Go Gator NAMA!

Cindy Zimmerman

Gator NAMA WinnersWe already told you about the University of Florida Gator NAMA team winning the student NAMA Marketing Competition, but we’re so proud of them (being Gator alums ourselves) that here’s a little more about it.

The team was so happy to win after three consecutive years of making it to the finals and not winning, especially team captain Alicia Taylor of Myakka City, who is a senior. She was thrilled to be able to finally get that win before she graduates this year and starts law school at UF. Their product was a vegetable-based milk marketed to children with a Disney partnership.

You can listen to a somewhat over-modulated but brief interview with Alicia here:
nama-08-gators.mp3

Watch the kids celebrate here:

Audio, NAMA, Video

Alltech Receives DOE Grant For Ethanol Plant

Chuck Zimmerman

Alltech SymposiumThe Alltech Symposium agriblogger has arrived in Lexington, KY, still just a little bit NAMA lagged (kind of like jet lag). I’m in the Radisson right across the street from the convention center. There’s going to be lots of news from here and on the Alltech Symposium Blog. But we’ve already got news.

The U.S. Department of Energy awarded grants for three small-scale biorefinery projects this week in Maine, Tennessee and Kentucky. Alltech is one of the companies to receive a grant.

In announcing the grants, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said, “These projects will help pioneer the next generation of non-food based biofuels that will power our cars and trucks and help meet President Bush’s goal to stop greenhouse gas emissions growth by 2025.”

Among the projects is a grant of up to $30 million to help pay for a $70 million cellulosic ethanol plant to be built in Springfield, Kentucky.

The plant will be built by Ecofin LLC, a subsidiary of Alltech, an international company headquartered in Lexington that is primarily focused on animal nutrition. The plant will utilize cellulose, such as switch grass, corn cobs and corn stover, at raw material levels of up to 30 percent to be converted to ethanol and other value-added products. The facility will also have the capability to produce algae for biodiesel production.

Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech, said in a statement, “With commodity prices reaching an all time high and with ethanol production forecast to account for 30 percent of the U.S. corn harvest by 2010 we must focus our attention on a sustainable path to alternative energies.”

I’m sure I’ll be finding out a lot more about this over the next couple days. There’s lots to come.

Alltech, Energy, Ethanol

NAMA Bombers Hit The Highway

Chuck Zimmerman

NAMA BombersThe NAMA Bombers apparently had a good ride this year.

It certainly wasn’t as long as last year though. Here’s a couple of them. I’ll let you identify them.

Thanks to Jerry Povenmire for sending along a few photos. They have been added to the Conference photo album.

2008 Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

NAMA

Feedback for the Future of NAMA

Laura McNamara

One of the primary goals of the NAMA Agri-marketing conferences is to listen to NAMA members and find out what’s working well, as well as determine where there is room for improvement. One of the newest members of the NAMA staff will be doing just that. Debbie Brummell (pictured left) says she has listened to feedback from various NAMA chapters and has identified some of the challenges they seem to be facing. Her goal will be to meet those challenges.

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Debbie here:

nama-08-debbie.mp3

Also pictured are Kathi Conrad, Jenny Pickett and Penny Graham.

2008 Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, NAMA

NAMA Wrap-up

Laura McNamara

In the words of NAMA Executive Director Jenny Pickett (pictured right), organizers of this year’s “Leading the Charge” Agri-marketing Conference “knocked it out of the park.” This was Jenny’s first conference as the Executive Director, though she has been a part of NAMA for a long time. Jenny stepped up as executive director last year when the previous director, Eldon White, left.

Chuck interviewed Jenny just as the event was winding down. You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Jenny here:

nama-08-jenny.mp3

NAMA President Patty Travis (pictured left) says this year’s attendance was the highest attendance the NAMA Agri-marketing Conference has had in almost a decade. She says this year’s conference also picked up 80 first-timers. Patty, with 5MetaCom, says the ag business is strong right now and there is probably no better time than now to be in the industry. She says NAMA is planning to throw new things into the mix for the spring conference and the fall agri-business forum.

Chuck also interviewed Patty just before the close of the event. You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Patty here:

nama-08-patty.mp3

2008 Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

Advertising, Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, Ethanol, Farming, Media, NAMA, Technology

Sticky Notes

Cindy Zimmerman

Dan Heath NAMAThe first general session at the National Agri-Marketing Association conference featured Dan Heath, the co-author of “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.”

Heath told attendees some of his theories on ideas that “stick” and methods for making ideas stickier, such as violating schemas, using the Velcro Theory of Memory, and creating “curiosity gaps.” He also explained the “Curse of Knowledge” that many of us in agriculture sometimes fall victim to when trying to get our message across to the general public.

Check out the “Made to Stick” website and listen to a short interview with Dan here.
nama-heath.mp3

NAMA

Nolan Ryan Beef is the Official Beef of the Texas Rangers

Laura McNamara

There’s not much more endorsement you can get than a MLB team. The Texas Rangers have named Nolan Ryan’s All-Natural Guaranteed Tender Beef their “official” beef.

When the Texas Rangers took the field last week for their home opener at Rangers Stadium, fans reaching for a ballpark burger were able to enjoy Nolan Ryan’s All-Natural Guaranteed Tender Beef. All burgers served in the ballpark’s general concessions and casual dining locations feature Nolan Ryan’s beef and sausage-on-a-stick is available at several concession locations. Nolan Ryan’s premium prime rib is featured on the All-You-Can-Eat Prime Rib Buffet at the exclusive Diamond Club.

Nolan Ryan’s All-Natural Beef offers several product lines for retail grocery and foodservice. In addition to Nolan Ryan’s Guaranteed Tender line offered at Rangers Stadium, the company recently launched Nolan Ryan’s Premium Reserve at Kroger Southwest locations in Dallas and Houston.

Food

NAMA Withdrawal

Chuck Zimmerman

Wild West at NAMAYes, things were getting a little out of hand at the Best of NAMA Awards this week. This is one of my favorite pictures from the Conference.

I think this convention will rank right up there as one of the busiest and best I’ve been to. Having almost 1,100 people there is awesome. If I didn’t get to chat then I apologize. I wish I could have done so with every person who attended.

Between blogging here, on the NAMA Blog, AgWired Mobile, Twittering, shooting pics, doing audio and video interviews (they’ll be posted periodically over the next week or so), exhibiting, selling, partying, learning, talking and traveling, it was a Conference to remember. Thanks to all the people who have already subscribed to AgWired Mobile. We’re going to be developing it further and you’ll find more news coming through after this “get started” week.

BTW. Dave Anderson told me that Tom Davis has been to 30 consecutive Conferences now. That’s incredible. He’s one of the biggest supporters of NAMA that I know. Anyone else attend more consecutive Conferences?

I’m about unpacked and getting ready to pack up for the Alltech Symposium which I’ll be heading out to in the morning. Look for posts from that event beginning Sunday.

2008 Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

NAMA

Audio Recorders

Chuck Zimmerman

I’ve been asked by so many ag journalists which digital audio recorder to buy that I thought I’d do a post on it so I can just send the link the next time I get the request. I have multiple recorders and usually travel with 2 of them. I’ll list them in the order of my favorites here with a few comments.

1. Marantz PMD620: Feels solid and is simple to use. It just took Marantz a while to come out with their small form factor. I also have a PMD660 which is probably the best digital recorder made but it’s just too big for my pack anymore.

2. Edirol R-9: This is a great recorder too. Very close in size and ease of use to the Marantz.

3. Zoom H2: This recorder is less expensive than the two above but delivers just as good quality in my opinion. I’m sure you extreme technophiles will disagree after checking the full s/n ratios, etc. but I don’t hear it for interviews. It comes with some handy accessories too like a stand.

4. Tascam DR-1: I haven’t tried this one but it looks good. I always liked the Tascam equipment I’ve used in the past.

5. Olympus DS-50: I haven’t tried this one but it looks good.

One of the best places to buy (although I’d Google around) is Broadcast Supply West. I recommend re-chargeable AA batteries and have been using the same set of 12 for almost 3 years with no problems. A 1GB SD card is plenty of memory. I record at 64K, MP3, Mono (normally). Edit with Audition (PC) or Soundbooth (Mac). I sure wish they made Audition for the Mac!

I hope this helps.

Media

Postcards From Kansas City

Chuck Zimmerman

Once again this year, Carol Anderson is helping keep NAMA members who can’t attend the conference up to date on what’s happening with a daily email called, “Postcards from Kansas City.”

Here’s the copy from yesterday’s:

Greetings from Kansas City!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

The 2008 Agri-Marketing Conference in underway at Kansas City’s Hyatt Regency Hotel. Nearly 1,100 agrimarketers are in attendance at this year’s conference – the largest crowd since 2000.

KFRM’s Kyle Bauer and Northern Ag Network’s Taylor Brown emceed Wednesday evening’s Best of NAMA awards ceremony. Out of 1,271 entries that advanced through regional and national competition, three entries emerged as Best of Show winners at last night’s ceremony. Best of Show winners were: Read More

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