RFA Ethanol Podcast

The Ag Network

Chuck Zimmerman

The Ag NetworkI got an update from John Jenkinson about his jump starting The Ag Network next month. So keep an eye out for him since it looks like we’ll be seeing him out and about.

The first official full day of programming will be April 6th. We currently have affiliates in Colorado and Oklahoma, and we are in negotiations with more affiliates in Kansas, and we hope to have those on board by the 6th also. The website is under construction as we speak, and will be fully functional by the first air date also.

We will offer 7 programs initially, consisting of both market updates, and agribusiness news. In some of our programming, we are catering to big and popular music intense FM stations with very progressive, “outside the box” style programs. These will be geared toward consumers, rural lifestylers, as well as full time agribusiness listeners. The balance of programs will still fill the needs of the “Full service” legendary AM audience. Also, we are negotiating for a syndicated daily television show, here again aimed at the rural lifestyle, without alienating the serious producer.

We are fortunate to be based in the heart of protein and grain production in Kansas, Colorado, and the Oklahoma/Texas panhandles. Because of that fact, we intend to set ourselves apart and be a very involved as a “hands on” ag network, by originating our broadcasts from the areas we serve. We will be attending many events with extensive travel in our own aircraft, as well as our continued partnership with Machinery Link.

Media

Facebook on Oprah

Amanda Nolz

As much as I dislike Oprah for her animosity towards agriculture and food production, I took note of her show last Friday the 13th. The segment was titled, “The Face Behind Facebook,” and Oprah interviewed founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the social networking site’s success. With 175 million users, this project that started in a Harvard dormitory, has quickly spun into a tool used by anyone that wants to stay in touch.

According to Oprah’s website, If there were a Facebook nation, it would be the world’s 6th largest country! People around the world are reconnecting with long-lost friends and relatives, uniting on common ground from politics to Chia pets. Every day, half a million people join the social network.

Zuckerberg said that the fastest growing members are 30+. Individuals can even use this network to keep updated with President Obama, who has 6 million friends! So, what is it about Facebook that’s so addicting? Why do I check it everyday? How can professionals utilize Facebook effectively? How can we incorporate our various media tools into one effective, dynamic marketing campaign? To check out the entire text on the Oprah segment, link to “The Face Behind Facebook.”

Social Networking

Marketing Techniques, Past and Present

Amanda Nolz

img_1605I was on the road last week for Spring Break, and I spent some time in the secluded Black Hills in Western South Dakota. If you have never vacationed there, I highly recommend it. You will have the opportunity to explore the Badlands, Black Hills and Spearfish Canyon. Test your luck at Deadwood, hike to see Roughlock Falls, salute our presidents at Mount Rushmore and feel the spirit of prairie at Crazy Horse.

img_1549As I played tourist for a few days, I read something at Mount Rushmore that had me thinking. Sculptor Gutzom Borglum had a vision to engrave the faces of four great American faces into a granite rock in the legendary Black Hills. The museum exhibit explained Borglum’s efforts to gain public support for this privately funded project. To help earn popularity with the nation’s people, Borglum made posters to advertise the dynamite blasts. Everyone was invited to watch the explosions.

Today, we don’t use homemade posters and dynamite to reach our audiences. Instead, we focus on utilizing social networking tools to enhance our brand, spread the word about our causes and promote our work. I’m wondering what your favorite marketing tools are? In comparing the techniques of the past to the methods of today, it’s quite an impressive change.

Advertising, Markets

USDA Recovery Act Website

Chuck Zimmerman

USDA Recovery WebsiteHere’s where you can find information on how USDA is involved in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

USDA was appropriated $28 billion (3.5 percent) of the package. The Act:

* Provides $19.7 billion to increase the monthly amount of nutrition assistance to 31.8 million people.
* Enables expanded opportunities for broadband loans and grants to rural communities.
* Expands funding opportunities to develop water and waste facilities.
* Provides funding to protect and conserve the nation’s forests and farm land.

To report fraud, waste, and abuse on Stimulus spending or fraud, waste, and abuse within any USDA programs or operations, please contact the OIG Hotline.

USDA

Secretary Vilsack Agriculture Week PSA

Chuck Zimmerman

Sec. Vilsack and Cookie MonsterOur Secretary of Agriculture has recorded a public service message to highlight National Agriculture Week.

You can listen to it here: vilsack-agweek-psa.mp3

The picture is Secretary Vilsack with Cookie Monster and Broccoli at the National WIC Association and Sesame Workshop Partnership conference. I like it.

Audio, USDA

Agriculture Week According To The Chairman

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-212 - National Agriculture WeekWelcome to Ag Week and the ZimmCast. This week we’re all about celebrating American agriculture and thanking our farmers and ranchers who feed and fuel the world.

In this week’s program I spoke with Greg Webb, ADM, who is currently Chairman of the Agriculture Council of America. He says the purpose of this week and National Agriculture Day on March 20 is to raise awareness of the role that agriculture plays in our economy and it’s indirect impact on our lives through food, fuel and fiber. Although he says we’ve only got just over 2 million farmers, they’re each feeding almost 150 other people and when you look at all the people working directly in ag, including outside of production, there are over 20 million people involved.

Agriculture provides almost everything we eat, use and wear on a daily basis. But too few people truly understand this contribution. This is particularly the case in our schools, where students may only be exposed to agriculture if they enroll in related vocational training.

By building awareness, the Agriculture Council of America is encouraging young people to consider career opportunities in agriculture.

Each American farmer feeds more than 144 people … a dramatic increase from 25 people in the 1960s. Quite simply, American agriculture is doing more – and doing it better. As the world population soars, there is an even greater demand for the food and fiber produced in the United States.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 212 (9 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:Interview with Greg Webb - ZimmCast 212

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

Ag Groups, Audio, Farming, ZimmCast

Social Networking/Blogging Now 4th Most Popular Online Activity

Chuck Zimmerman

That’s a long headline but it pretty much sums up Nielsen’s latest report, “Global Faces and Networked Places” (pdf). I like the way they describe it as a “global footprint.” We are communicating online globally now in ways you couldn’t imagine ten years ago and that certainly includes agriculture. Here’s some tidbits:

. . . the global media and advertising industries are faced with new challenges around the opportunities and risks this new consumer medium creates. Social networks provide competition to traditional publishers for consumer attention and at the same time, facilitate new ways for publishers to connect with their audiences.

Time spent on social network and blogging sites growing at over 3x the rate of overall Internet growth

In terms of sheer audience numbers, for example, the greatest growth for Facebook has come from people aged 35-49 years of age (+24.1 million). Furthermore, Facebook has added almost twice as many 50-64 year olds visitors (+13.6 million) than it has added under 18 year old visitors (+7.3 million). Consequently, people under 18 years old are making up less of the social network and blogging audience, whereas the 50+ age group are accounting for more of the audience.

A well used analogy is that advertising on a social network is like gate-crashing a party.

Social networks are a communication channel just like TV, newspapers, radio and the telephone. Therefore, social networks are just another vehicle by which any company with an offering, product or service can use to communicate, engage and connect with consumers.

Social Networking

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • The USDA has granted a conditional license to Epitopix, LLC for America’s first E. coli O157 vaccine for cattle.
  • Farm Journal Media announced that the company is re-aligning its sales structure — national account managers will now represent all Farm Journal Media products to the crop and livestock markets. Farm Journal Media also announced the addition of a new national account manager, Paul D’Anna, who joins the company from Monster.com.
  • The 49th Annual Wisconsin Public Service Farm Show returns to the grounds of the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh on Tuesday, March 31, and continues through Thursday, April 2.
  • MANA Crop Protection announces the addition of Jake Brodsgaard to its national sales team as the company’s newest area business manager, serving parts of southern and eastern Texas.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Celebrating National Ag Week

    Chuck Zimmerman

    National Ag WeekNational Ag Week has started. It’s a week long celebration of American agriculture.

    Actually, the big day is Friday which is the first day of spring and National Agriculture Day. Here’s some good information from the Agriculture Council of America.

    World Population Growth Is Creating Needs For Food And Fiber

    * World population is at 6.2 billion today, and is expected to reach 7.5 billion by the year 2020.
    * There will be millions of new mouths to feed, many of whom rely on United States food production to meet this need.

    The United States Is Best Positioned To Meet This Growing Need

    * Agriculture is America’s #1 export.
    * About 17% of raw U.S. agriculture products are exported yearly.
    * The United States is out front in technological advances.
    * U.S. farmers and ranchers produce more than 200 raw commodities yearly for domestic and export markets.

    There’s plenty more on the Ag Day website.

    Ag Groups

    Agricultural Relations Council Mtg.

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Agricultural Relations CouncilIt sounds like the ARC annual meeting has gone very well in New Orleans. Thanks to Mace Thornton, AFBF, I got some notes about the meeting to share. Here’s what he says:

    An aggressive plan in place to rebuild the organization and grow membership. Now have Den Gardner managing (have not had professional management for the last 3-4 years so this was a key decision) and an energetic board. I do believe that ARC’s period of dormancy is over. I know we are planning a webinar later this year and will conduct an industry PR trends survey, which we hope to make a yearly event.

    Networking among people who speak the language of ag PR. We just started a facebook page and are redesigning our logo and website in the very near future. Tiered membership dues…$175 for first, $100 for second. Plus recruiting bonus, half off membership with 3 recruits, free membership with 5.

    ARC