New Prez For TFI

Chuck Zimmerman

The Fertilizer InstituteSometimes it pays to be the vice president! Sometimes you do make it all the way.

Washington, D.C. – The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) announced today that TFI Senior Vice President Ford B. West has been tapped by TFI’s Executive Committee to serve as TFI’s president effective Sept. 6. “With more than 25 years experience in service to the fertilizer industry, Ford is uniquely qualified to lead TFI’s advocacy efforts,” said TFI Chairman and J.R. Simplot Company
President and CEO Larry Hlobik. “Ford understands the fertilizer business and has built the kind of long-standing relationships with key policymakers and allies that will greatly benefit TFI’s future efforts to promote and protect fertilizer.”

For more information contact Kathy Mathers, (202) 515-2703.

Ag Groups

New Media Showing Biggest Growth In New Report

Chuck Zimmerman

Communications Industry ForecastThanks to an alert from Mediapace, who learned about it on Media Daily News, I learned of a new communications industry book you might want to look into. It’s the “Communications Industry Forecast – 2005-2009” by Veronis, Suhler, Stevenson, an investment banking firm that invests heavily in media companies.

I didn’t invest the $1,995 for the report but according to the article on Media Daily News, the report says that the media industry has “effectively reached a “new order” that shifts power to consumers from advertisers, and to new media from traditional media.” It also quotes the report as saying “Ad spending in the new media–which VSS defines as cable and satellite television, satellite radio, business-to-business e-media, consumer Internet, movie screens, and video games–is growing at double-digit rates, while traditional media are rising only at single-digits. As a result, VSS projects that new media will account for 26.3 percent of all ad spending by 2009–an estimate some new media pundits might find conservative, given the rapid shifts in digital technologies.” Like most reports I assume they don’t break out farmers. However, when I compare farmer media usage studies I see a lot of similarity with the general consuming public. The higher a farmer’s income the higher their use of the interent becomes too!

One thing that I think should also be noted from the report is that even “traditional” media is experiencing growth. We’re just a media rich and using kind of society!

Media

Promoting Ethanol At The MO State Fair

Chuck Zimmerman

CornTalk PodcastFirst it was hot and dry and now it’s cool and wet. That’s the way it goes at the Missouri State Fair. In the Missouri Corn Growers Association CornTalk program this week, summer intern Rachel Nivens talks about what the organization is doing, including promoting ethanol and displaying their flex fuel Chevrolet Tahoe. They plan to present Missouri Senator Jim Talent with an appreciation award on Thursday as well.

You can listen to CornTalk here Download MP3 File

CornTalk is a weekly podcast on AgWired that you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar.

Ag Groups, Corn, Podcasts

Brewing Beer To Keep Blogging?

Chuck Zimmerman

Glass of beerI know I’m going to get in trouble for this post. But it’s a good story. This is the kind of stuff you can find when you use the Google RSS news feeds by the way.

On the Daily News Online from Botswana there’s a story with the headline “Barefoot wife brews beer to make ends meet”. This lady, Ditsele of Maunatlala in Tswapong North , does exactly that. She learned how to brew beer at a young age and is supplementing her family’s income. What are the chances that I could convince Cindy to start brewing so I can keep blogging?

Uncategorized

Producer Panel At NAMA Boot Camp

Chuck Zimmerman

NAMA Boot CampIn just a few minutes I’m going to be on a conference call with the panelists for Wednesday evening’s NAMA Boot Camp producer panel. They’ll give attendees an opportunity to “Hear first hand how to effectively communicate with the end user.” Featured guests will include lifestyle and large operators.

Panel Guests: Brian Bogue, Bogue Farms; Michael Amigoni, Amigoni Family Vineyards; Larry Oltjen

I’ll be blogging to and from the event so stay tuned.

NAMA

LPC Critique Contest Results Available

Chuck Zimmerman

Livestock Publications CouncilIf you want to know the results of the Livestock Publications Council critique contest then you can download the results here: LPC Critique Contest Results (pdf file). The awards from the contest were presented at the Ag Media Summit in Milwaukee earlier this month.

Ag Media Summit, LPC

The Art of Dairy On The ZimmCast

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 29 - Tom McKittrickHow much do you know about the World Dairy Expo? Now you can learn more by listening to this week’s ZimmCast. I interviewed World Dairy Expo, general manager, Tom McKittrick in his office recently. Tom describes the history, mission, purpose, theme and structure of the Expo. Many of you probably already know this but we’re also operating a weblog called “World Dairy Diary” in cooperation with World Dairy Expo. Look for more on the Expo in coming months. AgWired will be there blogging the show!

You can listen to my interview with Tom here Download MP3 File

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar.

Audio, Farm Shows, Podcasts, World Dairy Expo, ZimmCast

Hot Topics Served Up By Valent

Chuck Zimmerman

ValentValent was serving up “Hot Topics” at the recent Ag Media Summit. Like many exhibitors they weren’t there to make a major announcement but to build relationships with agricultural editors. Now I like hot sauce so they got my attention with the materials in their booth. For example, we received a CD that was labelled like a bottle of Tabasco sauce that contained recent news releases and personnell bios. I wish it had included images (logos, etc.) and some audio. Additionally they had questions and answers on little cards attached by a piece of ribbon to tiny bottles of Tabasco sauce.

All in all it was a job well done by the folks at Archer-Malmo (agency) and the company. Building relationships with ag journalists will go a long way toward having your materials get looked at when the real news is available.

Ag Media Summit, Agribusiness

Farm Journal Media Fills News Sales Positions

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Journal MediaI keep seeing good news about business magazine revenues. The data now includes an agriculture category. So it’s no surprise to see that Farm Journal Media is adding sales staff on the publications side as well as the electronic side.

Farm Journal Media Adds Four New Sales Positions

Philadelphia, PA – August 12, 2005 – Farm Journal Media announced today the hiring of four salespeople, all filling newly created sales positions.

Alan Eley joins Farm Journal Media’s Database Strategies group as a Database Sales Executive and will work out of the Company’s sales headquarters in Park Ridge, IL. Bob Ford is named Director of Distribution at Farm Journal Electronic Media and will work at the Company’s Electronic Media division in Lafayette, IN. Denise Hollinger also joins Farm Journal Electronic Media in Lafayette as a National Account Manager – a newly created position. Leah Rippe joins the Company in the new position of Farm Journal Sales Representative for middle-market accounts, representing FARM JOURNAL and TOP PRODUCER magazines.

For more information contact Will Murphy.

Publication

Almost 1.1 million U S Farms Have Internet Access

Chuck Zimmerman

National Agricultural Statistics ServiceIt’s really official that 51 percent of U S farms have internet access now! That’s up 3 percent from 2003. The percentage of increase is smaller than in past surveys showing some levelling off in farms obtaining internet access. This makes some sense when you consider that the average age of a farmer continues to move upward. I can’t see the number declining though and at 51 percent that means that almost 1.1 million farms are online! That’s a significant number.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service had to re-release this. Now we have the “final” version of the Farmer Computer Usage & Ownership survey. Not any real big changes. Just to make sure though I interviewed Sarah Hoffman, section head, environmental & demographics section of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to make sure.

You can listen to my interview with Sarah here Download MP3 File

The percentage of farms with internet access goes even higher when you look at the breakouts of farms at higher income levels. The percentage goes up to 72 percent at the highest level ($250,000+ income).

For the first time NASS asked what type of internet access farmers have. Of those with access, 69 percent get it by dialup and 23 percent through broadband (cable, dsl, satellite) with a tiny percentage of “unknown.” There aren’t comparison number on this but common sense tells you that the broadband percentage has grown and will continue to do so as USDA continues its program to assist companies financially who are installing rural broadband access.

Audio, USDA