I get asked for information about blogging, podcasting and how to use RSS all the time. So when I got asked to write a column about new media for a local business publication I thought it would be a good idea since I could start putting things down in writing.

For those of you subscribing with a news reader please visit the site to see our new look and let me know what you think. I’ve still got a few items to finalize but it’s getting there. For example, I’m working on a system to better manage and archive all the pictures I take and make them more easily available to you. You’ll find more pictures showing up on each and every page of the website. Right now the homepage is showing pictures from my Farm Progress Show photo set.

I’ve also got some display advertising which will begin by the end of the month and the new theme makes incorporating and managing that much easier. Let me know if you’d like to be one of the first companies to show off your brand to our large and growing audience.

I hope you like it.

I have suggested to several people looking for a job that they start a blog. So far only 2 people have done so. The first one got a job right away. The second one is my friend John Davis. I hired John to be a farm broadcaster for the Brownfield Network in early 2000. He was an Air Force broadcaster who impressed me and he did a great job. He soon moved to the company’s state news network in Missouri.

Covering the visit of President Bush to the Advancing Renewable Energy conference in St. Louis made for an interesting day. It was most amazing to me how incredibly tight security was, especially for the press. The general convention attendees had more freedom than the press. The “local media” were confined to a “pen” – that’s what they called it – …

The Advancing Renewable Energy Conference this week in St. Louis is subtitled “An American Rural Renaissance” and the media here have gotten an eduation in the importance of agriculture to the future energy security of this nation. The farm media here, like Peter Shinn with Brownfield Network, already knew that. It’s been very gratifying to hear so much about agriculture …

I should be back in the swing of things by tomorrow evening. It’s not that I’ve been away from blogging though. Tomorrow I’m heading up to Ocala, FL on the way back from this personal trip. I’ll be conducting some blogging and podcasting training there. We’ll get up to date shortly.

If you listened to a recent ZimmCast you might have heard that I’m going to my 30 year high school reunion. Well, I’m leaving tomorrow for Sarasota, FL and the Riverview High School Class of 1976 Reunion.

I just thought I’d give you a heads up that we’re working on a new design for AgWired which will be unveiled within the next couple weeks. I think you’re really going to like it. We’re adding some features that you’ve requested that will make the coolest even cooler.

I just didn’t want you to log on after we make the switchover and do a “Whoa, what’s going on here?” thing. Well, you might anyway but I hope you’ll like it. So stay tuned as we evolve in the new media world.

This is the last time I’ll bug you about the AgWired Survey. I promise. However, I’ll post some results from it in the near future. I’m going to leave the survey open a couple more days to see if anybody else would like to chime in. Please feel free. It only takes a couple minutes tops.

I know, I’m being a pain. But we want our survey (1st annual?) to be as meaningful as possible. We’ve had quite a few done so far but I’d really like more of you to chime in. I just did one last night for somebody that was agonizing in more ways than one. It had pages full of questions, all kinds of questions. Our is short, simple and you really don’t have to think hard to answer the questions.

So come on, take maybe 3 minutes and get your survey done today. Please?