Where Is My Mediacom?

Chuck Zimmerman November 28, 2006

I don’t mean to complain but actually I really do. Since about 8:30am today our primary internet access has been down. We use the local cable company, Mediacom. I’ve spoken with their business account support staff at least 6 times. For half the day the reason was a loss of power from the utility company to their equipment.

The logical question was, “Do you have backup power?” They said they have generators but apparently weren’t using them. That’s not good. If you’re going to have business level accounts like ours you might want to consider that electricity is important!

Since then the reason has been that we’ve got line problems such as a low signal to noise ratio and major “packet loss.” I can’t believe we’re losing packets. Sounds bad. I’ve been promised a technician on the spot for the last 4 hours. It’s not looking promising.

So I’ve put in some serious work on my Sprint PCS card today. That’s my backup. I just wish the local Sprint had their EV-DO but it has allowed us to get our client work done. It’s just cut into my posting time in a major way.

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest and expect more AgWired news soon.

They did say they’d pro-rate my service this month by a day. Ain’t that nice?

Uncategorized

Interactive Media Producer

Chuck Zimmerman November 28, 2006

Here’s a new communications title I haven’t seen before. Interactive media producer. This new media world is spawning a lot of uh, new things. It looks like Successful Farming is gearing up to move further ahead into this online world we live in. Kudos! It will be interesting to see some of Jason’s product.

Jason Meeker recently joined the staff of Successful Farming magazine’s Agriculture Online Web site, assuming the new position of Interactive Media Producer. Meeker previously was employed as Television and Multimedia Producer at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He has experience in production of video, Web content, podcasts, and other multimedia. He has a B.A. in broadcasting/business from the University of Northern Iowa and an MBA from the Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University. Meeker has ten years of experience in video production and six years of Web content production.

Media, Publication

Blog Posts On Google News Searches

Chuck Zimmerman November 27, 2006

I know a lot of people who use Google Alerts. Here’s one I got this evening that I’ve had for a long time for the keyword “dairy.” I’ve been hearing about how Google is adding blog results and just started seeing them recently.

So how cool is it when your own blog shows up in your Google News Alert? This one contains a link to this post on World Dairy Diary.

Now the question might be, “What if I don’t use the alerts?” Well, I just went to Google and typed in the keyword “dairy” and clicked on News. It brings up the traditional news article links but at the bottom of the page is a choice to “Search blogs” and my post is the 4th result on the first page!

Of course if farmers don’t Google then I assume you really don’t care about this. . .

Uncategorized

I Want To WOMMA

Chuck Zimmerman November 27, 2006

I know this isn’t a “farm” program but . . . it sure sounds like a good one that I’d like to find a way to get to. I’m not sure how that’s going to happen though. We’ll see.

If you’re involved in agricultural marketing today you just can’t ignore these types of professional improvement opportunities. Do you think you know all there is to know about using new media tools like blogging? Do you have a blog? If you don’t then how do you know what it can do or how to apply it to your company or clients?

One way might be to attend a conference like this one. It’s the Word of Mouth Marketing Association’s annual event called the Word of Mouth Marketing Summit & Research Symposium. This is where you can learn all about WOM, Viral, Buzz & Blogs.

It takes place December 11-13 in Washington, DC. Here’s where you can register.

Uncategorized

More Trees For Troops

Chuck Zimmerman November 27, 2006

It’s time once again for the Trees for Troops program to get in high gear. Trees are already on their way to our troops overseas. They’ll also be delivered to troops stationed here at home over the next couple weeks.

For the second consecutive year, the Trees for Troops program will deliver Real Christmas Trees to the families of troops serving in the military. Christmas Tree growers and retailers nationwide are donating the trees for the program, which is sponsored by the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and FedEx Corp. This holiday season, Trees for Troops is expected to collect and deliver more than 11,000 Real Christmas Trees from 27 states to military families across the United States, as well as to soldiers serving overseas.

“Our military and their families have been providing a real service to our country,” says Beth Walterscheidt, president of the National Christmas Tree Association and a Christmas Tree farmer from Elgin, Texas. “And, as Christmas Tree farmers, we want them to be able to experience a traditional Christmas with a Real Tree.”

Nigel Manley, Chairman of the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation explains why the program was developed. trees-for-troops.mp3

Ag Groups, Audio

Say No To Rusty Beans

Chuck Zimmerman November 27, 2006

Here’s a reminder about the 2006 Soybean Rust Symposium which is going to take place this week in St. Louis, MO on Wednesday and Thursday. Judging by their website, The American Phytopathological Society has just about everyone involved as a sponsor.

This symposium will to bring together relevant sectors of the soybean community to review the soybean rust situation in 2006, discuss what has been learned through research and experience over the past few years, and provide a forum for networking and visioning. In addition to poster presentations, the symposium will offer a technical program with interactive sessions on:

· Biology of Soybean Rust
· Economics & Policy
· Epidemiology
· Host Response
· Application technology
· Disease assessment
· Forecasting
· Monitoring
· Control

USDA Under Secretary Dr. Gale Buchanan will present the opening remarks when the technical program begins at 8 a.m. Central Time on November 30. The technical program ends at noon on December 1. The full program can be found at www.apsnet.org/online/sbr.

The program will take place at the Adam’s Mark Hotel.

Ag Groups, Soybean

Pioneer Announces Shipments of Bio-PDO

Chuck Zimmerman November 27, 2006

If you had asked me a week ago what Bio-PDO is I wouldn’t have a clue. However, after helping distribute a news release for Pioneer this morning I now know that it’s a bio product made from corn and like a lot of biotechnology, it’s helping us reduce our dependence on oil while helping American farmers.

Commercial production of Bio-PDO™ from corn sugar is a significant milestone for agriculture and for Pioneer Hi-Bred International, according to company officials. Pioneer is a subsidiary of DuPont which today announced DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, LLC, an equally-owned joint venture of DuPont and Tate & Lyle, the first commercial shipments of Bio-PDO™, from its $100 million facility here in Eastern Tennessee.. According to Pioneer President Dean Oestreich (oos-trick), Bio-PDO™ is a totally new corn-based product that can be used to make a variety of consumer products replacing petroleum-based propanediol. pioneer-oestreich-1.mp3

Agribusiness, Audio, Biotech, Corn

PERC Yourself Up

Chuck Zimmerman November 27, 2006

It’s back to work after a very nice Thanksgiving weekend. So let’s jump right into it with this week’s program. One of the interviews I did at the recent NAFB Convention was with Mark Leitman, Director, Agriculture Programs, Propane Education & Research Council (PERC). Thanks to Sarah Robinett, Osborn & Barr Communications for helping set me up!

There’s a lot of familiarity with checkoff programs like beef or pork but not as much with some others. PERC is funded through a federally mandated law which provides some significant funding which is used for research and promotion programs. I interviewed Mark to learn more about how his organization is structured and what they do with all that money.

Mark says the PERC is celebrating 10 years since it was signed into law. Mark says that they just completed a return on investment study that shows that even with the challenges facing the energy industry the propane checkoff is providing a very positive return to the dollars invested. He also pointed out that unlike other ag-related checkoff programs that are administered by USDA, PERC is administered by the Department of Energy.

One of the cool things that PERC did this year was experiment with podcasting. Mark says they feel like the podcast series they did worked well and that they’re looking into more uses of new media in getting their message out to the consuming public, which includes farmers since they have programs targeted to agriculture. mark-leitman.mp3

Download this week’s program: ZimmCast 95 (10 min MP3)

Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:

zimmcast95-11-27-06.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.

Ag Groups, Audio, ZimmCast

All I Want For Christmas

Chuck Zimmerman November 26, 2006

I hope you’ve had a very relaxing Thanksgiving weekend. It has been an unbelievable warm weekend here in Missouri. So today it was time for a Katy Trail bike ride wearing these, connected to this, and listening to a little bit of this and this.

I know the pace is going to pick back up starting tomorrow so after this post I’m going to go sit down with my book and do nothing for a while until it’s time to heat up leftovers.

So what is on your Christmas list? Have you even thought about it yet? I’ve been asked so I thought of a couple things like one of these. Cindy told me not to even think about wanting one of these. One of the things I’d like is someone to teach me how to use my video editing software. I’d also be interested in upgrading to one of these if things work out.

So there you have it. Now you know what I want. How about you?

Uncategorized

Going to Blog Green Week

Chuck Zimmerman November 25, 2006

It’s been a very nice Thanksgiving weekend so far. I’ve been playing catch up on a lot of things that were on hold with all the travel of the past several weeks.

Looking ahead we’re getting near farm convention time. A lot of state organizations are holding their annual meetings in December. I’m hoping you’ll let me know about them and how they’re promoting them so I can pass it along.

Looking beyond local, there’s a lot coming up after the first of the year. One of the meetings I’ll be going to in January is the International Green Week or Gruenewoche, which is held in Berlin, Germany. I attended a number of years ago and this is going to be fun to blog. I’m going to represent the AAEA at the IFAJ meeting which is held there each year. It’s a one day meeting but I’m going to stay for several days so you can get all the flavor of a world class food show.

If you’re interested in sponsoring my coverage of this event please give me a call. Your brand would be associated with all the coverage of this annual event and show how much you support the AgWired community in all of its diverse elements!

Farm Shows, International

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