Chocolate for Obama in Ghana

Chuck Zimmerman

Divine Dark Fruit and NutThe folks at Divine Chocolate are inviting Pres. Obama to visit and learn more about cocoa farmers in Ghana. Free samples will be available at stores in Washington, DC.

Kuapa Kokoo, co-owners of Divine Chocolate, the pioneering fair trade chocolate brand, proudly extends an invitation for President Obama to come visit them during his upcoming trip to Ghana. The invitation includes the opportunity to learn not only about cocoa from Ghana, but how this dynamic group of 45,000 cocoa farmers is using democratic cooperation and Fair Trade as a way to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers and to invest in their future.

“We wish to show Mr. Obama how cocoa farmers have joined together to build our communities, invest in education, clean water and health. We urge him to join our call for fair and dignified trade so that we farmers can be a greater part of the solution to problems facing Ghana and all of Africa,” says Mr. Paul CK. Buah, President of Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Cooperative.

Kuapa Kokoo has been internationally recognized for its pioneering efforts in Fair Trade. It is also an example of how African led social enterprises can be leading forces for achieving development goals on the continent.

Food

Michele Payn-Knoper Earns CSP

Chuck Zimmerman

Michele Payn-KnoperOur Tuesday night AgChat host has earned a few extra letters to put after her name.

Michele Payn-Knoper, a professional agricultural speaker and principal of Cause Matters Corp., has earned the coveted Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, and has been singled out in the current issue of Speaker magazine as one of the “25 Hot Speakers” who are shaping the speaking industry.

Payn-Knoper, who for eight years has been building her speaking practice on connecting agriculture to “the 98.5% of Americans not involved with farming,” said she was “truly humbled” by the recognition. She hopes it will help her reach even more agriculturists with advocacy training and tools to educate the consumer public about farm and food issues.

According to the National Speakers Association (NSA), fewer than 10 percent of speakers who belong to the International Federation for Professional Speakers hold the CSP distinction. One of 30 professionals to earn the CSP in 2009, Payn-Knoper will be honored at the NSA Convention in Phoenix, Ariz., on July 19.

“It is an honor to receive this designation while doing what I love: helping agriculturists champion their cause,” Payn-Knoper said. “I am grateful to those clients who allowed me to continue serving them while completing the tenuous five-year CSP process.”

Payn-Knoper is known as a leader in agricultural advocacy, having worked with thousands of people through her motivational keynotes, workshops and social media tools. She is the founder of AgChat on Twitter, a weekly streaming conversation for people in agriculture that has captured national media attention. She also consults and conducts workshops training and keynote addresses across North America, as well as overseas. Her blog “Gate to Plate” can be found at http://causematters.wordpress.com.

Agribusiness

Social Media and Tennessee Agritourism

Chuck Zimmerman

Tennessee Dept. of Ag Social Media WorkshopsThe Tennessee Department of Agriculture is going to be holding a series of workshops (pdf) on social media in August. It’s part of their Agritourism efforts which will “Take your marketing skills to a new level.”

If you think a . . .

“Twitter” is what the birdies do . . .

“Blog” is a swampy spot near the barn . . .

“Facebook Page” is that “Whated” picture at the Post Office . . .

These Web Workshops are for you.

Social Networking

A Cow’s Life

Amanda Nolz

Without a doubt, Twitter is all the rage these days, and even farmers and ranchers are tweeting their daily lives from their tractors. This is a great way to promote food production to consumers, as it gives a unique insight into the lives of the people that are dedicated to growing a safe, wholesome product for consumption. While there are countless farmers, ranchers and foodies on Twitter, it’s not everyday you run across a tweeting heifer. A heifer? Yes, that’s right…it’s time to start following @Cows_life.

Hi! I’m a heifer on the Wagner farm, located in southeast North Dakota. Follow my day-to-day activities as a cow!

1411a As reported by the Cattle Business Weekly, Val Wagner of Monango, N.D. was up late one night with her newborn son when a crazy idea hit – to begin twittering about her family’s cowherd. Easy is a necessity in the Wagner household. With four boys under the age of six, and farming and maintaining a herd of commercial Red Angus, little time can be spent idle. Wagner is tweeting on a regular basis on the happenings at the Wagner farm and the life of their Red Angus heifers. Eventually, one heifer will be chosen and followed through this coming fall, winter and in to next spring’s calving season. The heifers can be followed online at www.twitter.com/Cows_Life where Wagner writes from the perspective of the 27 head of young cattle.

Social Networking

Taiwanese Cowboy Round-up!

Melissa Sandfort

taiwan1The beef checkoff funded a “2009 Hottest Little U.S. Cowboy Competition” that promoted U.S. beef and taught some young Taiwanese “cowboys” and “cowgirls” about the importance of beef in a balanced diet. The contest was a big hit with the little ones, who really threw themselves into their cowboy roles.

Twenty contest winners and more than 120 family members took part in the award ceremony at the Agora Garden Hotel in Taipei. Winners received great prizes, as well as the chance to be featured in USMEF’s 2010 table calendars.

Taiwan was the sixth-largest value market for U.S. beef last year, totaling nearly $128 million despite the exclusion of bone-in cuts and variety meat.

Uncategorized

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • DuPont and Bayer CropScience have entered into a series of long-term business agreements related to key plant biotechnology traits and enabling technologies that will help increase agricultural productivity around the world.
  • Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc. announced that it has entered into an exclusive worldwide research and commercial license agreement for Chromatin’s proprietary gene stacking technology in sugar cane.
  • Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc. announced the purchase of the linuron herbicide assets from DuPont Crop Protection. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Zimfo Bytes

Celebrating With Leah Guffey Banister

Chuck Zimmerman

Tricia, Cindy, LeahYou can now call her Leah Banister. That’s Leah on the right with Cindy in the middle and Tricia Braid-Terry. While you were all smoking and grilling some good meat on the grill and going to the local fireworks, @farmerspice got hitched to First Sergeant Tom Banister in Williamsville, IL.

Cindy and I were there to help take photos and shoot video of the ceremony. We enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with friends and want to wish Leah and Tom many blessings in their marriage.

In case you’re wondering, Leah used to be a farm broadcaster, Cindy is a farm podcaster and Tricia is soon to be a former farm broadcaster. Confused? Yeah. It’s easy to do in today’s new media world.

Uncategorized

Happy Independence Day

Chuck Zimmerman

Happy 4th of JulyZimmComm New Media would like to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July celebration. I thought it would be a good opportunity to borrow some prose from Rick Tolman, NCGA, about energy independence and the role ethanol is playing. Here are some excerpts from his most recent Our View:

Another Fourth of July is upon us and as we prepare to celebrate this nation’s independence it is also a good time to reflect on our dangerous reliance of imported petroleum and ask what more we should we be doing to assure our energy independence.

This Independence Day we should be resolute and re-commit ourselves to making the right choices for America. We can pursue a strategic national initiative that will lead us to energy independence — and put America back in control of its destiny. We can start by looking for ethanol fuel at the pump. It is readily available as a 10 percent blend and E85 is becoming more common – as are the flexible-fuel vehicles that can utilize this clean-burning fuel.

Don’t be fooled by sensational headlines and pseudo-science funded by anti-ethanol factions. Ethanol continues to be as good an idea today as it has always been because of its contributions to our environment, energy security and economy.

Productivity on America’s farms is at an all time high and through technology and innovation farmers are growing five times more corn than they did in the 1930s on 20 percent less land. And this is being accomplished in a more sustainable way, with soil erosion cut more than 44 percent in the last 20 years and fertilizer used to grow a bushel of corn down 36 percent since 1980.

So, at the family barbecue or fireworks this weekend, tell your friends and family to do their part by using ethanol. Ask them to encourage their elected officials to continue to support using increased blends of this proven American fuel.

Ag Groups, Corn, Ethanol

Tricia Braid-Terry New Dir. of Comm. for IL Corn Growers

Chuck Zimmerman

Tricia and Hooters GirlsAccording to AgNews on Twitter (yes I’m reporting Twitter news), Tricia Braid-Terry is the new Director of Communications for Illinois Corn Growers. She’s much better looking than Mark Lambert her predecessor who is now with NCGA. I’ll bet Mark would like to be in this picture though. This is from when Tricia was in Guatemala the U. S. Grains Council.

We’ll be seeing her this weekend at the @farmerspice wedding. That would be Leah Guffey. I’m pretty sure there will be tweets and pics starting this evening. Should be a fun 4th of July!

Congratulations Tricia!

Ag Groups

Talking With The Twittering Farmer

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-225 - Twittering Farmers />I know that <a href=Steve Tucker had a busy day. Things can kind of get that way when you’ve been featured in a major news story by an outlet like CNN. This twittering farmer took the time to talk with me via Skype and his mobile phone this afternoon about what is actually a shared experience since yours truly was also quoted in the story. My hat is off to reporter John Sutter for doing a great job. He’s from Oklahoma so I guess he had a good background to draw on!

Steve’s Twitter followers have more than doubled today. He got a comment back from a non-farmer who said, “Keep us entertained for those of us for those of us who have to live our life in a cubicle.” As Steve puts it, “I walk out of my front yard and I’m in my office.” Here’s one of his tweets from today talking about the social aspect of what he’s doing, especially when he’s got time on the tractor:

Last year I would sit in my tractor and think, man I’m lonely. 2day I think, where is everyone going to fit in this cab?

I think that this is a great example of how social media/networking can help bridge the communication gap between farm and non farm.

By the way, Steve has a great view from the tractor.

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Audio, Farming, Social Networking, ZimmCast