“Fuels America” Campaign Launched

Cindy Zimmerman

In the face of increasing calls to waive the nation’s Renewable Fuel Standard, biofuel industry stakeholders today announced a major new communications campaign to educate consumers and policy makers about the benefits of renewable fuel to America’s economy, energy security and environment.

The new coalition – Fuels America – includes several agricultural organizations in addition to ethanol companies and groups such as Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), and American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE). Farm and commodity groups represented include National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) National Association of Wheat Growers, National Farmers Union, and National Sorghum Producers.

The Fuels America campaign will be a national effort, including advertising, beginning in Washington, DC and several states, including Colorado, Ohio, Delaware and Montana. Each state will have its own online platform reachable through FuelsAmerica.org and feature the stories of renewable fuel innovators and communities with a stake in maintaining the RFS. The coalition also has a Twitter feed @FuelsAmerica.

A telephone press conference was held this morning to announce the new coalition and campaign with BIO president and CEO Jim Greenwood, Novozymes president Adam Monroe, Marion (Ohio) Chamber of Commerce president Pam Hall, and ZeaChem president and CEO Jim Imbler.

Listen to or download that press conference, which starts with comments from Jim Greenwood: Fuels America press conference

Audio, Corn, Ethanol, NAWG, NCGA, RFA, sorghum, Wheat

Portable Satellite TV Receiver from Winegard

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s college and pro football time and judging by the social media messages I see, farmers are just as rabid fans as anyone! So, if you’re tailgating and want to bring along some HDTV experience then check this out. A portable HDTV satellite dish from Winegard. So we’re talking pre-game, during the game and post-game sports so you don’t miss anything! Maybe you’ll tailgate a little longer now. Our Sales Manager, Dave, has one and will be reporting on how well it worked after his next tailgate.

The Carryout automatic portable HDTV tailgating satellite dish by Winegard Company, the #1 antenna manufacturer in the U.S.A., sets up in just a few minutes with little-to-no effort. Compatible with DISH® and DIRECTV®, users can watch the games in crisp, clear HD with DISH or enjoy DIRECTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket in standard definition. To receive HD programming, you must have an activated HD receiver with HD programming package and an HDTV, sold separately.

‘Nothing makes tailgating more fun than watching other games and pre-game coverage before the game,” said Aaron Engberg, Director of Mobile Products for Winegard. “And, at such an affordable cost and the flexibility in using a receiver from home, it’s a quick and easy way to create the ultimate tailgating experience.”

Made in the U.S.A., the Carryout automatic antenna is only 15.6” tall and 20” in diameter, and weighs just 11.5 lbs. It features an easy grip handle along with an eyelet on the base for added security. Included are a 50’ coax and 12V power cable. The Carryout features DVB technology for extremely fast and accurate satellite acquisition and automatically locks on and switches between the desired satellites, viewing a single satellite at a time.

Equipment, Media

Muddy Footprint Mystery

Melissa Sandfort

It seems like things disappear on the farm and no one knows where they go. Grandma’s flowers were eaten overnight, and it wasn’t until she caught the rabbit red-pawed that we knew for sure who the culprit was. But that’s nature at work so I can’t be upset.

Tools in our shop seem to grow legs.

I am disheartened when I read stories about how, when hay prices were sky-high, farmers were finding hay bales missing. I also remember when I was younger my grandpa had a fuel tank about 100 yards from his front door, and somehow once a month or so, dad would knock on the tank to see how full it was and the fuel had just disappeared.

It has been going on for years and years, and it’s stealing, plain and simple.

Take a listen as grandpa goes on another “AgWalk” with us today and tells about his story of the muddy footprint mystery. Listen to Grandpa explain

It really wasn’t a mystery – grandpa called the sheriff because the footprints led next door, and that neighbor had just sold clean red clover seed the day before, but it was just brushed under the rug.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

2012 NAMA Professional Development Awards

Chuck Zimmerman

The National Agri-Marketing Association presented its 2012 Professional Development Awards of Excellence today. These awards honor NAMA members with hands-on responsibility in marketing and communications, public relations, product/species management and sales. Here are our recipients.

First up is Troy Schroeder, Broadhead, pictured with NAMA President Beth Burgy and Don Tourte, Farm Progress Companies. Troy received the NAMA award for Marketing Communications.

I asked each of our award recipients what the award means to them and what impact NAMA has had on their career.

You can listen to my interview with Troy here: Interview with Troy Schroeder

Our next recipient is Justin Funk, Managing Partner, Agri Studies, Inc. Justin is very involved in the Canadian Agri-Marketing Association as well as being a NAMA member.

You can listen to my interview with Justin here: Interview with Justin Funk

Receiving the award for Product/Species Management is Kevin Bien, AGCO. Kevin is passionate about marketing the Fendt and Gleaner Combine brands as you’ll hear in our interview.

You can listen to my interview with Kevin here: Interview with Kevin Bien

The award for sales was presented to John Rozum, World Dairy Expo. I’ll be seeing John next week in Madison, WI for this year’s show. He was glad to be here for the award because he got out of a little bit of set up work.

You can listen to my interview with John here: Interview with John Rozum

2012 NAMA Fall Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, NAMA

Fuel Prices Are Impacting Farms and Businesses

Melissa Sandfort

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Have high fuel prices had an impact on your farm/business?”

Our poll results: Sixty-four percent said Yes, big impact on our budget; fourteen percent said Yes, minimal impact on our budget; twelve percent said No, not yet; and ten percent said No, don’t expect any.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What grade would you give the new student lunch program? Tell us why with a comment.” New government nutrition standards, which went into effect this year in a bid to combat childhood obesity, require schools to serve more variety and larger portions of fruits and vegetables. What do you think – are these new lunches a good thing or will students just toss more food in the trash can?

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

Food, USDA, ZimmPoll

New NAMA Fall Conference Big Success

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 366The new National Agri-Marketing Association Fall Conference is a big success. Almost 200 people registered and attended! That’s a big increase over the Trends in Agriculture conference. So congratulations to the committee who put this program together.

Speaking of that committee, it was chaired by Amber Harrison, United Suppliers, Inc. I visited with Amber to get a preview of the program. She says the executive committee tasked her committee to revamp the fall conference and create some new excitement for it. The focus became celebrating leadership and how to improve yourself and those you work with.

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: New NAMA Fall Conference

2012 NAMA Fall Conference Photo Album

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsors, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong and Monsanto, Roundup Ready Plus, for their support.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our Subscribe page.

Ag Groups, Audio, NAMA, ZimmCast

Push Back on New School Lunches

Melissa Sandfort

Healthier school lunches, required for the first time this year, are getting some push back from students and teachers across the USA who say they are still hungry after eating the noon meal.

A new YouTube video parody, created by two teachers and some high school students in Kansas, has students singing We Are Hungry as they try to make it through the school day.

Other students from Massachusetts to South Dakota have spoken out about the new meals on websites and blogs, and some are brown-bagging it as a boycott to the healthier school meals. At the heart of the hoopla: New government nutrition standards, which went into effect this year in a bid to combat childhood obesity, require schools to serve more variety and larger portions of fruits and vegetables. And for the first time, there are limits on the calories that can be served at meals based on students’ ages. Plus, there are limits on the amounts of grains and proteins that can be served over the course of a week.

The standards raise the nutrition bar for the first time in more than 15 years. Schools must meet the standards to get federal meal reimbursements.

Moms out there – what do you think? I think kids need more protein and “good stuff” you can only get from meat, and the more vegetables you put on their plate, the more vegetables they can just throw away. And what about adding an extra 15 minutes onto the lunch hour so they have time to exercise? Either wolf down your food and get exercise or take your time and sacrifice exercise and now, protein. Let’s hear your thoughts, moms.

Agribusiness, Food, USDA

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • The Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center is excited to announce a series of courses leading to a certificate in Professional Butchery and Meat Cutting.
  • FMC Corporation recently announced changes in leadership for the company’s Agricultural Products Group.
  • Syngenta announced that it expects sales for its eight key strategic crops to reach $25 billion by the end of the decade, compared with a previous target of over $22 billion.
  • Five Ohio- and Indiana-based cooperatives are collaborating to support cancer research by developing Growing the Cure, a program that encourages a collaborative effort to fund food research for cancer prevention.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Never Give Up

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The founder of the Rainforest Cafe, Steven Schussler, Schussler Creative, opened the new NAMA Fall Conference as keynote speaker. He was here to talk on “It’s a Jungle in There: Inspiring Lessons, Hard-Won Insights and Other Acts of Entrepreneurial Daring.” His is a great story. Steven is also the author of the bestselling book, “It’s a Jungle in There.”

    Steven visited with me before his presentation and was the first interview on my new iPhone 5! Just had to throw that in there.

    I asked him to give me one take away for NAMA members. He told me, “Never, ever, under any circumstances, ever give up.” Steven says it can take years to reach success and I can’t agree more.

    You can listen to my interview with Steve here: Interview with Steve Schussler

    2012 NAMA Fall Conference Photo Album

    Ag Groups, Audio, NAMA

    2012 NAMA Passing of the Gavel

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The NAMA Fall Conference is all about celebrating leadership. We got a dose of that this afternoon when we had the passing of the gavel from 2012 NAMA President, Beth Burgy, Broadhead, when she passed the gavel to 2013 NAMA President, Paul Redhage, FMC. Paul will actually take the reins in January but this new conference offered a great opportunity to showcase the transition. Paul welcomed all the “leaders” attending the new NAMA Fall Conference and recognized the new leaders and committee members who put together this new conference format. He says that if you wonder where the Fall Conference will be just look to whoever is President that year. Since Paul lives near St. Louis as a Gateway Chapter member it will be in St. Louis in 2013.

    After the passing of the gavel it was Paul’s turn to present Beth with a commemorative award for her term of service as President. I spoke with Beth about being President. She says that her whole career has been tied to her involvement with NAMA and she still hasn’t processed the fact that she has just served as the organization’s President. Congratulations to Beth for a great year as NAMA continues to grow.

    You can listen to my interview with Beth here: Interview with Beth Burgy

    2012 NAMA Fall Conference Photo Album

    Ag Groups, Audio, NAMA