GROWMARK Recognized for Communicators’ Works

John Davis

We’ve had the pleasure of helping our friends at GROWMARK tell their story right here on this blog, and now, several of the company’s employees who also tell that story have been recognized by the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) Institute, recently held in Tucson, Arizona. This company press release has details.

First place honors went to Cassie Becker, corporate communications associate, in the photo illustration category.

Second place was earned by Becker in the miscellaneous category for the Gold Rush parody video and Karen Jones, publications and news specialist, and Karen Higgins, graphic designer, in the brochures and pamphlets category.

Third place went to Becker in the promotional video category, Jones and Julie Fontana, graphic designer, in the annual report category, and Jones in the featurette category.

Honorable mention was awarded to Heather Thompson, electronic communications specialist, in the cooperative education category.

Congratulations to our friends at GROWMARK!

GROWMARK

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Swanson Russell announces the promotion of Chris Johnson and Laura Witte in the Omaha office and Robin Barrett, Ryan Holt, Venetia Reimnitz and Lynette Von Minden in the Lincoln office.
  • The USDA has appointed James Wuerflein of Kremlin, Okla., to the United Sorghum Checkoff Board of Directors.
  • Hoosier Ag Today has announced a partnership with Growers Edge to bring its unique grain marketing tool and content to the Hoosier State.
  • Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan recently received the 2012 American Agri-Women “Champions of Agriculture” award.
    Zimfo Bytes

    New Holland “Race With the Winners” and Win

    Cindy Zimmerman

    If you love NASCAR and are in the market for a new compact tractor or utility vehicle, New Holland has just the ticket.

    New Holland Agriculture has partnered with several of the race tracks hosting NASCAR events in 2012 to create the “Race with the Winners” program. Five finalists will be selected during pre-race activities for a chance to win either the Boomer 20 Compact Tractor or Rustler 115 Utility Vehicle. The winner will be in Victory Lane to share the glory with the NASCAR race winner!

    Go to RaceWithTheWinners.com for official contest rules and to register for one of these upcoming races:

    Coke Zero 400 Daytona International Speedway– July 7, 2012

    Pure Michigan 400 Michigan International Speedway– August 19, 2012,

    Federated Auto Parts 400 Richmond International Raceway– September 8, 2012,

    Hollywood Casino 400 Kansas Speedway– October 21, 2012,

    Ford EcoBoost 400 Homestead – Miami Speedway– November 18, 2012

    Everyone who attends one of the races is a winner with the Race With The Winners program. All you have to do is take your ticket stub to one of nearly 1,100 dealers across the United States or Canada and redeem it for $250 off any compact tractor or Rustler Utility Vehicle. Get details on how your ticket can save you $250 here.

    Be sure to check out the New Holland Agriculture Facebook page for race updates.

    New Holland

    Egg Amendment is Top Priority for NCBA

    Cindy Zimmerman

    As the amendments to the 2012 Farm Bill are piling up in the Senate, one of the more than 240 stands out as causing the most concern to many agricultural organizations, including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), and that is the rotten egg amendment.

    A “dangerous piece of legislation” is what NCBA calls amendment #2252, put forward by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). “This amendment actually codifies an agreement reached by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the United Egg Producers (UEP) in July of last year that would actually for the first time ever have members of Congress involved in production practices for food producing animals,” said NCBA Executive Director of Legislative Affairs Kristina Butts in an interview today. “This really creates a precedent where Congress has never been before.”

    The amendment was developed from a stand alone bill introduced in both the House and Senate this year that would set certain specifications for cage sizes of laying hens. The agreement made by HSUS and UEP to get legislation regulating cage sizes passed actually expires June 30, so Kristina says supporters are using the Farm Bill as a vehicle to move it considering the short period of time left before Congress adjourns for campaign time. “This is NCBA’s number one priority to defeat in the Farm Bill,” she said. “We’re not sure if this is one of the amendments that leadership will agree to actually have a vote on but our membership wants us to consider this a very serious threat.”

    Work on the Farm Bill ground to a halt after Wednesday when just two of the growing list of amendments were considered by the Senate. Kristina says now it looks like it will be Tuesday before any more votes will be taken.

    Listen to my interview with Kristina here: NCBA's Kristina Butts

    Beef, Farm Bill, NCBA, Poultry

    BASF Stresses Doing More With Less

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Sustainability is an overused term, according to Nevin McDougall, Senior VP for BASF Crop Protection, North America.

    “Getting more productivity, more efficiency, with less impact on our resources and our environment – that’s what it’s all about,” Nevin told me at the conclusion of the 2012 BASF Agricultural Solutions Media Summit in Chicago last week.

    Nevin was very pleased with the discussion at the summit focused on innovation. “We delved into key topics and had first hand experience from people involved in the value chain that have a true perspective on what it means to move agriculture to a different point in its evolution,” he said.

    Listen to my interview with Nevin here. BASF's Nevin McDougall

    I talked to Nevin during the summit “high point,” so to speak, at the top of Willis Tower. I just got the photos yesterday that were taken on the Skydeck Ledge of the tower, which was really so fun.

    This picture is me with members of the fabulous BASF communications team – Pat, Nadine, Daniel and Kristen – towering over the city of Chicago at night. Thanks to all of you for a very informational and fun event.

    Check out photos from the summit here – Photos from BASF Ag Media Summit

    Audio, BASF, Sustainability

    Zimfo Bytes

    Melissa Sandfort

      Zimfo Bytes

      You Twive & AgChat Foundation Received

      Chuck Zimmerman

      Thank you to everyone who helped out the AgChat Foundation during yesterday’s Twive and Receive event. We raised $6,830 and placed 12th out of the hundreds of charities that participated. I guess I should have titled this “You Twave & AgChat Foundation Received?” We had 78 Twivers for an average donation of $88.

      In case you couldn’t help out now keep the AgChat Foundation in mind for the future. You can still make a donation! Want a reason to donate? Check out this video of farmer and AgChat Foundation board member Tim Zweber.

      After completing your donation the fearless leader of the board, Darin Grimm, Kansas farmer, provided a personal thank you which I’m sharing here.

      Social Networking, Video

      Help Feed the World with GROWMARK Cookbook

      Cindy Zimmerman

      GROWMARK employees have created a cookbook to help a group focused on feeding the world.

      In celebration of the International Year of Cooperatives, GROWMARK has announced that proceeds from sales of a new cookbook will go to Farmers Feeding the World, an industry-wide campaign to rally North American agriculture in the war against hunger.

      GROWMARK System employees and friends submitted more than 1,000 tried-and-true recipes in a variety of categories: Appetizers and Beverages, Soups and Salads, Vegetables and Side Dishes, Main Dishes, Breads and Rolls, Desserts, Cookies and Candy, and This and That. The finished books will be three-ring binder style with an included easel and delivered in time for holiday giving.

      The cookbooks are just $20.00 each and all proceeds above printing and shipping costs will be donated to “Farmers Feeding the World.” Orders will be accepted through July 20.

      Click here to get an order form.

      GROWMARK

      Few Ag Names on Dot Domain List

      Cindy Zimmerman

      There’s no dots for agriculture, corn, or cows on the list of nearly 2000 new generic top-level domain (or gTLD) name applications announced yesterday by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

      There’s .beer but not .beef, there’s .porn but not .pork, there’s .soy but not .soybean. There is .farm on the list, by one of several companies that paid $185,000 per name to apply for multiple generic domains, and Farmers Insurance has applied for .farmers. DuPont and New Holland both applied to have dot domains, but Pioneer was requested by a Japanese company and there is no .JohnDeere on the list. No .BASF or .Monsanto or .Syngenta, either.

      The application window for the gTLDs opened in January and closed on May 30. The full list of nearly 2,000 applications, including duplicates for popular names like .app and .blog, was revealed yesterday starting a 60-day public comment period to allow anyone to object to the domain being awarded. Introducing the list on Wednesday, ICANN chief Rod Beckstrom said, “The internet is about to change forever.” Well, maybe by sometime next year. All the applications need to be reviewed, and multiple applications for the same name need to go through an arbitration process. The winners will get the chance to pay $25,000 a year to keep the domain extension and do whatever they want with it.

      See the entire application list here.

      Internet

      2012 IFAJ Congress Full

      Chuck Zimmerman

      If you were waiting to make reservations for the 2012 International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Congress then you waited too long. It’s full! I’m looking forward to a trip to Sweden later this year thanks to our good friends at Pioneer Hi-Bred.

      The Swedish Congress is now completely full. All the available rooms at the congress hotel Sånga-Säby are booked and there is unfortunately not possible to take any more registrations. Those who are registered for the congress will be the very first guests at the new hotel building. It has its official opening on August 13th.

      We’re going to have free wifi at our hotel. That is a good thing. Wish they all had it free.

      IFAJ