Retail Chemical Security Testimony

Chuck Zimmerman

The Fertilizer InstituteI’m guessing that this is an attempt to be ahead of the curve publicly on the food safety issue as it relates to chemicals. It’s amazing what all the new “security” concerns are forcing businesses to have to deal with!

THE FERTILIZER INSTITUTE TESTIFIES ON RETAIL CHEMICAL SECURITY

ASMARK, Inc. Describes Fertilizer Retailers’ Efforts to Secure Facilities

Washington, D.C. – The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) today testified before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection and Cybersecurity regarding steps fertilizer retailers are undertaking to ensure their facilities and products remain secure. The testimony, provided on TFI’s behalf by Allen Summers of ASMARK, Inc., cited the extensive steps that the nation’s fertilizer retailers are undertaking to ensure the security of chemicals they store and apply.

“Our strong commitment to security can be seen in the many steps already taken to secure our facilities, our farms and our food supply,” said Summers who co-owns a retail farm supply outlet and farms over 800 acres of corn, soybean and wheat. Retailers across the country have voluntarily conducted security assessments and developed security plans in response. The agricultural community has done so much to improve security and must receive credit for the voluntary actions we have already taken.”

For more information and to obtain the full testimony contact Corey Henry at 202-515-2721.

Agribusiness

ABM Agri Council 2005 Media Usage Study

Chuck Zimmerman

American Business Media Agri CouncilThere’s new research available from the American Business Media- Agri Council and you can see it unveiled next week.

The ABM Agri Council invites you to participate in a free Webcast on Wednesday, June 29 at 11:00 am EST when the findings from its new Media Usage Research Study will be unveiled.

The study garnered 2,717 responses from farmers and ranchers — a whopping 34% response rate — and will highlight the following:

* Which information sources are considered most credible?
*Which forms of ag media are used most frequently?
* What role does ag media play in the decision-making process?
* How much time is spent with ag media?
* How much time is being spent online?

Gain free market research on the growing agricultural space!

Go here to register.

Media, Publication

MoKan Golf Classic Was Great

Chuck Zimmerman

MOKAN NAMA Golf ClassicThese people had a really good time yesterday at the Missouri-Kansas NAMA chapter Golf Classic. The weather was perfect and the fellowship, food and beverage was excellent. This is my team. We finished 2nd in our flite!

We have to thank Osborn & Barr and Pony Express for the kegs! A special thanks to St. James Winery as well. They donated a bottle of wine for each golfer. The committee that headed this tournament up did a great job.

NAMA

NAMA Interview With Clear Channel’s Don Schultz

Chuck Zimmerman

NAMA Region II Leadership WorkshopThese guys were in charge at last night’s Region II NAMA Leadership Workshop. One of the key themes that we heard over and over (KEN) was not to become “stagnant” (KEN). You know what I mean Ken? Ask Ken Dean (not pictured) sometime about becoming “stagnant.”

Clear Channel LogoAnyway, if you want to know more about a leadership workshop I interviewed Don Schultz, Clear Channel Ag Networks and Regional Director for NAMA (he’s the guy with the surprised look on his face on the right in the picture) about our workshop. Don talks about programs, membership and some of the interesting questions that came up in our discussion.

You can listen to my interview with Don here Download MP3 File The interview is about 21 minutes (10MB).

Audio, Media, NAMA, ZimmCast

NAMA Region II Leadership Workshop

Chuck Zimmerman

Region II Leadership WorkshopThis evening leaders from several chapters of the National Agri-Marketing Association gathered for the Region II Leadership Workshop in Kansas City. The workshop is designed to provide information to new NAMA leaders and to facilitate a discussion on ideas for membership, programming and other aspects of running a successful chapter.

Tomorrow morning I’ll post an interview I did with the Region II director, Don Schulz, who works for Clear Channel Ag Networks. So look for that sometime before golf tomorrow (MOKAN Classic).

NAMA

8 Billion Gallons Of RFS

Chuck Zimmerman

NCGA LogoI was wondering who would get a release out first on this and the winner is . . . National Corn Growers Association. At least they were the first to get one to me (only one at the moment too).

Senate Passes Robust 8-billion-gallon RFS, notes NCGA

ST. LOUIS (June 15, 2005) – Today, the Senate passed a bipartisan 8-billion gallon Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) amendment (Amendment No. 779) offered by Chairman Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) by a 70 to 26 vote. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) praises Domenici (R-N.M.), Chairman James Inhofe (R-Okla.) of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and the bipartisan coalition of senators for working together to ensure the 8-billion gallon RFS remains in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

“Chairmen Domenici and Inhofe have shown true leadership by working together to help ensure future growth of the domestic renewable fuels industry in this nation and moving us forward in our efforts to pass an energy bill and reduce our dangerous addiction to foreign imported oil,” said Leon Corzine, NCGA president. “The benefits of a robust 8-billion-gallon RFS are simple – energy security, stabilization of our economy and a greener environment.”

For more information contact your senator or Rhondalee A. Dean-Royce, 202-628-7001.

Ag Groups

President Promotes Ethanol & Biodiesel

Chuck Zimmerman

White House SealIt’s energy bill discussion week in Washington, DC (when hasn’t it been lately?) and the President is out and about. He just spoke to the 16th Annual Energy Efficiency Forum and made some great statements about both ethanol and biodiesel.

President George W. BushWhen it came to ethanol he even made a pretty good joke.

Ethanol helps our farmers find a new markets and helps us replace foreign crude oil. I mean, I like the idea of spending money on research to make ethanol more feasible, so that some day an American President says, show me the crop report. (Laughter.) As opposed to, how many barrels of crude oil are we importing?

He was a little more direct on biodiesel.

So as you get more clean diesel engines in America, biodiesel becomes an alternative fuel for them. It burns more completely and produces less air pollution than gasoline or regular diesel.

I’ll bet he has a job with the National Biodiesel Board or Ethanol Promotion & Information Council when he gets done!

Uncategorized

Radio On Your Sprint Phone

Chuck Zimmerman

Sirius Satellite RadioThis is certainly going to increase the heartburn level of some traditional radio people but I’m telling you things are changing fast! Maybe you think that farmers don’t have satellite radio but most I know have a cell phone! Now if we could just convince Sirius to put farm programming on . . .

SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH SPRINT

NEW YORK – June 14, 2005 – SIRIUS Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) today announced an agreement with Sprint (NYSE: FON) to offer select SIRIUS Satellite Radio programming. Some of the music channels being evaluated by Sprint and SIRIUS for the new service include new hits, classic rock, hip-hop, country, blues and soul to jazz and Broadway’s best music. The new Sprint service will be available nationwide, and both companies plan to announce more specifics of the service, as well as the price later this year.

For more information contact Jim Collins.

Media

New Public Relations Director At Bader Rutter

Chuck Zimmerman

Larry O'BrienIt sounds like Larry has been a busy guy. He must have been doing something right to keep moving up the promotional ladder!

O’BRIEN NAMED DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AT
BADER RUTTER & ASSOCIATES

MILWAUKEE — Larry O’Brien has been named Vice President, Director of the Public Relations Group at Bader Rutter & Associates.

O’Brien joined Bader Rutter in 1990 and has held many positions during his tenure, most recently vice president and group supervisor. In his new position, he will lead the agency’s Public Relations Group, which recently received top honors in several award competitions for its innovative work. With 40 associates and revenue exceeding $5.2 million, Bader Rutter is the largest public relations agency in Wisconsin and ranked 53rd among the nation’s top-230 PR agencies in PRWeek’s 2005 rankings.

For more information contact Greg Nickerson, President, (262) 784-7200.

Agencies

Adjust Your Antenna

Chuck Zimmerman

BusinessWeek Online LogoBusinessWeek has a very interesting article about what media giant company, Clear Channel, is going through to cope with the changes in the way consumers are getting their entertainment and information. The article quotes radio division CEO John Hogan as telling his staff, “Radio is more than tall towers in big fields. We can no longer be limited to a singular distribution method.”

Yes indeed. Hello podcasting, satellite and internet radio. The game is changing and Clear Channel appears to be admitting it and working feverishly to come up with new ways of doing business. They certainly have “content.” It’s just a matter of how they can distribute it and make money.

One of the main reasons we started ZimmComm, the publisher of AgWired, is because the market for information distribution was changing. The traditional models will evolve or become a thing of the past.

With the tools available to us today you can go directly to the consumer. That’s what we’re doing with AgWired! If you’re reading this consider that ZimmComm doesn’t own any radio stations, tv stations, magazines, newspapers and we don’t even publish any electronic newsletters! Yet I dare say we’re communicating with more people everyday in this industry than anyone else out there.

The article in BusinessWeek is titled “Antenna Adjustment.” Here at AgWired we’ve been tweaking our antenna for the last year and I hope you like what you see and hear!

Internet, Media