Growth Force is Growing

Cindy Zimmerman May 21, 2010

Growth Energy’s Growth Force is growing and donating to charity.

The ethanol organization announced today that 28 of its member plants raised $7,395 for local charities of their choice through the Growth Force Now promotion.

The promotion was designed to increase membership of Growth Force, a group that believes in a cleaner, greener America through the use of biofuels, and donate funds to local charities and organizations. For every new Growth Force member recruited, Growth Energy committed to donating one dollar to each participant’s charity of choice. The member plants that participated in the promotion recruited 7,395 new members for Growth Force, helping to bring total Growth Force membership to 18,000 strong.

“Our Growth Force members are made up of individuals from across the country who care that we become more energy independent, improve our national security, create jobs that can’t be outsourced, and clean the environment,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis.

Growth Force is made up of bipartisan agricultural supporters who believe in America’s homegrown energy, ethanol. Members receive electronic updates on current issues, a complimentary gift pack and “opportunities to help fellow ag supporters in the efforts to shape our future.”

Find out more about Growth Force here.

Ethanol

HumaneWatch HSUS 50 Percent Pledge

Chuck Zimmerman May 21, 2010

I like David Martosko’s HumaneWatch HSUS 50 percent pledge.

Here’s the Pledge in a nutshell: As soon as Wayne Pacelle commits to doing the right thing, I’m outta here.

You read that right. Hear me now, and believe me later, as Hans und Franz used to say. If the CEO of the Humane Society of the United States will make a commitment to start sending just 50 percent of HSUS’s income to hands-on U.S. pet shelters, HumaneWatch will disappear for good.

We’ll pull the plug. Yank the life-line. Cease and desist. Become an ex-blog.

That’s the challenge. That’s my pledge. And it’s non-negotiable.

It’s sad that something like this is even an idea but what can you do when you’ve got a scam going like HSUS does? They were discussed at the Alltech Symposium this week. That’s about 1,600 people from all over the world who understand that HSUS is not what it would like its supporters to think it is.

Just calmly, quietly, go support your local animal shelter and don’t give to these wackos. Put your money to good use for the good of animals.

Animal Activists, Wackos

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort May 21, 2010

John Deere Harvester Works recently rolled the half millionth self-propelled combine , a 9870 model, off the assembly line at the East Moline, Ill. manufacturing facility.
Winfield Solutions, LLC, recently named twenty 2010 recipients for the organization’s Careers in Agriculture Scholarship program.
Amye Hughes, a recent Indiana University graduate, joins Farm Journal Media’s Database Strategies Division as Account Representative for Farmail.
Due to high demand for additional display space for equipment, World Dairy Expo has expanded its Outdoor Trade Mall for 2010 with an additional 19,000 square feet of prime booth space being added to the east side of the Exhibition Hall.

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort May 20, 2010

Anyone interested in hay and forage production will want to be in Strawberry Point, Iowa, June 16 and 17 for the Hay Expo.
Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) and the Beef Cattle Institute (BCI) at Kansas State University have collaborated to produce the Animal Care Training Web site, offering training video, testing and certification in specific areas of livestock handling.
Myran Krueger joins Land O’Lakes business unit Winfield Solutions as Marketing Manager-West Coast.
The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association announced the hiring of Duane Gangwish as their new CEO.

Zimfo Bytes

Cindy’s Top Ten List To Have Us Cover Your Next Event

Chuck Zimmerman May 20, 2010

After a few days of telling the story of the Alltech Symposium, which I have not finished doing btw, I thought it would be a good time to offer you Cindy’s Top Ten Reasons to have ZimmComm cover your next event:

We’ve pioneered online event coverage. Some call it live blogging an event. We like to think of it as “telling a story, your story.” Since we started our unique brand of on-location multimedia content creation we’ve taken the approach that we’re there to convey the sights and sounds as we see them to an online audience that’s interested to know what’s going on. We’re award winning journalists. We’re award winning public relations specialists. We know new media and social networking. It’s a great combination. Learn more about our online event coverage services and schedule us in.

So here we go:

10. We “Tweet” u right – in so many ways. We have multiple established Twitter accounts with thousands of followers on several different topics and can help tweet your event to tweeps all over.

9. Flickr Photos up in a Flash – get your photos uploaded and out for media to use and everyone to see faster.

8. Google Loves Us – Search engines pick up posts from ZimmComm blogs fast and furious, both news and web searches.

7. We Flip for YouTube – short, web quality video clips give your event a YouTube presence.

6. Audio on Demand –interviews with key presenters and speeches can be available on-line to listen or download.

5. First Class Photography – we take high-res photos of everything so you don’t have to.

4. Targeted Exposure – We can post on your blog and one or more of our own – with audiences that include agribusiness, renewable energy, dairy, and precision farming. We can even design and build a blog for your specific event.

3. Event Blogging Trail Blazers – ZimmComm was one of the first pioneers of event blogging, starting with the National Biodiesel Conference in February 2006.

2. Multi-tasking is our Middle Name – We often do audio, video, photos, tweets, blogging and more at the same time – while chewing gum and balancing a book on our heads. Ok, we made the last part up.

1. Historical Preservation – Your event is archived for history on the web and we provide a digital copy of all photos, video and audio sent to you for the sake of posterity after the event.

ZimmComm Announcement

Alltech Symposium Wrap-Up

Chuck Zimmerman May 19, 2010

This is my favorite photo from the Alltech International Animal Health and Nutrition Symposium. I think I’ll call it “Dr. Lyons.” You can actually see both Doctors, Mark and Pearse. I took the photo when Dr. Pearse Lyons was introducing his son, Dr. Mark Lyons during our final general session. A picture of Mark was projected on the screen. You can click on the photo to see a larger version and it’s also in my photo album.

I think the picture tells a story as pictures so often do. At the beginning of the Symposium Pearse was introduced by Mark (a first) and at the end of the Symposium Mark was introduced by Pearse. These are two very compelling speakers and I would have to say that Alltech has a very solid succession strategy in progress.

I was afraid I wouldn’t get to speak with Dr. Pearse Lyons before leaving today but fortunately I did catch up to him and have a Symposium wrap-up interview for you. All I can say is, “Wow.” Actually, I’ll let Pearse say it in the interview and more than once!

This year’s Symposium was by all measures a success. It was one of the largest in terms of attendance with a huge international component. It is a big boon to the city of Lexington. Dr. Lyons says, “if we all come together, if we are a team and if we realize that no one person can make a team, but a person can be a crucial part of a team, we can go anywhere.”

I mentioned my photo and asked him about the future of Alltech. He says he’s been fortunate to have been able to live the American dream but he says there’s something very special to be able to say to 2,300 employees, “you’re in good hands.” You’ll be able to hear the pride in his voice when he talks about his son.

Of course the interview does not end without a plug for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Put them on your radar because the whole world will be watching Lexington, KY this fall.

2010 Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Alltech, Audio

Alltech Symposium Concludes

Chuck Zimmerman May 19, 2010

The Alltech International Animal Health and Nutrition Symposium has concluded. For our closing we heard some final words from Dr. Pearse Lyons who was then joined on stage by some of the great voices we heard at the opening International Dinner.

Dr. Everett McCorvey, UK, led a song which is included in the audio I’ve posted below. It was an inspirational way to conclude!

If you didn’t get to see this morning’s sessions I’ll be doing some posts on the presentations and you can watch a recording of the live stream on the Alltech website. You can also scan back through the Symposium Tweets using the #AlltechSymposium hashtag.

I have much more to post in coming days but am getting ready to hit the road with a stop in St. Louis for some meetings tomorrow.

2010 Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Alltech, Audio

Final Day of Alltech Symposium

Chuck Zimmerman May 19, 2010

It’s the final day of the Alltech International Animal Health and Nutrition Symposium. This morning there are several general session presentations. You can watch them live on the Alltech website.

I finally had a chance to get some participant interviews done yesterday afternoon and will be posting them during the next several days. I hope you’ve been enjoying the coverage here. I continue to be amazed by the organization and quality of this conference. The staff at Alltech work at a frantic pace to make sure everything happens on time and that the facilities and overall experience for the participants is excellent.

I’ll be heading over to the general session room from this great media room momentarily and finish out the morning there. So stay tuned and enjoy a video look at yesterday’s afternoon sessions.

2010 Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Alltech

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Foster Team Building

Chuck Zimmerman May 19, 2010

The Alltech International Animal Health and Nutrition Symposium brings in participants and customers from all over the world. I met several of them during a reception yesterday. They represent companies that have partnered with Alltech for the upcoming World Equestrian Games. I’ll feature interviews with them over the next several days. So let’s get started with the Netherlands.

Eric Heemskerk, Heemskerk, says his company is based in the Netherlands but also works in Belgium and Germany. They have both equine and dairy products. Eric says business in his country has been very strong.

Heemskerk is a partnering company with the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and Eric sees the event as a great opportunity. He calls the opportunity one of team building since his company works very closely with Alltech and together they hope to make the Games very successful. His goal is to build that team spirit between his customers, his staff and the Alltech representatives he works with.

2010 Alltech Symposium Photo Album

Alltech, Audio, International, Uncategorized

Alltech Discussion Dinners

Chuck Zimmerman May 18, 2010

This evening participants in the Alltech International Animal Health and Nutrition Symposium broke up into discussion dinners with various topics. I attended the dairy dinner.