Jill Johnson, University of IL, Receives Forrest Bassford Award

Chuck Zimmerman

During the Ag Media Summit Student Awards and Recognition Luncheon Bob Giblin, Merck Animal Health, presented the Forrest Bassford Award to Jill Johnson, University of Illinois.

This award recognizes and rewards excellence, leadership and encourages professionalism among students. This opportunity provides the recipient face-to-face exchanges with leaders in livestock publishing. Forrest Bassford’s name was appended to the LPC Student Award in 1992 in honor of his contribution to LPC, and his particular interest in furthering the Student Award.

2011 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

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

ACT Update

Chuck Zimmerman

Since we met the new leadership of AAEA and LPC, how about saying hello to the leaders of the ACT? Here’s the leadership team for the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow. I spoke with Jessica England, President and Lauren Greaves, First Vice President. I met them earlier this year during National Ag Day Activities. The ACT holds meetings in conjunction with the Ag Media Summit which provides an excellent opportunity to network with many of the people who may one day hire them. In fact, there is a married couple here who met as members of ACT at an Ag Media Summit and are now working in the industry. We’ve got a big group from ACT this year. It’s great to see so many students looking forward to a career in agricultural communications!

Listen to my conversation with Jessica and Lauren here: ACT Interview

2011 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

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

Meet New AAEA and LPC Presidents

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 313The ZimmCast is produced this week in the lobby/registration area at the Agricultural Media Summit. I’m posting as the first break is ending and now it’s time for more professional development sessions. My interviews were recorded on a new app I have for my iPhone. They didn’t come out sounding as good as I’d like but they are okay.

In this week’s program we’re going to meet the new Presidents of the American Agricultural Editors Association and Livestock Publications Council. Let’s start with AAEA and new President, Greg Horstmeier, DTN/The Progressive Farmer. Here’s a picture of Greg during the AAEA board meeting.

Greg says the membership continues to grow. He says the AAEA board discussed what ways they can engage membership, especially those who couldn’t attend the Ag Media Summit. He says one of the things they are focusing on is how social media is playing a role in the job of agricultural journalists. You can learn more about what he’ll be working on in his year as President in the program.

The new President of LPC is Dr. Scott Vernon, Cal-Poly. Here’s Scott talking to the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow group that is meeting here too. Scott echoed some of the same comments that Greg made. He says LPC went through a long range planning process recently. One of the things coming out of that process was a plan to create more educational opportunities for members in the form of more regional workshops. He says LPC is rolling out a new tag line, “Advancing the livestock media professional.” Learn more about what’s going on with LPC in the program.

Meet Greg and Scott in this week’s program: Meet New AAEA & LPC Presidents

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

2011 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

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

Peanut Proud Helping Tornado Victims

Cindy Zimmerman

leajean manry and tyron spearmanPeanut Proud was an effort started two years ago when the peanut industry faced the salmonella outbreak that threatened consumer perceptions of healthy peanut butter. When the industry came through the challenge stronger than before, Peanut Proud started looking for a way to give back to the people, and that opportunity came without warning when a string of tornadoes struck the southeast this spring, devastating many communities.

Peanut Proud president LeaJean Manry says the industry stepped up to provide peanut products and other provisions to victims of the storms. “We have delivered over 83,000 jars of peanut butter to seven states, about 1975 backbacks to kids who lost their schools,” LeaJean said. “It’s not how we helped them survive the storm, it’s the love and help we give them that helps them dance in the rain.”

You can hear how passionate LeaJean is about Peanut Proud in this interview.

Peanut Proud President LeaJean Manry

Tyron Spearman, pictured here with LeaJean at the Southern Peanut Growers Conference, serves on the board of Peanut Proud and has been very active in the effort, delivering to people in tornado-stricken areas. “We’ve had over $87,000 worth of items donated and about $71,000 in cash, so it’s been a tremendous response from the industry to help these people out,” Tyron said. The peanut industry raised another $2000 for the effort during the conference in addition to a check for over $3200 that was presented by the Williston Florida FFA and the Florida Peanut Producers Association. You can send donations to PO Box 446 Blakely, GA 39823.

In this interview, Tyron talks about this effort, as well as the current status of the peanut industry and the crop this year. Tyron is with the National Peanut Buying Points Association and is also the peanut industry reporter for Southeast AgNet.

Tyron Spearman

Take a look at how Peanut Proud has been helping in the YouTube video below.

13th Annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference Photo Album

Audio, Peanuts, SPGC

Farm Bill Forecasting at Peanut Meeting

Cindy Zimmerman

rep. stephen fincherProspects for a new Farm Bill dominated a discussion at the Southern Peanut Growers Conference in Panama City over the weekend.

Congressman Stephen Fincher (R-TN) of the freshman class in the House of Representatives for 2010 would like to see the next Farm Bill delayed until after the 2012 election. “We’ve got to make sure as we approach writing a new Farm Bill that we’re very level-headed,” he said. “Farmers understand that we’ve all got to tighten our belts a little bit, but we can’t kid ourselves and think that we can balance the budget on the back of one percent of the budget, which is what ag gets.”

Fincher is a real minority in Congress as a 7th generation cotton farmer but he is proud to be able to represent agriculture and help to educate his colleagues about the importance of the industry. This guy is good – would love to see him run for president!

Listen to or download my interview with Rep. Fincher here: Congressman Stephen Fincher

mary kay thatcherMary Kay Thatcher with the American Farm Bureau Federation also talked to the southern peanut growers about farm bill possibilities. Mary kay is a veteran when it comes to farm bills, having been through the process six times before, and she thinks we may actually see two new Farm Bills if the debt ceiling negotiations mean the kind of cuts they are considering for agriculture. “We’re unfortunately going to take a pretty fair amount of cuts this year, probably in the range of $30-40 billion out of the commodity and conservation titles,” she said. “If indeed we lose that much money, it will sort of require us to write a farm bill in the next couple of weeks, and then to write it next year for re-evaluating what we have left and looking the other titles.”

Listen to my interview with Mary Kay here: Mary Kay Thatcher, AFBF

13th Annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference Photo Album

AFBF, Peanuts, politics, SPGC

They thought I was crazy.

Melissa Sandfort

I sat down at the lunch table one Monday noon (when I was 33 years old, not 12), pulled out my ground meat (not PB&J) and the “kids” at my table thought I was crazy. Ground meat? I guess to them it looked slimy and unfit for human consumption, but I on the other hand was looking forward to a very tasty meal with it smothered over mashed potatoes.

Ever seen one of these? It’s a hand-crank meat patented in 1920. Families would butcher their own beef and hogs then cut the meat in small enough portions to grind it. The ground meat was put into jars and canned and I must say, it’s delicious.

*Note: To spare you the details of how hogs were butchered, you can read “Everything but the squeal” here (http://agwired.com/2010/10/04/everything-but-the-squeal/).

Let’s just say the process consisted of hot water, a hair scraper and a butchering table.

‘nuf said.

Today we have meat cutting guides and charts and butchers have perfected their cutting methods to result in lean and tender cuts of beef and pork. There aren’t many butchers around who practice making canned meat anymore, and I have to admit that it was one of the oddest Christmas gifts I’ve ever seen someone give, but it is fabulous!

I have two words for you: slap chop. Or rather scrape grind.

I didn’t mind the lunchtime heckling from my friends. It was much better than PB&J.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

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