New Website For Swanson Russell

Chuck Zimmerman

Swanson Russell has launched a newly designed website.

“We’re proud to unveil our new site, which is a result of involvement from employees in every department.” said Brian Boesche, partner and chief creative officer at Swanson Russell. “The new design and content represents who we are, what we do, what we’re passionate about and the caliber of work we produce. The site serves as a face to the agency and demonstrates what we’re all about.”

Emphasizing the agency’s Real Connection™ philosophy is a main focus of the website content and design. The new website explains Swanson Russell’s approach to doing business through forging genuine relationships with clients and their audiences.

The new Orange Dot blog features posts from employees on a wide range of topics. Blog categories from each area of focus educate readers on that specific industry, while the “Agency” category provides insight into Swanson Russell activities and general industry tips.

Agencies

Hey John Deere, AgWired “Can Do”

Chuck Zimmerman

AgWired is helping spread the word about John Deere’s Project “Can Do.” You can do it too! Go to the John Deere Facebook page, click on the Project “Can Do” link and create your own virtual can. Here’s the AgWired Can Do of hunger whup-ass.

So let’s learn more about Project “Can Do.” I spoke with Nicole Schneider, Project Manager for John Deere. She’s one of the folks credited with the idea for the project. It’s interesting to hear how they had to strategically purchase cans of food of the appropriate size and colors needed in the sculpture. For example, Nicole says they had to have a certain number of cans of green beans and peas for the green and corn for the yellow, etc. She says that the Facebook page will be updated periodically with pictures of the sculpture being constructed and may even have a live feed of certain events.

You can listen to my interview with Nicole here: Interview with Nicole Schneider
To recognize the vital role that America’s farmers play in feeding the world this harvest season, John Deere is attempting a world-record at constructing a full-sized sculpture of its new S-Series combine from more than 300,000 cans of food at the John Deere Pavilion in downtown Moline, Illinois.

The more than 300,000 cans of food needed to complete the sculpture are donated by John Deere with delivery from Hy-Vee Food Stores. When completed, the sculpture will be 60 feet wide, 80 feet long and 16 feet tall and will weigh nearly 170 tons. The sculpture depicts John Deere’s new S-690 Combine, which is the world’s most powerful combine that can harvest more than 350 acres of grain a day.

After the public display is over in mid-December the sculpture will be taken down and the cans of food will be donated to the River Bend Foodbank.

Agribusiness, Audio, John Deere

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

Zimfo Bytes

Thank You National Beef Ambassadors

Chuck Zimmerman

I recently got to judge a part of the competition for the National Beef Ambassadors. Sure wish I could have been at the event in Ohio. We’ve got a great new crew that will be representing beef producers everywhere and I can’t wait to meet them.

Yesterday I got a great thank you from them (video below). Well, I say, thank you National Beef Ambassadors for stepping up to the plate on behalf of your industry! I can’t wait to see some new posts on the National Beef Ambassador blog.

Ag Groups, Beef

Show Some #foodthanks

Chuck Zimmerman

If you love food and the farmers who grow and raise it and all the companies that bring it to your table then this is the time to show some #foodthanks. This social media campaign via Twitter is being coordinated by the AgChat Foundation again this year. Visit the website and see who is tweeting.

Express your gratitude to those who prepare food.

This Thanksgiving season, we encourage you to use social media to show just how thankful you are for the food we all enjoy every day. In doing so, we will also be thanking those many people and industries who bring food to our tables. Tweet, blog…spread #FoodThanks!

Food

WTF? Where’s the Food. Without the Farmer?

Chuck Zimmerman

Hey farmer and food lovers. Here’s a head’s up about a coordinated effort by college students to help do some agvocacy and reach out to other students to help them better understand food production and where it comes from.

Student volunteers from colleges and universities nationwide have joined the agricultural advocacy group, I Love Farmers…They Feed My Soul to promote the importance American agriculture, Thursday, November 10. Students will be on campuses asking the question, “WTF? Where’s The Food. Without The Farmer?”

Student volunteers at Texas A&M University, Oklahoma State University, University of Arkansas, Fresno State University, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly State University, Iowa State University, Kansas State University and Woodland College are also involved in advocating on the same day. Students will be using social media channels to share what is going on at the individual campuses. You can follow the activity on the Facebook page “NEW I Love Farmers They Feed My Soul” or on Twitter using the hashtag #WTFILF2011.

Megan Silcott, the president of the non-profit I Love Farmers…The Feed My Soul organization says, “Our goal is to create conversations about American agriculture with college students and to disseminate materials that will lead them to credible sources of information about food and agriculture.”

Ag Groups, Education, Farming, Food, University

Using Smartphones For Broadcast Purposes

Chuck Zimmerman

I like this graphic for next week’s National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention pocket schedule (pdf). The smartphone in a farmer/broadcaster hand tells a story about how things have changed since I first got started in broadcasting way back when. This year’s convention features more professional improvement sessions than I can ever remember and I think this is a good thing. As head of the professional improvement committee again I hope those of you attending will take advantage of the sessions we’re offering. They will have application no matter what your NAFB member status is.

I’d like to invite any of you to email, post in comments here or DM me on Twitter, your questions about using smartphones for broadcast purposes. I’ll be conducting a session on this topic on Wednesday, November 9 at 3:15pm in the Roanoke Room at the Westin Crown Plaza. Other sessions include two presentations by Mark Ramsey, Using Photo & Video to Enhance Your Work and Gadgets and Streaming. You can find them on the schedule. Hope to see you there.

Media, NAFB

Farm Podcaster Tool

Chuck Zimmerman

Hey farm podcasters. Here’s a tool for your iPhone 4 (I’m assuming compatibility w/iPhone 4S). Fostex has introduced the AR-4i. It’s an audio interface that includes a small handgrip for support in holding the device and phone. It also has tripod threaded mounts too. So it’s a great little device to help you shoot better video or have a more comfortable grip while recording audio interviews. It also allows for connecting either the included mics or other external mics or audio sources. I see it available for $142 on Amazon right now.

  • Exceptional audio quality – record/playback via Dock connector with built-in AD/DA converter
  • Equipped with 3 x stereo inputs (Line/Mic) for using 2 of the 3 simultaneously for vertical or horizontal use
  • 2 x plug-in powered condenser cardioid type microphones with pop-shields supplied. Third-party microphones can also be used.
  • 4-dot LED level meter for input monitoring
  • Thumb wheel input gain control
  • Setup App supplied free from App Store for setting Pan (L/C/R), Low Cut Filter, Limiter, etc.
  • Headphone output for recording & playback monitoring
  • Long operation time with 2 x AAA alkaline batteries for 8 to 10 hours
  • Supplied with a sturdy hand grip
  • 2 x threaded tripod mounts on the bottom and side for use with tripod, camera rigs, etc.
  • Cold shoe for use of third-party camera options


Thanks to Podcasting News for the heads up.

Equipment, Podcasts

Have you lost your marbles?

Melissa Sandfort

Being in the business of agriculture public relations and communications, I get to attend numerous trade shows throughout the year and visit with producers across the country. It’s always gratifying to me to hear their stories, be able to share my story, and connect with those who raise the food my family eats.

My husband also likes it when I bring home new hats.

That said, I’ve seen every type of gimmick and give-away you can imagine…from key chains to coolers and koozies. But here’s one I’d never seen before – advertising marbles. Grandpa has jars full of Coke, Pepsi and John Deere marbles.

I’m not sure what purpose they serve other than to be a collectible. Maybe I should’ve been saving some of the trinkets I brought home from trade shows instead of letting my son play with them for a week or so and then tossing them in the trash. (Except the coolers and koozies, that is!)

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Last Month of New Holland Boomer 555 Contest

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s the last month of the New Holland Boomer 555 Contest, a social media driven promotion. Entries have poured in from all over the United States and Canada. Contest entries can be in the form of a written essay, uploaded photo or link to a YouTube video. All forms of entries have been received. I’ve posted a video entry below as an example. ZimmComm has had the pleasure to work with New Holland on this project which includes a blog and associated social networking accounts.

Many thanks to Lana Bell from Killarney, Manitoba for her entry into the contest. Lana came up with lots of things she would do with a new Boomer tractor. As you’ll see in the video, she plans to let her husband on the tractor in year five of the lease, “maybe.” 🙂

So it’s not too late to get your entry in and let New Holland know what you would do with a new Boomer tractor. Just fill out the entry form which you can find right here.

Agribusiness, New Holland, Video