Curt Lancaster Has New Texas Farm Bureau Duties

Chuck Zimmerman June 9, 2008

I just got off the phone with Curt Lancaster, Texas Farm Bureau Network. He’s got some new responsibilities.

This Texas radio veteran has now added marketing for TFB Publications and the TFB Voice of Texas Agriculture Website to his duties at Texas Farm Bureau.

As of June 1st Lancaster is the Director of Advertising Sales & Marketing for Texas Farm Bureau communications products. Lancaster says by combining the Publications, Internet and Radio Network properties, TFB will be able to offer advertisers a synergistic media marketing package that will be unbeatable in Texas.

Lancaster says the new marketing effort will be known as Texas Farm Bureau Media, reflecting the broad based coverage TFB will offer. Lancaster has been serving as Texas Farm Bureau’s Radio Services Director for the last 7 years, building the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network.

The former President of The National Association of Farm Broadcasters and Man of The Year in Texas Agriculture will maintain a weekly broadcast slot on the TFB Radio Network.

Media

Mobile Computicating Upgrade

Chuck Zimmerman June 9, 2008

I’m not sure if mobile computicating is a term but the phones of today are computers that let us communicate on the go and today the iPhone took a step forward. I got back from Nashville in time to follow along with Tom Kravitz on One More Thing as he wrote about the stage show at the Apple WWDC. I really like the idea of updating your post during a presentation like this.

For you ag meeting planners out there, “How about some wireless internet access during the presentations and in the meeting rooms?” I know many of you are finally getting a media room with internet access but we’re way beyond that. Of course, we can update our websites from our phones and with more AT&T 3G, it’s getting easier.

If none of this makes sense to you then we need to talk about how you’re communicating in a web 2.0 world.

Uncategorized

AgWired & AgriTalk is Winning Combo

Chuck Zimmerman June 9, 2008

Mike Adams (right), Host of AgriTalk was the celebrity announcer of the celebrity tractor race. He and I talked about the Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race right before it got started. AgriTalk producer, John Herath, got this photo of us sporting our Frogg Toggs to keep cool.

This was Mike’s second year as the emcee for the race and once again he did a great job of keeping track of all the competitors and entertaining the crowd for an event that lasted several hours. Mike does tend to kid the competitors and I was afraid for him at one point when he made a sarcastic comment to one of the Tennessee Titan guys who drove in the race. Let’s just say he could have come up on stage and picked Mike up and thrown across the race track. But he smiled and waved instead.

Listen to my interview with Mike: cma-08-mike-adams.mp3

2008 CMA Music Festival Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the CMA Country Music Festival is sponsored by:

Audio, Media, New Holland

Great Pork BBQLossal

Cindy Zimmerman June 9, 2008

The winners of the 21st Great Pork BarbeQLossal have been officially announced – and the Grand Champions are Mike and Beth Wozniak of Brimfield, Illinois. They are the second two-time champions in a row for the event. They previously won in 2004.

I spent some time at the BBQlossal before heading home on Saturday and got to speak with the lady who has been coordinating the event for the entire 21 years of its existence, Anne Rehnstrom. The BBQ competition is a year older than the World Pork Expo itself, since the first year expo was planned there was a foot-and-mouth disease scare.

Ann says the event is a really good way to promote pork to barbeque enthusiasts everywhere. She talks about the event, how it is judged and other interesting facts in this interview:
wpx08-bbqlossal.mp3

Or download here:
Anne Rehnstrom Interview (4:00 min MP3)

I also got the chance to visit with last year’s grand champions, Mike and Patty Kidwell of Missouri – the first two time winners – who were not actually competing themselves this year but helping daughter Jeanie and her husband Justin Duett.

Jeanie was hoping to follow in the footsteps of her folks and be this year’s grand champion, since she says she did “learn from the best.” But, they did place 4th in the rib category and 5th in whole hog this year. There’s always next year!

Listen to an interview with Patty and Jeanie here: wpx08-bbq-champs.mp3

Or download here:
2007 Champs Interview (1:30 min MP3)

World Pork Expo Photo Album

Special thanks to Novus International for sponsoring AgWired coverage of World Pork Expo:

Audio, Novus International, Pork, World Pork Expo

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort June 9, 2008

Dow AgroSciences has expanded its PhytoGen® cottonseed research with a move to a recently acquired, 225-acre facility in Leland, Miss. The purchase is part of the company’s commitment to offer cotton growers choices with superior fiber length, strength, micronaire and yield potential. By the end of June, the PhytoGen staff will be operating from the new station.
Starting June 1, Minnesotans will be able get details about dairy-related activities and events with just a click of the mouse. ExploreDairy.com is a one-stop resource for all the latest news on family-friendly fun — and the state’s nearly 5,000 hardworking dairy farm families. ExploreDairy.com was created by Midwest Dairy Association through the dairy checkoff.
John Deere has increased its scope of work with Baltimore-based Imre Communications for products and service in the Worldwide Commercial & Consumer Equipment Division (C&CE). Imre Communications takes on increased public relations responsibilities within the company’s C&CE division to include three consumer product categories, including mowing portfolio, compact utility vehicles and utility vehicles. In addition, the agency is responsible for promoting John Deere’s Mobile Service program and aiding in dealer communications.

Zimfo Bytes

Celebrities Riding Tractors

Chuck Zimmerman June 8, 2008

My latest road trip ended at the Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race in Nashville, TN. So this week’s program has been produced there and includes an event wrap-up with Michael.

Michael Peterson has become a good friend after I’ve had so many opportunities to work with him since this event started 3 years ago. Today he got the crowd fired up as they enjoyed the competition and seeing some of their favorite artists get up on a tractor and for the most part, do real well.

Michael got on the tractor himself at one point so I recorded that so you can watch him drive. I think his time was actually the fastest but he can’t win.

Special thanks go out to not only Michael but also Gene Hemphill and Dawn Fox at New Holland as well as Holly Fritz at H.B. Fritz & Associates who did so much work to put this event on.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 174 (8 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:zimmcast174-6-8-08.mp3

2008 CMA Music Festival Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the CMA Country Music Festival is sponsored by:

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, New Holland, Tractor, Video, ZimmCast

Joe Jobe Competes in Celebrity Tractor Race

Chuck Zimmerman June 8, 2008

Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board (left) and Chuck Leavell, keyboardist for the Rolling Stones (right) were two of the competitors out here at the Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race today.

I spoke to both of them before their competition runs and will post my interview with Chuck later. In this post you can watch Joe give it all he had this year, which was good but just a tad short. I’m betting he’ll be back though. He really commends Michael Peterson for being such an advocate for renewable fuels like biodiesel (the tractor was running on B20) and also New Holland for their support. He says that this country music audience is a great one to expose to the message.

Listen to my interview with Joe: cma-08-joe-jobe.mp3

Watch Joe ride:

2008 CMA Music Festival Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the CMA Country Music Festival is sponsored by:

Ag Groups, Audio, Biodiesel, New Holland, Video

Darby Ledbetter Wins Celebrity Tractor Race

Chuck Zimmerman June 8, 2008

The winner of the 2008 Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race is Darby Ledbetter with a time of 47 seconds. He pretty much blew away the competition. Here’s Darby on the New Holland tractor with Michael Peterson (left).

I interviewed Darby right afterward and he was still pretty excited about his win. He’s a National Guard supporter and really appreciates what Micheal Peterson and New Holland and the Army have done to support our troops.

I’m not sure the final count for contestants of today’s race but there were a lot and we were all glad that it was under a tent with the extreme heat. That made it a little challenging for us photographers though.

Listen to Darby the race winner here: cma-08-darby-ledbetter.mp3

2008 CMA Music Festival Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the CMA Country Music Festival is sponsored by:

Audio, New Holland

AgWired Live TV From Celebrity Tractor Race

Chuck Zimmerman June 8, 2008

If you missed it then you missed it. AgWired Live TV broadcast today’s Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race from the Chevy Zone at the CMA Music Fest.

We had people tuning in and out of the broadcast which stretched over several hours today. I’m in the process of editing some pictures, audio and video to post here this afternoon from the hotel. Tomorrow I’ll be heading back to ZimmComm World Headquarters.

The photo album is up to date.

2008 CMA Music Festival Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the CMA Country Music Festival is sponsored by:

New Holland

Helping the Media at WPX

Cindy Zimmerman June 7, 2008

A well-run media center can make all the difference in the world when it comes to covering an event – and the World Pork Expo media center was exceptional.

The main reason for that is Leah Schomburg of TriLix Marketing Group, who has been handling this event for seven years now. She was attentive to the needs of the media, calm – if not always cool, especially today when it was pretty humid – and always had a smile on her face. She and the rest of the staff were more than helpful and pleasant. The last time I saw her today she was offering to give me a ride in the golf cart if I needed it.

Leah tells me that 75-100 media register for WPX each year, with another 50-60 often coming in “depending on the dignitary who shows up for the event.” This year that was Deputy Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner and one interview Leah set up with him was for MSNBC.

The best part about the media room was good wireless internet access and a quiet, comfortable atmosphere. At the high point on Thursday afternoon, I would say there were as many as 35 reporters working at the same time in different booths in the center and yet there seemed to be a very low noise level. I think the curtains provided good soundproofing.

Listen to my interview with Leah here: wpx08-media-leah.mp3

Or download here:
Leah Schomburg Interview (3:00 min MP3)

World Pork Expo Photo Album

AgWired coverage of World Pork Expo is sponsored by:

Audio, Media, Novus International, World Pork Expo

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