Bringing Internet Access To Rural America

Chuck Zimmerman

Tim GanshchowI’m back. It’s been a long day of blogging, teaching blogging and demonstrating AgNewsWire.AgWired.com. I promised to post some audio though and here it is. I decided to post Tim Ganschow’s (Agristar Global Networks) complete presentation today on “Bringing Internet Access To Rural America.” You sure can’t find a subject more near and dear to my heart. It was a great lead-in to my blogging seminar that followed today at the Gateway Nama/St. Louis Ag Club meeting.

You can listent to Tim here: Tim Ganschow Presentation (19MB MP3 – 41 min.)

I know it’s long but I think you’ll find the information very interesting. If you don’t want to listen to Tim’s full presentation I’m planning to cut it up and use it in next week’s ZimmCast. Tim has a written report on this subject that I’m going to ask him for. If he’ll let me I’ll post it for you or at least excerpts of it.

As most of us in agricultural communications know, the only reason why farmers lag behind the general public in some categories of internet use is the lack of broadband. With the availability of broadband access farmers will quickly catch up to the rest of the population. A point that Tim made which I really liked is that as communications professionals who may in some cases be waiting for this “catch up” point, the tools to make use of broadband internet access are already available. These would include rich media options like video and audio. Tim’s company is just one that’s working rapidly to expand farmer access to broadband internet. He mentions at the end of the talk the desire to pull together a “Broadband Alliance For Agriculture.” I think he can count on ZimmComm and AgWired to be a part of that alliance.

Audio, Internet, NAMA

Politics & Renewable Energy

Keith Good

FarmPolicy.comIt is never too early to talk about the next presidential election and the Iowa Caucuses, where rural and agricultural issues often get more media focus.

One area of particular interest that politicians often refer to when traveling in Iowa, or preparing to campaign there, is ethanol and renewable energy.

The New York Times recently reported that New York Gov. George E. Pataki in his State of the State address, “made a pitch for ethanol, an alternative fuel made from corn that is beloved in Iowa, which happens to also be the home of the first presidential caucus.”

However, in a time of relatively high energy prices, Middle Eastern instability and increased focus on trade compliance, renewable energy issues could potentially garner more than the normal amount of attention from potential Presidential candidates like Gov. Pataki

In one indication of the importance of the renewable energy issue, New York Times Op-Ed columnist Thomas L. Friedman recently commented that “making ourselves energy efficient and independent, and environmentally green,” could be “the most important issue in U.S. foreign and domestic policy today.”

To the extent that the average voter can connect ethanol and other farm based forms of energy to addressing “the most important issue in U.S. foreign and domestic policy today,” politicians could see a change in attitude with respect to allocating federal tax dollars to various types of federal farm subsidies.

In addition to the warmer reception the general public may give these types of federal support, some farm policy observers point out that ethanol subsidies are also W.T.O. compliant, or non-trade distorting.

Yesterday’s Argues Leader (S.D) included this quote, from Brian Jennings, from the American Coalition for Ethanol, “There is nothing we do in the U.S. to support ethanol that is trade distorting.”

In addition to environmental programs, and rural development, agricultural observers should keep an eye on the increasingly important issue of renewable energy.

Keith Good writes The FarmPolicy.com News Summary, an Email newsletter containing a summary of news relating to U.S. farm policy which is published most weekdays. For more information, go to www.FarmPolicy.com.

Farm Policy

Rural Broadband Discussion

Chuck Zimmerman

Tim GanshchowThe presentation here at the NAMA/Ag Club meeting is now underway. Our presenter is Tim Ganschow, VP of Agristar Global Networks. He started out with some great statistics about overall U. S. households that have internet access and compared that to farmers using USDA’s every other year national study.

He took us through a little bit of history of the internet starting with how a little company called Netscape really changed the way we can interact with and use the internet.

Now he’s talking about rural broadband and what the options are, especially when it comes to farmers.

BTW. I’m recording this so I can bring you the audio of his full presentation later.

NAMA

AgWired Live From St. Louis

Chuck Zimmerman

St. Louis Ag Club BoardHere we are just prior to the NAMA Gateway/St. Louis Ag Club meeting at the Westport Sheraton. The St. Louis Ag Club is currently holding their board meeting. They were kind enough to pause for the photo op.

We’ll begin the meeting with a reception at 11:30 and then have lunch with our keynote speaker. More to come.

NAMA

Blogging In St. Louis Today

Chuck Zimmerman

Today I’ll be in St. Louis to conduct a blogging seminar for the combined Gateway NAMA chapter and St. Louis Agribusiness Club meeting. Actually, my seminar follows the lunch meeting to be absolutely correct. We’ve got a great lunch speaker. I’ll record Kip Pendleton, AgriStar Global Networks, and hope to post his talk if I have permission. I will certainly try to interview him for a future ZimmCast.

So count on seeing something here from the seminar/luncheon and later when I’m back. If you’re in the St. Louis area with nothing to do then come on out.

I’ll show how to blog and also get into podcasting too. Live demonstrations are the only way to go so it’ll be a live online type of event. Call me if you’d like a seminar for your organization or company.

NAMA

Carnival Blogs

Chuck Zimmerman

I’ve been wondering for a while what exactly a “carnival blog” is since I see it referred to a lot by a blogger I subscribe to. He writes about the Carnival of the Capitalist in particular. Then this morning I noticed a comment on a recent post of mine that’s from one of these blogs. I can’t tell who is producing this blog but what it looks like is a blog that doesn’t produce any original content. They just take images and content from other people’s blogs. Like in this case, mine. They’re topical and as far as I can tell are only in business to create traffic and revenue. But for who? Somehow the idea of someone else using my content to create traffic for themselves isn’t right. I don’t feel good about that. If I’m mis-judging this I would be happy to know how and have someone explain it to me. If I’m not, then maybe I should delete their comment. Anyone have any more information on this or suggestions?

Uncategorized

Those High Priced Veggies Causing Problems

Chuck Zimmerman

USDA ERS Report“You have got to be kidding me.” That’s the first thing that came to mind when I saw the tease for a new report by USDA’s Economic Research Service titled, “Metropolitan Area Food Prices and Children’s Weight Gain.” Basically it was conducted to see if there’s a link between high priced fruits and vegetables and fat kids. Let’s get rid of the term “overweight” please. Here’s one finding of the study:

Children who lived in metropolitan areas where fruits and vegetables were relatively expensive gained significantly more weight than children—matched for otherwise-similar characteristics and standard of living—who lived where fruits and vegetables were cheaper.

There’s no way you’re going to convince me that the reason these kids in the area studied are fat is because they can’t afford fruits and vegetables. At least the report ends with:

Lacking longitudinal data on consumption and price changes, we cannot confirm the causal relationship between higher prices and the purchase and use of fresh produce. However, the findings suggest the need for more research to determine the impact prices may have on the consumption of fruits and vegetables by children.

I can tell you that the “longitudinal” data they need to look at is how much time those kids are lying down on the couch watching tv or playing video games!

USDA

Tolman Re-elected Chairman of MARC2000

Chuck Zimmerman

MARC 2000MARC 2000 (Midwest Area Rivers Coalition) has re-elected NCGA CEO, Rick Tolman, as their chairman for 2006. Rick, I guess you’re doing a good job.

“Under Mr. Tolman’s leadership, our coalition achieved what was unthinkable just a year ago – walking the halls of Capitol Hill with leading environmental advocates as our allies,” said Paul C. Rohde, President of MARC 2000.

Ag Groups

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