New Look for Corn Commentary

Cindy Zimmerman

Have you seen the new look for the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) blog Corn Commentary?

ZimmComm New Media gave the three year old site a face lift that just went live last month. Corn Commentary was developed in 2007 to provide NCGA with an outlet for providing opinions on issues impacting the industry, especially in the areas of environment, food safety, health and energy.

The blog was recently updated with a new design and multiple staff members of NCGA have taken over as primary contributors to the blog, which includes new posts several times a week. The new design also incorporates a Flickr photo album feed, as well as links to social network profiles on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. In addition, there is a live Twitter feed of tweets by Corn Commentators and a featured video built in to the new design. Those Corn Commentators include Ken Colombini, NCGA communications director; Mark Lambert, NCGA senior communications manager; and NCGA communications managers Cathryn Wojcicki, Susan Powers and Janice Tolley Walters.

Check it out and let us know what you think!

NCGA

Jazz It Up At Ag Media Summit in 2011

Chuck Zimmerman

As we deal with cold why not think ahead to a warm New Orleans and an awesome Ag Media Summit? Here is some new information taken from the latest Livestock Publications Council newsletter. Thank you Diane!

The AMS program committee has been hard at work since the conclusion of the 2010 AMS and there are some exciting announcements of speakers who have been confirmed. We are taking a unique angle with this year’s keynote speaker at Tuesday’s luncheon and will hear from Ted Jackson who is a staff photographer for the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He paddled into the Lower Ninth Ward just after the levee broke and spent harrowing days in the devastation that followed, challenging himself both as a photographer and as a human being. He’s going to share his stories and images with us. According to program chairman, Steve Werblow, “We are in for an unforgettable look at Katrina and New Orleans that will touch us personally and professionally”. For some insight on Ted, click here.

Other news:

Ann Wylie is back! She is a dynamic and insightful writer and coach and will conduct four workshops on Monday.

Photographer Peter Krough will deliver two sessions on digital workflow management. The step after shooting a photo is knowing what to do with it and where to find it next. Krough is expert at every step of the process.

Other topics for the 2011 Jazz It Up Ag Media Summit are:

Measuring results in digital media.
Sales and marketing
“How-to” session on surveys and statistics
Ethics case study review
“Nuts and bolts” session with photography

These are just a few teasers to whet your appetite for AMS 2011! Have a topic you want more
information on? Let us know we might still have time to get them on the docket.

Ag Media Summit

ZimmPoll Shows Strong Participation In Social Media

Chuck Zimmerman

Another week, another ZimmPoll. In answer to the question, “Do you participate in social media?” the majority say they do. According to the numbers, 53% say yes and they post regularly, 28% say yes but they rarely create their own posts, 27% say no and they never will and only 1% say no but plan to start participating soon.

It is possible, as has been pointed out to me, that our results might be skewed slightly since so much of this particular poll question is being seen by those who already participate in social media. I can see that. However, we have a lot of website visitors who I’m sure are not yet social media savvy.

The new poll is now live and the question is, “Do you think the general consumer perception of agriculture changed in 2010?” This should resonate since the whole topic of consumer perception of farming is so top of mind right now. In fact, it has given rise to new agricultural organization efforts like the USFRA and of course it is one of the goals of the AgChat Foundation to help consumers better understand where their food comes from and who is producing it and how. Can’t wait to see the results from this one!

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

ZimmPoll

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Syngenta and DuPont announced that Syngenta will grant Pioneer Hi-Bred a non-exclusive, global license to its corn rootworm trait MIR604 (Agrisure) for corn seed.
  • BASF Plant Science and Bayer CropScience announced a long-term collaboration agreement to improve rice productivity through plant biotechnology.
  • GlyTol glyphosate-tolerant technology, a proprietary trait from Bayer CropScience, will be commercially available to cotton growers in 2011.
  • Bayer CropScience AG and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have signed a non-exclusive agreement to improve wheat breeding and generate new wheat varieties.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Drake & Company Making Dreams Fly

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCast 286Let’s meet a different kind of agency, an association and cause management company. Let’s meet Drake & Company and who better to talk about it than the man himself, Steve Drake. This is the continuation of my series of podcast conversations with the leadership of various types of agricultural communication agencies.

    I remember when Steve got his company started about 18 years ago and he’s done nothing but grow. In fact, when it comes to what’s new with DrakeCo, growth is part of the story. For example, we can point to the fact that they are the management firm for the newly formed U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. In our conversation we talk about this and just what the company will be doing for the new effort. It’s clear that a lot of formative work is being done. One thing Steve makes a point of is that his company will be “managing” and not actually performing project work of whatever type USFRA decides on.

    Other topics covered in our conversation include the Trees for Troops program, Christmas Tree Journal excellence award, managing association conferences, including on an international level and how digital media and content management is impacting associations. Steve says they’ve just completed a strategic growth plan that has re-structured the company into three major divisions. They’re hiring too! So listen in and learn what’s new with Drake & Company: ZimmCast 286 - Drake & Company

    This week’s program ends with some music from Music Alley. It’s called “That’s What Christmas Means” by Maximum Fidelity.

    Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsors, Novus International, and Leica Geosytems 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

    Evaluating DTN/PF iPad App

    Chuck Zimmerman

    It’s nice to see the big boys catching up to us little boys! LOL. DTN/The Progressive Farmer now has a free iPad app (opens iTunes) and it’s really well done. I’ve added it to my iPad and first impressions are that content is intelligently layed out and easy to navigate. Information opens and refreshes quickly on my wifi. I like seeing posts from their blogs and videos along with “traditional” information like news, wx and markets. Have you tried the app yet? Your impressions?

    As a new breed of mobile and technology-savvy professionals increases within the agriculture industry, DTN/The Progressive Farmer continues to lead the way in providing solutions that keep pace with the evolving needs of farmers and agribusinesses. For the first time, professionals can have enhanced access to award-winning agriculture news, market data and industry-specific weather information offered in an optimized format for iPad users.

    With the flick of a finger, iPad users are able to browse breaking industry news, access more than 13 blogs from DTN/The Progressive Farmer editors and analysts, and view daily weather and market videos. Additionally, the app offers users commodity market data, charts and graphics as well as interactive, location-specific weather information and maps. Knowing agriculture professionals are rarely confined to their office, farmers can quickly access the DTN/The Progressive Farmer while they have a Wi-Fi or 3G internet connection and download the latest industry information that they can take with them and access whenever and wherever it is most convenient for their busy schedules. The DTN/The Progressive Farmer agriculture app is available for free at www.dtnpf.com/ipad (opens iTunes).

    Remember that you can also get AgWired on your iPad or iPhone with our AgWired App. We’ve had over 1,000 people download it and are still seeking a sponsor! A sponsor would let us take it to the next level which would be optimization for iPad! Interested?

    Media

    Get on Santa’s List by Taking our Survey

    Cindy Zimmerman

    We’re making a list of all the nice Agwired readers who have taken our survey – and checking it twice to see who will win $250 to help make the holidays brighter.

    We know that people hate giving out personal information on the internet, but we are asking so that we can improve our on-line publications by knowing who our readers are and what they want to know about. That’s why we are offering everyone who takes our survey the chance to win $250 cash money each month. We already sent a check to one lucky reader at the end of November – the next one will be pulled at the end of this month.

    It only takes about three minutes to fill out the survey – Agwired Survey – so do it today and you might be $250 worth of happier for the holidays!

    Uncategorized

    Novozymes Acquires EMD/Merck Crop BioScience

    Joanna Schroeder

    Novozymes had acquired EMD/Merck Crop BioScience from Merck KGaA for US $275 and marks the company’s third major purchase in the agricultural biologicals sector in the past three years. EMD/Merck Crop BioScience is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the majority of the company’s activities take place in North and South America. Novozymes has spent the past few years building up its portfolio of sustainable solutions in the agricultural sector.

    According to a press release from Novozymes, EMD/Merck Crop BioScience has approximately 165 employees and has generated average annual sales growth of roughly 15 percent during the last seven years. It is expected to generate sales of US $60 million in 2010 and will support Novozymes’ long-term sales growth expectation of more than 10 percent. EMD/Merck Crop BioScience’s EBIT margin supports Novozymes’ long-term EBIT margin expectation of more than 20 percent.

    “The acquisition of EMD/Merck Crop BioScience strengthens our global position in the growing industry for agricultural biologicals providing products that enhance the natural growth and yield of crops,” said Steen Riisgaard, CEO of Novozymes. “We have found in EMD/Merck Crop BioScience a company that has a strong strategic fit with our existing BioAg business. In brief, it has a complementary product range and geographical scope, a strong R&D pipeline, and very talented people. Together we can utilize Novozymes’ unique biotechnology platform to bring a new level of innovation to the market.”

    Novozymes cites many reasons that EMD/Merck Crop BioScience is an asset to their business portfolio but among them are the fact that their product line-up focuses on biological growth enhancers and nitrogen inoculants primarily used in the production of soybean and pulses. This supports Novozymes’ current nitrogen and phosphate inoculants business.

    “Novozymes is dedicated to continued innovation in agriculture, thereby enabling farmers to become even more cost and resource efficient,” said Riisgaard. “In a world that continuously needs to produce more food for a soaring population without further stressing the environment, farmers need effective but more sustainable ways to grow crops. This has led to a strong interest in biofertilizers and other biotechnological solutions.”

    Novozymes entered the biofertility market in 2007 with the acquisition of Philom Bios in Canada and has gradually increased its activities, most recently with the acquisition of Turfal in Brazil in August this year. The activities of EMD/Merck Crop BioScience will be integrated into Novozymes’ BioAg organization, which is part of Novozymes’ BioBusiness division. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed between February and May 2011.

    Agribusiness, Biofuels, Soybean

    New Website For Coalition To Support Iowa’s Farmers

    Chuck Zimmerman

    A new website has been launched for the Coalition To Support Iowa’s Farmers.

    The colorful site is chocked full of new content featuring new agricultural information, program updates, farm families the Coalition has worked with and easy, user-friendly navigation.

    “Our new website is specifically designed to help Iowa livestock farmers successfully and responsibly manage changes to their farms,” said CSIF Executive Director, Brian Waddingham. “Being a livestock farmer is a difficult business, compounded by the growing mass of rules and regulations. The new web site is a resource tool for those farm families who need more information so they can stay rooted in rural Iowa.”

    In addition to information about the latest rules and regulations impacting livestock farmers, the new site also features information about siting considerations. “Many farmers we work with are multi-generational; it’s important to them to care for the land and waterways so they can pass their farm down to the next generation, that’s why careful selection of sites is so important,” Waddingham said. The new web site offers considerations that may impact site selection from air modeling and typography to location of public use areas.

    The new web site also highlights steps farmers may take with their neighbors when making changes to their farm. “Neighbor relations is an important part of a farmer’s business plan and the site provides some initial guidance on how to do that,” said Waddingham.

    Ag Groups, Internet

    NCGA and Pioneer Creating More Agvocates

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Here at ZimmComm we’re all about creating an army of agvocates. That’s why we support efforts like this one from the National Corn Growers Association with support from Pioneer Hi-Bred.

    Starting in January 2011, NCGA will launch a series of hour-long social media training webinars sponsored by Pioneer for farmers. Each month, NCGA members, state corn association staff and others interested in using the Internet to promote today’s farming will take part in live online presentations that will focus on how growers can benefit personally and professionally using various social networking mediums.

    In addition to covering the mechanics of utilizing social media, webinar curriculum will include strategies for goal-based outreach, developing content for conversations and becoming an online ambassador of the corn industry. The goal of the program is to grow the enthusiasm and activity of corn farmers who will use social networking as a useful tool to connect and educate policy makers, regulators and the general public.

    Ag Groups, NCGA, Pioneer