ZimmComm Blog Sponsors Announced

Chuck Zimmerman

Accelerated GeneticsWe’re going to send out a news release on this but I’m too excited to wait. As some of you may have noticed earlier this week on AgWired, we have new sponsors coming on board World Dairy Diary. Accelerated Genetics is one of those brave companies that sees what we’re doing as a new way to communicate. Thank you Angie!

The Callicrate BanderAnother one is The Callicrate Bander from No-Bull Enterprises. These folks were one of the charter sponsoring companies on World Dairy Diary and they’ve decided to stay on board here in the new year. Thank you Rachel!

We’ve got room for more and there will be more. In fact, in my discussions we’ve been asked about sponsoring all our properties. By properties I mean our blogs. I actually am finding it hard to believe that we own “properties.” Back in my days in traditional media properties meant radio networks, especially sports radio networks, as in “sports properties.” Now all I’ve got is these little old blogs. You can’t argue with traffic and results though can you? It’s new media time.

Wanna sponsor the most exciting thing happening in agricultural communications? Click here.

Agribusiness, Internet

Farm Products And Rose Bowl Bet

Chuck Zimmerman

2006 Rose BowlThe Rose Bowl will be played shortly so how much more timely could this post be about the Governator waging a little promotional bet with his counterpart in Texas?

The story is in the Sacramento Bee. Basically California’s Governor Schwartzenegger is betting Texas Governor Perry some agricultural products:

Each governor also has offered a basket of home-grown items – which also would go toward the victorious state’s National Guard. California’s basket includes avocados, salmon, chicken, turkey, lamb, strawberries and wine, among other things. The Lone Star State is offering grapefruit, oranges, barbecued beef brisket and 100 pints of Blue Bell ice cream.

Uncategorized

Record First Quarter For Monsanto

Chuck Zimmerman

MonsantoIt looks like Monsanto is planning on having a good year. According to their President and CEO, Hugh Grant, “The contribution of our seeds and traits business continues to grow, as more and more farmers throughout the world recognize the value and convenience of our products for their farms. Stronger adoption of our traits in Australia, coupled with stronger and earlier sales of Roundup herbicides and the addition of the Seminis business, helped make this a record first quarter for our company.”

You can get the full story, including slides, and listen to the replay of their webcast (for 3 weeks) on their website.

Agribusiness

Bongo Microwavable Donuts

Chuck Zimmerman

Bongo DonutsThis is a story you can sink your sweet teeth into. Microwavable donuts. Very good idea. Goes good with coffee.

SkylarHaley, a leading Food and Beverage marketing company announced today that it will enter the $3.6 Billion Dollar Donut Market and $30 Billon Dollar US Frozen Food Market with the introduction of its latest innovate product, Bongo Donuts, the worlds only microwavable donut.

If I find some I’ll write a review. I like the language they’re using with this product: “The challenges that go in to creating the perfect microwavable donut are enormous. It’s not just about making a great donut but bringing the experience of the local donut shop in to each consumers home.”

I miss the donut shop we used to have here on Missouri Blvd. in Jefferson City. Back when I drank decaf (what was I thinking?) I would order a couple donuts and a cup of coffee. This took a while since they had to make decaf while I waited. At least it was fresh.

Food

Computers On The Missouri Farm

Chuck Zimmerman

Computers On The Farm ConferenceI wonder is this type of conference is being done in other states. Here in Missouri this weekend farmers can attend a “Compuers On The Farm” conference. You can see the program here.

I don’t see anything on the program related to marketing but there is a topic called new technologies. I wonder if the organizers have thought of “information” technologies as part of their program? That would include agriblogging and farm podcasting.

Farming, University

10 Good Reasons To Blog

Chuck Zimmerman

Chief MarketerThere’s a nice article on Chief Marketer that contains reasons for blogging. These apply to any company in today’s world, even you farmers who are trying to market your products in the global economy. The article is written by Bob Cargill. He lists 10 reasons you should consider blogging:

Blogs are:

Interactive
Humanizing
Inexpensive
Immediate
Infectious
Empowering
Enjoyable
Authoritative
Valuable
Popular

Visit Chief Marketer to see his reasoning on each of these. I don’t think I could say it any better.

Uncategorized

Lang Joins Learfield

Chuck Zimmerman

Learfield Creative ServicesIt looks like the folks at Learfield Communications have found a leader for their new Creative Services division. Kim Lang, who was most recently working at DTN, will be joining the firm soon. I’ve got a call in to Kim to get some more details about the position and the services that will be offered by the new division.

Correction: I was just informed that although Kim will be joining Learfield, it won’t be with Learfield Creative Services.

Update to Correction: Kim just called in and confirmed that she’ll be joining Learfield in a sales position with more details to be announced soon. Congratulations Kim!! I guess this means Learfield is still looking for that Director of Creative Services.

I think Learfield’s got a “good one.” I worked with Kim once upon a time at DTN. She’s a true agrimarketing pro!

Media

Three Important Farm Policy Issues For 2006

Keith Good

FarmPolicy.comAs the 2006 farm policy picture develops, observers see three key issues on the horizon.

According to DTN, “This sets the stage for three farm policy debates next year — one beginning early in the year on proposed budget cuts, a second continuing debate on trade policy that could peak next spring and a third beginning late in the year on replacement farm legislation.”

While Administration federal budget proposals are set to be released next month, recall that last year, President Bush sought to curtail farm spending by $9 billion over five years. Nonetheless, the current budget reconciliation measure that is set to pass Congress contains only $2.7 billion in cuts.

The second two issues, trade policy and the 2007 Farm Bill debate, are more intertwined.

Attention regarding these two issues often focuses on the possibility of moving U.S. domestic farm payments from more trade distorting forms of crop subsidies, to more benign forms of agricultural programs that address agri-environmental issues and rural development.

A recent article published in the Argus Leader (SD) which focused on the future of the Conservation Reserve Program, explained that “International trade negotiations also favor direct-payment programs such as CRP over programs tied to price, such as countercyclical payments. According to World Trade Organization logic, such programs are more likely to distort trade.”

And, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette noted that some have argued that, “at least some of the $15 billion to $20 billion the federal government spends annually on crop subsidies be reallocated to other parts of the rural economy, especially to ‘microbusinesses,’ firms of five or fewer employees.”

Moreover, the article stated that, “And, sooner or later, world trade disputes, where subsidies are taking center stage, will force a reduction in the federal payments.”

Expect to see more debate about shifting farm allocations as the new year progresses.

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

AgWeb and IRON

Chuck Zimmerman

AgWebAgWeb and IRON – joint venturing it. Basically the partnership . . .

IRON Solutions “serves as the cornerstone for a new comprehensive equipment featured section on AgWeb.com. In an effort to expand offerings to both users and sponsors, the new venture involves content, advertising and customer service functions. At the heart of this venture is the addition of IRON Search to AgWeb. This featured section will include expanded content with daily headlines covering the broad farm equipment industry plus a discussions forum where users can share their own personal evaluations of equipment and services.”

Isn’t the web an interesting, ever-changing place? All kinds of joint ventures are possible and springing up as companies realize that change is inevitable. It’s a new media world, even in agribusiness.

Internet, Media

Veal A Featured Holiday Recipe

Chuck Zimmerman

Chef TourondelThe Beef Checkoff got a nice boost to their Vealstore website traffic after “Chef Laurent Tourondel (pictured) of BLT Steak in New York City joined Today Show Host Al Roker in demonstrating an elegant holiday veal recipe.”

The nice thing about websites is how easy it is to measure activity. According to the Beef Board, “On the day the segment aired with Chef Tourondel’s comments, daily hits to the www.vealstore.com Web site were nearly four times more than normal, with nearly 7,000 hits that day alone. Hits to the Web site remained higher than usual for the remainder of that week.”

The Beef Board also announced the hiring of Robert Schafer as a veal development consultant. “In his new role, Schafer will help put more veal on casual dining restaurant menus across the U.S., and provide guidance to the veal menu development team in the beef checkoff-funded veal program’s “Go-to-Market” strategy.”

Ag Groups, Beef