Meet the New Holland Bloggers

Chuck Zimmerman

Cristiano SpadoniI still feel special to have been chosen by New Holland to participate in their New Holland Blogger Days last week. It was a diverse group in terms of language and home country. However, we all had much in common including our passion for agriculture, using social media to help distribute our information while personally engaging with farmers and the general public and for a couple of us, gadgets! I interviewed each of my fellow bloggers including the New Holland Social Media and Digital Projects Manager, Lorena Valenti. Let’s meet them.

First up is Cristiano Spadoni, AgroNotizie. You can follow him on @CSpadoni and @Agronotizie. I asked him what his main take-aways are from the days we spent in Turin. He says it can be summed up in two words, Sustainability and Innovation. He says, “Technology can help agriculture. Technology can help farmers to do more with less.” This helps them connect with consumers who are asking for sustainable products.

You can listen to my interview with Cristiano here: Interview with Cristiano Spadoni

Emma PennyI was very pleased to see Emma Penny, Farmers Guardian, in our group. I saw Emma just recently in Scotland where she was one of the tour organizers for the IFAJ Congress in Aberdeen! It’s a small world.

You can follow Emma on @FarmersGuardian. Emma says that for her the focus that New Holland will be putting on farmers at Expo Milano 2015 as the heroes of food production was a key take-away. Another take-away is that they are quite involved with the University of Gastronomic Sciences which was started by the founder of the Slow Food movement. “We learned a lot more about the Slow Food movement and really what it stood for.”

You can listen to my interview with Emma here: Interview with Emma Penny

Richard JakubaszkoHere’s our man from Brazil, Richard Jakubaszko, Agro DBO. You can find his blog here. Richard is pictured wearing a pair of headphones we used for translation on our tours.

Richard’s publication is focused on Brazilian agriculture but he takes a different approach with his blog. It’s where he can editorialize on all kinds of subjects like art, culture, agriculture and politics. He says it is a place for debate not news. Like all of us, Richard was grateful to New Holland for the invitation. Highlights of our time in Turin for him include the visit to the University of Gastronomic Sciences, our visit to the Museum of Automobiles and our tour of the Maserati production plant. He also has plans to write about Expo Milano 2015 and New Holland’s involvement with it.

You can listen to my interview with Richard here: Interview with Richard Jakubaszko

Lorena ValentiI first got to know Lorena Valenti while working with her on the North America launch of MyNewHolland.com. You can follow Lorena on @Lorena_Valenti.

Lorena says that digital public relations is increasingly important to the brand today as well as a good relationship with bloggers like us. However, the “human touch” is also very important to New Holland to let us know about projects like Expo Milano 2015. I can assure Lorena and the whole New Holland team that we will be helping spread the word about New Holland’s Sustainable Farm Pavilion at Expo.

You can listen to my interview with Lorena here: Interview with Lorena Valenti

2014 New Holland Blogger Days Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, International, Media, New Holland

Will You Be an AgCatalyst

Chuck Zimmerman

Ag CatalystHere at AgWired we have believed from day one that “It’s all about the content.” And that’s the theme of this year’s AgCatalyst event taking place next week in Minneapolis. I will there and hope to be creating some great online content to share with you.

It’s my understanding that registrations have already surpassed last year’s event and if you have not registered I would encourage you to consider it. I’m sure we can fit in a few more!

We’ll be at the Airport Marriott and you can find registration information on the event homepage.

Agencies

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

  • During its recent Annual Meeting at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., CropLife America (CLA) announced annual election results.
  • On the heels of recent growth and funding announcements, FarmLink announced that Randy Barker has joined the company as a Managing Director of Business Development.
  • National Farmers Union (NFU) is pleased to welcome five new staff members to positions in the government relations, communications, and education departments, as well as the addition of North Bridge Communications as a media relations consulting firm.
  • The Georgia Peanut Commission, which represents all peanut farmers in Georgia, is pleased to announce the launch of PeanutAllergyFacts.org, a new website for schools, parents, food service executives and manufacturers.
Zimfo Bytes

More Than 60,000 FFA Members to Converge in Louisville

Jamie Johansen

ffaThe 2014 National FFA Convention & Expo is right around the corner and the AgWired team will be there to cover it all. Here is a little preview of what you can expect to see at this year’s event to take place for the second year of its three-year run in Louisville, KY. on Oct.28 through Nov. 1.

The convention and expo will bring an estimated economic impact of $40 million, making it the largest convention and expo for Louisville this year. Attendees will stay in 136 hotels for a combined 39,247 nights within a 60-mile radius of Louisville. The event will stay in Louisville through 2015 before returning to Indianapolis for three years.

“Go All Out” is the theme of this year’s convention and expo. “With the opportunities we are given in our lives, we must take action. We must give it our all and put everything we have into everything we do,” 2013-2014 National FFA President Brian Walsh, a Virginia Tech student, said. “We must go all out to develop positive leadership, personal growth and career success.”

Nine general sessions will draw FFA members together at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Students will have countless opportunities to engage exhibitors from more than 450 corporations, organizations and colleges at the expo inside the center. Other events will be held at venues downtown, in the suburbs and beyond.

Nick Vujicic will be the opening session’s headline motivational speaker. Tyson Foods, Inc., President and CEO Donnie Smith will deliver his message to attendees during the third general session on Oct. 30. On Oct. 31, Elanco President Jeff Simmons and Southern humorist Jane Jenkins Herlong will address convention goers during the fourth and seventh general sessions, respectfully.

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Ag Groups, Education, Events, FFA

CFWF Photography Workshop

Cindy Zimmerman

cfwf-photosImproving photography skills was the goal of a post-conference workshop for the Canadian Farm Writers Federation last weekend.

Photographer Elaine Shein with DTN/Progressive Farmer took close to 20 participants around the Legacy Garden behind the PEI Farm Centre and through the Royal Forest on the east side of the Crops and Livestock Research Centre grounds. Our Canadian correspondent Trudy Kelly Forsythe of Cultivating Communications was one of the participants in the workshop.

She says that Elaine offered photography tips on camera settings, setting up shots, lighting and having a critical eye. “Afterwards we returned to the hotel to view everyone’s photographs and received invaluable constructive criticism, as well as some praise, for our shots,” said Trudy. “I now have some good stock photos for my personal collection of agricultural shots and a starting point for learning how to use the many settings on my SLR camera. Greatest value would be tips on setting up photos for proper lighting and checking the background to ensure objects aren’t growing out of people’s heads, for example, or that there aren’t unwanted objects in the background.”

Trudy was already a pretty darn good photographer, as you can see in her photos from the CFWF meeting that she provided as our correspondent, but any photographer is always looking to improve so these kinds of workshops are really valuable at events like this.

2014 Canadian Farm Writers Federation conference photo album

Coverage of the Canadian Farm Writers Federation 2014 Conference sponsored by
Coverage of the Canadian Farm Writers Federation 2014 Conference sponsored by Case IH
Photography

Wind Turbine Up Close and Personal

Chuck Zimmerman

Mackies FarmThe benefit of getting an up close and personal look at a wind turbine is the view from the top of the hill. It was a cloudy day but the view at Mackies Farm in Scotland during the 2014 IFAJ Congress was still beautiful.

This farm has done an excellent job of branding and marketing its products and was the site not only of the IFAJ awards dinner but also the location of multiple mini tours to see all the farm is doing. One of those was a trip up the hill to see a windmill in action. I have never actually been that close to one. In my photo album there are several pics including from inside the windmill. In the video you’ll hear why the top of the hill is the best location.

Home to Mackie’s of Scotland is Westertown Farm, a 1600 acre farm in Aberdeenshire, where the wind, land and cows help produce fresh milk and power for the ice cream dairy.

This has become our “Sky to Scoop” process where the wind provides power for the farm that grows the crops to feed the cows who make the milk (and cream) to make Mackie’s ice cream. It’s a wonderful environment and we’re committed to keeping it that way, both visually and by adopting ‘green’ working practices.


2014 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

Dairy, IFAJ, Video

Ready to Promote New Holland Sustainable Farm Pavilion

Chuck Zimmerman

Annemie LievensThe New Holland Bloggers. Sounds like it could be anything from a band to a social media team. New Holland does have a social media team but this group I’m talking about is made up of independent bloggers who were invited to Turin, Italy to learn about New Holland’s participation in Expo Milano 2015. You’ll get to meet them here soon.

Kicking off our adventure last week was Annemie Lievens, Director, Global Brand Marketing & Communications. Annemie showed us some slides of the pavilion that is being built by New Holland in Milano for the new version of the World’s Fair. New Holland is in the middle of construction of their “Sustainable Farm” interactive exhibit and we’ll begin seeing that progress on a new website that will be unveiled soon. The presentation also included information about how New Holland plans to promote the pavilion and Expo but those plans won’t be public until the campaign launches this fall.

Using ZimmGlass I interviewed Annemie in the CNH Industrial Village to learn more about the philosophy behind why and how New Holland is involved in this project.

You can listen to my interview with Annemie here: Interview with Annemie Lievens


2014 New Holland Blogger Days Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, New Holland, Video

There’s a Hole in The Middle of The Road

Melissa Sandfort

imageThis week Aunt Jeanette writes:

When our three sons were just little boys, they had a cassette tape called “Silly Songs.” (Sorry guys. That might date you just a bit!) One of the songs was titled “There’s a Hole In The Bottom of the Sea.” It truly is a silly song and it seemed to go on forever and ever. It was one of those songs that got stuck in my head. Even now, almost thirty years later, it is still in my head! (Editor’s note: Again, it’s funny how similar Aunt Jeanette and I are. My son who is 5 1/2 has that CD in his player right now with that song on it!)

When I was out walking this gorgeous, autumn afternoon, I couldn’t help but think of that song when I saw this hole in the middle of the road. I was walking by myself because Dan is picking corn, so you can probably guess what I sang during the rest of my walk. I even made up a few of my own lyrics and giggled to myself several times. Oh, I love walking on country roads when nobody is around!

My singing was interrupted several times with thoughts about the changing seasons. Now I see black beetles scurrying across the road, millipedes trying to stay warm, milkweed fluff in roadside ditches, woolly bear caterpillars predicting a mild winter, a little gray field mouse startled by my footsteps, a garter snake (lethargic from the cooler weather) that didn’t escape someone’s tire, trees and bushes changing their green attire for yellow, orange, or red, chirping crickets replacing songbird greetings, brown cornstalks with their bursting ears of corn bowing down in anticipation of being harvested, and cotton ball clouds drifting slowly across a crisp blue sky. And, yes, I saw this hole in the middle of the road. I happened to catch a glimpse of the tenant, a little ground squirrel, just before he took cover.

Now, since I am a rather reserved, conservative person (unless I am around children), those of you that know me are probably having a hard time picturing me bursting into song when I saw a hole in the middle of the road, but I thought it was a perfectly good reason to sing! And if you don’t know me, you may just have had your chuckle for the day!

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized

Farm Journal Foundation Announces New CEO

Cindy Zimmerman

tricia-bealThe Farm Journal Foundation has hired its first full-time Chief Executive Officer, replacing Board President Charlene Finck. Finck has led the Foundation since 2011, while also serving as Senior Vice President, Editorial at Farm Journal Media.

The Foundation has named Tricia Beal as the new CEO, responsible for advancing the organization’s mission and growing its anti-hunger platform, Farmers Feeding the World.

We have known Tricia for many years as she has spent the past eight at Novus International as Chief of Staff and Head of Corporate Initiatives. She’s basically a tireless dynamo and won’t be able to help doing a great job for the Foundation.

Congrats Tricia!

Agribusiness, Food, Media

Best of NAMA Deadline Friday

Cindy Zimmerman

nama-fireHave you entered your best this year in the Best of NAMA yet? If not, you better hurry because the deadline is tomorrow, October 10.

The Best of NAMA awards program honors the best work in agricultural communications. Actually, the best of the best, since companies/agencies must first qualify through regional competition in order to advance to the national level. The national awards ceremony will take place April 15, 2015, at the Sheraton Crown Center in Kansas City.

Best of NAMA operates on a regional judging format. Entries are sent directly to the national NAMA office and judged by industry professionals at a regional level for possible advancement to national competition.

Find out all the details here.

NAMA