Internet Access Necessary Part of Today’s Events

Chuck Zimmerman

StollerUSA CyberCoffeeShopI just recently spoke with the Ft. Worth Stock Show and found out that they don’t have internet access availability options for the media. However, they are very aware of the growing need for this and I’m betting it will become available next year. I’m just hoping for good AT&T coverage when I’m there week after next.

But it’s not just the media that venues and conferences should be thinking of. It’s the participants. Even cattlemen need internet access. They can use it in their booths, stalls, on their phones and it can be very helpful in keeping them connected and in running their farm.

At last week’s StollerUSA U.S. Ag Associates Conference they started an experiment in the use of a blog to help provide information and interaction with participants. They also made sure there was access as you can see from this photo they supplied me with.

I think all meeting planners should make internet access a standard item on the list.

Post Update: There is internet access on the site as was just pointed out to me but not available everywhere. I knew this but was told it was not available to the media.

Internet

Ag Media Summit/IFAJ Congress 2009 Registration

Chuck Zimmerman

IFAJ/AMSRegistration is open for the IFAJ Congress 2009. This is a “must-attend” event for anyone in agricultural communications. I don’t care if you’re a farm broadcaster, podcaster, editor, publisher, blogger or agriblogger. You need to be there.

It’s not just that there will be good professional development sessions although that’s reason enough. It’s also because this is your chance to interact with some great people from around the world who will be attending. Many of them will be coming to the United States for the first time. Let’s give them a fantastic welcome.

It’s the first time that the IFAJ Congress has been combined with an event like the Agricultural Media Summit and I think it’s going to go down as the best ever. There are a lot of people working to make it so. Maybe our new administration in DC will find a way to participate.

So get the dates on your calendar and get your registration in as soon as you can! You can keep up on what’s being planned either on the AMS website or at IFAJ2009.com.

Ag Media Summit, IFAJ

Blogging The Chicago Farmers Farmland Investment Fair

Chuck Zimmerman

Chicago FarmersI never have been able to work out a deal to blog the Chicago Farmers Farmland Investment Fair but I guess the idea got through to someone. Thanks to Rich Schell for the heads up.

Chicago Farmers Offering Seminar on Using Social Media Marketing to Grow Your Business at Farmland Investment Fair!

Jeff Korhan, green industry speaker, video blogger, Internet marketer, and the founder of True Nature will speak on Using Social Media Marketing to Grow Your Business at The Chicago Farmers Farmland Investment on Saturday February 7, 2009 in Joliet, Illinois

Jeff Martin, Chairman of the Event, commented today, “Jeff Korhan is one of the most exciting speakers around on how social media can be used to promote your business in the tough economy we are currently weathering.” Martin noted further that social media is so important for marketing efforts today that we have added a YouTube video on the Farmland Fair this year and we’re going to blog the fair as well.

Ag Groups

Government RSS Feeds For Agriculture

Chuck Zimmerman

USA.govI”m not sure how much ag news will be fed into USA.gov but they’re doing RSS feeds now powered by NewsGator. The release claims you can get a feed for Agriculture but it looks like it’s lumped in with Environment and Energy. However, you can find other specific agriculture feeds here.

The Federal government today announced the availability of breaking news and information RSS feeds on the award winning USA.gov website managed by the U.S. General Service Administration’s Office of Citizen Services. With a long history of providing electronic access to government information through the Web, the USA.gov site is delivering on a commitment to streamline and simplify access so that the public no longer has to scour a vast array of government sponsored websites to learn what is new in their areas of interest.

The new service (http://news.usa.gov/), powered by NewsGator, lets anyone subscribe to “really simple syndication” (RSS) feeds on USA.gov, the U.S. government’s official portal, and receive news and information in industry standard feed readers, many available for free, just as it is posted by editorial staff. Alternatively, web visitors can bookmark the Web site in their browser.

It’s also interesting to see that there is a USA.gov blog with a different blogger for each day of the week.

Uncategorized

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

    Get Your Own YouTube Channel

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Vatican YouTube ChannelMuch has been made about our new President being so good at using today’s new media tools (blogging, Twitter, etc.) but how about our Pope? The Vatican has officially launched its own YouTube channel which you can find at: http://www.youtube.com/vatican. The channel is being offered in English, Spanish, Italian and German.

    This channel offers news coverage of the main activities of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI and of relevant Vatican events. It is updated daily. Video images are produced by Centro Televisio Vaticano (CTV), texts by Vatican Radio (RV) and CTV. This video-news presents the Catholic Churchs position regarding the principal issues of the world today. Links give access to the full and official texts of cited documents.

    Now I know this isn’t about agriculture. However, besides being just plain cool I’m hoping this offers you some ideas when you’re planning your new communications strategies. Think about:

    Commodity Classic Channel
    New Holland Channel
    Ethanol Channel (see Poettv)
    Farm Progress Channel
    Syngenta Channel
    Eat More Beef Channel

    I could go on and on. What companies are going to be leaders in using a resource in which reaches so many people around the world? Who’s going to be brave? I know many are putting video clips on their website in nice custom corporate design packages. But who sees them? How many times are they watched? How can anyone find them if they don’t visit the website first? Need help? You know who to call.

    If you’ve got a channel already or are planning one please feel free to comment.

    Internet, Video

    There Are 4 More Broadheads

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Broadhead+CoDean needs more help. I think he’s too busy but up to the challenge at Broadhead+Co.

    “We are committed to helping our clients navigate these challenging times, and interactive promises to be a key component in this strategy,” said Dean Broadhead, President and CEO. “Our new team members bring a depth of experience and will strengthen our agency’s ability to provide truly integrated communications.”

    Rebecca White comes to the Minneapolis-based marketing communications agency after seven years as the Studio Manager at the United States Government Printing Office in Washington, DC. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she has over 18 years experience as an art director and designer and has worked on a wide variety of projects; retail broadcast, direct mail, point-of-sale, and product launches.

    An honors graduate of the University of Minnesota, Elizabeth Page is an award-winning graphic designer who has worked for a variety of national and international clients in her career. A member of the American Institute for Graphic Artists, she has designed and produced dozens of web sites and integrated with Content Management Systems.

    Rhonda Battina joins the Broadhead + Co account services team with over a dozen years of experience in the corporate and agency sector. She has managed numerous projects for a diverse client base that includes Pfizer Animal Health, Syngenta, Inspector General, Partnership for a Drug-Free America, and Target Corporation.

    A recent graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead where she was captain of the women’s soccer team, Morgan Klinnert is a valuable addition to the interactive team at Broadhead + Co. She has extensive experience in desktop publishing and e-marketing.

    Agencies

    Southern Blogging From Midwest Corn Growers

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Cindy noticed that our friend, David Buchholz, David and Associates, is doing a little South American blogging at Midwest Corn Growers, 2009 Study Tour to South America.

    In this space we allow corn growers, media and others who are interested to learn what we’ve learned and experience a bit of what we experienced on a two-week study tour to Brazil and Argentina. The tour – from January 10 to 25, 2008 – covers a lot of ground, so this blog will, too.

    Brazil and Argentina are important agriculture producers who complement and compete with producers in the United States. These countries are also major meat producers and play an important role in biofuels. By better understanding their operations, policies and future plans we will be better able to compete – and also work together on important issues.

    You’ll find lots of pictures and some very in depth reporting of their activities. I think Dave is into it!

    Post Update – from Cindy: I was actually alerted to the blog by Ken Colombini with the National Corn Growers Association who did a post about it on Corn Commentary yesterday.

    Ag Groups, Corn

    Give The Customers Their Turn

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Drive Green in HoustonAfter about 230 pictures here in Houston, I’m done. Of course that doesn’t count about 2 hours of video and audio that includes about a dozen interviews.

    This afternoon it was the customer’s turn to see the show in the arena and then get to ride and drive these new utility tractors and Gators. The sun was shining and I think I probably should have put some lotion on. Tomorrow it’s time to head on home to ZimmComm World Headquarters.

    During the day I had a chance to do some Tweeting, including posting to my 12Seconds.tv account from my iPhone:


    [iPhone] Drive Green Utility Tractor Show on 12seconds.tv

    The show photo album is up to date.

    John Deere

    Novus Preparing for All Star Poultry Expo

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Novus at IPEYou may have noticed the baseball-themed banner ad here on AgWired for Novus International and the International Poultry Expo, coming up next week in Atlanta. We are very pleased to have Novus sponsor our coverage of the IPE this year and Chuck recently got to chat with Novus director of product management Wendell Knehans about their plans for the event.

    “We’re bringing an “all-star” theme to try and bring some of St. Louis to the show,” Wendell says. That will include giving away all-star tickets and having a special guest on hand at the booth – Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Brock.

    The Novus all-star product line-up for poultry producers includes Advent, DHA Gold, Mintrex and Alimet – nutritional solutions that Wendell says “help producers be more economically efficient, driving toward better production costs in this tough time for the poultry industry.”

    Listen to Chuck’s interview with Wendell here: slac-novus.mp3

    I will be the official IPE blogger and will heading to Atlanta next Mondy to begin coverage on Tuesday with a technical presentation given by Novus’ Dr. Tara York on SANTOQUIN, Selenium and Vitamin E. Stay tuned!

    Audio, Novus International, Poultry, Poultry Expo