AdFarm at CFCW

Chuck Zimmerman

AdFarm at CFCWThanks to Dan Danford, AdFarm, I’ve got more pictures from the Canadian Farm Writer’s Federation conference. I think this photo is the AdFarm folks who attended the CFCW Conference.

Last night CFWF 2008 wrapped up with closing ceremonies and their annual awards banquet. It was very interesting to see the similarities and differences between the CFWF Conference and Ag Media Summit. While AMS is certainly much larger, they both seem to have the same camaraderie and passion for journalism and agriculture. Beside the similar awards format, they also have their own band! Just like The GMO'sQuasimojo makes its annual appearance, so do The GMOs (pictured). Although the GMOs lineup changed a bit this year, so I heard them discussing a possible name change to either The ‘Low Inputs’ or the ‘Certified Inorganics.’

I’ve got some more stories from Dan to post when I have time.

In the meantime, I have put all the photos he sent me in an online photo album.

Agencies, International, Media

Soybean Sky

Chuck Zimmerman

I’m trying out a new Casio Exilim EX-Z100 camera and used it while biking on the Katy Trail today.

I’m still trying to decide if I want to replace my Exilim EX-S770 which I’m planning to give to my parents when I present them with a new Gateway PC we bought them. The Z100 records video in a more YouTube friendly format, so it has that going for it, along with a few more megapixels.

So, here’s what some of the soybeans are looking like in the central Missouri area.

Uncategorized

Get Dairy Impact Photos

Chuck Zimmerman

Mathew JoyceIf you’re a media person needing some dairy information, especially photos, then Dairy Impact is where you need to go.

This is a website of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Here’s WMMB, Vice President, Producer Communications & Programs, Matt Joyce, showing it off to World Dairy Expo Dairy Woman of the Year, Marion Barlass at this year’s Expo.

Matt says you’ll find the largest collection of dairy related photos on the web when you visit.

You can listen to my interview with Matt as part here: wdx-08-joyce.mp3

World Dairy Expo 2008 Photo Album

Ag Groups, Dairy, Media, World Dairy Expo

Successful Farming/John Deere Win min

Chuck Zimmerman

Successful Farming Min AwardSuccessful Farming magazine and John Deere have received some recognition for their integration of web based communications content from the min magazine Integrated Marketing Awards.

Successful Farming magazine and John Deere have been awarded the min Integrated Marketing Awards First Place honor in Web/Online Bundling for their partner program, CropTechTour. min’s Integrated Marketing Awards salute the campaigns, ongoing programs and innovative people who’ve raised the bar on magazine marketing programs. The CropTech Tour program was recognized for in the integrated web content, video, print integration, and customer interaction throughout the program.

Successful Farming was also a Merit winner in the Events Category for the Super Powering Profits program, which was sponsored by Asgrow. For a complete list of finalists and winners, please see the min website.

According to Jana Reiker, Sales Development Manager, Successful Farming, “For the 2nd straight year, SF has won a First Place Award at the min Integrated Marketing Awards in New York. The min (media industry news) awards included some tough national consumer publications in our category, and Successful Farming represented the Agriculture Industry very well.

It’s been a pleasure to work with Barry Nelson at John Deere; Kelly Schwalbe & Leigh Ann Cleaver from BCS; and our Editors, John Walter and Jeff Caldwell; along with a great partnership with the Certified Crop Association members on the CropTechTour, and see this program be so successful and continue to grow with our Agriculture Online audience.”

Advertising, Agribusiness, Media

AgJobNetwork Wants to be Disruptive

Chuck Zimmerman

Ag Job NetworkIt looks like the AgJobNetwork, started by Aggie-Lance founder, Mark Jewell, is off and running. Yes, there are companies still trying to figure out this “new media” thing.

Rooted in New Media – the AgJobNetwork has grown at an astounding rate from no registered users to more than 1,500 in North America in less than 30 days. And, word’s spreading online to their friends and colleagues, so the AgJobNetwork is still quickly growing.  Today it’s serving a hungry job seeking audience that wants to hear about employment opportunities in a new way! And, ag recruiters are scrambling to learn how to tap this new online network to help them fill jobs.

How does it work?

“According to a new book, Groundswell, recent statistics show that more than 73% of Americans are online, and their use of new media is vastly increasing.  Yet, very few companies have figured out how to serve them through social media,” says Lincoln, Nebraska-based AgJobNetwork founder Mark Jewell. “Based on the reception from job seekers weʼre on to something big. It’s working! But, we need to bring more agribusinesses into the 21st century using online technology to get their job openings out in front of those seeking jobs – AgJobNetwork provides that online gathering point, or community!” 

Why does it work? 

“Todayʼs job seeker needs to be served – they arenʼt necessarily going to come directly to you,” says Jewell.  “You are going to find your best talent is already serving in a position they enjoy – or hasnʼt learned about your companyʼs opportunities yet.”  That’s why Jewell founded the AgJobNetwork. “We can meet people in a place they already spend time – in new media sites like Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, the Blogosphere, and we can help them learn of new job opportunities even when theyʼre not looking,” adds Jewell, “Our goal is to be as disruptive as possible!”

Agribusiness

Ethanol Shines in the Night

Chuck Zimmerman

Ethanol Plant at NightThis is why I like to have a camera with me at all times. You just never know when you’re going to see something you’d like to share.

Ethanol plants are cool in a lot of ways. They’re producing a domestic fuel solution to our energy problems and that lessens our dependency on foreign oil for example.

But they can also make a pretty picture too. I was driving south through Missouri last night and passed through Laddonia and the POET plant there.

This was a handheld snapshot from the highway (not much traffic at the time I was passing by).

Ethanol

Have a Flat Iron and a Glass of Milk

Chuck Zimmerman

Lucinda WilliamsThe Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the Wisconsin Beef Council were exhibiting at World Dairy Expo. Lucinda Williams is a dairy producer and Vice Chair of the Beef Board.

She says they were there to remind dairy producers that they’re also beef producers. I got there just in time to sample some of their flat iron steaks they were serving. In fact, I’m making one for supper tonight!

You can listen to my interview with Lucinda as part of our Milking Parlor Podcast: milking-parlor-34.mp3

World Dairy Expo 2008 Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Beef, World Dairy Expo

Harvesting Soybeans

Chuck Zimmerman

Soybean HarvestingI kind of thought I’d see more of this on the way back to Missouri from Wisconsin but I saw very little harvesting going on even though the weather was beautiful.

Of course there is still a lot of green corn out there, especially in Iowa. Most of what I saw was soybean harvesting.

Today I’m organizing and editing the photos and interviews I did at World Dairy Expo. It takes a while to edit 22 audio interviews!

Farming

Farm Babe Talking It Up at World Dairy Expo

Chuck Zimmerman

Wisconsin Farm ReportAfter a morning of interviews and photos I’m hitting the road back to ZimmComm World Headquarters.

I’ll leave you with this one of a hard working farm broadcaster, the Farm Babe herself, Pam Jahnke, Wisconsin Farm Report. Once again Pam invited farm broadcasters to her home and made us feel welcome as her husband, Buck, grilled brats and burgers. We had a good time although I had to leave before the serious story telling got started.

I’ve got lots of good interviews which I’ll be using primarily on World Dairy Diary, so if you’re interested keep an eye over there for a lot more information.

World Dairy Expo 2008 Photo Album

Media, World Dairy Expo

Rainy Weather at CFWF Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

Canadian SunriseSeeing this picture sent in by Dan Danford, AdFarm, makes me wish I was able to attend the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation meeting. This picture was actually taken prior to the CFWF meeting.

Dan was kind though to send me a couple of pictures and let me know what’s going on with our brethren in the great white north.

The AdFarm PR group spent the last few days here at Vancouver Island in intensive training at the beautiful Tigh-Na-Mara (pronounced Tee-Na-Mara) resort. I’ve attached a picture from the sunrise a few days ago.

CFWF ConferenceLast night we arrived up island at the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation Conference in Comox. Unfortunately, we’re expecting rain during our farm tours today.

Hopefully, I’ll have some decent photos of the local agriculture scene to share (if I can keep my camera dry).

Thanks.

Dan

No Dan. Thanks to you!

Agencies, International, Media