Farm Broadcaster and Horizon Award of the Year

Cindy Zimmerman

Two of the most coveted awards of the year for farm broadcasters were handed out during the luncheon on Friday.

The Horizon Award, which recognizes up and coming talent in the industry, was presented this year to Haylie Shipp of the Northern Ag Network. Haylie Shipp grew up on a cattle ranch north of Glasgow, Montana and received the NAFB Glenn Kummerow Memorial Scholarship a few years ago.

Farm Broadcaster of the Year is Jeff Nalley of Cromwell Ag Network. Jeff is a past president of NAFB and has been involved in many facets of the organization over his 20+ years in the industry.

Lots of other awards were handed out at lunch, including the tenure awards – which included two 54 year certificates of membership for Roddy Peeples and Evan Slack. The Marketcast and Newscast awards were presented to Michelle Rook of WNAX and the ABN Radio Network team, respectively. Others received awards for the volume and quality of audio sent in to the NAFB news service.

Congrats to all!

NAFB Convention Photo Album

NAFB

Kansas Senator-Elect Visits NAFB

Cindy Zimmerman

Current Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS), who is now Senator-Elect for that state, stopped by the NAFB meeting on his way out to the nation’s capitol on Friday.

The new senator, who is a great advocate for agriculture in Congress, took time to do interviews with farm broadcasters and addressed the Awards Luncheon.

Jerry says he is a big fan and believer in ag journalism which serves a role in not only providing news and information for farmers and ranchers, but also educating the general public. “We need farm broadcasters who can explain to the rest of the world what goes on in agriculture,” said the senator-elect.

I had the opportunity to interview Jerry about his priorities in the new congress and his opinion on important issues like biofuels and GIPSA. Listen to my interview with Jerry Moran here: Jerry Moran

NAFB Convention Photo Album

Audio, NAFB

Latest NAFB Research

Cindy Zimmerman

The latest research on who is listening or watching what in farm broadcast media was presented Friday morning at the NAFB annual meeting by the great Teddy Haller.

Not surprisingly, Haller’s latest research found a continued increase in the internet as an information source for farmers and ranchers. “That consistent rise of the internet is not necessarily meaning the decline of other media,” Ted says. “Both radio listenership for farm news and information, and internet, were the two most dramatic rises in terms of where people were going.”

Ted says this bodes very well for a combination of both. “To move a lot of in-depth reports, podcasting, into the internet to the group that wants it,” which he estimates to be 20-25%. “The internet frees you from everything. There’s no reason why our members can’t have a half hour TV show at night.”

Listen to my interview with Ted here: Ted Haller

NAFB Convention Photo Album

Audio, NAFB

The Cost of Thanksgiving Dinner

Melissa Sandfort

Menu items for a classic Thanksgiving dinner including turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie and all the basic trimmings increased about 1.3 percent in price this year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

AFBF’s 25th annual informal price survey of classic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table indicates the average cost of this year’s feast for 10 is $43.47, a 56-cent price increase from last year’s average of $42.91. This year’s meal is actually $1.14 cheaper than what shoppers paid two years ago, when the total was $44.61.

This year’s meal remains a bargain at less than $4.35 per person. The AFBF survey shopping list includes turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and beverages of coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10. There is also plenty for leftovers.

The big ticket item — a 16-pound turkey — was actually cheaper this year, at $17.66. That was roughly $1.10 per pound, actually a decrease of about 6 cents per pound, or a total of 99 cents per whole turkey, compared to 2009. While the whole bird was the biggest contributor to the final total, it was also the largest price decline compared to last year.

A gallon of whole milk increased in price by 38 cents per gallon, to $3.24. Other items that showed a price increase from last year were: a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix, $2.62, up 17 cents; two nine-inch pie shells, $2.46, up 12 cents; ½ pint of whipping cream, $1.70, up 15 cents; three pounds of sweet potatoes, $3.19, up 7 cents; a one-pound relish tray of carrots and celery, 77 cents, up 5 cents; a dozen brown-n-serve rolls, $2.12, up 4 cents.

AFBF

Sammy Kershaw Entertains NAFB

Cindy Zimmerman

County music star Sammy Kershaw entertained the NAFB annual meeting Thursday night, bringing back an old tradition of live entertainment.

Sammy sang some of his big hits like “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” “Queen of My Double-Wide Trailer”, and “Meant to Be.” Lots of great dance moves out there!

Most of the NAFB Girls’ Weekend group posed with Sammy after the concert. I had already disappeared for the night after a very long day of picture-taking. But, not before the NGW group got the winning bid for next summer at the Al Johnson and Sara Wyant Lake Ozark retreat home. Sorry, Al – we’re coming back again. There was a group of boys who tried to outbid us, but we prevailed!

Thanks to Meghan Grebner for the photo!

NAFB Convention Photo Album

NAFB

Night of Honors at NAFB

Cindy Zimmerman

The Thursday night banquet at NAFB honored many for outstanding and lifelong achievement in the industry.

The NAFB Hall of Fame inducted two new members. Taylor Brown, Northern Ag Network, is past president of NAFB and the NAFB Foundation and has been called “Senator” for the past two years as he was elected to the Montana state legislature for a four year term. He and his wife Shannon were thrilled with the honor. Kinda young for this, don’t you think, Taylor?

Also inducted into the Hall of Fame was Gene Millard, NAFB emeritus member and head of Millard Family Farms. Gene was a pioneer in NAFB’s sales and marketing efforts, and served as interim executive director for the organization for a little while. He brought his 90-something year old mother to help him celebrate the honor last night.

There were two different Meritorious Service Award winners this year, for the first time ever. The honorees this year were Denny Waddle of KRVN and former NAFB executive director Roger Olsen. Denny and Roger were both surprised by the recognition, which is always fun, although Roger noted that he never thought it was fair to surprise people with this award – and now he’s sure that it’s unfair!

The New Holland Oscar in Agriculture Award was presented this year to Mark Oppold of RFD TV for his work covering the flooding in Tennessee earlier this year. Coverage of the flooding on RFD TV helped to raise about $50,000 to help those affected. NAFB is sincerely grateful to New Holland – represented here by the “retired” Gene Hemphill and Sean Dorosz, for sponsoring this award that recognizes the best of the best for excellence in farm broadcasting.

Check out more photos here:
NAFB Convention Photo Album

NAFB, New Holland

Super Successful NAFB Foundation Auction

Cindy Zimmerman

A brand new record was set for the NAFB Foundation’s annual fundraising auction Thursday night – $22,295! Not sure how much it beats the old record by, but last year the total was about $13,000, so this was a biggie.

A big reason for the huge success this year was the generosity of two NAFB past presidents – Evan Slack and Rich Hull. They each bought and donated back the #2 NAFB Foundation Ertl model tractor – for $2750 EACH. That tractor ended up bringing in a total of about $7000 for the foundation and I think Evan ended up taking it home. These are the last of the special edition NAFB Foundation tractors, which have been sold at the auction in seven series for the past seven years.

Orion Samuelson, the original NAFB Foundation president, once again served as Master of Ceremonies for the auction. First he was honored with a special video presentation marking his 50 years at WGN. “I don’t want people to get confused that this is a retirement,” Orion said. “It isn’t. I’m having too much fun doing what I’m doing.”

I did a quick interview with Orion and asked him about the history of the NAFB Foundation, which he helped to start many years ago. Listen to or download that interview here: Orion Samuelson


NAFB Convention Photo Album

Audio, NAFB

Secretary Vilsack Beyond the Mic at NAFB

Cindy Zimmerman

Farm broadcasters at NAFB Thursday went straight from Trade Talk to a 45 minute press conference with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The secretary addressed a number of issues – from Veterans Day to rural development to biofuels and took quite a few questions on several topics. He did get a couple of questions about the GIPSA rule, but still refused to say very much about it since the proposal is still in comment period until November 22.

Listen to or download the press conference here: Vilsack Press Conference

Photo album is now up to date – including pix of Sammy Kershaw last night!


NAFB Convention Photo Album

Audio, NAFB, USDA

NAFB Trade Talk Was Hopping

Cindy Zimmerman

NAFB’s annual Trade Talk seemed to be one of the best ever, with many of both the exhibitors and the broadcasters claiming they had set all time interview records.

The marathon interview session latest from 7:30 am until 2:00 pm, extended for a half hour this year and it seemed to make a little difference in the pacing of the event and I heard several comments that it seemed to flow smoother and was a little less hectic. But, it still makes for a long day!

Trade Talk is really a unique event that has grown to be very popular with about 100 different companies, organizations and government agencies that come every year. Most of them have been participating in Trade Talk since it started 20 years ago. It gives the broadcasters and allied members an opportunity for real networking with each other.

Having some trouble uploading new photos to Flickr tonight, but we are at least up to date through Trade Talk.


NAFB Convention Photo Album

NAFB

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Social media is taking the internet by storm, but within that storm are dangers lying in wait for your company. Simply being aware of what some of those dangers are is the easiest way to prevent you or your company from facing legal ramifications. Join us for the next NAMA Webinar, Thursday, Dec. 9 at 1:00 p.m. (Central Time) and learn how to protect yourself from online dangers.
  • Becker Underwood has introduced Polymer 1172-O, an OMRI-certified, water-soluble seed polymer designed to bind organic seed treatments onto seed and control dust-off.
  • Farm Safety 4 Just Kids has received $100,000 from Nationwide Insurance, presented by Gary A. Douglas, president and COO of Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Company.
  • JCB, one of the world’s largest heavy equipment manufacturers, has launched an exciting new line of highly productive and reliable skid steer loaders and compact track loaders.
    Zimfo Bytes