ZimmComm – New Media, LLC

Hello ZimmComm Fans:

This week Chuck got to meet a new sponsor, O.H. Kruse Grain & Milling. The company held it’s first ever dealer appreciation day at the International AgriCenter facilities in Tulare, CA and he was on the scene taking photos and conducting interviews. This was a fantastic event for the company and its customers. We hope to visit O.H. Kruse again!

While Chuck was in California, Jamie Johansen was in Minneapolis for the 2012 Export Exchange, courtesy of our long time sponsor, the Renewable Fuels Association. You can find her photos and interviews mostly on Domestic Fuel.com.

Hopefully you’ve booked the ZimmComm team to your event in 2013. Right????

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Have our efforts to educate consumers about agriculture been successful?”

Our poll results: No one said Yes, real improvement; fifty-two percent said Yes, but long way to go; thirty-five percent said No, minimal impact; three percent said No, no impact; and ten percent said Waste of time. It looks like many believe there’s room for improvement and our work is far from being done.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “How important will rural vote be in election?” It is a challenging time in agriculture for thousands of farmers and ranchers across the country. As the rural population goes to the poll booth to cast their vote for the candidate they believe supports farmers and ranchers, how important do you think their votes are? Let us know.

And remember, Election Day is Tuesday, November 6, 2012. Go cast your vote!

Here are some interviews from this week you might have missed:
• Mike Cornman, New Holland, talking TS Series Tractors at World Dairy Expo
• Ashli Cole, O.H. Kruse Grain & Milling, talks about company changes
• Chicago Council on Global Affairs Senior Fellow Robert Thompson talks trade barriers and food production
• Dr. Daniel Hillel, 2012 World Food Prize Laureate

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here.

Hello ZimmComm Fans:

Food is getting a world of attention this week in Des Moines, IA. It’s World Food Prize activities week and Cindy is there courtesy of our sponsor, Elanco. You can find Cindy’s photos here and follow her coverage here. She’s got lots of interviews and remarks for you to listen to.

Next week Chuck will be hitting the agriblogging highway to attend the O.H. Kruse Grain & Milling Dealer Appreciation event in Tulare, CA. Those activities will take place on Tuesday. While Chuck is on the west coast Jamie Johansen will be covering Export Exchange with our sponsor the Renewable Fuels Association.

As many budgets are being finalized for the new year, do you have ZimmComm in mind? We’d love to cover your event or assist you with your own marketing efforts. Right now we’ve got an opening for sponsorship of our weekly ZimmPoll as well. Our calendar for 2013 is filling up fast. Please contact Chuck or Dave Larson if you’d like more information or a proposal.

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What is most important for feeding growing world population?”

Our poll results: Fifteen percent said Precision ag technology; thirteen percent said Biotech hybrids; nine percent said Crop protection products; seven percent said Information technology; twenty-two percent said Natural resource conservation; six percent said Less government regulation; twenty-three percent said All of the above; and six percent said Other.

There is not a simple answer to this question. We put a number of options up there but through comments others were suggested too. One thing we can all agree on though is that farmers will do all they can to produce the safest, affordable food to feed our growing population that they can!

Other suggestions via comments include: Reduce food waste, Reduce post-harvest losses, Unleash the potential of Africa, Develop infrastructure, Improve farmers’ access to market, Give farmers the means to succeed through financing and extension services and Educate consumers to reduce over-consumption. All great ideas!

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Have our efforts to educate consumers about agriculture been successful?” Agri-marketers continue to try to help educate the growing population of non-ag consumers. Another great example is USFRA, the largest agricultural communications effort of its kind and the goal is to speak with “one voice.” So how are we doing? Let us know here.

Here are some interviews from this week you might have missed:
• 2008 World Food Prize Laureates George McGovern/Bob Dole Press Conference
• General Mills CEO Kendall Powell hungry to help Africa
• Barry Lee, Slip Plate, on winterizing your equipment
• Claudia Garcia, Elanco Senior Director Global Corporate Affairs

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here.

Hello ZimmComm Fans:

The ZimmComm Team is on a little break from the agriblogging highway after Chuck covered World Dairy Expo. But there’s lots more coming up. Cindy is attending the CARS 2012 (Congress of Automotive Repair and Service) in New Orleans this weekend before joining Chuck for some family R&R up in Georgia. Then the next big adventure is the World Food Prize activities in Des Moines.

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What cooperatives play a role in your life/business?”

Our poll results: Ten percent said Electric/water/utilities; ten percent said Farm Credit/credit union; five percent said Farm supplies; twenty percent said Energy/biofuels; three percent said Farm commodity; three percent said Other; thirty-five percent said Two or more of the above; and fifteen percent said None.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What is most important for feeding growing world population?” As of today, it is estimated at a little over 7 billion; by 2050 it is estimated it will be slightly over 9 billion. With a steadily increasing population, how do we feed everyone? What do you think?

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here.

Hello ZimmComm Fans:

It is World Dairy Expo time as Chuck has been to Madison, WI once again to cover the biggest dairy show in the world. Many thanks to Charleston|Orwig and New Holland for their sponsorship of his coverage on World Dairy Diary.com and AgWired. You can find his photos here.

After a short break the ZimmComm team rolls back into action at events like the Congress of Automotive Repairs & Service (CARS 2012), World Food Prize, Export Exchange and O.H. Kruse Customer/Dealer Mtg. So from New Orleans to Des Moines to Minneapolis to Tulare we’ll be burning up the agriblogging highway! Just wait until we get to November.

A farmer, friend and colleague of the agriculture industry is in critical condition at a Springfield, Missouri hospital and a fund has now been set up to help his family with related expenses. Kansas Corn & Sorghum Growers executive director Jere White was involved in a motorcycle accident on September 28 in northwest Arkansas. You can learn more and find out how you can help with expenses for the family by going to this link.

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What grade would you give the new student lunch program?” The new guidelines from USDA have generated a very heated response from parents and kids across the county.

Our poll results: seventeen percent said A; six percent said B; nine percent said C; nineteen percent said D; and forty-nine percent said F. Looks like there are a lot of frustrated parents (and kids) on this issue.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What cooperatives play a role in your life/business?” October is National Cooperative Month and lots of rural folks rely on local cooperatives for everyday things like fuel and home mortgages. Which ones impact your life? Let us know.

Here are some interviews you may have missed this week. As always, our audio is free to download and use, especially if you’re a member of the ag media!

• Mike Opperman, talks about how Charleston|Orwig is hoofing it for charity
• The Fabulous Farm Babe talks about Wisconsin agriculture
• Ag Secretary Vilsack World Dairy Expo Town Hall Mtg.
• Janet Keller, World Dairy Expo, previews the show
• Car Clinic Network host Bobbi Likis and RFA’s Robert White talk about upcoming CARS Show
• WI Ag Secretary Ben Brancel talks about Wisconsin agriculture

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here.

Hello ZimmComm Fans:

Chuck attended a very successful NAMA Fall Conference this week in Minneapolis. (Photos Here) Attendance was up significantly with almost 200 people registering. Next year we’ll be looking to the St. Louis area for this newly formatted industry event. Hope you can make it.

Looking ahead Chuck gets back on the road late this weekend to head to World Dairy Expo with his coverage being sponsored by New Holland. You’ll be able to see most of his coverage on World Dairy Diary.com starting on Tuesday. Looking even further ahead to 2013, most of our sponsors have already locked in sponsorships. But that doesn’t mean there are not a lot of opportunities to have the ZimmComm team attend your event or work with you and your company on a project. We do all kinds of work and would love to talk with you about how we can help out. Just give Chuck or Dave Larson a call.

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Have high fuel prices had an impact on your farm/business?” Our poll results: Sixty-four percent said Yes, big impact on our budget; fourteen percent said Yes, minimal impact on our budget; twelve percent said No, not yet; and ten percent said No, don’t expect any. 

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What grade would you give the new student lunch program?” Tell us why with a comment.” New government nutrition standards, which went into effect this year in a bid to combat childhood obesity, require schools to serve more variety and larger portions of fruits and vegetables. What do you think – are these new lunches a good thing or will students just toss more food in the trash can?

Here are some interviews you might have missed this week:
• Fuels American press conference
• NAMA Professional Development Award Winner Troy Schroeder
• NAMA Professional Development Award Winner Justin Funk
• NAMA Professional Development Award Winner Kevin Bien
• NAMA Professional Development Award Winner John Rozum
• Steve Schussler, Rainforest Cafe Founder, says never give up
• Beth Burgy, Broadhead, on passing the NAMA gavel 

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here.

Hello ZimmComm Fans:

The new NAMA Fall Conference is coming up next week. Chuck will be there and hopes to see you. He’ll be doing some stories on AgWired so you’ll know what’s going on even if you can’t attend. It’s not too late to register if you want to come see the new program format!

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Do you plan to buy an iPhone 5?” You might guess Chuck’s answer. His is on order and will be showing up at ZimmComm World Headquarters soon. So count on an AgWired review of the newest agriblogging and farm podcasting tool on the market soon.

Here’s our poll results: 20% said yes, upgrade my old iPhone; 4% said yes, get first iPhone; 24% said no, I’m Android; 32% said no, keep old iPhone; and 21% said they don’t want a smartphone.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Have high fuel prices had an impact on your farm/business?” We’ve seen fuel prices go up quite a bit lately so we want to know – is it impacting your daily farm/business? What do you think?

Here are some interviews from this week you might have missed:
• Robyn Kneen, Bayer CropScience, on bees
• Jeff Ostermann, John Deere, Expanded 6 Series Tractors
• Garry Niemeyer, NCGA President, on California Proposition 37
• Greg Palla, California farmer, on Proposition 37
• BASF Great Grower Kip Cullers talks about drought effects
• Greg Kiesewetter, New Holland, talks about supporting Illinois corn growers

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here.

Hello ZimmComm Fans:

The ZimmComm team got a break from the agriblogging highway after the Farm Progress Show. Now it’s time to get back in action. Chuck will be covering the NASCAR Nationwide Series race in Joliet, IL this weekend with the Illinois Family Farmers. There’s lots more coming up on the schedule too as we move into the fall season so we hope to see you from somewhere soon!

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What tillage practice changes will you make due to drought?”

Our poll results: Thirty-one percent said No change, continue conventional till; 35% said No change, continue conservation till; 15% said Will start conservation till (no-till, strip-till, other) on part of crop; and 19% said Will start conservation till (no-till, strip-till, other) on all of crop.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Do you plan to buy an iPhone 5?” It’s taller, thinner, lighter weight and has a bigger screen. Or do you just love your Android? Or not want a smartphone at all? What do you think?

Here are some interviews from this week you might have missed:
• Inci Dannenberg, Bayer CropScience, One World to Grow On Theme
• Tom Buis, Growth Energy, on ethanol industry supporting Farm Bill Now
• Demetric Mass, Michelin, on new YieldBib tires
• Craig Hill, Iowa Farm Bureau, on Farm Bill Now

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here.

Hello ZimmComm Fans:

The ZimmComm team is still publishing stories and interviews they collected at last week’s Farm Progress Show. It has been catch up time after a summer of almost back to back trips around the agribusiness world! Looking ahead you’ll find us at Chicagoland Speedway the end of next week for NASCAR action and then the NAMA Fall Conference. Have you registered for the new NAMA Fall Conference yet?

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How will the drought affect farm equipment sales?” At last week’s Farm Progress Show where there was a lot of equipment on display and the talk was dominated by weather.

Our poll results: sixty-three percent said sales will drop; six percent said sales will increase and thirty-one percent said no impact.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What tillage practice changes will you make due to drought?” The continued dry conditions are changing a lot of things in agriculture. Are tillage practices one of them? What do you think?

Here are some interviews from this week you might have missed:
• Lisa Cassady, USFRA, talks about November Food Dialogues
• Key Tips for 2013 Growing Season from Dupont Pioneer
• Mark Hooper, New Holland, talks about partnering with Growth Energy
• Roy Fuchs, Monsanto, on Roundup Ready Plus
• Dan Kelley, GROWMARK, talks Pride & Progress in 2012

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here.

Hello ZimmComm Fans:

It has been another crazy weather week between the sort of hurricane in the south and continued hot and dry to the north. Hopefully the remnants of Isaac will bring some much needed rain to areas that need it.

The ZimmComm Team has been out and about this week. Chuck and Cindy spent most of the week in Boone, IA at the Farm Progress Show. They’ve got a lot of photos online and many more stories and interviews to post. Jamie is attending the GROWMARK annual meeting. After this week we get a break in the action for some much needed catching up on a variety of things.

Planning for 2013 marketing and promotion is in full swing. Many of our sponsors have already renewed their annual agreement for our services. Have you? Would you like to discuss how we can assist your marketing plans? If so, please let Chuck or Dave Larson know as soon as possible. Our calendar is already filling up for next year!

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Beyond commodity prices, what will this year’s drought have a greater impact on?”

Our poll results: Thirty-eight percent said feed costs; thirteen percent said food prices; eleven percent said fuel costs and crop insurance, respectively; nine percent said crop inputs; eight percent said land costs; and five percent said tillage practices and other, respectively.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “How will the drought affect farm equipment sales?” For growers looking to update their fleet, or invest in new equipment and technologies, will they think twice when factoring in drought affects or will their pocketbooks still allow them that purchase – what do you think?

Here are some interviews you might have missed from this week:

• Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack Farm Progress Show Press Conference
• Justin White on FS InVISION Seed Corn
• Abe Hughes, New Holland, talks about aggressively marketing the brand
• Former Secretary of Agriculture Clayton Yeutter Farm Progress Show Press Conference
• Dr. Dan Thompson, KState Vet School, does Livestock 101 at NAMA Boot Camp
• Monsanto Press Briefing on FieldScripts and Integrated Farming System
• Barry Nelson, John Deere, on farming in the future
• Farm Bill Now Coalition speaks out at Farm Progress Show
• Will Cannon, Ag Leader Technology, talks about Down Force and SeedCommand

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here.

Hello ZimmComm Fans:

It’s Agvocacy time as in the 2012 Agvocacy 2.0 Conference in Kansas City, MO. This is the third annual agvocacy training conference put on by the AgChat Foundation. We’ve got a new crop of passionate farmers learning how to use social media to tell their story. Some are there to hone their skills since they are already on the way to being ag industry social media rock stars. Chuck and Jamie are attending with Chuck doing a presentation this morning on story telling and media creation with the now famous Peterson brothers from Kansas. You can find their photos here.

Right before the Agvocacy 2.0 Conference Jamie attended the NAMA Boot Camp. She collected photos here and has more stories to share from there.

Next week Chuck and Cindy (hurricanes permitting) will be attending the Farm Progress Show and getting lots of stories to share. With the wild weather of this summer, there should be some interesting conversations in Boone, IA.

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Which team for President would be best for agriculture?”

Our poll results: Forty-two percent said Romney/Ryan; thirty-five percent said Obama/Biden and twenty-three percent said neither, we need a better choice.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Beyond commodity prices, what will this year’s drought have a greater impact on?” From crop insurance to feed and fuel costs, there are a lot of potential items the drought could impact. But what do you think is going to take the biggest hit?

Here are some interviews from this week you might have missed:
• Erin Nash, Woodruff Sweitzer, NAMA Boot Camp
• Phil Jennings, Kinze, talks equipment check ups
• Amie Dunn, FMC, talks about the Capture LRF Insecticide Meat & Greet Road Tour
• Mark Waddington at the Bayer CropScience Respect the Rotation event
• Joel Brandenberger, National Turkey Federation, on RFS waiver request
• Sara Mooney, AGCONNECT Expo, looks ahead to 2013

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here.