GROWMARK Keeps IT Growing

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Cindy

As a multi-state agricultural co-operative system with over 6000 employees and numerous brands, information technology (IT) is a vital aspect of GROWMARK‘s ability to communicate on a number of levels.

GROWMARK was honored with the first CropLife America and AgGateway Information Technology Innovation Award for CropNAtion

That keeps GROWMARK Manager of Network Services Scott Bross busy keeping up with the latest on-line communications tools – from improved websites to blogs and all the various social networking platforms. Last year, Scott and his team launched the redesigned GROWMARK.com, with all new functionality. “We’re continuing to add new functionality as we go,” Scott said, noting that the Media Center was one of the most exciting to develop. “To be able to provide multi-media formats, to be able to do video and audio and bring in news releases in pdf and Spirit Magazine.”

The new design won GROWMARK first place in the Heartland region NAMA competition this year and GoFurtherWithFS.com won the Merit award in the same category. CropNAtion.com was selected by CropLife America (CLA) and AgGateway to receive the first annual CLA Information Technology Innovation Award. “It’s neat to be able bring these technologies together and then get recognition and positive feedback,” Scott said. “That’s really strong affirmation.”

CropNAtion has been a very ambitious project for GROWMARK to create a social media platform that serves as a 21st century “coffee shop” for today’s farmers. “It’s about what they want to talk about, not what someone else is putting in front of them to talk about,” he said.

Scott says they have new projects in the works, such as designing a new website platform for member cooperatives, but just staying on the cutting edge of communications technology keep them busy. “Technology and social media are moving so quickly these days that by the time you begin to evolve something there’s three other things out there,” he said. Tell us about it!

Listen to my interview with Scott here: Scott Bross Interview

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?

An Interest in Pinterest For Kodak Gallery

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Chuck

Since I’ve been seeing more and more interest in Pinterest in the AgWired community lately, the release about the Kodak Gallery mobile app being able to share photos to the popular social media site caught my eye. I visited with Trent Gruenwald, Sr. Product Manager, Social & Mobile Products for Kodak Gallery to learn more about it.

Trent says the app is available for both iPhone and Android. It allows you to upload photos from your smart phone, view all your Kodak Gallery photos, share your photos either individually, by photo album or group sharing. He says they are continuing to update the app based on feedback from users. Right now the new update is sharing to Pinterest which is only available for Android. It will be available for iPhone in the future. Trent says the Kodak Gallery app tries to combine all the different features you can find individually in other apps. One of the upcoming updates for the iPhone version will be the ability to print your photos.

AgWired fans know I’m a power user of Flickr and I don’t see that changing. However, I can see this app being very appealing to the agricultural community. For example, organizations running events might want to consider using it to create a shared photo gallery that allows attendees to add their photos.

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: An Interest in Pinterest

KODAK Gallery is the leading online destination for storing and transforming photo memories—at their most life-like best—into a more high-profile part of people’s everyday lives and environments. Anyone can express their creativity by making a wide variety of personalized gifts such as photo books, greeting cards, and wall décor for themselves and others to enjoy. It’s also easy to share creative projects with friends and family through direct access to social media including Facebook, Twitter and many others.

In June 2001, KODAK, the world’s greatest and most trusted photography company purchased the groundbreaking Berkeley-based company, Ofoto which was founded in 1999. KODAK’s legacy of quality goes into every item that KODAK Gallery produces. We provide the same outstanding service and quality that KODAK customers have come to know and trust.

KODAK Gallery is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eastman KODAK Company.

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.

Advocating for Agriculture 101

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Chuck

If you pass an Advocating for Agriculture class then you might be an Agvocate. The Kentucky Corn Growers Association posed the question, “You’re not a ‘factory farm.’ But how do you tell people?” to farmers at the National Farm Machinery Show. The idea was to challenge farmers to share agriculture’s story.

“I wanted to do something different, something that would really get farmers thinking about how they can advocate for agriculture,” said Jennifer Elwell, Kentucky Corn Growers Association communications director. “At the show, we chatted with growers about the topics that are most important to consumers such as food safety, environmental concerns and animal welfare.”

The approach taken by Jennifer and other volunteers working with her was based on the CommonGround Program. Here are steps they encourage farmers to take.

10 Ways to Advocate for Agriculture

1. Search.
Conduct an online search. Don’t limit yourself to Google. Search on social media sites and blogs as well. Learning from what consumers, critics and other influencers are saying in the social media realm is crucial. This will be the best way to gain intelligence about what issues are most important.

2. Monitor.

Set up a monitoring service. Platforms like HootSuite or TweetDeck allow you to easily review what others are saying about you and other farming and food topics.

3. Think.

Think about your audience. Doing this will help determine who you want to read your content. Once you figure this out, knowing your audience’s personality traits will guide you when you write content.

4. Select.

Select your favorite place to play. Pick what online platform you like most, and stick with it. When you like doing something, normally you will continue the behavior. The same is true for the online world.

5. Respond.

Respond to misinformation. Don’t let misconceptions about farming and food go unanswered. If you come across a misconceptions, don’t stand by, react.

6. Mediate.

Never shout – be positive. No one likes it when someone shoves their opinion on them in person, so don’t consider doing it online.

7. Ask.

Pose questions to your followers and friends. Questions can be about food or agriculture. When you pose a question, make sure you moderate the discussion.

8. Promote.

Promote yourself online. Spreading the word about what you are doing as a farmer and agvocate is simple. For instance, if you write a blog, let everyone on Facebook and Twitter know you have a new post. This will increase visibility and followers. Also consider retweeting or reposting relevant social media content, pictures and blog posts that support agriculture. Giving others a voice can help you expand yours.

9. Answer.

Answer all posts or mentions. Being responsive and timely is good social media etiquette. When you post on one social media platform, make sure you post on all of them.

10. Share.

Share your story. Many people are not connected to what really happens in agriculture or rural America. Others can attempt to tell your story, but it is better told by the true expert – YOU!

Catching Up With Harry Siemens at NFMS

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Cindy

It was an unexpected pleasure to see Harry Siemens and his lovely wife Judith at the National Farm Machinery Show last week. Harry was one of the very first contributors to AgWired with his “Siemens Says” column, starting way back in September of 2005.

He has been keeping plenty busy these days with a variety of freelance gigs sharing his Canadian commentary with audiences all over North America. “I’m in my 41st year as a farmers’ advocate in Manitoba, Canada,” he says. Among his many activities, Harry appears regularly with Max Armstrong and Orion Samuelson on RFD-TV’s ‘This Week in Agribusiness’ giving his unique Canadian perspective. He can also be heard regularly on the Linder Farm Network in Minnesota and that was how he happened to be at the NFMS this year, replacing Lynn Ketelson as the host of a bus tour for 49 Minnesotans.

Harry’s relationship with Max and Orion and Lynn goes back to 1978 when he took a trip to Minneapolis to meet the late farm broadcast legend Maynard Speece of WCCO to ask him what he could do to become a better broadcaster. “He says ‘Join the National Association of Farm Broadcasters of America,’” Harry recalls. “That fall I was at the meeting and for the next seven meetings.” And that was where he met Max and Orion and Lynn and “all the good people there.”

As a communicator, commentator and journalist, Harry has been quick to adopt new communications technology and the use of social media. He’s on Twitter and has his own blog “SiemensSays.com” where he posts regular news and commentary – like the video he did with fellow bus traveler Machinery Pete at NFMS. He says he also uses his iPhone to do interviews, take photos and shoot video.

Find out more about Harry in my interview with him from NFMS: Harry Siemens Interview

2012 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by Fastline AgRacer FMC New Holland

The Next Big Thing In Ag Communications/Social Media

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Chuck

I tweeted this yesterday morning, “Chuck. What’s the next “big” thing in ag communications/social media?” I get asked a lot. What do you think?” And I got replies thank you very much. Here are some of them:

From Twitter:

currently, Pinterest RT @AgriBlogger: “Chuck. What’s the next “big” thing in ag communications/social media?” What do you think?

Pinterest RT @AgriBlogger: “Chuck. What’s the next “big” thing in ag communications/social media?” I get asked a lot. What do you think?

Understanding integration of new technologies, forces & needs. Are you agile enough to adjust? RE: next big thing in ag comm/sm @AgriBlogger

@AgriBlogger I think #Pinterest…..

@AgriBlogger Rural #4G LTE and the smart #farm #app revolution?

@AgriBlogger Video, both one-on-one , group and broadcast streams are the next wave in social media.

Rise of the App Internet http://bit.ly/xu9GSz MT @AgriBlogger: What’s the next “big” thing in ag comm/social media?” What do you think?

From Facebook:

If we knew, it wouldn’t be the next “big” thing. I think Pinterest is catching a lot of momentum though. Google+ doesn’t seem to be getting much traction though. Probably the next “big” thing hasn’t arrived yet or we just aren’t aware of it.

We almost have it today but a “reality tv” show about the farm. That is correct and unbiased (well maybe slanted a little our way)! You could be the leader Chuck. BTY, I don’t want to be in it.

So there seems to be one word that’s popping up enough to take a look and that’s Pinterest. Hopefully I won’t get in trouble here but I have been aware of Pinterest for a while since my daughters use it and have showed it to me. I looked at it and mostly saw fashion photos and thought, “This is not for me.” Interestingly, the responses above mentioning Pinterest are all from women. I’m not sure what to make from that but . . . If you search “agriculture” in Pinterest you’ll find a couple of boards and some pins. “Pinterest is an online pinboard.
Organize and share things you love.” How about agriculture photos and images? Maybe this is a good place to share your farm message!

You’ll also notice in the responses that mobile apps and 4G LTE are mentioned. I personally agree with this. We’re going to see more and more use from mobile devices and the apps that let us do customized tasks.

Please feel free to add your thoughts via comments.

Nashville TweetUp For Cattle Enthusiasts

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Chuck

I don’t know if this is the only planned TweetUp for the Cattle Industry Convention but it’s the only one I got invited to. What do you think about this? Are cattle farmers social or what?

Step aside, computers. An in-person “tweet up” is planned for all those attending the 2012 Cattle Industry Annual Convention, held Feb. 1-4 in Nashville, Tenn.

The American Angus Association®, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) and Angus Productions, Inc. (API) will host the event for their Twitter followers and others who would like to learn more about online communications.

“The social media world allows us to connect with others in seconds, but very rarely do we get to visit with them in person,” says Jena Thompson, Association assistant director of public relations. “This is a perfect opportunity to get to know your virtual friends.”

Attendees will have a chance to meet and share more than Twitter’s 140 characters, while in a social setting at the trade show. The gathering is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at the Angus booths, 1062, during the NCBA Trade Show Welcome Reception.

“The ‘tweet up’ is also a great event for those who do not have Twitter accounts,” says Laura Nelson, Certified Angus Beef LLC industry information specialist. “If you’re interested in learning the ropes, stop by and we can help get you started.”

For more details or questions, follow the Association, CAB and API using the following Twitter handles, respectively: @AngusAssoc, @BlackInkBasics and @ABBeditor.

As of right now there are 49 tweeps signed up with 9 saying maybe. Go on over to the FB event page and let ‘em know you plan to attend. You can follow coverage of the 2012 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show via Twitter using the official hashtag: #CIC12

AgChat Foundation Hires Executive Director

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Chuck

Big news from the AgChat Foundation today! Welcome Emily Zweber as the first Executive Director. It seems like it has been a long time coming to some of us board members but really, it hasn’t been. In fact, the AgChat Foundation is less than two years old.

So let’s meet Emily:

Zweber, an organic dairy farmer from Elko, Minn., will focus on furthering ACF’s mission of connecting farmers to diverse audiences via social media platforms. She also will provide day-to-day management oversight and fundraising support.
“Emily uses social media every day on the family farming operation, so she’s a great choice for this position,” says Darin Grimm, ACF president. “What began as an all-volunteer outcropping of an agricultural social media movement is growing into a professionally managed organization. Having Emily on board is a real boost.”

Grimm added that ACF’s highly-successful summer thought-leadership and social media training conference is slated to provide more content than ever in its third year, and that additional training programs are planned.

Emily received her bachelor’s degree in agriculture economics and international studies from South Dakota State University and is a University of Minnesota Center for the Study of Policy and Governance Humphrey Policy Fellow. Previously, she has served as the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation’s executive director and the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation’s special programs coordinator. Emily and her husband, Tim, co-own and operate Zweber Farms with Tim’s parents.

Established in 1906, the Zweber farm is a certified organic dairy. The family also runs a successful natural meat business for which Emily coordinates all social media and marketing.

I spoke with Darin and Emily by phone just a few minutes ago. Listen in on our conversation about today’s exciting news and get to know Emily.

Interview with Darin Grimm & Emily Zweber