Terry Stokes Resigns From NCBA

Chuck Zimmerman

Terry StokesI just learned that Terry Stokes has announced his resignation as CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Here’s a picture of him from the Cattle Industry Convention earlier this year. I’m sure a lot of people are going to be missing him.

Stokes said representing cattlemen and championing their cause has been the greatest honor and the most fulfilling job of his career, but he explained it also is all-consuming. He said he is looking forward to spending time with his family and exploring new opportunities.

“Terry shared his news with the NCBA officers this morning. I speak for all of them when I say we want Terry to stay. His leadership and commitment to the beef industry are incomparable. Yet, personally, we respect and honor Terry’s decision to make this life change. We only hope he continues to contribute to the industry; his leadership is that valuable,” said Andy Groseta, cattle producer, Cottonwood, Ariz., and president, NCBA.

Stokes joined NCBA 12 years ago, in 1996, as chief financial officer. He was appointed CEO in 2002. During his tenure as CEO, NCBA grew revenues 41 percent. Membership grew more than 17 percent in the past three years.

“So much of Terry’s work has been behind the scenes. He is not a ‘look-at-me’ kind of leader. So I’m not sure how many people realize what a difference he has made to NCBA and the beef industry. That said, I respect his personal decision to find the next mountain to climb,” said Gary Voogt, cattle producer, Marne, Michigan, and president-elect, NCBA. “NCBA deals with every issue the cattle industry faces, and Terry can speak to every single issue. He is amazingly adept at knowing what’s going on and what needs to be done,” said Voogt.

NCBA officers have begun work on a search plan for the next CEO of NCBA.

Ag Groups

AAEC Launches National Media Campaign

Chuck Zimmerman

American Ag and Energy CouncilWow. Just when you thought we couldn’t possibly have any more new organizations working on the whole food and fuel thing, here comes another one. It’s the American Ag and Energy Council and they’re starting a new national media campaign using radio. I’m glad it’s available on their website too. Now if we could just get all these groups to pool their money and resources . . .

Today, the American Ag and Energy Council (AAEC) launched a national radio campaign featuring a “Food and Fuel Update.” The first installment of the “Food and Fuel Update” featuring commentary from Mark Pearson highlights the enormous cost of our nation’s dependence on foreign oil and the financial benefits of ethanol.

The ads will be running on nationally syndicated shows including Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, in addition to local affiliates throughout the United States.

Wendy Wintersteen, Dean of the Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Co-Chair of AAEC said, “This is the first in a series of efforts to educate the American public on the positive benefits agriculture plays in their daily lives.” Wintersteen continued, “AAEC’s main objective is to promote the common link between all sectors of modern agriculture and energy through a positive and educational medium.”

You can listen to the first program here.

Advertising, Ag Groups, Energy, Ethanol, Food

NAMA Webinar on Social Networking

Chuck Zimmerman

NAMA WebinarsSocial networking? What’s that? Find out with the next NAMA Webinar is coming up very soon.

The Confluence of Social Networking and Mobile Marketing: The Value Proposition for Agribusiness

Join John Gilbert with Bader Rutter for NAMA’s second webinar on Thursday, October 9 at 1:00 p.m. (CENTRAL TIME). Cost for the webinar is only $35.

Social networking refers to a broad class of web sites and services that allow people to connect in innovative and meaningful ways with friends, family, and business colleagues, as well as collaborate with people who have similar interests.

Social networking has become a global phenomenon, and going mobile with it is the next big thing. We’re now seeing millions of users of LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook and other social networks interacting with their virtual spaces while they’re on the move.

We’ll spend an hour examining the place where social networking meets mobile marketing, and understand the possibilities for marketers in the agribusiness space.

Register for the webinar now at http://payment.nama.org/webinar.htm.

You will receive a confirmation email with the log in information for the webinar.

Thank you and we hope you can join us for our next Webinar in 2009, Maximizing your Tradeshow R.O.I. with host Scott Hanna, Skyline Displays.

NAMA

Gary Schulz Raisin The Bar

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-188 - Raisin California FruitCindy is getting on my case for being late with my ZimmCast again this week. Well I was holding off because I wanted to get in touch with someone special for my interview.

Gary SchulzThat someone is Gary Schulz, Executive Vice President, California Raisin Administrative Committee and California Raisin Marketing Board. He just started his new job about 3 weeks ago and I caught up to him this morning during his travels and learned a lot more about what these organizations do.

In our conversation he explains the difference between the federal marketing order group and the promotional group. Gary says that he’s got a lot of new information to absorb during the next several months before he transitions to the President/General Manager position some time in January. I learned from him that they have outposts in several foreign countries to help promote exports of U.S. raisins.

The California RaisinsI asked him if we’d see a return of the singing raisins and he just said that we should keep our ears open, that you never know. The CRMB outsources public relations and advertising to Fleishman Hillard in San Francisco.

The program this week ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. It’s a short little piece called “Raisin” from Paul and Storm. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 188 (15 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:Interview with Gary Schulz - ZimmCast 188

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, ZimmCast

Aquafinca Farms Fish in Honduras

Chuck Zimmerman

Honduras Foundation for Investment and Export DevelopmentI just received this story from Laura who visited Honduras recently and is back there now. Her trip was made possible by the Honduras Foundation for Investment and Export Development.

Here’s a novel idea when running a business that manages more than a thousand employees:

Fish Farming in Honduras“We try to do basically everything to make them feel they are like partners not workers. Everybody is on bonus system, everyone can basically gain more from the company’s success, so everybody feels like it’s their project. That’s the kind of environment we like to maintain here with our people.”

Those partners Yedod Snir is referring to are the 1,350 locals that make up the direct workforce of Aquafinca St. Peter Fish, a Tilapia producer based out of San Francisco de Yojoa, Honduras. Yedod is Aquafinca’s production manager.

You can listen to my interview with Yedod here: yedod-snir1.mp3

Central America is a hot spot for cheap labor and, sadly, greedy businesses that cruelly exploit their workers. But, on a trip hosted by FIDE, Honduras’ Foundation for Investment and Development, I, along with a small group of other ag journalists got to tour and learn about businesses based in Honduras who lead with impressive example. Among those model operations we toured, Aquafinca St. Peter Fish stood out from the rest as a world-class facility. In fact, one well-seasoned ag reporter with our group, who wished to remain unnamed, confidently asserted that Aquafinca would put similar production and packaging facilities in America to shame. Certain exemplary standards at Aquafinca, he said, are simply unheard of in the U.S. Read More

Audio, Farming, International

Ag Job Network Launches Friday

Chuck Zimmerman

Ag Job NetworkIt looks like the Ag Job Network social networking site is about to launch according to their latest Twitter feed.

Today is including a lot of preparation for tomorrow’s initial screening of the AgJobNetwork. Its going to be fun.

Here’s The Story:

AgJobNetwork started as a facebook group in August of 2008 as a way to help connect people with jobs in the agriculture industry. Mark Jewell, founder of the AJN has always had a passion for helping people connect in excellent ways that benefit both sides. Quickly exceeding expectations, the network outgrew it’s capacity on facebook! Currently there are more than 1,500 members – and its growing daily! To date, we’ve listed dozens of jobs, facilitated hundreds of connections, and created a whole new way to list and learn about job openings in the agriculture industry.

Agribusiness

All American Beef Battalion

Chuck Zimmerman

Beef BattalionHere’s something you can sink your teeth into. Supplying steaks to our troops is just one thing we can do to thank them.

The All American Beef Battalion is a group of individuals within the United States beef cattle industry dedicated to support the troops fighting the global war on terror. They work to organize and sponsor steak feeds, entertainment, and programs with Service Members and their families.

For more information on the All American Beef Battalion and the Steaks for Troops program, check out www.steaksfortroops.com. Contact Bill Broadie at 620-635-5870 for further details of upcoming events or for ways to donate to this program.

Our Purpose

* To organize and sponsor steak feeds, entertainment, programs, meetings, and projects with Service Members and their families
* To encourage and assist them in any reasonable manner
* To foster among the people of the United States an appreciation, respect, and honor for our Armed Forces Military Service Members whose sacrifices have and will continue to make our freedoms possible.

Ag Groups, Beef

Dairy Impacts Wisconsin

Chuck Zimmerman

Dairy's Economic Impact on WisconsinI really like this graphic from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. When I saw it today it made me think of next week’s World Dairy Expo. I’ll be there starting on Wednesday morning.

Wisconsin Dairy Impact.com is a new resource for media types like yours truly. You can find lots of graphics like this one and almost 3,000 images.

As they say, “Downloadable news resources to report on Wisconsin, America’s Dairyland.”

Ag Groups, Dairy

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Farm Progress Companies announces its leading state and regional farm and ranch publications will deliver IRON Search used machine listing advertisements in a new and innovative format – via the newly re-designed IRONsearch.com Web site – which brings used equipment listings into an easy-to-find, used equipment print section included in Farm Progress publications. Within the sections, used equipment for sale is listed by manufacturer, equipment type and model number, making it simple for buyers to find equipment quickly.
  • Monsanto has launched a multifaceted communications initiative. The effort builds on the company’s pledge to work with other businesses, citizen groups and governments on needed changes to meet growing food production demand while conserving key resources. The initiative includes the launch of a Web site and a print ad. This communication initiative reinforces Monsanto’s three-point commitment announced in June of this year.
  • Now available — the new KINZE Cobalt planter display — a convenient full-color display system that monitors seed population and accuracy, controls the planter’s variable rate drive system using simple touch-screen manual controls and allows the operator to turn planter sections on and off, on the go, using a manual switchbox.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Helping The Chorti Maya

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Chorti Maya ManYou may remember that Laura McNamara went to Honduras this summer and met with the Chorti Maya and a man who is working to help them increase their agricultural production, Billy Collins.

    There is a group of indigenous people in Honduras that live off an average of $300 a year… less than one dollar a day. At least two months out of every year they starve. That’s the reality as Billy Collins sees it. Billy has been working with the Chortí Maya, the direct descendants of the Mayan Indians, for five years.

    Well, she’s going back to help out and is seeking donations to take with her. So, I thought I’d let you know in case you’d like to help out. Cindy and I have. You can find instructions for using PayPal to make a donation on her blog.

    International