Anderson-Wise is New Dairy Council of California CEO

Melissa Sandfort

Tammy Anderson-Wise has been named chief executive officer of Dairy Council of California by the organization’s producer-distributor board of directors.

Anderson-Wise was formerly director of program services for Dairy Council of CA, managing its school programs. She has been with the organization 15 years. She replaces Peggy Biltz, who is retiring after spending 27 years with Dairy Council of CA, 22 as chief executive officer.

The organization reaches millions of children each year with a professional staff of 50 through its nutrition education programs in schools, collaboration with health professionals and through digital communications. Some 90 percent of California schools use Dairy Council of CA nutrition education programs.

Anderson-Wise steps into the chief executive officer position July 16.

Dairy

Celebrating Moms

Melissa Sandfort

In honor of Mother’s Day yesterday, I thought I’d post another picture of momma and filly. It’s with a sad heart that I post this, too, because I believe a new home has been found for “Surprise” once she’s weaned. I feel a little like I’m losing one of my own, and as a mother myself, it’s hard to see something so young let go…to have someone else raise her…to have someone else take care of her.

My husband is all about blood lines and being able to trace back her lineage, so we need a father with papers. That means poor momma is going to have another baby (hopefully) next year. I know she’s designed to do that, but we got a girl the first time out of the gate and who’s to say the next five won’t be boys? (We’d hoped for a female because they’re a bit more docile than boys. You know, those boys are trouble-makers!)

I will leave it up to my husband to separate momma and filly when it’s weaning time. A clean break – that’s best, right? But since I work from home, I’m the one who will get to listen to momma’s neighs, wondering where her baby is.

Such is life on the farm. Another baby will come along and I’ll gush over how cute it is, take pictures, write a little something and life will go on.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Internet Grows As Farmer Information Source

Chuck Zimmerman

national association farm broadcastingThe National Association of Farm Broadcasting has just released the results their Media Usage Update Survey. The internet continues to make inroads as a farmer’s source for news and information and mobile devices are gaining steam too. But as you’ll find in the results you’ve still got your farmers out there who don’t even use a computer much less the internet. So what does it all mean? Just from looking at the quick results released it looks to me like farmers are following along with the general population. They still use traditional media but are increasingly using new communications channels. I don’t know if the survey breaks out categories of income by number but I’d guess the higher the farmer income, the greater their use of internet and mobile.

Today’s top agricultural producers remain engaged consumers of business-related information. And while sources and channels for that information have proliferated, research conducted in late 2011 reveals strong dependence upon producers’ favored first and second media preferences.

The national sample of 1,504 producers – farmers and ranchers – required a gross farm income of at least $100,000 and is proportionately representative by each state to the Agriculture Census. The surveyed producers were not drawn from a subscriber list or circulation, or a listener or viewer audience; the statistically valid sample is from the national database of Farm Market iD. The survey was developed by Ag Media Research, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Producers remain devoted to the “traditional” farm media they trust, as the Internet otherwise continues to draw traffic and targeted searches for desired information. In fact, on a daily basis, farm radio and the Internet (accessed from home/office) are easily the two most-used agri-media channels. For those choosing either radio or the Internet as their first choice, farm television is the preferred second daily information source. Among information sources used at all (not specific to daily or any time frame), farm-title publications – newspapers and magazines – garner the highest numbers.

Additional findings of the Media Usage Update Survey study as well as raw survey data and available cross-tabulated findings, including geography and age-specific results, are available by contacting becki@nafb.com or at (816) 431-4032. The data is projectable to each state and by county within a state.

Media, NAFB, Research

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Syngenta and Devgen announced a six-year global license and research agreement that will enable Syngenta to add RNA interference (RNAi) technology to its crop protection pipeline.
  • On May 15, we will recognize the 150th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. On that date in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law an act of Congress establishing USDA.
  • Osborne Industries, Inc., has expanded its offerings with “Single Source Swine Solution” packages for new and existing swine farms.
  • Joe Murphy has joined the Iowa Soybean Association staff as Member Communications Manager.
    Zimfo Bytes

    SojaBook Social Network For Farmers

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Have you considered how farmers are communicating socially outside of our United States? Of course, many are doing so through Facebook, Twitter, etc. just like farmers here. But there are also a number of social networks being developed. Here’s one that came to my attention via Twitter last night. It’s SojaBook.

    SojaBook is the social network that connects you with area people in the countryside.

    I don’t have much more information about it except that it’s structured so that you can use it in a large number of languages and that’s a great feature. If you join let me know what you think.

    Farming, Social Networking

    Stewart Doan Services

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Information on services for Stewart Doan have been finalized, along with a college fund set up for his daughters, Lauren and Sara.

    Visitation will take place on Monday, May 14, from 6-8 pm at the Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Court, Little Rock, AR 72205. The funeral will be held on Tuesday, May 15 at 4:00 pm at Faith Spring Church, 501 South Bowman, Little Rock.

    A fund was established by Jeffery Hall of Arkansas Farm Bureau to help pay for Stewart’s girls’ college education.

    To contribute, please make checks payable to:
    Stewart Doan’s Children’s College Fund
    c/o Peoples Bank
    20409 Arch Street
    Little Rock, AR 72206

    NAFB

    Tributes Pouring out for Stewart Doan

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Tributes to the life of Stewart Doan have been pouring out from all over the agriculture industry today as news of his sudden passing yesterday has been spreading.

    According to Sara Wyant, president of Agri-Pulse, where Stewart had been senior editor, they do not have all the details, “but we know that he had not been feeling well and saw his doctor Wednesday to undergo tests related to having shortness of breath and related health concerns. He fainted at his home yesterday morning and was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he later died.”

    Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack praised Stewart in a statement to Agri-Talk this morning. “Stewart was a voice that people depended on and that people listened to,” said Vilsack. “And he used his voice to advocate on behalf of America’s farmers, ranchers and producers.” Listen to Visack’s comments here:
    Secretary Vilsack on Stewart Doan

    The most common word being used to describe Stewart is “professional.” He was a first-class reporter, the master of the :45 news story with :10 sound bites. I loved that. He was kind, down-to-earth, passionate about agriculture, and a good friend to all. We were at several events together just this year and he was always working very hard and always in a good mood. I remember being very impressed with his presentation on the presidential candidates at the Farm Bureau annual meeting where he played sound bites from them addressing various issues. It was probably the best presentation incorporating audio that I have ever seen.

    Besides being a colleague and friend to so many of us, he was also a dedicated husband and father. I snapped this photo of Stewart with his wife Leslie, their two daughters Lauren and Sarah and a couple of their friends at Sara and Al’s house a couple of years back.

    Stewart was only 52 years old and for more than 30 years of his life, this Kentucky native covered agricultural news for a variety of media, beginning with radio. He was president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting in 1998, and was named 2006 Farm Broadcaster of the Year. But, most of all, he was a great guy and we will miss him. Rest in peace.

    NAFB

    Just Farmers

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Just Farmers is helping tell agriculture’s story and there are already a number of them posted. See what you think. Just Farmers is offering a variety of services that include: Developing Social Media Action Plans; Creating Listening Centers; Shaping Your Message; Targeting Specific Audiences; Analyzing Your Presence and Building Your Brand.

    Just Farmers is a digital sandbox for those interested in using conversations, relationships and community to harness the power of humanity’s inner want for social interaction in all forms. Several years ago a few in the agricultural world jumped head first into realm of Social Media. Through many learning opportunities, not all good, we found our way to where we are now and our shared passion of conversations as a way to collectively harness the power of individual people when brought together into communities.

    As a play on our everyday profession as Farmers we have created “Just Farmers…”. Just Farmers is not specifically about the agricultural meaning of farmer and really is a more broad look at how through the use of different social channels conversations are being grown into crops of relationshipsand the harvest are the communities brought together in the end. More simply Just Farmers… includes those people interested in farming communities of engaged committed individual people by engaging in conversations.

    Just Farmers is a project of:

    Jeff Fowle
    Mike Haley
    Ray Prock, Jr.

    Ag Groups, Social Networking

    Zimfo Bytes

    Melissa Sandfort

      Zimfo Bytes

    • The National FFA Organization has selected 50 outstanding young people to participate in the 2012 New Century Farmer program.
    • ON MONDAY, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will host the May USDA Virtual Office Hours on Twitter to talk about USDA’s 150th anniversary, major accomplishments and the future of agriculture and food. Submit your energy related questions in advance to the @USDA Twitter account using the hashtag #AskUSDA and #USDA150.
    • Lisa (DiGnazio) Pine joined the U.S. Soybean Export Council as Communications Manager, in its Chesterfield, Mo. office.
    • FMC Corporation announces the addition of Lamar Buckelew, Ph.D., to the North American Crop Business and Product Development Team as product development manager.
      Zimfo Bytes

      Featuring American Farriers

      Chuck Zimmerman

      July 8-14 is National Farriers Week and American Farriers Journal wants to feature farriers via their social media channels. So get your camera or smartphone out and send ’em a photo/story!

      As mentioned, this year, American Farriers Journal is going to spotlight farriers based on your feedback. From now until July 1, we encourage horse owners to submit pictures of their farrier working with their horses, and share why you appreciate your farrier or tell us a story about your farrier.

      If you are a farrier making a difference in the industry, send us your pictures and tell us a unique story of how you helped improve a horse’s life. We will be featuring your stories, and the stories horse owners share with us during National Farriers Week on Facebook, Twitter and AmericanFarriers.com. You (or your nominated farrier) could even be featured on our Facebook cover photo!

      Great or small, we want to hear everything farriers are doing to support the industry. You can submit your photos and stories to Michelle Sauer at msauer@lesspub.com. Be sure to include your full name and location with your submission (if you are a horse owner, please include your farriers full name and location as well).

      American Farriers Journal has also posted a certificate for National Farriers Week that horse owners can download and personalize for their farriers. It can be downloaded at http://www.americanfarriers.com/file_open.php?id=173.

      Ag Groups, Horses