Why Don’t All States Do This?

Chuck Zimmerman

This evening the Missouri Department of Agriculture hosted its annual legislative reception. Normally this consists of booths by commodity groups who serve food from their commodity. I know other states do this.

One of the winners of the competition was the Missouri Soybean Association for their soy-based Pony Express green beer. Another winner was the Missouri Wine Industry which created a great Irish Stew and served red and white wines made here in MO. I sampled the Norton varieties from the 4 different vineyards presented.

The whole idea of the night was to bring in the law makers. The Missouri State Fair had Elvis there as evidenced by this picture:

Government

New ZimmCast

Chuck Zimmerman

Our newest ZimmCast is now available. I’m going to post a link to the mp3 file here: ZimmCast

Normally you’ll find this in the sidebar where there’s a link to it and a podcast file that you can subscribe to if you use a program like iPodder.

This week it’s the second part of my interview with Steve Mays, VP of Learfield Communications. Enjoy.

Next week I’ll feature an interview with the leader of a student NAMA competition team, talking about putting together their presentation and competing.

Podcasts

More About Ag & Blogs

Chuck Zimmerman

I just got my ACDC News notice by email and no, it’s not a newsletter for a rock group!

It’s basically a collection of stories that are collected and archived at the College of Agriculture, Consumer & Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Communications Documentation Center at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

This issue contains some timely articles on blogging!

Here’s their email:

Greetings from the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center.

Here is your new issue of ACDC News. Simply use this live link to access Issue 05-5 directly from the Web site:
http://web.aces.uiuc.edu/agcomdb/news.html

If you have news, reactions or questions please send them to us at docctr@aces.uiuc.edu. We always like to hear from you.

Jim Evans and John Sanders

Thanks Jim & John!

Blogging

The AgriMarketing Pros Blog Has Moved

Chuck Zimmerman

Hopefully we’ll be able to import the directories from our old blog site at hpp://zimmcomm.blogspot.com. If you’re looking for an old post for now you’ll have to visit there.

Now that we’ve moved our blog to our own server you’ll see some new features and additions cropping up since we have more flexibility and capabilites.

Thanks for visiting and we would love to hear your comments!

Blogging

Welcome To Our Newest Client – Valent!

Chuck Zimmerman

We’d like to welcome our newest Talking News Release client. Valent just received section 18 exemption for Domark fungicide to treat Asian Soybean Rust in 28 states. So, working with Brandy Craig at Archer-Malmo, we produced a TNR that was distributed to reporters in our database in those states.

You can see the release here: Domark Fungicide Release

It appears that U-S farmers will now have some choices when it comes to fungicides to treat this new crop threat. We’re getting close to warmer weather, especially in the south, so we should know more about how significant the problem will be soon.

Agency, Agribusiness

Student NAMA Competition Heats Up

Chuck Zimmerman

Future agrimarketers?

This is the Mizzou NAMA Chapter agrimarketing competition team. They’ll be facing off against about 40 other college teams from around the country in April at the NAMA convention in Phoenix. Today they gave a preliminary presentation to the sponsoring professional chapter in St. Louis to be critiqued and get ideas and suggestions. They did a good job eventhough they had just completed their written presentation and hadn’t really had time to rehearse for their “standup.”

University

New Ag Media Combination In The Sunshine State

Chuck Zimmerman

Congratulations Gary & Robin!

Once upon a time Cindy and I were partners with Gary Cooper in a Florida communications company called SunStar Telecom, Inc. We started and operated several divisions including Southeast Agrinet, WTMC-AM, SunStar Network, AgStar Advertising and were doing pretty good until the government took over the savings and loan company that was financing us. That’s a story from the past now. It’s also one of the reasons I’ll never drink a Killian’s Red beer again. But that is also another story.

We’re proud though of what Gary and Robin have accomplished since then with Southeast AgNet which just announced their purchase of an agricultural publication. Here’s the scoop:

AgNet Publications Inc., a sister company to Southeast AgNet Inc., has purchased 85-year-old Citrus Industry Magazine and Citrus Expo, making Southeast AgNet, Bartow, Fla., the only combination agriculture media enterprise in Florida. Southeast AgNet is owned by Gary Cooper and his wife Robin Loftin, director of sales and marketing.

Associated Publications, owned by members of Bartow’s Frisbie family sold Citrus Industry Magazine, one of the oldest agriculture publications in the state. The Frisbie’s started the publication in 1920 and will continue to operate their core business at Bartow Printing Company.

The purchase also includes Citrus Expo, the world’s largest citrus trade show held annually in August at Lee Civic Center near Ft. Myers. With immediate plans to become involved in the sales and marketing aspects of the magazine, the first issue to be published under Southeast AgNet ownership and direction will be the May/June issue. AgNet will assume operation of Citrus Expo following this year’s Aug. 24-25 event, and meanwhile will work hand-in-hand with this year’s Expo planning team.

Ernie Neff will continue as editor of Citrus Industry Magazine and Bartow Printing Company has been contracted to continue handling design, printing and distribution services for the new owners of the magazine. “We’re excited to put these two Florida-based companies together, and look forward to continuing the excellence in journalism growers have come to know from this magazine for the last 85 years. We feel the relationships we’ve built in the industry will only add depth to the news and information on research and industry trends and issues, and the multimedia aspects of this combination will offer advertisers unique and effective cross-promotional capabilities ” said Gary Cooper, president of Southeast AgNet.

ZimmComm produces several daily programs for Southeast Agnet, which are produced and voiced by Cindy.

Media

Positive Press For AgriMarketing Pros

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s nice to see that what you’re doing is noticed. Especially when you can learn from it. Since we started this blog site we’ve been critiqued and many of the changes for the better have come from people who notice and care.

For example, Robert French, who teaches at Auburn University and has a great blog of his own at InfOpinions, just wrote a follow up piece about our site/service which you can read here: Metamorphosis.

He brought another article about ZimmComm to my attention on WebProNews, written by Wayne Hurlbert. You can see it here: Podcasting Is Music To The Ears. Wayne has his own blog – Blog Business World.

Thank you guys. We’re trying to get a handle on this whole blogging/podcasting thing. More to come . . .

Blogging, Podcasts

Have You Read Your AgriMarketing?

Chuck Zimmerman

The March issue is out and it’s all about “Connecting To Rural America.” I wrote an article on blogging in it which you can read online if you don’t get the magazine.

There are other good articles as usual. You’ll notice a reference to the fact that Becky Rasmussen has moved on. I know she’ll be missed at the magazine but she’s now working for Steve Drake at Drake & Co. on the National Christmas Tree Association account.

Blogging