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ZimmCast

Weekly interviews with agribusiness industry leaders about what's new with a focus on agricultural marketing.
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Now displaying: 2020
Dec 15, 2020

Interviews with Dan Basse, AgResource; John Latham, ASTA Chair; Pam Johnson, Iowa farmer, Andy LaVigne, ASTA CEO

Dec 4, 2020

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

The Agricultural Retailers Association annual 2020 ARA Conference & Expo went virtual this year Dec. 1-2. Ag professionals from across the country went “All In For Ag Retail” with interactive workshops, engaging networking opportunities, and a 3D Expo Hall. During the event the ZimmComm Team collected relevant screenshots, conducted interviews with speakers, award winners and staff.

Providing us with a wrap-up of the conference is ARA Chairman, Rod Well, GROWMARK. He summarizes the activities and talks about future priorities for the organization.

So, that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Nov 24, 2020

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

In this week's program Cindy and I share excerpts from interviews we recorded for the NAFB Trade Talk session. Some of these were before the convention or during the session. Included are now past-President, Rita Frazer, RFD Radio; Liz Hunt, Syngenta; Andy Lavigne, ASTA; Geoff Cooper, RFA and Norm Davy, Heliae.

I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Nov 5, 2020

Cindy talked with Frances Hayes, Communications Specialist for the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska, about how they have adapted their communications strategy this year to reach a diverse group of stakeholders around the world in the middle of a pandemic.

We also have an interview about a company called C-Lock, which developed technology to help improve animal management, profits, and sustainability in their livestock systems and awarded Research Equipment Grants to find new ways to use their tools.

The founder of C-Lock is Dr. Patrick Zimmerman – so since we shared a surname I thought I would give him a call and find out

Oct 27, 2020

So, what’s this week’s episode about? It’s about agriculture’s economic impact on a very urban region, specifically St. Louis. The St. Louis Agribusiness Club just announced the results of their Agricultural Economic Impact Study on the St. Louis Region. This study has been conducted every five years since the first one was conducted in 2004. And guess what. ZimmComm produced that first study and you can still see those results on the organization’s website.

To talk about the study I’m going to share conversations with Matt Amick, Missouri Soybean Association and President of the St. Louis Agribusiness Club. Then you’ll hear Alan Spell, University of Missouri Extension, who actually researched and prepared this year’s study.

Oct 6, 2020

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

This is an exciting time for deer hunters. The season is about to get started for those of us who hunt in Georgia. So, preparations are being made for a great opening day at the Crystal Pig Hunt Club.

My preparation includes getting to test drive a new John Deere Gator XUV855M S4. This crossover utility vehicle will take us out into the woods over some tough terrain and hopefully to include transporting some of our harvest. I'll be documenting our experience but thought I'd kick start things with an interview with Mark Davey, John Deere Marketing Manager.

There are many features on these new Gators that make them ideal for hunting. Some of those include easier shifting and instant engagement of 4-wheel drive, better power steering and a digital display panel to see important indicators. In this week's program Mark and I talk about the new Gator models and what the key updates are.

I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Aug 28, 2020

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

This week I had the opportunity to fly for the first time in over 5 1/2 months to put the Golden ZimmComm Microphone to work at a farm event. Thank you Farm Journal for having me help with your Farm Journal Field Days event which included on-farm activities as well as a significant virtual experience.

In this program I’m going to share an interview with the Iowa farm owner and field day host, Ben Riensche, Blue Diamond Farming Company. 

After my conversation with Ben I’m going to include the newest podcast we’re producing with the first episode that just published. It is the Daugherty Water for Food Podcast.

In the first session, you’ll hear from award-winning chef, entrepreneur, and agriculture advocate, Louise Mabulo, as she discusses youth and sustainable solutions to food security.

Looking ahead I don’t know when I’ll need to get back on the agriblogging highway. That doesn’t mean the ZimmComm Team isn’t still working on various projects which include assisting companies and organizations with virtual events and content. Let us know if we can help you out too.

That’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening. 

Aug 17, 2020

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast, featuring weekly interviews with agribusiness industry leaders and all about what’s new, with a focus on agricultural marketing.

The #NAMA20 is a wrap and it was a great show. If you are registered you can still go back and watch presentations. You can also still visit the Connection Point and say hi to those of us with a booth. You can also visit our virtual newsroom on AgNewsWire to see some images from the conference and hear from NAMA Sustaining Sponsors.

In this week’s program we’re feature some more of the sustaining partners of the National Agri-Marketing Association. You’ll hear from David Lazarenko, Think Shift; Dustin Johansen, OBP and Marty Wolske, Meredith Agrimedia. They will talk about their organizations and why they support the work of NAMA.

So, that’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening. 

Aug 10, 2020

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast, featuring weekly interviews with agribusiness industry leaders and all about what’s new, with a focus on agricultural marketing.

It is 2020 Virtual Agri-Marketing Conference week and this week's program will feature some more of the sustaining partners of the National Agri-Marketing Association. You'll hear from Scott McClure, Brighton; Matt Herman, DTN/The Progress Farmer and Tom Brand, NAFB. They will talk about their organizations and why they support the work of NAMA. I'll have a virtual newsroom available on AgNewsWire.com with all the interviews and more starting tomorrow morning.

Stop and see ZimmComm in the Connection Point in the virtual conference. We'd love to see you.

This week also includes some virtual work we're doing for the Renewable Fuels Association for their annual educational/promotional sponsorship at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and the Buffalo Chip Campground. Bikers will have Free Fuel Happy Hours once again. Keep an eye on AgWired and AgNewsWire for more from there.

So, that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Jul 31, 2020

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. 

In this week's program you'll hear from Marvin Kokes, Senior VP of Corporate Relations, NCBA. We talk about this week's Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting and the virtual ag newsroom we created on AgNewsWire.

From there I share a few more of my conversations with sustaining partners of the National Agri-Marketing Association. You'll hear from Curt Blades, Senior VP, Agricultural Services, Association of Equipment Manufacturers; Laurie Fleck, President/CEO, FLM/Harvest and Laurel Caes, Public Relations Manager, North America, John Deere. I'll have more to come in future episodes.

BTW. If you haven't registered for the Virtual Agri-Marketing Conference you can still do so at NAMA.org.

I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Jul 23, 2020

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

This week's program provides a preview of the Virtual Agri-Marketing Conference which will be held August 11-13. Conference Chair Rebecca Ivey, Case IH, gives us a preview of the program. 

Following that I'm sharing conversations with several of the NAMA Sustaining Partners starting with Susan Rhode, Farm Journal, followed by Doug Reynolds, Corteva Agriscience and then Amy Bradford, GROWMARK. They talk about their companies, how they've dealt with the effects of the pandemic and why they support NAMA. I will be featuring more of these in future episodes of the ZimmCast.

So, that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Jul 16, 2020

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

In this week's episode I talk with Chris Clayton, Ag Policy Editor, DTN/The Progressive Farmer, who is the Steering Committee Chair for Ag Media Summit. The event was postponed to November 14-18 in Kansas City. The conference hotel is the Loews Kansas City Hotel which is brand new and looks fabulous.

Chris says the program is coming together and companies that would like to be a sponsor and have a booth in the InfoExpo trade show can find more details on that on the website. He's encouraging people to register. In fact, here's an excerpt from a column he just wrote about that.

"On Friday, though, I placed a bet for four months out. I registered for the Ag Media Summit, now slated for Nov. 14-18 in Kansas City. I'm making a bet that we're going to get this thing figured out, much like the businesses that have reopened, the colleges bringing in students, like my son, and the schools that are reopening, like the one my daughter attends and the one where my wife is a librarian.

I am looking forward to having a drink with Chuck or Mike. I am looking forward to recharging my writing neutral network through a tip or insight from a writing coach. I'm going to make it a point to meet and thank everyone who sponsors AMS. And I'm looking forward to congratulating and thanking the professionals who are working with us to make AMS a success regardless of any challenges we face."

You can register now right here.

That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

Jun 25, 2020

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast, featuring weekly interviews with agribusiness industry leaders and all about what's new, with a focus on agricultural marketing.

This week we’re going to hear from someone whose goal is to bridge rural and urban America. You probably have heard of him. Maybe you haven’t. But in this week's program I'm sharing a conversation with Trent Loos, Loos Tales, Rural Route and more.

We also ramble around on some other topics like Impossible Foods and virtual events. So, that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

Jun 8, 2020
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. 
 
In this week's program I'm sharing a conversation with Gil Gullickson, Crops Technology Editor for Successful Farming magazine/Agriculture.com. We talk about the 100 year celebration of the AAEA, The Agricultural Communicators Network. We also talk about this year's Ag Media Summit which has been moved to November.
 
Let's all hope that we're closer to "normal" by that time. If not, I hope to help create virtual content for AAEA to help with our milestone celebration.
 
That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.
May 26, 2020

This week's program provides a wrap-up of the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience. This virtual experience took place throughout the week with daily keynote speakers and focus sessions and more. All of this was available on-demand and still is. In fact, you can still register and new content will be made available each month until the 2021 event.

In the program I talk with Dr. Mark Lyons, Alltech President/CEO, who provides a summary of how the event unfolded and some key takeaways. I also share my interview with event keynoter, Dr. Frank Mitloehner, UC-Davis, who spoke on Clearing the Air: Debunking the Myths of Agriculture.

The Alltech ONE Virtual Experience provides a template for how engaging and entertaining a virtual conference can be. Please feel free to check it out.

May 14, 2020

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

This week I’m sharing a conversation with Erika Osmundson, Director of Marketing and Communications, AgCareers.com. Erika and I talk about how the pandemic situation has affected job seekers and ag companies looking for employees. I really appreciate her time and outlook for people who would like to work in the ag industry and the companies looking for people right now.

Here’s to a near term future when things do get back to normal! 

That’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

May 7, 2020

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

This week’s program is part two of a series featuring conversations with the leadership of agricultural media and marketing associations. This week I’m sharing conversations with Samantha Kilgore, AAEA, The Agricultural Communicators Network, Lindsay Graber Runft, Livestock Publications Council and Kristy Mach/John Blue, Agricultural Relations Council.

Each of these organizations has had to cancel or postpone important annual events and the staff has had to deal with that as well as looking at alternative communications methods and what plans look like going forward. Learn how they've handles things and hear some good ideas and suggestions as well.

How has your company or organization has been affected and what are you learning during this trying time? Let me know.

Apr 30, 2020

This week's program is part one of at least two that feature conversations with the leadership of agricultural media and marketing associations. This week I'm sharing conversations with the National Agri-Marketing Association and Jenny Pickett, the National Association of Farm Broadcasting and Tom Brand and the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists/Canadian Farm Writers with Hugh Maynard.

Each of these organizations has had to cancel or postpone important annual events and the staff has had to deal with that as well as looking at alternative communications methods and what plans look like going forward.

Feel free to let me know how your company or organization has been affected and what you're learning during this trying time.

That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for listening.

Apr 23, 2020

In this week's program we're going to learn about Calyxt, a plant science company, doing some very interesting work with new technology. I spoke with Calyxt CEO, Jim Blome, about the work they are doing. He focuses on the future of food and how the types of technology being developed at the company is creating new products to give farmers more options to meet today's consumer demands.

I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Apr 17, 2020

In this week's program I'm featuring a conversation with John Demerly, CEO, CommoditAg, about the new app they launched during Commodity Classic. That was the last on location meeting either of us attended and it seems like a lot longer ago than it really is!

John says the app provides the opportunity for agricultural producers and farmers to research and order products anytime, anywhere with their mobile devices. He says they have a growing line-up of products available and just announced a "free shipping" program for the first time for customers.

To download the app, go to the Apple App Store for iOS devices and the Google Play Store for Android devices. To learn more about CommoditAg, visit commoditag.com.

Mar 27, 2020

In this week's program I'm sharing a conversation with Aidan Connelly, CEO, Cainthus. It has been quite some time since we've had this opportunity. We set a convenient time for each of us since he was in Ireland and I am here in the U.S.

During my conversation with Aidan we talk about the work Cainthus does and he provides his thoughts on the current COVID-19 problem. We also talk about the value of podcasts, especially in light of the difficulty for travel right now.

I'm also going to share the first episode of a new podcast series we're producing - Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services. It debuted Wednesday and will be produced monthly moving ahead. The topic of the first show is Understanding Nitrogen and includes experts, Tim Laatsch, technical agronomy manager, and Michael Berry, director of brand expansion.

I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Mar 17, 2020

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

In this crazy pandemic panicked world I think we need a dose of normalcy. Don't you? Well, listening to a good podcast fits the bill IMO.

First though, I just want to say that ZimmComm is committed to be ready, willing and able to find creative solutions for your agricultural marketing and communications needs. 

It’s a challenging time to make marketing decisions due to the uncertainties with the global virus situation. Cindy and I are working with clients on "virtual" content projects like podcasts, releases and more. These are channels that don’t require travel! And these are services and skills we’ve honed since starting this company 16 years ago and an additional over 20 years of experience working in agricultural communications, mostly farm radio.

We know how tight budgets are, so these services are priced to work within yours. I’m available at your convenience to discuss how we can help you maximize your marketing dollars. Feel free to call or email.

So, back to this week's program feature. I'm sharing a conversation I just had with Mark Stock, co-founder of BigIron Realty. He's a farmer, auctioneer and investor and has a keen awareness as to the farmer’s perspective. Mark discusses the best strategies for buying, selling or using farmland to raise capital.

Some of the topic we cover include, strategies and what buyers need to know when purchasing farmland and property tax rules to explore and other ways farmers can use their land to generate revenue. These can included selling hunting rights, leasing land to other farmers and strategies for retiring farmers who want to profit from their land.

I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

 

Mar 2, 2020

This week's program features a roundtable discussion I had during Commodity Classic in San Antonio, TX. I sat down with the CEO's of several Farm Credit associations: Aaron Johnson, Farm Credit Illinois, Bill Johnson, Farm Credit Mid America and Mark Jensen, Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica) and Frontier Farm Credit.

Our topic was Volatility and how it is reshaping risk and financial management. We talked about how farmers are doing now in light of the volatility of the last year which includes weather extremes, disease and political uncertainty.

You'll hear these leaders talk about the short-term outlook and then looking ahead long-term with ideas about critical strategies for the future and what services Farm Credit can offer.

That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

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