PERC Yourself Up

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast95 - All About PERCIt’s back to work after a very nice Thanksgiving weekend. So let’s jump right into it with this week’s program. One of the interviews I did at the recent NAFB Convention was with Mark Leitman, Director, Agriculture Programs, Propane Education & Research Council (PERC). Thanks to Sarah Robinett, Osborn & Barr Communications for helping set me up!

There’s a lot of familiarity with checkoff programs like beef or pork but not as much with some others. PERC is funded through a federally mandated law which provides some significant funding which is used for research and promotion programs. I interviewed Mark to learn more about how his organization is structured and what they do with all that money.

Ag Groups, Audio, ZimmCast

New WFC Board

Chuck Zimmerman

There’s a new leadership group at the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives. If it’s a two state organization why does it have a one state name? The Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives (WFC), a two-state organization representing more than 800 Wisconsin and Minnesota cooperative businesses, elected a new board of directors this week at its annual meeting in La Crosse. Replacing outgoing …

Ag Groups

That’s a lot of Soybeans

Chuck Zimmerman

Kip and DaleHere’s Kip and Dale (Kip Cullers and Dale Ludwig – l-r). I have to post this since Haley Wansing sent a picture and I’ve received about a half a dozen news releases on it. You see, Kip has a world record soybean production record. He farms in Purdy, MO. If you read this segment from MSA’s news release you can figure out where the other news releases came from.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Soybean

FEMA Past President

Chuck Zimmerman

FEMA ConventionI finally caught up with Jim Wessing, Kondex Corporation this afternoon after our session.

Jim is the immediate past president now of the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association. I spoke with him about what FEMA is and what benefits it offers its members. There’s a lot of work this very small staff does out of St. Louis!

Jim said that in the last year the organization has added 84 new member companies and that 31 of them had representatives here at the convention.

Ag Groups, Audio, Equipment

Connect With Your End User

Chuck Zimmerman

FEMA ConventionThe guy who really got the panel put together here at the FEMA convention today was Connor Flynn, Lessing-Flynn.

Connor was our emcee but started out talking about how flat marketing communications has become. He stressed the need for companies to use all the channels available to connect with their customer base.

Ag Groups, Audio, Equipment

Your Website Should Make Sales

Chuck Zimmerman

FEMA ConventionAnother of my fellow panelists this afternoon was Dale Bentlage, Global Reach.

Dale talked about having a well-planned web strategy for your company. He told our audience how important a company website can be in generating sales.

Ag Groups, Audio, Equipment

Who Are Your Customers

Chuck Zimmerman

FEMA ConventionOn our panel this afternoon here at the FEMA convention was Joe Baitinger, FarmMarketiD.

Joe was here to talk about database marketing. He talked about the importance of developing your customer database and using it. Too often companies tend to collect data and let it sit unused. I like the way he called it a perishable commodity. What good is having thousands of prospective client contacts if you don’t use them. Joe talks about how important it is to know who your customers are in a very segmented industry.

Ag Groups, Audio, Equipment

Your Agriblogger At Work

Chuck Zimmerman

FEMA ConventionWhile I was presenting today Connor Flynn got a picture.

See how I make the AgWired community part of the demonstration? You are a great audience, thank you very much.

I know we’re going to see more and more blogging in the agribusiness world. I should have collected the url’s of the blogs that people in our audience have. When I got started on this about 2 years ago most people didn’t even know what a blog was much less have one.

Hey, it only makes sense

Ag Groups, Equipment