Nicholson Kovac Selected By USGC For Public Relations Campaign

Chuck Zimmerman

Nicholson Kovac has been selected by the U.S. Grains Council as its integrated marketing communications agency for their 2010 “Partners in Agriculture” international public relations campaign.

Nicholson Kovac will provide public relations services, including media relations and event coordination, for a series of commemorative events that will take place in Japan in 2010. These events, part of the “Partners in Agriculture” series of events, will be coordinated by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), of the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), with the U.S. Grains Council and other cooperative groups as key sponsoring partners. The program celebrates the rich history of agricultural trade between the United States and Japan, the largest foreign market for U.S. coarse grains.

To ensure seamless coordination between the USGC headquarters in Washington, D.C., USGC employees in Japan and Tokyo-based FAS representatives, Nicholson Kovac has teamed up with the Ashai Agency, a leading integrated marketing communications agency in Japan. Both Nicholson Kovac and Asahi belong to Worldwide Partners, Inc., the world’s largest owner-operated agency network made up of 90 independent agencies.

“Nicholson Kovac provided us the most creative proposal for addressing the complexities of this project. We anticipate this partnership will help to enhance the effectiveness of our efforts,” said Thomas C. Dorr, president and CEO of the U.S. Grains Council.

Ag Groups, Agencies, USGC

Putting A New Face On Agriculture

Chuck Zimmerman

Jeff Whetstine John HassellThe New Ag International Enhanced-Efficiency Fertilizer Conference is underway. Our opening general session is underway. I will be posting from the session later.

Before we got started though I spoke with John Hassell (right), Manager, Research and Agronomic Development, AGROTAIN, pictured here with Jeff Whetstine. AGROTAIN is one of the major sponsors of the conference and my coverage from here.

John says these enhanced efficiency fertilizers are new technology that can help us get more nitrogen to the plant so it can make more grain. This conference will discuss these new technologies with a collection of researchers and industry representatives from around the world. I asked him what he thinks is the one thing these new fertilizer technologies bring to agriculture. He says it will “put a new face on agriculture.” In the past ag has received a lot of blame for using too much nitrogen but that’s going to change now with these new efficiency technologies which increase ag sustainability.

You can listen to my interview with John below.

I’ve also started an online photo album: Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Conference Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the New Ag International Conference
on Enhanced-Efficiency Fertilizers is made possible by .

Fertilizer

Enhanced-Efficiency Fertilizer Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

Hello from sunny south Florida and the New Ag International Conference on Enhanced-Efficiency Fertilizers. I’ll be here today and tomorrow courtesy of our sponsor AGROTAIN.

In just a few minutes I’ll have a pre-conference meeting with the AGROTAIN folks and then the conference kicks off at 10am this morning. So we’ll be learning more about this relatively new class of fertilizers and what’s going on internationally.

AgWired coverage of the New Ag International Conference
on Enhanced-Efficiency Fertilizers is made possible by .

Fertilizer

ZimmComm Crew At Commodity Classic

Chuck Zimmerman

Cindy just found a photo from Commodity Classic in Anaheim that didn’t make it into our photo album.

Pictured l-r are Joanna Schroeder, one of our web editors, Robert, our web guru, yours truly and Cindy. Rob and I met at our hotel for several hours of face to face consultation time since he lives out on the west coast and we don’t often have that opportunity.

Cindy and I are off to south Florida today. Hopefully it will be warmer than the midwest. I’ll be working with AGROTAIN and covering the International Conference on Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers. See you from there.

Commodity Classic

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Westlands Water District and Ag-Water New Sky, LLC, announced they will develop an integrated drainage water treatment facility in California’s Central Valley.
  • Cooperatives Working Together announced that it is reactivating its Export Assistance program, effective immediately, to boost sales of U.S.-made cheddar cheese.
  • The American Lamb Board partnered with Boston Chefs to bring lambtastic dishes to the table at the first Boston American Lamb Jam on March 7 at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Mass.
  • Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has been joined by Senator Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) and 12 other senators in introducing legislation to expand farm to school links to boost the use of local farm products in the federally supported school lunch program.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Ag Day Meat BBQ Cookout at MI State Capitol Overwhelming Success

    Chuck Zimmerman

    It looks like there was quite a barbeque party at the Michigan State Capitol on National Ag Day. Wish I could have been there in person but I was in spirit. I’m hoping to obtain a photo of the event to add to this post.

    Post Update: Thanks to George for sending over a couple of photos from the event last night!

    Here are the details from organizer George Hubka.

    In direct response to Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s insult declaring that residents should not eat meat on Saturday, March 20, 2010 as part of her “Michigan Meat Out Day”, Barry County farmer George Hubka and friends held a very successful “Ag Day Meat BBQ cookout” on the Michigan State Capitol lawn on March 20, 2010.

    Hubka, a part time crop farmer from Dowling, MI says he and other volunteers served nearly 200 attendees about 500 hamburgers and hot dogs in about a two hour period. Hubka declared the event a complete success when he stated, “just look around and see how glad these 200 people are to be out here enjoying delicious Michigan meat products, despite the cold and wet weather”.

    The hot dogs were donated by Michigan’s turkey growers through the Michigan Turkey Producers Co-op of Grand Rapids, MI. Hamburgers were donated for the event by Sobie Meats & Byron Center Meats in Grand Rapids, MI. In addition, white and chocolate milk was provided by MMPA (Michigan Milk Producers Association) and processed by Prairie Farms dairy in Battle Creek, MI. Buns for the BBQ were donated by the Sara Lee and Butternut baking companies. Expert cooking for the event was coordinated by: Clint’s Hot Dogs of Lansing, MI and Linn Merindorf of Merindorf Meats of Mason and Williamston, MI.

    Additional sponsorship for the activity was provided by the Michigan Cattlemans Association, Michigan Corn Grower Association, beef farmers Jeff Kala of Onaway, MI and Gary Voogt of Marne, MI. Other assistance was provided by the Michigan Beef Industry Commission, and the Michigan Pork Producers Association (MPPA).

    Here’s the story from WZZM13.com:

    Animal Activists

    Celebrating The Great American Steak Out

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Thank you America’s farmers and ranchers for all you do. I want to especially thank Michigan’s beef producers. Sorry you had to put up with that silliness from your Governor.

    I made some steak choices today and they were good. Never let a little sleet and rain stop a good steak to celebrate Ag Day.

    If you’ve enjoyed a good steak then feel free to post onto Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm’s Facebook page or on the Great American Steak Out. I have.

    Ag Day, Beef

    Ag in the Classroom

    Amanda Nolz

    Earlier this week, my sister, Kaley, and I participated in Ag in the Classroom, an annual event held at the 4-H grounds in Mitchell, SD. Educational stations were set up to teach students about beef, dairy, pigs, sheep, horses, soil and farm safety. Kaley and I hosted the beef booth, complete with a baby calf, arial photograph of our farm and a table displaying beef by-products.

    Nearly 300 students attended this event, and it’s truly an honor to be able to work with area fourth graders and teach them about agriculture, food products and the hard work farmers do each and every day. They ask so many questions, and they get incredibly excited to pet a baby calf. This event only reaffirms my belief that educating our consumers should be our number one priority. Have you shared the agriculture story today?

    Ag Day, Education

    The Great American ‘Steak’ Out Today!

    Amanda Nolz

    You may have noticed updates from South Dakota have been pretty scarce lately, and I can pretty much sum up the reasons why in a few words: baby calves, snow and mud. It’s been a hectic month of March moving cow/calf pairs to the barns and dealing with flooding from the James River.

    However, I haven’t been completely stuck in a hole for the last few weeks, and there have certainly been some interesting headlines filtering in my email account during National Ag Week. As a result of Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm proclaiming National Ag Today as Michigan Meat Day, Dewey Mann of Purdue started an event on Facebook called The Great American ‘Steak’ Out. Like Michigan Meat Day, this day calls for all beef lovers to enjoy a steak today and take a photo to send to the governor. Although she edited her statements, like a two-stepping politician, changing Michigan Meat Day to Michigan Ag Day, I think it’s still important to send your photos and share the positive message about meat with the governor.

    On Saturday March 20th, enjoy a big ole, juicy steak and mail a picture to Michigan governor, Jennifer M. Granholm. Then you can send the picture to:
    Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
    P.O. Box 30013
    Lansing, Michigan 48909

    I will be enjoying a steak today on National Ag Day; will you?

    Beef, politics

    Ag Day Essay Contest Winner

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ag-council-americaThe Agriculture Council of America has announced the 2010 National Ag Day Essay Contest winner. Her name is Christine Vanek.

    ACA called upon seventh- to 12th-grade students nationwide to submit original essays of 450 words about the importance of agriculture in the U.S. Using this year’s theme, “American Agriculture – Abundant, Affordable, Amazing,” students were encouraged to focus their essays on the importance of agriculture and how the industry continues to overcome new challenges. These include keeping food affordable, meeting the demands of a growing population with fewer acres, working with legislative influences, and addressing consumer concerns.

    Vanek, a 12th-grader at Greenhills School, Ann Arbor, Mich., was named the national winner of the 2010 contest during the Ag Day event held at the USDA Whitten Building Patio. Vanek read her essay to industry representatives, members of Congress, federal agency representatives, media and others at the Celebration of Agriculture dinner in Washington, D.C. The following is an excerpt from her essay:

    “At seventeen, I have come to admire the work my grandfather and all American farmers do. It is thanks to the abundance of American agriculture – from the corn, soybean, and wheat fields of the Great Plains to the expansive fruit orchards in the South – that I, along with the rest of the country, have access to a wide variety of affordable, safe, nutritious foods.”

    Ag Day