Colleen Church McDowall Promoted

Chuck Zimmerman

Colleen Church McDowallShe’s been a regular on AgWired. It has something to do with the shoes. She’s Colleen Church McDowall and she just got a great promotion at Osborn & Barr Communications.

Osborn & Barr Communications has named Colleen Church McDowall to Vice President, Director of Public Relations. She will serve as the strategic leader for O&B’s Public Relations division and will be responsible for new business development, strategic management of all public relations accounts and administrative management of the division.

Formerly the Associate Director of Public Relations, Church McDowall has provided extensive agricultural knowledge and public relations expertise to accounts such as John Deere, Intervet Inc., USDA Rural Development, Monsanto Dairy and Specialty Fertilizer Products during her three and a half years with the agency.

Congratulations Colleen.

Agencies

Beefmobile Wrangler Tracey Orsburn

Chuck Zimmerman

Tracey OrsburnTracey Orsburn is one of the Beefmobile Wranglers and is here at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference. She puts in a lot of miles travelling around the country and making sure producers better understand the Checkoff. Her vehicle is also a travelling billboard for beef.

Tracey says she’s personally driven over 100,000 miles for the Checkoff since she started and has been through 43 states.

You can learn more about the Beefmobile by listening to my interview with her in which she explains the program and describes the kind of producer feedback she receives. You can listen to my interview with Tracey here: Orsburn Interview (4 min. MP3 File)

Audio, Beef

Merial Sponsors The Media Room

Chuck Zimmerman

Merial Sponsors The Media RoomThe media room at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference is sponsored by Merial.

Representing Merial is Jim Tate, Marketing Manager. I spent a few minutes with Jim this afternoon getting an update on Igenity. This program seems to keep evolving in what I believe is its third year.

Jim says Igenity started out as a DNA testing business but is now able to provide a comprehensive profile of an animal. He says the technology is very computer driven so it can do much more than it used to for less investment by the producer. You can listen to my interview with Jim here: Jim Tate Interview (5 min. MP3 File)

Agribusiness, Audio, Beef, Dairy

How To Enhance The Beef Brand

Chuck Zimmerman

Kim Essex & Rick HustedThis morning at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference there are a series of industry Issues Forums taking place. One of them is titled, “Enhancing The Brand.” The brand referred to is beef. I think the consumer research that’s being done by organizations like NCBA with Checkoff funding is fascinating. What’s even more interesting is seeing how they put that research into action.

Presenting this session are Kim Essex and Rick Husted who work for NCBA, which has been contracted by the Beef Checkoff to conduct consumer research. Some of the results of that on-going research are being presented here today.

I spoke with Kim in between sessions to see what producers are being told. For example, she says that Checkoff-funded research says there’s a need to target consumers with a message that focuses on rational reasons to choose beef. She says beef has great emotional appeal. You can listen to my interview with Kim here: Essex Interview (6 min. MP3 File)

Audio, Beef

Margy Fischer In The Field

Chuck Zimmerman

Margy Fischer At WorkMaybe you remember student blogger on AgWired, Margy Fischer? She helped me cover Commodity Classic this year.

Well she’s now a working professional for Farm Journal, seen here in the field. I hope she’ll put those blogging skills to work in the future!

Thanks to Mica DeLong at Monsanto for the picture.

Publication

Restructuring Western Canada’s Wheat Classes

Chuck Zimmerman

Harry SiemensPrairie swine producers are applauding a Canadian Grain Commission plan to restructure western Canada’s wheat classes.

Last month, the Canadian Grain Commission unveiled plans to eliminate kernel visual distinguishability requirements on all classes of wheat except hard red spring and amber durum and introduce a new general purpose wheat class. The changes, set for August 2008, will clear the way for the registration of high yielding wheat varieties suited for feed or industrial uses such as ethanol, currently not allowed because they resemble milling wheats. Read More

International

Look Up Steve Mercer

Chuck Zimmerman

If you’re looking for an “Accomplished marketing services executive with proven strategic planning, management and implementation experience in agricultural, animal health and business-to-business marketing,” then you ought to look into Steve Mercer. Yes, Steve’s got a blog set up and I hope he gets a lot of visitors.

Here’s somebody who’s embracing his inner blogger and letting the world know what he can do. I know that if you wanted to hire Steve you’d want a resume. How about just going to his blog? Depending on how much and often he posts, you’ll be able to Google for him too.

That’s creative and innovative thinking and a great use of new media by the way. Way to go Steve! And best of luck.

Agencies

Catching Up On Blog Feeds

Chuck Zimmerman

Where You Can Check Your EmailI’m sure that these cattle industry professionals are all online checking the latest on AgWired.

I think it’s great that Micro Beef Technologies is making the NCBA Technology Center available for people to do just that. I’m sure they’re checking their email too.

Centers like this are a must have at a convention or major meeting of any kind these days.

Ag Groups, Beef

Promoting The Annual Convention

Chuck Zimmerman

Nashville Is NextIt’s never too early to promote the next major event on the cattle industry calendar.

The Cattle Industry Annual Convention will be in Nashville next January.

You can find out more on the internet about the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.

Ag Groups, Beef

Meeting Observers

Chuck Zimmerman

Kathy & JayYou never know who you’ll run into at a meeting like this.

At one of the early meetings here I found Kathy Cornett and Jay Truitt. They were observing the situation at the NCBA Allied Industry Council & Product Council Meeting.

Ag Groups, Agencies, Beef