AgNetwork.com Launches

Chuck Zimmerman

AgNetwork.comThe number of online ag news and information resources just keeps growing. I guess it means that more and more farmers are getting their information online doesn’t it? Or are we all just crazy? I only bring this up because over the last week I’ve still had people question the value of online communications to farmers. My guess is that they just aren’t very savvy themselves and assume everyone else is like them.

Integrated Management Information, Inc., a leading provider of verification and Internet solutions for the agricultural/livestock industry, today announced the launch of AgNetwork.com, a comprehensive new source of news and information for the international agricultural community. The launch was accompanied by AgNetwork’s first email newsletter, a periodic feature available to visitors to the site.

“Business dynamics within agriculture are increasingly multifaceted, global and interactive,” said Dr. Nevil Speer, Professor, Western Kentucky University. “Within that environment decision making needs to be quick and accurate — it requires access to the most up-to-date developments. Agnetwork facilitates the need for a one-stop, comprehensive and customizable outlet providing stakeholders with a continual stream of news and information.”

The AgNetwork Web site is based on IMI Global’s successful CattleNetwork.com model, which has grown steadily and rapidly into one of the nation’s leading sources of news and information on the cattle industry. In 2006, CattleNetwork had 1.2 million unique visitors, up 108% over 2005, and reported strong growth in other traffic categories as well as advertisers and revenue.

Internet, Media

United Country Real Estate Picks Osborn & Barr

Chuck Zimmerman

United Country Real EstateI guess when an agency has ag experience it helps get some non-ag business. That makes sense.

United Country Real Estate, the only national real estate franchise system specializing in country properties such as small city and town residential, second home, vacation, recreational, retirement, ranch, farm and commercial across America, has selected Osborn & Barr as its agency of record for public relations.

“We selected Osborn & Barr based on the agency’s expertise in communicating with the millions of people living in and desiring to live in the country across America, their successful track record with highly recognizable brand names in the agricultural and rural marketplace, and its staff’s commitment to delivering measurable results,” said Dan Duffy, chief executive officer and chairman of the Board of Directors for United Country. “The agency also shares our passion for the country lifestyle, and this was the determining factor in selecting a strategic partner.”

Osborn & Barr will partner with United Country to develop and implement public relations initiatives that support the real estate company’s franchise growth efforts and increase the level of brand awareness among target audiences as the real estate specialists in country property. The agency’s unique experience and strong reputation in helping shape and deliver its clients’ brands throughout rural America will assist in increasing awareness of the organization and the country real estate market.

Agencies

U. S. Wheat Associates Calendar Contest

Chuck Zimmerman

U. S. Wheat Associates 2007 CalendarGot pictures of wheat? Want to earn a few bucks and have your picture immortalized? Then enter the U. S. Wheat Associates calendar contest.

U.S. Wheat Associates invites anyone who is part of the U.S. wheat industry to submit photographs for possible use in its 2008 calendar. The 12 winning photographers will receive $100 each from USW. Any noncommercial images that show wheat being planted, grown, managed, harvested, shipped or processed will be considered as long as they are submitted to USW by August 1, 2007.

“We love to share the American experience of producing wheat with our overseas customers,” says Steve Mercer, director of communications at USW. “By featuring U.S. wheat production, our calendars help us do that while educating buyers about the quality, advantages and reliability of our crop.” Read More

Ag Groups

Phil Johnson Be Comin’ Round The Mountain

Chuck Zimmerman

This was too good an opportunity to pass up, sorry Phil. As you know, Phil Johnson is the NAMA Marketer of the Year. His company held a very nice reception at the NAMA convention to honor him and I was lucky enough to be invited and toast him in his golden toga.

One of the things they also did for Phil was memorialize him in video. As you can guess this is a very serious look at his life and career. Thanks to Colle+McVoy for sharing so that I can share with you.

Here’s where you can find it on YouTube.

Agencies, NAMA

Mike Miller Was a Great Farm Broadcaster

Chuck Zimmerman

Mike MillerIt’s with a great deal of sadness that I have to report that Mike Miller, a friend and award winning farm broadcaster has passed away. Many of you may remember Mike from his days in farm broadcasting. Just prior to moving to Missouri I even lived with Mike in Houston and commuted with him to work each day as we were trying to get a full time satellite tv farm news channel off the ground. I was there in a consultant capacity and moved on to Learfield Communications while Mike kept at it. We had some memorable times there that I will never forget. He was a great talent and last fall I had hoped he was getting back into farm television. Here’s an excerpt from his obituary on the Macon.com.

Michael Douglass Miller -FORT VALLEY – Michael Douglass Miller, 53, died while on a business trip to Istanbul, Turkey on April 12, 2007. Services will be 11A.M. Thursday, April 19, 2007 at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Fort Valley with The Rev. Drs. Donald and Ruth Tate officiating. Burial will be in Ruckersville, Virginia. -Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, to the late Douglass Harrison and Helen Gibson Miller, Mike was a graduate of Woodberry Forest School and Virginia Military Institute. He was the managing director of the ocean marine division of Allen Insurance Group, and had clients in forty nine countries. Prior to moving to Fort Valley, Mike spent the first twenty years of his career in the broadcast new media and won numerous national awards, including an Oscar. He and his wife, Debbie, have lived in Kentucky, Kansas, Arkansas, Nebraska, Colorado and Texas. -Survivors: his wife of almost twenty five years, Debbie Cook Miller of Fort Valley, originally of Kentucky; sister, Patrice Miller Lifon of Canton, GA; nieces, Anne Douglass Ligon and Sarah Elizabeth Ligon, of Canton, GA; aunt, Charlotte Burrill of Fredericksburg, VA; and several cousins in Virginia. -In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to Saint Andrew’s Memorial Fund, 309 Central Ave., Fort Valley, GA 31030. -Rooks Funeral Home in Fort Valley has charge of arrangements.

The have a guest book you can sign.

Media

AAEA Announces MarComm Awards

Chuck Zimmerman

AAEAThis is a very interesting announcement from the American Association of Agricultural Editors. MarComm Awards! We love awards. So quick, get your thinking cap on and start entering.

We are thrilled to announce that the AAEA Board of Directors on April 10, 2007, approved the American Agricultural Editors’ Association 2007 MarComm Awards program. This is our first awards program directed at those who produce great communications work for their companies, associations, clients, and others in the agribusiness world.

The program is open to affiliate members of AAEA, as well as potential members and active members who are eligible for the categories listed below. Entrants may enter any one of five categories and submit as many entries per category as desired. Cost is $20 per entry. These are the categories:

· News Release
· Advertorial
· Media/Special Event
· Media Room Web Content
· Newsletter – Print or Electronic.

Here’s where you can find the entry form. (Word doc)

ACN

Road Tripping This Week

Chuck Zimmerman

This week I’m on the road again making some presentations which is far different from covering an event. My posting might be a little light but then again maybe I’ll find some time.

I have had a few AgWired fans say that their life gets so dull when there’s nothing new so I feel the pressure to bring you ever new and interesting content.

Hey, remember that there’s over 3,000 posts on here so there’s a lot of archives you can search.

Uncategorized

A NAMA Retrospective With Eldon White

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-115 - Saying Goodbye to Eldon WhiteThis past week’s NAMA Convention was Eldon White’s last one as the Executive Director/CEO. I think he’s been with NAMA for almost 16 years. Hard to believe it’s been that long. It seems like just yesterday Rex Parsons was there. Doesn’t it?

Eldon will be moving on to the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and has already made it clear he’ll be a NAMA member. Let’s see how quickly he gets involved! At the end of the convention on Friday I sat down for a little quiet retrospective with Eldon on his time with NAMA. I think you’ll hear why he’s made a great association staff leader. For one thing he believes the staff is there to serve and that the members are the leaders. That sort of unselfish attitude always came across to me and I’ve always enjoyed my relationship with Eldon. I’m sure many would echo that.

Eldon WhiteWe’re sorry to see him leave NAMA but congratulate him on his new opportunity since it sure sounds like a new challenge. Now is a good time for NAMA to look at itself and evaluate its needs as a search will probably soon commence to find a replacement. Good luck Eldon and see you at a NAMA meeting somewhere, sometime. The picture is of Eldon in the NAMA board meeting last week, diligently taking notes.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 115 (15 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:

zimmcast115-4-15-07.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.

Audio, NAMA, ZimmCast

NAMA Agribusiness Leader of the Year Dale Ludwig

Chuck Zimmerman

Dale LudwigOur NAMA Agribusiness Leader of the Year is Dale Ludwig, Missouri Soybean Association. He received his award on stage during the opening general session.

Dale says that he has always wanted to win this award. For him receiving the award was like achieving a dream. Dale says that there’s a very bright future for agriculture. He says agriculture feeds the world, is now fueling the world and in the future will be significantly involved in health care. He also says it’s important growing up with a mentor that provides you with a good role model and that we shouldn’t forget to be a mentor to others too.

You can listen to my interview with Dale here:

nama-convention-07-ludwig.mp3

Visit the 2007 NAMA Convention Photo Album.

Audio, NAMA

Thank You NAMA

Chuck Zimmerman

NAMA 50I haven’t finished posting everything I’ve got from the National Agri-Marketing Conference & Trade Show so expect some more to show up in time. I just thought I’d take a moment to say thanks to everyone I met this week. This was probably the busiest convention I’ve ever had. I wish I could have spent more time just visiting with friends and colleagues. For those of you who made a point of stopping by the booth just to say how much you like and appreciate AgWired and what ZimmComm New Media is doing I can’t be more grateful. You’re the people I’m doing this for because I love what we do and have always wished we had some more interactive place to showcase what we do. Your support makes it all worth while, even when it’s not easy.

I also want to thank Ned Arthur and Aaron Gilbertie, Truffle Media Networks, who teamed up with me on our Connection Point booth. We’re working together in several ways that include making some new media project presentations this week in cities like Memphis, St. Louis, Des Moines and Kansas City. Yes it’s another week on the agrimarketing highway. We think our two small businesses complement each other and allow us to offer even more comprehensive new media services to agencies and companies. If you’d like us to stop in and show you what we can do please let me know.

Finally I want to say a thank you to the NAMA staff and especially our outgoing Eldon White. They are all a pleasure to work with and make committee chairmen like me look better than we deserve. Thanks go to my trade show committee too for helping put together what I think turned out to be a really good trade show, in fact, one of the best I’ve exhibited at.

I promote NAMA a lot on AgWired not just because I’m targeting most of my content to people who are or should be members but because I believe in the organization. That’s why I’m a NAMA Advocate. I’ve been in agricultural marketing in some form for most of my 27 years of professional life and it is the single most important membership I hold. If you’re not a member the only way you’ll be able to evaluate it is to become one.

NAMA