Vance Buys CattleNetwork.com and CattleStore.com

Chuck Zimmerman

CattleNetwork.comSome web publications have been bought by Vance Publishing.

Vance Publishing Corporation has acquired two Internet-based businesses that market to and serve the farm and ranch communities, CattleNetwork.com and CattleStore.com. Both were purchased from Integrated Management Information, Inc., of Colorado.

“This is another significant acquisition for Vance Publishing,” reported company Chairman William C. Vance. “It reinforces our position as the premier business-to-business multi-media communications resource in the markets we serve. We will continue to pursue acquisition opportunities that will increase services to our customers and strengthen our existing product lines.”

This is Vance’s first solely digital acquisition; other recent purchases have included a mix of print, e-media, and events. The two new sites will become part of Vance’s growing Food360 group, which includes Drovers, Dairy Herd Management, Bovine Veterinarian and Pork print publications, web sites, e-newsletters, and the Doane forecasting and analysis product line marketed to the agricultural community, along with a host of other magazines, digital products and events.

Publication

Farmers Find Student Expert at Mobile Greenhouse

Laura McNamara

Monsanto Field Sales Intern Daniel StaufferOne of Monsanto‘s Mobile Greenhouse “Street Team” representatives is a student from Purdue. Daniel Stauffer is a Field Sales Intern for Monsanto and is one of the experts farmers and growers at the Michigan Ag Expo can grill about Monsanto’s new Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans. Daniel says one of the most exciting attributes of Monsanto’s “next generation” soybeans is the “drastic” increase in crop yields. Soybean crops, Daniel says, have maintained flat yields for more than ten years. That is, until now.

Daniel isn’t an expert only in Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans though. He’s also contributing to Monsanto’s stress mitigation research on corn and soybean crops, testing traits such as drought-resistance. Daniel says he’s also involved in research with Vistive soybeans and silage corn among a handful of other projects.

I spoke with Daniel at this week’s Michigan Ag Expo. You can listen to my interview with Daniel here:
mi-ag-ex-08-stauffer.mp3


Monsanto Summer of Soy Photos

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, Corn, Farming, Soybean

Farmers “Roundup” around Mobile Greenhouse at MI Ag Expo

Laura McNamara

Monsanto Mobile Greenhouse showcasing Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeansMonsanto‘s industry-exclusive Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans showcased in the ag company’s new Mobile Greenhouse is proving to be quite the curiosity for many farmers and growers at the 2008 Michigan Ag Expo.

Farmers and growers took the unique opportunity to get a sneak peek at what Monsanto calls its “next generation” soybeans, peering through the glass of a climate controlled greenhouse on wheels to see an up close demonstration of Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans at various growth stages. Representatives from Monsanto’s Mobile Greenhouse “Street Team” greeted visitors and educated them on the live examples of what the company claims to be “monumentally” higher yielding soybeans. Visitors could also enter to win one of five Family Dream Vacations valued at $8,000 a piece. The Mobile Greenhouse also featured an informative video on Monsanto’s new Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans. Monsanto representatives says the a limited supply of Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybean seeds will be available for the 2009 growing season. The seeds will be commercially available in 2010.


Monsanto Summer of Soy Photos

Farm Shows, Farming, Soybean

Monsanto Showcases Cutting-Edge Crop at Michigan Ag Expo

Laura McNamara

Monsanto soybeansMichigan’s largest agricultural equipment exposition has more to boast than just equipment. The 29th annual Michigan Ag Expo is underway this week at Michigan State University in Lansing and there’s more to the show than machinery… or even fencing, canopies, turkey legs, honey and free cake batter ice cream from MSU students.

Farmers and growers will also find a 28-foot Mobile Greenhouse on the grounds of the exposition. The greenhouse on wheels is part of Monsanto‘s “Summer of Soy” tour. The tour is showcasing one of the ag company’s newest and most innovative crops: its Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybean line. Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans are Monsanto’s second-generation of genetically modified soybean crop. Farmers can visit the Mobile Greenhouse to get a first-hand look at Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans at various growth stages.

I attended the Michigan Ag Expo yesterday to find out more about Monsanto’s new exhibit and soybean tour and will be posting lots of info from the event here.


Monsanto Summer of Soy Photos

Farming, Soybean, Technology

Profiling Beef Producers

Chuck Zimmerman

Jim EschlimanBy now you know that the new CBB website is MyBeefCheckoff.com. I just realized that it’s what you get when you type in the old CBB web domain too.

One of the features you’ll soon find on the new CBB website will be producer profiles. The idea is to find out what producers (beef and dairy) think about the programs and activities of the Checkoff.

To get things started I did a number of interviews today and will get many more before the end of the summer conference. I started out with Jim Eschliman, Ericson, NE. He’s a dairy producer and it has been his career. He says they milk 140 cows but have around 300 head all together.

So when it comes to the Beef Checkoff he says that we have to continue to promote beef and get dairy producers to understand that fact. As he says, they’re beef producers too.

Jim says it’s important for dairy and beef producers to understand how to handle their animals and especially pay attention to the shipping process.

He sells cull cows and steers and thinks the Checkoff has increased the price he receives. As he puts it, “The Checkoff really helps.”

You can listen to my interview with Jim here: cisc-08-jim-eschliman.mp3

Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference

Trimble Trio

Cindy Zimmerman

Trimble TrioNew technology and new media are a perfect fit, so it is fitting that Trimble/Ag Technologies sponsored our blog coverage this week at the Southern Peanut Growers Conference.

Left to right, the trio representing them at the conference were Josh Pitts of Ag Technologies, Trimble regional sales manager Tim East and Brian Kelly with Ag Technologies. I set up my computer at their booth to do most of my work at the conference and enjoyed spending time with these guys.

Tim says they chose to sponsor this coverage because, like precision agriculture, it is “cutting edge – a high-tech way of communicating, getting ideas out and sharing experiences.”

They did spend quite a bit of time talking with peanut growers at the conference about precision technology because it can be a big time and money saver for growers.

Chuck used some of this interview in his ZimmCast this week, I believe, but you can listen to the entire interview with all three here:
spgc-trimble.mp3

Southern Peanut Grower Conference Photo Album

Peanuts, Technology

FFA Alumni Conference Blog

Cindy Zimmerman

FFA Alumni State Leaders are gathered in Washington, DC and thanks to a new blog, you can keep up with the action.

FFA AlumThe National FFA Alumni State Leaders Conference kicks off today. FFA Alumni members will have an exciting week touring Washington, D.C., visiting with their congressional representatives and learning more about opportunities available through the FFA Alumni. The event would not be possible without the generous sponsorship of Tractor Supply Company, Toyota and Farm Credit Services.

This blog has been created to provide information and photos regarding the National FFA Alumni’s 2008 State Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C. Joy Carter with the Georgia Peanut Commission, who is southern region director on the National FFA Alumni Council, is the blog developer and poster – I am sitting in the Panama City airport with her right now as she prepares to head out to DC. The FFA Alum blog address is ffaalumnislc.wordpress.com.

Ag Groups, Peanuts

MyBeefCheckoff.com Launch and Zimfo Bytes

Chuck Zimmerman

Lynn HeinzeThe Zimfo Bytes you see several times a week have been a very well received feature of AgWired. It allows us to post more nuggets of news to help keep the agrimarketing community informed. Melissa Slage, Cattlemen’s Beef Board, is the author of Zimfo Bytes. She’s pictured with Lynn Heinze at yesterday’s CBB Admin Subcommitte mtg.

This morning I talked to Melissa about what she does at CBB and their new website, MyBeefCheckoff.com. Melissa is Trade Media Manager which means she’s responsible for news releases and trade show activity. She’ll be at the upcoming Ag Media Summit for example.

I’ve logged in to MyBeefCheckoff.com and am glad they finally got a website that’s intuitive and easy to find things I need.

You can listen to my interview with Melissa here: cisc-08-slagle.mp3

You’ll find more posts on the CBB’s Beef Board Meeting website.

Feel free to check out and use photos from my Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference

Old Friends and New at the Peanut Meeting

Cindy Zimmerman

Michele TreptowAt the Southern Peanut Growers Conference this week, I had a chance to meet up with one old friend I hadn’t seen in over 20 years – and one new friend that I knew but had never met.

Those of you in the ag journalism business may recognize this lady – formally the voice of the American Farm Bureau Federation once upon a time. You knew her then as Michele Brooks, but for the last 20 years she has been Michele Treptow, married to Rick Treptow of the Georgia Farm Bureau. Michele and I spent a few short minutes catching up and reminiscing about the “dot heads” at the 1985 annual AFBF meeting in Hawaii – and the infamous “Saturday night massacre” later that year when Chuck, Gary Cooper and I were forced out of Florida Farm Bureau after getting approval from the board to take their radio network independent. Ahh, the memories!!!

Tyron SpearmanThis gentlemen is known as “Mr. Peanut” in the Southeast and he wears many hats in the peanut industry. Tyron Spearman has been the peanut industry reporter for Southeast Agnet for at least as long as I have been reporting for them – but we had never met until this meeting. It was a great pleasure to meet him and get a chance to chat. He is extremely well respected in the peanut industry.

The SPGC was one of the very best conferences I have ever had the pleasure of attending. The agenda allowed for free afternoon time on the beach, the general sessions were very informative and well attended, the food was great, and the blues bash closing dinner and entertainment was great fun. This group is really a family and they obviously enjoy getting together at this great venue in Panama City every year. I will have more information about the conference in future posts. Not having internet access in my room was a drawback, but I had great access in the conference center.

Be sure to check out the Southern Peanut Growers Conference blog as well as the SPGC Conference Photo Album

Media, Peanuts

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Jay Stauffacher, a dairy producer from Darlington, was re-elected chairman of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) at its annual reorganization meeting. Stauffacher’s term is for the 2009 Fiscal Year which began July 1, 2008 and concludes June 30, 2009. Connie Seefeldt, Coleman, was re-elected vice chairperson, and Ed Jasurda, Phillips, was elected Secretary. Romona Averbeck, Fond du Lac, was elected Treasurer. Click here for more information.
  • People who work in the pork industry can now benefit from www.pig-international.com for the most immediate and relevant information available. From the publishers of Pig International magazine, the Web site complements the print edition with daily updates, an online forum and extensive collaboration between readers and editorial staff.
  • The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced that the state’s corn growers had overwhelmingly voted to increase the state’s corn checkoff from a half-penny to three-quarters-of-a-cent per bushel. Preliminary results show 73% voted in favor of the increase and 27% voted against it.
    Zimfo Bytes