With the help of new ZimmComm editor, Jamie Johansen, Chuck attended the 2012 Alltech International Symposium last week. You can find all their photos online and scroll through the story posts here. They’ve still got several stories to post. This week Chuck will be back on the road to the Mississippi Delta Region for the 2012 Conservation in Action Tour with the support of the Conservation Technology Center and AGROTAIN.

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Who should be responsible for child nutrition?” We’re all for good food nutrition for our children. But who is responsible? It seems like the government thinks it should have some control. We”ve heard and read lots of people saying we need more nutrition education. But don’t we have more than enough of that? How long has USDA made good nutrition information available? But we still see the problem of overeating. So, here’s what our poll found. 72% said Parents! Amen to that. Of course then you might ask why aren’t parents doing a better job of controlling what their kids eat. 24% said All of the above and 4% said Schools and no one chose specifically Government or Nutritionists. Interesting results.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Which group should restaurants consider experts on animal care?” This past weekend many folks in agriculture participated in an online thank you campaign for Domino’s Pizza. Why? Because the restaurant chain made a decision based on good humane animal practices and did not give in to the demands of the animal activist group HSUS. So, let us know your thoughts on this question. We appreciate it.

We hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend as we honored all the men and women who lost their lives in service to our country.

Here are some interviews/audio from this week you might have missed:
• Alltech Crop Science Launch Press Conference
• Dr. Dwight Armstrong, CEO, FFA, talks about the future farmer
• Damien O’Reilly, Irish National TV/Radio, about Alltech FoodPrint Discussion Dinner
• An Alltech view of China with Dr. Mark Lyons
• BASF Great Growers Interview with Steve Miller

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here. ]]> http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/05/29/zimmnews-36/feed/ 0 http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/05/29/zimmnews-36/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zimmcomm-NewMediaLlc/~3/TFC1R07u9BM/ http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/05/19/zimmnews-35/#comments Sun, 20 May 2012 01:45:53 +0000 Melissa http://zimmcomm.biz/?p=1308 Hello ZimmComm Fans:

The team is now working from the new ZimmComm World Headquarters location. However, they’ve still got some work to do getting everything set up. Hopefully the dust will clear by end of the coming week.

Chuck is getting ready to attend the Alltech Annual International Symposium, Face a World of Challenges and Opportunities. Dr. Lyons and his team will be looking into the future once again and Chuck will be covering the action on AgWired. Helping him will be the newest member of the ZimmComm team, Jamie Johansen. We’ll introduce you to Jamie next week online. Some of you may have met her in our booth at the recent Agri-Marketing Conference.

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “When was the last time you talked to a journalist about agriculture?” The question was inspired by an AgChat Twitter conversation question that had been submitted by @BASFAgro! We’re supposed to stand up for our industry and livelihoods that are threatened by lots of misinformation that gets spread by the media. What are we doing about it? How are we speaking out? Are we willing to develop a relationship with the reporters at our local mainstream media outlets (newspaper/radio/tv/web)?

Here are the results, 50% said Recently (I do frequently). Wow. Keep it up. But 22% said Never (Waste of time) and just over 9%/each said, Recently (I rarely do); Long time ago; Never (I will now though).

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Who should be responsible for child nutrition?” This question was inspired by last night’s FoodChat Twitter conversation. We appreciate the school lunch program and what USDA thinks it is accomplishing by creating rules but somehow it doesn’t sit right with us. There would be no need for this if parents would take some personal responsibility for themselves and their children. More and more government control of our lives just won’t work in the long run. At least that’s our opinion. What’s yours?

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here. ]]> http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/05/19/zimmnews-35/feed/ 0 http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/05/19/zimmnews-35/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zimmcomm-NewMediaLlc/~3/SKci_UyPOAE/ http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/05/14/zimmnews-34/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 12:55:21 +0000 Melissa http://zimmcomm.biz/?p=1305 Hello ZimmComm Fans:

The ZimmComm offices will closing early today to get packed for the big re-location next week. However, Chuck and Cindy are available by phone and will be checking all message sources. Please pardon our dust the next seven days. If you would like to update our contact information the following will be official starting May 19:

Address: 1507 Templemore Dr., Cantonment, FL 32533 Phone/fax: 850-780-6617. All other contact information, including email and mobile phones, remains the same.

The agricultural communications community lost a good one this week with the passing of Stewart Doan, Agri-Pulse. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the Agri-Pulse team. Stewart has helped us out more than once when we needed an interview or some audio that we couldn’t obtain ourselves. He’s been a friend for many years and will be greatly missed.

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Should raw milk be allowed for sale?” The question was prompted by one of the panelists at the 2012 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit. She is a reporter with a food safety publication who says that this issue is the one that gets the most comments and response of any other. This question generated the most comments of any ZimmPoll to date so we understand what she was saying. Actually, most comments wanted a 4th response option to allow the sale of raw milk but with sufficient regulation and testing to ensure it is safe. We saw the comments too late to make that change so don’t know if these results would have been different. So the answer, Absolutely with no regulation received 66%; On a very limited and regulated basis received 20% and Definitely not, too many health concerns received 14%. Surprised? We’re thinking that we not only have a lot of raw milk lovers in the ZimmComm News Network community but they are very active at getting others to vote! This poll also had one of the highest number of responses we’ve had so far. Why do you think that is?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “When was the last time you talked to a journalist about agriculture?” The question is inspired by this week’s AgChat Twitter conversation and a question that had been submitted by @BASFAgro! We’re supposed to stand up for our industry and livelihoods that are threatened by lots of misinformation that gets spread by the media. What are we doing about it? How are we speaking out? Are we willing to develop a relationship with the reporters at our local mainstream media outlets (newspaper/radio/tv/web)? More questions we know but there is a lot we can all do to help educate the ultimate consumers of the products we produce. Keep it up. It does make a difference!

Let your friends and neighbors know they can participate by sharing this link.

Here are some interviews you might have missed this week:

• Scott Bross, GROWMARK, Manager of Network Services, talks about the growing IT as the cooperative grows
• Kay Johnson Smith, Animal Agriculture Alliance, sums up a record Stakeholders Summit

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here. ]]> http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/05/14/zimmnews-34/feed/ 0 http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/05/14/zimmnews-34/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zimmcomm-NewMediaLlc/~3/sCrF2ujx9YE/ http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/05/06/zimmnews-33/#comments Sun, 06 May 2012 23:50:46 +0000 Melissa http://zimmcomm.biz/?p=1300 Hello ZimmComm Fans:

Chuck attended this week’s Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit where the organization celebrated 25 years. You can find his coverage on AgWired and photos here. Thanks to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the United Soybean Board for making his coverage possible.

Over the next two weeks the ZimmComm team will be very busy but not like you might first guess. It’s ZimmComm World Headquarters relocation time! Yes, we’re moving. From central Missouri to Florida! Chuck and Cindy are from the Sunshine State and although they love the Show Me State the time is right. So, over the next couple weeks the team will be packing and moving. You may not even notice but maybe you will. And by the way, this doesn’t mean any changes to ZimmComm New Media as you know it. We’ll just be closer to the beach and to an airport!

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “With all of the discussion on projected corn acres this year, how many acres of corn do you expect to plant this year?” A full third of respondents said More than 2,000 acres. That was followed by less than 200 acres at 27%; 200-500 acres at 23%; 1,501-2,000 at 7%; 1,001-1,500 at 7% and 501-1,000 at 3%. Looks like we have a wide cross section of corn growers in the ZimmComm News Network community!

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Should raw milk be allowed for sale?” This week’s question is prompted by one of the panelists at the 2012 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit. She is a reporter with a food safety publication who says that this issue is the one that gets the most comments and response of any other. Seems people get pretty passionate about their beliefs when it comes to milk. Raw milk is still the suspect in an E. Coli breakout with 14 confirmed cases in central Missouri that put a couple of people in the hospital. What do you think?

Here are some interviews you might have missed this week:

• Mike Cornman, New Holland Marketing Manager for Hay/Forage talks MegaCutter
• Tom Steever, Brownfield, President of NAFB, talks about how farm broadcasters help tell farmers story
• Shelly Kramer, V3 Integrated Marketing, talks blogging
• College Aggies Online Scholarship Winners
• Janie Gabbett, MeatingPlace.com, talks about ag’s voice in the media

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here. ]]> http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/05/06/zimmnews-33/feed/ 0 http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/05/06/zimmnews-33/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zimmcomm-NewMediaLlc/~3/SXhfeKltV4U/ http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/05/04/zimmnews-32/#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 14:55:26 +0000 Melissa http://zimmcomm.biz/?p=1297 Hello ZimmComm Fans:

The 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference was fantastic and the highest attended since in a decade. If you missed it you really ought to check out our photos and coverage to see what you missed. You might especially enjoy the Brownfield Red Solo Cup Dancers, for example. It was a great time seeing so many of our friends and clients. We hope to see you at next year’s conference which will be in Kansas City again before moving to Jacksonville, FL in 2014.

Cindy just returned from a New Holland media event at the company North American headquarters in PA. She took a lot of great photos and will be posting stories during the next week. We really appreciate our long standing relationship with New Holland and all their support!

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Would you be willing to donate the proceeds from one acre of your farm to help your local food bank?” Apparently we have some very generous farmers out there since 61% said Yes and 39% said No. Of course they may be many areas that don’t even have a local food bank too. We don’t know. But we sure appreciate everyone who participated!

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “With all of the discussion on projected corn acres this year, how many acres of corn do you expect to plant this year?” So how about it corn growers? We wonder how many will grow corn for the first time this year too. Should be interesting. Let your corn growing friends and neighbors to know we’d like to know what they plan and remember this is an anonymous poll! Use this link to share.

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

• John Becherer, USB, remarks upon receiving NAMA Agribusiness Leader of Year Award
• Greg Guse, Paulsen Marketing, remarks upon receiving NAMA Marketer of the Year Award
• Beth Burgy, Broadhead and NAMA President, talks about NAMA
• Walter Bond, former NBA player, talks about getting bigger, stronger and faster
• Abe Hughes, VP New Holland North America, talks about company success at PA headquarters

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here. ]]> http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/05/04/zimmnews-32/feed/ 0 http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/05/04/zimmnews-32/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zimmcomm-NewMediaLlc/~3/EcMzur_rjPg/ http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/04/20/zimmnews-31/#comments Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:10:21 +0000 Melissa http://zimmcomm.biz/?p=1291 Hello ZimmComm Fans:

The 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference has been a fantastic one with near record attendance. We will have lots of stories and photos being posted onto AgWired over this weekend.

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Where are best job opportunities in agribusiness?” Here’s what our poll results showed. Most picked Biotech at 28% with Energy coming in second at 21%. They were followed by Agronomy at 17%, Sales/Marketing/Communications at 15%, Dairy at 7% and both Crop Protection and Equipment at 6% each.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Would you be willing to donate the proceeds from one acre of your farm to help your local food bank?” Let us know what you think and thanks to everyone who participates in our weekly poll!

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here. ]]> http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/04/20/zimmnews-31/feed/ 0 http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/04/20/zimmnews-31/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zimmcomm-NewMediaLlc/~3/2BgtibogYk4/ http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/04/17/zimmcomm-appy-to-be-heading-to-nama/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:50:33 +0000 Cindy http://zimmcomm.biz/?p=1286 Our theme at the 2012 National Agri-Marketing Association conference is “Don’t Worry, Be Appy!”

Our AgWired app, sponsored by Raven Industries, is almost two years old now – available for both iPhone and Android users – yet we continue to get new downloads every day and people tell us they use it all the time. It’s a handy way to check the latest posts on all of our websites with just a few clicks. Even those folks who have Blackberries or some other type of phone often download the app to use on their iPad or iPod Touch.

So, in honor of our app, our giveaway this year is the cool “Digi-Clean” handy wipe for all types of screens – from cell phones to cameras to iPads and laptops. What is really cool about this tiny little screen cleaner is that it sticks to your device, then unsticks when you want to use it and re-sticks again! They come in several sizes from REALLY tiny to almost 3.5″ wide, but we went for the tablet size that is still small enough for the phone, but big enough to be used on a good sized laptop screen.

So come on by booth #412 this week at the NAMA conference in Kansas City and get yours. Chuck is already there for NAMA business stuff, but I will be heading that way tomorrow with our youngest lovely daughter Caitlin to help us out this year.

We’ll be “appy” to see you there!

Are you ready for some 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference fun? Hopefully we’ll see you at booth #412. You can see the Connection Point layout on the NAMA website. Stop and say hi to Chuck, Cindy and daughter Caitlin who will be helping us this year as well as Dave Larson, our sales manager. Please use the official conference hashtag, #NAMA12, to tweet or just follow along with what’s happening and keep your eye on AgWired too. In fact, if you don’t have the AgWired app on your smartphone, now’s a good time to get it.

We’d like to say a big Thank You to new AgWired sponsor, Monsanto. Some of you many remember that way back in the early ZimmComm days (over 8 years ago) Monsanto was one of our first clients and we can’t say how much we appreciate their support then when we were just starting out and now as this little new media company continues to “mature.” Well, maybe mature isn’t the right word. We’re still just kids at heart anyway! Thank you Monsanto!

Our latest ZimmPoll asked “Will we have a farm bill by end of 2012?” Is it any surprise to you that 77 percent of our respondents said No and that only 23 percent said Yes? The farm bill is a big deal to anyone who eats or produces food but in reality it’s only about 2% of federal funding. It touches a lot of nerves though since it directly impacts everyone.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Where are best job opportunities in agribusiness?” The outlook for ag jobs seems very positive according to an AgCareers.com analysis. Job postings were up last year. What area holds the most promise right now in your opinion? If you attend next week’s Agri-Marketing Conference you’ll run into some very qualified and motivated young folks, many of whom are looking for their ag career opportunity!

Here are some interviews from this week you might have missed:
• BASF Great Growers episode #1 with Kip Cullers
• South Central FS CEO Randy Handel

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here. ]]> http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/04/13/zimmnews-30/feed/ 0 http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/04/13/zimmnews-30/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zimmcomm-NewMediaLlc/~3/FYZljp5alY4/ http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/04/06/zimmnews-29/#comments Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:14:25 +0000 Melissa http://zimmcomm.biz/?p=1264 Hello ZimmComm Fans:

The ZimmComm team wants to wish you and yours a wonderful Easter holiday. We’re going to be pretty much closed down starting Good Friday but of course we’ll be peeking at the web. Of course!

We’ve been having a nice break from the agriblogging highway but things will start picking up again with the 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference. Have you registered? Please stop by the ZimmComm booth, #412. We’ll have something unique for you!

It is hard to believe but AgChat is celebrating three years! The AgChat Foundation is celebrating two years and the 2012 Agvocacy 2.0 Conference is scheduled – August 23-24, Kansas City, MO.

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Should ABC News be Liable for Job Losses due to Lean Beef Trimmings Story?” Sixty percent of you said Yes and forty percent said No.

As Cindy has said about this issue, “Yellow journalism makes pink slime.” Have you read various online stories about this? Maybe worse than the terrible and slanted reporting are the comments we’ve been seeing. There are really some seriously stupid people out there judging by their comments. We know that some people object to the use of the word stupid but “Stupid is as stupid does.” Thank you Sally Fields. Of course the reporting is giving them an outlet to showcase their ignorance. But the real tragedy is the impact this has had on people’s lives. This includes the ones who have lost their jobs and the consumers who will be paying more for beef.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Will we have a farm bill by end of 2012?” Hmm. Election year, budget issues, should be interesting.

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here. ]]> http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/04/06/zimmnews-29/feed/ 0 http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/04/06/zimmnews-29/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zimmcomm-NewMediaLlc/~3/SCJI7UgDIMs/ http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/04/02/zimmnews-28/#comments Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:18:47 +0000 Melissa http://zimmcomm.biz/?p=1256 Hello ZimmComm Fans:

This week Chuck and Cindy took the GROWMARK Media Tour in central Illinois and learned more about one of our key sponsors. You can find lots of photos from the event in their photo album.

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What do you think is a fair “death tax” rate?” It is no surprise that common sense and fair thinking respondents said Zero – 66%; 35% over $5 million – 0% under (current) – 21%; Other – 8 % and 55% over $1 million – 0% under (pre 2001) – 5%. This really is one of the most unfair taxes we’ve got and in our opinion there should not be any tax on a person’s estate after death. What are your thoughts?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Should ABC News be Liable for Job Losses due to Lean Beef Trimmings Story?” This is one of the worst examples of supposed “news” reporting we’ve seen lately. It shows how a desperate for ratings news network will not just distort facts but publish erroneous information. They have no credibility. However, a gullible public has embraced their misinformation. The result? Job layoffs for people with families to feed who were making a very safe and nutritious product. That’s twisted. Do you think ABC News should be held liable? Should the media be held accountable for the financial impact inaccurate news stories have on jobs and businesses? Another likely outcome of this debacle will be higher beef prices. Nice, huh?

If for some reason you don’t know what this is all about, here’s a link to the ABC News story and here’s where you can get the truth – BeefisBeef.com.

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

• GROWMARK Govt. Affairs Director, Chuck Spencer, on legislative priorities
• Sec. Vilsack & Gov. Branstad press conference on BPI’s LFTB
• GROWMARK Electronic Communications Specialist, talks about new cropNAtion app

You can find the full e-Newsletter here and subscribe here. ]]> http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/04/02/zimmnews-28/feed/ 0 http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/04/02/zimmnews-28/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zimmcomm-NewMediaLlc/~3/pmv1aJ_8VKQ/ http://zimmcomm.biz/2012/04/02/zimmnews-27/#comments Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:18:15 +0000 Melissa http://zimmcomm.biz/?p=1250 Hello ZimmComm Fans:

The 2012 Agricultural Relations Council Annual Meeting is taking place this week in Charleston, SC and Chuck is there. Check out his photos from the meeting and he’s posting stories and interviews on AgWired!

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Is “Organic” food healthier than “Conventional” food?” The majority of respondents said No at 60 percent with only 40 percent saying Yes. Most of the people we know don’t think organic means healthier and although they will eat something that is certified organic they just don’t want to pay more for it. Do these results surprise you?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What do you think is a fair “death tax” rate?” Permanent estate tax relief and reform is extremely important not only to farmers but everyone regardless of what business you own or work for. Seriously, why should the government tax your estate just because you died? Didn’t you pay taxes all your life building that estate including real estate taxes, income taxes, etc? Here’s to hoping we get some reasonable long term resolution to this issue.

Here are some interviews you might have missed this week:
• Carla Mudd, Illinois Farm Bureau, talks about communicating the Illinois farm family message
• Tom Buis, CEO, Growth Energy, talks about ethanol on the NASCAR track in 2012

You can subscribe here.

It’s time to look ahead to the 2012 Agri-Marketing Conference, “Acres of Innovation.” ZimmComm will be taking up a very small portion of that acreage with a booth in the Connection Point once again. We hope you’ll stop by. The conference is April 18-20 in Kansas City. Get yourself registered!

We are looking for the right person (or people) to become a ZimmComm producer. The right person would be very self-motivated and passionate about agriculture, as well as having most or all of the following skills (listed in order of importance):
1. Computer savvy – Mac or PC
2. Flexible work schedule for on-site assignments
3. Digital photography – composing, shooting, editing
4. Audio production – conducting interviews, editing
5. Short format writing skills
6. Social Networking experience – Blog, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube
7. Video production (web style) – shooting, editing
8. WordPress experience

Please contact chuck@zimmcomm.biz for more information.

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Is maintaining the Renewable Fuel Standard more important to agriculture than the farm bill?” The statement was made during a recent meeting I attended that the Renewable Fuel Standard was more important to agriculture than the Farm Bill. In a show of how important it is 38% each of respondents said Yes and Both are important. Only 24% said No. What do you think? Many people seem to think the RFS only benefits corn/soybean growers but they don’t take into account that all farmers receive benefit from lower fuel costs just like the general public.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Is “Organic” food healthier than “Conventional” food?” During Tuesday’s AgChat this topic received a fair amount of discussion. Even though there is a USDA Certified Organic Program it appears that the term is not widely understood. We haven’t seen any evidence that the public in general really cares that much either and are pretty sure that most would not want to pay more for food that has to conform to the certified standards. What do you think? We’ve already received feedback asking for definitions and saying that these aren’t simple terms to ask a yes/no answer of. Sorry but that’s the way it is. We believe one of the problems with this whole issue is a lack of common definitions that are accepted by everyone. We want the poll to come from individual perceptions. Should be interesting!

Here are some interviews you might have missed this week:
• John Chism, Pioneer Hi-Bred Senior Marketing Manager talks about FIT®
• April Hemmes, Monsanto Farm Mom of the Year 2011 Midwest Region Winner
• BASF Personality Profile – Neil Bentley, Director of Marketing, U.S. Crop Business
• National Outstanding Young Farmers – Chad & Danielle Budy at National Ag Day Activities
• Dr. John Patience, Iowa State University, talks about hog feed choices at BIVI Swine Health Seminar
• vanderBroek, Bayer CropScience Global COO, on increasing productivity through innovation
• Greg Schwab, Koch Agronomic Services, on stabilized nitrogen

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

The right person would be very self-motivated and passionate about agriculture, as well as having most or all of the following skills (listed in order of importance):

• 1. Computer savvy – Mac or PC
• 2. Flexible work schedule for on-site assignments
• 3. Digital photography – composing, shooting, editing
• 4. Audio production – conducting interviews, editing
• 5. Short format writing skills
• 6. Social Networking experience – Blog, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube
• 7. Video production (web style) – shooting, editing
• 8. WordPress experience

We would like to see examples of work that ideally will include social networking accounts.

A ZimmComm producer needs to be able to shoot photos on the go, conduct spur of the moment interviews, edit photos/audio/video quickly and upload and post to WordPress websites. This includes writing story posts to go with the posted media. The work will include periodic travel to ag related events of different kinds – probably not more than 10 days per calendar year. You will need to be equipped with notebook computer and camera to take hi-res photos. Personal digital audio/video recorder and/or iPhone a plus.

Payment will be negotiated depending on experience and ZimmComm will supply on-the-job training for the right candidate. So are you up to the challenge?

If so, please send me your interest including things like resume/work examples via email.

Happy National Agriculture Day. Well, officially that was March 8 this year as multiple activities took place in Washington, DC, coordinated by the Agriculture Council of America. Chuck was there again courtesy of the American Seed Trade Association. During his trip to the Nation’s Capitol, Chuck saw the ending of a USFRA Food Dialogues event and then took reception photos for Sara Wyant and Agri-Pulse. Then it was time for coffee at USDA, a lunch meet and mingle at the House building and dinner with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack back at USDA. We’d like to thank ASTA for their support and congratulate the Agriculture Council of America for putting on a great day to celebrate American agriculture and all the farmers and others who produce safe affordable food in such abundance. If you’d like to see photos from event, Chuck took lots of them. You can also find interviews and various speaker remarks on AgWired.

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Is our food system broken?” Not according to you with 63% saying no and only 37% saying yes. During the Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum held prior to the Commodity Classic, one of our speakers was Gawain Kripke, Oxfam America. He told us “our food system is broken.” We think the statement was made out of frustration that we produce more food than we can eat in this country and a huge amount goes to waste. Since we don’t have a system to get waste food to those who need it they seem to believe the food system is broken. It’s a provocative statement and we’d love your thoughts.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Is maintaining the Renewable Fuels Standard more important to agriculture than the farm bill?” The statement was made during a recent meeting we attended that the Renewable Fuels Standard is more important to agriculture than the Farm Bill. What do you think?

Here are some interviews you might have missed this week:
• U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack remarks at National Ag Day Celebration Dinner
• High School FFA Students enjoying National Ag Day Activities
• Senator Debbie Stabenow on need to communicate with urban public
• Senator Pat Roberts on need to communicate with urban public
• Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse, talks about National Ag Day Activities
• Alan Bjerga, Bloomberg News, talks about moderating USFRA Food Dialogues

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

The ZimmComm team says hello from Orlando, FL and the 2012 National Ethanol Conference. Chuck and Cindy have been covering the conference on Domestic Fuel this week. You can find some great photos from the event here. Next stop is the Commodity Classic in Nashville, TN this coming week.

In our latest ZimmPoll we asked the question, “What’s the next “big” thing in ag comm/social media?” Your responses are: Smartphone/Mobile Apps at 49%; Pinterest at 17%; Farm reality tv show at 15%; Not created yet at 11%; Expanded 4G LTE at 4%; Mobile/Online games at 2% and Other at 2%. Surprised? Got any other ideas you’d like to share?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What will be planted this year?” We’re getting close to that time as National Agriculture Day is just around the corner. Let us know what you think.

Here are links to some audio and interviews you may have missed this week:
• Interview with Sec. Vilsack on outlook for ethanol industry
• Bob Dinneen, RFA President/CEO, gives State of Ethanol Industry Address
• Josh St. Peters, Pioneer, on new AcreMax products
• Thierry Mahe, New Holland Mexico, on new TS6 tractors
• Interview with Dennis Hastert, former Speaker of the House on leadership/energy security

You can subscribe here.

The ZimmComm team is attending a record breaking Commodity Classic this week in Nashville, TN. You can find out what’s going on by visiting AgWired.com. At last count there are nearly 6,000 registered attendees at this combined meeting of the NCGA, ASA, NAWG and NSP. You can find photos from the event in Chuck & Cindy’s online photo album.

In our latest ZimmPoll we asked, “What will be planted this year?” It’s that time and everyone seems to have their own idea about what it will be. 45% of respondents said More of both, 32% said More corn less soybeans and 12% each said More soybeans less corn and Less of both. USDA is estimating corn acreage will be higher this year and the highest since 1944 with soybean acres nearly the same as last year. What do you think?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Is our food system broken?” During the Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum one of our speakers was Gawain Kripke, Oxfam America. He told us “our food system is broken.” We think the statement was made out of frustration that we produce more food than we can eat in this country and a huge amount goes to waste. Since we don’t have a system to get waste food to those who need it they seem to believe the food system is broken. It’s a provacative statement and we would love your thoughts.

Here are some interviews you might have missed. Much more audio on AgWired, so check it out!
• Paul Rea, BASF VP, U.S. Crop Protection, on future of weed control
• Dr. Larry Steckler, University of Tennessee, on weed control
• Gary Niemeyer, President, NCGA, preview of Commodity Classic
• Kai Robertson, Director, Food, Beverage & Ag Practice, BSR, on food waste

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

The ZimmComm team is agriblogging from the 2012 National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, KY. You can see Chuck and Cindy’s photos here.

Just in time for the 2012 National Farm Machinery Show, our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How do you think farm equipment sales will do this year compared to last?” Things are looking bright for exhibitors at the show since 48% said Higher. However, 34% said Lower and 18% said Same. That seems like a positive outlook. What do you think?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What’s the next “big” thing in ag comm/social media?” Chuck posed this question last week and got quite a few responses. Here’s your chance to weigh in on the subject. If you have a different choice please feel free to leave a comment.

Here are some interviews you might have missed this week:
• John Elliott, New Holland, discusses all the new products being introduced by the company
• Brent Neuberger, FMC, discusses patent for Capture LFR Herbicide
• Tim Hess, Fastline, discusses the launch of the AgRacer game app
• Corinne Fetter, Kentucky State Fair Board, previews the 2012 NFMS

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

Chuck went from Beef Board Blogger to Biodiesel Blogger this week posting for the 7th year on the National Biodiesel Conference Blog, sponsored by New Holland. He’s got over 360 conference photos online. Have you thought about having the ZimmComm team blog your conference? Whether it’s about production agriculture or biofuels production or anything connected with food, the team has experience with it and would be happy to try to fit your event into their schedule.

In our latest ZimmPoll we asked the question, “What do you think about the proposed Egg Products Inspection legislation?”. We were surprised to find that although 59% said Dangerous precedent for livestock production, 41% said Necessary to save egg farming industry. Kind of a divided reaction. Does this surprise you?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “How do you think farm equipment sales will do this year compared to last?” Let us know what you think. Will there be more new equipment sales this year? Is it time to replace a worn out piece of equipment?

Here are some interviews you might have missed this week:
• Kristina Butts, NCBA Legislative Affairs Director, on proposed egg products inspection legislation
• Paul Teutul, Sr., Orange County Choppers, talks about the Biodiesel Bike
• Colin Woodall, NCBA Government Affairs V.P., on top policy concerns
• Forrest Roberts, NCBA CEO, on the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention
• Joe Jobe, NBB CEO, speech at National Biodiesel Conference
• Jill Ginn, past-president, ANCW, comments from stage at Cattle Industry Convention

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

The ZimmComm team is on location at the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention this week. They’ve got hundreds of photos online for your viewing pleasure. Chuck has been Beef Board Blogging once again. After the event he heads off to Orlando where he magically morphs into the Biodiesel Blogger. This will be the 7th year that ZimmComm has blogged the National Biodiesel Conference!

While at the Cattle Industry Convention Chuck noticed a prominently displayed HSUS image in the Gaylord Opryland promotional video playing on screens all over the place. After tweeting about it and posting to FB the NCBA team jumped in to action and “explained” things to the hotel management who immediately apologized and removed the offensive video. We applaud them for that action!

Chuck also conducted a workshop on the use of smartphones and mobile apps as communications tools at the first ever NCBA Communications Workshop. It has been a busy week for the team.

ZimmComm sponsored the NCBA Excellence in Communications Awards again this year. The awards recognize communications professionals from NCBA state affiliate organizations and cattle breed associations, as well as an agricultural journalist. The recipient of the 2011 Excellence in Communications and Public Relations for a state affiliate is Carmen Fenton, director of public affairs for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) and for a breed affiliate is Angie Stump Denton, director of communications for the American Hereford Association (AHA).

In our latest ZimmPoll we asked the question, “Do you agree with President Obama’s call for more clean (renewable) energy?” Overwhelmingly, the answer was Yes at 74%, however, there were 24% saying no. Feel free to comment on the reason for your choice.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What do you think about the proposed Egg Products Inspection legislation?” Let us know what you think. You can find the currently proposed House Bill here.

Here are some interviews you might have missed this week:

• Phil Hardee, NCBA PAC Chairman
• J.D. Alexander, NCBA President-Elect, general session remarks
• NAMA Producer Panel thoughts on social media
• Wesley Grau, CBB Chairman, general session remarks
• Bill Donald, NCBA President, opening remarks
• Polly Ruhland, CBB CEO, preview of convention

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

The ZimmComm team was out and about this week with Chuck covering the International Poultry Expo (photos) and Cindy doing duty at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit (photos). They hit the road again next week for Nashville and the Cattle Industry Convention.

We haven’t mentioned our AgNewsWire service recently but thought we’d bring it back to your attention. We started this service as Talking News Releases almost eight years ago and it’s still going strong. Our idea then was to include sound bites with your releases for the broadcasters or web casters who wanted them but sometimes had difficulty reaching your representatives or were on quick deadline. Our database of agricultural editors has continued to grow and develop with additions from client agencies and our own efforts to keep it current and updated. We keep it real simple. Send us your release and we send it out for a very fair price. If you want to include multimedia files like audio sound bites we can record them for you and include links to them within the release. We’re simple and quick and offer package discounts if you order more than one. Just email Chuck or Cindy with questions or just send your release and send date and consider it done!

Our latest ZimmPoll asked a very timely question since it’s on a topic that is the subject of a cover story on USA Today. We asked, “How will proposed changes to child labor in agriculture regulations affect farms?” Seventy percent said Negatively, seventeen percent said No Effect and only thirteen percent said Positively.

You may know that last fall the Department of Labor proposed changes that many believe could have major impacts on family farms and farm life (proposed rule – pdf). This is just another example of unnecessary government intrusion in private business and lives in my opinion. We don’t need it but . . . as if the government knows better. Riiight. You can find out more from this DOL early news release.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Do you agree with President Obama’s call for more clean (renewable) energy?” Let us know what you think. He definitely issued a call during his State of the Union speech last night. Here’s an excerpt:

We have subsidized oil companies for a century. That’s long enough. It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that’s rarely been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that’s never been more promising. Pass clean energy tax credits and create these jobs.

Here are some interviews that you may have missed this week:
• Gene Gregory, President/CEO, United Egg Producers, on HSUS agreement and proposed legislation
• Scott Carter, Novus International, on IPE Week activities
• Brad Albin, REG, President of Iowa RFA, on their 6th Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit
• Joe Jobe, CEO, National Biodiesel Board, on RFS2
• Iowa Governor Terry Branstad addresses Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit

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

It is located on Perdido Key, Florida – which is situated between Pensacola and Orange Beach, Alabama – not too far from the infamous Florabama Bar (which is currently being remodeled). We have totally enjoyed our time here and would highly recommend it for a great getaway. While the winter at home in Missouri has been pretty mild so far and the weather here has been fairly cool, nothing beats waking up in the morning looking at the sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico.

We are heading home tomorrow to prepare for a heavy month of travel in February, which includes the Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville, National Biodiesel Conference in Orlando, three GROWMARK events in Illinois and Iowa, the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville and the National Ethanol Conference in Orlando. We hate to say goodbye to the beach, but duty calls!

See you on down the agriblogging highway!

Next up on the agriblogging highway for the ZimmComm team is the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit and International Poultry Expo. Follow along on AgWired and Domestic Fuel!

In our latest ZimmPoll we asked the question, “Do you think there is currently an “Ag Bubble?” It looks like most think so since 66% said Yes and 34% said No. That’s kind of a pessimistic outlook don’t you think? If you think we’re in a bubble please feel free to comment on why. We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “How will proposed changes to child labor in agriculture regulations affect farms?” Last fall the Department of Labor proposed changes that many believe could have major impacts on family farms and farm life. At best it seems like there are some good intentions without careful consideration of the consequences and then there’s always that “how does the Dept. of Labor interpret the rules thing.” A public comment period ended on December 1, 2011.

Here are some interviews you might have missed this week:

• Lyn Cacella, Farm Credit, talks Florida NAMA
• Amy Bradford, GROWMARK, talks about International Year of Cooperatives

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

Have you considered sponsoring the ZimmComm team at your 2012 event or sponsoring our coverage of an industry event? It’s a good time to get on our calendar since things are booking fast. Think of it like a local radio remote broadcast where the announcer is broadcasting live from a local business and doing interviews with people there. Only in our case we do it on the web and include photos and even video! You get professional photography done in news style along with interviews that are posted on one of our news websites or yours. Lots of ag media utilize the content we produce which just adds value to your sponsorship too.

Some events we are seeking sponsors for include the National Biodesel Conference, National Ethanol Conference, Agri-Marketing Conference, NAFB Washington Watch, Fuel Ethanol Workshop, Ag Media Summit, NAMA Bootcamp, IFAJ Congress, Husker Harvest Days, Farm Progress Show, World Dairy Expo, Sunbelt Ag Expo, NAFB Convention and Ag Retailers Convention.

To get a quote or learn more about our sponsorships please contact Chuck or Dave.

In our latest ZimmPoll we asked the question, “What do you think of the LightSquared broadband internet proposal?” This controversial issue has pitted GPS services and hardware manufacturers against those who want better broadband internet service in their area and agriculture is only one of the industries that could be impacted. Interestingly, our poll results were mostly against the proposal until one afternoon when almost all of the “positive” results were posted. That suggests that there was a concerted effort to impact the results. So here they are. We had 73% say that the proposal would be Good for ag/rural America and 23% say it would be Bad for ag/rural America. What do you think about that?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “Do you think there’s currently an “Ag Bubble”?” Let us know what you think.

Some interviews you might have missed this week:
• Interview with Beth Burgy, Broadhead and President, NAMA
• AFBF President, Bob Stallman, on policy direction
• Preparing for 2012 cotton season with Gerald Simmons, FMC
• Ag Secretary Vilsack at Pearl Harbor on biodiesel

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

The ZimmComm team is back on the agriblogging highway this week. Chuck just returned from the Beltwide Cotton Conferences in Orlando. He’s got quite a few more stories and interviews to post. Cindy will be heading off to the American Farm Bureau Federation convention this weekend.

Wild weather was the winner for the biggest ag story of 2011 according to our latest ZimmPoll. We asked the question, “What do you think is biggest ag story of 2011?” Wild weather got 40% or the response followed by Record farm land value – 17%; New free trade agreements – 16%; High commodity prices – 16%; Super committee “no”- farm bill – 11% and Record U.S. farm exports at a big fat 0%. Weather, it’s always on the top of a farmer’s mind and with good reason.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “What do you think of the LightSquared broadband internet proposal?” This is certainly a hotly debated topic with GPS companies and users very concerned over the implications. If you need more information about it you can find lots of resources online here, here and here.

Here are some interviews from this week that you might have missed:
• Stu Throop, FMC, talks about cotton products
• Berrye Worsham, Cotton Inc., discusses Cotton Life Cycle Inventory & Assessment
• Bob Dinneen, RFA, on top ethanol stories in 2012

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

It was our eighth year in business and we spent too many days on the road to count. We started the year in icy Atlanta with record winter weather and ended the year relaxing on the beach in Florida, enjoying some rare down time before getting back into it again. We start back on the road on the third day of 2012 with Chuck going to Orlando for Beltwide Cotton Conferences. Cindy will be right behind him, heading to Honolulu on January 7 for the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting.

We did over 5000 posts on the four main websites in 2011 with about 1,000 audio files, over 17,000 photos in 70 Flickr photo albums and 120 YouTube videos posted on AgWired, Domestic Fuel, World Dairy Diary and Precision Pays. We also posted on various other client websites including New Holland’s Boomer 555.com; the Biodiesel Conference Blog; the Southern Peanut Growers Conference blog; and National Corn Growers’ Corn Commentary.

Traffic on all of our websites increased again in 2011. Agwired was up 7.5% to almost 198,000 unique visitors; Domestic Fuel was up 3.5% with over 324,000 unique visitors; Precision Pays traffic increased by 3.5% to nearly 50,000; and World Dairy Diary was up 5 percent to over 102,000. Twitter followers total 11,584 between all the websites, and our personal Twitter accounts. Chuck, aka @agriblogger, has almost half of those himself – 5400 followers.

We are looking forward to setting new records in 2012 and hope to see you all on the agriblogging highway in the year ahead.

We sincerely hope you are enjoying your holiday time as much as we are. The ZimmComm team is taking it easy on the Gulf coast right now but gets back into action next week when Chuck goes to the Beltwide Cotton Conferences and Cindy heads to the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention.

If you would like a great 2012 calendar of major agricultural events featuring a lot of our photos from many of those events during 2011 please get your order in for one of our ZimmComm 2012 Agricultural Events Calendars. The cost is $22 which included shipping.

Happy New Year!

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

To start with, the average number of responses is 110. I’m not sure about you but I think that’s a pretty good number. The total varies widely each week and I think that has a lot to do with the question itself and the particular week and activities that might draw attention elsewhere. So the swing in number of responses goes from highest for the question, “What do you think of USDA’s proposed GIPSA rule?” at 446 to lowest for the question, “With net farm income up this year, how is your income?” at 32. I’ve also noticed that the number of responses varies to some extent by how aggressively we promote it via social media channels like Twitter and Facebook.

Some other questions that generated a higher level response include: “Which biofuel feedstock do you think has best future?”; “Do you believe in man made climate change?”; “What’s Your Favorite Meat?”; “What mid-term grade would you give Ag Sec. Tom Vilsack?”; “Will higher cost (13%) of Thanksgiving dinner affect your meal?” and “Which Republican Candidate for President is best for Ag?.”

So with question choice being very important I’d like to ask what questions you’d like to see us ask. Please post your ideas in comments. Is there something you’d like to ask the agricultural marketing community? What would it be? Thank you and I look forward to another year of checking the “pulse” of the community.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

Cindy was thinking to herself one day, “I wish there was a calendar that had all the ag events for the year on it.” We’ve never seen such a thing, so she decided to make one.

It was not an easy task, taking her about a month to get it the way she wanted it, including photos from events throughout this past year and getting as many dates for the major ag events included. Not sure how it would actually look in person, we ordered a limited quantity to give as Christmas gifts to some of our clients. We think they actually came out pretty sweet and now we are wondering if there is any interest among ZimmComm/AgWired fans to get their very own copy. The cost is $20 each plus $2 shipping/handling.

If you’d like to purchase your copy please visit this link: Purchase 2012 ZimmComm Ag Events Calendar

Gadgets – 28%, are tops on the Christmas gift list according to our latest ZimmPoll, followed closely by Paying Bills – 25%. Those choices were followed by Clothes, 19%; Other, 14%; Farm Equipment, 9% and Tools, 5%. It’s very interesting that no one chose Food! Wow. Food makes a great gift don’t you think? Maybe we’re all so well fed that our focus has turned to other things? What do you think?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “Is Ethanol production good for ALL of Agriculture?” There’s a huge amount of on-going rhetoric about this subject and it seems to be a very divisive issue within the ag community. Let’s put it this way, the most heated arguments/debates We’ve heard or participated in this year were on this subject! What do you think?

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

• First AgChat Foundation Exec. Dir. Emily Zweber and President Darin Grimm
• Patrick Westhoff, FAPRI, on farm markets outlook
• Rick Tolman, CEO, NCGA, on receiving St. Louis Agribusiness Leader of Year Award
• Chuck Spencer, GROWMARK govt. affairs director, on farm bill
• Chris Waram, BASF Service Tech, on working with custom applicators in North Dakota

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

This was not an easy task. It took me about a month to get it the way I wanted it, including photos from events throughout this past year and getting as many dates for the major ag events included. Not sure how it would actually look in person, we ordered a limited quantity to give as Christmas gifts to some of our clients.

We think they actually came out pretty sweet and now we are wondering if there is any interest among AgWired readers to get their very own copy.

You can order your calendar here: Order 2012 ZimmComm Ag Events Calendar.

The cost is $20 each plus $2 shipping/handling.