Agricultural Public Relations Hall of Famer Lyle Orwig

Chuck Zimmerman

During the 2012 Agricultural Relations Council Annual Meeting Lyle Orwig, CEO, Charleston|Orwig, was inducted into the inaugural Agricultural Public Relations Hall of Fame. Here’s Lyle with his award in between past ARC President, Deron Johnson (left) and current President, Mace Thornton.

I visited with Lyle about his recognition at the meeting and he says he’s very honored and humbled to be part of the inaugural presentation and especially to be inducted along with an ARC founder, Don Lerch. Lyle talks about how the communications business has changed over the years from before we had integrated marketing and how agencies have adapted. When it comes to today’s social media world he says the role of the public relations professional has not changed but how a message is delivered has.

Listen to my interview with Lyle here: Interview with Lyle Orwig

2012 ARC Annual Meeting Photo Album

Agencies, ARC, Audio

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

    GROWMARK Legislative Priorities

    Cindy Zimmerman

    GROWMARK government affairs director Chuck Spencer shared some of the agricultural cooperative’s top legislative priorities on both the state and national level during the media day tour this week.

    Chuck and other GROWMARK representatives participated in the Ag Day event Wednesday at the Illinois state capitol to talk with legislators about some of those priorities. “Obviously everyone in Illinois is very concerned about budget, the cost of operations, consistency of policies, predictability of regulation in our business climate,” Chuck says. “We are seeing agriculture in the very fortunate position of being able to grow in this economy. We want to continue to do so.”

    Chuck says a specific priority on the state level is the “Keep it for the Crop” (KIC) by 2025 campaign, a legislative initiative that has passed the Illinois House and is moving through the Senate. “What is important about that is that it’s going to provide additional research dollars for stewardship programs,” in watersheds, nutrient movement, and maximizing efficiency, productivity and profitability.

    National priorities include the farm bill, of course, but also issues related to pesticide application permitting (HR872), transportation (limited exemption for hours of service for agriculture) and renewal of the Pesticide Registration and Improvement Act.

    Listen to my interview with Chuck Spencer here: GROWMARK's Chuck Spencer

    Audio, Farm Bill, GROWMARK

    cropNAtion App Now Available

    Chuck Zimmerman

    It has been a long time coming. Well, not really. It just seems like it. But the cropNAtion App is now available in the iTunes Store and Android Market. The “virtual coffeeshop” was introduced last fall.

    I spoke with Heather Thompson during the GROWMARK Media Tour about the newly available app. She says that cropNAtion is a social network for farmers to share information, photos and more. Work has been going on for the app since the launch last fall. The app does pretty much everything that can be done on the website. It starts out with a map showing where you are and lets you see what others are saying around you or you can move the map to other locations. The app is free btw.

    You can listen to my interview with Heather here: cropNAtion App Interview with Heather Thompson

    GROWMARK 2012 Media Tour Photo Album

    Agribusiness, Apps, GROWMARK

    Farm Podcasting Tool

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Want to improve the audio in the videos you shoot with your iPhone? How about getting the iPhone Boom Mic for your device? Here’s some information about it:

    A boom mic for crisp, clear sound recordings on your iPhone
    2 directional settings let you control the recording
    Small enough to always keep with you
    Attaches to your phone’s headphone jack
    Fits over your case
    For iPhone 4 and 4S
    4 ¾” x ¾”
    Takes 1 AAA battery (included)

    Please note that The iPhone Boom Mic only works with the free “Belkin LiveAction App”

    You can find a lot of other cool stuff at Photojojo.

    Equipment, Media

    Coming up for air

    Melissa Sandfort

    I have a fairly short list when it comes to things I’m afraid of. And I don’t mean squeamish, I mean scared. Topping the list is any critter that buzzes – horse flies, wasps, sweat bees, bumblebees, hornets. (I guess if you add those all up, that’s quite a start to the list.) If it’s buzzing, I’m running.

    And let me tell you, the joy that comes from me learning about the way agriculture “used to be” from my grandpa has numerous benefits. I get to know my grandfather better, learn how times and technologies have changed and yet some things in life remain unchanged, and every once-in-a-while, I get to hear stories about events from his childhood that make me feel a bit better about some of the charades I used to pull when I was younger.

    This particular story has to do with a couple of teenage boys, bees and a livestock tank. And it’s a scenario I’d never find myself in.

    Listen to my interview with grandpa here. Listen to the story

    Disclaimer: I do hope you are enjoying the audio and art of storytelling.

    Until we walk again …

    Uncategorized

    Ag Secretary Vilsack & IA Gov. Branstad Press Conf.

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Today at 3pm, CDT, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Iowa Governor Terry Branstad will hold a joint press conference to clarify facts surrounding Beef Products Inc.’s lean finely textured beef. We sure need some facts to get out into the consuming public on this. You can watch it live in the player window below. The press conference will be held in the Governor’s Large Conference Room, State Capitol, Des Moines, IA

    Post Update: In case you missed the press conference you can listen to it here. I edited out the blips in the live stream feed. Total length is about 14.5 minutes.

    Sec. Vilsack & Gov. Branstad Press Conference

    Here are some notes from the press conference: Both Gov. Branstad and Sec. Vilsack strongly affirmed the safety of lean finely textured beef. Sec. Vilsack said,”Let me reiterate what we have said literally hundreds of times. This product is safe. No question about it.” He compared the inaccurate term “pink slime” to calling H1N1 “swine flu.” Branstad said their responsibility is to “correct smear campaign” re: lean finely textured beef with correct information. He said that Midwest governors will be taking media on tour of meat plants tomorrow where they will eat some LFTB! He called media coverage of this story “poisonous.” Sec. Vilsack applauds efforts like the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance to communicate better information about food production to consuming public. Gov. Branstad said he talked with representatives of Hy-Vee who have changed their decision not to carry LFTB products and will be giving their customers the choice to purchase the product.

    Audio, Beef, Food

    BASF Sends Ohio Grower to Daytona 500

    Cindy Zimmerman

    kixor daytonaThanks to BASF Crop Protection, Ohio farmer Jason Davis and three of his guests got to see one of the most memorable Daytona 500 races in history as the winner of the Kixor® herbicide technology Road to DAYTONA® sweepstakes.

    A corn and soybean farmer from Hillsboro, Ohio, Jason says he uses Sharpen® herbicide, powered by Kixor, to help control his tough weeds. “We have heavy marestail pressure on our farm, so I used a fair amount of Sharpen last spring,” he said. “It’s a good product and always works well.”

    kixor daytonaJason, pictured here in the red shirt with his guests at the race, not only received tickets to the 54th annual DAYTONA 500®, they also got an expenses-paid three-day, two-night trip to Daytona Beach. That race, you might remember, was one for the history books – rain-delayed for the first time ever, the first under the lights race in prime time, and a sensational fire-ball crash into a jet dryer truck. After all that, Jason says they had “a real nice trip, and it was a real fine race.”

    The Kixor® Road to DAYTONA® sweepstakes was open to all growers 18 years or older with an operation of 250 acres or more. Ten other winners received $100 gift cards.

    BASF, NASCAR

    GROWMARK Media Day Tour

    Cindy Zimmerman

    It was a beautiful day for a media tour in Illinois on Tuesday. About a dozen journalists joined representatives from GROWMARK to tour some of the unique facilities of South Central FS around Casey and Effingham.

    Chuck and I both got to attend the event this year and we’ll be bringing you some of the highlights of our trip, including some interviews with GROWMARK and FS representatives and our visits to the Total Grain Marketing elevator at Casey, the newly-constructed GROWMARK fertilizer facility at Casey, and the FAST STOP General Store in Effingham. Thanks to GROWMARK’s Karen Jones for organizing the tour and being such a great host!

    Check out the photos here – GROWMARK 2012 Media Tour

    GROWMARK

    2012 Agvocacy 2.0 Conference Announced

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The third annual AgChat Foundation Agvocacy 2.0 event is scheduled for August 23-34 in Kansas City, MO. This is where farmers and ranchers from across the nation will convene to learn how to better support agriculture and engage with non-farm consumers. Will you be there?

    Agvocacy 2.0 is hosted by the AgChat Foundation, a primarily volunteer organization that aims to empower farmers and ranchers to “agvocate” by connecting consumers with accurate information about farming and food production using social media.

    “Agvocacy 2.0 is all about giving farmers and ranchers tools they need to share their stories and the story of agriculture with consumers through tools like Facebook, Twitter and blogs,” says AgChat Foundation Executive Director Emily Zweber. “Only 2 percent of people in the United States are farmers, meaning 98 percent of our population is not actively involved in food production. This leaves a huge gap between the farm and the dinner plate. Farmers have the ability to fill this gap by sharing information about their farm and production methods.”

    The two-day event will explore how to effectively share agriculture’s message through:
    • Twitter Community Building
    • Facebook Profiles, Pages and Groups
    • High-Impact Video
    • Blog Basics and Beyond
    • Real-World Case Studies

    For farmers interested in participating, applications will be available online in May at www.agchat.org. The event will be held at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Kansas City.

    AgChat will celebrate the third anniversary of #AgChat weekly conversations and the second anniversary of the AgChat Foundation the week of April 2 − 8.

    Ag Groups