Secretary Of Ag Visits Pork Producers

Chuck Zimmerman

National Pork Producers Council LogoOur 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.

Ag Groups

A Farm Group Blogger – The NAWG Blog

Chuck Zimmerman

NAWG LogoHe’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).

Ag Groups

Dell DJ At AgWired

Chuck Zimmerman

Dell DJ 30GBWe 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.

Yahoo Music ServiceSo 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.

Podcasts

Out Of The Box Intern Now Employee

Chuck Zimmerman

Meyocks GroupAfter 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.

Agencies

Global PR Blog Week & The New PR/Wiki

Chuck Zimmerman

Global PR Blog Week 2.0Now 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.

The New PR/WikiYou 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.

Podcasts

FAR (out) Precision Farming

Chuck Zimmerman

Foundation For Agronomic ResearchThe 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.

Ag Groups

New Intern At Select Sires

Chuck Zimmerman

Molly FlorentAnd 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.

Agribusiness

The Plant People Are At It Again

Chuck Zimmerman

APS LogoWhen the American Phytopathological Society decides to hold a meeting they get serious about it. You can visit their website for a full (32 page!) brochure. I don’t remember ever covering this organization as a farm broadcaster and am kind of glad. Try to say “American Phytopathological Society” three times real fast!

Plant Pathologists Explore Using Fungi to Control Plant Diseases

St. Paul, MN (June 8, 2005) – The use of endophytes, non-harmful fungi, bacteria, or viruses that naturally grow inside plants, is an emerging tool for managing plant diseases, say plant pathologists with The American Phytopathological Society (APS).

APS 2005 Meeting“Endophytes appear to have co-evolved with their plant hosts where the association can be mutually beneficial to both,” said Paul Backman, professor of plant pathology, biological control and biosecurity, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. “Recent research indicates that some of these benefits may be to suppress plant diseases and other stresses,” he said. This subject will be one of many at the APS Annual Meeting.

For more information contact Amy Steigman.

Ag Groups

Pell & Armstrong On Stage Together

Chuck Zimmerman

United Soybean BoardHere’s a picture I’d really like to see. Max Armstrong and Al Pell co-hosting an event! I think they would make a good pair. What I’d like to have seen in this release is some information about what was discussed at the town hall meeting. Was it all just peachy keen fun or was there a little controversy? What kind of questions were asked. The release says “frankly discussing” which I take as code for some blunt talk.

ST. LOUIS (June 9, 2005) – As an ongoing commitment to protecting their number one customer, the United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff united producers from various sectors of the agricultural industry today by sponsoring a town hall forum entitled Livestock and Soybean Producers: Partners in U.S. Agriculture. The setting was the Cattle Barn on the Iowa State Fairgrounds at the World Pork Expo and featured livestock and crop producers frankly discussing issues that affect the viability and profitability of all those within agriculture. Teaming up for the first time, agricultural broadcasters Max Armstrong and Al Pell hosted the event.

“The town hall forum is an excellent way for livestock and crop producers to discuss issues that affect the profitability of both businesses,” says USB Board Member Terry Ecker, a soybean producer from Elmo, Mo. “Both sectors of agriculture need each other, so we need to work together.”

The town hall forum is another step for the soybean checkoff to support the needs of livestock producers, since they are the number one customer of U.S. soybean meal. In fact, U.S. livestock consumes 94 percent of domestic soybean meal. In addition to the town hall forum, USB has made supporting livestock producers a priority with its Animal Agriculture Initiative (AAI), which has made great strides over the past year.

The release didn’t come with any contact information but I assume you could contact the United Soybean Board office for more information.

Ag Groups, USB

LPC Royal Gala Planning

Chuck Zimmerman

Livestock Publications CouncilI didn’t get to attend the Livestock Publications Council Royal Gala Event last year but maybe this year. If you’d like to get involved with the planning there’s a meeting coming up.

You can see pictures from last year’s event on their photo album (pdf file, 3.6MB)

Mark Your Calendar – First Meeting of 2005 LPC Royal Gala Event

Thursday, June 30, 2005, 3:30 PM – 5 PM, American Royal Offices 2nd Floor, Ambassador Room

Last year the Gala was a HUGE success in raising $6,000.00 for Phase I – Hall of Honor and could not have been accomplished without all of your assistance! Let’s Get Ready for 2005!

For more information contact Amber Spafford.

Publication