SRA Doing Comm Work For Ferry-Morse

Chuck Zimmerman

Swanson Russell AssociatesSwanson Russell Associates will be providing communications services for Ferry-Morse Seed Company (I love their slogan, “The hand that seeds the world”). That’s a division of Jiffy of the America’s, Inc.

Preceding the U.S. Department of Agriculture by almost 30 years, Ferry-Morse began selling its quality garden seeds in 1856. Today, Ferry-Morse, which is based in Fulton, Ky., and distributes home-garden flower, herb and vegetable seed packets, packaged lawn seed and Jiffy seed-starter products to retailers across North America. SRA’s Lincoln office will focus on literature and brand development for Ferry-Morse.

“Swanson Russell Associates is pleased to work with such a respected and distinguished company as Ferry-Morse Seed Company,” said Dave Hansen, SRA managing director. “Working with a company that has over a century-and-a-half of experience is an honor and we are excited to provide our communications expertise to broaden Ferry-Morse’s brand.” Read More

Agencies, Agribusiness

ZimmCast Gets You Jazzed About NAMA

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast65 - NAMA Convention WeekIt’s NAMA Convention week on AgWired and this week’s ZimmCast will help get you jazzed about it. Before getting into that though I review my BIO 2006 convention coverage and talk about the current state of the blogosphere.

You can listen to this week’s program here: Listent To ZimmCast ZimmCast 65 (8 min 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, Podcasts, ZimmCast

Farm Leader Now Farm Podcaster

Chuck Zimmerman

Dean KlecknerWhen your farmer board members tell you to podcast, you podcast. That’s what Dean Kleckner, Truth About Trade & Technology is doing. Dean is the former president of the American Farm Bureau Federation and a farmer from Iowa. We brought his podcast to your attention recently and at the BIO 2006 Convention I got to ask him about it. You can hear his answer here: Listen To MP3 Kleckner Soundbite (30 sec MP3)

Besides having farmers tell him to podcast Kleckner says, “It’s the wave of the future that’s here today. So that us farmers, when we’re in our tractor, combine, pickup, we can listen to what’s going on in the world.”

Kleckner was at BIO 2006 to talk about how much biotech crop acreage has grown in a decade. We talked next to the indoor corn field where his organization had their acreage counter on display. You can listen to the full interview with him here: Listen To MP3 Kleckner Interview (5 min MP3)

AgWired coverage of BIO 2006 is made possible by: Rhea & Kaiser Marketing Communications

Audio, Biotech, Podcasts

Standard Convention Communications

Chuck Zimmerman

IABC 2006 International ConferenceHere’s some business communicators who are using the new media tools. They’re the International Association of Business Communicators. Their annual convention is coming up in Vancouver, British Columbia. Can’t make it? Me either.

But you can keep up on it with:

IABC 2006 Convention Blog: In Session

IABC 2006 Convention Podcast: ConferenceCast

Podcasts

Puerto Rico Governor Wins BIO Award

Chuck Zimmerman

Governor of Puerto RicoDuring BIO 2006, Puerto Rico Gov. Aníbal Acevedo-Vilá (pictured) was named BIO “Governor of the Year.” I missed him and the reception to honor him but caught up with his Secretary of Economic Development, Jorge P. Silva-Puras.

In my interview with him he talks about how important the agricultural biotechnology business is to Puerto Rico. One of the reasons is the climate which is very friendly to year-round crop testing. You can listen to my interview with Jorge here: Listen To MP3 Jorge Silva Interview (3 min MP3)

I interviewed Jorge during the Puerto Rico pavilion trade show reception. You can see and hear the celebration here: : Watch WMV file Puerto Rico Reception (1 min wmv)

AgWired coverage of BIO 2006 is made possible by: Rhea & Kaiser Marketing Communications

Audio, Video

Canada’s Trade with Mexico increases under NAFTA

Chuck Zimmerman

Harry SiemensTrade between Canada and Mexico has increased significantly since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the United States (US), Canada and Mexico in 1994.

Mexico has become Canada’s fourth largest agriculture and agri-food export market and Canada is now the third largest market for Mexico exports. For 2004-2005, Canadian agri-food exports to Mexico were $995 million versus imports from Mexico of $635 million. According to the Bi-weekly Bulletin of Ag Canada, Mexico has the sixth largest agricultural sector in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which it joined in 1994. Corn and beef are its main agricultural commodities. Primary agriculture still accounts for 6 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), compared to 2 percent in Canada and the US. More importantly, the agricultural sector employs 19 percent of the work force compared to 5 percent in Canada and 3 percent in the US.Read More

International

John Deer Toy Tractor Contest

Chuck Zimmerman

Toy DeereAre you a toy tractor fan? If so, the Deere Gear Store is running a contest to give away a John Deere toy of your dreams each week for 4 weeks. It’s the “John Deere Toy Tractor a Week Contest.” You can enter every week for 4 Weeks.

Visit here to enter.

The contest is being sponsored by Retired Tractors. The first winner will be announced on Friday, April 21.

Agribusiness, International

BIO 2006 Photo Album

Chuck Zimmerman

BIO Career FairIt’s Good Friday and not a day to do a lot of posting so I’m only going to provide you with my Photo Album from the BIO 2006 Convention. I didn’t get to go to the Career Fair but I found this picture from the BIO website.

Have a very enjoyable Easter weekend.

You can find the online Flickr photo album here: Bio 2006 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of BIO 2006 is made possible by: Rhea & Kaiser Marketing Communications

Biotech

Blog, Podcast and RSS Advertising Outlook

Chuck Zimmerman

PQ Media ReportThere’s some interesting new research out about how advertising on new media outlets is growing. This one comes from PQ Media. You can see an executive summary of the report and even listen (MP3) to it. Some of the report highlights are:

The culmination of six months of primary research, this report found that blog, podcast and RSS advertising are the fastest growing segments of the alternative media industry. These segments, known as user-generated online media, expanded at an aggregate 198.4% to $20.4 million in 2005, and are expected to grow another 144.9% to $49.8 million in 2006.

  • Blog advertising accounted for 81.4%, or $16.6 million, of total spending on blog, podcast and RSS advertising in 2005, but will comprise only 39.7% of the total in 2010.
  • Podcast advertising, meanwhile, reached $3.1 million in 2005, and is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 154.4% from 2006 to 2010, when it will be larger than blog advertising.
  • RSS advertising, non-existent until mid-2005, generated spending of $650,000 in 2005, but will be the fastest growing segment over the next five years.

    • (Full Release)

    Audio, Podcasts

    Closing Reception Band

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Reception BandIowa was the sponsoring state for the closing reception. They hired a great band to play on the main stage.

    In another area karaoke was going on and there was casino action in the upper levels of the theater.

    You can hear and see the band here: : Watch WMV file Closing Reception Band (1 min wmv)

    AgWired coverage of BIO 2006 is made possible by: Rhea & Kaiser Marketing Communications

    Video