Meet US Farm Data

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 236 - US Farm DataUS Farm Data is the new name of what we knew as GoLeads Farm. The new name goes along with a new commitment to agricultural marketing.

At the Sunbelt Ag Expo I spoke with Chris Sidles, National Accounts, who tells us what the company offers and why they created a new name. To start with he says they’re a full service direct marketing and database management company.

US Farm DataTheir ag database has 2.5 million U.S. farmers and ranchers. They can pull specific farmographic data like number of acres, type of crop and how they own that farm. They also cross reference the farm data with their residential database of 220 million consumers as well as a business database of 14 million of which about 1 million are specific to ag. Clients range from technology to seed to irrigation and includes small business and Fortune 500 companies.

Chris says they help a client understand their customers and figure out ways to increase their footprint and market to new customers. Strategies can include direct mail, telemarketing and email blasts. They are also looking at ways to include new social networking strategies into their campaigns.

I’d like to thank AgWired Sponsor, Fluidigm, for their support of the ZimmCast.

The program ends with some music from Music Alley. It’s a song titled, “Down On The Farm” by The Ellison Bier Band. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for listening.

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.

Agribusiness, Audio, Sunbelt Ag Expo, ZimmCast

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • John Deere has refined the chassis of its popular autonomous vehicle to give the go-anywhere R-Gator an independent suspension and improved ground clearance. The updated R-Gator also boasts a faster top speed, travelling up to 35 mph in manual mode.
  • A new Pfizer Animal Health was unveiled as Pfizer’s acquisition of Wyeth, including its subsidiary Fort Dodge Animal Health, was completed.
  • Bayer CropScience cotton seed brands, FiberMax and Stoneville, claimed the largest share of U.S. cotton acres in 2009, according to the USDA.
  • At the October organizational meeting, MGEX (Exchange) Board of Directors named its 2009-2010 public directors and officers, and assigned committee representatives. To view the full list, click here.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Syngenta Seeds Thinks Like a Farmer

    Cindy Zimmerman

    When Syngenta Seeds considers new products to bring to market, they think like a farmer.

    Syngenta Seeds Bruce Battles“They’re our primary customer at the end of the day and we can have the greatest technologies, the greatest genetics but if we don’t understand their business and the challenges they face, it could all be wasted,” said Agronomy Marketing Manager Bruce Battles at a recent ag media day at Syngenta Seeds new headquarters in Minnetonka, Minn.

    Bruce says they use their seed innovations to meet grower needs and one example is the aphid management system they are preparing to launch in the next year. “In this example, we have taken genetics and taken a trait and put it with the genetics for controlling aphids. But, we’ve also taken our expertise from our seed care group in using a product like Cruiser as a seed treatment to help suppress aphid pressure,” he said.

    Find out more about the Syngenta AMS, launching in 2010, here. Listen to or download my interview with Bruce in the audio player below.

    Sponsored by

    Audio, Seed, Syngenta

    Husker Farmer Tweets Harvest Video

    Chuck Zimmerman

    The Husker Farmer is harvesting some corn in south central Nebraska. “Finally” as he puts it. He is Ryan Weeks and you can find him active on Twitter as @huskerfarm. He’s another farmer using new media tools himself to tell his story and let the public know what farming like in America today. (Still amazes me that while so many of their customers are doing it, lots of ag companies still haven’t jumped in.)

    Of course I found out about Ryan’s activity via his tweet that shows he’s using a BlackBerry and TwitVid.

    My first attempt at a harvest video from the combine with my Blackberry Tour. #harvest #farm #agchat

    Corn, Farming, Video

    Ag Degrees at U of F

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Charlotte EmersonThere are a lot of colleges involved with farm shows all over the country. At Sunbelt Ag Expo I spoke with Charlotte Emerson, Director of Student Development and Recruitment, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Florida. We’re sitting in their exhibit chatting about my alma mater.

    She says the college has 24 majors and over 50 specializations ranging from agriculture education to animal sciences to family youth and community sciences. They also have a famous soon to be graduate who will be leading the #1 ranked Gator football team tonight, Tim Tebow!

    You can listen to my interview with Charlotte below:

    Sunbelt Ag Expo 2009 Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of Sunbelt Ag Expo is sponsored by Growth Energy.

    Audio, Sunbelt Ag Expo, University

    May the Growth Force Be With You

    Cindy Zimmerman

    growth forceIf you are in agriculture and support ethanol, the Growth Force wants you.

    Growth Force is the individual membership arm of Growth Energy, the ethanol advocacy organization started about this time last year to help fight the attacks on farming and renewable fuels like ethanol.

    “Right now it’s more than 10,000 strong, and growing,” says Growth Energy director of public affairs Christ Thorne. “The purpose is to identify Growth Energy as the coalition of ethanol supporters, whether those supporters be ethanol makers, farmers, or mini-van driving soccer moms who care about a cleaner sky.”

    Membership in the Growth Force is free and includes electronic updates on current agriculture and ethanol policy issues, and a complimentary gift pack. More information is available at growthforce.org.

    Join – and may the Growth Force be with you.

    Ethanol

    Another Sunbelt Under Our Belts

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Sunbelt Ag ExpoThe 2009 Sunbelt Ag Expo was another good one. It’s big enough that there’s just no way to cover it all. You really need three days to check out all the exhibits and field demonstrations.

    Here’s to hoping I’ll be back again next year. I still have a few stories to post and will get them on over the next couple days.

    Don’t forget to check out who was tweeting about this year’s show by searching Twitter for #SAE09.

    Sunbelt Ag Expo 2009 Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of Sunbelt Ag Expo is sponsored by Growth Energy.

    Sunbelt Ag Expo

    Trimble Precision On Display at Sunbelt

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Trimble BoothThe largest field demonstration of precision applications at Sunbelt Ag Expo was conducted by Trimble. I stopped and spoke with Matt Hesse, Autopilot Sales Manager.

    The company was showing various levels of precision integration. They had two different land leveling systems. One used a GPS control and one used a 2D laser system. They also had their new TrueGuide passive implement steering system in use. This system puts an antenna on the implement to tell the tractor where it is so the tractor knows how much to move in relation to the desired line to optimize the placement of the implement. They also had their TrueTracker System on multiple tractors and implements.

    Matt says that they take applications that are not possible for human beings and put them into a machine to do it for us. This ultimately increases efficiencies that have produced up to 20 bushels per acre increases in corn.

    Sunbelt Ag Expo 2009 Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of Sunbelt Ag Expo is sponsored by Growth Energy.

    Precision Agriculture, Sunbelt Ag Expo, Video

    Planting With Precision

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Bruce SauderPrecision agriculture applications continue to grow and develop and were on display at Sunbelt Ag Expo. Let’s use Precision Planting as an example. I spoke with Bruce Sauder about what is new with the company that producers were getting to see in their exhibit.

    He says that some of the new units that they’ve come out with this year include a 20/20 RowFlow Module that controls the population rate of seed as you move through the field and swath control for minimizing overplanting. Bruce says the swath control can save as much as 2 bushels of seed in a 240 acre center pivot.

    You can listen to my interview with Bruce below:

    Sunbelt Ag Expo 2009 Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of Sunbelt Ag Expo is sponsored by Growth Energy.

    Agribusiness, Audio, Precision Agriculture

    Zimfo Bytes

    Melissa Sandfort

      Zimfo Bytes

    • Global Animal Management announces the launch of its newly renovated Web site designed to educate consumers on the importance of animal identification.
    • More than 150 area residents joined global animal health company Alltech to celebrate the opening of its new facility in Clovis on Thursday, Oct. 15.
    • Farm Journal Media is proud to announce its new event, Marketing Rally 2009, which will feature the world’s largest marketing roundtable, with all 16 advisers participating in a live taping of “U.S. Farm Report.”
    • Jack Maddux of Wauneta, Neb., received the 32nd annual National Golden Spur Award from the Ranching Heritage Association in Lubbock, Texas.
      Zimfo Bytes