DTN Offers Many Great Things at NAMA

Kelly Marshall

nama-16-greg-gregDTN/The Progressive Farmer has been making a “latte” noise this week.  To launch their newly redesigned website the team hosted not one, but two parties at the National Agri-Marketers Conference!  The Morning Barista Coffee Lounge opened bright and early so attendees could sip caffeine while perusing www.dtnpf.com.  The After Hours Dessert Lounge provided the night owls with something a little sweet while they browsed through the easy-to-use weather and marketing pages.

“We’ve completely rebuilt our public website, the dtnpf.com website, which is available without a subscription fee.  Its a complete launch, a complete rebuild– as we’re saying here, its built from the ground up.  Some of the key features are that it is more responsive to mobile phones and tablet and those kinds of things because we continue to see research that farmers are using websites more that way,” AgWired learned in our interview with Greg Horstemeier and Greg Hillyer.

The rebuild project involved a lot of input from users, with DTN reaching out to see what readers wanted.  The new site enhances user experiences, but not just for Ag Nerds.  Many users are still have older systems, so the platform was built to accommodate farmers with a wide variety of needs.

The new website has more real estate for advertisers and the adds can be targeted based on demographics– something DTN has been doing long before technology made the task mainstream.  The site also offers enhanced weather and marketing information, although the wealth of information for those topics is made available by subscription at mydtn.com.

You can listen to the full interview here: Interview with DTN/The Progressive Farmer

2016 NAMA Photo Album

Coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by Brownfield Ag News and Nufarm
Coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by Brownfield Ag News for America      Coverage of Potato Expo is sponsored by Nufarm
Agribusiness, NAMA

Marvin Kokes Steps Down as NAMA President

Kelly Marshall

Marvin KokesThe National Agri-Marketing Association has kicked off its 2016 annual meeting and AgWired caught our first interview with Marvin Kokes, the outgoing President of NAMA.  Kokes comes from the National Cattlemens Beef Association and looks forward to focusing his time and efforts there once again, but but believes NAMA is truly an amazing organization.

The conference will feature some great keynote speakers and educational segments.  If you’re in agri-marketing there is something here for you, Kokes promises.  The best part about the conference, however, are the connections you make.  With 1,200 attendees, 800 professionals and 400 students, there are numerous opportunities to make connections, meet new people and accomplish business at the event.

“”There so much to be said about about folks getting together, networking and sharing, kind of war stories, things that have happened in the last six months.  Talking about– over a cold beer– the trends in ag and the challenges that each of us face as professionals.  While there are moments we would compete with each other, but fundamentally we all want to be successful together,” Kokes told AgWired.

In addition to professionals, this is the place to be to find fresh, new talent.  The pool of over-the-top amazing students attending this conference has many businesses on the lookout for the next generation of agriculture leaders.  “I’m going to be looking for young professionals and recruiting myself here,” Kokes says.

Not to be missed are the exhibitors.  Agri-marketing staples are still present, along with new exhibitors to keep in fresh.  Attendees can expect companies offering new technologies and young people can get a great snapshot of business opportunities out there.

As he steps down Kokes reflects on an experience that is clearly important.  “NAMA has meant a lot to me personally.  I’ve had the chance to meet so many people that I wouldn’t meet normally in my day to day work for NCBA but there’s literally hundreds of people I’d call great friends here that I’ve met over the years.”

Listen to his full interview here: Interview with NAMA President, Marvin Kokes

2016 NAMA Photo Album

Coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by Brownfield Ag News and Nufarm
Coverage of the Agri-Marketing Conference is sponsored by Brownfield Ag News for America      Coverage of Potato Expo is sponsored by Nufarm
Agribusiness, NAMA

Welcome to First ZimmComm General Manager

Chuck Zimmerman

Clint UnderwoodHey AgWired community. Please help me welcome Clint Underwood to the ZimmComm Team as our first full time employee – General Manager! This is very cool. Clint will be responsible for the general operations of the company, as well as contract management and sales. Having him handle more of the business side of our company will allow us to focus more on what we do best – communicating agricultural news and information.”

Clint is a 33-year-old native of Rogersville, Missouri in the southwest part of the state where he grew up on a family farm that specialized in Charolais cattle and quarter horses. He was an All American basketball player at William Jewell College, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2005 with an emphasis in communications. After graduating from college, Underwood opened 417 Fitness in Rogersville, a successful 24-hour gym and work-out center. He also operated his own landscaping business from 2010 until he sold it in 2014. More recently, Underwood served as customer service representative for UnderCover, a national truck accessory company based in Rogersville.

Underwood is married to Caitlin and is the father of two young boys: Cruz, 2, and Case, 1, who will all be re-locating to the Pensacola, Florida area to work at ZimmComm World Headquarters.

Oh, and btw, Clint is married to my daughter Caitlin! Those are grand babies moving near Grandma and Grandpa.

Uncategorized

Where Does the Money Go?

Kelly Marshall

HumaneWatchHumaneWatch.Org, a project of the non-profit Center for Consumer Freedom, is releasing a commercial on the Fox News Channel this week.  The spot comes out hard against the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) for their inaccurate advertising and use of donated funds.

Using a compilation of HSUS’s own commercials, the new advertisement highlights the juxtaposition of using dogs and cats to appeal to donors while giving less than 1 percent of funds to local pet shelters.  Instead the organization puts millions into pension plans and offshore Caribbean hedge funds.

The commercial will run during The O’Reilly Factor and The Kelly File, two of the highest-rated programs in the cable news category.


Advertising, Animal Activists, Video

Two North America Journalists Earn Global Award

Kelly Marshall

Sarah Hill from Brookings, South Dakota, USA and Julienne Isaacs of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada  have been honored as two of this year’s 2016 IFAJ-Alltech Young Leaders in Agricultural Journalism Award winners. These representatives from North America competed with some of the best throughout the world and will now participate in the International Federation of Agricultural Jounralists (IFAJ) Congress.  They will also have the opportunity to attend a boot camp-style workshop in July with winners from around the globe.

IFAJ 2Sarah Hill is a freelance journalists who began her own communications company just this year.  She handles projects from Dairy Business and Holstein World magazines, as well as the American Angus Association.  She grew up on a 60-cow dairy in Missouri and received her degree in ag journalism from the University of Missouri.

IFAJJulienne Isaacs is a freelance writer for Top Crop Manager, Grainews, Country Guide, Manitoba Co-operator, CAAR Communicator, Potatoes in Canada and other publications.  Her focus is crop production, especially in the area of research and technology for improving crop sustainability.

“Year after year, we continue to see the best and brightest in agricultural journalism from around the globe receive this award,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. “Congratulations to these two exceptional candidates from our North America region as they exemplify the skills and dedication needed to communicate and connect farm to fork.”

This is the 11th year for the program, which has assisted nearly 100 journalists strengthen their communication skills in agricultural journalism.

Agribusiness, Alltech, IFAJ, Journalism

Corn Prices Projected to Decrease

Kelly Marshall

NCGA-LogoWhile optimists hoped the increased demand for ethanol would help drive corn prices, the USDA reports say it won’t be enough to off-set other factors.  Demand estimates are lower by 24 million bushels of corn, and ending stocks are higher by 25 million bushels.  Production estimates remain unchanged from March.

“U.S. corn farmers have indicated their intention to grow another bountiful crop in 2016 and, if the weather proves favorable, we may see a large corn supply after harvest,” said National Corn Growers Association President Chip Bowling, a farmer from Maryland. “At NCGA, we work to apply the same expertise and and dedication shown by our members to our efforts to create and grow demand for our crop. America’s farmers sustainably produce a corn crop that can feed and fuel the world. Working together, we can create the opportunities necessary to maximize the potential of this great resource and build a solid future for our farm families as well.”

Ending stocks are now expected to reach 1.86 billion bushels, their highest level since 2005. The May report will include USDA’s first projection for the 2016-2017 corn crop.

Feed and residual demand estimates were lowered by 50 million bushels reflecting indicated disappearance through the first half of the marketing year. An increase of 25 million bushels to projected demand for ethanol use, which was based upon information from the Energy Information Administration, slightly offset the impact on overall demand.

The 2015-16 season average corn price is projected to be ten cents lower at the top end, with farmers receiving between $3.40 to $3.70 per bushel.  You can read the full report here.

Ag Groups, Corn, Marketing, Markets, NCGA, USDA

McCornick Named Water for Food Executive Director

Kelly Marshall

Water for FoodThe Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska has announced a new executive director. Peter G. McCornick, an expert recognized internationally for his research in water, food, and the environment, will be taking the reins for the institute on September 1.

Currently McCornick is serving as the deputy director general for the International Water Management Institute in Colombo, Sri Lanka.  This institution is renowned for its deviation to improving management of water and land resources for food security.

McCornick has dedicated his career to improving the understanding of sustainable management of water resources. He has led research and development programs on water, agriculture and the environment in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the U.S. His areas of interest include water and food security, the water-food-energy nexus, water reuse, irrigation management, and water and climate adaptation. McCornick earned his doctorate degree in agricultural engineering from Colorado State University, is a licensed professional civil engineer in the State of Colorado, a member of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers, and a senior fellow at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. He has published widely and regularly presents at major international events. McCornick was born in Scotland and grew up on a livestock and dairy farm.

“There is perhaps no more urgent challenge facing the world today than sustainably feeding the growing global population,” said Roberto Lenton, the WFI’s founding executive director. “The University of Nebraska, through our Water for Food Institute, is uniquely positioned to lead the way in developing solutions. We are fortunate to have attracted someone with Peter McCornick’s reputation and expertise to the executive director position. His deep knowledge of water and agricultural development in global contexts and his strong leadership skills will accelerate the impact the institute is making in ensuring water and food security in Nebraska and around the world.”

McCornick said, “Roberto set the stage for the Water for Food Institute’s global reach. I appreciate the tremendous work he has done in developing a strong team and growing the institute from an idea to a fully operational research center that is truly making a difference in improving water and food security for generations to come. I look forward to working with the University of Nebraska leaders, faculty and staff, as well as its many partners in the U.S. and internationally, to advance the institute’s achievements and impact.”

Ag Groups, Research, Water

I AM USFRA – Corn Farmers

Cindy Zimmerman

ncga-novakThe National Corn Growers Association was another one of the original organizations to help form the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) and current CEO Chris Novak was with another founding group at the time, the National Pork Board.

“I made a trip to St. Louis in 2010 and sat down with Rick Tolman who was CEO at NCGA prior to me,” Novak recalls. Also in the meeting were the heads of the American Soybean Association and the United Soybean Board. “The heart of that conversation was that we in agriculture were facing challenges in communicating with consumers…and from those initial meetings, we reached out later that week and had six of our colleagues together, agricultural CEOs representing a variety of commodities, and that was the start of USFRA.”

i-am-usfra-webUSFRA now has nearly 100 agricultural organization and company affiliates and Novak says it is unique because it represents all facets of the industry. “I’m pressed to find an example of this number of farm interests coming together and working together for this long a period of time on a very focused effort to share information with consumers,” he said, noting that issues such as biotechnology and animal welfare are issues that impact the industry as a whole. “These challenges that confront us are far more important than anything that may have divided us in the past.”

Novak is very proud of the many successful initiatives that USFRA has developed in a very short time and pointed to one just recently that took almost 37,000 students on a virtual agricultural field trip. “It also helped them participate in an active dialogue with real farmers about the issues that exist in food production today,” said Novak. “These are the things that are paying dividends…opening up the farm so we can share more information.

Listen Chris talk about what USFRA is doing to unify agriculture: Interview with NCGA CEO Chris Novak

Audio, Corn, NCGA, USFRA

CIRB Graduates Inaugural Emerging Leaders

Kelly Marshall

CIRBThe Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) is celebrating the graduation of their first ever Emerging Leaders Program.  The ceremony was held during the Spring Policy Conference and Fly-In.  The class has spent more than year learning the necessary tools to become effective advocates for the next generation of crop insurance leaders.

“Today, crop insurance is a centerpiece of the farm safety net. As we look ahead to the next farm bill and beyond, we need a new generation of informed advocates who can engage to protect crop insurance during policy debates,” said CIRB Chair Sheri Bane, of COUNTRY Financial. “That’s why CIRB’s Emerging Leaders Program is so critical to the future of crop insurance and, ultimately, the rural economy.”

The six Emerging Leaders Program class members participated in events across the country, receiving advocacy training and networking with industry leaders. Program highlights included interacting with CIRB’s Executive Committee, receiving issue briefings, meeting with Members of Congress and their staffs to serve as crop insurance’s voice on Capitol Hill, and learning from industry leaders at USDA’s Risk Management Agency and National Crop Insurance Services.

Members of the inaugural class are: Eric Swanson (COUNTRY Financial), Beth Bjerke (AFBIS), Aaron Rutledge (FMH), Nikki Harrod (ADM), and Weston Burcham (ADM).

Any current employee of a CIRB member company interested in the 2016-2017 Emerging Leaders Program may now apply online.  More information about the program is online at www.cropinsurance.org/leaders.  Applications are due August 1, 2016.

Agribusiness, CIRB, Insurance

#ZimmieZebra is Zelfie Ready

Jamie Johansen

IMG_3899#ZimmieZebra made it to her temporary home this weekend and jumped at the chance to stretch her legs after her long journey. Tomorrow Zimmie and I will make the trip to Kansas City for the 2016 Agri-Marketing Conference, but wanted to make sure she wasn’t camera shy and ready for the many Zelfies to come. Thankfully, she thoroughly enjoyed getting hugged and kissed by a toddler and is confident she can handle the many Zelfies from all our friends attending #NAMA16.

Want the chance to meet Zimmie? Here’s how it will work. Stop by the ZimmComm booth during the Agri-Marketing Conference Connection Point trade show (booth 417-419). Use a Zelfie stick to take your picture with Zimmie, post on Twitter and/or Facebook using #NAMA16, #ZimmieZebra and tag @AgWired. After the end of the Connection Point all Zelfies will be judged for creativity and quality. One lucky person will take Zimmie home and provide her with a nice environment to live in.

Agribusiness, NAMA, Nufarm, ZimmComm Announcement