New Homestead Feeds Website

Chuck Zimmerman

Hubbard's HomesteadIt looks like Hubbard Feeds has a new website.

This website is intended as a comprehensive resource for the niche pork or beef producer who doesn’t want to use antibiotics or rendered animal proteins in their feeds. “The new site will offer a broad range of product information for the enterprising producer that is taking advantage of key niche markets and developing alternatives to the traditional commodity system of selling pork and beef,” says Dr. Robert Musser, head of the Hubbard Feeds swine nutrition team. Homesteadfeeds.com offers product information for every segment of pork and beef production as well as background information on Opticare products.

“ The new Homestead website reflects our continued commitment to offer our customers a wide range of nutrition products that deliver performance including complete feeds, concentrates, basemixes and premixes,” said Musser. “Niche value-added pork and beef production is growing and consumers are looking for more products that are perceived as more wholesome. We decided to create a specific feeding program that helps the producer raise and feed livestock under the strict growing guidelines of niche markets.”

Agribusiness, Internet

FEMA Past President

Chuck Zimmerman

FEMA ConventionI finally caught up with Jim Wessing, Kondex Corporation this afternoon after our session.

Jim is the immediate past president now of the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association. I spoke with him about what FEMA is and what benefits it offers its members. There’s a lot of work this very small staff does out of St. Louis!

Jim said that in the last year the organization has added 84 new member companies and that 31 of them had representatives here at the convention.

Listen to my interview with Jim: fema-06-wessing.mp3

Ag Groups, Audio, Equipment

Connect With Your End User

Chuck Zimmerman

FEMA ConventionThe guy who really got the panel put together here at the FEMA convention today was Connor Flynn, Lessing-Flynn.

Connor was our emcee but started out talking about how flat marketing communications has become.

He stressed the need for companies to connect directly with their customer base.

Listen to my interview with Connor: fema-06-flynn.mp3

Here’s Connor’s PowerPoint presentation.

Ag Groups, Audio, Equipment

Your Website Should Make Sales

Chuck Zimmerman

FEMA ConventionAnother of my fellow panelists this afternoon was Dale Bentlage, Global Reach.

Dale talked about having a well-planned web strategy for your company.

He told our audience how important a company website can be in generating sales.

Listen to Dale’s summary of his presentation: fema-06-bentlage.mp3

Dale sent in his PowerPoint presentation. You can access his slides here: Dale Bentlage Presentation

Ag Groups, Audio, Equipment

Who Are Your Customers

Chuck Zimmerman

FEMA ConventionOn our panel this afternoon here at the FEMA convention was Joe Baitinger, FarmMarketiD.

Joe was here to talk about database marketing. He talked about the importance of developing your customer database and using it. Too often companies tend to collect data and let it sit unused. I like the way he called it a perishable commodity. What good is having thousands of prospective client contacts if you don’t use them. Joe talks about how important it is to know who your customers are in a very segmented industry.

Listen to Joe’s summary of his presentation: fema-06-baitinger.mp3

Joe sent in his PowerPoint presentation. You can access his slides here: Joe Baitinger Presentation

Ag Groups, Audio, Equipment

Your Agriblogger At Work

Chuck Zimmerman

FEMA ConventionWhile I was presenting today Connor Flynn got a picture.

See how I make the AgWired community part of the demonstration? You are a great audience, thank you very much.

I know we’re going to see more and more blogging in the agribusiness world. I should have collected the url’s of the blogs that people in our audience have. When I got started on this about 2 years ago most people didn’t even know what a blog was much less have one.

Hey, it only makes sense.

Post Update: Just to clear up any confusion . . . That’s Connor’s Apple notebook in the picture. Yours truly is still a PC guy. Although I’m keeping my options open.

Ag Groups, Equipment

Ready To Represent You

Chuck Zimmerman

FEMA ConventionIt kind of sounds like a law firm doesn’t it?

It’s just our Marketing Communications Strategies & Tactics session this afternoon at the FEMA convention.

I’ll have some pictures, audio and powerpoint presentations from each of my co-panelists as soon as they email them to me.

We had a full room of people for our session and lots of good questions. Many of them had to do with blogs and the software that we would recommend.

You may know my choice: WordPress.

Ag Groups, Equipment

In Our Marketing Session

Chuck Zimmerman

FEMA ConventionHere we are in the FEMA convention breakout session.

This is just before we got started.

We have a full house that includes some bloggers. I’m happy to see that and think it’s a “trend?”

Maybe.

More in a moment.

Ag Groups, Equipment

He’s Incoming President

Chuck Zimmerman

FEMA ConventionSo if Jim Wessing is the outgoing president of FEMA, who’s incoming?

He’s Richard Heiniger, Hemisphere GPS. Jim got introduced at the beginning of today’s general session here at the FEMA convention.

Later this afternoon I’m on the panel of a breakout session on “Marketing Communications Strategies & Tactics.” I’m going to be using these posts in my presentation. Hey, they’re even better than PowerPoint slides don’t you think?

I’m sure all the folks here will want to be in the Ramsey Room here at the Hilton at 2pm to see what we’ve got to say. It should be interesting.

Ag Groups, Equipment

Jim Wessing Opens General Session

Chuck Zimmerman

FEMA ConventionJim Wessing, Kondex Corporation, is the president of the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association. At least until the end of the day.

Jim got the morning general session started today.

I’m hoping to catch up with him later today for a short interview.

By the way, the FEMA convention also has members of FEWA, Farm Equipment Wholesalers Association and AIMRA, Agricultural & Industrial Manufacturers Representatives Association here with them.

Ag Groups, Equipment