The Badger chapter of the National Agri-Marketing Association held a meeting here at Expo and members from other chapters around the country were invited to attend.
It provided a great opportunity for networking and we had a program too. On hand was Leigh Rubin, syndicated comic artist.
We were welcomed by chapter President, Betsy Francoeur, Bader Rutter.
Afterward some of us also attended the annual Fabulous Farm Babe party. I didn’t take many pics but there are a couple in the photo album.
American farmers and ranchers who not only dedicate their lives to their craft, but who also play vital parts in furthering the U.S.’s developing agriculture industry will again be featured on T.V. for the third season of America’s Heartland. The weekly public television series has just launched its third season of programming, highlighting key contributions from the people who make up the heart of American agriculture.
Twenty-two new half-hour segments will be featured in the magazine-style program this year. By the middle of the third season, America’s Heartland will have profiled unforgettable people, places and products of U.S. agriculture in all 50 states.
Season 3 segments include stories about five members of a hard-working North Dakota ranch family located in a remote corner of the state; a young Kansas farmer who’s laboring to keep his family’s farm going; a Las Vegas casino buffet operation that illustrates the farm-to-consumer connection on a very large scale; and an Anchorage, Alaska innovator who figures out something profitable to do with the scraps from the state’s salmon industry.
The program is made possible with funding from the series’ two flagship supporters – Monsanto Company and the American Farm Bureau Federation. The series also receives support from the American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council, United Soybean Board, the National FFA Organization, the U.S. Grains Council and National Association of Wheat Growers.
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The American Agricultural Editors’ Association and Livestock Publications Council are pleased to host the latest Midwest Regional Design & Writing Workshop. The Nuts & Bolts of Ag Communication will be held April 10, 2008 at Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., Johnston, Iowa. Be a part of the design and writing tune-up! For more information, contact: Diane Johnson (LPC) at dianej@flash.net or Den Gardner (AAEA) at ageditors@aol.com.
The Livestock Publications Council met for breakfast with the Dairy Woman of the Year, Deborah Lee Reinhart, a producer from New Holstein, Wisconsin. She’s pictured third from the left in the front row
Diane Johnson, LPC Executive Director gave us an update on some of the regional workshops as well as the Gala Banquet at the American Royal in a few weeks. Then we heard from Deb about her award which she received last night.
Listen to the “Milking Parlor” podcast with Deb here: 
Interview with Deb Reinhart (MP3)
To subscribe to the Milking Parlor podcast, here are some instructions.
I’m not the only farm podcaster here at World Dairy Expo.
You can find DairyCast on display in the main exhibit hall building. If you’re feeling all stressed out then you should stop by for a stress release cow.
Host Ned Arthur is wandering around recording sessions and interviews for current and upcoming episodes of the program. I’m sure the folks at Truffle Media Networks are still getting questions from agricultural marketers who wonder if “anyone is listening.” I know I am. Well, while they’re wondering we’re out and about creating the web-delivered content that is fueling the new media phenomenon in our industry. By the way, yes producers are listening. We’re out here talking to them and that’s what they’re saying.
Osborn & Barr is now the marketing firm of choice for Becker Underwood. The global leader in bio-agronomic development has named Osborn & Barr its agency of record.
“When we initiated the search for a new agency of record, it was very important to select an agency with a winning track record of effective brand management and marketing communications within the agricultural market,” said Paul Holliday, Becker Underwood, Business Unit Head – Inoculants. “After a thorough search and analysis, we selected Osborn & Barr because of the agency’s in-depth knowledge and understanding of the agricultural market and their tremendous success in representing some of the most widely recognized brands in the industry.”
Osborn & Barr’s expertise will assist in increasing awareness of the innovative solutions Becker Underwood’s products offer the agriculture market. “Becker Underwood’s objective is to grow market share and build brand awareness among growers and retailers in both the United
States and Canada,” said Steve Barr, chief executive officer of Osborn & Barr. “Osborn & Barr will partner with Becker Underwood to develop and implement initiatives that fulfill the company’s goals.”
Becker Underwood, headquartered in Ames, Iowa, employs approximately 317 employees globally. For more than two decades, the company has provided unique and valuable products for niche markets in 60 countries, including agriculture, turf and landscaping, horticulture, and lawn and garden. Becker Underwood strives to develop new technologies and products through continuous scientific research that naturally improve customers’ end products, whether it’s higher crop yields or a more visually appealing golf course.
This morning at World Dairy Expo a producer-led coalition of dairy groups and companies announced the National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative. They’re proposing dairy animal well-being guidelines and principles. The effort held a press conference with several speakers.
One of the groups participating in the effort is the National Milk Producers Federation. I spoke with their Senior Vice President of Communications, Chris Galen (not pictured) about what his organization is doing and specifically about this new animal well-being initiative. He says that it would be naive to think that the animal rights activists (whackos would be my term to describe them) will ignore dairy since they’ve been so much on the attack of poultry and pork. The initiative effort he says puts the dairy industry on the offense in addressing the concerns that these well funded groups have on consumers.
Listen to the “Milking Parlor” podcast with Chris here: milking-parlor-10.mp3
To subscribe to the Milking Parlor podcast, here are some instructions.
Just in case you’ve been wondering who the “Melissa” is that’s been posting our Zimfo Bites, it’s Melissa Sandfort. Melissa has just accepted a job with the Cattlemen’s Beef Board as their Trade Media Manager. We want to congratulate her on that and tell her boss, Tom Ramey, CBB CEO, that he’s got a good one. In fact, I just interviewed Tom here at World Dairy Expo for our Milking Parlor podcast on World Dairy Diary.
Melissa has been working for BCS Communications and has a background in not only the agency business but in the dairy industry too when she worked for the Dairy Farmers of America.
We’re thrilled to have Melissa working with us as a contributor and in her new role with the CBB, one of our clients too! Hopefully she’ll get a little time to relax before jumping into her new job on the CBB producer communications team.
In case you’d like a little more dairy news today I thought you might enjoy this. A quiet place to get away from the crowd at World Dairy Expo is the Charleston|Orwig suite in the Coliseum where they hold meetings and entertain clients.
Since Charleston|Orwig is one of our sponsors for coverage of World Dairy Expo this year, I did a “Milking Parlor” podcast with Mike Opperman, account supervisor. It was through the agency’s inquiries that we decided to start the Milking Parlor as a regular feature on World Dairy Diary, and for Charleston|Orwig, it is a way to help them demonstrate to their clients the potential for new media.
Listen to our “Milking Parlor” podcast with Mike here: Interview with Mike Opperman (MP3)
You can also watch the video here:
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It’s been a busy morning of interviews here at World Dairy Expo. Cindy and I are now editing away here in the media room. We’re shooting interviews on video from which we can take the audio so we can feed the Milking Parlor Podcast and post. An example is my interview this morning with Jerry Weigel, who represents our sponsor, BASF Plant Science – NutriDense.
Jerry says that besides talking with producers about NutriDense which is a nutritionally-enhanced corn that contains a stacked set of output traits, they’ve got some incentives for those that stop by their booth.
One of those includes a free world famous grilled cheese sandwich and a milk shake. So, you can watch the video or listen to the interview:
Listen to interview with Jerry here: Interview with Jerry Weigel (MP3)
And of course we’ve got a photo album going which is feeding the Zimmages here on the AgWired homepage or available from the following link.
I’m here through the end of the show on Saturday so keep an eye out for the latest on what’s going on in dairy here and on World Dairy Diary.
World Dairy Diary coverage of World Dairy Expo is sponsored by: , , .
