Sampling BASF Wines

Chuck Zimmerman

Katja Schweder and Bernhard WolffOur hosts for this evening’s dinner and wine tasting were (l-r) Katja Schweder and Bernhard Wolff, BASF Wine Cellar. Katja was German Wine Queen in 2006-2007.

I interviewed them prior to dinner and learned that BASF has a wine cellar with 1 million bottles of wine, including over 4,000 kinds of wine. Picking a selection to go with menu items like salmon, venison and lamb chops had to be difficult but they did it with ease. In fact, each of them picked a different wine for each course. To top it all off we were treated to a 1929 Maury wine which you would have to taste to believe.

Katja says that for her, working for BASF is “the next step up” from being Wine Queen. She’s got a bright future ahead of her.

You can download and listen to my interview with them here: Listen To InterviewInterview with Bernhard & Katja (4 min MP3)

Or listen to the interview right now:basf-media-summit-1.mp3

For each course of our meal Bernhard and Katja “performed” by describing each of the wines we tasted. You can hear Katja describing a Riesling here: basf-media-summit-2.mp3

BASF Media Event Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the BASF Media Summit is sponsored by:
BASF

Audio, BASF

Welcome To The BASF Media Summit

Chuck Zimmerman

Ray GilmerThis evening the attendees at the BASF Media Summit were treated to some of the finest wines in the world along with a fabulous dinner.

The man who has helped put this all together is Group Communications Manager, Ray Gilmer, who welcomed us before the dinner started.

Ray has put together a great program and tonight’s dinner was the perfect way to get it all started. As you’ll hear in my next post, we had some talented people here from Germany to make sure we had the proper wines to go with the menu.

BASF Media Event Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the BASF Media Summit is sponsored by:
BASF

BASF

Cotton Everyday

Laura McNamara

Cotton Incorporated wants consumers not just to know, but to feel the natural attributes of cotton. That’s why the company has developed a new branding campaign, “A Natural Part of Everyday Life.” The campaign will run in approximately 85 malls throughout all 50 states.

“A Natural Part of Everyday Life” spotlights the new Natural(TM) trademark while showcasing images of people enjoying life — in fashionable cotton clothing. The campaign will change seasonally; targeting the mall consumer who according to the Lifestyle Monitor(TM), visits the mall approximately 2.9 times a month.

The campaign invites the customer to experience cotton on various levels. Activities include a four tier marketing strategy that involves traditional marketing, sweepstakes, gift-with-purchase and online components.

Customers can go online to enter “The Natural Part of Everyday Life” sweepstakes where 10 winners will receive a custom Cotton iPod shuffle.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Cotton

Tree Farmer of The Year

Laura McNamara

The 2008 Washington State Tree Farmer of the Year goes to David Robbins of The Hama Hama Tree Farm. The Washington Farm Forestry Association says the award is meant to recognize David’s exceptional commitment to enhance his forest land.

The tree farm is mostly composed of Douglas-fir with scattered stands of alder, hemlock and cedar, and supports a sustainable harvest of 1.4 million board feet per year. The careful stewardship of the water, soil and timber resources directly benefits another portion of the family business — the Hama Hama Seafood Company, which supplies oysters and clams to the area.

Certified tree farmers must manage their forest land in an environmentally sound manner in accordance to the standards and guidelines of the American Forest Foundation.

Ag Groups, Environment, Farming

Getting AgWired Live TV Running at BASF Media Summit

Chuck Zimmerman

BASF Media Summit RegistrationThis is a picture of the elements that are making up AgWired Live TV now. On the tripod is a Canon HV30. I’ve been streaming live for about an hour now in the BASF Media Summit Media Room. This is where I’ll be set up again tomorrow. I’ll publish a schedule for you later so you’ll know the times that I’ll be on with someone. I think it’s going to be during the breaks.

As of the writing of this post I’m still live in the media room but I’m planning on shutting down soon so I can go to the reception and dinner.

BASF Media Event Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the BASF Media Summit is sponsored by:
BASF

BASF

BASF Media Summit A Reality

Chuck Zimmerman

BASF Media Summit RegistrationI am seriously glad I elected to arrive early into Washington, DC today for the BASF Media Summit. Although we don’t get started until this evening, registration was already set up and waiting when I got to the hotel.

All the rain and wind from the midwest this weekend is now here on the east coast. I hope all our other attendees make it in on time. It was pouring when we landed and it looks like the Potomac is almost over its banks.

I’ve started a photo album for the event which I’ll be adding to periodically so check it out and see if you know anyone who’s here. BASF Media Event Photo Album

After getting in a little work out I’m going to check out our media room set up and see if I can plan a schedule for AgWired Live TV tomorrow. I’ll post that later on.

AgWired coverage of the BASF Media Summit is sponsored by:
BASF

BASF, Media

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

Zimfo Bytes

  • Denise Donovan has joined the Ayres Kahler team as an account administrator and project manager. She is responsible for traffic, proofing and client service support. Prior to joining Ayres Kahler, Donovan spent 14 years in various marketing roles with MDS Pharma Services. Most recently she was the logistics manager for global marketing.
  • The Common Ground Alliance (CGA) has designated May 2008 as “National Safe Digging Month.” Deere & Company has joined with the CGA to recognize and actively promote this important event. To help homeowners and contractors have a resource to avoid the accidents ” 811, the national call-before-you-dig number.
  • Syngenta Crop Protection has partnered with five universities located in key potato regions to bring blight hotlines to potato growers in 2008. The potato blight hotlines are available by calling:
    • Idaho 1-800-791-7195
    • Michigan 1-888-379-9012
    • North Dakota 1-888-482-7286
    • Oregon 1-800-705-3377
    • Washington 1-800-984-7400.
Zimfo Bytes

Innovating With BASF

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-170 - Innovating With BASFTo build strong relationships with journalists BASF is once again conducting a media summit in Washington, DC. This year the theme is “Innovate 08, From Research to Reality.”

I got a preview of the program from Ray Gilmer, Group Communications Manager, BASF by phone. He’s already there getting ready for the dozens of media representatives who will be attending along with me. Besides traditional ag journalists we’ll be getting to know some for more mainstream media as well. Ray says that the program features some key BASF executives like Dr. Stepfan Marcinowski, Executive Board Member, BASF SE and Dr. Hans Kast, President & CEO, BASF Plant Science Holding GmbH among others. We’re also going to hear from Bruce Knight, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory programs. It’s going to be a full day on Tuesday.

Tomorrow evening sounds like fun though as we have a wine tasting that features Katja Schweder, 2006-2007 German Wine Queen. You can hear Ray talk about it and why BASF conducts this program in the program.

To go with a windy day in Missouri as this program was produced, this week’s program ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. It’s called “Cold Haily Windy Night” by Silverwheel. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 170 (14 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:zimmcast170-5-11-08.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

AgWired coverage of the BASF Media Summit is sponsored by:
BASF

Audio, BASF, ZimmCast

New Media in Ag Journalism

Chuck Zimmerman

IFAJThe latest edition of the IFAJ E-News has some interesting information. Liz Kellaway is doing a great job with it and it’s got more information than ever. Here’s a couple of tidbits.

1. The last newsletter posed a member survey question, “What dangers do you face in your work as an agricultural journalist or editor?” Although not many responded here’s how the answers came out:

Budget cuts – 50%
No time to look ahead – 42%
Failing to try new ideas – 25%
Media convergence – 25%
Losing journalistic integrity – 25%
Emergence of new media – blogs, internet news sites, etc. – 25%
Physical dangers – 17%
Freedom of expression – 8%
Other dangers – 8%

How would you have responded? Do these results surprise you? Of course I see the emergence of new media as an opportunity as opposed to a danger but I understand why some would feel differently.

2. There’s another article on The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which has a staff of 75 rural reporters. It’s recognized by Guinness Book of Records because it’s such a long running program (60 years). What’s interesting to me is how they’re using technology to stay “relevant.”

Increasingly, our efforts are being directed to our online activities and we’ve just begun the process to do a complete re-build of our ABC Rural online site. By later this year, people anywhere will be able to gain access to an even greater array of the material our journalists produce, including live streaming of programs, podcasts, pictures, video, written text and hopefully a range of new services which will be delivered to people’s personal phones.

Live streaming and phone delivery. Got it.

IFAJ, International

Send Your AgWired Tee Picture

Chuck Zimmerman

Taisir YanisI know a lot of you have an “I’ve Been Blogged by AgWired” t-shirt. Send in your picture so I can show off some of our fine community members.

This one is Taisir Yanis, owner of The Coffee Zone, in Jefferson City, MO. He’s a Rocket Fuel dealer. If you’re in town just go to 130 E. High Street for the best coffee.

He’s got good wifi, which is what I’m using right now.

Uncategorized