Mobile Markets & News

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-167 - Mobile Markets & NewsThis is a fun week for ZimmComm New Media. Cindy and I will be exhibiting at the NAMA Connection Point for the 4th year in a row. You can hear what we have planned at the convention in this week’s program.

We’re also very excited about our AgWired Mobile service. We publicly launched it this morning. In case you missed it, all you have to do is text the word “agwired” to 46786. Then you’ll be subscribed to get headline news and stay up to date on what’s happening in the world of agricultural marketing.

AgWired Mobile is powered by Commodity Update and I chatted with owner, Joel Jaeger, about how they’re doing and about our new service. Joel is a forward thinker and new media pro who is changing how farmers get their market prices. I think you’ll be interested to listen in on our conversation.

This week’s program ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. It’s called “Mobile” by Edgar Gabriel’s StringFusion. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 167 (23 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:zimmcast167-4-15-08.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

Audio, Media, NAMA, ZimmCast

Get AgWired On Your Mobile Phone

Chuck Zimmerman

AgWired MobileNow you can keep up to date immediately with the stories posted on AgWired with our text messaging version.

Messages will contain the title of the story and a link directly to it if you’d like to click through and read it right on your phone. It will keep you agricultural marketing professionals on top of your game. Sign up now:

Just text “agwired” to 46786

That’s it. You’ll get confirmation immediately and then you’ll get AgWired updates automatically. News will be sent between 8am-8pm.

We’d love to have your feedback and ideas as we continue to develop this new service.

The new media pioneers just keep on opening up new channels of communication. Stay up to date on your phone or on your computer with AgWired!

If you ever want to unsubscribe (why would you?) then just text “agwired stop” to the same number.

AgWired Mobile is powered by:
Commodity Update

Uncategorized

Deron Johnson Promoted at Rhea + Kaiser

Chuck Zimmerman

Deron JohnsonI don’t know about you but Deron is one of those people that just always makes me smile when I talk to him. If you see him this week at the NAMA Convention then you need to congratulate him.

Rhea + Kaiser Marketing Communications announces the promotion of Deron Johnson to Vice President, Public Relations Director.

Johnson, who joined Rhea + Kaiser in 2005 as director, public relations, manages an 18-person team while overseeing the development of PR strategy and programs for all Rhea + Kaiser clients, including Athenix Corporation, Bayer CropScience, Pfizer Animal Health, Sandvik Mining and Construction, Underwriters Laboratories and Valley Irrigation.

“Deron brings invaluable leadership to Rhea + Kaiser, and our clients benefit every day from his unique insight into their needs,” said Steve Rhea, president and CEO of Rhea + Kaiser Marketing Communications. “This promotion recognizes his accomplishments and the importance of public relations as a part of the fully integrated communications services we offer our clients.”

Agencies

A Very Successful NAMA Blog

Chuck Zimmerman

Successful FarmingRight next to the ZimmComm New Media booth you’ll find Successful Farming. They’re not only exhibiting at the Connection Point but are the sponsor of the NAMA Blog which yours truly will be filling with interesting Conference information starting tomorrow.

So keep up with what’s happening at the 2008 Agri-Marketing Conference and Trade Show in KC, MO this week both right here and on the NAMA Blog.

There’s going to be a whole lot of blogging and tweeting going on if you know what I mean. If you don’t, then come talk to me and I’ll explain.

Thanks you SF and Jana Reiker for taking on the NAMA Blog sponsorship.

Media, NAMA, Publication

Farms.com Gets Some Barcharting

Chuck Zimmerman

FARMS.com MediaI don’t know if you’ve seen the Farms.com Media Girl. She just sits at the top of the AgPromote.com homepage, smiling at you when she’s not telling you about what Farms.com offers. She’s got a nice voice. I think I listened to the whole spiel at least 4 times this morning. You’ll be able to find Farms.com in booth #112 at the NAMA Connection Point.

Farms.com announced today that it’s working with Barchart which will provide custom website content including commodity quotes, advanced charts and other market information and tools.

The new Farms.com website features powerful personalization technology that will allow producers to customize their homepage with the timely content such as agri news, expert comments, jobs on AgCareers.com and new product information. Additionally, through its partnership with Barchart, users of the Farms.com website will have access to extensive commodity market data and information presented in an easy-to-use format.

“Barchart is proud to partner with the leading site for global agricultural information,” said Eero Pikat, President of Barchart. “Additionally, with our launch of our new AgriCharts division having partners like Farms.com strengthens our B2B agricultural market data solutions,” said Pikat.

“We are very impressed with the service and information that Barchart is able to provide us for our new Farms.com portal” said Joe Dales, Vice President of Farms.com Ltd. “Our thousands of farmer users have already told us they like the extensive agri commodity charting and features.”

Markets, Media

Omega-3 Now Comes in Chocolate…

Laura McNamara

…chocolate milk that is. Omega Farms is adding chocolate milk to its line of dairy products that are fortified with Omega-3 fatty acids.

Chocolate milk isn’t just for kids anymore. Athletes are drinking it too. Omega Farms Low-Fat Chocolate Milk provides kids the added benefits of Omega-3s needed for brain development and athletes the perfect combination of carbohydrates and protein needed for sports recovery. Both love the traditional and great taste of chocolate milk.

Not only is Omega Farms Low-Fat Chocolate Milk brimming with all the calcium, vitamin D, protein, and other vitamins and minerals of milk, but each serving also provides all-natural Omega-3s, the fatty acids vital to good health and well-being. Omega Farms milk products are a delicious and easy way to get the same DHA and EPA Omega-3s found in fish oil — without any fishy taste or odor that many kids dislike.

Studies suggest that chocolate milk is the perfect balance of carbohydrates and protein to help refuel tired muscles after a rigorous workout. A study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism builds on findings that intense endurance exercise reduces the muscles’ supply of stored glucose, or glycogen, a key source of fuel for exercise. To maximize glycogen replacement, the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Dietetic Association recommend taking in a serving of carbohydrates within 30 minutes after a long and vigorous workout.

An Indiana University study entitled “The Efficacy of Chocolate Milk as a Recovery Aid” also tested chocolate milk versus sports drinks and found chocolate milk has the magic 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio and was as good as or better than the sports drink for performance, heart rate, perceived exertion, and lactate levels.

Food

John Deere Model Wins ‘Utility Vehicle of the Year’

Laura McNamara

Side Action Magazine has named John Deere’s Gator XUV 850D Model Declared its 2008 ‘Utilty Vehicle of the Year.’ The model won the Side X Side Shoot-Out – a two-day, comprehensive test in Barstow, CA.

John Deere earned the top award in the utility vehicle category going up against ten models from eight other manufacturers. Scoring of the machines was determined by how each model handled different utility tasks such as towing a 1,025 lb loaded trailer, pulling a rake attachment and driving with cargo box at half and full capacities. The XUV 850D was also rated on other attributes and received maximum ratings (5 stars) on turning, room (2 people), ease of getting in and fabrication quality.

Equipment, Farming, John Deere

Liz and Carrol Say It Is AFACT

Chuck Zimmerman

AFACTIt is a fact according to AFACT, American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology. And that’s their web domain too. Liz Doornink and Carrol Campbell want to talk to you at this week’s NAMA Convention. They’re exhibiting at the Connection Point – Booth 318.

American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology (AFACT) was organized by farmers frustrated by the loss of safe and valuable management tools with no scientific justification and no economic compensation.

As the organization’s name implies, AFACT is dedicated to conserving existing safe management practices and supporting the advancement of new technologies with collaborative ties to all commodity segments and allied industries.

AFACT’s Mission

* Safeguard the image of modern agriculture products in the market place
* Provide consumers safe, valuable and wholesome products
* Advocate for producers’ freedom to choose production technologies and practices for the benefit of all
* Support the development of agricultural technological advances required to feed a growing global population
* Educate all in the food chain that “sustainable” agriculture utilizes technologies to produce safe, nutritious and affordable foods with minimal environmental impact and maximum consumer value

Ag Groups

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • John Deere announces an agreement with IRON Solutions to align and integrate product offerings to assist John Deere agricultural equipment dealers in evaluating and pricing used equipment. This collaboration will facilitate and streamline the machine listing process and enhance the accuracy of equipment valuations. The UsedXpress and www.machinefinder.com remarketing systems will be able to integrate broad equipment market intelligence data available in the IRON Solutions Official Guides.
  • Bayer CropScience LP and Monsanto Company entered into an exclusive agreement on a new cutting-edge fungicide seed treatment for corn. The treatment, which is expected to be commercialized in conjunction with the planned launch of Monsanto’s SmartStax™ seed offering in 2010, will provide corn farmers with a significant improvement in early-season protection against seedling diseases and insects.
  • Crossbow Technology, Inc., announced it has begun customer shipments of eKo Pro Series. eKo Pro Series represents the next generation in crop monitoring and precision agriculture techniques, employing a self-powered, self configuring mesh network of wireless sensors that provide vital live data about crop health, vigor and growth progress via a simple internet browser.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Podcast Audience Grows Significantly

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ArbitronFor those of you who are continuing to ponder the wonder of new media and are maybe waiting out this “fad” then you might want to take notice of a recent Arbitron-Edison Media Research study titled, “The Infinite Dial 2008: Radio’s Digital Platforms.” You will find that there continues to be huge growth in the number of people with iPods and who are listening to podcasts. That growth percentage is 40 percent. Here’s some nuggets from the study:

    • iPod/Portable MP3 player ownership continues dramatic growth. Nearly four in ten
      (37 percent) own an iPod or other brand of portable MP3 player; up from 30 percent in
      2007 and more than two and a half times the number in 2005 (14 percent). Nearly three-
      quarters (73 percent) of those age 12-17 own a digital audio player.
    • Audio podcasting usage continues to increase along side the proliferation of
      iPod/MP3 player ownership. Eighteen percent have ever listened to an audio podcast;
      up from 13 percent in 2007. Nine percent have listened to an audio podcast in the past
      month (an estimated 23 million).

    The study also found out how important mobile phones are to people today:

    More than one in five (21 percent) consumers said radio has a big impact on their lives; ranking second only to mobile phones (33 percent) as the audio platform/device that has the biggest impact on people’s lives.

    Podcasts