Blogging In The Air

Chuck Zimmerman

ChuckI’m on a flight to San Francisco right now and using in-flight wifi for the first time. Works great. I’m getting some email work done among other things.

I’m also continuing to read “Six Pixels of Separation.” I hope you are too. One of the first points Mitch Joel hits on is the idea that providing free content can make you money. I think the question I get asked most often is, “How do you make money doing this?” Well, Cindy and I have built our whole business via new media using blogs, podcasts and social networking. As Mitch says, we’re all connected now. We can instantly connect with almost anyone. This has fundamentally changed the way business is conducted. For example, your brand is no longer what you say it is. It’s what Google says it is. Why? Because people are searching and finding lots of information about you and your brand. What are you doing to make sure those top results are links or information to you?

I’ll keep pointing out some interesting ideas as I come across them in this book but so far I think it’s the best one I’ve read that puts what we’re doing in language that business people can understand. If I was an agency, I’d buy this book for my client. Unless of course you’re a “traditional” marketer and still think these social media mechanisms are just wastes of time.

Internet, Social Networking

Introducing Fluidigm

Chuck Zimmerman

Fluidigm LogoLet me introduce you to Fluidigm. This company develops and distributes systems based on integrated fluidic circuits (IFCs). During the coming weeks we’ll learn more about them and how their products and systems can benefit the agribusiness sector.

I’ll be visiting Fluidigm headquarters this week to learn more about the company and their products and conduct interviews which will be featured here on AgWired. I know we’ll be dealing with some complex technology but yours truly will work to help make it understandable since it seems clear that what Fluidigm has to offer agriculture, especially from the biotechnology standpoint, is very important.

Agribusiness, Biotech

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Farm audits for the second herd retirement implemented by Cooperatives Working Together in 2009 have been completed, and the majority of the 74,114 cows that produced 1.5 billion pounds of milk have been sent to processing plants.
  • CHS Inc., and Agrico Group have formed a joint venture company named ACG to manage origination, logistics, export and worldwide marketing of Russian wheat, feed grains and potentially oilseeds.
  • DuPont reports that its new patented Seed Production Technology will reduce the cost of the mechanical and labor-intensive process for creating its high-yielding hybrid seed corn by more than 20 percent in the field, while increasing product quality at the same time.
  • Tickets to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 are now on sale.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Soybean Harvesting

    Chuck Zimmerman

    MO Soybean harvestSoybeans are being harvested in the Missouri River bottom. This was the scene I passed while working out this afternoon.

    It’s that time of year.

    A little further down the road however, there was a real contrast of soybeans quite ready for harvest next to fields that are in full leafy green. Kind of shows how mixed the season has been this year in many places in the Midwest.

    Farming, Soybean

    Getting Social with Dairy

    carly

    WDX“Using Popular Media to Tell Dairy Farming’s Story” was the topic of a Tuesday morning seminar at World Dairy Expo conducted by Jolene Griffin of Dairy Management Inc. (pictured on the left) and Polly Ligon O’Grady of Weber Shandwick (right).

    Who would have imagined even just a few years ago that things with funny names like Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube would allow individual agricultural producers to communicate with people all over the world? And, as Jolene told the group on hand, it has never been more important for them to do so. “Other people are actually out there telling our story and they’re telling the wrong story,” Jolene said. “There’s so much misinformation about the dairy industry out there that we need to mobilize dairy producers and the dairy industry to counter that misinformation and to give consumers the correct information about dairy farming and the dairy products that they enjoy.”

    Jolene says they launched the MyDairy program earlier this year to help producers learn more about using the various social media platforms and providing key messages to help them communicate effectively. “Since that time we have had over 600 dairy producers sign on for the MyDairy program and they’ve really embraced social media to tell their story,” Jolene said. Producers can sign up for the program by emailing mydairy@rosedmi.com.

    World Dairy Expo Photo Album

    Audio, Novus International, World Dairy Expo

    Getting Social With Beef

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The Beef Checkoff is getting social online. In case you aren’t following here’s the appropriate links:

    MyBeefCheckoff Facebook
    MyBeefCheckoff Twitter
    MyBeefCheckoff YouTube
    MyBeefCheckoff Blog

    Here’s why the Beef Checkoff is getting social:

    Studies show that Internet usage among farmers and ranchers is increasing; cell phones are no longer just used to call home before supper; and, producers are staying connected to industry information via social networking sites. This provided an excellent opportunity for the checkoff to deliver important messages about how producer dollars are being invested.

    Ag Groups, Beef, Social Networking

    Paulsen Marketing Adds Three

    Chuck Zimmerman

    PaulsenitesPaulsen Marketing has added three new faces to the team. The new Paulsenites are (l-r) Tara, Lisa and Jordin:

    Lisa Leuning, Digital Project Manager

    Large Web sites can become full-time jobs unto themselves. Lisa is the project owner for large digital projects at Paulsen. It’s safe to say that we’ll be keeping her busy with site research, competitive analysis, content management, programming, usability testing, resource identification, internal project management and more.

    Jordin Mueller, Account Coordinator

    Jordin began working with Paulsen in January 2009 as an intern, and with her strong work ethic and enthusiasm, she earned a full-time position in May. As account coordinator, she works closely with our president, Greg Guse, learning the ropes, working with clients, juggling multiple projects, and helping to keep her assigned teams organized and on track. Previously, Jordin worked with SDN Communications in Sioux Falls. She holds a B.A. in business administration from Augustana College.

    Tara Young, Digital Services Coordinator

    As digital services coordinator, Tara bridges the divide between the distinctly different worlds of Web programmers, account executives, creative teams and accounting. In short, she’s the glue that keeps our Web projects together! Tara’s responsibilities include scheduling for all Paulsen Web projects and ensuring everyone stays on deadline every day. She also assists with site usability testing, proofing, quality assurance and online media invoicing.

    Agencies

    Grains Council China Corn Tour

    Cindy Zimmerman

    USGC China TourThe U.S. Grains Council (USGC) is blogging and Flickring through this year’s China Corn Tour, taking place right now.

    These great photos and many more have been posted on the USGC Flickr account by Erick Erickson, special assistant to the president, who has also been blogging about the trip on The Grain Board. In one post Erick wrote about the harvest, which is all done by hand and takes a typical farmer about ten days.

    USGC China TourWe met several farm families at work in the fields. One man told us he has a 3.7 acre allotment and rents an additional 21 acres. He does not like to use machines for planting or harvesting because labor is less expensive and more efficient – for instance in collecting corn stalks that may have fallen over. Twelve acres of the rented land is controlled by the local government, so it is not counted on the records and he receives no government subsidy. He said it takes 10 laborer-days to harvest 2.5 acres of corn. That means a husband-wife team can harvest their 3.7 acres in about eight days.

    We met such a team working in their field: 21 rows wide by 400 meters long. They stopped to talk to us when we approached and showed us the size of ears they were harvesting, indicating that they should be at least a third bigger. They had been working steadily and now they stopped and visited with us – animated, smiling, filled with life. After our visit, we walked away and they returned to their work, cutting corn stalks one at a time and laying them in neat rows, bottom end to the wind.

    Pretty interesting stuff – check it out.

    Corn, International, USGC

    NAMA Providing Chance To Win GPS

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The National Agri-Marketing Association has a YouTube channel now with a few videos in it like the following featuring members explaining the value of NAMA to them.



    If you are a member of NAMA, the organization is providing you with a chance to win a GPS. Just recruit a new member prior to November 5 and both of you will be entered in a drawing.

    Tell your friends, peers, and business associates how you benefit from being a member of NAMA – the learning and networking opportunities, skill development, access to agribusiness solutions, etc. They can hear what other members think about NAMA at http://www.youtube.com/ExploreNAMA.

    Every NAMA member who recruits a new member between now and November 5 will be included in a drawing for a new GPS. The more new members you recruit – the better your chances. New members will have their names entered, too.

    Simply tell your recruit to join on-line at http://www.nama.org/register.aspx. Tell them to note “Referred by” and add your name and company in the box titled “Submitter’s Name.” They can also call the NAMA office at 913-491-6500 to join; remind them to say they were referred by you! Be sure to tell them they’ll be included in the drawing.

    When will the drawing take place? During Trends in Agriculture, which takes place November 10 and 11 at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City. We’d love to have you there, but you don’t have to be present to win!

    NAMA

    Ohioans For Livestock Care Launch Campaign

    Chuck Zimmerman

    OLC websiteIt looks like the battle is on in Ohio and hopefully we won’t see another fiasco like Prop 2 in California.

    Advocating for an ample supply of safe, affordable, Ohio-raised food and excellent care of the state’s livestock and poultry, leaders of Ohioans for Livestock Care today announced the first phase of the statewide outreach campaign in support of passage of State Issue 2. Issue 2 calls for the creation of the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board (the Board) – a board of Ohio experts in animal care, veterinary medicine, food safety and farm management, as well as consumer and humane society members.

    The campaign committee has purchased television advertising in media markets across Ohio, which is complemented with online advertising and the addition of a new campaign Web site, www.safelocalohiofood.org.

    Here’s the ad. It’s the smallest player choice available or I would have made it smaller.

    Ag Groups, Animal Health