Biofuels Blogging Before Classic

Chuck Zimmerman

2009 National Ethanol ConferenceI know a lot of you are looking ahead to Commodity Classic but Cindy and I have a whole lot of event coverage happening before next Wednesday in Grapevine.

To start with, I’m heading on over to Murfreesboro, TN today to get ready for the next Drive Green Utility Tractor Show event at the Miller Coliseum. That’s going to take place tomorrow.

Then Cindy and I head to San Antonio this weekend for the 2009 National Ethanol Conference. We’re going to be biofuels blogging for the Renewable Fuels Association on a variety of web locations, including here on AgWired. We’ll also be live blogging for RFA on their conference blog. We’ll be taking advantage of some our new tools at the event so keep us in mind if you’re interested to see how the ZimmComm team handles an event online. We’re also going to be working with our good friend, Joanna Schroeder, Communicating Renewables, who will be assisting our coverage on our Domestic Fuel site at both the NEC and Commodity Classic.

Ethanol, Events

Another Farm Podcaster Tool

Chuck Zimmerman

Marantz PMD661Okay farm podcasters. There is yet a new tool over which you can drool. I have always been a Marantz fan and this one looks to be a great offering. I know I pointed it out before but now you can find it for sale at BSW right now.

The Marantz PMD661 is a versatile, professional handheld PCM/MP3 recorder based on the popular PMD660, offering a streamlined form factor, a superior feature set, and the use of SD flash media. Major new design innovations include a smaller footprint and an improved top facia layout with fewer buttons as well as more highly developed use of multi-functional operation. The PMD661’s compact size, combined with the improved control layout, ensures comprehensive single-handed operation.

No, Cindy, I’m not ordering one (not that I’m tempted or anything). BTW, BSW also has the Tascam DR07 on sale too.

Equipment, Podcasts

Agriculture for a Democratic Workplace Formed

Chuck Zimmerman

Agriculture for a Democratic WorkplaceA pretty broad coalition of ag groups has launched a campaign to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) also known as the “card check” bill. This looks like the perfect opportunity for a Twitter feed, blog and podcast.

Led by co-chairs Western Growers, the California Farm Bureau and the California Grape and Tree Fruit League, Agriculture for a Democratic Workplace (ADW) unveiled its Web site (www.coalitionforagriculture.org) with information and tools coalition members may use to contact legislators and voice their opposition to the EFCA.

Labor is making the EFCA a top priority in Congress this year. The EFCA would radically alter 75 years of labor law governing the rights of employees by, among other things, effectively eliminating NLRB-supervised secret ballot elections in favor of “card check,” thereby enabling unions to organize employees merely by convincing or coercing a majority of them to sign cards.

Along with national partners like the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, ADW intends to let the nation’s leaders know that agricultural workers, employers, associations and organizations will fight to protect the right to a federally supervised secret ballot when workers are deciding whether or not to join a union.

“These are tenuous economic times,” says Tom Nassif, President and CEO of Western Growers. “We need to make small businesses, including domestic family farms, more competitive and incentivize the growth of new business which will encourage job creation. Passage of the EFCA will result in just the opposite.”

Ag Groups

Surviving The Digital Information Transition

Chuck Zimmerman

I’ve just got to point you to Steve Rubel, Micro Persuasions, once again. He works for Edelman Digital and one of his fellow digerati (Dave Coustan) will be on my breakout session panel at the upcoming NAMA Conference. Steve just did a couple of posts that anyone in communications and marketing ought to read. I’m going to take the liberty of pointing you to a couple of his remarks. I’m also going to include a remark from a recent Jeff Jarvis, BuzzMachine, post that ought to give you pause as well.

In a post titled, “Five Digital Trends to Watch for 2009:”

The Power of Pull – Where push once ruled, it’s now equally important to create digital content that people discover through search

How hard is this for the traditionalist (public relations and journalism) to understand? Very! The objections include things like, “I can’t control it” and “The numbers are small.”

In a post titled “The Newspaper Reporter of the Future is Here Today,” Steve points to the work of Peter Abraham, who is covering the New York Yankees for a local newspaper. Abraham is blogging, including live with CoveritLive, podcasting, posting pictures. Here’s what Steve says about it:

Now imagine for a moment that Abraham wasn’t a Yankees beat writer but instead covering your company or industry for the business section. Or imagine she is the newspaper’s food columnist. This multi-platform method of engaging is right for all of them. If every reporter did this on staff they can build not only a more engaged audience, but also redefine local media since it’s all potentially global.

For PR professionals, this is a boon. More content creates more opportunities for us to tell our stories and to also engage journalists using these same channels. If we’re not there as individuals and companies then we won’t be top of mind.

What Abraham is doing represents not only the future of journalism but also what PR professionals themselves need to do to build connections in the years ahead.

Now, keeping in mind what Steve says above, read this comment from a recent post by Jeff Jarvis. His post is titled, “TV’s Next,” in which he writes about the demise of newspapers and explains why he believes broadcasting is next.

It’s a failure of distribution as a business model. Distribution is a scarcity business: ‘I control the tower/press/wire and you don’t and that’s what makes my business.’ Not long ago, they said that owning these channels was tantamount to owning a mint. No more. The same was said of content. But it’s relationships (read: links) that create value today.

The local TV and radio business, once a privilege to be part of, is next to fall. Timber.

How is your company or media outlet making sure you survive the digital information transition? Do you agree with Steve and Jeff or disagree? Do you still think you can control your customers or subscribers and force them into your “domain?”

Media, Podcasts, Public Relations

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Charlie O’Brien of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has been named to the Farm Foundation’s Round Table, which is an invitational discussion forum of leaders from agribusiness, government, academic and agricultural-related interest groups. O’Brien is AEM’s vice president of agricultural services.
  • Agri-Inject, Inc. now offers Mister Mist’r Ultra, a new generation of their injection check valve for injection systems.
  • Challenger introduces the most powerful and innovative row crop tractor in North America — the Challenger MT600C Series, offering four models with maximum gross engine horsepower from 270 hp to 350 hp.
  • Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) was presented with one of the wheat industries most prestigious awards, The Wheat Advocate Award.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Blogging Southern BBQ

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Southern BBQ BoysThose southern boys know their bbq, and they got credit for learning. Besides learning about bbq I think these guys might now be qualified to become social media specialists. What do you think? I think I would go back to school to take this class.

    We are four average college students from Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, AL and we are embarking on a trip of our lifetime. Through the Interim program, we are embarking on a 17-day academic journey across the South to eat, analyze, and blog about Southern barbecue. Yes, we get college credit to eat and write about barbecue! Our project will focus on the cultural origins, differences in style, and significance of Southern pork barbecue through the framework of food and travel writing. Primary project output will be an interactive group blog (updated daily throughout the month…Check out our blog at bbqboys.blogspot.com.) and individual research papers (submitted at the conclusion of the Interim term). We appreciate all of your time and support.

    Here’s an example of their critique of one of the stops on the tour.


    Thanks to MeatingPlace.com for the heads up.

    Education

    Communicating Weed Science Information

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCast-208 - Weed Science CommunicationsLast week I presented a session on agricultural communications in the new media world at the Weed Science Society of America annual meeting. My contact was Chad Brommer, Emory University, who is a champion for new media channels in the organization.

    If you don’t know much about WSSA then listen to my interview with him in this week’s program and get caught up. These folks really need new channels to distribute their information and perhaps the world wide web is making that possible.

    HISTORY:
    The Weed Science Society of America was founded in 1956. The Society was established to encourage and promote the development of knowledge concerning weeds and their impact on the environment.

    MISSION:
    The Weed Science Society of America, a non-profit professional society, promotes research, education, and extension outreach activities related to weeds; provides science-based information to the public and policy makers; and fosters awareness of weeds and their impacts on managed and natural ecosystems.

    This week’s program ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. It’s called, “Dead Weeds,” by Blame It On Society. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

    You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 208 (21 min MP3)

    Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:Interview with Chad Brommer - ZimmCast 208

    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

    Ag Groups, Audio, University, ZimmCast

    Truth In Advertising Applies To New Media

    Chuck Zimmerman

    I recently consulted with an ag group that wants to start using new media, specifically a blog and podcast. During the discussion I heard that someone would, “ghost write for . . .” That immediately set off the warning signal in my mind. I encouraged them to reconsider this. To start with, there are plenty of examples of a company or organization that has done this and been caught publicly. The result is complete loss of credibility. I’ve been asked to ghost write on blogs and I refuse. I hope no one reading would either.

    Besides credibility there are other issues of liability. One of the factors that drive the success of a personal or company or product blog is open, honest transparency. Interestingly, this issue came up when my upcoming NAMA panel had a conference call. We were pointed to the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed “Guides Concerning the Use of
    Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
    (pdf). The comment period on this has been extended to March 2. It was originally supposed to close on January 31.

    In it you’ll find specific references to blogging and bloggers: 1. Bloggers personal liability (see page 13); and 2. Examples of bloggers in the proposed changes to the Guides (see page 69-70, example #5; pages 84-86, examples #7, 8, and 9). Thanks to Courtney Yuskis, Country Living Association, for the heads up.

    I think the bottom line is to be honest and open. That’s one way to win your audience over.

    Advertising

    Our YouTube Channel

    Chuck Zimmerman

    I learn something new everyday. Like the fact that you can embed your YouTube channel and not just the videos themselves. I wonder how long I’ve been missing this.

    Video

    Rural Broadband Debate

    Chuck Zimmerman

    I’m not sure where you would come down on the idea of stimulus money being spent on the continuing development of rural broadband but I’m all for it. Thanks to rural_broadband’s heads up on Twitter I thought you’d be interested in these two stories.

    The first one is from NPR, “Stimulus Stirs Debate Over Rural Broadband Access.” In it they quote former FCC Economist, Michael Katz. He’s obviously a city boy who doesn’t have a clue. Here’s an example of what I mean.

    But he also spoke of rural places as environmentally hostile, energy inefficient and even weak in innovation, simply because rural people are spread out across the landscape.

    Dude, could you possibly show more of your arrogance and ignorance? Fortunately this is a pretty well-balanced story as the following shows.

    Rural advocates say high-speed access is a necessity in a global economy, and a critical part of economic revival and survival for rural places. Obama agreed during his campaign for president. His rural platform included this plank:

    “Barack Obama will ensure that our rural Americans have access to modern communications infrastructure. He will … [promote] affordable broadband coverage across rural America as well.”

    Let’s hope he keeps that pledge.

    Then there’s another story pointed to in this article which is on the Daily Yonder titled, “Broadband Connection Highs and Lows Across Rural America.” The article pulls data from the Census of Agriculture and PEW Internet surveys. We’ve pointed to them before but this article has some nice charts and summaries of the data like the following.

    Over 2.2 million farms were included in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Census, which is conducted every five years. In 2002, the Census found that half the farms in the country were connected to the Internet in some way (broadband or dial-up). By 2007, the percentage of farms with some kind of Internet connection inched up to 56.5%.

    However, only 33% of farms in 2007 had broadband connections.

    In a chart showing internet and broadband percentage for farmers by state it was interesting to see that Connecticut had the highest percentage of farmers with broadband and Mississippi had the lowest. We need to get some of that broadband stimulus money going in the deep south!

    Internet