Cutting Edge Tools For Beef Innovators

Chuck Zimmerman

MFA IncorporatedThe latest news release from MFA Incorporated focused on their invitation only Beef Innovator seminars which were recently conducted in three locations around Missouri. This means that not only is MFA providing cutting edge tools for their customers but they’re using cutting edge tools in their public relations efforts!

Beef Innovators Series Provides Cattle Producers With Cutting Edge Tools

(Columbia, MO) Beef producers who are going to survive in the future are those who are the most innovative, especially in the areas of nutrition, health and marketing.

That is the message MFA, Incorporated recently presented to groups of producer leaders in Chillicothe, Springfield and Warrenton, MO at the 2005 MFA Beef Innovators’ Seminars. Veterinarian Dr. Alan Wessler, MFA Feed Division vice president, says they addressed three main topics with the producers.

“We talked about cattle performance, we talked about tracking value in the feed lots, and we talked about the national ID and BSE testing updates.” ( mfa-wessler-cut-1) (:08) (Full Release)

For more information contact Chuck Lay.

Agribusiness

Upping The PR Staff At O&B

Chuck Zimmerman

Osborn & Barr CommunicationsThose folks at Osborn & Barr are still adding to the fold. They also like to send out releases announcing a whole bunch of new folks (or ones getting promoted). So I’ll try to cover them all in one post.

ST. LOUIS, MO — August 3, 2005 — As a provider of marketing communications services for over 16 years, Osborn & Barr Communications has led clients through a constantly changing marketing environment. Today the agency continues to expand its public relations offerings as the discipline gains importance in a splintering advertising arena.

Sarah RobinettSarah Robinett comes to Osborn & Barr as a public relations senior account executive with experience in corporate and nonprofit environments. Her skills in strategic planning, project management and multimedia campaign development will serve clients in agriculture, rural lifestyles, government and associations.

Ketih WardenKeith Warden has joined Osborn & Barr as contact relations assistant account executive to work with the agency’s industry-funded clients such as the United Soybean Board and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Prior to joining Osborn & Barr, Keith provided advertising and public relations for corporate clients in Hawaii.

Jaime JonesmithIn addition, Osborn & Barr promoted Jaime Jonesmith to account supervisor and Karen Pfautsch and Chris Toebben to account executive. Jaime serves as the liaison between the client and the agency team on the Monsanto account and is responsible for communications for Monsanto’s corn traits products under the Roundup Ready and YieldGard brands.

Chris ToebbenWith his strong understanding of soy technology and media communications expertise, account executive Chris Toebben has been appointed the project manager of USB’s industrial new uses communications and co-manager of USB’s agricultural media relations efforts.

For more information contact Tammy Humm Donelson.

Agencies

Going To The BBS

Chuck Zimmerman

Blog Business SummitIt’s the Blog Business Summit and I’m going! I’m going to miss the start but I’ll be there for a part of it at least. And I’m missing the start to teach blogging at the NAMA Boot Camp! So, after my presentation on Thursday, it’s off to San Francisco and learning more from the people who are getting all the headlines like: Anil Dash, Shawn Gold, Molly Holzschlag, Robert Scoble, Biz Stone and of course, Steve Broback and many more. Looking forward to it.

I’m putting in this link at the request of the folks at the BBS who are doing some sort of test on incoming links that we’ll learn more about when we’re there.

Uncategorized

AAAA Conference Blogged

Chuck Zimmerman

No image here. I know I usually have something but you just don’t always have to. I hope you got something out of my blogging the Ag Media Summit. Love to know what you think. I will still have some content to present when time allows. As I was checking my feeds tonight I came across a link to an interesting blog you might want to visit. It was pointed out on Adfreak. They turned me on to Russell Davies, an account planner. He just blogged the AAAA Account Planning Conference in Chicago. Looks like he did a good job. I can relate!

Agencies

Celebs Protesting Ag Subsidies

Chuck Zimmerman

Oxfam AmericaNew on Adjab today is a short note about an upcoming advertising campaign by Oxfam America to try to impact agricultural subsidies. According to the article celebrities like Minnie Driver and others will be doused with chocolate, coffee and other ingredients. It’s supposed to be a magazine campaign. I couldn’t see any mention of it on the Oxfam America website so I’m not sure where the information comes from. Adam says in his post, “The campaign is spurred in part by advocacy group Oxfam America which urges places like the United States to stop presenting cheap product to world markets which makes it difficult for smaller countries to compete.” So there you have it. I’m sure many people would like to see Minnie Driver wearing chocolate.

The story comes from the International Herald Tribune.

Media

Nitrogen Cycle Debuts At Fertilizer Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

Agrotain Nitrogen CycleThis is definitely one of the more creative ideas I’ve seen lately. Motorcycles are cool right now so Agrotain made a theme cycle to use in a trade show. You’ll be able to see it at a number of shows coming up like Commodity Classic next March.

AGROTAIN International, L.L.C. Launches Themed Tribute Motorcycle to the Fertilizer Industry

August 3, 2005, San Antonio, TX – AGROTAIN International, L.L.C. introduced its customized American Ironhorse Texas Chopper motorcycle on July 25 at the South West Fertilizer Conference & Meeting in San Antonio.

A themed tribute to the fertilizer industry, the bike is customized to look like AGROTAIN treated liquid and granular nitrogen is powering the engine, as well as being applied via a spreader spinner and spray nozzle – thus the name, “The Nitrogen Cycle”. When asked how the name came about, Andrew Semple, VP Global Marketing for AGROTAIN International, explained: “AGROTAIN International’s products help reduce nitrogen loss to the environment while providing an economic and agronomic gain to the users of our products. We are known as the nitrogen experts, and have climbed to that level by leading and educating the industry about nitrogen loss potentials. The nitrogen loss cycle is often explained using a pictorial diagram – which is customized on the bike – so it seemed natural to name the bike “The Nitrogen Cycle”.

For more information contact Andrew Semple.

Agribusiness, Farm Shows

Barry Wins Brock Associates Ipod

Chuck Zimmerman

Brock AssociatesBarry Nelson, John Deere, worked some of his magic at the AMS trade show all right. Now he doesn’t have any excuse not to subscribe to our ZimmCast. He’s the winner of the Brock Associates Ag Media Summit booth giveaway of the latest and greatest Ipod!

Hey Barry, if you need some help setting your new gadget up, including the subscription to our weekly podcast just give me a call.

Ag Media Summit, Agribusiness

Consumer Confidence & Producer Attitudes On The MBIC Report

Chuck Zimmerman

MBIC Report PodcastIn this week’s Missouri Beef Industry Council Report, chairman David Dick of Sedalia talks about consumer confidence and producer attitudes, two recent surveys released by the beef industry. You can see the surveys using these links: Consumer Confidence & Producer Attitudes

You can listen to the MBIC Report here Download MP3 File

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

Ag Groups, Audio, Beef, Podcasts

The Energy Bill Is The Topic of CornTalk

Chuck Zimmerman

CornTalk PodcastThis week’s CornTalk is with Missouri Corn Merchandising Council chairman Terry Hilgedick of Hartsburg and the topic is the Energy Bill passed last week by Congress and what it means to Missouri corn growers. CornTalk is a weekly podcast on AgWired that’s produced for the Missouri Corn Growers Association.

You can listen to CornTalk here Download MP3 File

You can use the link in our sidebar to subscribe to the CornTalk podcast.

Ag Groups, Audio, Corn, Podcasts

Midwest Drought Focus of Monsanto Release

Chuck Zimmerman

MonsantoThe lastest Talking News Release from Monsanto focuses on the extremely dry conditions we’ve been having in the midwest. Let’s hope we get some rain!

Midwest Drought Conditions Boost Corn Insect Pressure

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (August 2, 2005) – The dangerously dry conditions across much of the Midwestern Corn Belt this summer are taking their toll on what was expected to be a record crop causing development problems as well as increased insect pressure.
Monsanto Corn Technical Manager Dr. Rob Ihrig (EYE-rig) says corn is in the middle of its most critical development period right now.
“Corn is a tremendous utilizer of water and the crop really becomes stressed later in the season as it attempts to fill the ear so the water demand is much, much higher. The challenge that this crop is under is that there’s no water for it to really remain healthy and there’s very little water available to produce the sugars and photosynthate necessary to fill the ear.” ( monsanto-ihrig-cut1) (:26) (Full Release)

For more information contact Lisa Cassady or Lee Quarles.

Agribusiness