Diamond V unveiled a new corporate brand strategy that supports the unique Diamond V portfolio of trusted products and services: “The Trusted Experts in Nutrition & Health”.
CropLife America honored Col. Ed Duskin, executive vice president of the Southern Crop Production Association, with its Lea S. Hitchner Service Award for his nearly 40 years of exceptional leadership in agriculture.
A new online service called TabVertiser.com is providing businesses with a way to easily buy and sell advertisements on Facebook, the popular social networking site, with just a few simple steps.
ZimmComm loves beef. That’s why we are a sponsor of the National Beef Ambassador program. This past weekend I was a judge for the competition although I had to do it from ZimmComm World Headquarters and not in Wooster, OH. It was very interesting seeing how the contestants responded to an anti-beef blog post. That was one of the things that they were graded on as part of the competition.
To get a full wrap-up report on how the competition went I spoke this morning with Sarah Bohnenkamp, project coordinator. Sarah provides an overview of the purpose of the program and describes the group of contestants and the different types of activities they participated in. You can see a photo of the new team with a list of their names here. We’ll get to see the new team at the Cattle Industry Convention, the first of many events they’ll attend in 2012.
The ZimmComm team is on site at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. This is the 7th year we have been here at WDX, but the first time the two of us have been here together. We were both here one year but switched off, so not together, and I have been here by myself or with daughter Carly for the past four years. It’s always nice when we get to be somewhere together!
Our great photographer friend Harlan Persinger took this shot for us this morning. The sweet heifer who posed with us is a Guernsey who goes by the name of Safari, owned by Krista Richardson of Ohio. Thanks to Harlan, Krista and Safari!
Photos are being uploaded, the weather is great, and we are enjoying seeing the usual suspects here in the media room. Thanks to our coverage sponsors this year, listed below.
The National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) has a new Director of Marketing and Communications who is no stranger to agriculture. She’s Becki Rhoades. Welcome Becki.
NAFB Executive Director Tom Brand says Rhoades’ extensive experience in marketing, working with clients across the nation, wealth of experience in communications, background in agriculture and working knowledge of farm broadcasting will be beneficial as the association continues to promote farm broadcasting as a key part of communicating with producers.
“Becki has worked for over ten years with the Kansas Department of Commerce coordinating marketing activities. She specialized in working with businesses to promote their products and services. I know those she interacts with on the job will instantly be able to see the enthusiasm she has for agriculture,” said Brand. “She understands first-hand the importance of farm broadcasting and has a passion for working with people and helping them make sound decisions. She is an ideal fit for our NAFB members.”
After college, she was a communications manager at the National FFA Headquarters in Indianapolis, where she managed the news desk at the National FFA Convention. She then moved to Topeka to work for the Kansas Livestock Association as assistant editor for the Kansas Stockman Magazine and the KLA Newsletter.
After more than four years in limbo, trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama have finally been sent to Congress by the White House and could be voted on by next week.
“The series of trade agreements I am submitting to Congress today will make it easier for American companies to sell their products in South Korea, Colombia, and Panama and provide a major boost to our exports,” President Obama said in a statement.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said completing the agreements “will level the playing field and secure markets for America’s farmers, ranchers, growers and producers ahead of competitors in the global marketplace.”
Once the agreements were turned loose by the president, agricultural organizations immediately began calling on Congress to end the wait and pass them. “America’s farmers and ranchers have much at stake and the fact these three agreements are moving forward is very good news for our economy,” said American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman. “Combined, the three FTAs represent nearly $2.5 billion in new agriculture exports and would create the economic growth that could generate support for up to 22,500 U.S. jobs. These gains will only be realized if the three agreements are passed by Congress and implemented.”
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Bill Donald welcomed the news but cautioned that the agreements are far from implemented.
“Today marks the biggest leap forward we have seen in nearly five years when the trade pact with Colombia was signed,” said Donald. “Our entire country, especially rural America, is nearing a historic moment.”
Donald said cattlemen “will not rest easy until the agreements are fully implemented.”
Plan to attend the Livestock Publications Council Royal Gala Fundraiser on October 28. The event will be held from 7-11pm at the American Royal Headquarters in Kansas City, MO. On the menu are cocktails and hors d’oeuvres food stations featuring Certified Hereford Beef® and Smoked Currie Ham.
The program includes the unveiling of the 2011 Hall of Honor inductees: Dr. Glenn Grimes, Professor Emeritus, University of Missouri – Headliner and A.J. Smith, Lone Wolf, Oklahoma – Hall of Fame, as well as the announcement of the 2012 Hall of Honor Inductees, Silent Auction and Dancing! Recommended Attire:
Girls – Dress your best ‘BLING’ outfit accompanied with fancy boots and belts
Guys – Cowboy hats, boots and starched jeans
Limited seating available – Please send your donation ($50/person) by October 17, 2011
Send your reservation to: Megan Crudup, A Royal Gala, 304 W. 8th St., Kansas City, MO 6410
he funds raised during the annual Royal Gala are used for the ongoing improvement of the LPC Heritage Center at the American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri. This is the eighth year for the Gala.
John Weber (Minnesota), Kim Rounds (California), Arika Snyder (Pennsylvania), Rossie Blinson (North Carolina), and Emily Jack (Texas) were chosen as the 2012 National Beef Ambassador Team at the annual competition, funded in part by the beef checkoff, held Sept. 30 – Oct. 2 at the Shisler Conference Center and Hilton Garden Inn in Wooster, Ohio. Eighteen senior contestants, ages 17-20, were judged in the areas of consumer promotion, classroom presentation, media interview technique and issues response.
Contestants from throughout the country vied for a place on this elite team of agriculture advocates and $5,000 in cash prizes sponsored exclusively by Farm Credit. Additionally five educational scholarships totaling $5,000 were given by the American National CattleWomen Foundation, Inc. For the past several years, one Beef Ambassador has also been chosen for a prestigious USDA internship in Washington DC.
This year’s contest also hosted a junior competition for youth beef industry advocates ages 12-16. 11 passionate contestants vied for cash prizes, competing in two judged categories: Media Interview and Consumer Demonstration. The first place winner was Austin Gaspard (Louisiana), the second place winner was Abigail Grisedale (California), and the third place winner was Rachel Purdy (Wyoming). They all took home checks sponsored exclusively by Farm Credit for their top scores.
Professor Jenks Britt, D.V.M., D.A.B.V.P. from Western Kentucky University Department of Agriculture, received the Mentor of the Year Award from the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and Merck Animal Health.
Osborn & Barr has expanded its team of communication professionals to include seven individuals who will support the agency’s growth in account service, public relations, media, production and network administration.
The Alltech Global 500, to be held in Lexington, KY Dec. 6-8 will offer dairy and beef producers insight into critical agricultural issues including sustainability and new technology.
My neighbors up the road, that is. Since my family planted soybeans across the highway this year, I had to go to the adjacent field to cut down some corn for my outside decorations. I hope they don’t mind. It was only about 8 stalks. And I picked ones that had fewer ears so the squirrels weren’t climbing our overhang all day trying to eat the corn off.
I think this is something I take for granted – the fact that “decorations” are just across the road whereas city folk have to buy dried corn cobs at Hobby Lobby.
Think about all of nature’s resources in our back yard that make for great decorations: leaves, pinecones, corn stalks, pumpkins (if you grew them in your garden this year).
Corn is about $6.50 per bushel. There are roughly 50 ears of corn per bushel. I have maybe 10 ears on my stalks outside, so maybe I’ll pony up the $1.30 I owe my neighbors. Or maybe I’ll call it an even trade for taking Black Kitty off their hands.
(And by the way, I asked my neighbor for permission when I saw him in church on Sunday.)
John Deere officially opened a sparkling new LEED-certified sales and marketing center in Olathe, Kansas on Friday with the help of employees, government officials, and other special guests.
“This 126,000 square foot facility has been laid out to enhance the work environment for employees and has the most up-to-date technology so we can communicate and train work groups around the world,” said John Lagemann, Vice President, John Deere Ag & Turf Division.
Dave Everitt, president of the Ag & Turf Division, thanked John Deere employees and dealers for the record breaking performance of the company in the third quarter of this year. “All of our efforts are aimed at rapidly moving in a new global arena to help our customers feed and fuel the world,” he said. “We are investing nearly $3 million a day to get that job done.”
Attending the grand opening ceremony to help John Deere celebrate this additional investment in the Kansas economy were U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), Governor Sam Brownback and freshman Congressman Kevin Yoder (R-KS).
One of the highlights of the ceremony was the unveiling of the new building’s crowning centerpiece that stands at the main entrance – one of the original John Deere deer statues that were first made some time around the early 1900s. Regional controller Mike Snyder explained that an unknown number of the statues were commissioned by the son of John Deere in 1893 to be made by the W.H. Mullins Company of Salem, Ohio. “The statue is made out of hand stamped copper sheets, riveted and welded together and mounted on a steel frame,” he said, noting that Charles Deere saw the statue at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago and liked it so much he decided he wanted enough of them to be placed at every John Deere branch office and factory in the country. “Over the years, the importance faded and some were lost but recently company CEO Hans Becherer began a program to find and restore as many of them as possible.” The statue at the Olathe office is one of only 14 the company currently has.
Here is the audio from the opening ceremony, which includes remarks from Barry Nelson, Lagemann, Everitt, Snyder, the congressman, senator and governor. It’s only about 30 minutes long and there’s some pretty good stuff here our farm media friends might like to use: Opening of new John Deere Olathe Facility
See a video of the statue unveiling and ribbon cutting below:
ZimmComm loves beef. That’s why we are a sponsor of the 
The ZimmComm team is on site at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. This is the 7th year we have been here at WDX, but the first time the two of us have been here together. We were both here one year but switched off, so not together, and I have been here by myself or with daughter Carly for the past four years. It’s always nice when we get to be somewhere together!
“The series of trade agreements I am submitting to Congress today will make it easier for American companies to sell their products in South Korea, Colombia, and Panama and provide a major boost to our exports,” President Obama said in a statement. 
One of the highlights of the ceremony was the unveiling of the new building’s crowning centerpiece that stands at the main entrance – one of the original John Deere deer statues that were first made some time around the early 1900s. Regional controller Mike Snyder explained that an unknown number of the statues were commissioned by the son of John Deere in 1893 to be made by the W.H. Mullins Company of Salem, Ohio. “The statue is made out of hand stamped copper sheets, riveted and welded together and mounted on a steel frame,” he said, noting that Charles Deere saw the statue at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago and liked it so much he decided he wanted enough of them to be placed at every John Deere branch office and factory in the country. “Over the years, the importance faded and some were lost but recently company CEO Hans Becherer began a program to find and restore as many of them as possible.” The statue at the Olathe office is one of only 14 the company currently has.