Sit On A Soybean Seat

Chuck Zimmerman

Soyfoam SeatSitting on a soybean seat is what farmers may be doing soon.

Farmers could soon bring in the harvest using equipment made with their own crops, thanks to collaboration between Ford and John Deere, the world’s leading manufacturer of agricultural equipment. The two companies have agreed that Deere will further develop and manufacture Ford’s soy-based flexible foam for seating materials in tractors, riding mowers and other equipment.

Ford first introduced soy-based polyol to the auto industry in the seat backs and seat cushions of the 2008 Ford Mustang. The 2008 Ford F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator now also feature this eco-friendly technology, with the next application coming on the 2009 Ford Escape. Meanwhile, Deere has used soy-based products for body panels on some farm equipment. Ford will work with John Deere and its seat supplier, Sears Manufacturing Company, to bring this greener alternative to traditional seat foam to fields and even backyards nationwide.

Ford is working closely with the United Soybean Board to bring soy foam to the automotive market. The company is using 2.2 million pounds of soy foam in the 2008 Mustang alone. Just based on that application, this green alternative is on track to deliver a carbon dioxide reduction of 605,000 pounds annually.

With more than 3 billion bushels of soy harvested in the U.S. each year, at a 20 percent soy foam inclusion rate, Ford could potentially use up to 844,000 bushels of soy throughout its product lineup annually.


Thanks to Ford and Lear Corporation for the image.

Soybean, USB

New Website For Certified Hereford Beef

Chuck Zimmerman

Certified Hereford Beef WebsiteIf you like Certified Hereford Beef then you’ll want to check out the new website for their customers.

Certified Hereford Beef® (CHB) LLC has re-launched a customer-focused Web site, www.herefordbeef.net . This new Web site is equipped with upgraded navigation software to make it more user-friendly for CHBs three publics, consumers, customers (retail/foodservice) and producers.

HerefordBeef.net provides users an opportunity to locate where they can purchase CHB product at both the retail and foodservice level as well as being able to find distributors in their region. “This Web site is a key marketing tool for CHB and allows us to reach each of our key audiences with a fresh look at our quality CHB product,” says Arden Gremmert, Certified Hereford Beef General Manager. “The new site not only tells visitors where they can purchase our product in their home state in supermarkets or restaurants, it offers them recipes, nutritional information, smart shopping techniques and other tips that help them better enjoy the great taste of Certified Hereford Beef.”

Ag Groups, Beef, Internet

Blog Usage Up According To BIGresearch

Chuck Zimmerman

Big ResearchFor those of you who are always looking for new information about the use of media here’s an interesting study. Multitasking media is up according to a new SIMM study from BIGresearch.

“Technology is creating new media options faster than most people can assimilate and is causing more multitasking,” said Gary Drenik, President of BIGresearch. “Unfortunately for marketers faced with the challenges of an uncertain economy and the need to increase marketing ROI, new media options are impacting how consumers use traditional media. Specifically, TV’s influence on consumers to purchase products declined, whereas new media options such as web radio, satellite radio, instant messaging and blogging all increased. Consumers seem to be seeking information from digital platforms while TV has traditionally been viewed as a brand building medium, which isn’t providing the requisite information,” said Drenik.

This is great information and I hope no one thinks farmers are any different than the general public any more. Ask some farmers you know if they do this and see what you find out.

This does not mean all traditional media are declining in influence. Media that can target, be timely, and deliver value to consumers, such as coupons/direct mail, radio, yellow pages, newspapers and newspaper inserts all increased in influence to purchase as consumers are looking to stretch budgets in a slowing economy.

I think this list of key findings is fascinating:

  • Regular simultaneous media consumption for online, newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and direct mail is up from 1% to 35%, depending on the medium.
  • Channel surfing remains the #1 regular activity engaged in during TV commercials with 41.2% doing so followed by:
    33.5% talk with others in the room or by phone
    30.2% mentally tune out
    5.5% regularly fully attend to commercials
  • In SIMM 11, eating continues to be the #1 activity people engage in while using media followed by doing housework, doing laundry, cooking and talking on phone.
  • Top simultaneous media used when reading a newspaper are: watch TV, listen to the radio and go online.
  • For people listening to radio, other media simultaneously used are (top 3): engage in other activities, go online and read the newspaper.
    Web radio usage is up in all dayparts.
  • Cable is where most TV viewing takes place.
  • Dayparts which had highest number of media types increase usage over SIMM 10 – 1:00 am to 6:00 am, Noon to 4:30 pm, 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm, 7:30 pm to 11:00 pm and 10:00 am to Noon.
  • Top 3 In-Store Promotions for influence of purchasing a product: Product Samples, Shelf Coupons and Special Displays.
  • Top 3 Media for triggering an online search: Magazines, Reading an article on the product and TV.
  • Blogging increases in all dayparts.

Uncategorized

Tricia Falter Burkhardt Promoted

Chuck Zimmerman

Tricia Falter BurkhardtTricia here has been promoted at Morgan & Myers to Senior Associate.

“Tricia excels at understanding the clients’ needs and implementing communication strategies to help them meet their business goals,” says Janine Whipps, principal. “During the past year, her project management and digital communications skills have benefited the clients she serves, including Novartis Animal Health and Kruger Seeds.”

Working out of the firm’s Waterloo office, Burkhardt joined Morgan&Myers in 2005 after serving as the communications and outreach coordinator for the Missouri Farmers Union. She has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism and animal science from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She currently is a board member of the Marketing, Advertising & Communication Professionals of Northeast Iowa.

Agencies

Agronomy Up Front University

Chuck Zimmerman

Agronomy Up Front UniversityIf you’d like to go back to college then Golden Harvest is giving growers the opportunity with Agronomy Up Front University.

Growers will have the opportunity to explore new concepts geared towards increasing profit potential from research conducted by Golden Harvest’s unique Agronomy Up Front research program. They will also be able to choose the sessions that will benefit their operation the most:

• Measuring Seed-Applied Insecticide Performance in Soybeans
• Maximizing Yield & Returns with Continuous Corn
• Weed Control Goals: Cost vs. Control vs. Maximizing Yield & Returns
• Utilizing Fungicides and Insecticides as a Tool in Soybeans
• Tools of the Future: Corn Technology Traits on the Horizon
• Fine Tuning Corn: Foliar Fungicide & Disease Management
• Soybean Goal Management: Increased Yield or Increased Returns
• Increasing Future Ethanol Profits Through Management Strategies
• Consistent Corn Silage (Dubuque only)
• Managing Your Corn Acres: Getting All the Small Things Right!
– Population
– Planting Date
– Managing High Soil pH Areas

Research agronomists will be on-hand to talk about the Agronomy Up Front practical research results and how they can help producers deliver higher yields, improve their operations and make better business decisions.

Agribusiness

Kansas Gets Customized

Laura McNamara

Marin Farm PowerCustomized farming equipment is now available for Kansas farmers thanks to Martin Farm Power. The nearly century-old company is now offering Leica Geosystems’ mojoRTK Auto-steer system.

mojoRTKThe mojoRTK is the first auto-steer system that allows farmers to buy a basic system and then upgrade only the features they need, creating a completely customized system at an affordable price.

Martin is the first dealer in Kansas to offer customized upgrades, including the addition of GLONASS satellites, 8- and 16-mile range upgrades, survey grade elevation and other add-ons for the mojoRTK.

Leica GeosystemsAs a premium reseller, Martin Farm Power will also join Leica Geosystems as a pioneer in virtual service and support with Virtual Wrench(TM) — the agriculture industry’s first real-time, virtual service, support and diagnostic tool. With the use of Virtual Wrench, Martin’s technicians will have the ability to support the mojoRTK system in the field with remote technicians. With one touch of a button, farmers can connect to technicians who can view and adjust settings in the cab. They can see exactly what the farmer is viewing, and even “push” the buttons to make adjustments remotely.

Martin Tractor Company, the parent company of Martin Farm Power, has been serving Kansas farmers since 1911.

Agribusiness, Equipment, Farming

AgWired Survey 2008 Contest Giveaway

Chuck Zimmerman

AgWired Survey 2008It’s time once again to survey you dedicated AgWired fans. Well, even if you’re not dedicated we still need to hear from you.

To get you excited we’re going to pick one lucky winner from all the people who participate in our survey for a brand new, personalized 4G iPod Nano. Yes, you’ve wanted one, now you have a chance to win one for taking probably less than 2 minutes to complete our online survey. It’s the AgWired Survey 2008 Contest Giveaway. The questions are simple and we need as many responses as we can get.

AgWired as you know is about as open a source of industry news and information as you’re going to find. We don’t ask you to fill out cards on an annual basis to keep your subscription current, etc. However, the companies and organizations that support us really want some demographic data we can’t provide any other way. It’s really important to us that you take just a few moments sometime over the next month to fill out a survey form.

Even if you already have a Nano they make a great gift for your favorite person who doesn’t have one. Believe me, the odds will be pretty good in this contest compared to the Lottery.

To keep the legal people happy you can find The Official Rules here (Word doc). It’s not rocket science. The Survey Contest starts now and ends at 12pm on February 22, 2008. So you’ve got plenty of time to get it done.

And thank you very much for participating!

Uncategorized

Get Committeed With AAEA

Chuck Zimmerman

AAEAIf you’re a member of the American Agricultural Editor’s Association then you know it only works because of leadership and lots of committees. How about volunteering some of your time if you’re not on the list?

The full list of committees and members has been published. To see who’s who and doing what feel free to check out the list.Read More

ACN

Technorati Ranking For AgWired

Chuck Zimmerman

TechnoratiAccording to David Sifry at Technorati the blog search engine is now indexing 112 million blogs. That’s up from the last time I heard an update from him (35 million). This one was posted on Blogspotting. He also says that there’s about 112,000 new ones each day. You can see the AgWired summary on Technorati.

This is interesting because Technorati ranks blogs so you know how you compare to the others. I was amazed to see that AgWired currently has a rank of 143,900. I’d say that puts it in the top 1 percent of all blogs. Of course most of those blogs are either abandoned or never updated. I’ve heard estimates that there are several million active blogs though. AgWired still comes in pretty good in the top 5 percent of them!

According to Technorati: “A Technorati Ranking relates to the number of sources that point to a particular weblog relative to other weblogs. The more sources referencing a weblog, the higher the Technorati ranking.” I feel lots of fingers pointing at me.

By the way, our Domestic Fuel site currently has a Technorati ranking of 96,541.

Uncategorized

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Ten outstanding students pursuing careers in the beef industry have each been awarded a $1,500 scholarship provided by the CME Group and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation. Each scholarship winner wrote a 750-word essay that identified key issues confronting the beef industry, and suggested possible ways of dealing with those issues. The overall scholarship winner, Rebecca Tokach of Manhattan, Kan., was awarded an all-expense-paid trip to the 2008 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show in Reno, where she will be recognized during the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Awards Program Lunch on Feb. 9. Tokach is a junior at Kansas State University in Manhattan.
  • Gov. Matt Blunt continued to build on his reputation as a champion for renewable fuels by announcing his support for a statewide 5 percent biodiesel (B-5) standard in his State of the State address to the Missouri General Assembly. The biodiesel standard would provide that all diesel fuel sold in the State of Missouri shall contain a 5 percent blend of biodiesel when it is the same price or less than conventional diesel fuel. In addition to his support of the historic B-5 standard, Blunt has provided unwavering support for the state’s farmer-owned biodiesel industry by fully funding the Missouri Biodiesel Producer Incentive Fund every year he has been in office.
  • KY-Radio host and agriculture writer Trent Loos and his burning passion to make a difference in animal agriculture will be front and center when he serves as the featured evening banquet speaker at the National Institute for Animal Agriculture’s annual meeting, Tuesday, April 1, in Indianapolis, Ind. Loos is a farmer/rancher whose passionate desire to stand up for agriculture became public knowledge in January 2001 when he launched “Loos Tales” on KMZU Radio in Carrolton, Mo. In seven short years, Trent’s radio career has expanded to include a second program, “The Truth Be Told,” with his programs now airing on more than 100 radio stations across the Midwest.
Zimfo Bytes