Agriculture for a Democratic Workplace Formed

Chuck Zimmerman

A pretty broad coalition of ag groups has launched a campaign to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) also known as the “card check” bill. This looks like the perfect opportunity for a Twitter feed, blog and podcast. Led by co-chairs Western Growers, the California Farm Bureau and the California Grape and Tree Fruit League, Agriculture for a Democratic …

Ag Groups

Surviving The Digital Information Transition

Chuck Zimmerman

I’ve just got to point you to Steve Rubel, Micro Persuasions, once again. He works for Edelman Digital and one of his fellow digerati (Dave Coustan) will be on my breakout session panel at the upcoming NAMA Conference. Steve just did a couple of posts that anyone in communications and marketing ought to read. I’m going to take the liberty …

Media, Podcasts, Public Relations

Blogging Southern BBQ

Chuck Zimmerman

Those southern boys know their bbq, and they got credit for learning. Besides learning about bbq I think these guys might now be qualified to become social media specialists. What do you think? I think I would go back to school to take this class. We are four average college students from Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, AL and we are …

Education

Communicating Weed Science Information

Chuck Zimmerman

Last week I presented a session on agricultural communications in the new media world at the Weed Science Society of America annual meeting. My contact was Chad Brommer, Emory University, who is a champion for new media channels in the organization. If you don’t know much about WSSA then listen to my interview with him in this week’s program and …

Ag Groups, Audio, University, ZimmCast

Truth In Advertising Applies To New Media

Chuck Zimmerman

I recently consulted with an ag group that wants to start using new media, specifically a blog and podcast. During the discussion I heard that someone would, “ghost write for . . .” That immediately set off the warning signal in my mind. I encouraged them to reconsider this. To start with, there are plenty of examples of a company …

Advertising

Rural Broadband Debate

Chuck Zimmerman

I’m not sure where you would come down on the idea of stimulus money being spent on the continuing development of rural broadband but I’m all for it. Thanks to rural_broadband’s heads up on Twitter I thought you’d be interested in these two stories. The first one is from NPR, “Stimulus Stirs Debate Over Rural Broadband Access.” In it they …

Internet

Looking Ahead To A Classic Time in Texas

Chuck Zimmerman

In just over a week corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum growers will be getting together in Grapevine, TX for Commodity Classic and you’ll find Cindy and myself there once again. I hope you’ve got your reservations in since this looks to be a big one. Actually, it’ll be just like “family” as an expected 4,500+ growers and their families and …

BASF, Commodity Classic, New Holland

Chicago Farmers Farmland Investment Fair

Chuck Zimmerman

It sounds like things went very well at the Chicago Farmers Farmland Investment Fair. Michelle Fowler sent me this picture of Andy Holstein with Tim Smith, center of Cropsmith Inc., and Dale Lutz, extension specialist with the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois Extension. I was also very happy to receive this recommendation from Rich …

Ag Groups

Social Weed Communications

Chuck Zimmerman

After my presentation this morning on ag communications and the new media world we had an informal session with some university researchers and teachers who are actively working on ways to employ online strategies for archiving and making educational presentations available. It’s interesting to hear a different perspective from the university side of the industry. It seems like every sector …

Ag Groups