Get Revved Up For Indy

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast69 - Revving It Up For IndyAfter a week off, the ZimmCast is back just in time to Rev You Up For Indy. Yes, it’s the final week leading up to the Indianapolis 500. To get you revved up this week’s program is all about ethanol and the IRL, powered by EPIC.

In case you’ve wondered about all the hype over the Indy Racing League converting to ethanol as a fuel you can listen to sound bites from some of the people instrumental in making it happen. The program also includes the latest episode of “Fill up Feel good” the official podcast of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.

So sit back and enjoy using the following link: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 69 (9 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, Ethanol, Indy Racing, ZimmCast

New ZimmCast On The Way

Chuck Zimmerman

I’m sure you’ve noticed that I didn’t post a new ZimmCast this week. Mea culpa. It’s the first week in well over a year that I’ve missed an episode. But don’t worry. There will be a new one this coming week and all the weeks after that. After 69 programs I hit a wall this week in ideas and time.

So look for a new ZimmCast by Monday. I promise.

Uncategorized

Festival Time of the Year

Chuck Zimmerman

Herman, MO MaifestIt’s already time for the festival season to get in high gear. Many of them are tied into agriculture like the Maifest in Herman, MO. Yes, wine, bratwurst, beer, these are all agricultural products.

What I’m interested to know is what’s your favorite festival? Send me an email or post a comment. I’d like to feature the ones you enjoy. If your favorite festival has a website, let me know the URL too.

I don’t think I have a favorite one. I’ve been to too many over the years and I could list a lot of them but I’m interested in the ones you like.

Uncategorized

Growing His Own Fuel

Chuck Zimmerman

Steve King & ParentsSteve King races what he grows. He grows corn and when that’s turned into ethanol he puts it in his number 88 and sprints past the competition.

At Ethanol Day in Indianapolis recently, Steve, sprint car driver, was there to help promote the alternative fuel. Steve is pictured to the right of his parents, Danny & Naomi.

I interviewed Steve while we had a relatively quiet moment (there’s usually never a quiet moment at the speedway). Steve says he began using ethanol about 5 years ago. Besides growing corn he also has a feedlot. He says ethanol allows him to load less fuel at the beginning of a race and that gives him a competitive advantage.

You can listen to my interview with Steve here: Listen To MP3 Steve King Interview (3 min MP3)

Audio, Ethanol

New Pork Boarders

Chuck Zimmerman

Pork BoardNew National Pork Board members were just appointed by Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns. They are:

Five appointees will serve 3-year terms, and one appointee will serve the remaining 2-year term created by the resignation of Deborah M. Johnson from North Carolina, which was effective March 4. The appointees to serve 3-year terms are: Dianne L. Bettin, Truman, Minn.; Dennis O. Michael, Yankton, S.D.; Jeff E. Galle, Pittsfield, Ill.; Eugene C. Nemechek, Wilson, N.C.; and William R. Brown, Nevada, Ohio. The appointee who will serve a 2-year term is Alan E. Wilhoite, Lebanon, Ind.

Ag Groups, Pork

Farm Assist For Potato Growers

Chuck Zimmerman

Quadris Ridomil GoldSyngenta is helping out potato growers in more ways than one this month. To start with they just received EPA approval for Quadris Ridomil Gold fungicide.

This new addition to Syngenta’s fungicide portfolio provides growers with a new, user-friendly twin pack of Quadris® and Ridomil Gold® for soil application in potatoes. With Quadris Ridomil Gold growers receive the benefits of two proven products to protect against all four major classes of fungi and control soil borne disease and storage rots. A single application provides broad-spectrum control of pink rot, Pythium leak, black scurf (Rhizoctonia) and silver scurf.

Then they also started their annual potato blight hotlines. They team up with five universities in key potato growing regions to provide access to vital disease information. Read More

Agribusiness

CropLife America Wins Telly’s

Chuck Zimmerman

Telly AwardA couple of Telly Awards went to CropLife America.

CropLife America has earned two Telly Awards in an international competition honoring outstanding local, regional and cable film and video productions. CLA received the Telly Awards highest honor
– a Silver Telly – for the DVD: “Doing a World of Good: Year-in-Review.” A Bronze Telly went to the DVD: “Pesticide Safety.”

“Doing a World of Good” is a seven-minute video highlighting the major events of the past year for CropLife America. Developed as a member service to inform them of the association’s past activities, “Doing a World of Good” features CLA President & CEO Jay Vroom in a one-to-one conversation to emphasize key association efforts on behalf of the membership. The video was produced and directed by Allan Noe and Grace Oh and written by Grace Oh. Read More

Ag Groups

Promotions at Rhea & Kaiser

Chuck Zimmerman

Pat ArthurIt’s promotions time at Rhea & Kaiser Marketing Communications. Pat Arthur is now a management supervisor. When Arthur joined the Rhea & Kaiser team in 2005, he brought to the agency more than a decade of agricultural communications experience and an extensive understanding of the seed industry. Prior to joining Rhea & Kaiser, Arthur had been public relations manager for Pioneer, communications manager for Mycogen Seeds, an associate editor for Farm Industry News and an agronomist for the Vigoro® Seeds division of Royster-Clark. In his new role, Arthur will manage the Bayer CropScience corn and soybean portfolio communications and branding efforts for Rhea & Kaiser. He is also the general manager of the Rhea & Kaiser Durham, N.C., office.

Joshua TausteinNext up is Joshua Taustein who is now an account supervisor. Taustein joined Rhea & Kaiser in 2002 as an assistant account executive and was promoted to senior account executive in 2004. Taustein manages the Underwriters Laboratories public relations account. Prior to joining Rhea & Kaiser, he served as project manager for Spiral Solutions, Ltd., Karmiel, Israel.

Katie KaiserAn finally we have Katie Kaiser. Kaiser joined Rhea & Kaiser in 2005, bringing more than seven years of agency experience to her position. Kaiser works on the day-to-day account management, plan integration and financial responsibilities for the Pfizer Animal Health REVOLUTION® account. Prior to joining Rhea & Kaiser, she was an account executive with Ogilvy & Mather in Chicago, where her clients included Reynolds American Tobacco and Sears, Roebuck and Co.

Agencies

Advertise On AgWired

Chuck Zimmerman

Advertising on AgWired is now officially available. You’ve already seen some of it in fact from companies like Rhea & Kaiser, New Holland and Pioneer Hi-Bred.

They’ve chosen a very popular way to increase brand awareness through event coverage sponsorships like BIO 2006, IFAJ Congress or Commodity Classic. Tying your brand to my coverage of an event shows your support for the event and the daily chronicling of what happens in agricultural marketing.

But there are other ways to advertise and you can find information, including rates on the Advertising page. I’m hoping that you creative types out there will come up with some very interesting ideas, especially you advertising and public relations agencies. Advertise yourself or add us to the media mix for your client. It’s a new media world and we’re leading the way.

Besides AgWired, we’re also accepting advertising on Domestic Fuel, which has its own Advertising page. We should also have the Advertising page available for World Dairy Diary by next week as well.

Uncategorized

Sheep Shearer Back Saver

Chuck Zimmerman

ShearezyTired of that sore back from the old fashioned way of shearing your sheep? Then you need the new ShearEzy from Peak Hill Industries.

Why you ask? Because of the significant amount of money the industry spends on back injuries. This handy system alleviates the problem. Watch the video (wmv).

Sheep are delivered to the shearing platform from the optional loader or a ramp at waist height and are restrained ready for shearing. Using two hinged belt ‘wings’, the platform then automatically manipulates the sheep which presents optimal shearing surfaces to the shearer. Shearing for different sheep types and sizes is automatically handled, and the shearer can manually override the sequenced movements at any time. Fleeces fall onto a wool conveyor that may easily be linked into new or existing handling systems.

Agribusiness, Video