Energy legislation is sure to be a big topic of discussion in the ag world this week so the Missouri Corn Growers Association CornTalk program features an interview with MO Senator Jim Talent. Senator Talent talks about the debate on the floor of the senate and the renewable fuels standard amendment.
The interview was conducted by Tom Brand, farm director at KFEQ, St. Joseph, MO. You can listen to this week’s CornTalk here 
You can also subscribe to CornTalk (podcast) using our sidebar link.
This week we learn about a cooperative-owned publication from the man who reps it. I interview Nip Neidert, Neidert Associates, who represents Today’s Farmer magazine, owned by MFA Incorporated.
Nip talks about the differences between a cooperative-owned publication and one owned and operated by a publishing company. He also talks about the industry and the outlook he sees for the magazine.
You can listen to my interview with Nip here
You can also subscribe to the ZimmCast (our version of the podcast) by using the link in our sidebar.
You read about it as it happened right here on AgWired (Check out our NAMA category archive). It was a Blogging 101 presentation to the Midlands NAMA chapter meeting in May. The latest edition of National NAMA e-News has a writeup on the meeting.
Midlands chapter president, Stephanie Perry said, “The presentation provided us with a thorough overview and examples of blogs that are well-executed. Many of us are investigating how blogging can increase communications with our customers and I think we all left with a clearer understanding of the role this tool can play in our communications efforts.”
Thanks Stephanie! Perhaps your chapter would like to schedule me in? Just contact me (Chuck).
Our new Secretary of Ag has certainly made it a point of seeing everyone this year. I think he just went to Des Moines for the barbeque though!
AGRICULTURE SECRETARY MIKE JOHANNS MEETS WITH PORK PRODUCERS AT WORLD PORK EXPO
DES MOINES, IOWA.—June 10th, 2005—U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns met today with pork producers at the 17th Annual World Pork Expo sponsored by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) in Des Moines, Iowa. In the meeting with Secretary Johanns, pork producers discussed several issues of critical importance for the U.S. pork industry including a premises-based national animal identification system.
“We communicated the pork industry’s animal ID guidelines on this important issue,” said NPPC President Don Buhl, a pork producer from Tyler, Minn. “An identification system is needed to enhance the health and biosecurity of the U.S. livestock herd by providing a method to ensure rapid and accurate tracing of animal movements in the event of an animal emergency.”
With regard to international trade, pork producers stressed the importance of getting the Free Trade Agreement with Central America and the Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR) passed by Congress, getting Mexico to drop its illegal case against U.S. pork and keeping the Australian pork market open.
For more information contact Kara Flynn.
He’s blazing a new trail into the blogoshpere! Introducing:
The NAWG Blog
Commentary by NAWG President Sherman Reese
I’m very happy to see the link to the blog on the National Association of Wheat Growers website too. Not much there yet. Please visit Sherman’s blog and let him know what you think.
Anyone else got a blog we don’t know about? If you need help, who ya gonna call? AgWired (Chuck).
We talk about podcasting but do we listen to podcasts? Yes. I’ve been downloading them to a folder on my computer that syncs into my pda but not only does it not have much built-in memory but the controls aren’t really made for someone working out or doing any kind of activity. So . . . I just got my newest gadget. A Dell DJ 30. I’m just a Dell dude and figure that if everything’s Dell then I should have less problems.
So now that I’ve got a sweet new portable digital audio player the only thing that’s better than downloading a ZimmCast to it is MUSIC! I’m already a Yahoo Unlimited Subscriber and this little player already has hours worth of Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker, Charlie Daniels and the list is growing.
So the question for us is, how many farmers are using these things? Do you think they’ll subscribe to programming and take it along in the truck or combine? I can plug my player into my stereo, my computer’s speakers, any headphones, my car stereo, and the list goes on and on.
After posting a few intern announcements it’s time to let you know about an intern turned full time employee! That’s the way it can work and why internships are so important. These people are so “out of the box!”
Katie Bonish Joins The Meyocks Group As Account Coordinator
West Des Moines, Iowa – June 9, 2005 – The Meyocks Group announced that Katie Bonish has joined the agency as an account coordinator.
“We are pleased to welcome Katie back to the Meyocks Group,” said Donna Tweeten, president of the agency. “Katie served us well as an intern, and she will be a strong addition to our account service team.”
For more information contact Doug Jeske.
Now that the first Global PR Blog Week 1.0 is over it’s time to start another one. What’s a global blog pr week you ask?
The Global PR Blog Week 1.0 is an online event that will engage PR, marketing and business bloggers from around the globe in a discussion about blogging and communications. The event was held last July and there’s a ton of great information for the public relations practitioner on the site. This year’s event will include information on podcasting!
The next event is scheduled for June 13 – 17. The Global PR Blog Week 2.0 is an online conference on how new media technologies are changing the practice of Public Relations and corporate communications.
You may not know what a Wiki is but this is one you should visit. Here’s what this site is all about: a repository of relevant information about how the PR practice is changing, a collaboration tool for PR professionals and people interested in the practice of public relations, an open space where anyone can ask questions, post ideas, or start a project.
The Foundation for Agronomic Research is a non-profit agronomic research and education organization whose mission is to improve the economic vigor and sustainability of agriculture in North America and around the world, while protecting and enhancing the environment. So if you’d like to learn more about how to do that in agriculture you’re certainly encouraged to attend the upcoming conference.
InfoAg 2005 Precision Farming Conference Set For July 19-21 In Springfield, Illinois
June 1, 2005 Monticello, Ill.The Information Agriculture Conference (InfoAg 2005), scheduled July 19 to 21 in Springfield, Illinois, celebrates 10 years as a leading source for information on technology in crop production, data management, and communication. Organized by the Foundation for Agronomic Research (FAR) in cooperation with the Potash & Phosphate Institute/Potash & Phosphate Institute of Canada (PPI/PPIC), InfoAg 2005 features an outstanding line-up of speakers, interest areas, and demonstrations. The first InfoAg Conference in 1995 was in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois. The most recent national/international conference, InfoAg 2003, was in Indianapolis.
“We’ve planned the 10th anniversary InfoAg program around the people who practice precision agriculture,” says Dr. Harold F. Reetz, Jr., FAR President, located at Monticello, Illinois. “That includes experts in precision agriculture, retailers who are incorporating the new technologies into their business, and producers using the hardware and software to make and implement cropping decisions. For example, John Reifsteck of Illinois and Larkin Martin of Alabama…early adopters of precision ag on their farms…will discuss what they have learned.”
For more information contact Dr. Harold Reetz.
And another intern has been announced. Gotta love it when they send pictures.
Florent Named Intern at Leading A.I. Organization
PLAIN CITY, Ohio, June 7, 2005 – Molly Florent, Marengo, Ill., has been selected as the summer intern for the dairy-sire products and services department at Select Sires, Plain City, Ohio. In this role, she will work with the federation’s 10-member cooperatives to locate, fit and photograph daughters of Select Sires’ bulls. In addition, she will assist with tours and other projects while based at the organization’s headquarters office in Plain City.
