Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Ag Leader Technology recently broke ground on a building expansion at their facility in Ames, Iowa. The 96,000 square foot addition will more than double the size of the current facility and create approximately 58 new jobs in the Ames area.
  • Lew Lewis was recently promoted to Senior Key Account Manager for Kemin AgriFoods North America. In this role, Lew serves as the Kemin AgriFoods representative to Kemin customers in the areas of Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Lew joined Kemin in 1998 as a commercial sales team member. Prior to joining Kemin, he served as a plant controller and then as a buyer for Ralston-Purina Co.
  • Downes-O’Neill announced the agenda for its 2008 Outlook Conference, which will be focused largely on what some analysts are describing as a looming crisis in the production, pricing, and distribution of food supplies across the globe. The 5th Annual Outlook Conference is to be held June 18-19 in Chicago.
  • Novus International Inc.,awarded the 2008 Novus Research Fellowship (NRF) last month. The recipient of the 2008 NRF award was Dr. Ma Deying from the Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agriculture University in Harbin, China. Dr. Deying’s winning proposal is related to alternatives to in-feed antibiotics in commercial poultry operations.
    Zimfo Bytes

    May ZimmNews

    Chuck Zimmerman

    March ZimmNewsThe May ZimmNews has just been published. If you are not receiving it then get yourself a free subscription. You can find the latest ZimmNews here.

    Here’s some of what you’ll find in this month’s ZimmNews:

    I hope you like it and thank you for reading!

    ZimmNews

    Blogging/Podcasting Exploding

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Social Media PlatformsJust in time for my presentation at the TOCA meeting tomorrow (Blogging and podcasting for profit. Sponsored by Ewing Irrigation and PBI Gordon) is this report from Universal McCann titled, “Power to the People, Social Media Tracker Wave 3.” (pdf-24MB) They’ve done this study globally 3 times now so it’s got some interesting comparative data in it. Basically folks, new media is where it’s at in today’s online world no matter what country you’re in or what your occupation or age demographic. So for those of you who still wonder why you should know more about this, your questions will be answered. If you still wonder then let’s just say you have gotten off the Cluetrain. Here’s some interesting points and I urge you to download the report with the link above to read the whole thing.

    • Social media is a global phenomenon happening in all markets regardless of wider economic, social and cultural development.
    • All social media platforms have grown significantly over the three Waves: Video Clips are the quickest growing platform, up from 31% penetration in Wave 1 to 83% in Wave 3.
    • 57% have joined a Social Network, making it the number one platform for creating and sharing content: 55% of users have uploaded photos, 22% of users have uploaded videos.
    • Blogs are a mainstream media world-wide and a collective rival to traditional media – 73% have read a blog, 45% have started a blog.
    • Social media has strong impacts over brand’s reputation – 34% post opinions about products and brands on their blog – 36% think more positively about companies that have blogs.

    Here’s the percentage of respondents who agreed with these statements:

    • 56% Blogging is a good way to express yourself
    • 36% I think more positively about companies that have blogs
    • 33% I have a favorite blog that I read regularly
    • 32% I trust bloggers opinions on products and services
    • 31% Blogging is an important way to socialize with friends

    There’s so much information in this report that I can’t even begin to point it all out. It’s all good. Just take some time, take a deep breath and say, “I will read it and I will try to “get it.” If you’re in agricultural marketing today then I hope you understand all the terms in the graphic at the top of this post.

    Via Podcasting News

    Podcasts

    Beef Sticks for Troops

    Laura McNamara

    U.S. beef is at the heart of the classic “American” dish and it can certainly be sorely missed when traveling abroad… especially in Southwest Asia. But, 1st Lieutenant Peter Shinn of the National Guard’s 185th Air Refueling Wing found one Iowa couple who’s trying to bring local beef to troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    One Iowa couple is making sure U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are getting a taste of home. And they’re doing so with help from an extensive network of volunteers, and from the Iowa Air National Guard’s 185th Air Refueling Wing.

    Ted and Dee Ann Paulsrud of Danbury, both of whom are long-time members and leaders of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA) are now leading an initiative to get Iowa beef sticks to U.S. troops in southwest Asia. The ICA took on that effort shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. But the program proved costly, both in time and money, and ICA decided to drop the initiative a little over a year ago. Dee Ann Paulsrud, now widely known as “The Beef Stick Lady,” picks up the story from there.

    “It started a year ago in November [2006] when my husband was retiring off the Iowa Cattlemen’s board for District VII Director,” she told Brownfield. “They no longer were going to do it at the state level. They already had done it for four years and then, they were aborting the program. Well, we didn’t want to do that.”

    So the Paulsruds took up where ICA left off. And Dee Ann Paulsrud said they’ve developed an all-volunteer beef stick processing and distribution system, all aimed at getting Iowa beef to American fighting men and women in Southwest Asia.Read More

    Beef, Food

    Going To a TOCA Party

    Chuck Zimmerman

    TOCAThis week I’ll be attending the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association annual meeting in Minneapolis. This will be my first experience with this group. I’m curious to find out who I’ll know there. Of course Den Gardner will be there. He also manages AAEA.

    The Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) serves communicators in the Green Industry by fostering an open exchange of information regarding issues that affect how we communicate to our various audiences.

    One of the things they’ve done which is very helpful to those of us who are doing presentations at the meeting is a survey of members. For example, I’ve got a pretty good idea how many of them have or contribute to a blog or podcast and subscribe to rss feeds. It’s a higher number than you might think. And the internet seems to be solidly in the lead as a news source.

    Uncategorized

    Milk Producers With Issues

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCast-169 - Milk Producers IssuesAt the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Washington Watch program there is a session called the Issues Forum in which ag groups make representatives available for interviews. During this session I interviewed Sarah Olson, Communications Coordinator, National Milk Producers Federation. Sarah is relatively new to NMPF and says that as they look to the future, communications will change. For example, she says they’re taking a close look at social communications mechanisms like blogs.

    Besides my interview with Sarah, this week’s program ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. It’s called “Song Writers With No Issues” by The Dubois. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

    You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 169 (13 min MP3)

    Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:zimmcast169-5-5-08.mp3

    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, Dairy, NAFB, ZimmCast

    From the Indiana Fields…

    Melissa Sandfort

    One of the more popular features in Indiana AgriNews is From the Fields. Here farmers from around the state share their experiences with weather, crop conditions, weeds, insects, diseases, and farm management. Hoosier Ag Today (HAT) and AgriNews have partnered to bring From the Fields to the radio. Now these same growers can share their experiences in audio form on radio stations across the state. In addition, a special page on the Hoosier Ag Today Web site has been set up where unedited versions of these interviews can he heard.

    “This is farmers talking to farmers,” said Gary Truitt of Hoosier Ag Today. “This kind of thing can only be done by Indiana-based media organizations like HAT and AgriNews who are in touch with their audience and with what is happening on the farms of the state.”

    In addition, to the radio and print versions, From the Field reports will also be included in the Official Podcast of Indiana Agriculture, produced by Hoosier Ag Today, and a free daily e-mail newsletter. This podcast is available at both the Hoosier Ag Today and AgriNews Web sites. The newsletter can be obtained here.

    Farmers involved in the program are from Pulaski, Tipton, Vigo, Rush, Dubois, and Washington counties.

    Uncategorized

    Zimfo Bytes

    Melissa Sandfort

      Zimfo Bytes

    • American Dairy, Inc., one of the leading producers and distributors of infant formula, milk powder and soybean and walnut products in China, announced that its flagship brand, “Feihe,” has been named the “Most Energetic Brand” in the “Top Ten Best Infant Formula” category at the Annual Baby and Infant Industry Ceremony, hosted recently by SINA Corporation.
    • The American Meat Institute recently launched an updated Country-of-Origin Labeling Web site?. Updated information can be found here.
    • The Biopesticide Industry Alliance (BPIA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Bill Stoneman as its new Executive Director. Originally with Minnesota Cooperative Extension and currently serving the biopesticide and organic industries through regulatory and product development consultation, Stoneman joins BPIA with more than 30 years of experience in agriculture and more than 15 years experience with biological control of crop pests.
      Zimfo Bytes

      American Farmland Trust Working on Farm Bill

      Chuck Zimmerman

      Chuck Interviews Ralph GrossiLast week I had the pleasure to spend a couple of half day sessions doing some media production training with Jennifer Morrill at American Farmland Trust in Washington, DC. It worked out very well since I was attending the NAFB Washington Watch.

      At the Washington Watch Issues Forum I also got to interview AFT President, Ralph Grossi. (Jennifer took the picture.) As you might guess, we talked about the farm bill. Ralph explained how AFT has been involved in the farm bill process for over 2 years. One of the things he says they’ve been able to do is bring people to the table to discuss the legislation who might not have otherwise.

      You can listen to my interview with Ralph here: nafb-ww-grossi.mp3

      Ag Groups, Farm Policy, NAFB

      Party Piggy & Ecophobia

      Chuck Zimmerman

      Party PigIt has been a beautiful weekend in Missouri. Time to get some herbs and vegetables planted and enjoy some relaxation. On Saturday this little piggy went to, not the market, but the party at Derry Brownfield’s cabin. Mmm, mmm, good. We had quite a crowd out there.

      I thought you might enjoy an editorial in Hernando Today, a Tampa, FL area newspaper on “Ecophobia: Environmentalist on the New Environmental Disaster.” It was sent in by Heather, an alert AgWired reader. Here’s an excerpt:

      I am an ecophobe: I imagine environmentalists creating catastrophes all the time all over the world. I see great floods, famine, disease and death and behind each is the same thing: A grinning environmentalist reveling in the mayhem as if it were magic.

      It’s a good one and worth a moment to read.

      Environment