Dairy Business Driven By Social Media

Chuck Zimmerman

At the beginning of the Alltech Global 500 I participated in a presentation on social media and I’ve been overhearing farmers talking about how to use it for their farm. During a discussion dinner last night I met a dairy farmer who has been using it to drive business on his farm. He’s a great example for all farmers. He’s Carl Chaney (left in photo) and you can find his farm online at Chaney’s Dairy Barn.

Carl has a great story which I recorded this morning. Basically, his family operation decided to take control of their own destiny and diversify into processing their own milk, making their own ice cream and creating an agri-tourism component of their farm. So over the last couple years they have been using a website and now Facebook and Twitter to promote their business and Carl says they have direct evidence of how it has helped. This use of social media has helped them stay in the dairy business after they were considering getting out.

Besides driving business Carl says they are also helping educate consumers about where their food comes from. Sounds like he could be on the board of the AgChat Foundation! The farm conducts tours with a growing number of area schools. You’ll hear the pride in his voice when he sees kids marvel over a new calf or seeing a milking parlor in action.

You can listen to my interview with Carl here: Interview with Carl Chaney

Alltech Global 500 Photo Album

Alltech, Audio, Dairy, Social Networking

New Strawberries Website

Chuck Zimmerman

Strawberry lovers have a new website from the California Strawberry Commission.

The new website is chock full of some of the best recipes from professional chefs and top food bloggers, along with colorful and mouth-watering food photography. Recipes can be shared via social networks, voted on, and printed. Additionally, consumers and bloggers can submit their own recipes to be featured on the California Strawberries site.

“Strawberry fans across the country like sharing their love for strawberries. They are always looking for the latest recipes, events and information,” said Carolyn O’Donnell, Communications Director, California Strawberry Commission. “We strive to create that direct, two-way communication with strawberry lovers everywhere with the new site, integrated with other social networks.”

Ag Groups, Food

Beef Producer Emphasizes Importance of Social Media To Ag

Chuck Zimmerman

This year’s Alltech Global 500 includes a full program for beef producers. As we’ve said many times before, if you’re in the dairy business, you’re in the beef business. So, I spoke with one of the beef farmers here, Charles Miller. He’s a Kentucky cattleman so he didn’t have as far to go as many who are here from 29 different countries.

Charles says he’s an Alltech customer and he’s glad to see the company placing a greater emphasis on beef lately and here at this conference. He sees the interaction with international farmers as a great opportunity. He says that one of the most interesting things he has seen and learned so far is the importance and perspective on social media. He said, “As we go forward as an industry, if we fail to utilize that tool to our best advantage we’re going to be left behind.”

You can listen to my interview with Charles here: Interview With Charles Miller

Alltech Global 500 Photo Album

Alltech, Animal Health, Audio, Beef, Social Networking

House Ag Committee Dems Decimated

Cindy Zimmerman

us houseWith debate on the next farm bill expected to begin in earnest next year, the make-up of the House Agriculture Committee will be significant – and after yesterday’s election there will be lots of new faces.

While Chairman Collin Peterson was re-elected, he will no longer be chairman with the Republicans in control. What is really amazing is that 16 of the 28 Democrats on the House Ag Committee were defeated – over half! On the Republican side – not a single member lost their election. Only Jerry Moran of Kansas will no longer be in the U.S. House as he won his bid for the open Senate seat in that state.

The Senate Ag committee fared better, mainly because most of the members were not up for re-election. However, Chairman Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas was soundly defeated, as was expected.

It will definitely be interesting to see what happens next!

By the way – the HSUS backed “puppy mill” proposition in Missouri unfortunately passed. It was looking really good early on, with the No votes running over 60% – until the St. Louis and Kansas City ballots started coming in and the balance changed. Missouri is kind of a microcosm of the U.S. with our very own East and West coasts that have a whole different viewpoint compared to the rest of the state!

So, will Prop B really “save the puppies?” Farm broadcaster Tom Brand of KFEQ in St. Joseph, Missouri had an interesting take on that yesterday on Facebook. “The Humane Society of the US says there’s 200,000+ dogs in MO w/ 1,400 licensed breeders. A limit of 50=70,000. What about the remaining 130,000? MO’s 350 shelters (that HSUS doesn’t help) would have to take 350+ dogs by 12/31. If they’re not rescued, killed or moved to another state – 83,000 dogs will be killed. HSUS says 64% of dogs that go to shelters don’t leave.” Nice job, HSUS! I’m sure those puppies will be thanking you.

Animal Activists, politics

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Pioneer Hi-Bred is adding 29 new soybean varieties to its 2011 lineup.
  • Winfield Solutions, LLC is keeping the tradition of the Careers in Agriculture Scholarship Program, by announcing that scholarships worth $1,000 will be awarded to 10 high school seniors and 10 first- or second-year college students who demonstrate scholastic achievement, leadership in agriculture and a perceived ability to contribute to agriculture in the future.
  • Pioneer is making it easier to access the information you value the most. This fall, the company is launching a major web re-design, placing most of the information housed on the Pioneer GrowingPoint website on www.pioneer.com.
  • Members of Cooperatives Working Together, the dairy farmer-funded self-help program, voted to focus the seven year-old program exclusively on building export markets after 2010.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Three Weeks Until GIPSA Comment Deadline

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Livestock producers – and anyone in the meat industry, including those who eat it – have just three weeks left to make comments on the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule designed to “provide significant new protections for producers against unfair, fraudulent or retaliatory practices,” according to USDA.

    As of right now, nearly 13,800 comments have been received and posted by the Federal Register on the topic. The deadline for comments is November 22.

    I read a random sampling of about 100 of the comments and was really disappointed by the fact that they were obviously generic letters that were submitted by various individuals, either for or against the proposal. I got very bored reading the same letter with different names. In fact, of the 100 comments I looked at, 97 of them were one of the same three letters!

    cattlemen temple grandinA notable exception was a letter from Colorado State University professor and animal welfare expert Temple Grandin, who sent in a comment earlier last month, expressing concern that the proposed rule would “subject old breeding animals to additional stressful long distance transport.”

    “As a scientist who has dedicated her life to improving livestock welfare, I am extremely alarmed that although this rule is concerned with marketing and competition, the department ultimately responsible for it – USDA – is also charged with enforcing the Humane Slaughter Act and apparently has paid so little attention to the animal welfare implications of this proposal,” Grandin said in her letter.

    Grandin’s comments were original, personal and well stated. It’s important for those who would be affected by this rule to do their own research and determine how they personally feel about the proposal and how it would impact them. A form letter is great for quantity, but if I were the people reviewing the comments, I would be looking for quality, passion and real information. Like voting, this is an opportunity to have your voice heard, but in a much more personal way. The comment system was developed so that people who are the target of some new bureaucratic regulation can tell the people in Washington what it’s like in the real world.

    This rule will have a profound impact on the future of the livestock industry, including poultry, hog and cattle producers. So, take 15 minutes and write something personal and don’t just take the easy way out and repeat some generic comments. Your future is worth at least that much. You can submit comments directly on-line here.

    GIPSA, Livestock

    Talking Social Media With Beef & Dairy Farmers

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Hey AgWired fans. You know social media is our “thing” so it was fun to do a presentation on the subject with my friend (and client) Billy Frey this morning at the Alltech Global 500.

    I joined Alltech’s, Billy Frey, on stage to present what social media is and encourage and beef and dairy farmers to use these new channels of communications to help re-connect consumers with the farm and promote their own businesses. We used a series of slides and YouTube videos which I can’t show you but I did record our presentation. I said and will continue to say that dairy farmers seem to be some of the most engaged of any commodity group I know when it comes to social media.

    Billy had some great quotes like the following:

    Social media is the biggest revolution since the industrial revolution. It offers us new ways to stay informed and it can simplify information overload. It can fundamentally change agriculture if we use it.

    We have a lot of great story tellers in our industry because we have the best story ever. Agriculture allowed civilization to develop. Before agriculture we were hunter gatherers. We have a great story to tell. We just have to tell it.

    I can’t agree more. After our presentation a woman from France approached me to say that she “felt like I know you” since she is a regular visitor to World Dairy Diary. That kind of anecdotal evidence is great since it shows how truly connected we are globally thanks to social media.

    You can listen to our presentation on social media here: Social Media Presentation

    Follow Alltech on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and their blog, Innovations.

    Alltech Global 500 Photo Album

    Alltech, Audio, Beef, Dairy, Social Networking

    Novus’ Green Acres is the Place to Be

    Cindy Zimmerman

    novus green acresNovus International’s Green Acres Farm is the place to be this Saturday when they hold a ribbon cutting at the facility in Montgomery City, Missouri. The ceremony will be followed by a Fall Festival with food, entertainment and fun activities for the whole family.

    The research farm, located about an hour or so from Novus global headquarters in St. Charles, has been under development for over a year. Novus purchased and renovated the 15 acre farm to serve as a multi-functional facility that will allow for research on swine, poultry, ruminants and equine. Find out more about it from a tour John Davis took in April. At that time, Novus’ manager of product research Skip Hampton told John that the goal is to do real world research. “We’re trying to mimic things that are done in industry so it’s comparing apples to apples, to make sure that what’s relevant here is relevant in the industry.”

    I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product myself, since Chuck saw it over a year ago when it was just getting started, and John in April when it was further along. For more information about the Ribbon Cutting and Fall Festival this Saturday from noon to 4 pm, contact Jill Mahoney at Novus.

    Novus International, Research

    MGEX Reports Higher October Trading and New Team Member

    Cindy Zimmerman

    MGEXThe Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) reports that trading volume in October was up significantly over a year ago.

    According to MGEX, October futures and options trading volume was 149,923 contracts, a 33 percent increase over the same period a year ago. Total exchange open interest was up 39 percent over October of last year, led by a strong increase in open interest of Hard Red Spring Wheat (HRSW) futures contracts. HRSW futures open interest totaled 67,318 in October 2010, compared to 43,339 in the same period last year.

    MGEXMGEX also announced the addition of Joe Victor as Business Development Specialist. Victor comes to the Exchange with 30 years of experience in the cash, futures and agricultural investment industries.

    “Joe Victor is a well-respected and experienced addition to the MGEX team,” Mark G. Bagan, President & CEO, MGEX said. “His industry knowledge and credibility will serve our members and market participants well,” Bagan said.

    Markets

    Former Congressman Named Growth Energy President

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Growth Energy has announced former congressman Jim Nussle as new president and chief operating officer of the ethanol organization, effective November 1.

    growth energy nussle buisJim Nussle (pictured on the left with Growth CEO Tom Buis) is a former eight-term Congressman from Iowa and served as Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush. He has served on the Board of Directors of Growth Energy since February 2009. As President and COO, Nussle will be responsible for Growth Energy’s day-to-day operations, including revenue growth, budget, expenses, communications, and other non-lobbying associated activity.

    Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis says Nussle will provide immediate value to the organization. “Jim’s experience on Capitol Hill and his ability to manage large teams will be huge assets to Growth Energy,” Buis said. “As a former Iowa Congressman, he also possesses the knowledge of ethanol and agriculture that will allow him to hit the ground running and be a powerful advocate for America’s ethanol supporters.”

    Nussle is looking forward to the opportunity to work full time on behalf of the ethanol industry. “While representing the 1st District of Iowa for 16 years, I witnessed the positive impact that ethanol production had on rural America,” Nussle said. “Over the past few years as a Director at Growth Energy, I’ve seen the benefits of ethanol to the entire country. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work full-time on behalf of America’s ethanol supporters, so that our nation can benefit even more from this clean, green, renewable fuel.”

    I had the opportunity yesterday to chat with the former congressman (who doesn’t mind being called “Mr. President”!) about his new role in Growth Energy as President and COO. Listen to that interview here: Jim Nussle Interview

    Audio, Ethanol