Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Ag Leader Technology, Inc., announced the February 2011 release of Advanced Seed Monitoring through the SeedCommand system.
  • Legendary agribusiness broadcaster Orion Samuelson will be recognized by the City of Chicago with an honorary street naming commemorating his 50 years of broadcasting on Tribune’s WGN Radio.
  • Chicken Farmers of Canada has responded to the high expectations of Canadian consumers by creating a new website, featuring a revamped, searchable recipe database, shareable content, social media options and other special features.
  • The StrategyOne Annual Holiday Shopping Index found that 79% of Americans believe the U.S. remains in a recession; only 10% rate the economy as excellent or good, and just 8% think the economy will be much better by next year.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Moon Over Savannah

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The moon has risen over Savannah, GA. The NAAA convention will continue tomorrow but I will be traveling back to Missouri. However, I have multiple interviews to post over the coming days so my coverage is not done.

    This evening the NAAA live auction took place and there are photos in the online photo album. It was very well attended and one of the more active ones I’ve attended.

    2010 NAAA Convention Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the NAAA Convention is sponsored by BASF.

    Ag Groups, BASF, NAAA

    AgSync Is About More Than Mapping

    Chuck Zimmerman

    One of the exhibitors at the NAAA Trade Show is AgSync. I met Sales Manager, Clay Rassi who explained what the company offer agricultural applicators. Their slogan is “It’s not just about maps anymore.” It sure isn’t. For one thing the company has expanded their product and services via integrated partnerships that includes AgWired sponsor BASF.

    Clay says the company offers everything from customer management to mapping to communicating work orders to creating missions and organizing the loads and efficiency of the airplanes and more. From a precision ag standpoint their products help aerial applicators be more efficient while helping them make sure they’re in the right field and applying the right product. In my interview with Clay he describes their partners. BASF for example, assists with marketing their products.

    You can listen to my interview with Clay here: Clay Rassi Interview

    2010 NAAA Convention Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the NAAA Convention is sponsored by BASF.

    Agribusiness, Audio, BASF, NAAA, Precision Agriculture

    Hey Santa – How About Some Green For the Holidays?

    Joanna Schroeder

    Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
    But the fire is so delightful,
    And since we’ve got no place to go,
    Fill Out a Survey! Fill Out a Survey! Fill Out a Survey!

    The snow doesn’t show signs of stopping,
    And I’ve bought some corn for popping,
    The lights are turned way down low,
    Fill Out a Survey! Fill Out a Survey! Fill Out a Survey!

    When I’ve completed the short questionnaire,
    How I’ll hate going out in the storm!
    So I’ll daydream about my online shopping spree,
    Where I’ll buy a sweater to keep me warm.

    I’ve clicked “register me to win,”
    And, my dear, I may win $250.
    All because it was snowing,
    And I Filled Out a Survey! Filled Out a Survey! Filled Out a Survey!

    I hope my rendition of “Let it Snow” hasn’t offended you too much to fill out our AgWired survey. If not, those who complete the survey will have a chance to win $250. Happy Holidays and may Santa bring you some extra green this year.

    ZimmComm Announcement

    Cute Baby Blogging At NAAA

    Chuck Zimmerman

    I’m taking a cue from my daughter Chelsea and doing a little cute baby blogging. She has it as a regular feature on her website.

    In this photo we have cute NAAA Trade Show baby after stopping by the BASF booth. She’s holding one of the corn cob stress relievers that attendees will find when they stop by. Somehow I don’t think this potentially future aerial applicator is under a lot of stress at the moment!

    2010 NAAA Convention Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the NAAA Convention is sponsored by BASF.

    Ag Groups, BASF, NAAA

    NAAA Convention Trade Show Ribbon Cutting

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The main activity at the NAAA Convention today is the trade show. Association President Brian Rau did the honors with the ribbon cutting. I have already done a quick photo tour and added to the photo album so be sure to check it out.

    During the afternoon I’ll be conducting interviews in the trade show with my sponsor BASF and others. I’ll be posting them later and during the next couple days.

    You can also see the ribbon cutting almost live on YouTube.

    2010 NAAA Convention Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the NAAA Convention is sponsored by BASF.

    Ag Groups, BASF

    Paulsen Marketing Asks Farmers Directly

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCast 284In this week’s program we’re going to learn what’s new at Paulsen Marketing. Listen in on my conversation with Greg Guse, Sara Steever and Kristi Moss. The main topic of our discussion was their just completed project titled, “Adoption of Communication Tools in Agriculture.” You can find a project summary that includes video interviews with the farmers themselves on their website.

    Ever wondered what actual farm families would say when asked how they use communication technology in their operations? We did, too. This paper outlines the insightful and sometimes entertaining “real world” feedback that every agrimarketer should hear.

    The Paulsenites learned some surprising things from the 25 farm families they interviewed. The study is a natural extension of their regular “Continuing Ag Education Program.” In the photo some of the staff is having breakfast with area farmers. Talk about getting to know the audience that your client wants to reach!

    Listen in and find out those key takeaways from this project and expect more from Paulsen since they’re already planning the next one. ZimmCast 284 - Paulsen Marketing

    This week’s program ends with some music from Music Alley. It’s called “Aqua Aviation” by Miss Pinkers.

    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

    PRRS Area Regional Control Grows

    Cindy Zimmerman

    We have talked several times over the past few years with Dr. Scott Dee of the Swine Disease Eradication Center at the University of Minnesota about area regional control (ARC) and elimination of Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome (PRRS), since he is one of the early advocates of using that approach to the virus.

    Scott was the moderator of last week’s Boehringer Ingelheim (BIVI) Area Regional Control Workshop in Chicago just prior to the start of the 2010 International PRRS Symposium – the third time they have held such an event which has gotten larger with every year. “It’s great to see new faces in the audience, but also a lot of the same people keep coming back and bringing new information,” Scott said. “We heard about projects that are happening throughout our continent, we’re hearing how people are doing it and it’s very similar.” The program featured updates from about a dozen ARCs in Canada and the US, as well as new tools that are being used.

    The Minnesota PRRS ARC is one of the nation’s first, started in 2004. “For the longest time, we didn’t know where we were going, what we were doing. Then all of the sudden it turned the corner and before we knew it, the thing was basically PRRS-free in a very large geographical area of Minnesota,” Scott said.

    Listen to my interview with Scott here here: Scott Dee

    2010 BIVI PRRS Area Regional Control Workshop photos

    Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Swine

    Bioportal Could Help Understand PRRS Genetic Diversity

    Cindy Zimmerman

    One of the challenges of controlling PRRS (Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome) is the diversity in which the disease presents itself.

    “We can have several hundred different types of PRRS around and one of our main concerns is that every year we isolate new types of PRRS,” says Enrique Mondaca, a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim (BIVI) PRRS Area Solutions Team. During the BIVI PRRS Area Regional Control Workshop in Chicago last week, Enrique presented work they are doing in creating a bioportal tool that can help understand the genetic diversity of the swine virus. “With the bioportal we can see through time how new siblings of PRRS are coming into the area.”

    They are in the initial stages of integrating the bioportal program that was originally developed for Foot and Mouth Disease to adapt it for PRRS. “The more you know, the better you can control it,” Enrique said.

    Listen to my interview with Enrique here here: Enrique Mondaca

    Check out photos from the BIVI PRRS ARC workshop here on Flickr.

    Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Swine

    Farming And Flying With Brian Rau

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Brian Rau is a farmer and an aerial applicator with Medina Flying Service Inc.. He’s also President of the NAAA. Brian welcomed everyone to this record breaking convention and I spoke with him afterward.

    Brian says he got interested in flying and aerial application because his dad flew combat missions and did aerial application for their farm. When he got out of college he wanted something more than “just farming” so he worked as an aerial applicator for a couple years before returning to the farm and starting his own flying business. He accepted the position of President of NAAA because he sees some challenges facing the business and those are primarily regulatory. He’s optimistic about the future because conventional agriculture, to which aerial application is very important, will play a key role in helping the environment while feeding the population that is expected to continue growing.

    You can listen to my interview with Brian here: Brian Rau Interview

    2010 NAAA Convention Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the NAAA Convention is sponsored by BASF.

    Ag Groups, Audio, BASF, NAAA