Congratulations to Farm Bureau Photo Contest Winners

Kelly Marshall

PhotoThe American Farm Bureau Federation has selected twelve photographs as winners of the 2015 Farm Bureau Photo Contest.   Ten Farm Bureau members and staff chose winners in each of four categories; Consumer Outreach, Family Farm, Farm Labor, and Technology.  The winning photos reflect farm and ranch life and their efforts to reach consumers.

This year’s winners are:

Consumer Outreach: Lindsey Triplett of Conway, Arkansas, first place; Laurie Link, of Meadville, Missouri, second place; Charlene Chappell of Brevard, North Carolina, third place.
Farm Family: Laurie Link of Meadville, Missouri, first place; Lauren Heinrich of Canyon, Texas, second place; Krystal Doolittle of Williams, Iowa, third place.
Farm Labor: Kellie Neufeld of Exeter, California, first place; Larry Blain of Spanish Fork, Utah, second place; Velvet Roberts of Spearsville, Louisiana, third place.
Technology: Lauren Heinrich of Canyon, Texas, first place; Katherine Plessner of Verona, North Dakota, second place; Lynn Bolin of Clarksville, Iowa, third place.

Naufeld won Best in Show.  Heinrich was awarded first-runner up and Bolin took second runner-up.

Winners will be honored at the Annual Convention next January in Phoenix, Arizona.  Winning photographs may also be used in future publications and promotions by AFBF.

You can see the winning photographs here.

AFBF, Ag Groups, Photography

2016 NAMA Agribusiness Leader of the Year

Chuck Zimmerman

Dwight ArmstrongThe National Agri-Marketing Association bestowed its highest honor on W. Dwight Armstrong, Ph.D, during the Agri-Marketing Conference. Dwight is the CEO of the National FFA Organization.

During his remarks Dwight said, “You know, when you get this type of recognition, it’s not about you, it’s about the people you surround yourself with.” He said that as he thought about what it means to be involved in agricultural marketing today, two things came to mind.

First, for young people, he says they must fully understand the vision and the mission for the organization they work for, the products and services they offer, their customers and also their suppliers. In addition to all that you need to keep in mind the ultimate customer, the consumer. The second thing an agrimarketer today needs to demonstrate is that they are global while still being able to relate locally.

You can listen to his remarks here: Remarks from W. Dwight Armstrong, Agribusiness Leader of the Year

The NAMA Agribusiness Leader of the Year recognizes outstanding leadership in private, public or academic service and is conferred each year to a senior agribusiness executive who not only exemplifies excellence in agribusiness but has made significant contributions to the industry.

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
Ag Groups, Audio, FFA, NAMA

Fanger Awarded Agri-Marketer of the Year

Jamie Johansen

26444115675_45a18ccc7d_zDan Fanger was awarded the 2016 National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) Marketer of the Year earlier this year and during the “From the Ground Up” Agri-Marketing Conference he was presented with his award.

Fanger, who is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Unverferth Manufacturing, Co., Inc., has earned this honor for his outstanding accomplishment in agri-marketing. The award has been promoting excellence in the industry for more than 50 years and this year’s presentation will be held at the 2016 Agri-Marketing Conference on April 14 in Kansas City, Missouri. The award is sponsored by Agri Marketing magazine.

Beginning in 1965 as the first full-time sales person for Unverferth Manufacturing Company, Fanger learned early how to build upon the company founders’ successes by listening not only to what customers say, but to dig deeper to determine what they really mean. The knowledge he gained has sparked the innovation of new products and initiated numerous product enhancements that made them more valuable to farmers and increased dealer-customer profitability.

With Fanger’s appointment in 1991 as Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Unverferth continued to develop new products. Throughout the ‘90s, he focused on expanding the hiring and training of a direct-sales force across North America.

Fanger’s innovative marketing and managerial abilities have helped the company prosper in both up and down markets. Innovations, such as a dedicated dealer program, have helped the company gain market share and maintain a competitive edge. Raising the level of partnerships with vendors has further positioned the company as a leader in implement manufacturing and technology.

You can listen to his remarks here: Remarks from Dan Fanger, Agri-Marketer of the Year

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
Ag Groups, Audio, Marketing, NAMA

Vilsack Joins Forum on Rural Poverty

Kelly Marshall

farmfoundationlogo3Poverty affects families and communities in rural areas in a disproportional way.  On Monday, April 18 the Farm Foundation Forum is hosting a discussion on the role of public policy in the fight against poverty.  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will open the discussion and be joined by Bill Bynum, CEO of Hope Enterprise Corporation/Hope Credit Union of Jackson, Mississippi and Jason Henderson, Director of Extension at Purdue University.

The Forum is schedule from 9 am to 11 am EDT in the Holeman Lounge of the National Press Club in Washington D.C.  A live audiocast will also be available for free, thanks to Farm Credit’s sponsorship.

“Rural poverty is a complex, multi-dimensional problem for which there are no simple answers. Decades of change in the structure of rural economies, accompanied by demographic changes, have raised the economic prospects in some areas while others have been left behind. Rural poverty, which is so at odds with our sometimes idyllic vision of small town and rural life, makes us uncomfortable and tempts us to ignore the issue. That is not the answer,” says Farm Foundation President Neil Conklin. “With this Forum, Farm Foundation seeks to bring many voices into a constructive conversation of how we attack the cancer that is poverty in rural America.”

Conklin adds, “Since its founding in 1933, Farm Foundation has focused on economic and public policy issues critical to the future of agriculture and rural America. This Forum continues that tradition, examining the strengths and weaknesses of public policies in combating poverty in rural America.”

There is no charge for this event, but you are requested to register here to attend in person at the National Press Club and here to be part of the live audiocast.

Ag Groups, Farm Foundation

CommonGround Recognized at NAMA

Kelly Marshall

CommonGroundThe National Agri-Marketing Association recognized the advocacy group, CommonGround during their National Awards Ceremony. The group won first place in the Social Tactic category, as well as Best of Show- Digital and the first-ever NAMA Grand Champion award for their video, “Ask a Farmer.” Their newly redesigned website also won first place in the Website Directed to Consumers category.

CommonGround is a group of volunteer farm women who reach out to women with questions about how their food is raised. They are funded through a joint program of the National Corn Growers Association and the United Soybean Board and state affiliates. Their goal is for families to enjoy food without fear. Currently the team has 172 volunteers from many states and agricultural backgrounds. They host an activity somewhere int eh country almost every other day.

The program focuses on nine areas of interest to consumers including: farm ownership; GMOs; food safety; antibiotics and animal health; hormones in meat and milk; organic and local foods; food prices; and sustainability, which was added as a topic just this year.

Watch and share “Ask a Farmer” yourself.


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
Ag Groups, Agribusiness, NAMA

Farmers Face Financial Pressure, AFBF Tells Congress

Kelly Marshall

afbfThe continued commodity price slump is hurting American farmers and Zippy Duvall is trying to make sure Congress understand just what that means to agriculture.  The American Farm Bureau Federation President (AFBF) explained to the Agriculture Subcommittee that, while all farmers and ranchers will be affected, new and young farmers will struggle most as they work to build equity, write rent checks, and make equipment payments.

“The bottom line is that farmers and ranchers are being forced to tighten their belts and pay much closer attention to their financial situation,” Duvall told the House Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management. “They will be in greater need of safety net and risk management programs than has been the case for some time—for some, since they started farming.”

Duvall’s list of factors included: cotton prices, the drop in milk prices, net farm income dropping from $123 billion in 2013 to $56 billion in 2015, and a long-term projection from the USDA of continued low new farm incomes over the next decade.

More than complaining about the bad new, however, Duvall explained to lawmakers how they can help the situation.  Approval of TPP topped the list, followed by stopping the Waters of the U.S. rule.  Reversing spill prevention and control requirements made the list, along with establishing a nation-wide labeling standard.

You can read his testimony here.

AFBF, Ag Groups

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