Voting Open In AFT Favorite Farmers Market Contest

Chuck Zimmerman

Vote For Favorite Farmers MarketYou should check to see if your local farmers market is signed up for the American Farmland Trust, “America’s Favorite Farmers Market” contest. Voting is active. AFT is looking for three top vote getters and is using this contest to promote “the connection between fresh local food and the local farms and farmland that supply it.”

“Farmers markets not only supply the great seasonal foods we love,” says Julia Freedgood, managing director of AFT’s Growing Local initiative, “they give consumers a way to understand where their food is coming from and foster a closer relationship between farmers and communities.”

Freedgood adds that “Farmers markets also provide public health benefits and economic development opportunities.” The most recent USDA Census of Agriculture reported that nearly $1.2 billion stayed in local communities from direct to consumer sales—up 49 percent since 2002. “There’s no question that farmers market are both popular and a positive part of communities.”

The other key point Freedgood makes is whether by providing healthy food, renewable energy or environmental services, agriculture is at the heart of solutions to the nation’s most pressing issues. “One of the reasons we want to spread the word about farmers markets through this promotion is also to raise awareness of a fundamental idea—No Farms, No Food®.”

Farmers markets across the country are still signing up for the contest, and online voting is underway. Consumers can vote to select “America’s Favorite Farmers Markets” at www.farmland.org/vote. At the end of the contest, one large, medium, and small farmers market will be awarded the title and win a shipment of No Farms No Food® tote bags for the winning market managers to distribute to the shoppers that made it happen! Voting remains open until midnight on August 8, and the winners will be announced thereafter.

Ag Groups, Food

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Pioneer Hi-Bred had significant sales volume growth of its Pioneer brand corn, soybean and canola seed this spring.
  • Nokia announced the commercial launch of its pioneering Nokia Life Tools service in India. Designed specifically for the emerging markets, Nokia Life Tools is a range of Agriculture, Education and Entertainment services sharply addressing the information gaps of target consumers.
  • Brownfield Ag News has launched a redesign of its Web site. With a cleaner, more user-friendly design, the site features a new layout with drop down menus, Twitter and blog feeds and feature sections.
  • Innovative Livestock Services, Inc. selected Osborn & Barr to be its marketing and communications partner.
Zimfo Bytes

iPhone 3G S Is The Social Media Tool

Chuck Zimmerman

iPhone 3G SToday is the day that many of you will be getting your new iPhone. Mine’s on order and should be here next week. If you’ve been putting the idea of purchasing one off, then today is the day to move it up in the priority list. Today the game changing tool just took another leap forward with the introduction of the iPhone 3G S.

Now why would I bring this up here? I’m not getting paid by Apple. It’s because this phone is really a mini computer with a phone built into it. With all the apps available to it you can record high quality audio interviews, shoot photos and post to your Twitter account, shoot/edit video and post to your YouTube account, post onto your blog, manage your Facebook profile and just about anything else you can imagine using a device you put in your pocket or carry on your hip. You can see a list of features here.

It’s the new media communications tool of tomorrow that’s here today. And that folks, makes it one of the best tools you can have if you want to effectively use the social media platforms today for your business. Are you convinced? Are you completely confused?

Equipment

PETA Targeting South Dakota 4-H and FFA Members

Amanda Nolz

judging_2 Here in good ole South Dakota, the reach of HSUS and PETA seems so far away. As the agenda of these organizations continues to blaze a trail across the nation, South Dakota remains unscathed in the political warfare that is the animal rights vs. animal welfare debate. Because these groups stand for complete animal liberation, it’s certainly no surprise to hear that PETA is now targeting South Dakota 4-H and FFA members in their livestock projects.

PETA fired off a letter to Jerome Hertel, manager of the South Dakota State Fair, urging him to ensure that all animal exhibitors who are invited to the fair will be in full compliance with the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA). In the letter, PETA points out that its offices are inundated every year with complaints that exhibitors at fairs and festivals across the country have abused animals or endangered the public. PETA explains that although animal exhibitors are required to be licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a license is no guarantee that exhibitors will provide adequate animal care or follow public safety measures. The group also points out that many exhibitors fail to comply with the minimal federal standards established in the AWA.

While I firmly believe in ridding the industry of bad apples, I don’t believe that young people should be “inspected” prior to showing their livestock projects that they work all year on. Leave the kids out of it. What do you think about PETA’s latest campaign? To read the required guidelines, link PETA’s press release.

Animal Health

Water Street Solutions New Website

Chuck Zimmerman

Water Street SolutionsWater Street Solutions new website is up and running. My old boss, Kim Lang, has done a really good job using blog software to build and manage this. Okay, she’s not “old” but she was my boss once upon a time.

I was alerted to the new site by an update on her Facebook profile btw. Are you seeing how this social media stuff works yet? Because this would be a good example to point to. I’m just saying.

So the company is using a blog, Kim posts on different topics and uses the category mechanism to create separate pages that can be linked to from top of the website nav links. I like it. You don’t see categories used that way very often.

So, what do you think? Like it? I think it’s very clean looking, easy to navigate, will be search engine friendly and easy for Kim to update.

Water Street Solutions helps farmers with profitability, using a business model that you won’t find anywhere else. We combine experts in the areas of financial analysis, crop insurance and commodity marketing — and get them working together on a plan tailored for your farming business.

Agribusiness

Nufarm Making Move in Seed Treatment

Cindy Zimmerman

NufarmNufarm Americas Inc. is making a major push into the growing seed treatment market, introducing several new products this year to give it a full portfolio of brands to protect seeds and young crops from insects, stress and disease.

“We see great opportunities in seed treatment,” says Tim Stoehr, director of sales for Nufarm seed treatment. “With our global reach, and over 20 years experience in seed treatment, we can bring the American seed industry proven products with outstanding formulations, and do it at a good value.”

Nufarm just introduced Senator™, its first U.S. seed treatment brand, last year. By the end of 2009, Stoehr says they expect to have 15 products available for use. “We have been able to leverage our worldwide expertise, along with our U.S.-based team of researchers, to bring a wide range of products to market very quickly, including a range of nutritional seed treatments that are compatible with insecticide and fungicide seed treatment products,” he said.

Read more here.

Seed

Faber To Help Hereford Association With New Media

Chuck Zimmerman

Sara FaberThe American Hereford Association has hired Sara Faber to work on new media projects. Oh, and she’ll also have other duties as Marketing and Shows Coordinator.

Faber, originally from Sioux Center, Iowa, graduated in May from Oklahoma State University summa cum laude with a master’s degree in agricultural communications. She earned a bachelor’s degree in public service and administration in agriculture from Iowa State University.

Faber will assist with national Hereford show management, sell banner advertising, work on new media projects and help with communication projects.

Involved in agriculture since birth, Farber grew up on a cow-calf operation where her family raises crossbred, Shorthorn, Simmental and Maine-Anjou cattle. Her family hosts a private treaty club calf sale each fall.

Ag Groups

Tracy Barfield Joins AdFarm

Chuck Zimmerman

Tracy BarfieldThe AdFarm teams continues to grow with the addition of Tracy Barfield.

AdFarm continues to add to its animal health and nutrition ranks by hiring Tracy Barfield to serve in its St. Louis operations as Account Manager. Barfield brings to AdFarm years of experience as a feed and livestock specialist in work with organizations including the United Soybean Board (USB), the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and Diamond V Technologies.

Most recently, Barfield served as USB Feed Utilization Director with SmithBucklin, the world’s largest association management company. With AdFarm, she will handle the day-to-day management of all account services for Novus International, also based in St. Louis.

“We spent months looking for just the right person who could bring passion, insights and connections in this very specialized field, and Tracy could not be a better fit for AdFarm or our clients,” says Jamie Johnson, Team Lead for AdFarm’s animal agriculture accounts. “Her experience, her acumen and her personality will all be great assets as we continue to build on our animal health expertise.”

Agencies

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • The Growth Enhancement Technology Information Team (GET IT) is introducing a marketing program focused on the economic and environmental benefits of conventional beef production. The campaign will provide beef producers with facts about the “eco-friendly and eco-nomical” benefits of conventional beef production.
  • Dr. Gebisa Ejeta of Ethiopia has been named winner of the $250,000 World Food Prize for his monumental contributions in the production of sorghum which have dramatically enhanced the food supply of hundreds of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • The National Corn Growers Association Corn Board has elected Bart Schott of Kulm, N.D., to the position of first vice president for the 2010 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
  • According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, fewer than 10 percent, or about 200 students, graduating each year from U.S. veterinary schools are interested in large animal medicine. Pfizer Animal Health launched an Externship Program this spring aimed at veterinary students with a potential interest in large animal medicine.
Zimfo Bytes

Ethanol From Sorghum

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-223 - Sorghum EthanolIn case you didn’t know it, ethanol can be made from sorghum and the United Sorghum Checkoff Program was on location at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop to promote that fact. I met with Tim Lust and Florentino Lopez, USCP, during the trade show yesterday to find out more about what they’re doing in the area of fuel ethanol. You can hear an interview with them in this week’s program using the player at the bottom of the post.

Tim Lust and Florentino LopezMany of you may know Tim as the CEO of the National Sorghum Producers. Florentino is new to USCP as the Marketing Manager. Tim says fuel ethanol represents a huge market for sorghum not only on the grain side but also cellulosic. Florentino says that as a newcomer to the staff, using sorghum for ethanol has been an eye opener. He does see it as a real growth area for the industry. His background is on the “animal” side where he also sees continuing opportunities.

This week’s program ends with some music from the Podsafe Music Network. It’s a song titled, “Fuel” by Pablo Perez. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our Subscribe page.

Ag Groups, Audio, Ethanol, sorghum, ZimmCast