Ag Future Discussed At Alltech International Symposium

Chuck Zimmerman

There are a lot of good reasons to attend an Alltech Annual International Symposium. Here are a couple of them for journalists. 1. Food matters to everyone: Symposium will focus on exploring new strategies for food production and examine how current agricultural practices will need to change to feed the growing world population. Sessions will also explore topics related to …

Agribusiness, Alltech

Communicating With MustangRED

Chuck Zimmerman

MustangRED Communications was announced just before the 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference. During the conference I had a chance to visit with founder and owner and good friend, Sally Behringer. Sally says MustangRED works with a network of industry professionals to provide full service communications services. Sally has been in the business for a long time and really understands a wide variety …

Agencies, Audio, NAMA

Farm Wars! Podcast

Chuck Zimmerman

I love seeing new farm podcasts. This one just came to my attention in my email inbox. It’s the Protect The Harvest, Farm Wars! Podcast. This relatively new pro-agriculture advocacy group has jumped into some very important issues of concern for everyone involved in farming today. Hosted by Wayne Yocum and co-hosted by Dan Kleinsorge, the operations manager of Missouri …

Ag Groups, Audio, Podcasts

Mixed Results on Controlling Resistant Weeds

Chuck Zimmerman

With all the talk about herbicide-resistant weeds this year, some farmers are still not concerned about the issue, according to our most recent BASF Production Poll. 37.5% of respondents said they don’t have resistant weeds (at least not yet!). However, the same number said they would be using a mix of methods to control or prevent resistance – pre-emergence herbicide, …

BASF, Crop Protection, Soybean

Develop a Relationship With Your Local Reporters

Chuck Zimmerman

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “When was the last time you talked to a journalist about agriculture?” The question was inspired by an AgChat Twitter conversation question that had been submitted by @BASFAgro! We’re supposed to stand up for our industry and livelihoods that are threatened by lots of misinformation that gets spread by the media. What are we …

Food, ZimmPoll

DTN/The Progressive Farmer Market Strategies App

Chuck Zimmerman

Telvent GIT, S.A., parent company of DTN/The Progressive Farmer, just launched a new Market Strategies app. It is now available via the Apple iTunes Store and Android Market. The Market Strategies app ensures producers will have the most accurate, real-time data on commodity markets with instant alerts to changes in the market. Unlike other consumer-based applications, the app shares DTN/The …

Apps, Media

USDA Celebrates 150 Years Live

Chuck Zimmerman

I’m a little late to the live webcast but right now USDA is celebrating 150 years of service. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, is commemorating the event with a variety of people on stage. When President Abraham Lincoln founded the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1862, he called it “the People’s Department,” a sentiment that still rings true today as …

USDA

Mary Geiger Moves To Kansas Dept. Of Agriculture

Chuck Zimmerman

All I can say is congratulations to Mary Geiger who is starting a new phase of her career with the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Mary has been a bright spot in the communications department of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. (Plus, I dare say, she’s much better looking than Mike Deering!) So now what are we going to do Mike? …

Ag Groups, NCBA

Internet Grows As Farmer Information Source

Chuck Zimmerman

The National Association of Farm Broadcasting has just released the results their Media Usage Update Survey. The internet continues to make inroads as a farmer’s source for news and information and mobile devices are gaining steam too. But as you’ll find in the results you’ve still got your farmers out there who don’t even use a computer much less the …

Media, NAFB, Research

SojaBook Social Network For Farmers

Chuck Zimmerman

Have you considered how farmers are communicating socially outside of our United States? Of course, many are doing so through Facebook, Twitter, etc. just like farmers here. But there are also a number of social networks being developed. Here’s one that came to my attention via Twitter last night. It’s SojaBook. SojaBook is the social network that connects you with …

Farming, Social Networking