New Award for Agricultural Reporting

Chuck Zimmerman April 29, 2015

The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists in conjunction with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization is introducing a new annual award for excellence in global food security reporting. This is part of the cooperation agreement between the two organizations.

The IFAJ-FAO Award for Excellence in Global Food Security Reporting will be exclusively for IFAJ members. One entry from each national association of agricultural journalists (guild) will be allowed. Guilds will hold their own selection process. All members from guilds in good standing as members of IFAJ will be eligible to compete through their guilds.

It will be an open-language competition, meaning entries can be submitted in the language in which they were published or broadcast. FAO will handle all translation for judges, when required.

Each year a theme for the award will be chosen, under the broad heading of global food security. Anticipated topics for the theme include food production, food safety, food waste, agriculture and land use, under nutrition and malnutrition, and food affordability, among others. The annual theme will reflect the topic of the United Nations’ International Years, when they are related to agriculture and/or the World Food Day theme.Read More

IFAJ, International, Media

2015 NAMA Boot Camp

Chuck Zimmerman April 29, 2015

Registration is now open for the 2015 National Agri-Marketing Association Boot Camp.

The 2015 NAMA Boot Camp is a great way to cap off your summer. Boot Camp will take place on August 18-20; mark your calendars now so you don’t miss it!

The Hotel:

The Sheraton Crown Center in Kansas City, MO. The room rate is $137.00 and the cut-off date is August 3, 2015.

Call the hotel to make a reservation, (816) 841-1000.

NAMA

The Science Behind Food Safety

Jamie Johansen April 29, 2015

Food safety is on the hearts and minds of all throughout the agriculture community. So, there is no doubt it was a hot topic during the recent Chicken Media Summit held on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and sponsored by the National Chicken Council and US Poultry & Egg Association. Dr. Ashley Peterson, VP of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs for the National Chicken Council served as moderator for a panel on food safety in the poultry industry.

The entire food safety system was discussed by each panelist and Dr. Peterson reminded us that science is at the forefront of the complete system. “Food safety is the number one priority so every time the consumer has a healthy eating experience.”

“It’s a federal requirement that every single bird get inspected. That is different from an FDA regulated plant where an inspector might come in less frequently. We have someone there 24/7. Inspectors are looking at quality and food safety issues.”

In my interview recalls are further explained and Dr. Peterson said her take home message she wants all to know is every serving of chicken, whether it’s domestic or shipped international is as safe as possible. She said they are always using the technologies they have, but are always looking for new research and science enabling them to do better.

Listen to my complete interview with Dr. Peterson here: Interview with Dr. Ashley Peterson, National Chicken Council

Find photos from the event here: 2015 Chicken Media Summit Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Chicken Media Summit, Food, Poultry

Famous Idaho Potato Tour on the Road

Chuck Zimmerman April 28, 2015

The Big Idaho Potato on wheels and Tater Team is back on the road. Track it’s progress here. This is its fourth cross-country tour with a new mission to help local charities across the U.S. In a five-month period, the truck will visit 60 cities, travel 22,087 miles and help dozens of charities better serve their communities.

“The Truck has always had a charitable component to it,” explained Frank Muir, President & CEO, Idaho Potato Commission (IPC). “However the 2015 tour is going to be a little more personal. We’ll be working with different charities in each market and helping them in ways that are tailored specifically to them. We already know that the truck brings smiles to people wherever it goes but now it’s also helping people and that feels pretty good.”

The Big Idaho® Potato weighs more than 6 tons (the equivalent of 32,346 medium-sized Idaho® potatoes). After being seen by hundreds of millions of Americans, the most frequently asked question is, “Is it real?” We’ll never tell…but if it is, the Big Idaho® Potato:

Would make 30,325 servings of mashed potatoes… pass the gravy!
Could make more than 1.4 million (1,455,570) French fries!

Listen to some soundbites from Frank Muir, President & CEO, Idaho Potato Commission, about this year’s tour: Frank Muir Remarks

Ag Groups, Potato

TekWear in Elite 8 for TAG Business Launch Competition

Chuck Zimmerman April 28, 2015

Congratulations to AgNerd Extraordinaire Bruce Rasa, TekWear. According to his FB feed his company has placed in the elite 8 of a major Georgia-based business launch competition.

Team TekWear has been selected as an ‘Elite 8’ finalist for the TAG Business Launch Competition. The contest began this spring with more than 100+ companies. TAG (Technology Association of Georgia) is a world-class membership organization and an economic engine that supports 2,000+ member companies across the state of Georgia.

The TAG Business Launch Competition Finals are on May 11th In Atlanta. Click here to register if you are interested in attending. The audience members have the opportunity to participate in text voting for your favorite startup. Audience votes will help determine the final four and ultimately the winner, who will receive the $50,000 cash prize, $350,000 in suite of services, and a spot a Venture Atlanta. This year’s eight finalists represent a range of startups in a variety of industries, from agriculture to aerospace.

The annual competition is hosted by the Technology Association of Georgia to help support new companies in Georgia’s strategic high-tech clusters. In the next three to five years, projections show technology companies will invest more than $1 billion in Georgia.

Watch the video to learn more about Bruce’s company.

Agribusiness, Technology

Scarlett Johansson in Feeding America PSA

Chuck Zimmerman April 28, 2015

Two celebrity activists have lent their voice to the need to feed hungry children in America – Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner. Feeding America teamed up with them and the Ad Council on this project. You can see a Johansson psa below.

“My family grew up relying on public assistance to help provide meals for our family,” said Scarlett Johansson. “Child hunger in America is a real and often overlooked problem, but one that together, we can fix. It is my hope that by joining with Feeding America, our awareness of this issue will lead to a solution.”

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), one in five children in America – nearly 16 million children – struggle with hunger. Although food insecurity is harmful to people of all ages, it can be particularly devastating for children because of the potential for long term consequences. Research has shown that good nutrition has implications for a child’s future physical and mental health, academic achievement and economic productivity.

Food, Video

McCormick Company Plays Together Well with sandbox

Chuck Zimmerman April 28, 2015

McCormick Company recently announced becoming part of the sandbox agency. According to Mark Perrin, President of McCormick and a principal with sandbox, the agencies that make up sandbox “play together well.”

I spoke with Mark about this new relationship. sandbox is a full service advertising agency established through the combination of complementary entrepreneurial firms that share the “play together well” ethos of collaboration, bringing highly specialized talent to their clients. Headquartered in Chicago, sandbox services clients from eight office locations across the U.S. and Canada.

Also joining sandbox are ONE Advertising and Underline Communications. With these additions, sandbox will comprise 337 employees with a substantial presence in eight U.S. and Canadian cities: Chicago, Kansas City, New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, Des Moines, Amarillo and Indianapolis. Chicago-based GA communications became the first agency to join sandbox in 2014.

Each founding member shares in the sandbox ethos of collaboration; a “play together in the sandbox” philosophy that has been the driving force behind the brand and is the vision of two veteran agency executives who have spent their entire careers in the advertising and marketing industry – John Hilbrich and Mark Anthony.

Learn more about what this deal means to McCormick Company in this week’s program: McCormick Joins sandbox

Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here.

The ZimmCast

sponsored by

Locally owned, globally strong.

Agencies, Audio, ZimmCast

First Doan Award Presented

Cindy Zimmerman April 28, 2015

Doan winner Michelle Rook, with Sen. Pat Roberts and Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse

The very first Doan award honoring Excellence in Reporting Agriculture was presented at Washington Watch this week to Michelle Rook, managing farm director at WNAX in Yankton, SD.

The Doan is named after Stewart Doan, a farm broadcaster and senior editor at Agri-Pulse, who passed away suddenly in May 2012. He was known for his passion for politics and determination for delivering breaking farm and rural policy news. The Doan was presented by the NAFB Foundation, through a gift from Agri-Pulse Communications. “It’s extremely fitting that this award for excellence in agricultural reporting is named The Doan,” said Agri-Pulse Editor Sara Wyant. “Stewart Doan was one of the most persistent and dedicated journalists I have ever known. He wanted to get the story first but also make sure it was done right in order to better inform our audience.”

Michelle’s winning entry titled “Rail Crisis Costs Northwestern Corn Belt Farmers” outlines the crisis, the cost and some solutions – along with the railroads’ response. A Certificate of Merit was also awarded to Susan Littlefield, farm director at KZEN, Columbus, NE for her entry titled “Behind the Chutes”, a special report on the rodeo cowboy and their role during the rodeo.

Happy to see the “globe” resurrected for this award. I still have mine from 1990, one of the last years they did that.

During his visit with the NAFB members to present the award, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) answered a few questions on a wide range of topics, including the budget, tax code, crop insurance, Cuba, and TPA. Sen. Roberts takes questions from farm broadcasters

Agri-Pulse, Audio, Media, NAFB

Chicken Litter – A Hot Commodity

Jamie Johansen April 28, 2015

Jenny Rhodes, Extension Educator for University of Maryland in Queen Anne’s County and local poultry farmer, was asked to attend the 2015 Chicken Media Summit to talk about chicken manure. For her first 10 years in extension, Jenny wrote nutrient management plans. These plans are state mandated and any farmer meeting it’s requirements must have one for their operation.

“In the plan, we estimate the amount of manure on their farm and then work in a prescription approach. We test the soil, we test the manure, we know what nutrients the crop is going to take in and we write the farmer a prescription for that.”

Jenny sat on the myths and facts panel during the event and busted the myth that chicken litter is a waste product and farms are major sources of pollution. In fact, we heard from a local farmer that he wanted to buy chicken manure and couldn’t even find it. The hot commodity is an excellent source of fertilizer for all crops and these nutrient management plans aid farmers in knowing the exact amounts needed for an individual field.

“We are family farmers and we all want the same thing. We all want clean water and safe food.”

Learn more about nutrient management plans in my complete interview with Jenny here: Interview with Jenny Rhodes, University of Maryland Extension

Find photos from the event here: 2015 Chicken Media Summit Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Chicken Media Summit, Fertilizer, Poultry

GROWMARK Crop Update

Cindy Zimmerman April 28, 2015

Another 10% of the nation’s corn crop was planted last week, bringing the total now a couple of points ahead of last year but still behind the five year average.

According to the latest progress report from USDA, farmers now have 19% of the corn crop in the ground and two percent has emerged, most of it in non-Corn Belt states.

I had an opportunity last week to visit with GROWMARK Insect and Plant Disease Technical Manager Tim Laatsch to talk about how conditions are looking this season around Illinois.

“It’s sort of a tale of two cities,” said Laatsch. “The southern third of Illinois has been extremely wet with almost no field activity occurring. Those conditions gradually improve as you go northward.”

Laatsch says corn planting in Illinois jumped from near zero to 15% the week ending April 19, and farmers more than doubled that last week. One percent of the corn is emerged in Illinois and Laatsch says some of that early emerged corn was greeted with freezing temps last week. “The bigger problem is corn that has not yet emerged, it’s subject to any number of problems when soil conditions are wet and now turned cool,” he said.

Laatsch has spent the past few weeks scouting wheat fields in Illinois where just two percent of the crop is headed, compared to 16% for the five year average. “What we’re seeing is conditions setting up favorably for disease development in the wheat crop,” he said. “If conditions remain somewhat wet and humid and temperatures start warming up, we could see some moderate to severe foliar disease pressure develop.” Meanwhile, he is seeing little insect pressure in wheat at this point.

Tim has more observations in this interview: Interview with Tim Laatsch, GROWMARK

Audio, Corn, GROWMARK, Wheat

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