Social Media Is About Engagement

Chuck Zimmerman

Social media and networking continues to be the hot topic in agricultural communications and every other industry too for that matter. How do you measure it is the question I get most often these days and I pretty much say, “Don’t.” Don’t? Yeah. Don’t. There are so many measuring points that I’m not sure where you start. How do you set a baseline and what are you comparing numbers too? The reality is that numbers aren’t what social media/networking is all about. It’s about engaging with your customers and members. And let’s face it, are you actually setting goals and expectations anyway? Just asking . . .

You’re wanting an example. How about Dell Computers? Here’s an excerpt from a post written by their Chief Blogger.

Dell.com, Support.Dell.com and the Dell Community Forum all pre-dated our social media activity. Looking at our online success in all those places, the fundamentals were clear for us. The web was an ideal place for us to connect directly with customers. Social media brought that and something more—a way to listen, learn and engage with customers, with a clear emphasis on the engage part of the equation, It allows us to further those direct connections with customers while also sharing what we are all about, making technology work, work better and harder for you.

Let me give you a personal example of how this works that just happened to me. I posted a message on Twitter asking for a recommendation for a good ergonomic office chair. Almost immediately I got a reply on Twitter from Steelcase:

@AgriBlogger Looking 4 chair recs? Consider Steelcase. Leap & Think R most ergo. Cobi & Amia R gr8 2. http://bit.ly/5zZQvX Hope ths helps!

I checked the link and although I haven’t made up my mind yet I appreciate the personal notice and link to something I might want to purchase. Is using Twitter worth it for Steelcase? I’m thinking so. BTW. I’ve already received other recommendations from friends, followers and contacts in Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn since my Twitter post updates all my profiles.

Social Networking

Claas’s Orbis 900 Wins AE50 Award at AG CONNECT

Joanna Schroeder

Claas1For the sixth year in a row, Claas of America, based in Omaha, Neb. has won several AE50 awards from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) that honors ground breaking industry innovation. The company’s new technology, the Orbis 900, mounts in front of the forage harvester. The advantage is capacity – the width of the head now matches better with the horsepower of the Jaquar 860, explained Bob Armstrong, with Claas. “So you can really get the maximum capacity of that machine.”

Chop quality is also an important feature. “Chop quality is a key thing. That is what dairy men and cattlemen are looking for when they feed their animals – what kind of CropTigerhigh quality feed, consistency of feed and how well the corn cracked. The cross Jaquar delivers all that.”

In addition, Claas showcased its Crop Tiger which is a small combine which has drawn a lot of attention. It was originally designed for rice harvesting but can also tackle grain. The Crop Tiger is not available in the U.S. but was featured during the show due to it’s international audience.

The Lexion Combine 585 was also on display. The most unique feature of this combine is that instead of tires the combine has tracks, “which became quite valuable this past year with the wet harvest we had,” said Armstrong.

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

Listen to my full interview with Bob here.


Audio, Equipment

Valmont Wins Two AE50 Awards During AG CONNECT

Joanna Schroeder

ValmontValmont Industries took home two AE50 awards during the AG CONNECT Expo last week including one for its Base Station 2 with soil moisture monitor. Michele Stolte, with Valmont Industries, explained that with this system you can use the irrometer and then that information can be reported through their base stations and accessed at home. This aids the grower in determining whether or not he needs to irrigate and if so, how much.

The second award the company won was for its GPS Guidance for corners and linears. The system uses the RTK Star Fire GPS system that eliminates the need to install underground guidance cables and helps with precision application of water.

Another project Valmont has been working on, said Stolte, is a rice irrigation project using center pivots. “The main reason we got into this was to conserve water. Over the past couple of years, we have seen a water savings of approximately 50 percent as compared to flood irrigation which is mainly the only way rice is grown.”

Center pivots in general can apply water more precisely than most other forms of irrigation. This not only conserves water, but also saves the grower money.

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

Listen to my interview with Michelle here.

Audio, Irrigation, Precision Agriculture

Best Bioenergy Feedstocks Highlighted at AG CONNECT

Joanna Schroeder

The Bioenergy Feedstocks session was a good value during the AG CONNECT Expo last week in Orlando, Fla. There were three main topics: winter and double crops, perennial energy grasses and the types of public policy needed to ensure second generation biofuels.

BioenergyFeedstocksDr. Tom Richard, Associate Professor with Pennsylvania State University, kicked off the session discussing the agricultural value of adding winter crops or double crops to a farmer’s rotation. An example of a winter crop that would be suitable for Pennsylvania is winter rye. Once harvested, the crop could be used for cellulosic ethanol. An example of a double crop would be planning a grain such as barley in the spring followed by a summer crop such as corn or soybean. Richard noted that when most people do a biomass potential study, they don’t factor in winter crops and double crops, thus reducing the amount of biofuels that could be produced on the same amount of land currently in production.

Dr. John Erickson, Associate Professor from the University of Florida, is an expert in studying perennial grasses for their potential as energy crops. These can include sugarcane, energycane, elephant grasses, miscanthus, giant reed, switchgrass and sorghum. In early trials, energycane and elephant grasses are doing well. Erickson also noted that the grasses tend to help improve soil quality and water use (they use less) and that the Southeast is likely to be the epicenter of cellulosic development.

Of particular note during Antonio Bento’s presentation, who is an Associate Professor at Cornell University is that through his economic studies of biofuels, found that corn-ethanol is in insignificant cause of higher food prices. The true cause is the country’s dependence on foreign oil. He also found that corn-ethanol is not a good indicator of increased carbon dioxide through indirect land use. He also stressed that market price will be the utlimate indicator of the success of biofuels.

Ultimately, the session can be summed up with this key thought shared by all the speakers, “Biofuels may offer advantages but the magnitude depends on how they are grown,” said Bento.

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

Biodiesel, Biofuels, Ethanol

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • To meet ever-growing market demands as well as compliment its strategy of offering readers and clients a complete suite of integrated informational and marketing solutions, Meister Media Worldwide announces the creation of the Meister Events Group.
  • Monsanto Company announced that the U.S. Department of Justice has issued a civil investigative demand (CID) requesting information on its soybean traits business, primarily seeking a confirmation that, as Monsanto has previously indicated, farmers and seed companies will continue to have access to the first-generation Roundup Ready trait following patent expiry in 2014.
  • Pfizer Animal Genetics announced the completion of HD 50K, the beef industry’s first commercially available predictions based on a High-Density panel of more than 50,000 markers. This breakthrough represents significantly greater selection opportunities for owners of black Angus cattle.
  • Elanco announced that it will launch a new business platform focused on food safety.
    Zimfo Bytes

    ARC in Memphis Coming Up

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Agricultural Relations CouncilIt’s time for the ARC Memphis: Consumer Outreach for Ag meeting. The Agricultural Relations Council is calling for registrations. The meeting will be held February 18-20, 2010 at the Westin Memphis Beale Street Hotel, Memphis, TN.

    The agenda includes a presentation from Agricenter International, Tennessee Farm Bureau, trip to Ducks Unlimited and a session on, you guessed it, Social Media for New Decade. What ag comm program would be complete without one, eh?

    Agenda (Word file)
    Registration Form (Word file)

    ARC

    “My American Farm” Informs Young Consumers

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Agricultural literacy is the goal of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture’s My American Farm virtual education program.

    afbfDuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred is helping to fund the effort with a $500,000 donation to the program, announced during the AFBF annual meeting.

    “The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has identified a great opportunity for teaching the public about modern agriculture. Through science and productivity, farmers are feeding the world and bettering the lives of people every day,” said Frank Ross, vice president and regional director – Pioneer, North America. “We are pleased to partner on this initiative and support the cause of increased agricultural literacy.”

    The My American Farm virtual education program is anticipated to engage millions of youth, teachers and parents over the next five years through unique educational experiences. The website, www.myamericanfarm.org, is a destination for children to be entertained by playing games while learning math, social studies, language arts and science in the context of agriculture and food production.

    AFBF, Education, Pioneer

    Satshot Offers AG CONNECT Attendees Online GIS System

    Joanna Schroeder

    During the AG CONNECT Expo last week, I spoke with Nathan Faleide, sales and marketing for Satshot. The company offers a GIS online system for the agricultural industry that handles and manages satellite imagery and other data for use in variable rate technology with a fertilization, seed and chemical all-in-one online mapping system. The system can be managed from anywhere in the world with online access.

    SatShotI asked Faleide what types of information a grower who uses this precision ag technology would see and he explained, “What the imagery works out is the vegetative biomass or the vegetative reflectiveness of the plant which correlates to yield and productivity in the field.”

    This imagery, said Faleide, shows the higher points of the growth yield potential or lower points that don’t yield as much. Ultimately, this is an advantage because farmers can focus on areas with higher yield potential and put less inputs on areas with lower yield potential, increasing the productivity and profit of the grower.

    The company also provides a worldwide elevation model and when combined with their other technology can, “really pinpoint the best areas in the field to maximize efficiency,” said Faleide.

    AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

    Listen to my interview with Nathan here.

    Audio, Precision Agriculture

    Brazil Shows Strong Presence During AG CONNECT Expo

    Joanna Schroeder

    ABIMEI had a chance to sit down with Alida Bellandi, the Director of International Marketing for the Brazilian Association of Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers (ABIMAQ) during the AG CONNECT Expo. Bellandi’s organization was here to participate in the AgriEvolution Forum, a forum that is promoting a dialogue between the associations of manufacturing around the world. The first forum was in Rome two years ago, and the second one was hosted here by the Association of Equipment Manufactures (AEM) with the goal to discuss the future of the industry.

    Bellandi told me that her organization represents manufacturers that produce equipment for small to medium sized farmers. This includes equipment used for soil preparation to silos to tractors and harvesters. Brazil has been manufacturing equipment for 30 years and currently exports to more than 60 countries.

    She noted that not only is Brazil diversified in its production of machinery, but its agricultural industry is also diversified. Brazil grows tobacco, coffee, cotton, soybeans, tropical fruits, vegetables, beans, rice and sugarcane. “Brazil is a very agricultural powerful nation,” said Bellandi.

    BrazilPavillionSince AG CONNECT Expo was an international show, I asked Bellandi about Brazil’s efforts in helping other countries with their efforts. She told me that Brazil has developed a direct planting technology that is something other Latin American countries are very interested as are many countries in Africa. She also noted that while sustainability is a very important aspect for the ag industry in Brazil, it is not yet important in developing countries.

    “What you have to understand is the stage they are in right now. They have to feed their people and they have practically nothing in many countries. So environmental issues are not very important for them. We’re trying to show them they could start thinking about it a little bit differently. But in Latin America, we’re beginning to influence them,” Bellandi.

    To get people thinking about environmental issues, ABIMAQ has produced a free video called “The Earth hanging by a drop,” that demonstrates how ecosystems are affected by global warming.  To receive a free copy of this video and to learn more about the organization, visit ABIMAQ’s website.

    AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album.

    Listen to my full interview with Alida here.


    AEM, Audio, International

    Kinze Launches ASD Feature During AG CONNECT

    Joanna Schroeder

    Kinze1Row crop growers were introduced to some new technology from Kinze Manufacturing during the AG CONNECT Expo: the 3800 Forward Folding and 3660 Twin-Line® planters with Air Seed Delivery (ASD). The ASD is offered in different models and many different configurations and Laura Blomme, Training Coordinator with Kinze, noted that one really exciting feature with the ASD package is the scale package that they offer. “We’re the only company to do that.”

    The advantage of the scale package, explained Blomme, is that it will allow the producer as he is filling the bulk fill tanks, to see exactly how much he’s putting in each tank. This integrates with the Kinze Vision Display so the operator can see on the display how many acres until he is empty.Kinze2

    “So we’re giving them that productivity, it’s a 110 bushel capacity and allows them to see on their display how much is in their tanks and how much until empty,” said Blomme.

    The ASD package is only available with air seed delivery models. To learn more about the ASD feature, visit Kinze’s website and listen to my interview with Laura Blomme.

    AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album.

    Audio, Farm Machinery