Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Broadhead has added three assistant account executives to its account services team.
  • The shareholders of Prairie Land Cooperative based in Hubbard, Iowa have approved a merger of their cooperative with Innovative Ag Services.
  • The Beef Cook-Off has announced its four category winners in their 2011 beef cooking contest. A grand prize winner is still to be revealed later this year.
  • Europe’s leading agriculture investment meeting heads to Singapore (Nov. 15-16), specifically designed to facilitate personal meetings with investors, asset managers and premium, sustainable agriculture operators.
    Zimfo Bytes

    The Ag Media Summit Romp at the Swamp

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Actually the Romp was our welcome party which is now immediately famous. We wandered in to our swamp romp past warehoused Mardi Gras floats and figures before getting inside a really nice facility for a big party.

    As you can imagine there are fresh photos for your viewing pleasure as agricultural media professionals took an opportunity to relax and enjoy each other’s company.

    2011 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the Ag Media Summit is sponsored by BASF and AgHaven
    Ag Media Summit

    New AgVocate Nick Lowery

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Attendees at the Ag Media Summit heard from former NFL All-Pro Nick Lowery today. He talked about turing adversity into victory. I made it to the very end of his presentation due to another event that I’ll be writing about later. However, I did ask him what message he hoped AMS folks took away with them. I’ll let you listen in because I think he makes a very good “agvocate.”

    Listen to Nick Lowery: Nick Lowery Statement

    I’m getting ready now for the opening “Romp at the Swamp” welcome party. I’ll have lots more photos later tonight. Just finished adding a batch from today.

    2011 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the Ag Media Summit is sponsored by BASF and AgHaven
    Ag Media Summit, Audio

    Marketing Wyffels Hybrids

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies greeting committee included communications manager, Jill Loehr (center). I asked her how she’s finding success marketing this independent seed company. She says, “I think one of the things we have to do is stand out. We can’t afford to let someone flip past our ad or not pay attention to our radio or some of the one on one things we’re doing.” She says the company is just trying to get people to take a good look at what they’re doing. Jill says she hopes corn growers leave an event like Corn Strategies with a feeling that Wyffels “truly cares more.”

    I asked her how their social media efforts are going. Wyffels has started with Facebook and Jill says, “Our personality comes out on Facebook.” That’s exactly what social media can do for a company and why I recommend using it to put a more personal face on the brand.

    You can listen to my interview with Jill here: Jill Loehr Interview

    Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies 2011 Iowa Photo Album

    Agribusiness, Audio, Corn, Social Networking

    Ag Media Summit Kicks Off In Big Easy

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The Boelte Bull (Don Norton) greeted us as we arrived in New Orleans for the 2011 Agricultural Media Summit. I did not make it in time for today’s tours but will be here for the duration. We had rain this afternoon and after walking around the French Quarter all I can say is that it’s nice to have a break from the extreme heat at home.

    I’ve started a photo album which will be added to during the coming days as we make our way through another Ag Media Summit: 2011 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the Ag Media Summit is sponsored by BASF and AgHaven
    Ag Media Summit

    BASF Sponsoring Coverage of Ag Media Summit

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The man who started us using the term googlable is none other than Nick Fassler, Technical Market Manager, BASF. In fact, he’s also the inspiration for the google juice served at the ZimmComm booth during the Agri-Marketing Conference this year. So let’s make him even more googlable, especially because BASF is one of the sponsors for my coverage of the Agricultural Media Summit that I’m about to hit the agriblogging highway for. Also sponsoring my coverage will be AgHaven!

    I saw Nick during the Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies in Malcom, IA. BASF was one of the companies supporting and displaying at the event. Here’s Nick talking about all the products the company is offering corn growers today. He offered advice for growers facing challenging weather this season. “Now more than ever it’s important to protect that crop from stress and add in late season disease control,” he says. I know I saw a number of planes flying fields traveling to Iowa and back. I’m betting they were applying some Headline fungicide! Someone’s taking his advice. I sure saw some corn showing some effects of stress. I hope we get a little temperature break and some moisture.

    You can listen to my interview with Nick here: Nick Fassler Interview

    Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies 2011 Iowa Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the Ag Media Summit is sponsored by BASF and AgHaven
    Ag Media Summit, Audio, BASF

    Walking Away From Wyffels Corn Strategies With INTEGRA Display

    Chuck Zimmerman

    During the Wyffels Corn Strategies in Malcom, Iowa, Ag Leader Technology held a drawing for an INTEGRA™ Display. Our young farmer in the photo did the name drawing.

    The winner is Jeff Peterson of Port Byron, IL. He’s flanked by Rick Hofer, Iowa Territory Manager (left) and Travis Goedken, Minnesota Territory Manager. That’s a nice prize to go home with!

    While I was at this event I spoke with Katie Beeler. She says Ag Leader Technology is very happy to participate in a Corn Strategies event. Looking ahead to harvest she says auto steer and yield monitoring will help corn growers. The company will be at a number of summer farm shows and I know I’ll see them again soon.

    You can listen to my interview with Katie here: Katie Beeler Interview

    Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies 2011 Iowa Photo Album

    Ag Leader, Audio, Precision Agriculture

    Wyffels Announces 2012 Iowa Corn Strategies Location

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Wyffels Hybrids showed their appreciation to the Cummmings family for making their farm available once again for the 2011 Corn Strategies in Iowa. Pictured is the Cummings family with Marty Cummings receiving a very nice award from Bill Wyffels, Jr., company president. Marty was asked how long the family has been planting Wyffels products and what he likes about the company. Although he couldn’t remember how many years they’ve been using Wyffels products he said, “Of all the companies we’ve done business with, the President (Bill) came out personally to see what he could do to make it (their farm) more profitable. I thought that was pretty good for a President to come out.”

    You can listen to Marty’s comments here: Marty Cummings Comments

    Wyffels also announced that the location of next year’s Corn Strategies will be in a new location. I spoke with Matt Barnard to get a wrap-up of this year’s event. He says that as soon as they leave this location they’ll start on next year’s event. It will be held at Harmon Farms in Vincent, Iowa.

    You can listen to my interview with Matt here: Matt Barnard Interview

    Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies 2011 Iowa Photo Album

    Agribusiness, Audio, Corn, Seed

    Wyffels Experts Talk Corn Strategies

    Chuck Zimmerman

    We heard what Iowa farmers thought about the 2011 Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies, now let’s hear from some Wyffels people. First up is National Sales Manager, Brian Humphries (pictured on the left). Brian gets a chance to travel throughout the Wyffels territory so I asked him to describe the crop conditions he’s seen. In Kentucky things are wet and as you move through Illinois the crops are below average up through the middle of the state above which they look good. Then moving into Iowa the crops for the most part look good, especially in the northern part of the state. With all the weather challenges in the corn belt Brian says Wyffels has more research testing locations than their competitors to take a broad look at a broad range of genetics. The weather has provided some very real world “test” situations this year. He says the biggest concern he’s hearing from growers is grain marketing. That’s why Wyffels has made sure their Corn Strategies program has experts to talk about it.

    You can listen to my interview with Brian here: Brian Humphries Interview

    Next up is Chris Eichorn (pictured on right), Product Development Manager. He says that’s a fancy way of saying he’s a corn breeder. Chris says the company has one of the largest research programs for a company of their size. They don’t like surprises so when they release a hybrid with a Wyffels number on it they are confident they know what that hybrid can and cannot do. One of the new ones he especially wanted to point out is W5077 (pdf), a 107 day hybrid that has “popped to the top.” He’s also high on W7477 (pdf) which they call the “corn breeders nightmare” since they can’t find anything wrong with it.

    You can listen to my interview with Chris here: Chris Eichorn Interview

    And finally we have Rick Buresh (pictured left), Central Iowa Region Manager. In his territory he says growers have been very fortunate. The wind that blew through recently mostly affected the eastern part of the territory. Now the main concern is heat. Rick says that being in pollination like the crop is right now, the plants need a rest at night. He says customers are upbeat but are asking questions about increasing input costs. I saw mostly smiles and he says, “They deserve to smile.”

    You can listen to my interview with Rick here: Rick Buresh Interview

    Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies 2011 Iowa Photo Album

    Audio, Corn, Seed

    New Holland Oscar in Agriculture Call For Entries

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The New Holland Oscar in Agriculture Award “recognizes the high levels of journalistic performance in broadcasting by agricultural communication professionals who are members of the NAFB.” Now is the time to enter this year’s competition. You can find the entry form and rules on the National Association of Farm Broadcasting website. The entry deadline is October 7, 2011. All work submitted must have aired since September 1, 2010. Here’s some information from the rules.

    RULES

    The New Holland Oscar in Agriculture program is designed to recognize and encourage excellence in broadcast reporting on
    a wide variety of issues.

    Broadcasters interested in applying for the Oscar should consider submitting entries that:

    • Relate broadly to food, agriculture, natural resources, rural affairs and related matters of vital public interest;
    • Have the necessary components to potentially cause or encourage positive changes, or neutralize negative
    issues impacting agriculture;
    • Encourage a call to action by listeners to improve themselves, their communities, their industry or the
    communities in which they live.
    • The purpose of this award is to recognize excellence in reporting skill, thoroughness and attention to audience
    interest. Each entry should describe the approach used to develop the reporting and coverage of that issue.
    • The nomination should also include enough examples of articles or taped programs to illustrate the scope of
    the work.
    • All work submitted must have been aired since September 1, 2010.

    JUDGING

    The New Holland Oscar in Agriculture program is administered by Kansas State University.

    ELIGIBILITY

    The intent of the New Holland Oscar in Agriculture program is to provide recognition to an individual who is a professional agricultural communicator and is a voting member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting.

    Media, NAFB, New Holland