Tropical Storm Fay Messing Cancels With Citrus Expo

Chuck Zimmerman

Tropical Storm FayTropical Storm Fay has certainly changed my plans this week. Instead of being in a plane on my way to Ft. Myers, FL for the Florida Citrus Expo, I’m staying home. The final word on the status of the event is pending the next forecast this morning but it doesn’t look good.

I spoke with Gary Cooper, President, Southeast AgNet, on my way to the airport this morning and he said, “Turn around.” Good call I think after looking at the latest NOAA projection map. It looks like it could go right over top of the show site. Updates on the situation are being posted on the Citrus Expo website and on Southeast Agnet.com.

I was going to be part of the team down there blogging the event and also spending some time with Gary’s staff continuing some new media training. I’m sure that opportunity will arise again.

So, what do I do now?

Post Update: Here’s the decision on the Florida Citrus Expo:

AS OF 8:20 a. m. Monday August 18, 2008:
Citrus Expo has officially been cancelled due to the latest weather forecasts related to Tropical Storm (possible hurricane soon) Fay calling for a pending landfall in the area over the next couple of days. The Lee Civic Center concurs with this decision.

Further information will be posted to this website in coming days and we will be in contact with exhibitors, speakers and vendors directly. This is a final decision and official notice, Citrus Expo has been cancelled for this week.

We greatly regret this decision and have waited as long as we feel we should to see if the storm would take a stronger turn either west or east to allow for the event to go on. Without any assurances of either, we are left with no other choice at this time. We apologize for the inconveniences this will mean for many, but it is a situation totally out of our control.

ZimmBite – No Florida Citrus Expo on 12seconds.tv

Citrus, Farm Shows

Cool Interactive New Media

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-183 - Cool Interactive New MediaI’m seeing new media presentations on more and more programs these days and last week’s NAMA Boot Camp was no exception. Erin Holt, Media Supervisor, Martin Williams, was on the program with a presentation titled, “Cool Interactive Ideas.” So I sat down with her to learn about her ideas when it comes to using new media for her clients.

Erin talked about new media, including blogging, podcasting, social networking, widgets and video. Her theme was “being in surprising places” and “talking to your customers in a new way that’s going to be memorable for them.” Words like Twitter are dear to her heart.

Erin HolteI asked her for an example of how they’ve used new media for a client and she used Pfizer Animal Health, equine division. The agency developed a desktop widget for customers called the “Frame Your Horse” widget. This was for a fly control product with parameters tied to weather and location. So those information pieces were incorporated into the widget since they’re items people want on a regular basis. Essentially, the customer can download the widget, customize it with a picture of their horse and get information they want that is mixed with a product message. They’ve had about 4,000 downloads in just over 2 months.

Getting demographic data on users is a challenge with new media. Erin says they were able to collect some data and that they view this campaign as a test case. She recommends doing some up front testing with the target group to help build confidence in the campaign direction and specific new media tool.

I asked her about client acceptance of new media and she says it’s all over the board. Some clients base judgments on their own personal media use so she says it’s the job of the agency to educate them and show the value of new communication technologies. I like her way of handling the fact that new media mechanisms usually reach fewer people than traditional media. She says the numbers are smaller but the composition is higher. You’re, “talking to fewer people, but the right people.” The number one question she gets from clients is are they getting value for their investment.

The program this week ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. Since I just attended a swine health seminar you get to listen to “Pearls and Swine” from Drunken Prayer. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 183 (14 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:Interview with Erin Holte - ZimmCast 183

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

Agencies, Audio, NAMA, ZimmCast

Stick To Your Management Plan

Chuck Zimmerman

Randy JonesIn addition to pork producers, a number of veterinarians attended the Boehringer Ingelheim Swine Health Seminar. I spoke with Dr. Randy Jones who has been in practice in eastern North Carolina for 23 years. I first asked him if he thought his local BI Rep, Dan Johnson, was doing a good job and he said “He does a great job.” Dan has played a big role in putting this event on, along with a lot of other people and I would echo that.

Randy says “I think it’s always good to get all the segments together.” He says this event has been growing and it sure sounds like it has. He says that the impact of the global marketplace has become an issue that all producers face here in the U.S. Input costs are the number one issue but disease is also big on the minds of producers with PRRS still the top of that list.

When it comes to advice for producers he says, “You have to have a plan and stick to it.” He says “you’re going to fail,” but it’s his job to minimize those failures. When it comes to looking ahead he says people have to eat and there’s more and more of them so he thinks the industry will work its way through the current tough times.

You can listen to my interview with Randy here: bi-nc-08-jones.mp3

BI Swine Health Seminar Photo Album.

Animal Health, Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Swine

Risk Management is Name of the Game in Swine

Chuck Zimmerman

Dennis DiPietreThe numbers man on our program at the Boehringer Ingelheim Swine Health Seminar was Dennis DiPietre. He specializes in consulting with the swine industry and is a “headliner” for SwineCast.

Dennis was here to look at trends that are developing like the shifting global marketplace. He sees changes happening in the advantages producers have had in both the low cost of feed stuffs and the intrusion of governments that are taking away feed stuffs for other purposes like biofuels. When it comes to handling diseases, he says BI has had some spectacular success with some like Circovirus which is extremely devastating not only due to economic loss but also since it’s so demoralizing. Until recently there was nothing that could be done. He also is seeing an increase in concerns for the welfare of the animals.

When it comes to what producers are talking to him about, he says it’s mostly the high cost of feed grains. He says, “We really have record high pork prices right now but it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s profits in the industry.” He says it’s a very unusual time. So going forward he says the name of the game is “risk management.” Producers want to protect a margin regardless of the level of prices.

You can listen to my interview with Dennis here: bi-nc-08-dipietre.mp3

BI Swine Health Seminar Photo Album.

Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Swine

Saturday Morning With BI

Chuck Zimmerman

FishingParticipants in the Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Swine Health Seminar had options today to play golf, go fishing or a couple of others. I chose fishing.

Early this morning our first stop was netting some live bait before heading out off the beaches of Carolina Beach. We fished for several kinds of fish but what we caught in our boat was grey sea trout. Others got flounder, mackeral and even a snapper.

You can see photos from this morning’s water activity in the photo album.

BI Swine Health Seminar Photo Album.

Boehringer Ingelheim

Extracurricular Activities at Swine Health Seminar

Chuck Zimmerman

ManicuresThe Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Swine Health Seminar is about over for the day. We’re getting ready to break after all the presentations. I’ll have more of them in the coming days.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a real family affair. One of the activities available was manicures and pedicures. I walked by the rooms where these were set up and found that they were pretty busy. Lots of customers.

So, don’t forget to check out the: BI Swine Health Seminar Photo Album.

Boehringer Ingelheim

Producer Feedback Important

Chuck Zimmerman

Bill Van StaaldvinenI know that the folks at Boehringer Ingelheim feel like they get as much from the opportunity to interact with their customers here at the Swine Health Seminar as they hope their customers get from them. Several on the BI staff have made that comment.

So, I’ve made sure to interview a few of them, like Bill Van Staaldvinen (left) speaking here with Dr. Dennis DiPietre (more on him later). Bill is a production manager for a large operation and he’s based in Washington, NC. He really likes this seminar. It’s his fourth one and he says he always takes something away with him.

When I asked him about being able to interact with other producers he says that’s one of the best parts of the event. He says, “When you hear that someone else tries this and it works, you’re willing to try it.”

You can listen to my interview with Bill here: bi-nc-08-staaldvinen.mp3

BI Swine Health Seminar Photo Album.

Animal Health, Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim

Mike Gustafson Retirement

Chuck Zimmerman

Mike GustafsonI couldn’t be there for my good friend, Mike Gustafson’s retirement party but that doesn’t mean there aren’t pictures!

Mike is retiring from John Deere and I’m betting it was a great party. I’m not sure what the whole ribbon on the name badge thing is all about. Could someone enlighten us? Just post a comment.

If you would like to leave Mike a note, please feel free to write a comment and I’ll make sure he gets them. I’m guessing he’s got more time to “head out on the highway, looking for adventure.”

Way to go Mike.

John Deere

Gold Medal U. S. Pig Producers

Chuck Zimmerman

Dr. Steve McOristAfter talking with Dr. Steve McOrist I’m betting that the United States could win a gold if there was a swine competition in the Olympics. That’s because he says that the U.S. has a number of advantages over other countries when it comes to pig production. For example, he says we’ve got a good backup system for vaccines and technological and nutritional support as well as breeding programs.

A key point he made in his talk here was that producers are relying on the tools available and that they should be looking forward with a good risk management program in case the number of those tools gets smaller. If products get removed from the market then fewer choices to fight a disease will mean increased chances for disease resistance. So he says, “Be prepared to think about risk management.”

You can listen to my interview with Dr. McOrist here: bi-nc-08-mcorist.mp3

BI Swine Health Seminar Photo Album.

Animal Health, Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Swine

Working on PRRS

Chuck Zimmerman

Mike RoofDr. Mike Roof is Executive Director of Bio-Research for Boehringer Ingelheim. His job today was to provide an overview of where the company is on the PRRS issue (Porcine Reproductive & Respiratory Syndrome). He says it’s still the big problem disease and he wants producers to know that BI hasn’t given up on it. He also wants producers to know, “There’s no magic bullets for PRRS. There’s going to be incremental progress over the next few years.”

Mike says that “I learn more from these meetings than I give out” when I asked him what he’s hearing from participants. He says there’s two main things. Producers want to know about the timing of vaccine use and about maternal immunity.

Mike also says that BI is working on ten new vaccines outside of PRRS and has a growing R&D group in cattle.

You can listen to my interview with Dr. Roof here: bi-nc-08-roof.mp3

BI Swine Health Seminar Photo Album.

Animal Health, Audio, Swine