Environmental Journalists Vermont Bound

Chuck Zimmerman

Society of Environmental JournalistsI think it would be interesting to attend the Society of Environmental Journalists convention for several reasons. (Want to sponsor me? I’ll put your sponsor tag in every blog post!)

I’d like to know more about what makes an environmental journalist. I think we write about a lot of things that have to do with the environment. Does that make us environmental journalists? It’s in Vermont. I’ve never been but have always wanted to visit that part of the country. They have sessions like “Talk Back To Your Car” on new automobile fuel technologies or a tour called, “From Cow Power to Urban Farms: Sustainable Agriculture in the 21st Century.”

What do you think?

Media

FFA Students Visit Garst

Chuck Zimmerman

FFA Leaders Visit GarstGarst Seed Company was a stop on the FFA Partnership Tour recently. This is where FFA students visit with executives of companies around the country. Pictured are (l to r): Garst Communications Manager Lori Thomas, Iowa FFA President Matt Dolch, National FFA Secretary Jessie Geib, National FFA Eastern Region Vice President Ryan Peterson and Garst Head of Marketing Steve Klein.

The students met with Garst officials at the Slater, Iowa, headquarters to gain an overview of Garst and the seed industry. “We were pleased to share the outlook and current challenges facing the industry and how Garst is meeting those challenges,” said David Witherspoon, head of Garst. “It is always a meaningful experience to offer advice and mentor young people who are in the process of planning their careers in agriculture.”

Garst’s Head of Marketing Steve Klein and Communications Manager Lori Thomas spoke about how the company analyzes and forecasts where the seed market is headed each year so it can be prepared with the right products. Klein mentioned Garst’s recent renewed commitment to the biofuels industry by offering seed products that are engineered specifically for ethanol and biodiesel production.

Agribusiness

Skype Me Some Berries Please

Chuck Zimmerman

Skype User Jerald DownsYou know I’m a growing fan of Skype which allows you to make phone calls on your computer. The company has some stories that customers have shared about their use of Skype. A motivated Skype user and AgWired fan pointed me to one called, “From little things, big things grow.” It’s about Jerald Downs who runs his own produce export company, Premier Pac, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Here’s what Skype does for him in his words.

In the past all my business was done by email. Now I use Skype a lot to keep in touch with my growers – it increases the lucidity and trust between us and it’s clearer than any landline. I also travel to South America 3 times a year to check the crops to establish what I need and want to export that year. When I visit my growers in Chile, Skype is perfect as there are many hot spots there, and landlines can be difficult to find. It’s cheap and easy for me to call my distributors back in the USA.

I think it’s fascinating that there are more hot spots (hi speed internet access) than available landlines (dialup) in a country like Chile. I didn’t know that. The story also includes a nice little video with Jerald. It’s worth a minute to watch.

Farming

Safety Graphics From AEM

Chuck Zimmerman

AEM Safety GraphicWarning. This could get graphic.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers has a database of “pictorial illustrations” that can be used in a variety of safety projects like signs and manuals.

AEM developed this database to promote greater consistency and clarity among pictorial images so they are more recognizable by industry workers, thus enhancing safety. The pictorials are offered free of charge to anyone, saving manufacturers and others the time and cost of developing their own graphics. The database can be easily accessed via the association’s website (www.aem.org) and is searchable by categories and keywords. It currently includes almost 100 pictorials that are common to many industry segments and product lines, and covers both hazard identification and hazard avoidance.

Agribusiness

Tall Paul Wants You

Chuck Zimmerman

The 2006 NAFB Convention is coming up soon so you might want to get it on your planner. It’ll be held November 15-17 at the Westin Crown Plaza in Kansas City as usual. The theme is “Farm and Rural Horizons.”

2006 NAFB Convention

In case you need your own personal invitation from someone who will make you want to go NAFB sent out this invite:

6 Feet 8 Inches of Legend…
Did he really play for the Harlem Globetrotters?
Can he actually bend steel with his bare hands?
Is it true he taught Mohammad Ali how to throw a punch?

The only thing we know for sure is he has been greeting NAFB members for 34 years. The pride of the Westin Crown Center, Tall Paul, welcomes you to come and be part of NAFB’s Horizons!

Click here for your personal invite from Tall Paul.

Uncategorized

Interest in Liquid Feeding

Chuck Zimmerman

Harry SiemensA swine nutritionist with the University of Guelph credits a dramatic increase in liquid byproducts from biofuel and food processing for an increased interest in liquid feeding in Ontario. With liquid feeding systems, feed is prepared in a central mixing tank then pumped through lines to individual troughs where the pigs can consume it.

While considered new in North America, countries like the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark they feed up to 50 percent of market pigs using liquid feeding systems and in Ireland that figure is close to 90 percent. Dr. Kees De Lange told delegates to the Western Swine Nutrition Conference in Winnipeg this week, in North America the pockets of liquid feeding are in Ontario. He estimates producers raise 20 percent of the finishing pigs in southwestern Ontario on liquid feeding systems. Read More

International

Peace On Earth

Chuck Zimmerman

Derry BrownfieldI admit to taking a beautiful afternoon off and spending it with my good friend, Derry Brownfield.

Derry is a cattleman and long time farm broadcaster. I’m sure many of you know him or have heard him. You like him or maybe you don’t. But you pretty much always know what’s on his mind and where he’s coming from.

Derry's PondI think one of the prettiest places on Earth is a cabin on a pond that Derry has. I took out some barbeque and we had a nice evening.

The weather couldn’t be more beautiful. You could see how far behind on rainfall we are in Missouri though by how low the pond was.

Derry's CabinMeanwhile the cabin looked great.

I’m guessing we could find this on Google Earth but as far as I’m concerned no one needs to know where it is but Derry and me.

I hope to have a spot like this someday where I can sit on the front porch swing and watch the sun set and listen to the crickets and just forget about all the worries and cares of the world.

Uncategorized

Get Some New Media Attention

Chuck Zimmerman

In case you’re wondering about how you can get noticed in the new media world you might want to get yesterday’s Wall Street Journal. I’m sure this is archived online too if you’re a subscriber. It’s called, “How to get attention in a New-Media World.”

According to my man Mays, “That’s the headline on a story in today’s Wall Street Journal. I won’t bother posting any of the many nuggets in this piece. You can read them yourself. And if you spend anytime online, you know a lot of this already.

Here’s what I want to know: How can any intelligent, semi-educated, reasonably well informed, man or woman entrusted with running a business (or some division or department of that business) not have at least heard about the things referenced in this story (blogs, podcasts, RSS, etc etc)?”

He goes on to answer his own question.

Media

6,000 Podcasts At K-State

Chuck Zimmerman

TegrityI’m going to make an assumption that ag classes at Kansas State University are included in the 6,000 classes that will soon be available to students as podcasts. You heard it right, 6,000 of them. K-State has been having a company called Tegrity record classes for a while now and they’re converting them to podcasts. Very cool idea and something that can apply to anything your business is doing that lends itself to training or demonstration.

K-State plans to have all 6,000 class podcasts available to its students this year, making it by far the education realm’s largest podcasting implementation worldwide. “We’re excited to be partnering with Tegrity to drive podcasting in education to a new level,” said Beth Unger, Vice Provost for Academic Services of Kansas State University. “When developing a podcasting program, there are two essential components – the technology and the content. Tegrity has made reaching our goal of creating quality content for podcasting possible.”

Sounds like Tegrity has a happy client.

Podcasts, University

Eller New USDA DUS for MRP

Chuck Zimmerman

Burton EllerBurton Eller has been appointed USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. Whew that’s a title and I’m sure a challenging job.

“Burton has spent his career working as an advocate for agriculture producers and related industries,” said Conner. “His knowledge of agricultural issues and dedication to farmers and ranchers is exceptional. Burton’s vast experience and knowledge will be a tremendous asset to USDA as we move forward on many important marketing and regulatory issues.”

Eller will assist Under Secretary Bruce Knight and work with Deputy Under Secretary Dr. Chuck Lambert to oversee the management of USDA’s MRP mission area. MRP agencies are active participants in setting national and international agricultural standards. USDA agencies that make up the MRP mission area include the Agricultural Marketing Service; Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; and Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration.

USDA