Telling Your Story To Consumers

Chuck Zimmerman

Scott FleetwoodOne of the people representing Novus International here at the International Poulty/Feed Expo is Scott Fleetwood, pictured (right) next to Charlie Arnot, Center For Food Integrity. Scott says that Novus has supported CFI’s efforts since the beginning. I asked him about that support. He says that it’s very important to have a third party organization to do research and speak to consumers about food production in a non-partial manner. That’s why he supports it.

Scott says that those in the industry do a good job of speaking to themselves but just talking about science doesn’t resonate with consumers. So the work that CFI has done to learn how to communicate with the consuming public is very important. I also asked him about how Novus is doing its own direct communication with the consuming public. He says they are working to do this and social media is playing a role in it.

You can listen to my interview with Scott here: Interview with Scott Fleetwood

2011 International Poultry Expo/International Feed Expo Photo Album

AgWired IPE/IFE coverage sponsored by: Novus

Audio, Food, Novus International, Poultry Expo

From The Lab To The Dinner Table

Chuck Zimmerman

Charlie ArnotGiving a keynote address to a Novus International luncheon for poultry industry scientists was Charlie Arnot, Center for Food Integrity. His remarks were titled “From The Lab To The Dinner Table.” He presented consumer trust research they conducted in 2010 that found out some very interesting things including the fact that it was the first time consumers have said their number one source of food information is the internet.

The research has been conducted by CFI since 2006. You can download a pdf of the 2010 summary on their website.

In 2010, CFI is taking its research to the next level, testing the trust model, messages and programs with specific consumer segments. The findings from this year‘s groundbreaking approach will provide guidance to CFI members and others on how we can specifically build trust with opinion leading consumers who drive social change.

Charlie told scientists that CFI research suggests new ways to convert scientific information into messages that will resonate with consumers. They’ve used that information to create tested messages which you can find on their website. For example, he suggests speaking to values first and then backing statements up with the science. Historically the ag science industry has tried the opposite approach. He hopes the attendees take away ideas for different way to engage the consumer. He gives some other specific examples in my interview with him: Interview with Charlie Arnot
2011 International Poultry Expo/International Feed Expo Photo Album

AgWired IPE/IFE coverage sponsored by: Novus

Animal Health, Audio, Food, Novus International, Poultry Expo

Preview of International Poultry/Feed Expo

Chuck Zimmerman

International Poultry Feed ExpoWelcome to the 2011 International Poultry and Feed Expos. They take place in the Georgia World Congress Center. The trade show portion of the shows gets started on Wednesday. Today there are various meetings going on in the convention center including a board meeting for the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. I caught up with President John Starkey before the meeting started to get a preview of this year’s show.

John says that other than a little rain today the weather looks like it’s going to cooperate. He says “It looks like it’s going to be a real strong show for us.” The show has 100 more exhibitors than last year which represents a twenty percent increase in floor space. There are new educational programs including one on salmonella. International attendees will be about twenty percent of the total. So he’s looking for one of the best shows in years.

You can listen to my interview with John here: Interview with John Starkey

I am uploading photos into the 2011 International Poultry Expo/International Feed Expo Photo Album.

AgWired IPE/IFE coverage sponsored by: Novus

Ag Groups, Audio, Poultry, Poultry Expo

Farm Futures Smartphone App

Chuck Zimmerman

The Farm Progress Companies has just announced another smartphone app. This one for Farm Futures and available for both android and iPhone platforms.

Farm Futures now offers the agricultural industry’s first management-oriented smartphone application that provides the most current and insightful market analysis, enhanced user-customized live CBOT/CME market quotes, ag news and audio content – and more – all updated throughout each business day.

And it’s free to smartphone users from Farm Futures, ag’s leading farm business magazine.

The Farm Futures app puts the key ag information producers and anyone in the ag industry needs each day to stay current – right in the palm of their hands – using Android smartphones and iPhones.

An easy-to-use format quickly provides:
• Top industry news and views
• Market insight from ag’s leading market analysts
• Preset CBOT/CME market quotes overview
• User-customized commodities portfolio
• Audio podcasts from Farm Futures editors
• Blogs and commentary from Farm Futures’ analysts and economists
• And more key features

Get it in the iTunes store or Android Market.

Apps, Media

Book Review – Cows Can’t Jump

Joanna Schroeder

Calling all teachers and parents and those with nieces, nephews, cousins…OK, I’m basically calling everybody. You have to read this book, “Cows Can’t Jump,” by Dave Reisman. The book is about embracing our differences and focusing not on what we can’t do well, but on what we do best. In a world where a child’s self-esteem is attacked and challenged each day, this book helps gives children the tools they need to feel good about themselves and others and treat them with kindness, love and respect.

This lesson is learned through the eyes of various animals including a cow who can’t jump but who can swim who just so happens to be friends with a gorilla who can’t swim but can swing from a tree. You get the picture. While this book has fabulous illustrations by Jason A. Maas, and is geared for young children, you could make a case that this is a good book for adults to.

I think we spend so much time being harshly competitive in the workplace and not considering others’ feelings when we try to “get ahead” that you see self esteem issues among adults as well. So between the “Purple Cow” and Who Moved My Cheese? should now be a place for “Cows Can’t Jump.”

This is a beautifully illustrated and captivating tale that will make you smile with each reading and I give it high praise.

Uncategorized

Gundersen Named Soybean Research Lab Director

Melissa Sandfort

Associate Professor Craig Gundersen has been selected as the Director of the National Soybean Research Laboratory (NSRL) at the University of Illinois in Urbana – Champaign.

Gundersen is an accomplished scholar, educator, author, and one of the nation’s foremost experts in the areas of food insecurity research and the evaluation of food assistance programs. He is Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics. At Illinois, he is also a Member of the Division of Nutritional Sciences, a Faculty Affiliate of the Institute for Government and Public Affairs, and an Affiliate of the Family Resiliency Center. In addition, he is a member of the Technical Advisory Group for Feeding America. He received a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, Riverside and a B.A. in economics from the University of Notre Dame. Gundersen’s research has appeared in several top journals.

As Executive Director, Gundersen will provide leadership and strategic direction regarding soybean research, outreach, and education efforts from production through consumption.

Soybean

Get Up To Date With Padilla Speer Beardsley

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 289It’s time to learn what’s new with Padilla Speer Beardsley courtesy of Dean Huff, Senior Vice President, Agribusiness and Environmental Science. This is the continuation of my series of podcast conversations with the leadership of various types of agricultural communication agencies.

Dean is relatively new to the agency which has offices in Minneapolis and New York City and he says employs about 130 people. The agency started out doing mostly public relations work but at the request of their clients moved to full service about a decade ago. Dean says they’ve been growing with the acquisition of new clients and more work from their existing ones. In the agribusiness sector he says growth has been at about twenty percent.

Besides learning what’s new with the agency we also talk about changes in the industry of agrimarketing. He says that manufacturers are now getting more point of sale data than ever before which allows them to do better segmentation and better understand their audiences. Another thing that stands out for him is the dissemination of technology in the farm market which always amazes him. He mentions the adoption of precision technology as well as use of the internet. Of course, social media is high on the list and he cautions making sure you know what you’re doing and why you’re there. He says it’s another channel and not a strategy in and of itself. He highly encourages a disciplined approach.

Get up to date on the latest with Padilla Speer Beardsley: ZimmCast 289 - Padilla Speer Beardsley

This week’s program ends with some music from Music Alley. It’s called “Chickens” by P.A.I.N.. Hey, I’m going to a poultry show this week!

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

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our a Subscribe page

Agencies, Audio, ZimmCast

Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Farm

Melissa Sandfort

I’ve written before about my great-grandmother. What I didn’t tell you is that she died three months before I was born. From the stories my brother tells me, she always had a cookie jar on top of the fridge, filled with cookies or candy that were just sure to ruin his supper (which is another word I had to re-work back into my vocabulary because it’s supper, not dinner). My aunt has memories of her, too, one of which is the image of her feeding piglets (or working in the garden) with a particular blue sunbonnet on.

The sunbonnet here isn’t blue, but she had made this one and saved it for “good occasions.” The photo on the left is my grandmother when she was about 9 months old. These sunbonnets were all hand-made (cotton and a sewing machine), sometimes from material that came from patterned seed sacks. Slats were then cut from cardboard and put in the brim to hold it out away from the face to shield it from the sun.

Back then, tossing on a sunbonnet for everyday yard work and gardening was common practice. Fast forward to the days of ball caps and Jackie-O sunglasses and as few clothes as possible (just enough to still be fashionable) in order to get a tan while riding a lawn mower (key word riding).

This sunbonnet was resting in a trunk in my grandma’s basement, waiting to tell its story from just before I was born. I guess in a way, I have memories of my great-grandmother now, too.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Three quarters of the area farmed with soybeans and more than half of the area planted with corn use GM seeds in the 2010/11 season, according to the 2nd issue of study performed by Celeres.
  • Kumiai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. and Ihara Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. have granted BASF the exclusive right to develop and commercialize solo herbicide products with pyroxasulfone for corn, soybeans, wheat and sunflower in the United States and Canada.
  • The National FFA Organization and National FFA Foundation have entered into a new, strategic alliance with the USDA and National Council for Agricultural Education designed to develop agriculture students’ skills, leadership qualities, personal growth and career success.
  • Pfizer Animal Health and Morris Animal Foundation awarded five veterinarians with The Pfizer Animal Health–Morris Animal Foundation Veterinary Fellowship for Advanced Degree.
    Zimfo Bytes

    The Biggest Poultry Show In The World

    Chuck Zimmerman

    It’s time to go back to Atlanta for the International Poultry Expo. I’m hoping for a more friendly weather experience this time! It looks like 50 degrees tomorrow. I am looking forward to that.

    My coverage of this year’s show is sponsored once again by our friends at Novus International. So besides finding stories for you we’ll meet some very interesting people at the Novus booth and during their activities. This is a big show with a lot going on. I’ll do my best to give you as much of an overview of all that’s going on throughout the week starting on Tuesday afternoon.

    Last year’s attendance totaled 18,896 which was up from 2009. International attendees numbered 3866, also an increase. Let’s hope we have another big turnout in 2011.

    AgWired IPE coverage sponsored by: Novus

    Novus International, Poultry, Poultry Expo