LPC and AAEA Regional Workshops

Chuck Zimmerman

LPC Sales WorkshopI know the deadline’s today but maybe you can get your registration in still for the Livestock Publications Council and AAEA Midwest Regional Workshop on design and writing. It’s going to be held April 10 at the Pioneer offices in Johnston, IA. If you come in early the night before then you can play games with Diane Johnson at the Stoney Creek Inn. What kind of games do you have in mind Diane? Go to their website to get registered right away.

You can also keep in mind the first ever LPC Workshop on Sales and Marketing which will June 16-17 in Kansas City. Yes that’s a sales workshop. I think it only makes sense. Who isn’t involved in sales today? Do you “pure” editors think you don’t do sales when you’re out at a conference? Of course you do. This is a great idea for anyone in ag communications today.

ACN, LPC

New Podcast on Domestic Fuel

Chuck Zimmerman

Domestic Fuel CastOver on our sister Domestic Fuel site we just introduced a new podcast today to feature renewable energy news twice a month (or more often). The Domestic Fuel Cast will feature people and news of interest in the alternative fuels industry.

If you’d like subscribe to the podcast then here’s the url/feed link: http://zimmcomm.biz/domesticfuel/domestic-fuel-cast.xml. You can use your browser (IE, Firefox, Safari, etc.) to subscribe or if you’d like to get it into your iPod or Zune then we recommend using iTunes or the Zune software.

Robert ZubrinOur first podcast features aerospace engineer and author Robert Zubrin, who has been getting some media attention lately for his book, “Energy Victory,” in which he outlines a simple plan for “winning the war on terror by breaking free of oil.”

You can listen to the first program here: df-podcast-1.mp3

Energy, Podcasts

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Diamond V® recently announced the hiring of Darin Henry, D.V.M., as Western Region Manager. In his new position, Henry will supervise the field staff in the Western U.S. Prior to Diamond V, Henry worked for Monsanto Dairy Business.
  • Syngenta Crop Protection announced the federal registration of Revus Top™ fungicide, a powerful premix of two active ingredients, mandipropamid and difenoconazole, for use on tomatoes and potatoes against destructive oomycete pathogens. State registrations or specific crop and/or pest uses may still be pending in certain states. Check with your state regulatory agency to determine registration status.
  • Farmer-leaders with the United Soybean Board (USB) and American Soybean Association (ASA) have met with U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service officials and are encouraged about the possibility of additional help in funding a new genomics project. ASA helps to secure Federal funding for soybean yield, genomics and disease research. USB invests checkoff funding in projects to help farmers manage yield-robbing diseases and pests and to improve soybean composition.
  • Comcast has announced the addition of RFD-TV for Comcast digital cable customers in Nashville, beginning with a preview on March 31, 2007. RFD-TV will be available to digital cable customers and will be seen locally on Comcast Channel 136.
Zimfo Bytes

100 Percent Ethanol Fueling Indy Again

Chuck Zimmerman

Homestead Indy 300Team Ethanol is off to its best start of the Indy Car Series yet, finishing 7th in Saturday’s opening race in Homestead. I couldn’t be there this year but I’m planning on covering the Indy 500 as well as the Iowa and Mid-Ohio races so I’ll still get to feel the roar of these high performance engines as well as a Le Mans race in Ohio. Photo credit – Jim Haines, Indy Racing League

Cindy and I did watch the race though on ESPN. Here’s her description: Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay ran a great race and stayed in the top ten with all the big name drivers for the majority of the race. The 2007 Rookie of the Year was hoping for a better finish for the start of his first full season with the Indy Car Series, but he got passed up by two drivers in the final restart of the race after Tony Kanaan got knocked out of first place. Before the restart, the #17 Ethanol car was holding on to fifth place. The Homestead 300 trophy ultimately went to Scott Dixon.

This is the second year the Indy Car Series is running on 100 percent fuel grade ethanol and Hunter-Reay is a big believer in the alternative fuel. “Basically, it’s an American product that’s creating American jobs,” he says. “Every drop of ethanol you put in your car is one less oil tanker out there.”

Ethanol

Hot Dogs the Iron Man of Stadium Snacks

Chuck Zimmerman

National Hot Dog & Sausage CouncilWith baseball season here the hot dog is once again moving to the forefront of the sports gourmet list. The National Hot Dog & Sausage Council is making sure that we get the facts.

While the starting lineups of many Major League baseball teams may have changed since the celebratory champagne was corked last season, one thing that remains steady is the unwavering popularity of hot dogs in our nation’s ballparks.

The quintessential “Iron Man” of stadium snacks, the hot dog hit a home run in the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council’s annual survey of Major League stadiums again this year, with the NHDSC forecasting that ballparks around the country will consume more than 30 million hot dogs this season — an impressive feat and enough to round the bases 41,776 times.

When it comes to individual stadiums, Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets, topped the survey again this year for largest projected hot dog consumption in 2008. According to the survey, Mets fans will consume more than 2.7 million hot dogs this year. Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox is the runner up, with fans projected to consume more than 1.7 million hot dogs. Third place goes to Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, with approximately 1.5 million hot dogs expected to be consumed.

Food

Novus Is Gold Sponsor of U.S. – Africa Agribusiness Forum

Chuck Zimmerman

U.S.-Africa Agribusiness ForumThis June you’ve got an opportunity to learn more about Africa and investing in agribusiness opportunities there at the Corporate Council on Africa’s 2008 U.S.-Africa Agribusiness Forum. I’ll be there courtesy of our good friends at Novus International which is a gold sponsor company of the Forum. The Forum takes place in Chicago, IL June 25 – 27.

The Forum will bring together the U.S. and African public and private sectors to discuss the minimization of investment risk and identify projects and mechanisms to expand their investment portfolio through agribusiness.

Highlights of the Forum will include industry-specific sessions, panels to address cross-cutting issues, such as finance product innovation, pharmaceutical and biofuel industry growth, carbon trading, production technology, and certification; as well as networking opportunities. Industry experts will share best practices and the latest trends in the field.

Novus InternationalAs an event sponsor, Novus International will host the “Education and Knowledge Building in Agriculture Production” workshop.

“We are pleased to welcome Novus International as a sponsor and supporter of the 2008 U.S.-Africa Agribusiness Forum,” said CCA President Stephen Hayes. “As an industry leader, Novus serves customers across the globe and understands the importance of investing in people and production systems for commercially sustainable growth. Their participation will add tremendous value to the Forum.”

Agribusiness, International

Geileon.com/PowerHour

Chuck Zimmerman

Geile/Leon Power HourEveryone’s bragging about their “greenness” today it seems like. “We’re now carbon neutral,” “We’ve gone green,” etc. Here at ZimmComm I think we’re making a very tiny carbon dent in the universe. We don’t print anything on a regular basis. We’re mainly sending out bytes of data in various ways. We are breathing however and I don’t intend to quit doing that any time soon. I get tired of it. It just doesn’t impress me.

But, I seriously like the Geile/Leon Marketing Communications approach. They’re advocating an hour of darkness tomorrow by flipping off St. Louis. It’s the Geileon.com/powerhour. If you’re in St. Louis tomorrow then they want you to flip off your lights and head to J.Buck’s Restaurant from 7-10pm. They’ve even got a special drink prepared called the “Planetini.” It’s an earthy blend of apples and social activism.

Agencies

Milestone Mania

Chuck Zimmerman

CZ YoungSince Cindy took it upon herself to inform the agrimarketing world that I am no longer young (at least in one sense) I thought it only fair to voice how thankful I am for the incredible response. Well most of it anyway. There are some of you who have a mean streak.

I’ve now got a little over 50 bday wishes and the day is young. Some of my favorite lines so far include:

Beat me by 3 days.
You look so good to be soooooo old!
’58 was a vintage year, wouldn’t you agree?
What? 50? I thought you were around 40! Man, whatever you are doing keep doing it. Maybe the secret is good scotch??
50 is easy…wait ’til you hit 60!
You don’t look a day over 60….
But so you don’t get too big a head, Chuck, remember there are others who’ve paved that half-a-century highway for you.
Chuck: The bow tie. Dude
CZ OldYou’ve got five years on me, which means I’ve got five years before I hit the 5-0 mark…and believe me, 50 is going to be a piece of baclava.
Have a great next 1/2 century.
. . . today’s 50 is the new 30.
Here’s hoping you mark the date appropriately, then punctuate it with a damn good cigar.
Chuck, I don’t know if you understand Dutch, van harte gefeliciteerd. Proficiat. Een mijlpaal. Nog 50 nieuwe jaren
Take comfort in knowing you have to be 55 to get even your “junior” senior citizen credentials.
I’ll buy you one to celebrate the 5-0 at NAMA!
Just wanted to Congratulate someone older than me!!!!!!! (I turn 50 in Dec….)

I’m just wondering how we’ll be communicating 50 years from now since my earliest recollection is of a very large radio and small b&w tv that I could watch Roy Rogers on.

Uncategorized

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Diamond V® recently announced the hiring of Darin Henry, D.V.M., as Western Region Manager. In his new position, Henry will supervise the field staff in the Western U.S. Prior to Diamond V, Henry worked for Monsanto Dairy Business.
  • AGCO Corporation celebrates as the 20,000th Challenger® track tractor, model MT835B, rolls off the line. The tractor was built at the AGCO manufacturing facility in Jackson, Minn., and also marks a milestone for Challenger track tractors since being introduced in 1987. AGCO acquired the Challenger line from Caterpillar® in 2002.
  • Collaboration between the National Institute for Animal Agriculture and BeefCast®, DairyCast®, PoultryCast® and SwineCast® will make available news and highlights from the organization’s annual meeting scheduled for April 1-3 in Indianapolis. The podcasts will provide audio access to seminars and forums with industry experts from the NIAA conference. Speaker’s presentations will be available for download as well.
  • Makhteshim Agan of North America, Inc. (MANA), announces the addition of Robin Malm to its national sales team as an area business manager. Malm will serve customers in Northern California from the state’s northern border to Stanislaus County providing channel partners, retailers and growers with information and support regarding MANA’s expansive portfolio of crop protection products.
Zimfo Bytes

The Return of the NAMA Bombers

Chuck Zimmerman

NAMA BombersYou can now find the NAMA Bombers online. They’ve got a guess who going too but you’ll have to visit the site to participate. If you’re up for a beautiful ride then you might want to join them prior to the NAMA Convention.

The NAMA Bombers Motorcycle Club will be hosting a ride on April 15th prior to the 2008 Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City. All NAMA members with a valid motorcycle license are invited to attend.

“There is no entry fee for the ride, but all participants are encouraged to make a contribution to the Agri-Business Educational Foundation. We want this to be another opportunity for NAMA members to have some fun for a good cause,” says ‘Iron Mike’ Gustafson, NAMA Bombers President.

The April 15th ride will be a 180 mile adventure into the scenic paradise of central Missouri. Motorcycle rentals are available through Blue Springs Harley-Davidson. E-mail Jeremy Povenmire at the NAFB for more information.

NAMA