Who Are Rural Lifestyle People?

Chuck Zimmerman

Susan SpauldingOne of our speakers at the Country Living Outlook Conference was Susan Spaulding, Market Directions. She was part of a panel that discussed “What’s Going on in the Country.”

Susan says her company has done some significant research on the rural lifestyle market. Some of the things they’ve found about the people who live the country life include:

  • They are passionate about where they live.
  • They’re looking to marketers to help them enjoy their choice to live the country life.
  • Media choices are working well and used by them and they spend a lot of time on the internet.
  • They’re very engaged in their community.
  • Women are very involved in decision making.
  • Half are empty nesters, half aren’t.

Everyone wants to understand just who these people are but it’s obvious that we’re dealing with a very diverse target market.

You can listen to my interview with Susan here: cla-07-spaulding.mp3

Country Living Outlook Conference Photo Album

Audio

A Bullwhipper

Chuck Zimmerman

Bull WhipperThe American Royal is in full swing here in Kansas City. In fact, it’s the venue for today’s Country Living Olympics which I’ll be attending this afternoon. During yesterday’s Country Living Outlook Conference I could hear a lot of noise in Kemper Arena so I snuck out on a break to see what was going on. It must have been kids day because there were a lot of them in the stands.

This guy was giving them a bullwhip demonstration which included snapping off the ends of flowers sticking out of his mouth. Not something I’d recommend trying at home.

Since there’s a lot of activity going on you’ll find photos like these in the set I’m building from the Country Living Association activities taking place.

Country Living Outlook Conference Photo Album

Uncategorized

RFD-TV Reaching Those Rural People

Chuck Zimmerman

Mike HansenThe Executive Vice President of RFD-TV is Mike Hansen. He was our luncheon keynote speaker at the Country Living Outlook Conference. With a company/tv network that has a name like RFD you know they’ve got to be reaching rural lifestyle people right?

Mike talked to us about the 8 year old network and says that they were reaching these rural lifestylers before we really even knew they were a viable market. He says that they’ve now got 3 programs focusing on rural lifestyle with 2 more starting after the first of the year. He says that businesses are stepping up to the plate to support their new programming in a big way.

After the first of the year they’ll be broadcasting HD programming. For that reason anyone wanting to produce video for RFD-TV ought to start doing their production in HD.

You can listen to my interview with Mike here: cla-07-hansen.mp3

Country Living Outlook Conference Photo Album

Audio, Media

Moderating the Country Life

Chuck Zimmerman

Courtney YuskisOur program moderator here at the Country Living Outlook Conference is Courtney Yuskis, Director of the Country Living Association. She’s been keeping us on schedule.

I’m set up in the side of Replay’s here in Kemper Arena with a pretty slow connection using my Sprint card. That’s why things have been a little slow on the posting front today. But I have been busy getting interviews and taking pictures. So we’ll be learning more about living the country life over the next couple days.

Country Living Outlook Conference Photo Album

Uncategorized

Betsy’s Perspectives on the Rural Lifestyle

Chuck Zimmerman

Betsy FreeseThe first person on the program at the Country Living Outlook Conference is Betsy Freese, Editor-in-Chief of Living The Country Life. Betsy talked about who these rural lifestyle people are and based her comments on research her company has done as well as her personal contact with her audience. Some quick facts she gave came from the magazine’s subscription cards and includes:

Average Age: 51.9
Average Income: $81,911
Average Home Value: $116,479
Married: 89%

When it comes to reaching people living in the country she says they take a 360 degree approach using their magazine, a tv show on RFD-TV, a radio show and their website on which she’s now got a blog started. She says it’s a growing audience. From direct feedback with her audience she says they want a lot of information on various types of projects with questions about ponds being at the top of the list.

You can listen to my interview with Betsy here: cla-07-freese.mp3

Country Living Outlook Conference Photo Album

Audio

Country Living Outlook Conference Underway

Chuck Zimmerman

Country Living Outlook ConferenceThe Country Living Outlook Conference is underway here in Kansas City at Replay’s in Kemper Arena. We’ve got 60 people attending from a pretty broad range of company types including real estate, media, research and agribusiness.

There are a number of speakers as you can see from my earlier post with the agenda. I’m going to try to have interviews posted with them all by the end of the weekend.

Uncategorized

Zimfo Bites

Melissa Sandfort

  • Penton Media’s BEEF® magazine will host its second annual BEEF Quality Summit, Nov. 7-8, 2007 at the Holiday Inn Centre in Omaha, Neb. This year’s conference will focus on “Beef Quality in the Ethanol Era” and explore the impact of increased ethanol production on beef carcass and retail product quality; beef industry infrastructure and economics; and key related business issues for producers. Full conference details are available here.
  • Although setting up disease protocols is extremely important, prevention management can be the best medicine with fresh cows. When fresh cows get sick, dairies start losing money. Veterinary service and treatment costs, lost milk production, increased culling rates and prolonged days open add up to thousands of dollars of lost profit. Mark Kirkpatrick, DVM, Manager, Dairy Veterinary Operations, Pfizer Animal Health says early diagnosis and treatment are critical to preventing serious fresh cow health problems and avoiding economic loss. A list of simple steps used when evaluating fresh cow health can be found here.
  • Dow AgroSciences has been recognized internationally for its innovation and stewardship. Dow AgroSciences was recognized as a winner in one category and as a finalist in four other categories in the AGROW Awards competition, which honors corporate and individual excellence in the crop protection and production industry.
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., (BIVI) swine division announces the following additions to its U.S. swine team: Thomas J. Fangman, DVM, has joined the BIVI swine division as a professional services veterinarian; Dennis Swalheim has joined as sales representative, responsible for the Wisconsin and Illinois sales region territory.
Zimfo Bytes

Filling Room in the Mushroom Council

Laura McNamara

Mushroom CouncilThis time, it’s four new members and the new appointees are filling in the gaps in the Mushroom Council.

Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner appointed four members to serve on the Mushroom Council.

Newly appointed producer members who will serve three-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2008 and ending Dec. 31, 2010 are: Fletcher Street, Region 1,Tacoma, Wash.; Kathleen K. Lafferty, Region 2, Landenberg, Pa.; and Joe Caldwell, Region 3, Knoxville, Tenn.

Virgil Jurgensmeyer of Miami, Okla., the newly appointed member for Region 1, will serve a two-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2008 and ending Dec. 31, 2009.

Authorized under the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act of 1990, the Mushroom Council — composed of fresh market producers or importers who average more than 500,000 pounds of mushrooms produced or imported annually — administers a national promotion, research and consumer information program to maintain and expand markets for fresh mushrooms.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Food

Blueberry Boost

Laura McNamara

U.S. Highbush Blueberry CouncilThe mango industry isn’t the only fruit getting some new representation. Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner has appointed six producer members, including one first handler and alternates to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.

The members will each serve three-year terms of office beginning Jan. 1, 2008 and ending Dec. 31, 2010.

Newly appointed producer members are: H. Neil Moore of Ivanhoe, N.C.; Dennis G. Doyle, New Lisbon, N.J. and Douglas A. Krahmer, St. Paul, Ore. Reappointed producer members are: Adair Chambers Peterson, Homerville, Ga.; Robert Carini, West Olive, Mich. and Rod Cook, Olympia, Wash.

Newly appointed alternates are: Ralph C. Carter Jr., White Lake, N.C.; Tim Wetherbee, Hammonton, N.J.; Ryan L. Brown, Hillsboro, Ore. and John V. Bennett, Alma, Ga. Reappointed alternates are: Kathryn A. Clemons, Pullman, Mich. and Bryan Sakuma, Bow, Wash.

Paul Macrie III of Hammonton is a newly appointed handler member and Guy P. Cotton, Stockton, Calif., is a newly appointed handler alternate.

The Blueberry Promotion, Research and Information Order, which became effective on July 17, 2000, authorizes the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council to conduct a coordinated program of promotion, research and consumer andindustry information in order to maintain and expand the market for cultivated blueberries.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Food

New Members for National Mango Board

Laura McNamara

National Mango BoardThe acting Agriculture Secretary is swiftly exercising his authority. Ag Secretary Chuck Conner has named six new officials to the 20-member National Mango Board.

These six appointees were nominated by the Board to fill three importer positions and three foreign producer positions. The members will start their three-year terms beginning on Jan. 1, 2008 and ending Dec. 31, 2010.

Newly appointed members are: Caleb “Cliff” Cavazos, Rio Rico, Ariz., importer, District III; and Flavio Muranaka, Brazil and Yamil Farah, Ecuador, foreign producers.

Reappointed members are: Ismael Diaz, Rio Rico, Ariz., importer, District III; Larry Nienkerk, Woodside, Calif., importer, District IV and Paul Barclay, Peru, foreign producer.

The National Mango Board is an industry-funded, national generic program of research and promotion, industry and consumer information conducted to maintain, expand and develop domestic markets for fresh mangos. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service monitors the operations of the National Mango Board.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Citrus, Food