Country Music and Farming Just Go Together

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-123 - CMA Loves AgricultureI hope you enjoyed the posts from this past week of CMA Music Festival activity. I’ve got more for you when I find the editing time. I want to thank Gene Hemphill with New Holland for sponsoring my coverage of the event. I also want to make sure I mention and thank Holly Fritz, H.B. Fritz & Associates, Inc., because she and her husband John did a great job with logistics and making everything run smoothly.

CMA Music FestivalThis week on the ZimmCast I’ve got an interview with Paula Milton, CMA Director of Business Development. We talked about the whole idea of marketing country music and agriculture. With this being the second year of the New Holland sponsorship and the Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race I figured she would have made some evaluation of how the relationship is working. As you’ll hear her say, it’s not only positive but I think she’d like to see it continue to grow.

The program ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network and a band called 77 South. The song is “A Country Song.”

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 123 (16 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:

zimmcast123-6-11-07.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.

Agribusiness, Audio, New Holland, Tractor, ZimmCast

ARC Breakfast at AMS

Chuck Zimmerman

Agricultural Relations CouncilHello professional agricultural public relations people. If you’re going to be in Louisville for the Ag Media Summit (where all the cool people will be) then you need this on your calendar.

Mark your calendars now!

Agricultural Relations Council Breakfast at Ag Media Summit

Tuesday, July 31, 7 – 8:30 a.m., Marriott Louisville Downtown

Stay tuned for details.

Ag Media Summit, ARC

Weighing Worth

Laura McNamara

What's it Worth?When it comes to purchasing farming machinery and equipment, it just got a lot easier to shop around. Successful Farming, the nation’s leading agriculture magazine, has released a modern price guide for equipment manufactured from 1970 through the present. Successful Farming says “What’s it Worth?” is based on the magazine’s editorial expertise in machinery.

For years, Successful Farming readers have asked “What’s it worth?” Now they will know exactly what to ask for when selling or purchasing all types of agricultural and construction equipment. The one-of-a-kind guide compiles more than 14,000 actual sales prices from Greg “Machinery Pete” Peterson. Peterson also provides the reader knowledge to research accurate price points, identify realistic “asking” prices, determine assets when applying for a loan, establish depreciation schedules, and evaluate an estate. A bonus section provides a “how-to” guide for effectively buying and selling equipment.

“If you are planning on buying or selling used machinery in the future, you need the ‘What’s It Worth’ book,” says Dave Mowitz, Successful Farming Machinery Editor. “Knowing what comparable machinery has actually sold for allows you to confidently set a solid price for equipment you are buying or selling. This data is based on actual prices people have paid for machinery over the past year.”

Buy “What’s It Worth” in stores or at www.successfulfarmingbooks.com. Retailers may email diana.willits@meredith.com if they would like to carry the book in their retail locations.

Founded in 1902, Successful Farming was the first magazine published by Meredith Corporation and has a circulation of 440,000 and 1.1 million readers. Successful Farming is one of the most successful and recognizable brands in the Agricultural industry. Its Web site, Agriculture Online, established in 1995, was one of the first agricultural Web sites in America. It has since received the Jesse H. Neal Business Journalism Award for best Web site, was listed among BtoB magazine’s Media Power 50, and was named Best of the Web by Media Industry News.
In addition to the magazine and Web site, Successful Farming properties include the Successful Farming Radio Magazine®, Successful Farming Data Solutions, Market Research, and custom publishing.

Equipment

Learn About Jay Leno’s EcoJet from Bernard Juchli

Chuck Zimmerman

Bernard Juchli being interviewed by meThanks to John Herath, producer of AgriTalk for letting me do an interview with Jay Leno’s Garage Chief, Bernard Juchli today. John also edited it together for me and I think I need to take a lesson from him.

In this interview with Bernard you can learn all about the EcoJet car that’s been on display this weekend here at the CMA Music Festival New Holland tent. Jay just wanted a nice little jet engine powered car and with Bernard’s help and the help of companies like General Motors he got one.

Hopefully by the time you check this post the video will show up on YouTube. It’s been a little slow with the processing this afternoon and I’m tired of waiting so I’m posting it anyway. Bernard was one of the contestants in today’s Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race btw.

CMA Music Festival Photo Album

Biodiesel, New Holland

Michael Peterson Wraps Things Up

Chuck Zimmerman

Michael Peterson on TractorAt the end of today’s Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race the man took a turn on the course himself. Michael did great with a time of 52.8 seconds. However, that didn’t beat race winner Todd Fritsch’s time.

I did a wrapup interview with Michael which Todd joined in on. Michael says the estimate is up to about 1,500 people out here today and I think that’s pretty accurate. He really appreciates what New Holland is doing and his relationship with the company. Listen to Michael wrap things up in our interview: cma-07-peterson-wrapup.mp3

I’ve got some more interviews and some more video that I’ll post over the coming days. For now it’s time for me to wrap things up in Nashville and work on the next venue which will take place in Washington, DC.

CMA Music Festival Photo Album

Audio, New Holland, Tractor

Todd Fritsch Wins Celebrity Tractor Race

Chuck Zimmerman

Todd FritschThe winner of the Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race is Todd Fritsch. Amazingly Todd was the last contestant and he blew away the competition. I think his time was 52.6 seconds.

I met Todd last year and it appears that his career is doing well. He’s a country boy who plays country music. He was excited when I interviewed right after he won the race. Todd’s charity of choice is the Saddle Up program. So part of the proceeds from the auctioning off of this year’s tractor will go to it. You can hear him talk about it in the interview I did with him: cma-07-fritsch.mp3

CMA Music Festival Photo Album

Audio, New Holland

Rachael Baribeau Competes in Tractor Race

Chuck Zimmerman

Michael Peterson and Rachael BaribeauOne of the contestants out here at the Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race is Rachael Baribeau. She’s an ESPN host of their “In The Zone” program.

Rachael says she’s never been on a tractor like the one used for the competition here today (New Holland Boomer). I think she did really well considering. Right before we got started I did a short interview with her. Like everyone I spoke with today, she really supports what Michael and New Holland are doing especially when it comes to promoting biodiesel. You can listen to my interview with her here: cma-07-baribeau.mp3

If you’d like to see Rachael’s competition run then just check her out on YouTube. (Give it a few minutes if it doesn’t show up right away)

CMA Music Festival Photo Album

Audio, Biodiesel, New Holland, Video

Michael Peterson Starts The Racing Action

Chuck Zimmerman

Michael got things started this afternoon at his 2nd Annual Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race. I have the start of it on video for you. (If it doesn’t play for you then check back in a few minutes since it’s stil processing on YouTube)

In the video you’ll see the tractor that all the contestants will sign after they race. It’s showing the course to demonstrate for everyone so they can see what they need to do.

Dont forget to check out the photo album.

CMA Music Festival Photo Album

New Holland

Celebrity Tractor Race Crowd Heats Up

Chuck Zimmerman

Tractor Race CrowdI don’t know what the temperature is out here today at the Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race but it hasn’t killed the enthusiasm of this crowd. They are into this event.

We’re just having a great time watching these celebrities compete. It’s all for a good cause as this year’s tractor that they’re all signing will be auctioned off and the proceeds will go to FFA and the charity of the winner’s choice.

I’ve got video and audio to edit and post for you later on today but out here at the race just isn’t the best place to try to do it.

CMA Music Festival Photo Album

New Holland

The Celebrity Tractor Race is On

Chuck Zimmerman

Lee BriceThe first driver in the Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race was Lee Brice. He set a pretty high standard.

His time however has been beat and the current leader is A. J. Clark with a time of 53.8 seconds.

I don’t think we’ll have a crowd count but it looks to me like we’ve got twice as many people out here today as last year. If this thing gets any bigger we might have to move to L.P. Field next year!

CMA Music Festival Photo Album

New Holland