific pistachio products and brands that are confirmed safe to consume.
The Web site is produced by CAL-PURE, a co-op of California pistachio growers (“CAL-PURE”), and the Western Pistachio Association (“WPA”) and is accessible directly and via a link on the FDA Web site at www.fda.gov/pistachios. The new site is being made available in light of a pistachio recall by the processor, Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc. and Setton International, due to potential Salmonella contamination. The recall action has been taken on a precautionary basis, and the FDA reports no illnesses tied to the recalled pistachios.
I’m glad to find out that the Brownfield Network will be sponsoring the internet access at my NAMA breakout session on social media and I thank them. Internet access is really becoming such an important part of everyday life and business that I was determined to find a way to have it.
This brought up an idea that I’m sure isn’t new but I thought I’d throw out there for conversation. If you’re planning a convention or meeting of any kind and sell sponsorships why not create one just to cover the cost of providing internet access? I don’t mean internet access for the media room or for a grouping of computers in a hallway either. I mean, negotiate a deal with your hotel or convention center. Say, “We want wireless access everywhere all the time.” How much would that cost? Why not do it? I don’t care if they’re farmers or not. We all need it today.
So what do you think? Realistic? New sponsor idea? If you don’t think it’s a good idea, why not?
It looks like the Rural Mobile Broadband Alliance is getting their stuff together. They want to help guide the debate over development of broadband connectivity and have offered the following:
According to RuMBA’s Managing Director, Luisa Handem, the “American Broadband Bill of Rights” demands all Americans have access to a network that is:
(1) Ubiquitous – Services and devices should work seamlessly everywhere:
in rural, suburban and urban areas. America needs an additional two
million square miles of coverage.
(2) Safe – Americans need E911 with location service and an emergency
Cell Broadcast System with weather and disaster alerting. Katrina-
like outages are unacceptable.
(3) Mobile – Whether in the car, on the tractor, at home, in school, at
work and all areas in between, our nation relies on mobility; our
networks must reflect our lifestyle needs.
(4) Affordable – Rural Americans demand competitive pricing for services
and devices. We need the same or better services and devices as the
rest of the country, at a fair price.
(5) Sustainable – America must invest in next generation systems that
can be operated at a profit and maintained by our local small town
carriers. We must leap ahead, buy tomorrow’s technologies, not
yesterday’s.
The group, launched last month, seeks to ensure that rural communities are offered the same affordable mobile broadband services available to urban and suburban areas, and equal access to E911 Phase II (location-based) coverage.
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.
Commodity Classic took place in Anaheim, CA. You'll find all of Chuck, Cindy and Joanna's photos here.
Happy Ag Week
It's time to thank our farmers and ranchers for all their hard work to feed us.
In this week's program I interview Linda Tank, CHS, Inc., who is Chair of the Agriculture Council of America, the group coordinating National Ag Day. Learn more about their activities, especially this week in Washington, DC.
The National Association of Farm Broadcasting recently released its latest Internet Usage Study. Cindy spoke with Ted Haller at their convention and I thought I’d have a chat with him about it too since the organization sent our a release on it last week. You can download a pdf with some of the key findings of the study on their website (pdf).
The survey explores producer activity and preferences in accessing the Internet for agricultural business information, as well as use of texting and social media. Specific to broadcaster interests, it also probes interest in e-newsletters and the preferred content of agribusiness-focused Web sites. 
I’m on a flight to San Francisco right now and using
You know how much farmers like to be studied don’t you? Yeah. You’ve got that right. Well now the 
Here’s some more information on what they found.
Almost 60% of of U. S. farms now have internet access and the use of DSL has become the most common method of accessing it. The National Agricultural Statistics Service just released its 
Here are a couple of new online resources to get information about food and farming in the United States today. Both are backed by the 
The other site is 
The 
The move to make sure all Americans have access to high speed internet access continues to gain momentum. This week Acting FCC Chairman, Michael Copps, released a report to be used as a starting point for the development of policies to continue to deliver broadband to rural areas. I believe this is needed to help restore economic growth and opportunities for people living the country life.
Syngenta Crop Protection has redesigned the online face of the company, 
I liked the way this release came across in announcing the company’s new website. For one thing the company representative didn’t say, “We’re excited to . . . ” She made a very open statement that just seems very genuine to me.
As you would expect, farmer use of the internet as a source of news and information has skyrocketed and this study provides further documentation of that fact. Curt says the study is projectable and provides breakouts for age and income demographics. Once again it shows that the higher the farm income level, the higher the use of the internet. He says they also found that high speed internet access is much more widespread than many think. I think you’ll enjoy hearing about this new study of farmer media use habits.
Have you played 
As I prepare to graduate in May and begin my career as a freelance writer, I want to be sure I get started in this field on the right foot. What tools are journalists using, and how do they communicate with each other? Are you on 
I’m glad to find out that the 
It looks like the 
I just noticed in 
It's time to thank our farmers and ranchers for all their hard work to feed us.
