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Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

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  • Arendt’s Holstein Resort, Inc. was named Minnesota’s 2008 Producers of the Year by the Minnesota Milk Producers Association at the Midwest Dairy Expo on Dec. 9 in St. Cloud, Minn. Mark and Kathi Arendt own and operate Arendt’s Holstein Resort near Mazeppa, Minn., along with their son Nate and his wife Mindi.
  • The Appaloosa Horse Club is now accepting applications for the 2009 Cowboy Way Trading Post in Jackson, Miss., held June 22 through July 4 at the State Fairgrounds.
  • LibertyLink soybeans are now officially commercialized for the U.S. soybean market—giving growers a new nonselective herbicide-tolerant system in soybeans for the 2009 season. LibertyLink soybean varieties featuring top-yielding genetics and built-in tolerance to Ignite herbicide are available through more than 85 seed companies.
  • Sustainable Oils, a producer and marketer of renewable, environmentally clean, and high-value camelina-based biofuels will participate in an historic flight by Japan Airlines planned for Jan. 30, 2009. The demonstration flight will make JAL the first Asian carrier to fly on fuel derived from sustainable feedstocks and the first airline to use camelina-based bio-jet fuel.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Blue Ribbon Cookbook Wins Prize

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Blue Ribbon CookbookLiz Harfull, IFAJ e-news editor and author of The Blue Ribbon Cookbook is pretty excited.

    A best-selling book about South Australian country show cooks and their prizewinning recipes will represent Australia in the 2008 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

    The Blue Ribbon Cookbook by Adelaide Hills author Liz Harfull has been selected from a record number of entries to be named Australian winner for the Best Easy Recipes Book category. It will now compete against finalists from other countries for the Best in the World award, due to be announced at a gala dinner in May 2009.

    Published by Wakefield Press, the book celebrates the traditions of country shows and their cookery competitions. It features the stories, recipes and secret tips of about 50 show cooks throughout state, with historic and contemporary photos of the shows, the cooks and the food.

    ‘It is extremely exciting to have the book recognised at such a high level, and a great tribute to the team at Wakefield Press who worked on it, as well as the talents and generosity of the show cooks who so willingly shared with me their stories and knowledge,’ Liz said.

    Media

    Happy Holidays

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Ervin Group Holiday GreetingThe Happy Holidays just keep coming. I’m trying to space them out but this is proving to be a popular post.

    This time we’ve got a Warm Fuzzy from the Ervin Group. You sensitive types may want to know that it’s faux fur.

    Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from everyone at Ervin Group in Omaha!

    Thanks Ken. Same back at you.

    Agencies

    More Media Fragmentation and Diminished Importance of Reach

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Loyal AgWired fans will know that I am a big fan of Steve Rubel, Micro Persuasion. He’s one of the new media guru’s who helped form my initial thinking about the online world and the direction it was going at the time we started ZimmComm New Media. He posted a great outlook for where media is going yesterday which is also his column in AdAge. In it he addresses one of the key issues that “traditional” media and “traditional” media buyers/planners are having with online content delivery mechanisms – fragmentation and meaningful metrics.

    Although advertisers increasingly are exploring other metrics, i.e. engagement and reputation, reach still rules — at least for now. Unfortunately, reach is slowly losing its value as media consumption increasingly moves deeper into the digital realm.

    Where in the analog age we might be loyal to a given media brand, today’s consumers are far more agnostic. We’re more likely to dip into an array of online sources including traditional news sites and blogs — and often via search or social networks.

    All of this diminishes the entire concept of reach. After all, if a site claims that it reaches millions but they’re all just drive-bys, do such figures truly matter? In the years ahead, advertisers will rethink reach and not pay nearly as much for it as they did when they bought media based on a rate base and/or circulation. This will create tremendous disruption for media companies as they have to shift to new ways to prove their value.

    It’s his belief (I share it) that “five years from now all media will either be completely digital or well on its way to becoming intangible.” Then marketers will have to rely on great creative and employ multiple media channels to achieve their goals.

    If you’re in media buying or planning what are your major concerns right now? How do you plan to best invest your limited dollars? Do you think you understand today’s consumer (farmer) media consumption habits?

    Media

    Happy Holidays

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Livestock Publications Council Holiday GreetingHappy holiday this time comes from the Livestock Publications Council.

    To all of our LPC friends and associates, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We look forward to a brilliant 2009.

    Diane Johnson
    Livestock Publications Council

    I’ve been asked if I’m going to put all these in a Flickr set. Hmm. No probably not. Unless you think I should . . .

    LPC

    Obama Announces Vilsack and Salazar

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Tom Vilsack APThanks to AP we can see President-Elect Obama’s announcement of Tom Vilsack for Ag Secretary and Ken Salazar as Interior Secretary.

    I have to ask the question, “Why does every ag group out there feel compelled to send out news releases with their thoughts on the matter?” They all say the same thing (exicted about . . . looking forward to working with . . . congratulates . . . have been working with . . . etc . . . etc). Is that news? Does anyone care?

    USDA, Video

    NAFB 2009 Membership Directory

    Chuck Zimmerman

    NAFB Directory 2009One way you can show your support of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting is with an ad in their annual membership directory.

    The annual NAFB Directory is in development with a projected mailing date of early March. Advertising space is available for Allied Industry Council members at a cost of $1,500 for a full page color ad placed within the highly read Broadcast Council member listing.

    The NAFB Directory continues to be a favorite resource of information for media buyers, farm broadcasters, agribusinesses, commodity groups, farm organizations and public relations agencies across the United States.

    Deadline for ad materials this year is February 2. Please call Jennifer Saylor at 816-431-4032 or jennifer@nafb.com to place an order.

    I’m curious to find out your thoughts on these printed directories. Do you use them or prefer to look up the info online?

    NAFB

    Zimfo Bytes

    Melissa Sandfort

      Zimfo Bytes

    • Rising production costs and uncertain profit margins have risk-averse farmers ready to cut corn plantings in 2009 in favor of soybeans, which could see another substantial jump in popularity next spring, according to latest Farm Futures survey.
    • The daily volume of 7,363 contracts traded Dec. 10, 2008 topped the former daily Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) record. The new daily record also pushed December 2008 in to the top 20 for total monthly electronic volume. And, for the 128th time in its history, MGEX held its Annual Meeting of membership.
    • The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company announces the recent promotion to senior vice president of Jeff Garascia, Ph.D.
    • The Board of Directors of the American Soybean Association has confirmed Johnny Dodson from Halls, Tenn., as President, and John Hoffman from Waterloo, Iowa, as Chairman. Board members also elected Rob Joslin from Sidney, Ohio, to serve as First Vice President.
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