Want to Start an Agricultural Company? Why Not.

Joanna Schroeder

*Special to AgWired from Bill Clark

Have you been thinking a lot lately about the benefits that you can reap from starting your own agricultural company? Well, if you have been holding yourself back, there really is no reason to do so. Continue reading for a short list of some helpful tips that will assist you in getting started right away so you can make your dream a reality.

First Off, Get a Higher Education
Whenever you want to start your own company, you should consider getting a degree, but many times, a bachelor’s degree in business won’t cut it. There are many career paths for MBA graduates, including starting an innovative agricultural company. So when it comes to answering the question, “Is an MBA worth it,” the answer is yes.

An MBA will instill in you a variety of valuable lessons, including how to choose the right niche, how to set up your company for long-term success, how to manage your finances, how to make bigger and better sales, and how to effectively train, lead, and inspire your staff.Read More

Agribusiness, Education

ZimmComm Photos of 2016

Chuck Zimmerman

If you take lots of photos like we do it gets really hard to decide which is your favorite. In fact, I can’t do it. There are too many! But one on the short list would be this one from a beautiful morning at this year’s Farm Progress Show.

During the year the ZimmComm Team created almost 70 new photo albums from events we attended across the country and around the world. If you want a (possibly) entertaining show you can go to our Photostream page and click on the slide show icon and watch from newest to oldest. It will take a while since we are up to almost 160,000 photos.

The number one album of the year was the American Seed Trade Association and Oregon Seed Association annual meeting in Portland, OR with almost 2300 views!

This all got started during the 2005 Commodity Classic after Tom Slunecka, at the time the Executive Director of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC), invited me to attend an event in Washington, DC to introduce the Ethanol Car that would race in the Indy Racing League. Following that I attended my first race, The Indy 500, with a little point and shoot camera. The IRL Director of Photography, Ron McQueeny, encouraged me to upgrade my equipment since I couldn’t get a good picture of a car at 200+mph. LOL. This is a photo from that event interviewing Ethanol Car driver Paul Dana who was tragically killed in a pre-race accident in Miami the following year.

It is 11 1/2 years later and our photos on Flickr have been collectively viewed almost 18 million times and are taking up almost 1/2 TB of storage on the site. Just during this month we’ve had days with over 16,000 views!

Taking photos isn’t all we do but we love doing it and won’t stop any time soon. In 2017 we’ll have some new announcements as ZimmComm New Media continues to evolve as the pioneer in online and social agricultural communications. Thank you to all the people and companies who have believed in us and understand the power of the content we produce.

Photography

2016 was a “Terrific Year” for #Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

With the presidential campaign getting all the attention this year, it may have gone relatively unnoticed that 2016 was a very good year for the ethanol industry. Actually, Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen says it was a “terrific” year – with record production, record demand and record exports of distillers feed.

Dinneen says the highlight of the year came just before Thanksgiving when the EPA “finally put the Renewable Fuel Standard back on track” by increasing 2017 volume levels for corn ethanol to 15 billion gallons. “So there’s momentum – we’re all feeling pretty good as we head into 2017,” said Dinneen.

Learn more about why 2016 was such as good year for ethanol in this interview: Ethanol Report on 2016 in Review

Audio, Biofuels, Ethanol, RFA

Pro Farmer Honors Folta Ag Person of the Year

Kelly Marshall

Kevin Folta of the University of Florida has been named 2016 Pro Farmer Ag Person of the Year.  Folta is a professor at UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and chair of the horticulture sciences department.

“Dr. Folta has been a leader in the fight against the anti-GMO movement for years,” said Chip Flory, Pro Farmer editor. “He was a natural choice for his leadership and many years of education on biotechnology, and for being committed to sharing that knowledge with the general public.”

Folta publishes a website and podcast titled “Talking Biotech” (www.talkingbiotechpodcast.com). Its purpose is to “help connect the public to current science and technology and let scientists tell the stories of how science can help our farmers, industrialized world consumers, the environment and the developing world,” Folta said. “The hope is this resource can explain how new tools can improve food security, reduce poverty and improve agricultural and medical practices.”

Uncategorized

I AM @USFRA – TX Farm Bureau

Cindy Zimmerman

i-am-usfra-webA half million members strong, the Texas Farm Bureau is one of 25 state farm bureaus that are affiliate members of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) and president Russell Boening says it helps them connect with consumers in the Lone Star State.

“USFRA has done such a good job of communicating our message of modern agriculture to consumers,” said Boening, who points out that even a general farm organization in a state as big as Texas benefits from the programs that USFRA has developed.

Boening’s favorite USFRA program so far has been the Faces of Farming and Ranching, which has featured a couple of Texans, including new face Jeremy Brown. “They do such a good job of surfacing people who are very articulate, knowledgeable and involved and are willing to share,” Boening said.

Listen my conversation with Boening here: Interview with Russell Boening, Texas Farm Bureau president

iamusfra-graphic

Audio, USFRA

Merry Christmas from ZimmComm

Jamie Johansen

Merry Christmas from the AgWired family of publications and the entire ZimmComm New Media team. Have a glorious Christmas season and we’ll look forward to seeing you along the agriblogging highway throughout 2017.

ZimmComm Announcement

2016 Ag News – Which will have biggest impact on future?

Jamie Johansen

zp-nh1Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What’s on your Christmas list?”

I hope you all have your Christmas shopping done. I am soon heading out to tackle a few last minute items. Like many in my family, gifts cards seems to be a favorite item for Christmas lists. Our poll falls in line with that trend. Those are quite boring to buy, but oh so easy! I just can’t believe no one has farm equipment on there list this year.

Here are the poll results:

  • Electronics – 29%
  • Clothes – 21%
  • Farm equipment – 0%
  • Cash or gift cards – 36%
  • Other – 14%

Our new ZimmPoll is live and asks the question, What 2016 ag news will have most impact on future?

As we begin to wrap up 2016, we began to reflect on some top news stories which have topped newsrooms, coffee shops and tractor cabs throughout the year. Let us know what 2016 ag news will have the largest impact on the future. Might it be the Presidential election, biofuels, GMOs or the farm economy?

ZimmPoll

GROWMARK Cultivating a Positive Workplace

Cindy Zimmerman

GROWMARK is finding that promoting an inclusive workplace culture can have lots of positive benefits.

“When work teams feel that their opinions are valued and that they can have a voice in the decision making process, they’re more engaged in their work and they’re more productive,” says Heather Thompson, GROWMARK Manager of Young Producer Programs. “They’re more committed and they deliver better customer service.”

The farmer cooperative employs more than 450 people in the home office in Bloomington, Illinois with thousands more throughout the FS GROWMARK system, and Thompson says a growing number of their employees come from non-agricultural backgrounds. “We have to look outside where we typically recruit to fill the positions that we have,” Thompson explains, and that means a workforce getting younger and even more diverse.

Learn more about how and why GROWMARK is working to increase employee engagement in this interview: Interview with Heather Thompson, GROWMARK

Audio, GROWMARK

Zimfo Bytes

Lizzy Schultz

Zimfo Bytes

  • Michelin North America has launched online retail tire sales for consumers in Southeast markets through the MichelinMan.com website.
  • The Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) has announced that the 2017 CCA Communications Contest is live. The contest accepts entries of writing, photography, programs, projects and publications. The deadline is February 10th, but entries received by February 3rd will receive a $5 discount on the entry fee.
  • Swanson Russell accepted three Paper Anvil Awards of Excellence, as well as a Best of Show Award, at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Nebraska Chapter’s 2016 Gala on December 8. The Awards of Excellence were received on behalf of clients Bad Boy Off Road, Barrett-Jackson Auto Care and SiteOne Landscape Supply, and the Best of Show Award was received for Bad Boy Off Road’s Drive Wire e-Newsletter.
Zimfo Bytes

Kubota Honors Farmer Veteran

Cindy Zimmerman

Kubota has donated another tractor to a farmer veteran as part of their “Geared to Give” program. Chad Tackett served in the U.S. Air Force before he came home to manage 200 acres of pines, hardwoods and pasture ground with his wife Shirlene. At a special ceremony, Tackett was presented the keys to a new Kabota L-Series compact tractor as thanks for his service from Kubota and their partner, the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC).

“This program empowers farmer veterans to achieve their dreams and make a true difference through their farming operations,” said Todd Stucke, Kubota senior vice president of sales, marketing and product support. “Kubota is proud to offer a token of our gratitude for those who have done so much for this country through their military service. We are extremely pleased to help Chad continue to make a difference in his community for many years to come.”

Tackett’s response was one of shock and surprise. “I am so glad to replace my broken-down 1970 tractor and I can’t wait see what my new Kubota can do on my farm and for the local farmer veteran community. I’ve never been so lucky and am incredibly grateful for this recognition.”

Agribusiness, Tractor