Reach For a Green Star

Chuck Zimmerman

John Deere at NAFBAt the NAFB convention recently I spent some time in the John Deere booth. Pictured here are Seth Crawford (l), Leigh Ann Cleaver (BCS Communications) and Barry Nelson (r).

I interviewed Seth about John Deere’s new “Reach For The Stars” program they announced in conjunction with the American Soybean Association. This program is designed to provide U.S. soybean growers with opportunities to learn more about precision ag systems. It also has a contest portion in which selected growers will be able to choose from among “15 premium level precision ag systems, each with a suggested retail price of more than $20,000, for the entire 2007 U.S. growing season. After the program ends, qualified participants will be offered an opportunity to purchase the entire system, or just the components they want to own, at a greatly reduced price.”

Agribusiness, Audio, Equipment, Tractor

I Might Change My Route

Chuck Zimmerman

Kellog's Routes of ChangeI’m a little confused after getting the latest W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Routes of Change newsletter. I thought they were a food company that supported agriculture but now I’m wondering. The Foundation receives most of it’s income from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation Trust which still owns a substantial equity in Kellogg Company.

Food

Talk to my iPod

Chuck Zimmerman

iTalk ProYou don’t have to be a farm podcaster to appreciate what the Griffin iTalk Pro lets you do with your Nano or iPod. Finally there’s a tool that lets you easily record onto the iPod.

It has built in microphones or you can plug in an external microphone. This allows you to also plug into a mult-box at a press conference too.

Podcasts

The AgSpeakerers

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast96 - The AgSpeakersAs I promised last week I’ve got an interview with Steve Hawkins, President of AgSpeak. This new company has been formed as the “first online agricultural market research cooperative.” They plan to attract farmer members who will agree to participate in online surveys and receive a portion of the profits at the end of the year.

Steve says that having farmers fill out surveys online saves them a lot of time and makes the survey process much quicker. They’re seeking farmer members and companies that want to have market research done. The company is based in Des Moines because that’s where other partners in the business are located. They all are involved with The Context Network.

Audio, Research, ZimmCast

Get Your infOpinions Here

Chuck Zimmerman

infOpinions?One of the first people I spoke with after we started ZimmComm was Robert French who is an instructor of Public Relations, Marcom, CMS, Blogs, Education and New PR at the University of Auburn. Robert had some advice about our Talking News Release idea and the blogging and podcasting. He’s a guy who knows his new media. In fact I hope you’re a regular reader of infOpinions?.

Uncategorized

Not Snowed In

Chuck Zimmerman

Snow at HomeWell we’ll be fully clear once the country truck/plow gets done since he just showed up. At least we’ve got power. I just spoke to Mike Wilson in Illinois and they have no power. That can get old real fast.

My arms are like jelly after working with my youngest daughter for a number of hours today to get our driveway to look like this. Thanks go to my neighbor who got his 4-wheeler going with a front plow and helped with the last several feet. Please tell Cindy I need to have one of those!

This was a wild and wooly winter storm. Around midnight I woke up to major thunder and lightning. If you’ve never seen lighting in the middle of a snow storm you’re missing a wild sight. Earlier this week at the gym a guy was saying how we needed snow because it’s been so dry. It proves that you’ve got to be careful of what you wish for.

I’m done for the day.

Uncategorized