The USDA office of communications has some new staff members. Kristin Scuderi will serve as Deputy Press Secretary; Harry Phillips serves as Director of Speechwriting and Jessie Nicholson as Speechwriter in the department.
Welcome to the staff!
Heads Up You Lonely Farmers
This is just too funny but serious. I just received a news release (through PR Web) for FarmersOnly.com, a dating service for farmers. I might have to do a ZimmCast with this guy. For now I’ll just leave it that I’ve brought it to your attention.
August 18, 2005 — FarmersOnly.com is the brainchild of Jerry Miller, owner of the marketing and public relations firm for the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association. Jerry works with thousands of farms and ranches across the country. While talking to one of the farmers, Jerry made quite a discovery.
“A recently divorced farmer revealed that she was becoming frustrated with being single and the difficulty of meeting someone new.” Jerry recalled.
“I’m ready to give up!” She said. “How am I going to meet someone new if I am out in the middle of nowhere, working on a farm all day? Maybe I’ll try online dating.”
For more information Jerry wants you to visit the website.
Keynote Session At The BBS
We’re now into the Keynote session “Why Microsoft is Betting Big on Bloggers & RSS.” After Dean Hachamovitch got us started with a little review of how we’ve gotten to the point where blogging is so popular we’re now getting the Robert Scoble perspective. He’s discussing why he blogs and where blogging has taken him, especially in terms of building relationships with people. He’s now doing video internally with different employees which is distributed to other employees. Great way to communicate and I assume build team spirit internally at Microsoft.
Now we’re hearing about RSS and the whole idea of syndicating information. We’re supposed to hear an announcement from Microsoft on where they see the future of business blogging.
I had to run back up to my room and get my computer’s power supply. I didn’t know the setup here. Weve not only got free wireless access that seems to be working fine, but we’ve got power outlets. The room has filled up and as you can see in the picture, there’s lots of screens lit up here!
It’s a blogging kind of event. I haven’t seen a session like it before!
Live Posting From The BBS
Here’s where the Blog Business Summit (BBS from now on) takes place in very cool San Francisco. We’re getting ready for breakfast and to learn about WordPress. It’s the software I use and recommend but can use some instruction. Do we ever really learn everything there is to know about any software?
I’ll try to post periodically throughout the day, especially if I hear something you might be interested in.
Got anything you want me to ask or look into while I’m here? Email me or post a comment and I’ll see what I can find out
Arriving Late At The Blog Business Summit
I got into San Fran this evening on time and made it to the Blog Business Summit reception where I met several interesting people. One of my main “targets” was the people here from WordPress and I was introduced to Matthew Mullenweg. He very patiently answered my questions and I’m looking forward to learning more tomorrow at breakfast (they’re sponsoring). Thank you to DL Byron for introducing me!
Then it was off to dinner with several folks who were kind enough to invite me. We had Karlie Stanton, AutoTrader.com, Bob Wyman, PubSub, Bob Brooks, and our host from Intelliseek, Jay Stockwell, along with Dan (he didn’t have a card, I’m sorry).
We had a great time. They were intrigued by the idea of an agriblogger. Or should I say the whole concept of agribusiness getting involved in blogging! Who’d have thought it? Hey Jay, that was some excellent foie gras!
It’s late so I’ll have more tomorrow. In the meantime have a nice evening.
Blogging 101 At Boot Camp
Okay. It’s a little self-promotion. But hey, if I don’t promote myself how are you going to believe I can help you promote yourself?
The NAMA Agri-Marketing Boot Camp is over for me but still going on in KC, MO for over 60 registrants from companies, agencies and ag groups. I really wish I could stay for the full program but I’ve been wanting to attend this Blog Business Summit for a long time too. I look at it as my own extra professional development so I can bring you better consulting/training/blogging services.
Hey, students, if you want more I will be happy to arrange to visit your shop and conduct some more personalized training. Just give me a call.
That’s all for now. Remember to keep an eye on the NAMA Boot Camp Blog and register your comments.
Boot Camp Demo Post
Here we are blog training at the the Agri-Marketing Boot Camp. This is a demo post.
As a further demonstration to my students I’ve now added a picture to this post. I’m at the airport getting ready to head out to San Fran for the Blog Business Summit.
I hope the class was worthwhile. Love to have your feedback.
Boot Camp Producer Panel Tells It Like It Is
This evening was the producer panel. Joining me as our farmer panel were Brian Bogue, Bogue Farms (right in picture), Holt, MO; Michael Amigoni, Amigoni Family Vineyards (left of podium), Centerview, MO; Larry Oltjen, cattleman, Robinson, KS (far left in picture). I had the pleasure to moderate this panel. What a great group of producers we had.
There was a lot of interesting Q & A. I thought it was interesting that 2 of our panelists were heavy internet users and 1 said that he left that to his wife and consultants but that they were also heavy users! Brian in particular has self-educated himself, invested in satellite internet access and installed a wireless system in his farm that reaches over a half a mile and services 3 houses and a pig barn. He even has all his pig data on his pda, which I think makes that a pig-d-a (pig digital assistant).
They mentioned high levels of radio listenership and seasonal focus on ag publications. However, I think it was obvious that they use all forms of media and are serious consumers of information from a variety of sources.
They don’t particularly like to be “surveyed” all the time and are unlikely to complete a survey without some sort of incentive. For example, Larry said that after investing a lot of money in a piece of farm equipment he had a vested interest in providing feedback to the company he purchased it from but was unlikely to do so for someone soliciting him for some type of general farm survey.
They like and value trade shows and their respective commodity organizations that they belong to. They support the checkoff activities of beef and pork in particular.
Michael is the grape grower, doing it part time but with the intent of making money. He is a heavy internet user to seek out information from websites all over the country and has his own to help him market his grapes.
That’s about all I can rememer right now. It’s getting late even for this blogger so I’ll close for now and bring you more tomorrow.
And let me thank Ken Dean, High Plains Journal, one more time for taking pictures! You saved me. I left my camera memory card at home. What a dumb thing to do, eh?
Agri-Marketers Learning On The Farm
Here’s where agri-marketers need to be to learn how to, well, agri-market. A farm!
Photo courtesy of Ken Dean, High Plains Journal.
Boot Camp Tour Stop For Lunch
The Boot Camp crew had to stop for lunch. I don’t have the name of the farm but they got to lounge around in the shade. I wonder who that is on the cell phone?
Photo courtesy of Ken Dean, High Plains Journal.