2012 World Pork Expo

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s not too early to get your plans made for this year’s World Pork Expo. If you don’t have a hotel room you’d better get on it too since the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championship will be in Des Moines at the same time as World Pork Expo again this year. BTW. We have sponsorship opportunities for our coverage of this year’s show available. Just contact Chuck Zimmerman.

Plans are underway for this year’s World Pork Expo June 6-8 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. Join the nearly 20,000 producers and allied-industry representatives who will be on hand to see more than 450 commercial exhibits, participate in business seminars and show outstanding breeding stock.

It’s never too early to register for media credentials. You’ll know you have registered successfully if, once you click “submit,” you’re taken to a landing page with the headline, “Thank you for registering,” and you subsequently receive a confirmation email. If you’d like to check your registration status, contact:jkeene@mccormickcompany.com.

Let your readers, listeners and viewers know that, they now can preregister to attend World Pork Expo. By registering online, attendees receive a $10 early registration discount.

Become a friend of World Pork Expo on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (#NPPCWPX) to receive regular updates. You’ll find additional information just for journalists at the online media center.

World Pork Expo

American Ethanol on the NASCAR Track

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Ethanol No. 3 Chevy made its debut recently at the Las Vegas Nationwide Series Sam’s Town 300 with rookie driver Austin Dillon finishing strong in 7th place.

Representatives of American Ethanol partners, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and Growth Energy, were at the March 10 race – pictured here with RCR team owner (and Dillon’s grandfather) Richard Childress (left) are Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis next to Dillon and Illinois corn farmer Martin Barbre, chairman of NCGA’s NASCAR Advisory Committee on the right.

The excitement surrounding the second year of the American Ethanol partnership was evident at the Commodity Classic, where I talked to Tom Buis about how NASCAR is helping the ethanol industry by spotlighting 15% ethanol blended motor fuel (E15) which is what NASCAR uses in all races. “A lot of our promotion and activities this year, now that E15 is approved to go in the marketplace, will be connecting the fans and the viewers to the fuel they’ll soon be able to see in their retail areas,” Tom said. “There’s no sport more American than NASCAR and there’s no fuel more American than ethanol.”

Best of all, Tom says with gas prices up and ethanol priced $1 less than gasoline, E15 will save consumers money at the pump.

In this photo from Classic, Tom is holding one of our ZimmComm photo calendars, which featured a couple of American Ethanol photos. We still have a couple of calendars left if you want to buy one – click here.

Listen to my interview with Tom here: Interview with Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis

Audio, Commodity Classic, Corn, Ethanol, NASCAR, NCGA

AAEA New Media Awards

Chuck Zimmerman

AAEAThe American Agricultural Editors Association has announced its first New Media Awards Program. This is a very progressive move and I applaud them for it. It will be interesting to see the results and I’m betting there are already unanticipated questions for the competition. For example, I wonder if someone who is an Active member can submit entries in both the Marketing Communications Division and the Publishing Division as long as they are for different projects. I just happen to know a couple of members who qualify both ways as far as membership is concerned. If you know the answer to the question please leave in comments.

We are excited to announce the inaugural year of the AAEA New Media Awards Program, with thanks to Syngenta for providing the funding to make it possible and to many forward-thinking AAEA members who gave input during its gestation in recent years.

New Media Award Program entries and payment must be postmarked by April 17, 2012. Download the 2012 New Media Awards entry form (pdf). The form includes all the rules, guidelines and categories. Fees are $20 per entry.
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ACN, Media

Five Years of Tweets

Chuck Zimmerman

It has been five years since I started my Twitter account – @AgriBlogger. My how time and tweets fly. I’m currently at 12,099 tweets but I’m sure that will increase by the time you read this even. My current tweet average is 6.6 times per day.

I wondered what my first tweet was but have no idea and gave up trying to find out after spending some time trying. None of the services I tried would find that first tweet. Twitter hasn’t made archives available to search like I’d like that I know of. Kind of makes sense when you think about how many tweets there are at this point. I believe the maximum number of tweets Twitter archives via it’s API is 3,200. That would only take me back to 2010!

I don’t have enough time to create a comprehensive list of things you should or shouldn’t do on Twitter but here are a few that come to mind right now.

Do

Test any link you put in your tweet first. Very irritating to click and nothing happens.
Tweet at least once what the hashtag you’ll be using a lot means.
Read your tweet before you publish it. Does it make sense? Spelling issues? Know what I mean?

Don’t Do

Tweet, “Must read . . . ” Turns me off and no, I don’t think I “must” read whatever it is.
Tweet, “Very excited to . . . ” Kind of like press releases that say it.
Ignore @replies, especially if they ask a reasonable question. Same for DM’s.
Tweet every feeling you have in a day. Some okay, all of them, not.
Assume everyone following you reads all your tweets.

Social Networking

Previewing ARC Annual Meeting

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 342The 2012 Annual Meeting of the Agricultural Relations Council takes place this week in Charleston, SC. I’ll be on site starting Wednesday afternoon and will bring you all the sights and sounds that I can.

To get a preview of this year’s ARC annual meeting agenda I spoke with ARC President, Mace Thornton, AFBF. Mace says more people are attending this year which marks the third year of growth for the revitalization effort that’s underway to grow ARC into the organization that it once was. The Golden ARC Awards program is also larger with more entries this year too. Mace also points to a new element of the program – the inaugural inductees to the new Agricultural Public Relations Hall of Fame. We’ll be honoring Lyle Orwig, Charleston Orwig and Don Lerch, an ARC founder. Find out more about the program in this week’s program. If you think you still want to attend it’s not too late if you get your registration done now. If you can’t make it then check AgWired or you can also follow the conference hashtag on Twitter – #ARC12.

Post Update: The official Twitter hashtag for the ARC Annual Meeting is now: #AgRC

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: Preview of ARC Annual Meeting

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsor, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong, 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, ARC, Audio, Public Relations

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • The Agricultural Marketing Service Fruit and Vegetable Program invites you to take part in a series of free, interactive webinars on our many programs and services.
  • Now is the time for farmers to support their school district through America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, a program that gives farmers the opportunity to nominate their public school district to compete for a grant of $10,000 or $25,000 to support a science and/or math educational program.
  • California agricultural producers who are certified organic or transitioning to organic production may qualify for technical and financial assistance. Applications are due by March 30.
  • Dakota Micro is proud to announce a new factory install partnership with Kinze Manufacturing.
Zimfo Bytes

First Look at New iPad

Chuck Zimmerman

This is not meant to be an exhaustive review of the new iPad. Just a first look. Okay? Hey, I just got it and haven’t had a lot of time to “play” with it. In the photo my new iPad is standing next to my Macbook Air. One of the first things I noticed was that the new iPad fits my old iPad 2 cover just fine. My old cover consists of an Apple Smart Cover for the front and a Hypershield Snap On back cover. No need for a new one!

A lot has been said about the new display on the new iPad. Putting it side by side with my iPad 2 it is noticeably different just looking at the home screen and app icons. The colors are richer and looking at some photos I would say they are definitely sharper on the new iPad. It’s a beautiful screen. Of course, I thought the same on both the previous versions.

Here’s a screenshot from the new iPad with the AgWired App showing using the 2X display feature. Looks good and works fast. My new iPad is wifi only since I carry around two different hot spot making phones. I tried several different apps including Weather Channel, USA Today and others. They all seem to be working just a touch snappier.

The new iPad is noticeable thicker and just a tad heavier. However, it feels extremely solid just like the others and I don’t mind the difference. I have been using an Apple wireless keyboard with my other iPads and will do so with this one. It’s small enough to keep in a small bag I have when taking it to the coffee shop. When I go on an extended trip my iPad goes in my rolling mobile journalism kit.

I took a couple of quick photos with the new iPad and my iPhone 4S to compare side by side. The new iPad photo is significantly better than my old iPad but not quite as good as the iPhone 4S. Let’s call it a major improvement though. I don’t shoot a lot of photos with my iPad since my iPhone is kind of like permanently attached to me.

In conclusion, if you don’t have an iPad, then get it! If you can upgrade from your original ipad then do it! If you’ve got an iPad 2 I’d only upgrade if you just want to have the slightly better feature set.

Equipment

Farmers Are Sustainable

Chuck Zimmerman

A grower sustainability panel took place during the Bayer CropScience 2012 Ag Issues Forum. The theme of the session was “Hands in the Dirt: First-Hand Grower Experiences.” One of the panel members pictured is Nancy Kavazanjian, a farmer from Wisconsin who grows corn, soybeans and wheat.

I asked Nancy what the word “sustainability” means to her. She says that when “a farmer hears the word sustainable they kind of cringe . . . because it concerns them that they’re being forced to do something that they’re not already doing.” But she says that most farmers are being sustainable. She points out that many farmers are multi-generations on the farm and they have to be sustainable for that to happen. To become more sustainable Nancy says they use cover crops and precision ag to make sure they can strip-till. She says they know they need to reduce tillage but in their climate they need to do some. She says they definitely use new technology and that includes seed technology to get the best yields. The use of these technologies reduces the amount of inputs they have to use.

You can listen to my interview with Nancy here: Interview with Nancy Kavazanjian

2012 Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum Photo Album

Agribusiness, Bayer

FMC Stand Up and Be Heard Anthem Contest

Chuck Zimmerman

How would you like a chance to sing the National Anthem on national tv? It’s possible if you win the FMC “Stand Up and Be Heard Anthem Contest.”

We’re investing in farming’s future with our new Anthem™ herbicide (coming soon—EPA registration pending) and $25,000 in college scholarships as prizes in our Anthem Singing Contest.

Beginning soon, enter by submitting a video of you singing the National Anthem. Videos will be posted online for popular voting to determine four finalists. The four finalists will be interviewed and their performances recorded for airing on national TV. Online voting will determine the grand prize winner.

Students must be a member of a national ag-related student organization such as FFA, 4-H or student NAMA to enter.

At Commodity Classic I visited with Rick Ekins, Anthem Brand Manager, to learn more about the contest. Students should be able to submit entries “very soon” according to the contest web page. The entry deadline is Jun 15. Online voting will begin in July and run through August 17. Four finalists will be selected from a new round of online voting. The grand prize winner will be announced October 24. Finalists receive $5,000 and the grand prize winner receives $10,000.

Listen to my interview with Rick here and learn more about Anthem too: Interview with Rick Ekins

2012 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Commodity Classic, FMC

Ag Groups Testify at Senate Farm Bill Hearing

Cindy Zimmerman

The Senate Agriculture Committee heard testimony from farmers and farm organizations Thursday on risk management priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill.

Among those who testified was National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) First Vice President Pam Johnson. “NCGA has invested time and resources to develop and analyze concepts for a new farm bill that would help farmers in times of need and be a good investment of taxpayer dollars,” said Johnson, a grower from Floyd, Iowa. “We learned that risk management is the number one priority and that federal crop insurance is the cornerstone of a sound farm safety net for the future.”

Johnson says corn growers support a transition away from the direct payments to a revenue-based risk management tool that complements crop insurance, such as the Aggregate Risk and Revenue Management program proposed by Senators Brown, Thune, Lugar and Durbin last fall. “NCGA appreciates the difficult task before your committee to write a comprehensive and balanced farm bill, especially under the current budget constraints,” said Johnson. “But, we urge Congress to pass a farm bill this year. We look forward to working with the Senate Agriculture Committee and other agriculture organizations to craft new farm legislation.”

American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Bob Stallman told the Senate panel that national farm policy must strike a balance between the need for a strong, effective safety net to protect farmers and ranchers against catastrophic revenue losses and fiscal soundness for the nation.

“Continuation of a multi-legged stool remains the best approach for providing a fair and effective safety net,” Stallman said. “This should consist of a strong crop insurance program, continuation of the current marketing loan provisions and a catastrophic revenue loss program.”

Stallman said AFBF supports a “deep loss” program that would “not provide producers with payments as often as other proposals contemplated, it would provide more coverage in times of catastrophic losses when assistance is most critical.”

In addition, “As a general farm organization, we place high priority on ensuring the new farm bill benefits all agricultural commodity sectors in a balanced, coordinated manner,” Stallman said. He urged coverage for five fruits and vegetables – apples, tomatoes, grapes, potatoes and sweet corn – in new national farm policy and he expressed Farm Bureau’s support for the concepts included in a bill introduced by Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) that would reform and improve the dairy program.

AFBF, Farm Bill, NCGA