Larry Stoller at RFD-TV The Magazine

Chuck Zimmerman

RFD-TV The MagazineIf you’re an RFD-TV fan then you probably know that they a magazine which is called, RFD-TV The Magazine. Now the publication has a new sales manager and he’s Larry Stoller. According to Larry:

RFD-TV The Magazine is an exciting publication that serves the growing rural lifestyle marketplace. After only three years, its paid circulation has surpassed 116,000…and continues to grow daily at a steady pace. No other publication can match the frequency of readership, as RFD-TV The Magazine serves as a program guide for RFD-TV “Rural America’s Most Important Network.” It is no wonder that advertisers get hooked on RFD-TV The Magazine following their first schedule.

Here are some highlights of a 2005 survey:

87% of our audience lives in rural America with 84% reporting they either own or rent acres
59% raise crops
51% have livestock
39% purchase animal health products
37% own horses
26% either own or plan to purchase an ATV.

If you want to reach this growing demographic, you’ll want to include RFD-TV The Magazine on your media schedule. Please contact me with any questions. I look forward to being of service.

Congratulations Larry and best of luck.

Media, Publication

DTN Acquires The Progressive Farmer

Chuck Zimmerman

The Progressive FarmerThe Progressive Farmer magazine is now owned by DTN. And in case you’re wondering why they would purchase the publication from Time, Inc., their CEO explains.

“The acquisition of The Progressive Farmer supports DTN’s goal of expanding its media presence in a vibrant rural America,” said Robert D. Gordon, CEO of DTN. “The future for rural America is very bright, driven by the economic impetus of new investment in renewable fuels, the expansion of high-speed internet communications and a growing demographic seeking to enjoy the long cherished values of farm life. The Progressive Farmer provides DTN a leading position in meeting the information needs of the farm lifestyle market, allowing us to expand beyond our traditional commercial agricultural information products.

So what kind of media company is DTN? It’s getting harder to put us in a neatly labeled box isn’t it?

Media, Publication

Beef Cook-Off Looking For Family Chefs

Chuck Zimmerman

National Beef Cook-OffI haven’t eaten any beef for at least a day or so. Maybe that little headache I have is from beef withdrawal. That will get corrected with supper tonight. So maybe I should consider entering the National Beef Cook-Off.

This year, the 27th National Beef Cook-Off urges family chefs to send in their original beef recipes that provide a great eating experience while supplying fuel for their family’s active lifestyle. Family chefs are encouraged to enter their original beef recipes by March 31, 2007, for the chance to win the “Best of Beef” $50,000 grand prize. The 2007 Cook-Off, which will be held Sept. 11-13 in Chicago, is presented by the Beef Checkoff Program. Twenty-five national finalists, including five parent/child teams, will compete for nine cash prizes totaling $110,000. In addition to one ‘Best of Beef’ grand prize winner, four category winners and four runner-up winners will be chosen by a panel of judges.

Besides new categories you can enter your recipe online. Well you could if there was an online form there. Oops. It says it’s coming soon though.

Beef, Food

That’s A Lot of Garden Writers

Chuck Zimmerman

Garden Writers AssociationI don’t think I’ve ever written about these writers before. In fact, I didn’t know there was a Garden Writers Association. I found them while looking at a news release for All-America Rose Selections.

The Garden Writers Association (GWA) is an organization of over 1800 professional communicators in the lawn and garden industry. No other organization in the industry has as much direct contact with the buying public as GWA. The GWA is comprised of garden professionals including book authors, staff editors, syndicated columnists, free-lance writers, photographers, landscape designers, television and radio personalities, consultants, catalog publishers, extension service agents and more.

It’s interesting to see that they include communicators from all types of media (they’ll add online/web soon I’m sure). That makes sense to me. It kind of makes me wonder when the AAEA, LPC and NAFB will get together. Think of what that would look like if we had just one organization in traditional agriculture. You may say it’ll never happen. I have learned not to say never though.

The Annual Symposium of the Garden Writers Association is September 28 – October 2 in Oklahoma City.

Media

Happy New Year

Chuck Zimmerman

I’d like to welcome you all to a brand new media year. I can’t wait to see what new techniques and technologies will pop up in the agricultural communications business. ZimmComm New Media is planning on continuing to develop various forms of social communications platforms like blogging and podcasting and we’ve got some exciting announcements coming up in the next week or so.

It’s hard to believe we’re nearing our 3rd year anniversary and it is only possible because of all the wonderful people we work with. We hope you have a fantastic 2007.

Uncategorized

Corporate Podcasting Summit – Europe

Chuck Zimmerman

Corporate Podcasting Summit EuropeHow many of you are doing communications work in other countries? Have you ever wondered how you’re going to get your message into those markets? Here’s another reason to think about podcasting. And to learn more about it while you’re in another country add the Corporate Podcasting Summit Europe to your calendar.

This conference will be in London Kensington, UK, March 19 – 20 at the Copthorne Tara Hotel. Anita Yaa has a great program lined up.

New media tools like podcasting are not only a great way to communicate with your domestic audience but your international one as well. Agriculture is a global business so you need to keep that in mind when you publish your blog or podcast.

International, Podcasts

Burgerize Your New Year

Chuck Zimmerman

Red RobinYou may not be thinking hamburgers today but just in case you have a real desire for a big burger you might want to check out Red Robin and their new website. I haven’t been to one of these yet. The key word is “yet.”

On their site you can not only find locations and menus but some very unique sections like the Bugerizer. Here you can build your own custom burger and print out the ingredients. That makes it very handy when you walk in and place your order.

They also have a nice feature called Unbrideled Acts of Kindness, or UBA’s. These are stories of random acts of kindness performed by their employees with guests. Very cool idea.

Via Meatingplace.com.

Food

What’s Been Up

Chuck Zimmerman

This past week Cindy and I went on a family trip that was pretty much an all day, every day adventure. It made keeping up with email and posting a challenge. Many of you have noticed that AgWired had a news feed problem and internal link problem. Well, that’s been fixed now. Thanks to all of you who brought it to my attention.

I mentioned that we’re moving to a new web host but that hasn’t taken place yet. There was just too much to do at the end of 2006. However, we have survived two website attacks in the last month and hopefully have put in place a shield against that. We’re assuming they were a random thing but if it happens again then we’ll know someone is targeting us directly and it’ll be time to bring in some legal help. I doubt that’s what’s been happening though. Unfortunately I’ve had to disable commenting for the time being.

If you’d like to make a comment on anything please go ahead and email me.

Uncategorized

Remembering Ed Slusarczyk

Chuck Zimmerman

Chuck with Ed SlusarczykI really do not like having to report that my good friend Ed Slusarczyk has passed away. Agricultural communications has lost another good friend and one of the best. I will update this post when I have more details but I want to thank Pam Jahnke for helping keep us up to date since we learned that Ed wasn’t doing well.

I’m sure that a lot of you have a favorite Ed story. How many of you remember Ed as an NAFB cheerleader at a NAMA convention? I know Gary Cooper and I won’t forget going in with Ed to pay for the wine and cheese at a reception at the house of the U. S. Ambassador to the FAO in Rome, Italy. Ed was a good listener and always willing to offer advice when asked.

Cindy and I remember Ed for the time when he almost obtained a private audience for us with then Pope John Paul II in Rome. Ed was a friend of the Pope and unfortunately it was at a time when the Pope became sick and couldn’t see anyone. Post update: Cindy found a picture of Ed and me on St. Peters Square in Rome on this trip which I thought I’d share with you.

Here’s what the NAFB website has to say about Ed:

NAFB has received word that Ed Slusarczyk passed away on Friday December 29 at approximately 6:00 a.m. eastern time. Ed had been struggling with recovery after surgery for a recently discovered brain tumor. When funeral arrangements are made and more information becomes available it will be posted for members. Ed’s family has requested that no cards be sent at this time.

Ed, you and your family will be in our prayers.

Second Post Update: Here’s the information on the funeral arrangements for Ed.

Tom and Holly are requesting that any financial gifts be made to the NAFB Foundation in Ed’s name. Sympathy cards are welcome.

Visitation will be: Sunday 2-4 and Monday 2-4 and 7-9 p.m.
Dimbleby, Friedel, Williams and Edmunds Funeral Home
40 Whitesboro St., Whitesboro, NY 13649

Funeral will be: Tuesday, Jan. 2nd – 11 a.m.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church
201 Main St, New York Mills, NY 13417 (315) 736-4432

Obituary will be on line at www.uticaod.com.

NAFB

New Media For Agribusiness

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast99 - Wayne Hurlbert InterviewI was a guest on Blog Business Radio recently with Wayne Hurlbert and decided you might want to hear what he’s got to say about using blogs and podcasts as business marketing tools. Wayne knows a lot about it and has been doing it longer than I have.

So this week’s ZimmCast is a Skype conversation we had late last week. Wayne has some great ideas for ways to use new media tools in agricultural marketing. I think he’d like to have an agribusiness client even!

By the way, the next ZimmCast will be episode 100. What would you like to hear? I’d like your creative ideas on what the centennial episode of the only podcast on agricultural marketing should be about. Send them along.

To listen to my complete interview with Wayne you can download the ZimmCast: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 99 (34 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:

zimmcast99-12-28-06.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, Podcasts, ZimmCast