Welcome to ZimmCast number 495! Wow, just five more until we hit the big 5-00! This week’s ZimmCast is from last week’s American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) CSS 2015 and Seed Expo and it’s about AgVocating, a word that has become a part of the agricultural dictionary in the past couple of years and has a pretty obvious meaning combining …
Why Agribusinesses Should Have a Crisis Plan
A recent ZimmComm poll asked the question, Does your agribusiness/operation have a crisis communications plan?” and I was surprised and honestly a bit disturbed as a former public relations person, that so many respondents didn’t believe a crisis communications plan was necessary. And this in light of the rise in undercover videos, avian flu outbreaks, meatless Mondays, (cow farts causing) …
ASTA FuSE Blazing New Trails
The American Seed Trade Association’s Future Seed Executives (FuSE) subcommittee is blazing new trails for 2016. FuSE chair Sarah Neuharth with DuPont Pioneer says the goal of the committee is to educate and support seed industry professionals with fewer than seven years of seed industry experience. “I think a lot of people don’t understand or recognize that FuSE can be …
#ARA15 Continues To Grow
Leroy Startz, Chair of the ARA Conference Planning Committee since 2009, spoke with Chuck Zimmerman while at the ARA Conference & Expo in Palm Desert, CA recently. After wrapping up a busy week, Startz was pleased with the overall event. He highlighted the importance of early planning to put together a successful, relevant week for ag retailers. Early planning helps …
Latest ASA DuPont Young Leaders Class Announced
The future of agriculture, in particular soybean farming, was on display as the American Soybean Association (ASA) and DuPont announced the latest class of Young Leaders. This news release from ASA says the leadership journey recently began at DuPont Pioneer headquarters in Johnston, Iowa. The Johnston training session was the first phase of a program designed to identify new and …
Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Rep. Collin Peterson
Agri-Pulse Open Mic this week features Rep. Collin Peterson,ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. In this interview, the Minnesota Democrat shares his concerns with the current farm law and on how farmers are using its risk management tools. Peterson identifies what he sees as two flaws in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and shares his thoughts following a recent …
GAO Says EPA Violated Law with WOTUS
In a legal opinion released on Monday, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “violated publicity or propaganda and anti-lobbying provisions contained in appropriations acts with its use of certain social media platforms in association with its Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rulemaking.” According to the GAO: Specifically, EPA violated the publicity or propaganda …
UAS Registration Required By FAA Starting Dec 21
Today the FAA announced new regulations requiring drone (UAS) registration for recreational and hobby users of UAS. The registration process is for owners of small unmanned aircraft weighing more than 0.55 pounds and less than 55 pounds, including payloads such as on-board cameras or sensors. Those 13 and older who have purchased a drone prior to December 21, 2015, must …
LibertyLink Real Yield Game Winner
Farmers are already winning by playing the Bayer CropScience LibertyLink Real Yield Game. I spoke with winner Dane Kief, Rankin, IL and asked him how he learned about the LibertyLink Real Yield Game. He said, “Like a lot of other farmers I spend a lot of time on Twitter. I was just kind of scrolling through and saw it.” Dane …
Notter Discusses Millennials at #ARA15
While at ARA, Jamie Notter, Culture That Works, gave a presentation on organizational culture to the retailers attending. He specifically spoke about the value in attracting millennials and how to build a successful working relationship with them as most management teams have an older management style that millennials don’t relate to. Attracting millennials as employees or customers is less about …