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

BASF Enforcing Clearfield Agreements

Chuck Zimmerman

Clearfield Production SystemWhat do you do when you expect some negative customer feedback? Send out a news release explaining your actions! That’s what BASF did to explain their pursuit of farmers using saved seed from their Clearfield agreements. In this case with a group of Arkansas rice growers. Although I only have the facts stated in the release I think most people would agree that if you enter into an agreement you ought to abide by it. At least that’s what I was always taught.

BASF committed to protecting the CLEARFIELD technology

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (August 9,2005) – BASF is committed to protecting the effectiveness of its CLEARFIELD*
Production System, including wheat, as shown by its pursuit of a stewardship case involving rice in Arkansas. Last spring, the company entered into a consent judgment with a number of northeastern Arkansas rice growers and others, some of whom violated CLEARFIELD rice stewardship agreements by planting saved seed. The company’s action in pursuing the case reflects its interest in safeguarding the CLEARFIELD portfolio, which includes wheat and sunflowers, other crops involving the registered technology, said Jason Ward, CLEARFIELD market manager. “This legal action was necessary to preserve the integrity of the CLEARFIELD Production System for rice for the overwhelming majority of farmers who have appropriately – and legally – used the technology,” he said. “Our position has been explained to growers and is clearly spelled out in the stewardship agreement.

For more information contact Joy Watson.

Agribusiness

Pumped Up Potato Head

Chuck Zimmerman

Mr. Potato HeadJust yesterday we told you to experience the power of figs, now it’s potatoes. The United States Potato Board is changing Mr. Potato Head. In fact, according to this article, the new dude will fly in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Notice that this sleek potato guy has his digital audio player on. Hopefully he subscribes to the ZimmCast! Mr. Potato Head is a Hasbro toy.

Mr. Potato HeadBesides his roller blade image there’s also a Mr. Potato Head walker, complete with pedometer. I guess all the news about nutrition and obesity is starting to have an impact on the way food is being marketed in this country. I don’t know that it means we’ll become less obese. But we’ll know a lot more about what we’re eating. By the way they claim that Mr. Potato Head has 100% recall!

Power to the potato, right on! For more information contact Meredith Myers.

Ag Groups

Where Else But Online For A PR Blog Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

Global PR Blog Week 2.oThe dates are set now for the second public relations online event. It’s Global PR Blog Week 2.0 which will be held September 19-23. You can see the full program here. I saw the alert to this on PR Opinions.

This is an interesting idea. “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. We’re talking weblogs and participatory journalism, wikis, podcasting, and RSS.” You can still see all the resources from Global PR Blog Week 1.0.

Uncategorized

Podcasts From The White House

Chuck Zimmerman

White House RadioNow even W is podcasting by gosh! If the President of the United States is podcasting then this just ain’t a strange sounding word and if you’re in public relations and communications you’d better be paying attention. We keep telling you that it’s time to “think outside the box” (I’m sick of that phrase) but at least in this case I’m talking about a box that lets you tune into a regular radio station. Times they are a changing.

It’s White House Radio and you can subscribe and listen, wherever and whenever you want! Thank you Steve Rubel at Micro Persuasion for the tip.

Podcasts

Even Cities Are Podcasting

Chuck Zimmerman

International Nanocasting AllianceIn case you’re wondering what that logo is on AgWired that says we’re a member then I’ll tell you. We’re a charter member of the International Nanocasting Association. This is a group that has been created to promote standards for commercial podcasting. So we said, “Why not join up?” I haven’t seen much activity yet but we’re right at the beginning of this whole podcasting revolution. If you listen to our ZimmCast then you’re listening to a podcast. It’s in an MP3 file format and except for the host (me) sounds pretty good I think. I don’t know what the standards are yet but I’m sure we’ll be working on them.

INA Launches Global Initiative to Establish Commercial Standards for Podcasting

The International Nanocasting Alliance (INA), the international trade organization for commercial podcasters announced today the launch of the first global initiative to establish universally accepted standards for commercial podcasting. The program is consulting a wide spectrum of podcasters from around the world, along with a coalition of academics, media, marketing, advertising and legal experts. The program will seek to identify guidelines and best practices that participating commercial podcasters will voluntarily agree to follow. Participating podcasters will display a “member seal” that will serve to identify the media outlet’s commitment to these standards and distinguish them from sites not committed to the established code and best practices.

It’ll be interesting to see what’s going to happen as podcasting grows as a commercial application. For example I just learned that the city of Warren, Michigan is podcasting! That’s an alert from Podcasting News. Even cities are podcasting!

Podcasts

Gettin Figgy With It

Chuck Zimmerman

California Fig Advisory BoardHow many of you remember “Ooee, gooey, rich and chewey inside . . . ?” When I was in high school we had a social club that used that as our theme song. We would even go to a grocery store together signing it while we all picked up a package of Fig Newtons and went through checkout in a line. Yes, we were weird. But we were ready to “Experience the power of the fig.” That’s the new tag line Kraft/Nabisco’s using for its latest campaign, along with the California Fig Advisory Board.

It looks like Weber Shandwick’s getting to do the PR on this. I found it from their news release on PRNewswire today. The release contains all kinds of nutritional information but no jingle (bummer). The creative showing on the California Fig Advisory Board website looks like a print ad that’s pretty lame in my opinion. It shows a greek olympic discus thrower and has a little Q & A on it. Not very exciting. How about a new jingle? Better yet, let’s sing, “Golden, flaky, tender cakey, outside . . . !” How about a national everybody sing the Fig Newton jingle week? Lean out of your windows and sing at the top of your lungs, “Wrap the inside in the outside . . . ”

California Fig Advisory Board and Fig Newtons (R) Come Together to Officially Declare First-Ever Fig Appreciation Week

FRESNO, Calif., Aug. 11- It’s a fact … figs are fabulous! Yet most people haven’t yet realized the potential to “Experience the Power of the Fig!”(TM) That’s why this week many “Friends of Fig” are rallying in Fresno, Calif., the “fig capital,” of the country to help this small but mighty fruit take a stand and get the recognition it has long deserved!

The California Fig Advisory Board and Fig Newtons — two of the most well- known fig aficionados — are bringing food, nutrition and fitness experts together to kick-off the first-ever official “Fig Appreciation Week” on August 13th, 2005.

For more information contact Michelle Zmuda.

Agencies, Agribusiness

Surveying Farm Direct Marketing & Agritourism

Chuck Zimmerman

North American Farmers' Direct Marketing AssociationThe North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association is attempting to get some major feedback from an industry wide survey. Association executive director Charlie Touchette says in his letter “The farm direct marketing and agritourism industry is perhaps the fastest growing sector related to agriculture today. Some of you have been on the cutting edge of this farm and ranch survival strategy for decades. Some are just entering this realm of diversification, and some new entry farmers and ranchers consider it to be the only feasible way to enter into agriculture at all.”

The North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA), together with various local, state, and provincial associations, is conducting a survey to identify the status and trends of farm direct marketing. This survey offers an opportunity for those active in farm marketing and agritourism to give input and ideas to help prioritize issues that should be addressed in the future. An invitation to participate in this survey has been distributed to over 2000 farm direct marketing and agritourism operations that have had some connection to NAFDMA or their local associations in the past five years. We invite you to share the survey link with anyone else you think might be interested in filling it out.

To entice people to participate they’re offering some serious incentives: “The first 777 completed surveys will be entered into a drawing to win your choice either of a $1900+ USD value to attend the NAFDMA Convention in San Antonio and Austin, Texas, or $1000 CASH.”

The survey is being conducted by Michigan State University, with significant input from NAFDMA and the Texas Department of Agriculture. Funding is coming from NRCS, Texas Dept. of Ag and the Michigan Agricultural Experimental Station.

Agribusiness, University

State Fair Beef Promotion In Missouri

Chuck Zimmerman

MBIC Report PodcastIt’s state fair time in Missouri and in this week’s Missouri Beef Industry Council Report, we learn about what the organization is doing to promote beef in Sedalia, MO. Cindy interviews MBIC marketing director, Dawn Thurnau.

You can listen to the MBIC Report here Download MP3 File

The MBIC Report is a weekly AgWired podcast which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar.

Ag Groups, Audio, Beef, Podcasts

Draxxin – New From Pfizer Animal Health

Chuck Zimmerman

Draxxin Injectable SolutionI recently received the media kit for the Draxxin Injectable Solution annoucement from Pfizer Animal Health. Besides letting you know about it I thought I’d comment on the “kit.” I think it’s nice to receive a very easy to use and functional media kit like this. Basically it came with a nice explanatory cover letter from the agency (Rhea & Kaiser) and a CD which contains the news release, photos, logo, faq’s, research reports on the product, the label and contacts for more information. Very creatively done, excellent graphic work, the disk worked and was easy to use.

Draxxin Media KitSince this is a new product launch it’s obvious that more budget was put into the announcement by providing us with this quality of materials. It was mailed the good old fashioned way. Another approach would have been to have it created on the company website and I could have been emailed a link to it in a release. This would have prompted me to look at it sooner. I confess to letting this sit on my desk for a week or so before loading the disk into my computer. (I’m not lazy just using every second that’s available!)

I have to say that audio would have been handy. With a CD it would be easy to have some interviews recorded and placed on the disk for us podcasters or broadcasters or how about those print folks who have broadcast or web based audio content now? Gimme some sound! Maybe even a little video?

I like the name. Kind of reminds me of Hugo Drax for all you James Bond fans.

Pfizer Animal Health Introduces DRAXXIN™ (tulathromycin) Injectable Solution – New, single-dose antibacterial provides superior treatment for bovine respiratory disease

NEW YORK – A new, single-dose antibacterial that provides more effective treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) has been developed by Pfizer Animal Health. Clinical studies and field trials demonstrate that new DRAXXIN is highly efficacious for treating naturally occurring respiratory disease in cattle. 1

“Our goal in developing DRAXXIN was to set a new standard of effectiveness for treatment of costly livestock diseases,” said Ann Jernigan, DVM, PhD, vice president, Veterinary Medicine Research and Development, Pfizer Animal Health.

DRAXXIN is indicated for treatment of BRD and control of respiratory disease in cattle at high risk of developing BRD caused by Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida and Histophilus somni(Haemophilus somnus).

For more information contact Dave Harding.

Agencies, Agribusiness