Yes Rural Broadband is Important

Chuck Zimmerman

Farms.com HighlighterThe latest issue of Farms.com’s Highlighter Newsletter contains an article titled, “Rural Broadband – An Important Platform.” Now that’s a subject near and dear to my heart. Joe Dales is the author and he makes some good points like, “. . . it can be a strong platform for rural economic growth.”

He also says:

To be sure that our Rural constituents maximize the opportunities that are presented by greater internet access, it will also require user computer training, internet training, the development of relevant broadband business applications etc. It can be argued that there is little economic value to society in developing a global leading edge broadband delivery network, if its primary use is to download games or videos for rural children.

I don’t disagree with the need for training although it’s my experience that there are a lot of very web savvy farmers out there. I’m sure many of them are included in the visitors to Farms.com. So what are the “relevant broadband business applications” that are needed? Do you have one that you’d like people to know about? If so, please feel free to comment.

Internet, Media

Welcome Amanda Nolz to AgWired

Chuck Zimmerman

Amanda NolzWelcome Amanda Nolz to the AgWired family. Amanda will be posting regularly on AgWired during her final semester at South Dakota State University. She’s an ag comm major with a higher gpa than I graduated with!

I met Amanda when she was a National Beef Ambassador. She’s passionate about her farm and her animals and you can get a sense of that from her blog. In fact, it was her blogging that caught my attention and gave me the idea to ask her to write about farming, life and agricultural communications from a student perspective.

So please welcome Amanda to the AgWired community. You’ll see her posts showing up here regularly, probably starting today.

University

Alpharma Student Video Contest Winners

Chuck Zimmerman

Alpharma Video Contest WinnerThe winning video in the Alpharma Student Video Contest was produced by the students of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I’ll try to update this post with a video embed once it’s on YouTube.

Alpharma Inc., Animal Health has announced that students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison are the $5,000 grand prize winner of the 2008 Alpharma Student Video Contest. Second and third place was awarded to students from the University of Florida and the University of Arizona, each receiving $2,000 and $1,000, respectively, for their efforts.

he video contest began earlier this fall as college agriculture students from across the country were asked to compile short video clips related to food production. Students received a $25 gift card for each video accepted, up to 10. More than 150 clips were uploaded to the contest Web site. In the second phase of the contest, students were asked to compile these clips, along with their own footage, to complete a video telling a story about how food is produced. Five videos were submitted to the contest and voted on by participants and the public. More than 7,000 votes were cast by the time voting ended on December 19th.

Video titles and submitting universities are as follows:
· Today’s Agriculture – University of Florida
· Beef: Our Priority – University of Arizona
· Myth or Fact!? – Ohio Northern University
· Antibiotics in the Dairy Industry – University of Tennessee
· OatS – University of Wisconsin-Madison

Agribusiness, University

Trucking On Down The Farm Podcast Highway

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-200 - Trucking AlongThe year is trucking right along and in this week’s program we keep on trucking with ZimmCast #200. To keep with the trucking theme the program has an interview with Ron Lang, John Deere, who is the Drive Green Utility Tractor Show driver. I’m going a regular feature for the project called the Truck Driver’s Diary and just updated it today.

Ron LangRon has a great anecdote about meeting up with a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper who as it turns out just had some questions about John Deere Equipment after seeing Ron’s big old truck roll by.

The program this week ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. This one is called “Keep On Truckin’ Baby” from John Tropea. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 200 (16 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:Interview with Ron Lang - ZimmCast 200

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, John Deere, ZimmCast

Happy Holidays

Chuck Zimmerman

Happy Holidays From KL EnergyEco friendliness is “in” when it comes to Christmas/New Year’s cards. Take this one from KL Energy.

In our ongoing efforts to be environmentally responsible, KL Energy Corporation is electronically sending our holiday cards this year (please see attached).

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Please think before you print.

Ethanol

Get Connected at AG CONNECT

Melissa Sandfort

logo_internoAgrievolution, a gathering of high ranking international agriculture industry leaders and equipment associations from around the world, will collocate its next meeting with the new agriculture trade show, AG CONNECT Expo, scheduled for Jan. 13-15, 2010, at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla. The summit will be held Jan. 11-12, 2010.

The show will feature international exhibit pavilions highlighting products from around the world. To facilitate international networking and business connections, there will be an International Trade Center onsite and a show “export opportunities” guide to help attendees find exhibitors interested in doing business globally. Show information will also be available online in several languages and attendees can also obtain travel and visa assistance information through the show Web site.

Events

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • MANA Crop Protection introduces Pyrimax 3.2SL cotton herbicide for the 2009 season to provide broad-spectrum control of tough weeds, including those resistant to glyphosate.
  • AgraQuest Inc., announced that it has received EPA registration for its new insecticide REQUIEM. REQUIEM, which has demonstrated control of whiteflies, aphids, mites, thrips and other pests in more than 600 trials and grower demos, is registered on a wide variety of high-value fruit and vegetable crops.
  • United Phosphorus Inc., (UPI) is instituting changes designed to improve the organization’s ability to service the marketplace and its customers, including decentralizing national account management; improving customer service; improving supply chain management; and instituting a new UPI account management model – all with the goal of better meeting the business needs of customers.
  • Tractor Supply Company announced the appointment of John D. Wendler as Senior Vice President, Marketing.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Happy Holidays

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Happy Holidays From SundogA holiday favorite of mine is the Carol of the Chins. I’ve already had them sing The First Noel and Silent Night.

    It is our pleasure to present the Carol of the Chins, our interactive holiday gift to you. Happy Holidays!

    They’re here to sing all your holiday favorites. Give them a try!

    Brought to you by Sundog.

    Agencies

    No Global Warming in Midwest

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Ice on Missouri RiverIt is more than a little cold here in mid Missouri and all you have to do is look at the river to see how much. The ice is forming and by tomorrow I’ll bet the river is frozen all the way across. I’m glad I wasn’t at the KC Chiefs game today!

    The sun was shining here today but I don’t think it got over about 15 degrees with a below zero wind chill all day. That’s cold for the first day of winter. Global warming indeed.

    Uncategorized