A recent segment of “I Am Angus” features C.J. Hadley, the editor and publisher of Range Magazine, which is dedicated to preserving and promoting the cowboy way of life. She talks about her journey from England to the western United States and how and why she became a tireless advocate for the nation’s food producers. Check it out!
Ag Pro Companies Drive Green Challenge
My latest stop for the John Deere Drive Green Challenge is Little Rock, AR with Ag Pro Companies. We set up at The Ranch, which provided a great driving ground for customers who wanted to try out some new John Deere tractors or Gators or mowers. Customers were able to do a comparison test with a Kubota too!
During my time here I recorded some excellent customer testimonials for publication on the John Deere Drive Green Challenge website. I also took a lot of photos. Next stop will be Gainesville, FL following the 2011 Agri-Marketing Conference.
Here are photos from the event: Ag Pro Companies Drive Green Challenge Photo Album
Woodruff Sweitzer Adds Digital Marketing Director
Scott Christian has joined Woodruff Sweitzer as Director of Digital Marketing. In this role, Christian will serve as lead strategist to expand the agency’s capabilities in helping clients utilize a broad spectrum of digital and social media marketing channels.
Christian joins the agency with more than 10 years of digital marketing experience with a wide array of national and international brands and businesses. Most recently, he was Director of Digital Services at Nicholson Kovac, Inc., where he supervised the agency’s digital marketing initiatives for its consumer, agriculture and business-to-business clients.
Christian holds a M.A. from Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, and a B.A from Albion College in Albion, Michigan.
As the digital lead for Woodruff Sweitzer, Christian will oversee all client web-based platform architecture, website development and traffic growth, online lead generation, CMS, loyalty and retention programs, mobile and SMS marketing and social media initiatives.
GROWMARK Media Day Tour
I had the opportunity for the first time to attend the GROWMARK media day this week to learn a little more about this large and diverse farmer cooperative. Among our stops was the Christian County FS facility in Millersville, a new 12,000 ton facility primarily for DAP and potash.
“We moved from five facilities down to this one facility,” said general manager Mike Builta. “We can handle eight barges at one time through this facility, gives us a little pricing advantage. We can take care of our entire county from this facility.”
I recorded an interview that Julie Root of RFD Radio Illinois did with Mike. He told her that they built the new facility to become more efficient and he talked about the construction of the building.
“It’s a hoop-style building, it has a canvas roof on it and all the trusses are rubberized on it for corrosion resistance,” he explained.
Here is Julie’s interview with Mike and below is a little video to see the structure: Mike Builta Interview
Here are more photos from the event: GROWMARK Media Day Photo Album
Zimfo Bytes
- Farmers shopping for new Challenger, Massey Ferguson and Gleaner equipment can easily configure, price and compare the newest farm equipment right from their home office using new “Build and Quote” websites.
- Pioneer Hi-Bred has announced Alejandro Munoz as vice president, Americas Group and Global Production, and Judd O’Connor as vice president, regional director for the U.S. region.
- Rod Wells has been named GROWMARK plant food division manager, effective March 16, 2011.
- R-CALF USA Directors recently elected a new president and vice president of the board, as the organization’s bylaws provide that officers shall serve 2-year terms.
ZimmComm At The NAMA Connection Point
Here’s your first look at the layout of the Connection Point at the 2011 Agri-Marketing Conference. I just wanted to make sure you knew where to find us. It’s not hard. We’re booth number 412.
So what’s your incentive to stop by and say hi? Well, first of all we’re going to be giving away two iPod Touches, one to a professional NAMA member and one to a student NAMA member. They’ll be 32GB units pre-loaded with the AgWired App of course. We thought a lot about what to give away and think these are very useful tools in today’s socially networked world. With the Skype app you can even make phone calls!
That’s not all that you’ll find at the ZimmComm booth though. There will be the friendly ZimmComm team to answer your questions. Feel free to ask me anything you want to know about gadgets or social media. All questions are important and I’ll do my best to provide or find an answer. Sure hope to see you there!
USFRA Picks Ketchum
Ketchum has been chosen by the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance to be its primary communications agency.
The announcement represents the next strategic step driving the USFRA mission to strengthen the image of agriculture and enhance public trust in today’s best production practices.
The Alliance, currently composed of more than 30 of the nation’s foremost farmer- and rancher-led agricultural organizations, chose Ketchum to begin immediate development of its strategic communications plan. Ketchum is partnered with Zócalo Group, its full service word of mouth and social media agency, and maslansky luntz + partners, a research-driven communication strategy firm that specializes in language and message development.
“The USFRA decision to partner with Ketchum comes as the result of an extensive and deliberate decision-making process conducted by our Communications Advisory Committee, and the full support of the USFRA Board of Directors,” said Forrest Roberts, chairman of the USFRA Communications Advisory Committee and CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “A nationwide review of agencies possessing the best business acumen, agricultural expertise and creative talent led us to this significant step forward.”
With the planning process moving forward immediately, USFRA and Ketchum will create an integrated campaign to address the critical communications issues surrounding U.S. agricultural production practices and its role in providing a safe and plentiful global food supply. USFRA plans to launch the communications campaign in July 2011.
FMC Puts Authority XL on Display
Here’s what’s new from FMC. At the Commodity Classic I spoke with Matt Foster, FMC, about Authority XL which was just recently launched. This is the fourth brand in the Authority portfolio which he says is a nice fit in the “I-70 corridor.” We’re at planting time so hopefully weed management decisions have been made but it’s not too late to contact FMC about this new option.
FMC Corporation announces the introduction of Authority® XL herbicide, part of the Authority® herbicide line of products for soybeans. This new product offers best-in-class pre-emerge and burndown chemistries to control a broad spectrum of summer and winter annuals. When used as a spring pre-emergent herbicide, Authority XL gets fields off to a clean start by providing long-lasting residual control of troublesome summer annuals. Authority XL also helps growers get a head start on planting by controlling tough winter annuals after a fall application. Growers can improve their yield and crop quality with a timely application of Authority XL.
You can listen to my interview with Matt here: Interview with Matt Foster
Happy National Teach Ag Day
It’s National Teach Ag Day. What is it you might ask?
National Teach Ag Day is a day to celebrate school-based agricultural education and to encourage agricultural education advocates, especially current agricultural educators (middle school, high school, post-secondary, pre-service programs, etc.) to share with others the great career opportunities in agricultural education.
WHO IS IT FOR?
National Teach Ag Day is for anyone who wants to celebrate school-based agricultural education, share the story of agricultural education’s importance and effectiveness in the United States, and encourage students to consider careers as agricultural educators. Anyone who wants to participate can find a variety of resources to help them talk about agricultural education at www.naae.org/teachag.
National Teach Ag Day is a component of the National Teach Ag Campaign, an initiative to bring attention to the career of agricultural education, get students thinking about a possible career in agricultural education, and to support current agricultural educators in their careers.
The Teach Ag Campaign is an initiative of the National Council for Agricultural Education, led by the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE). It is sponsored by Landmark Nurseries as a special project of the National FFA Foundation and by Delmar Cengage Learning.
You can find the A Day In The Life Of An Ag Teacher Blog here.
A Catalog of All Catalogs
I do a lot of shopping online. You can browse thousands of items, pay online, and have it delivered right to your doorstep. But I also remember the thud-factor Sears catalogs mom used to get every year, filled with the latest styles and clothing trends.
These are replicas of 1908 Sears Roebuck and 1895 Montgomery Ward catalogs. As you flip through the pages, you can find anything you want: tools, household items, clothes, furniture, appliances, dishes, carriages, stoves (as in cooking ovens), guns, knives and even a 6-room cottage package selling for $725 (build, paint and ready to live in = 6 months). Items were delivered through regular mail, and I’m sure they didn’t have overnight priority mail.
(However, I did find that UPS started in 1907 as a private messenger and delivery service company. What an interesting history on how the company got started.)
If you can find an original copy of one of these catalogs, it would be worth buk-o bucks. Why? Because when the catalog was outdated, it was carried to the outhouse to be reused as toilet paper. No joke. I guess they also didn’t know what double-ply was!
Until we walk again …