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Melissa Sandfort

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  • The American Farm Bureau Federation is partnering with the Agriculture Department’s National Agricultural Library to create the National Curriculum and Training Clearinghouse for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers.
  • Advanta has reached a research and commercial development agreement with Bioceres S.A., for the development of drought-tolerant sorghum, rice, cotton and brassicas.
  • Boston Millennia Partners (BMP II) has announced that its portfolio company, Athenix Corporation, has been acquired by Bayer CropScience for $400 million.
  • The Land O’Lakes Foundation announced the establishment of a new program, Feeding Our Communities, focused specifically on helping alleviate hunger in rural America.

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    Farmers and Farm Media Use of Internet Tools

    Cindy Zimmerman

    ZimmCast 239This week’s ZimmCast features two interviews done at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual meeting last week in Kansas City.

    NAFB 2009We have been attending the NAFB convention since 1985 and some things never change – like Ted Haller, for example. But, other things – like Ted’s hair – do change, and in recent years that has been the emphasis on usage of the Internet and social media. Teddy presented us with findings from Internet Ag Information Usage Study that surveyed farmers and ranchers about their Internet access practices and preferences for agribusiness information, including use of the mobile Web. That study will be available on the NAFB website for members to access.

    NAFB 2009Meanwhile, Dr. Emily Rhodes of THE Ohio State University (who is also a Gator), did a study of farm broadcasters and journalists about their usage of the internet and social media tools like Facebook and Twitter. She had some interesting findings and her main message to the media was that utilizing these tools helps us reach new audiences to get the positive message about agriculture to the general public.

    Thanks to AgWired Sponsor, Fluidigm, for their support of the ZimmCast. Be sure to check out the combined NAMA/NAFB Flickr photo album for lots of pictures from both events last week.

    You can listen to this week’s ZimmCast below.

    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.

    Audio, Media, NAFB

    NAFB Honors Fabulous Farm Babe

    Cindy Zimmerman

    nafb honorsOutgoing National Association of Farm Broadcasting president Pam Jahnke – the one and only “Fabulous Farm Babe” – was honored and roasted by fellow members at the annual president’s banquet Friday night.

    Pam was teased by her colleagues about all the things we love about her – from her boisterous personality to her undying love for Brett Favre. Let’s just say she took a huge amount of grief from her friends in Minnesota like Mike Parry. Party favors supplied by World Dairy Expo friends included Farm Babe Bobbleheads and Pam Fans.

    nafb honorsnafb honorsPam was joined by her saintly husband Buck and the rest of her family, including nephew Jayden – who seemed to find the Auntie Pam bobbleheads kind of scary!

    Here’s a YouTube video with a few highlights from Pam’s roast – make sure to check the photo album for the pictures!

    NAFB

    NAFB Honors Young and Old(er)

    Cindy Zimmerman

    nafb honorsThe National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) has named Ken Root of WHO as the 2009 Farm Broadcaster of the Year and Meghan Grebner of WMBD in Peoria is the Horizon Award winner this year.

    The winners of the NAFB’s high honors this year are also great friends of ours. Ken Root was president the year we became members of NAFB in Florida and was one of our earliest friends in the business. Meghan’s only been in the biz for less than three years but she has already made close friends with her outgoing personality. She fit in with this group from the start.

    Congratulations to both Ken and Meghan!

    NAFB

    The Oscar Goes to Cyndi

    Cindy Zimmerman

    nafb honorsBrownfield Ag News Farm Director Cyndi Young was expecting another Brownfield reporter to win this year’s New Holland Oscar in Agriculture Award, so she was pretty surprised when she won for her “Doing It Right” farm tour series.

    Our friends from New Holland, Gene Hemphill (retired but still involved) and Dawn Fox, were happy that Cyndi was selected by the judging panel at Kansas State University.

    It was a big day for the Brownfield team. Reporter Tom Steever was elected Vice President of NAFB – we’ll have more on new officers later. The entire eight member on-air Brownfield team was in attendance at this year’s NAFB meeting for the first time.

    NAFB

    NAFB Honors Claussen for Meritorious Service

    Cindy Zimmerman

    nafb honorsThe man who took away the blue sheets with overlapping circles and put ag media research at your fingertips was honored by the National Association of Farm Broadcasting for Meritorious Service last night.

    Ron Claussen, president of AG Media Research (AMR), was praised by his long-time friend Roger Olsen for the work he has done over the years to help farm broadcasters show their value to advertisers.

    Congratulations Ron!

    NAFB

    NAFB Hall of Fame Gains Two

    Cindy Zimmerman

    nafb honorsTwo great farm broadcasters and people we are proud to call close friends were inducted into the NAFB Hall of Fame Thursday night in Kansas City.

    NAFB’s own “Real McCoy” was honored posthumously with the award. Lee McCoy passed away last year after a valiant battle with cancer. His brother, son, daughter and namesake grandson accepted the award in his honor. We are proud to call Lee a close friend throughout his career as a farm broadcaster in Oklahoma, Texas, and finally Georgia where he was part of Southeast Agnet for many years.

    nafb honorsOur buddy Evan Slack was also inducted, joining many fellow long-time NAFBers and former presidents who are still active after more than five decades in the business. Evan made a point to tell everyone how important his iPhone is in continuing to do his job as a busy farm broadcaster!

    I will be getting caught up with posting here today, hopefully. Since Chuck abandoned me to head out a day early to hunting camp, I spent most of the day yesterday taking pictures for NAFB. The photo album has updated with lots of great pictures from last night’s awards dinner. I am taking the morning off from the trip out to the Ag Hall of Fame this morning to get some posts done.

    NAFB

    Last Day For Ken Hobbie

    Chuck Zimmerman

    U. S. Grains CouncilMy first stop at the NAFB Trade Talk was the U.S. Grains Council booth. I interviewed Ken Hobbie and Rick Fruth, Chairman. Today is Ken’s last day on the job as President/CEO. Let’s all wish him well as he starts “relaxing.”

    In my interview they talk about the current activities of USGC, including international trade development. Speaking of which, I’ll be participating in an upcoming corn mission with the organization. I’ll be leaving at the end of November for Morocco, Egypt and Jordan and will be documenting the trip to help show how the organization works on behalf of U.S. grain producers.

    You can listen to my interview with Ken and Rick below.

    Combined NAMA Trends In Ag/NAFB Convention Photo Album

    Ag Groups, Audio, NAFB, USGC

    Zimfo Bytes

    Melissa Sandfort

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    • The Purdue University Beef Team has launched a new Web site designed to be an information source for beef producers from Indiana and throughout the Midwest.
    • Ag Leader Technology, Inc., and AutoFarm joined forces.
    • Merck & Co., Inc. outlined its global plans following the completion of Merck’s merger with Schering-Plough Corporation.
    • Electronic trading of MGEX (or Exchange) futures and options reached 10,592 contracts, marking the second highest electronic trading volume in Exchange history.
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      NAFB Trade Talk Just Concluded

      Chuck Zimmerman

      I Love Farmers They Feed My SoulI can’t let Cindy be the only one to get her working photo on here today. I think I did 20 Trade Talk interviews at the NAFB Convention. I’m about talked out. For the moment.

      In this photo I’m interviewing Annalisa Clarke, who manages I Love Farmers, They Feed My Soul. We were in the AEM AGCONNECT Expo booth. I’ll feature my interview with Annalisa later. Right now I’ve got a mtg. to go to before heading out on the highway. Support I Love Farmers with some of their great stuff.

      Cindy will be here through the end of the NAFB Convention so you’ll be seeing more coverage as it happens.

      Combined NAMA Trends In Ag/NAFB Convention Photo Album

      NAFB