In this week's program I talk about the whole concept of being an industry influencer on social media before sharing an interview with Trent Johnson, Owner, Greeley Hat Works. I met Trent in the NCBA Trade Show and learned a lot about hats.
There is a difference between western and cowboy hats and Trent explains why. He talks about the value of custom fitting a hat and how to take care of them. He also shares some stories of his experiences over the years making hats for movies and even for the military. He even took my measurements for a hat that might just work for this agriblogging photographer that has a big old flash on top of his camera!
I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
In this week's program you'll hear Cindy share news and information from the National Biodiesel Conference and some of the interviews and audio we produced which was used on the Biodiesel Conference Blog.
Then I provide some examples of how well content we produce for virtual newsrooms performs on our AgNewsWire website. This would include audio downloads, ad impressions, social media engagement and impressions and of course, our photos.
Please contact me if you would like to learn more or receive a custom quote for how we can work with your company or organization to create meaningful content to amplify your communications & marketing efforts.
This week's program includes several interviews I did at the inaugural Heart of American Agricultural Hemp Classic in Independence, MO. The event was organized by the Missouri Hemp Association.
Farmers have a lot of questions about hemp and in the interviews you will hear from presenters and farmers who have some answers. You can find a lot more in our virtual ag newsroom on AgNewsWire too.
So, in this episode you'll hear from: Joe Zahner, Counsel, Missouri Hemp Association; James Bennett, Yeoman; Luke Poindexter, MoCan Extracts and Bill Cook, Executive Director, Missouri Hemp Association.
At the end of the program I take a look ahead at the National Biodiesel Conference taking place this week in Tampa, FL. Cindy and will be there for the 15th year producing content for the Biodiesel Conference Blog!
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. In this week's program my poor laryngitis recovering voice takes a look back at 2019 with a list of the top posts on AgWired and some statistics about photos, audio and video.
I also share an excerpt of an interview that was produced in October of 2019 and had the highest number of downloads. It was an interview I did with Geoff Cooper, Renewable Fuels Association. Next I shared an end of the year interview Cindy did at the last event we attended, the 2019 ASTA CSS and Seed Trade Expo. Cindy interviewed ASTA President/CEO, Andy Lavigne, about the event.
If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor of the ZimmCast, want to suggest a topic, need help producing a podcast, then please let me know. I’m AgriBlogger on Twitter or just email chuck@zimmcomm.biz.
That’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and thank you for listening.
In this week's program I spoke with the leadership of the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA).
In the program you'll hear from past Chair, Troy Johnson, Wilbur-Ellis, as he talks about his term leading the board. Then next up will be Rod Wells, GROWMARK, new Chair for ARA, as he talks about his outlook and plans for the coming two years. Then finally, I talked with Daren Coppock, ARA CEO, about how this year's conference went.
You can find a lot more interviews, audio and photos from the conference in our AgNewsWire virtual ag newsroom.
In this week's program you can hear Cindy talk with Wayne Gale, Stokes Seeds and Chairman of the American Seed Trade Association. I then talk with Bill Cook, Executive Director of the Missouri Hemp Association about their inaugural Heart of America Agricultural Hemp Classic.
Wayne talks about hemp because it is a topic many members of ASTA have been asking about. Cindy and I will be attending the annual ASTA CSS & Seed Expo in Chicago this month.
Then I will be attending the Heart of America Agricultural Hemp Classic in January.
There is a lot of information being published suggesting that growing hemp will provide new revenue streams for farmers but at the same time I've seen stories saying we have a glut of hemp on the market and farmers need to be very careful of their decisions. So what is right? I don't know yet. This new crop, which is an old crop, has a lot of potential and the rules, regulations and infrastructure to support it is in the start up phase.
Learn some more about it in this week's program and feel free to contact me if you have questions. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
In this week's program I talk with Rita Frazer, RFD Radio Network, now President of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting and Lorrie Boyer, KSIR, now past-President of NAFB.
Both farm broadcasters talk about the convention that just took place in KC, MO but also talk about their year as president, past and future.
I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
This week I attended the inaugural Florida Industrial Hemp Conference & Expo in Orlando. Hemp has become a hot topic in agriculture today since so many states have created legislation allowing it to be grown and more are in the process. That includes my home state of Florida.
I asked all the people I spoke with or interviewed during the Conference how USDA’s announced interim final rule on the Domestic Hemp Production Program would affect the budding industry and their company or organization. It appears that Florida and USDA are taking big steps to create some certainty frameworks for farmers to grow a product that can be made into thousands and thousands of products.
Includes in the program are: Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services, Director of Cannabis, Holly Bell; Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Jerry Frankhauser; Geoff Whaling, Chairman of the National Hemp Association and Coordinator of the Florida Industrial Hemp Conference, Gene Jones.
I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
In this week's program I have a conversation with Sharlet Teigen, CEO, Demeter Communications. Sharlet talks about the start of the company and the challenges she and the team had to overcome. For her it began with a major move from Chicago to rural Montana.
Cindy and I have known Sharlet for many years so we also do some reminiscing about how we did agricultural marketing and communications work "way back when."
Sharlet asks me questions during the conversation, one of which includes the origin of the name Demeter. I won't spoil it if you don't know it but it's toward the end of the program.
I hope you enjoy this episode of the ZimmCast and thank you for listening.
BTW. Feel free to contact me if you have ideas or suggestions for a future program. I'm always open to what would be of interest.
In this week's program you will hear Jeremiah Karpowicz, Executive Editor of Commercial UAV News, talk about this year's Commercial UAV Expo Americas. This trade show and conference focuses on commercial drone integration and operation in a variety of industries, including agriculture.
Here's some more information about the conference.
In the Conference Program, UAV industry experts share key insights into the issues asset owners face when implementing unmanned aerial systems, including systems selection and integration; developing enterprise workflows, guidelines and policies; data management and integration; and legal, safety and regulatory considerations. Plenary sessions and panels cover topics of interest to all end-users regardless of industry, while breakout sessions focus on UAV technology, applications and opportunities in the vertical markets listed above.
The international Exhibition includes drone airframe manufacturers, component and sensor manufacturers, software developers and service companies. Commercial UAV Expo Americas has more exhibitors than any other commercial drone show.
AgWired is a supporter of the conference again this year and I hope we'll be able to bring you some news from the event even though I can't attend.
I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
In this week's program let's meet Lindsay Graber Runft, Executive Director, Livestock Publications Council, pictured on the right with the LPC Board at the 2019 Ag Media Summit. Lindsay started with LPC in July this year and I met her at the AMS.
Lindsay has a solid background in livestock production and association management. As an example, she served as director of marketing and communications of the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) from 2013 to 2018. She has been principal of Prairie Public Relations since 2018.
“I am incredibly excited, and honored, to accept the role of Executive Director for Livestock Publications Council,” Runft said. “It will be a privilege to further LPC’s purpose of serving the livestock communications industry through collaborative work with Board leadership and membership service.”
You can learn more about Lindsay in the program. I'm looking forward to working with her in the future as she takes over the helm from retired long time friend and director of the LPC, Diane Johnson.
In this week's program we'll get a preview of the 2019 National Agri-Marketing Association Fall Conference. Conference committee chair, Brittany Phillips, Brighton Agency, talks us through the program and activities.
Registration is available on the NAMA website with the early registration deadline of September 16. The hotel is the Ritz Carlton in St. Louis.
The program starts on Monday with a tour organized by the Gateway NAMA Chapter, which I am a past-president of. I'm sure they'll do an awesome job. After a welcome reception that night the sessions get underway on Tuesday and the program ends mid day Wednesday.
I hope to see you there. Thank you for listening.
In this edition of the ZimmCast, you will hear from some of the many voices at #FPS19, including Show Manager Matt Jungmann, BASF External Communications Manager Casey Allen, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, President Donald J. Trump, National Corn Growers Association 1st VP Kevin Ross, and National Hemp Association executive director Erica Stark.
In this week's program you will hear from the new president of the AAEA The AgComm Network, Gil Gullickson; the new president of the Livestock Publications Council, Jennifer Carrico; the new conference manger for the Ag Media Summit, Tina Bowling and the presenters of the session, "So You Have a Podcast, Now What," Sara Steever, president of Paulsen Marketing and Kelsey Litchfield, digital media consultant.
In this week's program I speak with Quentin Rund, PAQ Interactive and Lara Moody, The Fertilizer Institute (TFI).
Quentin has been involved with organizing and running the InfoAg Conference since it started in 1995. He talks about this year's conference which is doing very well on attendance in spite of the challenging planting season the midwest has had.
Lara talks about how TFI has acquired the InfoAg Conference and what the organization is doing to expand and grow it. During this conference she says they've been conducting some focus groups to learn what they would like to see happen. A lot of the work that TFI does, like their 4R Nutrient program, fits right in with the technology represented at the InfoAg Conference.
You can learn more in the program. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
This program will be a preview of the 2019 Ag Media Summit and International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Congress. The two programs are being held together like they were in 2009. The IFAJ Congress moves to a different country each year.
To help me preview the events I spoke with Carey Brown, Kentucky Cattlemen's Association and co-chair of the coordinating committee for the events.
For this week's program I visited Timber Creek Distillery near Crestview, FL. The owners are Camden Ford and Aaron Barnes, two exceptional entrepreneurs who are building a new distillery on some beautiful property. I had the opportunity to meet them when they did some taste testing in Pensacola and found their story to be fascinating.
The new distillery building, which is near completion, is a massive 13,000 square feet with 40 foot high ceilings and includes outdoor seating areas. They have built their own power supply using solar panels, propane, batteries and backup generators. All of this has been done by just these two guys. To see it you would assume a construction crew had been busy for months. It's really amazing how much they have done with their own skills and ingenuity.
They have been producing products like Florida whiskies, rum, vodka and gin for over three years and source as much of their ingredients like corn, rye, wheat and more from local sources including farmers. In the program you'll hear more about this and their hopes and plans for the future. Timber Creek Distillery products are being sold commercially in 200 plus stores and have already won over 40 spirit competitions.
Listen in to our conversation. I hope you enjoy it. And thank you for listening.
In this week's program you will hear from industry attendees to President Trump's visit to Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE) in Council Bluffs, IA.
Included in the program are:
Mike Jerke, CEO, SIRE
Craig Floss, President/CEO, Iowa Corn Growers
Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture
Kevin Ross, farmer and 1st VP, NCGA
Monte Shaw, Executive Director, IRFA
Geoff Cooper, President/CEO, RFA
Geoff provides a wrap-up of the program since I was able to talk with him after the President had toured the facility and given his speech.
I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
This week we're going to learn all about a new book from Damian Mason titled "Do Business Better." Here's an excerpt from the book description to get us started.
After speaking to companies such as Merck, Land O'Lakes, and Cargill, and 2,000 audiences across the world, Damian Mason, successful businessman, agriculturalist, podcaster, and writer, wants to help you achieve your entrepreneurial goals and live a better life. While other business books claim to tell you how to reach success, they fall short because they don't address the fact that success is different for each of us. Do Business Better helps you define success on your terms, then shows you how to achieve it.
Damian and I not only talk about his new book but some other subjects like how farmers are doing on social media his thoughts on the current farm economy.
I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
This week we're going to learn about the Farmer Veteran Coalition with founder/director, Michael O'Gorman.
We cultivate a new generation of farmers and food leaders, and develop viable employment and meaningful careers through the collaboration of the farming and military communities. We believe that veterans possess the unique skills and character needed to strengthen rural communities and create sustainable food systems. We believe that agriculture offers purpose, opportunity, and physical and psychological benefits.
Michael talks about what motivated him to start the organization and how it has developed. He has examples of individuals who have developed successful farming operations with support from the Coalition. Many farm organizations and agribusinesses are providing assistance and there is room for more.
I think you'll find Michael very well-spoken and you might want to consider him for your next conference as a speaker.
I'm going to share a few interviews from the conference that I hope you'll enjoy. First up will be Amanda Radke, BEEF daily blogger, BEEF Magazine. Amanda was an early intern for us who wrote for AgWired when she was in her final year at South Dakota State University. I'm proud of the career she is having and to have been a part of it in our little way.
Next up you'll hear Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Extension Specialist, Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis. He spoke about "Beef's Carbon Footprint: Setting the Record Straight." And he certainly does that. I hope you'll follow him on Twitter. We need more like him.
Then you can hear my Farm Babe 2.0 interview. I spoke with Michele Miller last year at the conference and we did it again this year at the end of the conference. If you're not following The Farm Babe then get started.
I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
This week's program features interviews from the 2019 Water for Food Global Conference. Here is the list of who you will hear:
Overview interview of the conference with Peter McCornick, Executive Director, Water for Food Institute
Interview with Mark Edge, Director of Collaborations for Developing Countries, Bayer
Interview with the Irrigation Association: Deborah Hamlin, CEO, Irrigation Association; Brent Mecham, Industry Development Director, Irrigation Association; Aric Olson, President, Jain Irrigation
Interview with Conference attendee Grace Mukarusagara, Rwanda
Interview with Conference attendee Elisa Zancanaro Zanella, Brazil
This week's program features interviews that Cindy and I did during the 2019 Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City. The Golden ZimmComm Microphone got a workout!
At the beginning of this episode you can hear from Sheri Seger, DTN/The Progressive Farmer, outgoing NAMA President and Scott McClure, Brighton, incoming NAMA President. After that I'm sharing the other interviews we did in our Connection Point booth.
We offered free Golden Mic Interviews to whoever stopped by and had quite a few take us up on the offer. You may know some of them and if not, you'll get to meet them now.
I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
In this week's program I visit with Susan Hunyor, DTN/The Progressive Farmer, who is the Chair of the Agri-Marketing Conference Committee. This is the annual conference of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA). Susan walks us through a preview of the program for this year's conference.
ZimmComm is celebrating 15 years and will be having fun in the Connection Point, Booth 312. The Golden ZimmComm Microphones will be set up to conduct interviews with attendees. It's an opportunity to tell us about your company or organization and we'll publish them into the virtual ag newsroom for the conference on AgNewsWire.com.
When you visit us you can enter to win a flex Portable, Universal Keyboard & Detachable Stand. We have donated a special Beats Pill+ to the NAMA Foundation Silent Auction too. The winning bidder will be able to select colors for the bluetooth speaker and we'll order it to be delivered direct to them.
It's going to be a great conference and we hope to see you there.
Thank you for listening.