Sell Internet Access Sponsorships

Chuck Zimmerman

National Agri-Marketing AssociationI’m glad to find out that the Brownfield Network will be sponsoring the internet access at my NAMA breakout session on social media and I thank them. Internet access is really becoming such an important part of everyday life and business that I was determined to find a way to have it.

This brought up an idea that I’m sure isn’t new but I thought I’d throw out there for conversation. If you’re planning a convention or meeting of any kind and sell sponsorships why not create one just to cover the cost of providing internet access? I don’t mean internet access for the media room or for a grouping of computers in a hallway either. I mean, negotiate a deal with your hotel or convention center. Say, “We want wireless access everywhere all the time.” How much would that cost? Why not do it? I don’t care if they’re farmers or not. We all need it today.

So what do you think? Realistic? New sponsor idea? If you don’t think it’s a good idea, why not?

Internet, NAMA

Going Global In DC

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Foundation Transition To A Bioeconomy ConferenceI’m heading east out of a sunny St. Louis in just a few minutes to Washington, DC. I’ll be covering Farm Foundation’s “Transition To A Bioeconomy Conference – Global Trade and Policy Issues.”

I should have online coverage and Twitterage starting after lunch tomorrow here and on Domestic Fuel. I’ll be posting photos and interviews which all media are welcome to download and use.

So stay tuned.

Farm Foundation

Tractor Chasers A John Deere Website

Chuck Zimmerman

John Deere Tractor Chasers WhoisAlert AgWired reader Michael Kopka has pointed out, Tractor Chasers is a John Deere website. As if you hadn’t already figured that out.

I’ve been off the grid for a couple days but am back in the saddle. I got this notice on my way out of town on Friday so Cindy handled the duties of pointing you to the Tractor Chasers website.

What do you think of this kind of campaign? You know we’re doing work for John Deere on a completed unrelated project – DriveGreenTractors.com.

Feel free to comment away.

John Deere

Chasing Tractors

Cindy Zimmerman

John Deere Tractor ChasersI’ve heard of storm chasers, but this is the first I ever heard of “tractor chasers.”

Agwired was alerted to these so-called “Tractor Chasers” who are endeavoring to get a glimpse of the new John Deere 8RT Tractor that’s scheduled for release this August. They even have their own website and YouTube videos and everything. Hmmmm….

Check out the first of two videos so far here – check out the website or YouTube for others:

John Deere, Tractor, Video

O&B Staff Members Show Their “AgNess”

Cindy Zimmerman

Osborne and Barr AgNess Winner The staff of Osborn and Barr were encouraged to “Show Your AgNess” during a photo competition in honor of National Ag Week.

Osborne and Barr AgNess Winner O&B serves as the agency of record for several agricultural clients, including the United Soybean Board and the Propane Education and Research Council, so it was a good way to help the staff get back to their ag roots and recognize the importance of the industry.

The winners are pictured here. Steve Washburn won for this pic of him visiting some fine feathered friends at a layer operation owned by his wife’s family in Texas. The other photo represents public relations account representative Andrea Mollet showing her first heifer at the Bond County Fair in Illinois. Even though it’s not real clear that it is actually her, we believe her. Remember, the goal was not top-notch photography here – judging was based on overall “AgNess” – a new word for the agribusiness world!

Agencies, USB

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Bayer CropScience has been granted registration of Wolverine herbicide, a superior and convenient postemergence solution for broadleaf and grass control in wheat and barley, by the EPA.
  • Syngenta Seed Care announced that the first seed treatment insecticide for small-seeded vegetables has been approved by the EPA for use on cucurbits. This convenient new tool delivers targeted protection against early-season sucking and chewing insects and will be available as a component of the FarMore Technology platform.
  • Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack discussed how the USDA is preparing to assist regions affected by flooding. USDA is prepared to provide personnel and resources to help save lives and support recovery operations in areas devastated by flooding, including: Food Assistance, Food Safety, Housing Assistance, Community Assistance, Farmer and Rancher Assistance and Rescue Assistance.
  • Monsanto Company announced a $10 million grant to establish Monsanto’s Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Program, which will help identify and support young scientists interested in improving research and production in rice and wheat.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Support for AG CONNECT is Growing

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Support is growing for the new global agriculture trade show set to debut January 2010 in Orlando. AG CONNECT Expo 2010 made several announcements this week about support for the show.

    Ag Connect ExpoFor starters, the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) will co-locate its annual Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference (AETC) with the new international agriculture exhibition. It will also conduct its annual AE50 “innovation” awards program at AG CONNECT and spotlight the AE50 winning products at the show.

    The North American Equipment Dealers Association (NAEDA) joins a growing list of industry groups that have endorsed and will participate in the show. NAEDA will also serve as a major organizer of the AG CONNECT Expo “Preview Day” that will allow dealers and their customers to interact with key decision makers from manufacturers in attendance. That will be held on January 12, the day before the show officially gets underway. In addition, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association announced their support of the show this week.

    AEMLast, but definitely not least, AG CONNECT Expo 2010 has been selected to be part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Buyer Program, which will help to recruit international attendees and encourage connections with exhibitors who sell to the global marketplace. This is a huge deal for the international show, according Charlie O’Brien, vice president of agricultural services with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) which owns and operates AG CONNECT Expo. “With the involvement of IBP, attendees and exhibitors at AG CONNECT Expo will benefit from potential trade leads and matchmaking opportunities, international insights into key ag issues, as well as the opportunity to learn different business practices in the context of a global agriculture trade show,” said O’Brien.

    AG CONNECT Expo 2010 will be held January 13-15 at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center. Registration officially starts June 1, but exhibit space sales are already up for grabs. Find out more here.

    AEM, Equipment, Farm Shows, International

    What Farm Policy Is Looking Like

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCast-213 - Farm PolicySince the new staff at USDA is finally filling out and we’ve now had a couple months of a new administration in Washington, DC I thought it might be a good time to learn about what’s going with farm policy these days. So I went to the expert, Keith Good, Farm Policy.

    Keith and I chatted via Skype today and I’ll warn you that we just didn’t have a good connection or time to do it all over so the quality leaves a lot to be desired. Keith sounds way better than I do. But then that would be the case no matter what.

    It sounds like the budget is high on the list of items that’s being worked on right now and there is certainly action taking place in both the House and Senate on the administration’s proposal. Agriculture spending is under review and the administration’s proposal on it is very controversial because of items like phasing out direct payments over 3 years to producers with income over $500,000. Sounds like farm lobbyists have their work cut out for them.

    Keith also talks about Cap & Trade, the effort I think is potentially devastating to businesses, farmers included. As he points out, there’s disagreement over whether we even have a climate problem so why we need to talk about taxing businesses without scientific agreement on this issue is beyond me. But it’s a good example of the non-ag type legislative issues that agriculture has to be very aware of and involved in to have its voice heard.

    Keith brought up a point about the image agriculture has inside the beltway and via news coverage nationally and the need for an ongoing attempt to foster a positive, informed public about farming. I sure think we need it and we included in our discussion how new media mechanisms, like the ones driving our business, can assist in this effort.

    You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 213 (19 min MP3)

    Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:Interview with Keith Good - ZimmCast 213

    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

    Audio, Farm Policy, ZimmCast

    4th graders spend a day with agriculture

    Amanda Nolz

    kaley_w_zoey1212 fourth graders from schools in and around my hometown of Mitchell, S.D. enjoyed an educational day out at the Davison Country 4-H grounds on Tuesday. At the 2009 Mitchell Ag in the Classroom event, there were eight educational stops along the way. First, the fourth graders heard a speech by Central Electric about electrical line safety and how to react in case of a fallen power line or how to avoid lines when flying a kite. The second stop led the students to the farm safety station. A local 4-Her worked with the students to identify all of the dangerous things on a farm and how to evade getting hurt when around farm machinery and animals. Station three was a horse demonstration in which 4-H students discussed the proper care of a horse, how to shoe a horse and the anatomy of the animal.

    The dairy industry was the topic of the fourth station, and students drank free milk samples as they learned about different milking machines, parlors, pasteurization and nutritional facts of dairy products. Station five was hosted by a local hog farmer who played a video on how hog confinement barns play a positive role in pig safety and the environment hosted the fifth stop. Where bacon, sausage and ham come from on a pig was also explained to the students. The sixth station answered questions about the beef industry, and a day-old baby calf was there for the students to pet. Switching gears from farm animals, the National Resources Conservation Service explained the importance of topsoil at station seven. Students crawled through a dirt tunnel and were given a gummy worm at the end of this interactive stop. Finally, station eight explained the importance of honeybees in South Dakota’s agriculture.

    Without a doubt, Ag in the Classroom is a great way to tell the agriculture story to a young group of students. In a time where the media, consumers and animal rights activists are constantly exchanging false information about food production, this is an excellent program to educate the next generation of consumers. For more information about Ag in the Classroom head to their website.

    Education, Farming

    RuMBA Proposes American Broadband Bill of Rights

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Rural Mobile Broadband AllianceIt looks like the Rural Mobile Broadband Alliance is getting their stuff together. They want to help guide the debate over development of broadband connectivity and have offered the following:

    According to RuMBA’s Managing Director, Luisa Handem, the “American Broadband Bill of Rights” demands all Americans have access to a network that is:

    (1) Ubiquitous – Services and devices should work seamlessly everywhere:
    in rural, suburban and urban areas. America needs an additional two
    million square miles of coverage.
    (2) Safe – Americans need E911 with location service and an emergency
    Cell Broadcast System with weather and disaster alerting. Katrina-
    like outages are unacceptable.
    (3) Mobile – Whether in the car, on the tractor, at home, in school, at
    work and all areas in between, our nation relies on mobility; our
    networks must reflect our lifestyle needs.
    (4) Affordable – Rural Americans demand competitive pricing for services
    and devices. We need the same or better services and devices as the
    rest of the country, at a fair price.
    (5) Sustainable – America must invest in next generation systems that
    can be operated at a profit and maintained by our local small town
    carriers. We must leap ahead, buy tomorrow’s technologies, not
    yesterday’s.

    The group, launched last month, seeks to ensure that rural communities are offered the same affordable mobile broadband services available to urban and suburban areas, and equal access to E911 Phase II (location-based) coverage.

    Internet