Colorado State Wins Cattlemen’s Foundation Quiz Bowl

Chuck Zimmerman

Quiz BowlHere’s the Quiz Bowl Champions from this year’s Cattlemen’s Foundation collegiate competition. They’re from Colorado State University and pictured are: L-R: Scott Howard, Dominic DiSanti, Josh Docheff, Shannon Case and Travis Hoffman, Advisor. The competition was held in Reno at the Cattle Industry Convention.

In addition to Colorado State, regional championship teams from Ohio State University, Penn State University, and the University of Tennessee competed. Teams earned the privilege of competing in the finals by winning their American Society of Animal Science section’s competition of the Academic Quadrathlon.

During the competition, students answer a series of questions about all aspects of beef cattle and the beef industry. The range of questions can include physiology, nutrition, reproduction, meat science, basic production information and current events affecting the beef industry. The competition is head-to-head and double elimination. The Collegiate Quiz Bowl continues to develop future leaders by engaging them in competition and presenting the contestants with the opportunity to be a part of the Cattle Industry Annual Convention. The National Collegiate Quiz Bowl is a joint program of the National Cattlemen’s Foundation and the American Society of Animal Science.

Ag Groups, University

Rhea + Kaiser Using Uncommon Sense

Chuck Zimmerman

Rhea KaiserThere’s nothing like freshening up the old brand in the new year. That’s what Rhea + Kaiser has done using just a little bit of “Uncommon Sense.”

On the eve of its 30th anniversary, Rhea + Kaiser is introducing a new brand identity, built around the theme of “Uncommon Sense.”

The agency’s identity rebranding initiative had a two-fold objective: to acknowledge the evolution of Rhea + Kaiser and to better reflect the agency’s value offering to current and prospective clients, said Steve Rhea, president, CEO and co-founder of the independent, integrated agency.

“Over the past 18 months, we took stock of Rhea + Kaiser’s history, evolution and current standing,” Rhea said. “We conducted internal focus groups, debated the sacred, proposed the outrageous and spent time crafting, testing and pressure-testing the identity that will carry us confidently into the future.” Read More

Agencies

A Morning Sunrise To Get You Going

Chuck Zimmerman

MO River SunriseI don’t know about you but I never get tired of sunrises and sunsets. Here’s one to hopefully brighten your Monday morning. This is a view as I was crossing the Missouri River bridge coming out of Jefferson City this morning using my Blackberry Curve. Pretty cool scene.

I don’t know how many of you are on holiday today. I’ve already called the bank forgetting that they’d be closed. Some of us keep right on trucking.

Actually I’ll be flying south on Wednesday to do a little private counseling before attending the National Ethanol Conference in Orlando. MO SunriseThat’s a cross posting event onto our Domestic Fuel site and RFA’s Ethanol Report blog. Agriculture will be well represented there I’m sure.
Then it’s off to Commodity Classic next week where I’ll meet up with Cindy who arrives before me.

I had to snap another shot of the sunrise after getting across the bridge.

So, I hope your week gets off to a great start.

Uncategorized

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Merial announces the addition of four new IGENITY® Sales Representatives: Gary Felger, Zac Hall, Courtney Kealey and Sam Lewis. These sales representatives will work with beef producers in their respective territories to put the power of DNA to work with the comprehensive IGENITY profile. Visit the Web site for more information on the comprehensive IGENITY profile.
  • General Mills and DuPont announced they sold their 8th Continent soy milk joint venture to Stremicks Heritage Foods, a branded specialty foods company. Conditions of the sale included a long-term supply agreement from Solae, a DuPont majority-owned joint venture, which has been supplying soy protein to 8th Continent.
  • Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced the appointment of H. Scott Hurd as Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dr. Hurd comes to FSIS from Iowa State University where he has served as an epidemiologist in the College of Veterinary Medicine for the past three years.
  • A new option for broad-spectrum control of broadleaf weeds with grass control assistance in soybeans is now available from FMC Corporation. New Authority Assist herbicide is the answer for effective residual control of tough broadleaves and grass control assistance. Soybean growers can rely on Authority Assist for complete broadleaf control, including control of small-seeded weeds, and grass assist, resulting in a cleaner start for increased yields.
Zimfo Bytes

Kansas Promotes Healthy Cattle

Laura McNamara

beefcattle.pngKansas State University wants ranchers and livestock owners to keep the cattle clean and healthy. The university is hosting the Beef Cattle Welfare at its Beef Cattle Institute May 28-30.

Animal welfare is one of the fastest growing concerns among consumers throughout the country, according to Dr. Dan Thomson, a Kansas State University veterinarian and expert on the impact of beef cattle production practices on cattle well-being and health.

The Beef Cattle Institute at K-State will conduct an International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare, May 28-30, on the K-State campus.

“The symposium is designed to provide a venue in which all stakeholders in beef cattle production can meet and discuss the many welfare-related topics concerning the raising, feeding and harvesting of beef cattle,” Thomson said.

Speakers at the symposium will include producers, ethologists, nutritionists and veterinarians who will address current welfare-related issues facing the beef industry. The speaker list also includes people in policy-making positions within the federal government, professional societies and industry commodity groups.

More information on the symposium, including how to register, is available at the Beef Cattle Institute Website.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Animal Health, Beef, Education, Environment, Farming, Livestock

The Land of Wine and Food…

Laura McNamara

California Travel and Tourism Commission…is, apparently, in California. The California Travel & Tourism Commission and the Wine Institute are teaming up to promote the ‘Land of Wine and Food’ nationwide.

Building on California’s allure as America’s “Capital of Culinary Travel,” the California Wine Institute and the California Travel and Tourism Commission (CTTC) have entered into an historic partnership to promote the state’s wine and cuisine offerings to the fast-growing travel segment of culinary connoisseurs — and those who aspire to be.

The heart of the campaign focuses on a new LandofWineandFood.com Web site which will debut at wine and food and travel media events in New York. Also to be unveiled at the New York events will be an exciting new national TV campaign featuring Governor Schwarzenegger, First Lady Maria Shriver and wine and culinary celebrities promoting California’s rich bounty of wine and food. The spot is scheduled to begin running on February 4 in major markets across the U.S. Print ads featuring top chefs and winemakers, such as Heidi Barrett, will also run in various wine, food and lifestyle magazines throughout the winter and spring.

The Wine InstituteConsumers will find a rich and unique Web site that will virtually pull them into California, “The Land of Wine and Food.” Exciting features include: an Interactive Wine Region Explorer, showcasing the best California wine regions for their favorite varietals as well as wine and food itineraries; Travel Tips Video Shorts from California wine and food pioneers, sharing tips such as the best way to find locals’ favorite eateries; blogs featuring wine and food luminaries like Pat Kuleto, Duskie Estes and Andrew Firestone of Curtis Winery; Local Californian’s Point of View Tips, where locals tell visitors their favorite things to do and places to visit; and a chance to win exclusive culinary adventures in California.

California boasts nine of the top 10 U.S. agricultural counties, which grow a diverse assortment of fresh produce that many fine chefs demand in California’s 80,000 restaurants and eateries, says CTTC Executive Director Caroline Beteta. “California is the most visited state in the U.S. for food and wine-related activities, but our research shows there’s still a lot of potential for growth in wine and food travel to our state,” said Beteta.

Ag Groups, Agencies, Agribusiness, Food

Product & Labor Tracking Solutions Introduced

Melissa Sandfort

image1.jpgTo assist producers of hand-harvested fruit and vegetable crops in working more productively, efficiently and profitably, John Deere Agri Services has introduced two information management tools: Product Tracking and Labor Tracking solutions. These innovative systems work collaboratively to record, store and manage information to better run operations.

The Labor Tracking solution utilizes a handheld device to collect in-field information to track and monitor harvest and production data such as who harvested what crops, where and when. All in-field collected data is automatically stamped with GPS coordinates, date and time for accurate reporting and record keeping.

The Product Tracking solution gives managers the ability to more accurately and easily record and track all in-field production history for field and shed-packed fresh produce and to link data from the field to the finished lot. The system converts data into real-time information that managers can use to increase product value, expedite regulatory and commercial compliance and improve risk management.

For more information on the Labor Tracking and Product Tracking solutions, produce managers can call 1-800-393-8971 or e-mail the John Deere Agri Services customer contact at AgriServices@JohnDeere.com. Additional information on the Labor Tracking and Product Tracking solutions also can be found on the Web site.

Uncategorized

Hallowell Promoted at Bader Rutter

Chuck Zimmerman

Lori HallowellLori Hallowell is now a group leader at Bader Rutter. She’ll be in the agency’s account management group.

Hallowell joined the agency in 1994. Her hard work and passion for the business have been instrumental in the growth of Merial, the agency’s animal health client. Originally from Palmyra, Neb., Hallowell earned a bachelor of science degree in agricultural journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She serves on the board of directors of the National Agri-Marketing Association’s Midlands Chapter.

Agencies

ABM Agri Council Recommends Ag Media Mix

Chuck Zimmerman

ABM Agri-Council AdI just got my latest quarterly Agri Council Intelligence Report and thought you’d be interested in a couple of things that caught my eye. Here’s one of the latest ads from the ABM Agri Council. They’re running a schedule in Agrimarketing Magazine (a member of the Council) and have plans for a new round coming soon.

In an effort to continue to keep farmers and ranchers engaged, ABM will introduce three new Agri ads in the second quarter of 2008 with a more arresting visual and revamped body copy. The new ads will feature one eye-catching, prominently-placed visual of a farmer or rancher, which were captured by Harlan Persinger, award-winning freelance Agri photographer. The ads will continue to run monthly in AgriMarketing magazine.

I’m not sure how running an ad in Agrimarketing keeps farmers and ranchers engaged but perhaps I’m missing something. I find it fascinating though how the ag media is converging today and yet we still have separate ag media organizations (NAFB, AAEA, LPC). These ads use Harris Interactive research that shows:

There is still no better way to reach farmers and ranchers than by utilizing a broad mix of Ag media, including magazines, newspapers, Web sites, trade shows, conferences, television and radio.

That’s a media mix these companies wouldn’t have mentioned in the same document several years ago! I agree with it too. Fact is that many of these companies now are involved in or have properties in all of the above.

And Harlan, it’s good to see your name in there. Keep shooting buddy.

Media, Publication

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • DuPont and Precision BioSciences, Inc., announced a technology collaboration to bring higher-yielding agricultural products to the market faster. The agreement provides DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred rights to Precision’s Directed Nuclease Editor™ (DNE) technology to introduce and stack multiple genes that accelerate product development in corn, soybeans and other important agricultural crops. The technology aids in the discovery of new traits and allows Pioneer scientists to insert, remove and stack multiple traits at pre-selected sites in the plant genome, shortening the time it takes to bring new, high-value products to market.
  • Schering-Plough Animal Health Corporation announced the release of ULTRA SABER, a new pour-on insecticide that controls horn flies on beef cattle and calves. ULTRA SABER is a new type of pour-on insecticide that contains 1 percent lambdacyhalothrin and 5 percent piperonyl butoxide, a synergist which improves insecticidal activity.
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., announces that Tom Wetzell, DVM, has joined the swine division’s professional services team. Wetzell has been employed as a swine veterinary consultant in private practice with South Central Veterinary Associates. Wetzell, a graduate of the University of Minnesota, will be working with producers in Minnesota and northern Iowa and continue to reside in Wells, Minn.
Zimfo Bytes