Bill Schuermann New ASA Executive Director

Chuck Zimmerman

Bill SchuermannOur old buddy Bill Schuermann has a new job with the American Soybean Association. He’s their new Executive Director, Member and Industry Relations. Congratulations Bill.

Schuermann most recently served as Group Publisher-Fruit and Vegetable Group for Meister Media Worldwide in Willoughby, Ohio, where he was responsible for three of the company’s specialty ag publications. Many in the agribusiness industry may know Bill best for his work at Doane, LLC, based in Saint Louis, where he was Senior Vice President, Economic Advisory and Information Services, and Publisher and Editorial Director for Agri Marketing magazine. He has had additional sales and marketing management experience with Ball Seed Company and DeKalb-Pfizer Genetics.

“Bill will be responsible for leading our staff and organization in the communications, industry relations, marketing, and membership areas,” Censky said. “He will maintain and develop strategic alliances with agribusiness and allied industries, serve as ASA’s top manager and liaison for Commodity Classic, and provide direction to meet the objectives of ASA’s Agribusiness Council.”

Ag Groups, Soybean

Rebuilding Afghanistan’s Livestock Industry

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-148 - Animal Health in AfghanistanThis week you get to hear some of the good news about what our military is doing in Afghanistan. Like in Iraq, our fighting men and women have also engaged in projects to help re-build this country’s agricultural infrastructure. It sure is a different story than the one you’ll find on network television or read in the newspaper.

Thanks to Pfizer Animal Health, I got connected to Lieutenant Colonel Sam Barringer, DVM. He’s a U.S. Air Force Reservist who went on a mission to help reinvigorate animal agriculture in Afghanistan. Basically, his team trained local veterinarians, brought in and treated animals from areas of the country that still had livestock and helped family farmers establish themselves. The idea being to help these people become self-sufficient.

Dr. Sam BarringerDr. Barringer says that although it’s dangerous territory still, the people he met were friendly and truly appreciated the work he was doing. He says that he believes he could go back in 10 years and they would still welcome him into their homes.

In the picture you can see Dr. Barringer (right) training Afghan veterinarians on animal health assessment and prevention and treatment products. He says that extended therapy products are especially beneficial because these veterinarians travel great distances to treat an animal, then are unable to return for long periods of time, making repeat treatments extremely difficult.

This is a story that needs to be heard so I hope you’ll pass a link to it along to your friends. That is what this new media is all about you know.

I looked through the Podsafe Music Network for something about veterinarians or livestock but couldn’t find any so the program ends with a song called “Animal” by the Jeff Hightower. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 148 (17 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:zimmcast148-12-3-07.mp3

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

Animal Health, Audio, ZimmCast

Carl Winter’s Food Safety Music

Chuck Zimmerman

USDA SongHow about a little food safety music to start your day? This is from Carl Winter at the University of California – Davis. He’s got several food safety themed songs available including lyrics and a powerpoint presentation. I thought you’d enjoy the USDA song.

People, there’s no need to despair
If you’re worried ‘bout your food, land, and air
I can tell you, there are people who care
There’s no need to be unhappy

People, there’s a place you can go
Where there’s research on how to make your plants grow
And some programs that pay the growers some dough
Even when they don’t plant nothing Read More

Audio, University, USDA

Association for Downloadable Media Election Results

Chuck Zimmerman

Association for Downloadable MediaThe election results are in for the Association for Downloadable Media. What is that you ask? Here’s the mission statement: To provide leadership in and organization of advertising and audience measurement standards, research, education and advocacy to all those involved in downloadable media (such as podcast/ATOM/RSS media enclosures) across the Internet, mobile devices, handsets, set-top boxes, P2P and other emerging platforms.

Executive Committee

* Chairman: Chris MacDonald, EVP Business Development and Operations Libsyn PRO Enterprise Platform and Founder, IndieFeed
* Vice Chairman: Susan Bratton, CEO, Personal Life Media
* Secretary: Matthew Snodgrass, VP Digital Marketing, Porter Novelli
* Treasurer: Duncan Perry, COO, Podcast.com, Treedia Labs

Board of Advisors

* CC Chapman, Podcaster and Partner, The Advance Guard
* Jonathan Cobb, Founder and CTO, Kiptronic
* John Furrier, Founder, Podtech
* Rob Greenlee, Podcast Programming Lead, Microsoft Zune
* John Havens, VP, Business Development, BlogTalkRadio
* Risto Koski, Business Manager, Multimedia/Nokia Music, Nokia
* Jim Louderback, CEO, Revision3
* Mark McCrery, Founder and CEO, Podtrac
* Elisabeth McLaury Lewin, Publisher, PodcastingNews.com
* Kent Nichols, Principle, AskANinja.com
* Tim Street, Principle, French Maid TV

Committee Chairs

* Advertising Standards: Brian McMahon, CEO, National Podcasting System
* Education & Outreach: Rob Walch, VP, Podcaster Relations, Wizzard Media
* Committee Chair: Measurement: Angelo Mandato, CIO, RawVoice, Inc.
* Membership Committee: Bryan Moffett, Sponsorship Operations Manager, NPR Digital Media
* Terminology Standardization: David Rowley, VP Engineering, Kiptronic, Inc.

Subscribe to their blog using this link.

Uncategorized

Zimfo Bites

Melissa Sandfort

  • Servigistics, the leading strategic service management solution provider, announced that AGCO Corporation, whose well-known equipment brand names include Massey Ferguson, Challenger, Valtra, and Fendt, has selected Servigistics to plan the company’s service parts globally and to optimize prices in individual markets globally. AGCO will utilize the Servigistics solution to offer dealers competitive prices, enhance customer service, and drive efficiencies across the service parts chain.
  • A select group of elevators is offering growers expanded options to earn special premiums for soybeans during the 2008 season. More than 100 locations throughout the region are offering up to a 60-cent premium per bushel for low linolenic soybeans from Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business. Participating elevators are located in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania and Missouri. Additionally, contract growers are eligible to earn a 20 percent rebate on DuPont™ Asana® XL, Assure® II and Punch™ crop protection products used on their 2008 Pioneer low lin soybean contract acres.
  • Accelerated Genetics awards four, $500 scholarships to high school seniors planning to major in agriculture at a short course, vocational technical college or four-year university degree program. Any high school senior who has participated in high school agricultural education, 4-H or any agricultural organization is eligible to apply. The applicant or their parents must be currently purchasing semen or products from an authorized Accelerated Genetics representative. Click here for an application form. Accelerated Genetics also offers two, $1000 scholarships to students currently enrolled in a short course, vocational technical college or a four-year university degree program. For an application form, download it from the National FFA Foundation Web site. Both applications are due postmarked by Feb. 15, 2008.
Zimfo Bytes

Understanding Blogs in Plain English

Chuck Zimmerman

Although I get hired to make presentations about blogging and podcasting I sure don’t mind sharing when someone else says it better than me. Here’s a great little video that might help those half dozen or so of you out there who still don’t get the blogging thing.

Via Podcasting News

Uncategorized

Time Online Rising Rapidly

Chuck Zimmerman

How much time do you spend online these days? More than you did 2 years ago?

According to a chart on the Compete Blog time spent online has increased by 24.3% since October of 2006. That’s a pretty healthy jump in just two years.

Here’s what the author of that post, Jay Meattle, has to say about it:

We are spending more and more time consuming information online. Logically, since time is finite online advertising spend should follow a similar trajectory with marketers allocating their ad budgets in proportion to where people are spending their time.

Needless to say, this is a time of considerable opportunity for online media properties and online marketers!

I can’t agree more.

Internet

Changing Mobile Phone Companies

Chuck Zimmerman

Marantz PMD 620The new Marantz PMD 620 has arrived at ZimmComm courtesy of Evan Slack, Evan Slack Network. Thank you Evan for the early Christmas present. It’s going to get a work out I can tell you. Look for it connected to the golden ZimmComm microphone at a farm meeting near you.

Posting has been light the last two days because I’m trying to get caught up on some stuff. The main thing being changing all my mobile phone plans from Sprint to AT&T. You definitely don’t want to hear my horror stories but I should really be sending an invoice for about $2,500 to Sprint for just the time they’ve cost me in the last 4 weeks. It’s unbelievable. I’ve been with Sprint for about 16 years and I’ve defended them and promoted them but they lost me. I moved 6 lines away from them and I’m sure I’m going to continue to have a fight on my hands dealing with the final billing. I don’t think they’re capable of getting it right.

So now that I’m at AT&T you’re probably thinking, “Chuck must have gotten himself an iPhone.” Nope. I got a Blackberry Curve (Titanium). This is a very cool phone with what seems to be a pretty decent camera in it. I also got an Option GT Max Express card for my computer. With the new Leopard OS installed all I had to do was plug the card in and it works. No software to install. That’s why I like Mac.

With my iPod Touch and my phone I think I’m pretty well set. I like my Touch, especially since I connect to the web on wi-fi so I don’t have to have my notebook for every situation. However, I’m more comfortable typing on the Blackberry keyboard than the Touch or iPhone screen. So there you have it.

Uncategorized

Zimfo Bites

Melissa Sandfort

  • AgraGate Climate Credits Corp. is now accepting applications for a new, five-year carbon credits contract that includes a bonus option for a sixth year for qualified land. The 2008-2012 contract is for cropland farmed with continuous no-tillage or strip-tillage practices, or with new grass plantings since Jan. 1, 1999. The contract also has a bonus provision for operators who used the conservation tillage practices in 2007.
  • Paul Hitch, cattle producer from Guymon, Okla., has resigned his position as president-elect of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) due to cancer. According to NCBA bylaws, the association’s vice president, Andy Groseta, cattle producer from Cottonwood, Ariz., automatically moves into the president-elect position. Groseta will then succeed John Queen as NCBA president after the upcoming annual meeting in Reno, Nev., Feb. 6-9, 2008.
  • Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner has announced the Jan 3, 2008 retirement of USDA Chief Economist Dr. Keith Collins and the appointment of Deputy Chief Economist Dr. Joseph Glauber as Acting Chief Economist. Glauber is currently on detail to the office of the U.S. Trade Representative and serving as Special Doha Agricultural Envoy. He is expected to assume the duties of Chief Economist full-time beginning in mid-December.
  • The American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers announces Ag Pro Outlook ’08 and their 78th Annual Meeting held Feb. 17-20, 2008 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina in San Diego, Calif. Registration and fee information can be found here. Early registration deadline is Jan. 18, 2008 to take advantage of discounted fees.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Egg Cocktails

    Laura McNamara

    Distilled Spirits Council of the United StatesEggs are not just for Nog for the experts at the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. The organization says there are numerous options for egg-based cocktails and the “cracked creations” are perfect for the holiday season.

    This holiday season and beyond, a classic cocktail renaissance is inspiring the modern bartender to revisit a long-lost ingredient: the raw egg. Universally accepted during the holidays as a component to creating fresh eggnog, the egg was once commonly used as an element in a whole category of classic cocktails such as fizzes, flips and pickups. With old standards like these making a comeback, the egg is getting a second crack.

    Egg whites act as a great binding agent and create a distinct froth. The most creative bartenders are inventing new uses for the egg in drink recipes – infusing the whites with fruit syrups and floating them on top of drinks or zealously shaking them into modern day Fizzes and Sours.

    The recently launched book, “Imbibe!” by David Wondrich, chronicles the life of bartending pioneer Jerry Thomas, and it includes many recipes calling for the use of raw eggs.

    While the raw egg idea might make some squirm, it seems the trendsetters are on board: Those who order the Ramos Fizz at Audrey Saunders’ Pegu Club in Manhattan are immediately informed that it will take a while. Bartenders are then employed to endlessly shake the raw egg-white mixture to create the rich foam that makes this drink so unique. Julie Reiner, who is opening “The Clover Club” in Brooklyn in mid-December, has named the establishment after the classic raw egg cocktail and will be serving several variations of egg-based drinks.
    Read More

    Food