MyPyramid Website Rocks Along

Chuck Zimmerman

MyPyramidLast week was the one year anniversary for the USDA MyPyramid food guidance system. Apparently the website has received a huge amount of traffic making it “one of the most popular federal websites ever.”

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns says the inagural success of My Pyramid will be built upon in its second year with a variety of improvements and outreach programs. You can listen to him describe the future for the program in this report from USDA Radio News: Listen To MP3 Mike Johanns MyPyramid Story (1 min MP3)

I guess I have to wonder why we have an obesity chrisis in America with all this good nutrition information and so many people accessing it.

Audio, Food, USDA

Get Mobile Farm Info Quickly

Chuck Zimmerman

QuickfarmThe keynote speaker at the recent NAMA Conference says the future is in wireless information delivery. It looks like Quickfarm agrees with him. They’ve just announced their new mobile service that allows producers with Web-enabled mobile phones or PDAs to access timely production information.

The phone-formatted information will be managed by the user from the Web site of their local elevator, cooperative or other QuickFarm subscriber location. QuickFarm Mobile™ provides producers with convenient, portable and immediate access to breaking agricultural news, weather radar, forecasts, grain and livestock market information, local commodity prices and LDP information – right from their mobile phones.

Matt Walsh, vice president of QuickFarm, says the mobile Web service augments the company’s current services and makes it even easier for agribusiness subscribers to provide their farmer customers with the critical, time-sensitive information they need for their farming operations.

Agribusiness, Internet

Virtual Wine Exhibition

Chuck Zimmerman

IsrawinexpoThese virtual exhibitions are very cool. I just participated in one this past weekend. Here’s one you can really get your palate around. Although, sniffing the aroma after popping a cork might be a little challenging. And I’m not sure a virtual cabernet is as good as the real thing. But hey, check it out.

It’s the first international wine exhibition in Israel, which you’ll find online. It starts June 16.

Food, International

Doing The Brownfield Boogie

Chuck Zimmerman

Brownfield PartyI did make it to the Brownfield reception at last week’s NAMA Conference but without my camera. That’s a rare thing with this blogger. But I was promised a picture and it just showed up in my inbox. Thanks Myra.

So, as usual, it looks like another successful Brownfield NAMA event. I am assuming that Boomerz is playing at the time this picture was taken.

Media, NAMA

New Mrs. Missouri

Chuck Zimmerman

Mrs. Missouri AmericaFrom farm broadcaster to Mrs. Missouri America. It’s Lanie Beetsma. Lanie was a farm broadcaster at KMZU in Carrollton, MO.

You can find out a little more about Lanie on the Brownfield Blog where I got this head’s up.

Uncategorized

BIO 2006 Coverage Statistics

Chuck Zimmerman

BIO 2006I was just looking over some statistics from my recent coverage of the BIO 2006 Convention that I thought you might be interested in. These are only for AgWired since I did some posts on other ZimmComm blogs.

  • 50 posts, 129 images, 26 audio/interview files, 9 video clips
  • During this time we had 38,000 pages views (doesn’t count audio/video downloads)
  • The audio/video files were downloaded between 10 to 50 times each

    • Not too bad for a couple days work, eh?

    Uncategorized

    Alcohol Production Training

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Alcohol SchoolI think most of us know how to handle the consumption thing but what about production? I am going to go out on a limb and say that participants in this “school” must have a great time. Ethanol Technology Institute sponsors this event which will be in Toulouse, France at the end of next month. Ethanol Technology is owned by Lallemand Specialties, Inc.

    Lallemand. I love that name. It just kind of rolls off the tongue. Say it slowly three times in a row right now. See what I mean?

    For 25 years, The Alcohol School has been educating fuel ethanol and distilled beverage producers in the science of alcohol production. The week-long program is designed for lab, plant, and management personnel and is organized around lectures, laboratory demonstrations, seminars, and plant visits.

    I just hope they supply Tylenol too. BTW. If you miss this one they’re going to do it again in Montreal in late September.

    Agribusiness, International

    Could We Have International Farm Podcasting

    Chuck Zimmerman

    FAO Rural RadioOnce upon a time I participated in a conference on international farm broadcasting at FAO. It looks like the event has produced results.

    FAO now has a Rural Radio website up and running with lots of content. In developing countries radio can and is playing a key role in the delivery of information. Just like it did here in the early days of our development in America.

    You can download a book they published called, “The One to Watch, Radio, New ICT’s and Interactivity.” (122 pg pdf)

    Since it looks like they talk about blending radio and the internet I think that makes it “international farm podcasting” time.

    International, Podcasts

    Remembering Earth Day

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Oops, (yawn) I forgot about Earth Day. I guess that’s because America’s farmers and ranchers believe every day is earth day and it just doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. Who are better stewards of the land than the people who farm it?

    So if you missed it like I did you can see what Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said at the 36th Annual Earth Day Celebration, Wiggins, Colorado, April 24, 2006 right here.

    Uncategorized

    AdFarm A Canadian “Best Workplace”

    Chuck Zimmerman

    AdFarmSo the question is, “Does this apply to all their offices?” C’mon AdFarm staff, leave your comments here. Who knows, it may mean points at bonus time!

    Agricultural marketing and communications company, AdFarm, was ranked third in Canadian Business magazine’s 2006 list of the “Best Workplaces in Canada.” AdFarm was the only communications agency and the only agricultural business to receive this special recognition.

    The Canadian list follows the same methodology developed by the Great Place to Work Institute in San Francisco, used by Fortune and the Financial Times to compile similar company rankings. Full details on the 2006 Best Workplaces in Canada list are in the April 10, 2006, issue of Canadian Business magazine and online at www.canadianbusiness.com.

    “The advertising and communications business depends totally on the talents and commitments of quality people,” says AdFarm CEO, Kim McConnell. “Creating a unique working environment is extremely important to our business success but also to the enjoyment and fulfillment we receive during our working hours. Being ranked the number three company in Canada is an award all AdFarmers take a great deal of pride in receiving.”

    Agencies