Virtual Press Rooms”R”Us

Chuck Zimmerman August 7, 2006

This week’s program continues the theme from last week with a focus on new media in agricultural communications and discussing a few examples.

Cindy joins me in this week’s program. You’ll be seeing her out and about more as we get called on to use our “traditional” media skills to create great online content for blogs, podcasts, news releases, newsletters, e-newsletters and websites. It’s amazing what a little bit of multimedia capability allows you to do on the internet today! It’s digital online public relations.

Listen here: ZimmCast 79 (13 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.

Public Relations

Mixed Reaction To USDA WIC Change Proposal

Chuck Zimmerman August 7, 2006

The Produce Marketing Association is happy that the proposed changes to the USDA, WIC program now includes fruits and vegetables.

“We applaud the revisions in the WIC Program. Increasing access to fresh produce encourages healthier eating habits and provides for broader food choices,” said Kathy Means, PMA vice president of government relations.

But the International Dairy Foods Association and National Milk Producers Federation are unhappy that the proposal cuts dairy. So what are you going to do?

Ag Groups, Food, USDA

The Vocus Is On PR Web

Chuck Zimmerman August 7, 2006

How many of you have used PR Web to send a press release? Show of hands. Yeah, quite a few of you. I know, I get them. I’ve always liked PR Web, especially dealing with them. They make it easy for both sides. I’ve always thought they were the friendlier service. Lately I’ve been impressed with their completely embracing new forms of social communication and not trying to stay in the traditional media delivery box.

They’ve done well enough to attract a pretty substantial buyout from Vocus, Inc. As you’ll hear in this week’s ZimmCast, which I’ll post in a few minutes, you really need to design your press releases today for your customer as much as the media. That’s what PR Web has been evangelizing.

PRWeb uses proprietary SEO tools and a team of specialized editors to help ensure that its customers’ news receives maximum exposure throughout the full spectrum of new media. PRWeb-distributed press releases are indexed by major search engines, distributed to thousands of news sites, including Google News and Yahoo News, and delivered through more than 20,000 RSS feeds, that collectively reach tens of millions of consumers and thousands of journalists daily. The company was also among the first to embrace the social media press release concept through the integration of such technologies as podcasting, blog trackbacks and Technorati tagging.

“The internet has led to a dramatic increase in the number and types of media outlets and other website destinations from which consumers and journalists get their news,” said Rick Rudman, President and CEO of Vocus, Inc. “PRWeb has fully developed the technologies, features and pricing model to enable organizations of all sizes to maximize their online visibility and to exploit the potential of this new communication channel.”

Now the question is, “Would Vocus like to purchase a great “agricultural” news release distribution service that’s using the same focus (on new media/social communication)?” AgNewsWire.AgWired.com

Public Relations

Agricultural New Media Terms Defined

Chuck Zimmerman August 7, 2006

If you want to find out things you might consider bookmarking Wikipedia. It’s an online encyclopedia in wiki form. Call me if you don’t know what a wiki is. As a wiki anyone can add a page or edit an existing one. Seems like trouble but I think it works pretty well from what I’ve seen.

There are some new pages that I thought I’d bring to your attention. Check out Agriblogging and Farm Podcasting. Feel free to add to what’s there. That’s what it’s all about.

Uncategorized

NAMA Boot Camp Coming Up

Chuck Zimmerman August 6, 2006

I guess the reaction to Boot Camp Guy was so positive last year that they NAMA brought him back again. NAMA Boot Camp is scheduled for August 22-24 at the Hyatt Regency in KC, MO. Last year I did a blogging and podcasting session. This year I’ll be out blogging and podcasting for an agricultural client during those dates on their blog!

Boot Camp sessions this year include a Producer Panel moderated by Dallas Ford, Alpha Scouts and Ag Policy and How it Relates to Your Job with a representative from USDA Rural Development. Dr. Gene Brown, The Henry Bloch School of Business at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, will present Business-to-Business Marketing and Hugh Whaley, Osborn & Barr Communications will close the Boot Camp with The Future of Agri-Marketing.

NAMA

Web Access To LikeKnowledge

Chuck Zimmerman August 6, 2006

FFA just unveiled the website for it’s LifeKnowledge program. Remember that their annual convention is coming up October 25-28 in Indianapolis.

The National FFA Foundation has launched a new website to help teachers, parents and school leaders get the most from FFA’s new LifeKnowledge leadership curriculum. The website www.ffa.org/ageducators/lifeknowledge, is tailored to specific audiences – teachers, parents, school leaders, supporters and media – with sections to help each group learn more about LifeKnowledge and what it can do for them.

Along with news and information about LifeKnowledge, the website also offers a free monthly e–newsletter, LifeKnowledge AT WORK, which site visitors may view and obtain an online subscription. Designed with local teachers in mind, LifeKnowledge AT WORK features tips from teachers, education experts, leadership gurus, as well as a magnitude of other resources.

Ag Groups, Internet

World Harvest for Kids Sets Record

Chuck Zimmerman August 6, 2006

It’s a new world record, and it’s going for a good cause.

Winkler began to celebrate it’s centennial today by harvesting 160 acres of wheat with 100 combines.

It only took them 11 minutes 16 seconds, beating the previous mark of 15:48 set by Westlock, Alberta in 1998.

For me, this day has been an awesome experience. Thousands of people with estimates as high as 8,000 or 9,000 were not uncommon as the combines moved down the field at speeds of 2 1/2 to three miles an hour.

Here’s event organizer, Ray Wieler announcing and displaying the official record.

The event was also a fundraiser to send underprivileged children from countries like India to camp. Funds raised through the event will go to Children’s Camps International, which sends thousands of kids in countries like India to camp.

The awareness created by this event will help to increase the fund raising efforts.

Siemens Says

International

An EPIC Retreat

Chuck Zimmerman August 4, 2006

Here’s a fine looking group. We just completed the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council agency retreat in Omaha. EPIC is taking a very creative approach to the agency relationship. They’re having a number of “agencies” work very closely together to provide the organization with a variety of services.

With in-house coordination, we’ll be integrating our individual strengths on projects over the next year. This promises to be very interesting as we work to develop consumer awareness, acceptance and demand for ethanol.

Agencies, Ethanol

Straw Fired Heating Systems

Chuck Zimmerman August 4, 2006

Farmscape.ca reports the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, MB has kicked of a three-year project aimed at developing monitoring systems that will improve control of emissions from straw-fired industrial heating systems.

Five years ago, Vidir Machine replaced the coal fired heating system at its Arborg manufacturing plant with a wheat straw fueled heating system and the company is installing a similar unit at its manufacturing plant at Morris. The greenhouse gas displacement system, developed by Vidir Biomass Systems, uses large straw bales as fuel and relies on primary combustion followed by secondary combustion to get a complete burn. Read More

International

Farm Journal Media Awards

Chuck Zimmerman August 4, 2006

It looks like Farm Journal Media came away from the Agricultural Media Summit with some nice awards. Starting with:

John Phipps, host of U.S. Farm Report…Town & Country Living, was awarded “Story of the Year” honors by the American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA) for a column published in TOP PRODUCER magazine in September 2005. The award-winning column, entitled “This Will Leave a Scar,” described Phipps’ decision to discourage his son’s return to their sixth-generation farm. Phipps won in the category of Regular Column. His winning column was chosen for top story honors from among all 373 farm magazine contestants in all categories of the annual AAEA contest.

In other Farm Journal Media wins announced at the Agricultural Media Summit in Portland, Ore., on July 26, DAIRY TODAY magazine received the prestigious James Flanagan Award from the Livestock Publications Council (LPC) for the most improved publication over the past year. In this year’s awards, DAIRY TODAY Editor Jim Dickrell received first place in the LPC Regular Column competition for his monthly column entitled “Dairy Talk.”

Linda Smith, Managing Editor of TOP PRODUCER, won first place in the Economics & Management category of the AAEA writing contest for an article entitled “Why Funds are Bullish on Farming” published in September 2005. TOP PRODUCER Artist Dana Timmins won first place in Cover Page Design for the same issue.

Ag Media Summit, Publication

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