Why I Post Paul’s Reports

Chuck Zimmerman

Paul McKellipsYou may wonder why I post stories from Paul McKellips. He’s the guy in Iraq reporting on agriculture and most importantly in my mind, the positive things our soldiers are doing that are changing people’s lives while helping protect us. Well, Paul has volunteered for a whole year in Iraq next year so I’m looking forward to a lot more to come.

He just sent out a letter to those of us who are using his reports and I’m going to share a few excerpts with you. Here’s why he’s doing it:

I feel a personal responsibility to serve my country during a time of war. I’m keenly aware of the sacrifices made by my father and his generation in World War II. When I load up with a couple of cameras and a Marantz PMD 660, my work pales in comparison to the men and women who load up with an M-16 and a 75-pound pack. But I can do this, and I should. It’s my duty.

I’m a man of faith. I put my trust in a Heavenly Father who is just as capable of protecting me at home as He is in Baghdad. This is my calling right now, to do whatever I can with the talents that I’ve been given, to make a difference. Read More

International

NCMA Will Be SSFPA

Chuck Zimmerman

National Meat Canners AssociationAccording to a story on Meatingplace.com, the National Meat Canners Association has changed its name to the Shelf-Stable Food Processors Association.

According to a news release, the change reflects the group’s expansion to include all shelf-stable food products. The new name will be effective Jan. 1, 2007.

Food

Be a Corn Leader

Chuck Zimmerman

National Corn Growers AssociationThe National Corn Growers Association is looking for a few good leaders. Do you think you’ve got the right stuff? Know someone who does?

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Nominating Committee invites all corn grower members to become an integral part of the organization’s leadership by applying for the Corn Board.

Newly elected board members will begin service on Oct. 1, 2007 for Fiscal Year 2008. “The corn industry has the opportunity to really make significant changes for the future,” said Gerald Tumbleson, NCGA chairman and Nominating Committee chairman. “There are a lot of things happening, and we must have growers who can bring enthusiasm and creativity to the board in order to expand the future of the carbohydrate economy. Our members continue to represent corn growers successfully on both a national and international scale. Being on the Corn Board also means working to enhance our industry and representing the needs of the grassroots.” Read More

Ag Groups, Corn

YouTubing It

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s about time we got some agricultural video into YouTube don’t you think? I’m just getting started on this but thought you might enjoy my first upload. I actually posted this earlier this year at the CMA Music Festival but thought it might have some broad appeal in the YouTube universe. I guess we’ll find out. One thing I already learned is to save my raw video files and use them to upload since I’ve been converting them to pretty small Windows Movie Video files. They still work though. I think you can expect to see more video from us in the coming year!

Feel free to share with your friends, neighbors and hey, even your enemies!

Video

Bader Rutter Promotes McLain

Chuck Zimmerman

Bader RutterBill McLain has been promoted to account executive at Bader Rutter & Associates. He’ll be in the agency’s Public Relations Group.

McLain joined the agency in 2005 as a writer. In his new role, McLain will oversee day‑to‑day public relations activities for the Southern Crops business of Dow AgroSciences. Originally from Linneus, Mo., McLain received a bachelor of science degree in agricultural journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. He earned his American FFA Degree from the National FFA Organization.

Agencies

PRIME BioSolutions eMerging

Chuck Zimmerman

eMergeThis seems to make a lot of sense. Merge a cattle oriented technology company with an ethanol production company. They can go hand in hand in some interesting ways. That’s what eMerge Interactive is doing with PRIME BioSolutions.

eMerge Interactive, Inc. and the sole member of PRIME BioSolutions, LLC jointly announced that today they signed a definitive agreement pursuant to which PRIME will be merged into a subsidiary of eMerge. Upon completion of the transaction, eMerge will change its name to PRIME BioSolutions, Inc. and will be headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.

The Company’s strategy will be to become one of the industry’s lowest-cost producers of ethanol. In using the IBR system, the Company expects that it will be able to significantly reduce, and possible eliminate, key production costs such as natural gas, the second largest cost factor in the production of ethanol by replacing it with biogas via anaerobic digestion of cattle waste and other residual streams from the co-located ethanol unit. In addition, the net corn cost, the largest cost factor in the production of ethanol, should be reduced because the co-product from corn fermentation (wet distiller’s grain) will be used as cattle feed in the adjacent cattle operation without incurring the additional costs to dry and transport the wet distiller’s grain.

Agribusiness, Ethanol

2007 Ag Equipment Sales Forecast

Chuck Zimmerman

AEM 2007 Forecast ChartThe Association of Equipment Manufacturers has come out with its annual industry forecast for the United States and Canada. These are 2007 Retail Sales Predictions (in units vs. 2006). If you can’t read this chart very well then go to their website and you’ll find a complete summary of their report in the Industry Trends section.

Agricultural machinery manufacturers participating in the survey expect the industry overall to experience flat or a slowing in retail sales of 2-wheel-drive tractors in 2007, with the greatest decreases in the over-100-horsepower category, and with U.S. sales slightly more robust than Canada. Sales declines are also forecast for 4-wheel-drive tractors, again with Canadian sales to be slower. The outlook is brighter for U.S. combine sales with slight growth predicted, while Canadian combine sales are predicted to decline somewhat. AEM notes that these numbers should be put in the historical perspective that they follow a few years of strong sales for the overall market for tractors and combines.

Ag Groups, Equipment

BCS Doing PR For John Deere

Chuck Zimmerman

BCS CommunicationsJohn Deere is spreading a little PR love around, specifically to Blasdel Cleaver Schwalbe Communications. They’ll be doing various public relations activities for the ag division.

“We are excited to be working with the No. 1 brand in agriculture,” says Leigh Ann Cleaver, partner at BCS Communications, Kansas City, Mo. “We look forward to contributing to John Deere’s already strong public relations efforts with our extensive strategic communications and agriculture experience.”

“The partnership with BCS allows us to measure our public relations efforts and look at key opportunities as we launch new technologies that benefit agriculture,” says Barry Nelson, public relations manager at John Deere, Lenexa, Kan. In addition to category and brand experience, BCS provides a unique approach to marketing communications. “The services they offer, their seasoned professionals and their ‘flat’ structure fits well in our culture,” says Nelson. “We anticipate that the agency will contribute greatly as we move to the future.”

Hey BCS. Barry called you “flat.” That is a compliment right?

Oh and when are you going to get a website? How about a blog? I know not having one is part of your agency marketing “strategy” but . . .

Agencies, Agribusiness

Be A ByLine Sponsor

Chuck Zimmerman

AAEA ByLineThe AAEA newsletter, The ByLine, is seeking sponsorship(s).

Companies and other potential sponsors are now able to sponsor a month of The ByLine for $1,000. There are nine issues of The ByLine published each year. Companies will receive numerous benefits through this sponsorship. Those include:

  • Company name on the right hand side of the front page of The ByLine.
  • An opportunity to provide product or service information to the nearly 400 members of AAEA.
  • The credibility of attaching your company’s message to The ByLine, listed in a recent survey as one of the top benefits to membership.
  • Recognition as appropriate through editorial in The ByLine noting your company and others who sponsor AAEA programs.
  • Ability to promote your sponsorship of The ByLine internally and externally within your company as appropriate.

If you’re interested please call Den Gardner at 952/758-6502.

ACN

Help Us Think BIG

Chuck Zimmerman

NAMA Convention 2007The 2007 Agri-Marketing ConferenceTrade Show Committe just met via conference call and we’re thinking big. It’s always a challenge trying to come up with a schedule and locations that will meet everyone’s needs and wants.

I’m wondering if any of you creative types who attend the Conference would offer your ideas about what we can do at the trade show to attract your and your peers to visit and spend time there. We want to kick the trade show off with a bang. It’s going to be in Dallas and you can see what the theme is.

What can we do to attract traffic into the NAMA trade show? Our next conference call is coming up in just 2 weeks so please forward me any ideas you might have.

NAMA