Perfecting The Soybean

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast50- Kent GronlieThis week’s ZimmCast is my last interview from the fall NAFB convention. It’s with Kent Gronlie, soybean farmer and member of the United Soybean Board and Qualisoy. In my interview Kent talks about the work that Qualisoy has been doing and what he sees for the future for soybeans.

You can listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: Download MP3 File

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also now find the ZimmCast on CoolCast Radio or subscribe in iTunes.

Ag Groups, Audio, Podcasts, ZimmCast

Market Probe Acquires Marketing Horizons

Chuck Zimmerman

Market ProbeThis just in . . .

Market Probe has acquired Marketing Horizons, Inc., a mid-sized marketing research company located in St. Louis, Missouri that specializes in agricultural market research. For nearly 20 years, Marketing Horizons has been a leading provider of full-service marketing research and business consulting services. Earl Wims, co-founder of Marketing Horizons, retired from the company effective December 15, 2005. Co-founder Robert Jasper will assume the title of Senior Vice President at Market Probe and will continue to oversee the day-to-day management of the operations. The Marketing Horizons staff of about 30, located in two St. Louis offices, will remain in place and become employees of Marketing Horizons, Inc. – A Division of Market Probe.

Agribusiness

ACDC Has New Ag Media Terms

Chuck Zimmerman

Agricultural Communications Documentation CenterJim Evans, who manages the ACDC (not the rock group), liked my new agricultural communications terms. Check out the June issue of ACDC News for my definition of “agriblogging” and “farm podcasting.”

BTW. ACDC stands for Agricultural Communications Documentation Center. They now have over 27,000 documents in their collection. The ACDC is: “a unique literature collection and information service developed by agricultural communications faculty members at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is offered as a service to students, teachers, researchers, professional communicators and others who are interested in communications related broadly to agriculture, food, natural resources and rural affairs. The Center is housed within the Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences Funk Library.”

Podcasts, University

AFBF Leader – The Bridge Is Sagging

Chuck Zimmerman

American Farm Bureau FederationThe American Farm Bureau Federation annual convention got kicked off today. Boy are they cranking out the news releases. Here’s a couple items from them you might be interested in:

1. The American Farm Bureau today gave its highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, to House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and Barry Flinchbaugh, Kansas State University agricultural economist.

2. America’s farmers and ranchers have an obligation to provide input on farm program changes before outside forces do it for them, American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman said today during his address at AFBF’s 87th annual meeting.

“For decades, agriculture has relied on our farm program as a sturdy bridge that gets us to the other side of the river and moves us on down our country road,” Stallman said. “Today that bridge is beginning to sag under the weight of change. We cannot afford to wait until that old bridge collapses, and we end up swimming for our lives.”

3. Government support for agriculture will look very different — the farm bills of the future will be nothing like the farm bills of recent years.

Global trade will drive agricultural profitability, because more than 96 percent of the world’s population will be outside the U.S.

Farmers will be more dependent on nearby rural communities, but these communities will be less dependent on agriculture for their economic stability.

America will have fewer farms producing a larger percentage of U.S. food and fiber, but there will be more small farms than today.

More farmers and ranchers will have learned to produce what they can sell and not simply sell what they produce.

Market forces will drive the implementation of environmental practices.

Research and technology will be global in scope rather than focused nationally.

This last one is a list of trends that will most affect agriculture in the next 15 years that was part of a new report from the AFBF, Making American Agriculture Productive and Profitable Committee.

I’m sure a lot more will come out of Nashville this week.

Ag Groups

Are Older Farmers Using The Internet More?

Chuck Zimmerman

I’ve been meaning to post this for a few days. You get busy, the emails pile up, you know how it is. After reading this article on MarketingVox I wonder how the same study would apply to farmers. Are older farmers using the internet more or less? Just yesterday someone said that they bet that farm blog readers are “under 30.” I disagree with that based on my own experience but don’t have data to back it up. Are you a farmer reading this? If so, let me know your thoughts by commenting or emailing me.

This article on MarketingVox says that “U.S. online adults 55 years and older – the heaviest users of offline media – say the ability to access online content any time of the day (69.2 percent) and the greater accuracy of online information (67.5 percent) are the primary advantages of the internet versus TV, radio, magazines or newspapers, according to a Burst Media survey.” and “36.6 percent spend less time reading magazines now than a year ago; 44.1 percent spend less time reading newspapers; 44.0 percent spend less time listening to the radio; and 43.6 percent spend less time watching TV.” Media is becoming more fractionalized every day and I believe the same is true in agriculture.

We know that over half of all U. S. farmers are now online but we really don’t know a lot about their specific internet habits and how they use it for business. I’m hoping to learn more on Tuesday since the Gateway NAMA program is “how high-speed Internet access is changing how the agriculture industry does business.” The presenter will be Kip Pendleton of Agristar Global Networks.

BTW. If you go, stay for my blogging seminar afterward!

Farming, Internet

Agromek About To Kick Off In Denmark

Chuck Zimmerman

Peter Hansen General Manager Peter Hansen, who is also chairman, is about to kick off Agromek 2006 on January 17. This is ” the largest annual agricultural mechanization exhibition in Northern Europe.” They have 560 exhibitors lined up. Apparently ventilations systems and pig production are big this year. Some of the things they’ve promoted in advance of the show are:

Poultry farmers, pig producers and cattle farmers will be able to study and compare a wide range of systems for ventilation and other products for the improvement of livestock housing climates when they attend Agromek 2006 . . .

Pig farmers and their advisors will be able to study and compare a wide array of almost all types of technology, installations, fixtures and production aids for application in pig herds when they visit Agromek 2006 . . .

Farm Shows

IFAJ Article On Blogging

Chuck Zimmerman

IFAJ Newsletter Article On BloggingThe latest issue of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists has a blogging article in it! I’m interested to see how many of the thousands of IFAJ members internationally will be blogging by the end of 2006. I challenge them to give it a try and if they do to let me know so I can feature them here on AgWired.

During last fall’s IFAJ International Congress I saw a lot of interest in this new way of personal online publishing.

IFAJ

NAFB Reaches The New Rural

Chuck Zimmerman

NAFB AdThe National Association of Farm Broadcasting is coming out with a new ad to position its members as a great media vehicle to reach what they call the “New Rural.” Having participated in and moderated a few panel discussions on the topic of hobby farming or part time farming or whatever you want to call it I can understand the desire to become a medium of choice for these types of “producers.” The term New Rural seems to be missing a word to me though. New Rural what? Maybe this is on purpose since it’s very hard to classify people who have day jobs and like to work outdoors on some property. NAFB does offer a definition though, “Made up of large property owners and part-time producers who derive some income from production, as well as “hobby farmers” who just enjoy the rural lifestyle . . .”

The New Rural people I’ve met in the panels I’ve been on or watched are heavy users of all media, especially internet. One of the reasons is that for those who have “regular” jobs they are online with their work. For example, a grape grower in the Kansas City area that was a part of a panel at last year’s NAMA Boot Camp said he spends a lot of time online and that it was the main source of his information for growing grapes. Another panel participant there was a hog farmer who has installed wireless internet access that covers his property so he can be connected anywhere, including the barn, on his PDA. They certainly listen to the radio and watch their tv too.

Media, NAFB

Take A Moment For Some Ag News

Chuck Zimmerman

If you surf around long enough you’ll always find something interesting. For example, the WordPress software I use has a nifty little feature that shows you websites that are linking to you yours. I haven’t looked at this in a long time. Lo and behold there’s new ones. Like Ag Moment, which is being published by Brian Barnett, who was recently doing grad studies in Michigan but is now back in the real world. He has a website and a personal blog and some other sites I’ll let you find on your own. Hey Brian, got time to post some articles for me? Thanks for linking to us.

Uncategorized

Go Fish With Meals On Wheels

Chuck Zimmerman

Meals On WheelsThe Meals On Wheels Association of America is teaming up with the National Fisheries Institute to promote the health benefits associated with including fish in a healthy, balanced diet. I like the fact that they call fish, “brain food.” Boy am I smart with all the seafood I eat. You’ll have to research the rationale for that yourself since it’s got something to do with Omega-3 essential fatty acids and that’s not something I know anything about.

The “Go Fish!” program theme is modeled after the popular card game and will provide thousands of MOWAA members, volunteers, clients, donors and staff a different “playing card” each week that will include recipe and meal preparation ideas, health and nutrition information and facts about fish. The first card, the King of Hearts, is available upon request.

“We know that many health benefits are derived when seafood consumption is increased and are pleased with the opportunity to share this information with our members because of our partnership with NFI,” said Enid Borden, CEO of MOWAA. “It is our desire to promote better nutrition for seniors we serve and encourage them through our programs to put more fish in their diets.”

Ag Groups