Laura McNamara Contributing to AgWired

Chuck Zimmerman

Laura McNamaraHello AgWired fans. In order to keep you even more up to date on what’s new in agribusiness we’d like to welcome Laura McNamara as a contributing editor. Laura is helping me here in Indianapolis this week covering ethanol related activities including the 91st Indy 500 this Sunday. She’s also helping me with posts on our Domestic Fuel website. We spent the day at a local pump promotion and I’ll have some more on that for you by tomorrow.

Let me tell you a little bit about Laura. She spent the last nine months covering Missouri state politics for a statewide radio network, The Missourinet. Before working there she spent last summer working in Rome, where she mostly covered news from the Vatican. She did work for the television news agency, RomeReports. Laura earned her broadcast journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. While a student, Laura also worked as a Laura McNamaratelevision reporter and fill-in anchor for KOMU NewsChannel 8 in Columbia and as a radio reporter for Missouri Digital News out of the Capitol in Jefferson City.

Laura’s involved in an interview session with Indy Car driver Sarah Fisher (right) at the pump promotion today in this picture. Yes, she’s using the golden ZimmComm microphone!

Laura wants to expand her reporting experience by covering events all over the world and we’re happy to be working with her. She’s going to be helping me post regular news items on AgWired and with coverage of certain events. You can feel free to send her your announcements as well as to me.

While we’re working together here in Indy you can find a selection of our photos in an online photo album:

2007 Indy 500 Photo Album

Uncategorized

Feed and a Degree on the ZimmCast

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast-120 - Feed and DegreeThis week’s program contains interviews with Alltech founder, Dr. Pearse Lyons and Owen Roberts, University of Guelph. You can also hear a song from Jen Elliott and Bluestruck called “Curse on You” from the Podsafe Music Network.

Dr. Pearse Lyons founded Alltech in 1980 and his company has grown into an international agribusiness. Each year he holds a Symposium for his customers from around the world. While there this week I interviewed him about how he started his company and what he thinks about the whole food/feed vs. fuel situation. I think you’ll find that he’s looking for ways to assist all parties so that we not only continue to feed the world but also develop new energy sources that are more environmentally friendly.

Owen Roberts talks about the new online graduate degree program in agricultural communications that will start this fall at the University of Guelph, Ontario. Owen is an IFAJ board member who was attending their board meeting being held in conjunction with the Alltech Symposium.

You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 120 (15 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:

zimmcast120-5-22-07.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, IFAJ, International, ZimmCast

Meyocks Team Grows

Chuck Zimmerman

Kristin OelmannThe Meyocks Group has added two new team members and the president is pleased.

Kristin Oelmann joins the agency as an account coordinator. Previously she was a marketing coordinator with Iowa Realty/First Realty GMAC in West Des Moines.

A native of Ackley, Iowa, Oelmann earned a bachelor’s degree in communication arts at Wartburg College in 2006.

Angel ModtlandAngel Modtland, a former agency intern, joins as an art director. Modtland is from Webster City.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic design at Iowa State University this year.

“We’re pleased to enhance our client services by adding the talents and enthusiasm of both Kristin and Angel,” said Craig Clasen, agency president.

Agencies

Indy Race Week Is Here

Chuck Zimmerman

2007 Indy Ethanol SummitI sure hope you’re not getting tired of hearing about where I’m going next. This time it’s another ethanol related adventure in Indianapolis. It’s race week folks and that means working with the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council once again. I’m heading east today and there are activities scheduled through race time on Sunday.

For example, on Thursday, we’re going to have the Ethanol Summit at the race track.

Learn more about the benefits of Ethanol and its use as the official fuel in this year’s 91st Running of the Indianapolis 500. A variety of ethanol industry leaders will be on hand to speak about a wide range of ethanol issues, from performance, environmental and economic benefits, to E85 initiatives, growing consumer demand and the renaissance of rural America. Speakers include:

Jeff Simmons # 17 Team Ethanol Driver
Will Steger, Will Steger Foundation
Tom Slunecka, Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC)
Terry Angstadt, President IndyCar Series
Jim Gentry, Gas America
Thomas Dorr, Under Secretary for Rural Development
Dave Vander Griend, ICM, Inc.

We’re going to have all the sights and sounds we can post here and on Domestic Fuel. I say “we” because I’ll have help. More on that later.

Ethanol, Indy Racing

DTN Acquires Quickfarm

Chuck Zimmerman

Quick FarmAccording to a letter I just received from DTN the company has acquired all the assets of QuickFarm effective May 14.

It looks like this means that all Quickfarm customers now have access to a lot more information and services.

With the acquisition, customers now have access to the full suite of DTN agribusiness tools and services including DTN AgHost™, DTN Marketer™, and DTN Grain Trading Portal™. The products are designed to help agribusinesses enhance communications with customers and prospects in order to drive sales. In addition, DTN also provides real-time commodity and futures information, in-depth market analysis and real-time, localized weather information.

Agribusiness

Celebrity Signed Tractor Online Auction

Chuck Zimmerman

New Holland Celebrity Signed TractorLast year I covered the Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race at the CMA Music Festival and now the tractor that was signed by the racing celebrities is up for auction online. It will end just in time for us to do it again this year!

Proceeds from the auction will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Habitat for Humanity, the charity selected by 2006 Celebrity Tractor Race winner, country music artist Wade Hayes, who also autographed the tractor.

“Probably the most noted autograph on it was Tanya Tucker,” said Gene Hemphill, New Holland Industry Affairs Manager. “It will be up for auction until midnight June 9, which is the night before the 2007 Celebrity Tractor Race.” celebrity-tractor-hemphill.mp3

Other celebrity autographs include country music artist Michael Peterson, who organized the charity event that bears his name. Peterson is best known for his hits “Drink, Swear, Steal and Lie,” and “From Here to Eternity.”

“This is truly a one-of-a-kind collectible,” said Peterson. “Not only is it a collectible, but its also a contribution to Habitat for Humanity and St. Jude Children’s Hospital.” celebrity-tractor-peterson.mp3

Bids can be placed at www.newholland.com/na/tractorauction. The site also offers information on the autographed tractor’s specification and the celebrities who competed in the 2006 race. Financial transactions will be conducted offline with the highest bidder, who will be identified after the auction closes and results are verified. Bids will be accepted on the Web site until midnight EDT on Saturday, June 9, 2007.

New Holland, Tractor

Opening Session at Alltech Symposium

Chuck Zimmerman

Alltech Symposium - Karl DawsonAlltech’s Director of Research, Karl Dawson just got things started at the opening session here at the Symposium. He introduced the mayor of Lexington, Jim Newberry who gave us a very thorough overview of the city and it’s business structure.

Unfortunately I have to go. Right now Dr. Pearse Lyons is on stage giving the opening address. He’s talking about the global need to feed the world while meeting energy needs and consumer demands. The opening video showed some of the ways Alltech is working to address these things.

Well it’s time to hit the road. See you later.

Alltech 2007 International Feed Industry Symposium Photo Album

Agribusiness, IFAJ

Alltech Fun Run

Chuck Zimmerman

Fun Run WinnerThe Fun Run is done. A lot of people showed up at Transylvania University this morning for the Alltech Fun Run. We did about almost 2 miles around the campus. Here’s Alltech founder Dr. Pearse Lyons with the women’s competition winner. I’ve got a few more pictures in the photo album. These are from my phone.

Today the program really gets started with the opening session in just a couple hours. I’ll make it to that session before leaving and heading back home. Maybe next year Alltech will have me back to attend the full conference.

So have a great morning if I don’t get more posted before leaving and stay AgWired!

Alltech 2007 International Feed Industry Symposium Photo Album

Agribusiness, IFAJ

Everett McCorvey Sings My Old Kentucky Home

Chuck Zimmerman

Aoife Lyons and Everett McCorveyAlltech founder Dr. Pearse Lyons calls him the greatest voice in Kentucky. He’s Everett McCorvey, Alumni Association Endowed Professor of Voice, Director of Opera, University of Kentucky. He performed on stage tonight at our International Dinner. Playing Violin with him is Dr. Lyons’ daughter Aoife. Not pictured but playing piano was Tedrin Lindsay.

The first selection he sang for us was My Old Kentucky Home, a traditional favorite. I recorded it off to the side of the stage and I think it came out pretty good so you can listen to it here: alltech-symposium-07-song.mp3

Alltech 2007 International Feed Industry Symposium Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, IFAJ

Blogging About Blogging

Chuck Zimmerman

Me Teaching BloggingOne of the IFAJ members took my picture this morning while I was doing my agriblogging and farm podcasting presentation. I’ll have to get his card so I can let you know who. Another member thinks it’s funny that I blog about me blogging.

It was a good session with lots of questions about things like how I promote my blogs to drive traffic, how do I exercise editorial control, how do I make money doing this? I saw a lot of note taking so I’m hoping to see some farm news blogs showing up around the world very soon.

The IFAJ board should be finishing up their meeting shortly and then it’s time to go to the international reception and dinner. I slipped out of the board meeting since I’m not on it and did a little downtown run in preparation for tomorrow morning’s Alltech Fun Run. I guess they’ve always had a run at the Symposium and I’m going to do it before heading back out on the highway.

Alltech 2007 International Feed Industry Symposium Photo Album

Agribusiness, IFAJ