More High Speed in Rural America

Chuck Zimmerman

USDA Rural Development USDA Rural Development is at it again, helping bring AgWired to rural America in high speed (as well as all ZimmComm online communications projects). Thank you Sec. Dorr for all you do!

SDA Rural Development Under Secretary Thomas C. Dorr today announced that Open Range Communications, headquartered in Denver, Colo., has been approved to receive a $267 million loan from USDA Rural Development to provide broadband service to 518 rural communities in 17 states.

This partnership will address the significant need to deploy wireless, portable broadband connectivity to improve service in considerable portions of rural America. The commitment by USDA and Open Range represents one of the largest public-private investments for broadband service by the federal government.

This unique set of services will provide cutting-edge Wi-Max technology that transmits wireless data in areas not serviced by cable or DSL technologies. Open Range plans to offer affordable, wireless high-speed broadband service to underserved and unserved areas. Read More

Internet, USDA

More BEEF In More Places Video Contest

Chuck Zimmerman

Raising The SteaksWhere are these young people in agriculture getting the idea to start a blog? Who’s responsible for this nonsense? Is this really any way to communicate with farmers and/or the consuming public?

You bet it is! In fact, you might have heard it here first.

How about Raising The Steaks by National Beef Ambassadors Michelle Wiggley, California and Leticia Varelas from New Mexico? I love a cool name for a blog.

You’ll notice that in the latest post people are being encouraged to enter a new video contest called “More BEEF in More Places.” It involves YouTube and creativeness and the winner gets an iPod touch. Kind of makes it worth it to get your camera rolling next time you sit down to eat some fine beef. Here’s all the details:

Where is your favorite place to enjoy delicious nutritious beef? How do you create your favorite burger or grill your favorite steak? Whether you enjoy beef at home, a friend’s house, or your favorite restaurant, the 2008 Beef Ambassadors want to enjoy it with you, so they’re launching a “More BEEF in More Places” video contest to bring out the best tips for beef lovers worldwide. Read More

Ag Groups, Beef

MANA Promotes Ahrens, Adds Guion

Melissa Sandfort

Brian AhrensBrian Ahrens accepted a promotion within MANA making him the crop protection company’s new northern regional sales manager, effective immediately. John Guion, will take over as MANA’s senior product marketing manager for insecticides, the position Ahrens has held since 2005. Guion brings to MANA over 26 years of ag industry experience.

Ahrens will relocate from the company’s national headquarters in Raleigh, N.C., to Eastern Iowa.

Prior to going to work for MANA, Ahrens held leadership positions at Bayer CropScience and BASF Agricultural Products. He graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business.

John GuionJohn Guion will take over for Ahrens in Raleigh, coming to MANA with an abundance of experience and success in agricultural sales, marketing and procurement management.

He held various management positions within Terra Industries, Inc., and Agriliance LLC since 1981, serving as a regional marketing manager for southern business, manager of Agriliance’s dealer service alliance initiative and as district manager for the company’s professional products distributor arm ProSource One in Florida.

Most recently, Guion served as one of the company’s regional directors, overseeing its midsouth and southeast sales and operations while working out of its coastal division headquarters in Memphis, Tenn.

A native of Yazoo City, Miss., Guion is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He will move to the Raleigh area with his wife, Nancy, to begin work in his new position immediately.

Agribusiness

Nussbaum Crowned Dairy Princess

Melissa Sandfort

Stephanie NussbaumStephanie Nussbaum, 18, of Garretson was crowned the 54th South Dakota Dairy Princess in a ceremony Wednesday, March 19, 2008, during the Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls. Norling was one of four candidates for the title, which carries with it a $1,000 scholarship from the dairy princess program sponsor, Midwest Dairy Association – South Dakota Division.

Nussbaum is the daughter of Brad and Monica Nussbaum and is a student at South Dakota State University studying dairy production and ag business. During the next year, Nussbaum will represent the state’s dairy farmers at events and appearances to help explain dairy farmers’ commitment to good stewardship, animal care and wholesome products.

Among her first appearances is the Kids Zone at the Central Plains Dairy Expo, where local elementary students will learn more about the dairy industry.

First runner-up in the contest was Ashley Vostad, 20, of Volga. Her parents are Ann and Kevin Vostad. Vostad attends Kansas State University with a major in ag communications and animal science. She received a $500 scholarship from Central Plains Dairy Expo.

Ag Groups, Dairy

Egg Board Members Appointed

Melissa Sandfort

EggAgriculture Secretary Ed Schafer has appointed nine members and nine alternates to the American Egg Board for the 2008-2009 term. All members and alternates will serve 2-year terms. The board administers an egg research and promotion program authorized by the Egg Research and Consumer Information Act of 1974.

The board is composed of 18 members and 18 alternates representing six regions. The Secretary of Agriculture selects appointees from egg producers nominated by organizations representing the egg industry.

Reappointed members and alternates, by region, are:

North Atlantic states – Kurt H. Kreher, Clarence, N.Y., member; Jerry Kil, Ledyard, Conn., alternate.

South Atlantic states – Richard L. Simpson, Monroe, N.C., member; Jacques Klempf, Jacksonville, Fla., member; James H. Brock, Braselton, Ga., alternate; Robert B. Pike, Nashville, N.C., alternate.

East North Central states – Joseph J. Maust, Pigeon, Mich., member; Gregory S. Herbruck, Ada, Mich., alternate. Read More

Ag Groups, USDA

Katie Allen Joins Brownfield

Melissa Sandfort

Katie AllenBrownfield, Ag News for America, is pleased to announce Katie Allen is joining the Brownfield team as its Student Intern.

“We are pleased to welcome Katie to Brownfield Ag News,” said Cyndi Young, Brownfield Farm Director. Allen has experience in radio and television and has also done some blogging and freelance writing for a number of publications, which Young says makes her “a great asset to the Brownfield team.”

Allen, a senior Ag Journalism major at the University of Missouri-Columbia, has a strong production agriculture background. She grew up on a farm in Marceline, Missouri where her family raises cattle, sheep and hogs as well as row crops. She is also a past member of the MU Livestock Judging Team.

Katie is the current Missouri State Fair Queen.

Media

Truffle Media Networks Starts Ag Media Conversations

Chuck Zimmerman

Truffle Media NetworksThe podcasting folks at Truffle Media Networks are starting a new one to focus on ag podcasting. Although it sounds a lot like my ZimmCast I’m sure glad to see another channel for you to learn about how to integrate new media tools into your agricultural marketing strategy.

Agriculture promotion professionals, get ready to download. Ag Media Conversations – the first self-documenting podcast about ag podcasting – is set to launch on March 25th. The show is the latest in the offerings of Truffle Media and will focus on utilizing current technologies in the advertising and public relations field.

Co-hosted by Aaron Gilbertie and Raylee St. Onge, Ag Media Conversations is a weekly podcast with interviews from marketing communications professionals on advancements in promoting products and services. It is available to listen to or download at www.TruffleMedia.com.

“The purpose of this podcast is to cover real world uses for new social media in the ag industry,” said Gilbertie. “Ag Media Conversations will create a dialog among peers about how podcasting and other multi-media forms can be used – it’s a way to share and learn from others and utilizes the very technologies we will be discussing.”

Podcasts

Hondo Group WI Grand Opening Scheduled

Chuck Zimmerman

The Hondo GroupThe Hondo Group is getting ready to have a grand opening for their Darlington, WI office.

The grand opening is on May 1 and sounds like a fun party.

. . . we are a group of imaginative experts who provide innovative advertising, marketing and public relations services. So just imagine what type of party we can host!

Agencies

Leading The Charge To NAMA Convention

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-164 - NAMA Trade ShowIn just a few weeks we’ll be attending the 2008 National Agri-Marketing Conference and Trade Show. ZimmComm will have a booth there so stop by and see us. In this week’s program you can learn all about the trade show from committee Chair, Rosemary Schimek, Corporate Marketing Manager, Farm Progress Companies.

Rosemary says that this year’s trade show is the largest in years. If your company hasn’t pulled the trigger on joining then you still can. Listen to the program to find out how. You can also hear about the activities planned for the trade show this year. It’s got a western theme so there will be cutouts you can have your photo taken with as well as some kind of calf roping thing which ought to be fun to see after a few drinks.

This week’s program ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. It’s called “Charge” by a band called Seven Thousand Miles. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 164 (20 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:zimmcast164-3-25-08.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, NAMA, Publication, ZimmCast

You Might Touch Our iPod

Chuck Zimmerman

I've Been Blogged T'sSome of you AgWired NAMA-ites still have your “I’ve Been Blogged” t-shirts from the 2006 convention. They were a very popular item so we’re bringing them back this year.

Here’s a few of the ZimmComm girls modeling the shirts we’ll have at our NAMA trade show booth this year. To get one all you’ll have to do is stop by and see if you’ve been blogged on AgWired before. You’ll also get entered into our drawing for an iPod Touch. If you haven’t been blogged on AgWired before then your name will be added to a daily list and we’ll “blog” you and you’ll still be entered. The t-shirts will be limited to the first 200 people who stop by the booth so make sure you get there!

iPod touch The iPod touch is very cool.

It’s kind of like an iPhone without the phone part. You get all the features of an iPod with a big screen and the ability to connect to the internet via wi-fi.

Listen to your favorite music. Watch movies, iTunes movie rentals, and videos. Catch up on TV shows. Flick through photos. With iPod touch, you can bring it all along for the ride. Surf the web and send email while walking down the street. Get directions, check the weather, follow stocks, and more. With Wi-Fi, the Internet goes wherever you go.

So, plan to stop and see ZimmComm at the upcoming NAMA convention. Once again I’ll be your NAMA blogger, cross posting here and on the NAMA blog. This year the NAMA blog is being sponsored by Successful Farming.

NAMA