USDA Broadband Loan Lawsuit

Chuck Zimmerman

Not everyone is happy with the way USDA’s Rural Development office is doling out rural broadband loans. According to a story on C/net yesterday, the department is being sued by Mediacom Communications, the same company supplying us with our high speed access. Apparently a competitor (Lisco) in Fairfield, IA received a low interest loan to develop a system in a community that already has 2 other providers.

According to the story, “The lawsuit seeks to force the USDA to rewrite the regulations that determine how the program is administered. It’s also looking to block Lisco’s $9.5 million loan.”

On the surface it seems like Mediacom has a point. If the intent of the program is to provide incentives to companies in rural markets that don’t have broadband access it doesn’t seem to make sense to provide this money in a market where companies have already invested private dollars. In this case Lisco followed the language of the regulations. Mediacom is saying that the language needs to change. I can’t say I disagree. Let’s get those tax dollars working in areas where farmers can’t get broadband right now. Of course there’s at least one company that would argue that all farmers already have broadband available.

Internet, USDA

Don’t Miss This

Chuck Zimmerman

Olean Testicle FestivalI asked you to send in your favorite summer festivals but so far no response. I guess I’ll just have to keep finding my own. There’s this perennial favorite in Missouri. It’s the 13th Annual Olean Testicle Festival. That’s pronounced, Oh-lee-ann.

Come on, you’ve got to have your favorites. Send me a note/link/pic. Don’t make me find ones stranger than this one, okay?

Surprisingly they don’t have a website but you can make a phone call to learn more.

Olean Testicle Festival, June 3, Downtown Olean. For vendor info call 573-392-4698. General info call 573-392-5757.

Uncategorized

Audio Still Available From Harris Nesbitt

Chuck Zimmerman

Agriculture and Protein ConferenceIn case you missed it, Harris Nesbitt, the U.S. investment and corporate banking arm of BMO Financial Group held its first annual Agriculture and Protein conference. The conference was held on Thursday, May 18, at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York City. You can still hear the presentations though from companies like Bunge, Monsanto, Corn Products International and others. The idea was to provide investors with greater insight into the agriculture industry.

Agribusiness

Poultry Innovator Nominations Sought

Chuck Zimmerman

PoultryPoultry Magazine is looking for nominations for an “Industry Innovator” — a poultry processor whose products, processes or overall approach to marketing or management have improved not only its own bottom line, but raised the standard of excellence for the entire poultry industry.

Last year, Wayne Farms LLC was honored for its projects such as next-generation R&D and advanced logistics management. Wayne Farms’ approach to doing business can be summed up in four words: Break parity through innovation. Wayne Farms’ CEO Elton Maddox believes success in the poultry business means listening to every employee and staying focused. Deadline for nominations is July 21, 2006.

To submit an online nomination, click here.

Publication

Educational Videos Now Available Via Internet

Chuck Zimmerman

Harry SiemensAn educational video production company in White Fox, Saskatchewan has launched a new internet based delivery system for making available its training videos. Since 2001 DNL Farms has been producing videos to teach swine industry employees the skills they’ll need to work with pigs and last week the company launched a new internet based delivery system.

Over 90 videos, including a series on low stress pig handling and more than 40 skills training videos, 16 of which are also available in Spanish, can be purchased outright or on a pay per view basis. Read More

International

Australian Blogging Workshop

Chuck Zimmerman

Porter Novelli Adelaide GroupI just finished a blogging and podcasting workshop with the Porter Novelli agency in Adelaide, Australia. I only wish I had been able to be there in person. This fine looking group did send me a picture from during the presentation. I had control of their computer with NetMeeting and we were on speakerphone.

Like many agencies I’ve had the honor to present to, they wanted to see some real world examples and talk about what I’ve learned from over a year in the new media world. I hope it was helpful. We looked at various blogs and podcasts that I’ve been involved in or know of and all with an ag focus.

I really enjoyed the workshop experience with the folks in Adelaide. Thanks to Liz Kellaway in particular and Mary Wallman for coordinating it. I met Liz at last year’s IFAJ Congress in Switzerland and will see her at this year’s Congress in Norway.

If you’d like a workshop of your own please feel free to contact me.

Agencies, International, Podcasts

Nicholson Kovac To Help Market Beef

Chuck Zimmerman

Nicholson KovacI guess they know where the beef is. Nicholson Kovac was just named agency of record for Creekstone Farms Premium Beef.

Creekstone Farms Premium Beef has retained Nicholson Kovac, Inc. to provide marketing communications services to promote the company’s natural and premium lines of Black Angus beef. John Stewart, Creekstone Farms Premium Beef owner and CEO said, “We have so many great stories to tell, and we are excited to work with Nicholson Kovac to help grow the Creekstone Farms Premium Beef brand. We feel Nicholson Kovac’s combination of strong business-to-business expertise and industry knowledge will allow us to work together to create a strong and memorable brand for Creekstone Farms Premium Beef.”

Agencies, Agribusiness

Blogging Coast To Coast

Chuck Zimmerman

ASHTO 50 Year CelebrationEvent coverage is me. At least it seems that way lately. Besides the upcoming CMA Fan Fair, I’ve got a very interesting one that I can announce. It’s the 50 year celebration of our national interstate system. I will be driving one of the vehicles in the convoy that will be commemorating the 50th anniversary of the federal law that brought the Interstate Highway System to America. The trip begins June 16 in San Francisco and ends June 29 in Washington, DC. You can see the full schedule here. I’ll be writing each day, including interviews and pictures as I find them and I know there will be a lot. My involvement with the trip is being sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. In fact, I’ll be driving a truck that will be wrapped with their logo. You can see a current list of the sponsoring organizations for the whole event here. I’ll be driving through a lot of farmland.

Kansas Lottery Indy 300Then, it looks like I’ll fly from the closing ceremonies of the Interstate event to Kansas City for the Kansas Lottery Indy 300. This is one of the races on the Indy Racing League Schedule and it will be nice to get in a little more race action. Gotta love that ethanol-powered fuel they put in those cars.

Ethanol

Will it be for Food or Fuel?

Chuck Zimmerman

Harry Siemens“India – what an eye opener,” says friend and colleague John Duvenaud of Winnipeg, Man. He recently returned from India where he attended the World Bean Congress . “There is industrial scale farming but the bulk by far is one or 2 acre plots with oxen or horses – no fertilizer, bin run
seed, primitive equipment.

Indian yields are about 20 bushels per acre. There is certainly potential to increase production but my feeling is that things won’t change a lot. What is happening is that the people are getting richer in a hurry. India has, or soon will, pass China in growth rate of eight to nine percent a year. A common sight – newly rich kids drinking Coke and carrying a big belly. Even the beggar children have fat cheeks. Poor people actually have very healthy diets. They eat lots of lentils and chickpeas, very little, or no, meat. Spend any time in a city and it’s clear that westerners have no monopoly on obesity. Read More

International

EPIC Progress On ZimmCast

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast70 - EPIC ProgressSince I’m posting this before leaving the Indianapolis Motor Speedway you can probably guess what the ZimmCast is about this week. Actually I interviewed Tom Slunecka, Executive Director of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) and we talked about what a year it’s been for the ethanol industry and the organization.

Tom says it’s been a “perfect storm” of circumstances that’s made for an amazing year of promotional successes. You can listen here: Listen To ZimmCastZimmCast 70 (11 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.

Audio, Ethanol, Indy Racing, ZimmCast