Steve Rhea Discusses Worldwide Partners

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast61 - Interview With Steve RheaIt’s National Agriculture Day. Time to thank a farmer for the abundant and safe food supply we have been blessed with in this country!

Steve RheaIn this week’s ZimmCast I interview Steve Rhea, President & CEO of Rhea & Kaiser, about the agency joining Worldwide Partners, Inc. You’ll have to listen to the program to learn what that means. Before the interview I make an important announcement and review some of the news on AgWired this past week. I hope you like it.

You can listen to this week’s program here: Listent To ZimmCast ZimmCast 61 (15 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 now find the ZimmCast on CoolCast Radio or subscribe in iTunes.

Agencies, Audio, Podcasts, ZimmCast

NAMA Awards Announced

Chuck Zimmerman

George ThorntonThe National Agri-Marketing Association has named the recipient of its highest honor of the year. George Thornton, President & CEO of Agriliance, LLC is the Agribusiness Leader of the Year. “The award honors outstanding leaders in agribusiness, education, government service or other agribusiness related areas who exemplify excellence in agribusiness by their significant contributions to the industry.” The award will be presented at the opening session of this year’s annual conference, April 20 in Kansas city.

Tom DavisAnother award to be presented at the conference will the NAMA Marketer of the Year to Tom Davis, Meredith Corporation. “NAMA recognizes its active members with senior management of marketing and/or sales responsibilities with the NAMA Marketer of the Year award. This award is NAMA’s most prestigious honor awarded to active members of the association and honors outstanding accomplishments in the field of agri-marketing.” Hey Tom, I notice they use the word “senior” with this one.

NAMA

4 New Partners At Context Network

Chuck Zimmerman

Context NetworkAre you in need of ideas for how to run your organization or business. Then maybe you need to put it in context, Context Network that is.

Four new partners have been named at The Context Network as part of an overall business expansion effort to enhance and deepen the firm’s ability to deliver strategic management solutions and business management consulting services to leading agricultural and biotechnology companies.

“The addition of four new partners and their combined 95 years of experience greatly enhance The Context Network’s ability to offer deeper industry and business expertise,” said founding partner Tray Thomas. “It also allows us to work more closely with our clients to improve their performance.” Named as new partners are Steve M. Hawkins, Blake Sieker, Mike J. Borel and Alex Fink.

Agribusiness

Corn Users to Focus on CITT Hearings to Overturn Duties on US Corn

Chuck Zimmerman

Harry SiemensIt’s a trade war. One that really doesn’t matter to the Americans and puts one ag sector against the other in Canada. I can’t believe how we are so prone to shoot ourselves in the foot. Be that as it may. The Canadian Pork Council will press for the elimination of countervail and antidumping duties on imported unprocessed U.S. grain corn when the Canadian International Trade Tribunal begins pubic hearings next week.

In December, the Canada Border Services Agency found evidence the Americans were dumping subsidized U.S. grain corn into Canada and imposed provisional antidumping and countervailing duties totaling $1.65 US per bushel on the imports. Two days ago the CBSA reaffirmed that decision, indicating the provisional duties will remain until the Canadian International Trade Tribunal concludes its injury investigation.
Canadian Pork Council Executive Director Martin Rice says corn users will argue to eliminate those duties when the CITT conducts public hearings. “Regardless of any improvement in the duty rate we will still take a full investigation of the final injury investigation to challenge the injury claim and to prevent the duty from becoming permanent,” said Rice. “We have seen corn imports actually decline during this period of investigation so the argument the imported corn is creating injury from changes in imported corn is simply not easily substantiated.”

The CPC’s arguments will say increased corn imports have not adversely affected the corn prices to Canadian corn producers. If the Canadian International Trade Tribunal finds the imports harm Canadian corn growers, the duties will become permanent. However, if it finds no injury, the duties will stop. The CBSA will refund duties already collected and the case will end. The CITT will begin public hearings in Ottawa March 20 and make a decision by April 18.

Siemens Says

International

Move That Movie To Your iPod

Chuck Zimmerman

4 Leaf CloverOkay so it’s a St. Patrick’s day Friday night and I’m posting. Workaholic. Not really. Just learning how to convert a movie to my iPod. Although I don’t have green beer at least it’s in a green bottle. This really wouldn’t have taken as long as it has if I’d made sure the audio box was checked at one point in the process. Had to do it all over again to get the audio. I’m ready for that next plane ride now.

I’m using Videora. But first you have to use a program like DVD Decrypter 3.5.4.0, which you can find here. Make sure you follow these instructions.

Got any questions, let me know.

Uncategorized

Integrate This Into Your Vocabulary

Chuck Zimmerman

Integrating Sphere ThingI subscribe to news releases from a variety of places using agriculture as a key word so I’m sure this thing has an agricultural application. This is one of those things you’re never going to hear a radio ad for. Just look at the words in this selection of the release from Analytical Spectral Devices:

Analytical Spectral Devices, Inc. (ASD), the world leader in field portable spectroradiometers announces the release of the new RTS-3ZC Integrating Sphere accessory —a specially designed integrating sphere for use with the ASD FieldSpec® spectroradiometers for accurate reflectance or transmittance measurement of diffuse or scattering materials such as those found in many optical remote sensing, oceanography, forestry and plant physiology applications.

So if you need any “cost-effective, precision, transportable and field-portable, laboratory-quality Vis/NIR spectrometers, spectroradiometers, spectrophotometers and corresponding software and accessories” you know where to get them.

Agribusiness

Ag Day Essay Winner

Chuck Zimmerman

WinnerA high-school sophomore from Wisconsin was named the national winner of the 2006 Ag Day Essay Contest this week. The theme this year was “Growing Our Energy: Alternative Fuels From Agriculture” and here is a brief excerpt from Ashley Julka’s winning essay:
“…By using gasoline-containing ethanol, we’re using homegrown products. Not only does this reduce our dependency on foreign oil, but it also helps the American economy. In Wisconsin alone, ethanol production has gone from zero to 250 million gallons in five years.” As the winner, Julka received a $1,000 prize and a roundtrip ticket to Washington, D.C., to be recognized during the March 16 Ag Day Luncheon held at the National Press Club. The contest is sponsored by: DuPont, Case IH, The Council for Agricultural Science & Technology, High Plains Journal, National Association of Farm Broadcasting and National Agri-Marketing Association, in conjunction with the Agriculture Council of America (ACA) which sponsors National Ag Day. Congratulations, Ashley!

NAFB, NAMA

Podcast Expo Number Two

Chuck Zimmerman

Podcast & Portable Media ExpoI didn’t get to attend this event last year but I hope this year is a different matter. The Podcast & Portable Media Expo just seems like a place a gadget friendly farm podcaster ought to be. Registration is open. Anyone want to tag along? It’s September 29 – 30 in Ontario, CA.

The 2nd Annual Podcast & Portable Media Expo is the only industry event that brings together influential podcasters, media, content creators and device makers to cover the complete range of business, marketing and legal issues for portable audio & video.

The ability to take media with you and listen or watch when you want – on whatever device you want – is the focus of this event. Place and time-shifting technology is changing the business landscape of media. The Expo is also about the new trend of individuals participating as media companies and producing content at broadcast quality.

Podcasts

Gary Myers – Exec In Residence

Chuck Zimmerman

Gary MyersI just got alerted to the fact that Gary Myers, Morgan & Myers, was selected Thursday to be a CAFNR Executive in Residence at the Universtity of Missouri in the fall. Gary is an agricultural journalism alum of the school. He’s the Featured Alum on the school’s website. Here’s an excerpt from his bio:

Myers, a 1971 MU agricultural journalism grad, recently retired as owner and president of Morgan&Myers, a public relations firm he helped develop and run for 25 years. His career has taken him through major changes in worldwide agriculture and food production.

As a Mizzou student, Myers was grateful for the experience that the combined journalism and agriculture program offered. The requirements that included intensive writing for a city newspaper provided him with the foundation for his field.

“You can’t get out of that place without competency in communication,” says Myers, a Maryville, Mo., native. He believes the hands-on orientation of the entire university produces students who are prepared for the real world.

Agencies, University