Excellent Turnout for AgCareers HR Roundtable

Cindy Zimmerman

More agribusiness employers than ever are represented this week at the AgCareers.com 2011 North American Ag HR Roundtable at Purdue University.

AgCareers president Eric Spell says they had over 145 attendees on Monday and today about 190 are at the 9th annual event to discuss recruitment and retention of talent in the agribusiness industry. “Some companies are sending 3, 4 or even 5 attendees,” Eric says. “We do have 90 employers represented, which is by far the most we’ve ever had.”

While higher education for agribusiness executive positions is always important, Eric says there is a bigger focus on careers in skilled labor jobs. “Skilled labor is custom applicators in the agronomy sector, service technicians in the farm equipment industry, GPS positions in the equipment industry,” Eric says. “They’re skilled trade positions, they’re valued, and sometimes they even pay more than a four year degree.” He notes that about a third of the 2300 jobs listed on AgCareers.com right now are skilled labor positions.

Listen to my interview with Eric here: AgCareers president Eric Spell Interview

2011 AgCareers Ag HR Roundtable photo album.

AgCareers, Audio, Education

NCBA Launches New Website

Joanna Schroeder

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has a new look – they have launched a new website that was unveiled during the kickoff of the Cattle Industry Summer Conference 2011 in Kissimmee, Florida. NCBA Director of Communications Mike Deering said the new site incorporates traditional and new media resources for their members and visitors to quickly find news and information about the U.S. cattle industry.

“Our intention was to develop a site that would serve as a valuable resource to a very diverse audience. First and foremost, we wanted a site that would equip cattlemen with the tools needed to be as informed and vocal as possible,” said Deering. “Secondly, we wanted a place where the uniformed could quickly become informed. The new site is a one stop shop for anyone wanting the latest information about NCBA and the cattle industry.”

According to Seo Tapia, NCBA’s Executive Director of IT, the website was designed as a support mechanism for the association members and hosts a range of interactive and informative features for not only cattlemen and consumers but media as well. He also said the website makes all of the services offered at NCBA easy to find and understand. For example, the “Issues” section offers scores of information about policy issues by category affecting cattlemen, as well as women, the environment and cattle marketing.

While many in the industry are already savvy with the new wave of social media technologies that are integrated into the site, don’t worry if you’re just getting introduced. The NCBA is ready to guide users of all levels on how best to use the site to meet their needs.

Listen to my interview with Mike Deering and Seo Tapia here: Mike Deering & Seo Tapia Interview

Photos from the conference will be posted to this photo album: 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album. Check it often as we add to it over the next several days.

Ag Groups, Audio, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA

Agribusiness Employers Look to the Future

Cindy Zimmerman

What do agribusiness employers see as the most important challenges for recruiting and keeping the best talent in the future?

At the opening of the AgCareers.com North American Ag HR Roundtable on Monday, Dr. Allan Gray, director of the Center for Food and Agricultural Business at Purdue, presented some new findings from a survey of agribusiness company CEOs on what they consider the most important internal and external factors impacting human resources in the industry, as well as what leadership competencies they expect to need in the future.

“From an external perspective, not a lot of surprises,” Gray says. “The economic environment we’re in and the uncertainty associated with that and what’s happening with farmers” were most important. On the internal side, Gray says he was surprised by the importance the CEOs placed on marketing functions. “I suspect that’s a reflection of the changing nature of their customer base as farmers are becoming more differentiated, larger and more sophisticated.”

Under leadership competency, the clear front runner is people leadership, but Gray was interested to see that the CEOs ranked thought leadership – strategic and innovation thinking – lowest. “It was a bit surprising to me because we think that thought leadership is going to be critically important in an environment with so much uncertainty and so much change taking place,” he said.

So far, Gray says 59 agribusiness CEOs have responded to the survey and they expect more yet. The purpose of the survey is to “measure the gaps between what we need in the industry” and what our current levels of leadership competency are, and then develop educational programs to fill that gap.

He also talked about the importance of partnerships between educational institutions and corporations, such as LEAP, an Executive Agribusiness Program at Purdue sponsored by Land O’ Lakes.

Find out more in my interview with Dr. Gray here: Dr. Allan Gray Interview

2011 AgCareers Ag HR Roundtable photo album.

AgCareers, Audio, Education, University

Roundtable Focuses on Ag Human Resourses

Cindy Zimmerman

When we talk about having the resources to feed the world in the future, most of the time we’re thinking land and water, but having adequate human resources is equally, if not more, important.

That’s really what the 2011 AgCareers.com North American Ag HR Roundtable is all about. To kick off the 9th annual event, being held this year at Purdue University, we were welcomed Monday afternoon by the Dean of Agriculture for the university Dr. Jay Akridge.

“Really the long term prospects for this industry are so bright, dealing with a growing population and increased need for food,” Dean Akridge said. “At the same time, it’s an industry that’s buffeted by tremendous change. So, this idea of how we manage for today, yet keep our eyes on tomorrow is really a fundamental issue as we prepare talent for the next generation.”

Dr. Akridge says Purdue was pleased to host the Ag HR Roundtable. “This is what we do, we’re an educational institution, we develop human capital,” he said. In addition, the event has become a great way to bring educators and employers together to work in partnership for the future of the industry.

Listen to or download my interview with Dr. Akridge here: Purdue Dean of Agriculture Interview

The Ag HR Roundtable continues through Wednesday – twitter hashtag is #AgRT if you want to follow along. Check out photos from the event in the 2011 AgCareers Ag HR Roundtable photo album.

AgCareers, Audio, Education

Preview of Cattle Industry Summer Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

The officers of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association got casual this afternoon at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference. Here they are with Presidential Candidate Herman Cain who will be our opening general session keynote speaker tomorrow.

I spoke with Bill Donald, President, NCBA, to get a preview of this year’s conference. He’s the one with a hat. Bill says this is the meeting where “a lot of planning is done.” On the Beef Checkoff side they look at funding requests and on the NCBA side it’s about policies, with both focusing on the coming year. There will also be a progress report for the Beef Industry Long Range Plan (pdf). Bill says that he wants cattle producers to know that a lot of progress has been made through conversations between the officer team at the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the NCBA. He says they are viewing their relationship like a partnership and they want cattlemen to be able to trust that their Checkoff dollars are being spent wisely.

You can listen to my interview with Bill here. Bill Donald Interview

Photos from the conference will be posted to this photo album: 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album. Check it often as we add to it over the next several days.

Ag Groups, Audio, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA

cropNAtion A Virtual Coffeeshop For Farmers

Chuck Zimmerman

GROWMARK announced their sponsorship today of a new online location for farmers called cropNAtion. You can create a free account and be in on the start of a new social network for farmers. I’m sure they’re looking for feedback.

Today’s farmers and ranchers are so busy increasing their productivity to meet the needs of a growing world that they don’t have time to sit and visit with their neighbors like they used to. However, there is still great value in building relationships, sharing information, and asking for advice.

A new website and mobile application, cropNAtion, will allow farmers and ranchers to connect with each other whether they are across the country or across the section.

The site, www.cropnation.com, is designed to serve as a one-stop resource for on the go information. After creating a profile, users can share information about their operations, ask and answer questions, upload photos and videos, and access the latest markets and weather conditions.

“We saw a need for farmers and ranchers to have a ‘virtual coffeeshop’ – a place where they could ask questions, share stories and photos, and cultivate relationships,” said Jim Spradlin, GROWMARK vice president, agronomy. “GROWMARK is pleased to sponsor this site, which we hope will be fed by farmers everywhere.”

Anyone with an interest in North American agriculture may register for and use the free site. The mobile application will be available for iPhone and Android platforms in late summer.

GROWMARK, Social Networking

Integrating Social Media Into Your Marketing Efforts

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 314Measuring the return on investment of social media is a big challenge. We deal with the question of “how to” all the time. More importantly though is answering the question of what your goal is with social media. This topic was on the agenda at the Agricultural Media Summit.

I spoke with Shelly Kramer, V3 Integrated Marketing, an integrated marketing and social media agency. She spoke to a full house and answered questions for a while afterward.

Shelly says that to measure your social media ROI you need to have a plan. I know that’s tough but if you don’t know what your goal is, then how do you know if you met it? To help her clients better understand digital marketing and especially the social channels she encourages them to act online just like they do in real life. However, that’s not easy for companies to do.

Listen in on my conversation with Shelly in this week’s program and hear more about her perspective and thoughts on using social media in your marketing efforts: Integrating Social Media & Measuring ROI

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsor, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong, for their support.

2011 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

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.

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

AgCareers North American Ag HR Roundtable Starts Today

Cindy Zimmerman

I will be finding out more about AgCareers this week at the 9th AgCareers.com Ag HR Roundtable, in West Lafayette, Indiana, which is being hosted this year by ADM and Purdue University.

The event brings together agribusiness employers, professional organizations and college career counselors “to talk about issues facing the recruitment and retention of entry level and professional level talent in our industry.”

This year for the first time, the HR Roundtable will be followed by the 2011 National Academic Programs Summit with the theme of “Creating Change: Reforming Curricula for a 21st Century Education” where participants will be able to receive input from the agribusiness employers at the roundtable on what changes they would like to see in preparing young people for careers in the industry.

I talked with AgCareers president Eric Spell recently about the event for a ZimmCast – listen to it here – and stay tuned to find out more this week.

AgCareers

NCGA and Pioneer Offer Growers NASCAR Dream Day

Cindy Zimmerman

Start your engines, NASCAR fans, because the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and Pioneer HI-Bred are offering NCGA members a chance to win a NASCAR dream day to the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn., on Saturday, Aug. 27.

The dream day race package includes access to the DuPont-Pioneer hospitality tent, a pit tour, and a visit with racing legend Jeff Gordon. To enter, just visit www.ncga.com/racing and sign up for NASCAR-NCGA’s Fuel for Members Program before 12 pm central time this Friday, Aug. 5. The winner will be randomly selected from those NCGA members who have signed up for the Fuel for Members program.

Fuel for Members is one of the benefits of belonging to NCGA and state corn grower associations, providing exclusive access to discounted NASCAR tickets and merchandise and insider access to America’s most popular sport. Plus, members receive discounts on goods and services from a wide range of NASCAR partners including: UPS, DirecTV, Office Depot and MGM Resorts.

NCGA is part of the American Ethanol partnership with NASCAR, which began racing on 15% ethanol this season.

Don’t delay – sign up today!

Corn, Ethanol, NASCAR, NCGA, Pioneer

Black Kitty

Melissa Sandfort

Her name used to be Fuzz but now it’s just black kitty. It was just easier that way.

She ran out a month ago and found herself a nice boyfriend and wound up pregnant with her first litter of kittens. Like any new mom, I can relate. She’s probably not happy about all the wiggling and pushing going on in there, not to mention the fact that it’s been over 110 with the heat index the past four days. July/August isn’t a great time to be pregnant. I guess I forgot to tell her that.

We’re not sure when she’ll deliver the kittens but our best guess is sometime in early August. I’ve tried moving her inside to the garage but she seemed a bit lethargic and unhappy as her bird-catching gets put on hold while she’s inside. However, I don’t want to have to go digging through the grass and weeds to find where she hid the kittens so I can tame them down.

Given that it’s her first time though, she might just leave them at the back door for me to help with – she’s left everything else at the door as a prize – mice, birds, you name it.

For a husband with cat allergies, he’s not too excited about having a few more running around. At least he still has his prized garage (or man space) where he can work sneeze-free. For now.

Until we walk again …

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