The Meyocks Group is brave enough to be independent.
Doug Jeske, chief operating officer of The Meyocks Group advertising agency, has acquired the firm from Hy-Vee, the two parties announced today. The Meyocks Group will continue to be advertising agency of record for Hy-Vee.
“This change in ownership gives The Meyocks Group the opportunity to operate and grow as an independent firm,” says Jeske, who joined the firm in 1993 and was elected to its management team in 1996. Jeske was named chief operating officer in 2006 and has been running the day-to-day operations of the agency since last December. “This transition will be seamless for our clients and our team members,” he says.
Hy-Vee purchased The Meyocks Group in 1994 when it was known as Meyocks Benkstein Associates. The agency later operated as Meyocks & Priebe Advertising. Richard “Dick” Meyocks retired in 1995 and passed away in 1996. Co-founder Ken Benkstein remains a senior counselor with the firm.
If you’re planning on traveling with a horse then you might want to check into the advice and help of some experts. The experts at 
Mark Hardy is the President of Horse Travel Network. This morning he and I sat down and wound up talking far longer than I think we planned but he’s an interesting guy and this new venture sounds like it’s got some great potential. One of the things I find most interesting is how they’re totally internet based and have already got over 700 people signed up and it’s brand new! Word of mouth is working for them big time. The site will include advice, forums, blogs and of course, listings. It’s going to take advantage of some social networking applications which are really popular today.
It’s hard to appreciate from this little thumbnail photo just what a cool venue the Sara Wyant/Allan Johnson lake house was for the Farm Foundation Michael Peterson concert Friday night. You have to go look at the photo album to get a bigger view. 
The event was made possible by our very good friend Gene Hemphill and New Holland. It was his idea two years ago to offer a private concert with Michael to the highest bidder at the NAFB Farm Foundation auction. In 2006, farm broadcaster Pam Jahnke of Madison, WI bought one package and used it for a Wisconsin FFA fundraiser, while the National Farmers Union matched her bid and bought another for their annual convention. Gene says they will offer it up again at the 2008 convention in November.
People from all over the country attended the concert, including some corn guys from Illinois and Kansas who might be familiar faces to AgWired readers. We also had the famous singer and National Biodiesel Board executive director Joe Jobe and his family, as well as some people from as far away as Washington DC, like Karen Coble Edwards who was visiting with Charlene Finck of Farm Journal down at the lake and they both came with their families. 
Cindy got to see Michael Peterson perform on Friday night but I got to see Callaway perform on Saturday night. She did a benefit concert for support of Appaloosa Youth Association activities and was a big hit with the young audience.
If we were a radio station, this would make a great promo spot.
Country music singer Michael Peterson made some young fans happy at a private party at Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks Friday night, singing autographs on copies of his “Down on the Farm” CD supplied to guests courtesy of New Holland. But he also got an autographed memento of his own from the event.
The party was a benefit for 
Sara presented the book to Michael in gratitude for his performance and in recognition of his tremendous contributions to rural America. 
While Chuck was busy chasing spotted horses in Mississippi this weekend, I got to go to a really GREAT party at beautiful Lake of the Ozarks, featuring our good friend Michael Peterson. 
Our gracious hosts were Sara Wyant and Allan Johnson, who bought a private concert with Michael at the NAFB Foundation auction last November, courtesy of New Holland and the still-not-retired Gene Hemphill.