Wear Soy Panties on Earth Day

Chuck Zimmerman

Uranus Soy ShortsAlthough I can’t say Earth Day gets me very excited the idea that a lot of people may be wearing some soybean underpants, well, you decide. These are soy shorts made by Uranus which has the slogan, “Help save planet earth starting with Uranus.”

Soy fabric is luxuriously soft and comfortable, often likened to silk or cashmere. Many of the product testers compared wearing soyshorts to “being totally naked.” Besides being softer than cotton, soy fabric is more durable and long-lasting (and it keeps getting softer the more times you wash it). It dries quicker than cotton and is extremely easy to care for, being machine-washable and dryer-safe (use low heat to prevent shrinkage). It is warmer than wool, but absorbant and breathable, making it the ideal fabric for warm or cool weather.

To get a better feel for what it’s like to wear these they even have video:

Via Steve Fairchild.

Soybean, Video

Novus New at NAMA

Cindy Zimmerman

NAMA 09 NovusThe definition of the word “Novus” is new – and that describes Novus International‘s cutting edge approach to animal health as well as the company’s involvement with NAMA this year.

Novus was one of our two NAMA coverage sponsors this year and we were happy to see Stephanie Gable and Jeremy Lutgen when they stopped by our trade show booth. Stephanie is no stranger to NAMA, having served as 2007 national president. She joined the Novus team in September and was excited to tell us all about the company and what else they do. “Novus is new working with NAMA but they already have a great commitment level to other associations and activities,” Steph says. That includes a commitment to sustainability and supporting future leaders in the industry – which you can see by the posts John has done on the student undergraduate working day that Novus helped sponsor last week.

Listen to my interview with Stephanie here: nama09-stephanie.mp3

Novus has become a regular sponsor of event coverage here on AgWired, especially events that have an international flavor – like World Pork Expo and the International Poultry Expo. Jeremy says because they are a technology-based company they think we are a good fit for their promotional efforts. “It’s a good way to communicate around the world, because we are an international organization, so it’s a good way to get our message out and to support the industry at the same time,” Jeremy said.

He also told us about the upcoming ribbon-cutting of their new building in St. Louis, scheduled for early June.

Listen to Jeremy’s interview here: nama09-jeremy.mp3

NAMA Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by:
Novus and Successful Farming.

Audio, NAMA, Novus International

Guess Whose Boots

Chuck Zimmerman

Guess Whose BootsIt is time for another edition of “Guess Whose Boots.”

It has been a while since I’ve seen boots that just cried out for an AgWired post. However, at the NAMA convention, there they were.

So, the first person to guess correctly via posting to the comments wins a ZimmComm mini iPod speaker. Good luck and I’ll be moderating.

NAMA Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by:
Novus and Successful Farming.

NAMA

Farmers Using Media Successfully

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-216 - Successful Farmer Media UseCindy and I are in post-NAMA recovery. However, we may be physically tired but we’re emotionally charged. Those of you in agricultural marketing and communications will be too once you hear this week’s program which features an interview with Curt Blades, Successful Farming. They just finished the 2009 Farmer Use of Media Study and Curt shares some of their findings. To get the full story you’ll need to contact him. He’s pictured here speaking to the student luncheon at the NAMA convention.

Curt BladesAs you would expect, farmer use of the internet as a source of news and information has skyrocketed and this study provides further documentation of that fact. Curt says the study is projectable and provides breakouts for age and income demographics. Once again it shows that the higher the farm income level, the higher the use of the internet. He says they also found that high speed internet access is much more widespread than many think. I think you’ll enjoy hearing about this new study of farmer media use habits.

This week’s program ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. It’s a song titled, “Surgery Successful Oh Yeah”, by Scott Clous. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 216 (20 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:Interview with Curt Blades - ZimmCast 216

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes

AgWired coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by:
Novus and Successful Farming.

Audio, Farming, Internet, Media, NAMA, ZimmCast

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • AphidAlert.com is one way growers can keep up with the latest information on aphids and other insects. In addition, growers can sign up to receive free localized alerts when aphids hit in their area.
  • Growers wanting to learn more about precision agriculture technology and how it affects them have a new online resource, www.precisionagworks.com.
  • The stars were out as the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) presented its annual Best of NAMA awards for excellence in agri-marketing at its annual convention being held in Atlanta, GA. Click here for a complete listing of the awards and to view the winners.
  • Through a 1.4 million dollar grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs will work to build grass roots support in five key states to combat the exploitation of U.S farmworker children. It is estimated that as many as 400,000 work on U.S. farms each year to help support their struggling families.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Diversify… Your Company and Yourself

    John Davis

    nekouianToday’s world insists that people have a diverse set of knowledge if they want to keep pace with all of the changes around them. Whether you are a major agri-business or a blogger trying to figure out how to put a photo set on Flickr (oh, thank you great Chuck One of Blogging Knowledge!), the more you know, the better.

    That same idea was a large part of what the recipients of the Missouri Colleges Fund scholarships saw on their recent tour of Novus International, Pfizer and Monsanto… all in the St. Louis area.

    After a long day of seeing firsthand the research labs and meeting the people who work in those labs, the group walked away with a better understanding of what they would need to know once they have finished their studies and get ready to join the workforce.

    I caught up with Natalie Nekouian, a junior studying biology at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., just before she was headed back home. She told me she saw a lot of diversity in the various fields that each company covered… and the diversity in knowledge the workers within each of these companies have themselves.

    “Each of the people [I talked to], they went into one field but diversified and adjusted easily and learned new things. They’re constantly learning, and that’s somethig that I really took away from it.”

    Nekouian says while she’s getting a biology degree, the tour really opened her eyes to the other opportunities that degree could bring.

    You can hear all of my interview with Natalie here: NataleNekouian.mp3

    2009 Novus International Undergraduate Networking Day Photo Set

    Novus International

    No Matter Your Backround, You Can Succeed

    John Davis

    hannahcrain1While the students taking part in the Novus International Undergraduate Networking Day got lots of practical advice and a firsthand look at the operations of some of the biggest and best agri-businesses in the world in the form of Novus, Pfizer and Monsanto (all conveniently located in the St. Louis area, some of the most valuable education these Missouri Colleges Fund scholarship recipients got was the intangible advice handed down.

    And trust me, they were listening to this advice that would be as valuable to a livestock feed researcher or a young journalist. For example, look at Hannah Crain, a sophomore from Hannibal-LaGrange College in Hannibal, Mo., studying secondary education with an emphasis on biology. She said she learned there’s so many opportunities in the science world out there, and you have to grab those chances while you can. She echoed what one of the presenters at Novus told her and the group of students about letting someone or something define who they would become.

    “No matter where you come from, don’t let your title define you. Put into it what you want to get out of it. And no matter what your background is, you can succeed.”

    As I said, it’s pretty sage advice, and it’s good to know these young scholars were listening.

    And you can hear more of what Hannah had to say by listening to my interview with her here: HannahCrain1.mp3

    2009 Novus International Undergraduate Networking Day Photo Set

    Novus International

    Novus Undergraduate Networking Day Photos Posted to Flickr

    John Davis

    Just a quick note to those who might be following along…

    I finally figured out this evening (with some good guidance from Chuck Zimmerman) how to post a bunch of the pictures from the Novus International Undergraduate Networking Day on AgWired’s Flickr photo site.

    You can see the pictures by clicking here.

    I’m going to go back and insert this link in the other posts, but I just wanted to let you know!

    Novus International

    Starting Down One Path But Ending Up Another at Novus

    John Davis

    benshea1A common theme that the Missouri Colleges Fund student scholars heard during the Novus International Undergraduate Networking Day was that many people start down one career path toward a destination but end up somewhere they never expected. Folks like Vanessa Stewart and Judy Lamb talked to the students about how their lives started out in one job and winded and turned until they ended up where they are today. Vanessa starting in the lab and ending up currently working on the business sales end of the company… Judy once working for a major brewery and now in charge of Novus’ product registration. These twists and turns and how you have to be ready for what life deals you has not been lost on the bright scholars touring the facilities at Novus, Pfizer and Monsanto.

    While we were waiting to get into the Pfizer and Monsanto portion of the tour, I struck up a conversation with Ben Shea, a freshman studying biology at Fontbonne University in St. Louis.

    He said he was really interested in how so many people at Novus started out in one career but ended up in another.

    “I didn’t realize that a person could go from a chemistry degree to working in the business field.” He said he was really impressed with how diverse the people at Novus seem to be. Shea might be young, but he understands that versatility is key to making yourself valuable to an employer.

    He added that he is very appreciative to have an opportunity to see firsthand and meet people who are working in a career field he might one day find himself in.

    Listen to my entire conversation with Ben here: BenShea1.mp3

    2009 Novus International Undergraduate Networking Day Photo Set
    .

    Novus International

    The Freedom to do Whatever You Want (Within Reason)

    John Davis

    joeddbiggsLots of people would like to try all types of new and innovative things at work, but not everyone is lucky enough to work at a place that encourages true, outside-the-box thinking. But, as the Missouri Colleges Fund scholars found out during their Novus International Undergraduate Networking Day, that kind of behavior is heartily encouraged.

    Joedd Biggs is a junior majoring in bio-chemistry at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri (in the Kansas City area). He was interested to see what the industrial chem research lab at Novus looked like… a lot like the ones he studies in. He thinks the tour will give him a better understanding of how these research labs work in the real world.

    But the big thing that struck him was how the company was so caring about its employees and how much free rein those employees got in doing their jobs.

    “It seems like there’s an ability to do whatever the heck you want to! If you want to do it, you can… which is good!” He says he finds that free-thinking atmosphere encouraging. Biggs says he also admires the value Novus puts on hard work and teamwork.

    While Biggs liked Novus, as a bio-chemistry major looking at a possible career in the medical field, he was really looking forwad to our next stop after I talked to him: Pfizer.

    You can hear my whole conversation with Joedd here: JoeddBiggs1.mp3

    2009 Novus International Undergraduate Networking Day Photo Set

    Novus International