In the big keep getting bigger department and just received before I could turn my computer off: Learfield Communications announces the acquisition of the Waitt Farm Network. It looks like this gives Kim Lang something new to do. We wouldn’t want her sitting around idle now would we? The network operates in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota and was purchased from NRG Media.
The Waitt Farm Network will be operated as its own separate entity yet will utilize the expanded resources available from Brownfield to provide comprehensive ag information for the Waitt affiliates. Adding to the Waitt resources will be Brownfield’s nine member broadcasting team plus the addition of Kim (Dlouhy) Lang. Lang is well known for her tenure as Agri-Services Director at WOW Radio in Omaha where she was awarded three national ag journalism awards.
Getting Jazzed About NAMA
It’s time to head to Kansas City. It’s a jazz town but not the same as New Orleans where the NAMA Conference was originally scheduled. I’ll be blogging the conference and already started on the NAMA Blog. Visit it to hear from Conference Chairman, Laurie Christen and Vice Chairman, Barry Nelson.
If you’re heading to the NAMA convention stop by our booth. The closing reception on Thursday has a Mardi Gras theme and our beads are ready.
New China Director For Cotton Council
Cotton Council International has a new Director for China and Hong Kong. What is a sinologist?
Ms. Malmstrom will replace 7-year CCI veteran Jeff Coey, who is departing to work in the cotton trade. She will manage CCI’s trade and consumer programming in the region, as well as CCI’s offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai and the organization’s representation throughout China.
“Karin is an accomplished sinologist with over 25 years of China-related experience and I am confident that she will add the right mix of leadership skills and marketing and communication background to CCI’s experienced China team,” said Allen Terhaar, CCI’s executive director. Ms. Malmstrom joins CCI from Malmstrom Associates Orient, a business, marketing and communication consultancy.
SRA Doing Comm Work For Ferry-Morse
Swanson Russell Associates will be providing communications services for Ferry-Morse Seed Company (I love their slogan, “The hand that seeds the world”). That’s a division of Jiffy of the America’s, Inc.
Preceding the U.S. Department of Agriculture by almost 30 years, Ferry-Morse began selling its quality garden seeds in 1856. Today, Ferry-Morse, which is based in Fulton, Ky., and distributes home-garden flower, herb and vegetable seed packets, packaged lawn seed and Jiffy seed-starter products to retailers across North America. SRA’s Lincoln office will focus on literature and brand development for Ferry-Morse.
“Swanson Russell Associates is pleased to work with such a respected and distinguished company as Ferry-Morse Seed Company,” said Dave Hansen, SRA managing director. “Working with a company that has over a century-and-a-half of experience is an honor and we are excited to provide our communications expertise to broaden Ferry-Morse’s brand.” Read More
ZimmCast Gets You Jazzed About NAMA
It’s NAMA Convention week on AgWired and this week’s ZimmCast will help get you jazzed about it. Before getting into that though I review my BIO 2006 convention coverage and talk about the current state of the blogosphere.
You can listen to this week’s program here: 
ZimmCast 65 (8 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.
Sifry’s State of the Blogosphere
In case you’re wondering if blogging is still all the rage you might want to look at some information from David Sifry, on the “State of the Blogosphere.” There’s a lot of blogging going on. In fact, we just created a new one for ZimmComm New Media. It will focus more on information like this and other things little ole ZimmComm is up to. But back to Sifry. He’s got some nice graphs you might want to look at. Here’s a summary of some of his findings:
Farm Leader Now Farm Podcaster
When your farmer board members tell you to podcast, you podcast. That’s what Dean Kleckner, Truth About Trade & Technology is doing. Dean is the former president of the American Farm Bureau Federation and a farmer from Iowa. We brought his podcast to your attention recently and at the BIO 2006 Convention I got to ask him about it. You can hear his answer here: Kleckner Soundbite (30 sec MP3)
Besides having farmers tell him to podcast Kleckner says, “It’s the wave of the future that’s here today. So that us farmers, when we’re in our tractor, combine, pickup, we can listen to what’s going on in the world.”
Kleckner was at BIO 2006 to talk about how much biotech crop acreage has grown in a decade. We talked next to the indoor corn field where his organization had their acreage counter on display. You can listen to the full interview with him here: Kleckner Interview (5 min MP3)
AgWired coverage of BIO 2006 is made possible by: 
Standard Convention Communications
Here’s some business communicators who are using the new media tools. They’re the International Association of Business Communicators. Their annual convention is coming up in Vancouver, British Columbia. Can’t make it? Me either.
But you can keep up on it with:
IABC 2006 Convention Blog: In Session
IABC 2006 Convention Podcast: ConferenceCast
Puerto Rico Governor Wins BIO Award
During BIO 2006, Puerto Rico Gov. Aníbal Acevedo-Vilá (pictured) was named BIO “Governor of the Year.” I missed him and the reception to honor him but caught up with his Secretary of Economic Development, Jorge P. Silva-Puras.
In my interview with him he talks about how important the agricultural biotechnology business is to Puerto Rico. One of the reasons is the climate which is very friendly to year-round crop testing. You can listen to my interview with Jorge here: Jorge Silva Interview (3 min MP3)
I interviewed Jorge during the Puerto Rico pavilion trade show reception. You can see and hear the celebration here: : 
Puerto Rico Reception (1 min wmv)
AgWired coverage of BIO 2006 is made possible by:
Canada’s Trade with Mexico increases under NAFTA
Trade between Canada and Mexico has increased significantly since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the United States (US), Canada and Mexico in 1994.
Mexico has become Canada’s fourth largest agriculture and agri-food export market and Canada is now the third largest market for Mexico exports. For 2004-2005, Canadian agri-food exports to Mexico were $995 million versus imports from Mexico of $635 million. According to the Bi-weekly Bulletin of Ag Canada, Mexico has the sixth largest agricultural sector in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which it joined in 1994. Corn and beef are its main agricultural commodities. Primary agriculture still accounts for 6 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), compared to 2 percent in Canada and the US. More importantly, the agricultural sector employs 19 percent of the work force compared to 5 percent in Canada and 3 percent in the US.Read More