Podcasts

ZimmCast 753 - AdFarm 2025 AgIntel Index Report

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. In this episode I'm going to share an interview with Matt Weeks, AgIntel Lead at AdFarm. We discuss the inaugural AgIntel Index Report. This will be a yearly report that dives into the trends and insights dominating the conversation in agriculture. This is information that matters to agri-marketers and ag leaders. In addition, I'm adding a wrap up interview with Brent Kemp, President/CEO, AgGateway, about the organization's annual conference, my last on-location work of the year. You can find the AgNewsWire virtual ag newsroom with lots of photos and interviews and more. Cindy and I decided to retire from on-location work after 20 plus years. This doesn't mean we won't be working though with news release distribution and podcasts. We'll be updating you as we work toward the end of this year. So that's the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 752 - Farm Journal Ad Insights

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. In this episode you'll learn all about Farm Journal's new Ad Insights tool which is new to the agrimarketing industry. It's a first for a digital advertising analytics solution. Talking with me is Prescott Shibles, Farm Journal CEO. So, let's get started with some questions. You can find more online at the Farm Journal website. So that's the ZimmCast for now. If you have some exciting news in the agrimarketing world feel free to contact me for the next episode. Thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 751 - Preview of the NAMA NEXUS

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. In this episode we're going to get an in-depth preview of the new NAMA NEXUS event that will be taking place in Milwaukee, WI, October 14-16. I spoke with committee chair Kasie Garcia. We'll start with what the NAMA NEXUS means as well as the Economies of Ag. From there it's on to the agenda and how it is different from NAMA Fall Conference of the past. You can still register on the NAMA website. So, that's the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 750 - Interviews from Farm Progress Show

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. It has been a busy time for the the ZimmComm Team in the past few weeks. After the Tech Hub Live conference it was on the way to the Southern Peanut Growers Conference, Ag Media Summit, ACE Annual Meeting and the Farm Progress Show. I'm on my way home from the 2025 FPS and thought I'd share some interviews. Besides an interview with Rob Shaffer, Illinois farmer, about the John Deere announcement about B30 biodiesel compatibility across all of their engine portfolio, I'm sharing an interview with Andy Heggenstaller, Global Oilseeds and Cereals Portfolio Strategy Head, Syngenta, who talks about Syngenta and M.S. Technologies and the next generation in soybean herbicide tolerance, and then Craig Abell, National Executive Agronomist, Syngenta, who talks about a new soil-applied insecticide product soon to come to market.  There are lots of other interviews and audio, besides photos, in our AgNewsWire virtual ag newsroom from this year's Farm Progress Show. So, that's the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 749 - Tech Hub LIVE 2025

ZimmCast 748 - Preview Interview of the 2025 Ag Media Summit

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. Lets us get a preview of the 2025 Agricultural Media Summit with Shelia Grobosky, BioZyme, and AMS Steering Committee Chair and LPC President.  It's all about meetings, keynote and general sessions, breakouts, InfoExpo, awards, ACT student members, sponsors and more. That's the ZimmCast now now. I hope you enjoy it thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 747 - Preview of 2025 IFAJ Congress

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. In this program we're going to get a preview of the 2025 IFAJ Congress which will be held in Kenya. After our preview I'm going to add a most recent example of how you can make your news release talk. More at the end. So, let's get started. I have Steve Werblow, IFAJ President and Aghan Daniel, MESHA, the coordinating organization. First up is Steve followed by Daniel. The give us details about the Congress and the location it will be held as well as who can register and attend the Congress. Daniel and his organization will certainly have a variety of interesting places to see and of course, talk to ag journalists from around the world. If you haven't attended an IFAJ Congress I can't recommend it enough.  So, before I close I include an interview with Performance Nutrition. The company had us distribute a news release for them and we worked with them on an interview to add a voice to their message. We're getting more requests for this. Their interview is included and you can find the full release on AgNewsWire.com. It's easy to include an interview with your release on AgNewsWire by sending us an interview audio file or have us conduct the interview for a small fee. And if you have question just contact me at chuck@zimmcomm.biz. So, that's the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 746 - ZimmComm Plans for the Future

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. The ZimmComm Team are enjoying some time in paradise right near the Gulf of America. The weather has been great and we've had enough rain so that everything is green and growing. In this episode Cindy and I discuss the changes we're making to ZimmComm. We recently announced that we are going to retire from business travel starting Jan. 1, 2026. That has been a very big part of the work we pioneered along with the use of social media in agricultural marketing. But we've got plenty to do as we continue to distribute news releases with our AgNewsWire service. In fact, we started out with the idea of including audio files in news releases for our clients. We called them Talking News Releases and because of our background in farm radio we knew the frustration of not being able to get an interview or sound bite. When you want to have an audio interview included in your news release we will produce it and publish it with no extra cost. We'll work with you on the interview and can also add your own audio file if you would like, including logos, photos or other images. Here is an example of our latest news release for AgTech PR for their client, PowerPollen, that includes an interview. To have us distribute your release to our contact list all you have to do is use your credit card on the AgNewsWire form here and then just email your release and any multi-media content to include. In addition to news releases we will continue produce podcast like this one, The ZimmCast, as well as The Ethanol Report and the Daugherty Water For Food Podcast. If you would like to start a podcast just give us a call. We've still got several trips planned this year including these in July. Tech Hub Live in Des Moines, IA, Southern Peanut Growers Conference in Panama City, FL and Ag Media Summit in Rogers, AK.  So, keep ZimmComm's in your plans. And that's the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoy it and thank for listening.

ZimmCast 745 - ZimmComm Announcement & NAFB and NAMA interviews

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. In this episode I'm going to share a couple of interviews from the NAMA Agri-Marketing Conference. One is with Gardner Hatch, Executive Director, NAFB and Debbie Boyle, Vice President, Kynetic. They talk about a new NAFB listener survey. Then I have an interview with Melanie Rice, Brownfield Ag News, about becoming the new President of NAMA. Before I do this I'm going to talk about a ZimmComm announcement Cindy and I published last week. Basically, we are retiring from business travel starting at the end of 2025. Besides our 21 years with ZimmComm we traveled a lot for many years before we started ZimmComm.  We founded the company in 2004 as the first social media-based agricultural communications company and pioneered "event blogging" for farm and biofuels conferences, capturing the sights and sounds in photos and interviews. Nearly 225,000 photos and countless interviews and miles later, we have decided to hang up our traveling bags and spend more time at home. A lot of people look to retire to travel the world. We've been blessed to see all the places we ever wanted and more! We plan to continue our AgNewsWire news release service as well as AgWired.com, Energy.AgWired.com and our podcasting and other audio production services. We're just giving up the travel portion of our work. So that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 744 - Agri-Pulse Summit & Ad Day

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. The first day of spring started the day after the annual Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Summit and National Ag Day Activities. We have published virtual newsrooms on our AgNewsWire website and story posts on AgWired. So, in this episode I'd like to share a few of the interviews and audio from the events. I'll start out with Agri-Pulse. You can listen to the opening remarks from Ireland's Ambassador to the United States Geraldine Byrne Nason. Next will be Jim Sutter, CEO, USSEC and then Jane Franch, Sr. Director, Climate Impact, Pivot Bio. I'll move to the National Ag Day Activities with a student panel discussion. The students are Taylor Rogers, National Grange Youth Ambassador; Lance Williams, AFA advisor; Caroline Groth, FFA Eastern Region Vice President; and Matias Habib, National 4H. Moderated by Miles Chiotti, Manager, Public & Industry Relations - Agriculture & Turf Division at John Deere. It is Cindy's time to be in Washington, DC this week for the ACE Fly-in. After that the next event coming up soon is the 2025 Agri-Marketing Conference. If you haven't registered, you can still do so. I'll see you there. If you have any ideas for a future ZimmCast podcast just let me know. That's the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoy it and thank for listening.

ZimmCast 743 - Syngenta at Commodity Classic

In this episode I'm going to share some Commodity Classic which was almost at the highest attendance ever. We were in the Mile High city of Denver, CO. The weather was mostly perfect but we did have some wind, rain and snow at the end. Next year the event will take place in San Antonio. Once again Syngenta made my trip to Classic possible. So, in the program I have with me the following: Eric Boeck, Regional Director of North America Seeds, Syngenta Jeff Cecil, Crop Protection Marketing Head, Syngenta North America Steve Sterchi, Product and Commercial Strategy Lead, Syngenta North America Kramer Farney, GHX Marketing, Golden Harvest Justin Welch, Head of Decision Agronomy, Golden Harvest Coming up next for me on the agriblogging highway is the Agri-Pulse Ag and Food Policy Summit in Washington, DC followed with the National Ag Day Activites. Then it's Cindy turn to go to DC for the ACE Fly-in. Things start to settle down but I'll be in KC, MO for the Agri-Marketing Conference in April.

ZimmCast 742 - Cattle and Crop Insurance

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. In this episode I'm going to share some interviews with last week's CattleCon 2025 and CIRB Annual Mtg. I was in San Antonio while Cindy was in Bonita Springs, FL. This is definitely the busy time! So, let's get started with CattleCon. I talked with Colin Woodall, CEO, NCBA who says they were going to break 8,500 attending. Additionally, he talks about the top issues the organization is working on. Next I have Kevin Good, VP Industry Relations, CattleFax. Kevin gave a full presentation on the stage during the CattleFax session. Afterward I interviewed him to hear his outlook for cattle and beef and what is factors are impacting them. Now, I turned to CIRB. Cindy interviewed Tara Smith, Deputy Executive Vice President, CIRB. Tara talks about the need for educating new people working in the new administration and Congress about the importance of crop insurance. Finally, I have Cindy's interview with Lindsey Rinkenberger, CIRB Chairwoman, COUNTRY Financial. Lindsey started CIRB participating the Emerging Leaders program. She talks about how CIRB works with the crop insurance coalition in Washington, DC. And that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 741 - Clean Fuels in 2025

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. While Cindy was home during the major snow storm in Florida I was attending the Clean Fuels Conference in San Diego, CA. The weather was delightful for the conference. However, in the Pensacola, FL area there was eight to ten inches of snow, something that hasn't happened in over 150 years! But it has all melted and we're mostly back to normal. So, let's talk about clean fuels. We created a virtual ag newsroom once again for the conference that used to be named the National Biodiesel Conference. It was the first one we created many years ago. You can find that newsroom with photos, interviews and session audio right here. In this episode I'm going to share some of the interviews I did. So, let's get started. First up I interviewed Kent Engelbrecht, ADM, serving as Chairman of the Clean Fuels Alliance America. Following him is Kurt Kovarik, VP of Government Affairs, Clean Fuels; then Tom Verry, Director of Outreach and Development; and to close things up I interviewed Donnell Rehagen, CEO, Clean Fuels. In addition to the virtual ag newsroom on AgNewsWire we also posted content onto the Clean Fuels Conference Blog which you can find here. Now that I've been catching up I'm getting ready for the CattleCon 2025 working with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. At the same time Cindy will be at the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau annual meeting. It's just that busy time of the year. So, that's the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 740 - Outlook for U. S. Cotton

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. ZimmComm is now entering its 21st year. Who would have thought? We officially announced our company at the 2004 National Agri-Marketing Conference. We had our first booth at the conference in 2005 which means we've exhibited for twenty of them! I thought you might like to hear the first audio podcast I recorded in January of 2005. We were just starting to figure out what we could do with our AgWired blog. It's a short episode. I'm going to share some other audio after this. So, that was the start and it has sure changed over the years. So, let's look at this year. I was working at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences in New Orleans and thought I'd focus on the outlook for cotton. I would not be surprised if there are some changes after the presidential inauguration. But I'm going to start with Gary Adams, CEO of the National Cotton Council. He talks about the cotton industry outlook and then moves onto the farm bill.  Following Gary is Daren Abney, Executive Director, U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. He talks about the last year of the program and an outlook of what's next. You can find a lot of photos as well as interviews and session audio on the AgNewsWire virtual ag newsroom here. I'm heading out next to San Diego for the Clean Fuels Conference and hoping the weather doesn't cause too many travel problems. It's looking like I'll miss the mess though. So, that's the ZimmCast for this episode. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 739 - Happy New Year Episode

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman along with Cindy Zimmerman. Welcome to another year of agriblogging and farm podcasting. It's hard to believe that we're coming close to 21 years since we started ZimmComm in 2004. Cindy and I have worked together in the ag marcom field for about 21 years before that. Now we're doing some thinking and planning for 2025. I sense that this year will be a big one for us We've already got plans made for the same conferences during the upcoming months. We traveled to work at 20 different events last year. So, we'll see how things go as time moves on. We started taking photos at events 20 years ago when Flickr started. Since then we've uploaded 222,000 photos and they have collectively received 38 million views. In 2024 we uploaded 6,611 photos from the events and they have been viewed 1.1 million views. On the audio side of things we started using Libsyn as our audio/podcast server platform in 2017. In that time, and just looking at our ZimmComm Golden Mic Audio podcast, we've received 2.8 million downloads of those files, with 137,000 in 2024. Our AgNewsWire service had a banner year in 2024 with the distribution of over 80 news releases for our clients. And speaking of news releases we're offering a 2025 discount for existing or new customers. If you sign up for an advance purchase of 4 news releases you will receive a 10 Percent discount. Regular price is $525 but your discounted price will be $472.50/each! Feel free to contact me about how AgNewsWire works and we'll help you reach our comprehensive list of ag media. AgWired and Energy. AgWired have also really kept us busy. Besides Cindy and me we've had 40 editors work for us and that includes interns, many of who are in high level jobs in ag media and agencies, and freelancers who have started their own companies. We can't say how thankful and proud for all of them So, that's what's on our minds as we contemplate the how/when/what and why of another year on the agriblogging highway. So, that's the ZimmCast. We hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 738 - Reaction to Elections

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. In this episode I'm going to share some interviews from the NAFB Trade Talk about reactions from the recent presidential election.  I'm going to include Mary Kay Thatcher, Syngenta Sr. Manager, Federal Government and Industry Relations; Brian Jennings, ACE CEO; Geoff Cooper, RFA CEO and Ethan Lane, NCBA, VP of Government Affairs. Adding to these interviews, Cindy recently interviewed Kip Tom, Indiana farmer and served as the Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture during President Trump's previous term. You can listen to his reactions here. That's the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 737 - Preview of 2024 AgGateway Annual Conference

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.  In this episode we'll get a preview of the AgGateway Annual Conference that will be starting November 11th in Austin. I talked with Brent Kemp, President and CEO, about what AgGateway works to accomplish and what the schedule looks like. I'll be there to take photos and collect some good interviews and session audio. I'll be going straight from there to Kansas City for a day of the NAFB Convention before heading back to ZimmComm World Headquarters. Looking over the last years that I've attended AgGateway meetings it seems to just continue to growing and refining the work they do. So, that's the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 736 - Syngenta Media Summit Focus on Advancing Innovation

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. In this episode I am going to share some audio from the recent Syngenta Media Summit 2024 that was held in the new crop protection facility in Greensboro, NC. I am grateful for the opportunity to be with a group of agricultural journalists and have personal time with Syngenta leadership. You'll hear more about the new facility. I have created a virtual newsroom on AgNewsWire that contains photos as well as interviews and other audio for ag media to use. I've picked out the welcome we had from Jeff Cecil, Head of North America Crop Protection Marketing, in the form of a one on one interview about advancing innovation for the US grower. After that you'll hear closing comments from Vern Hawkins, Regional Director, North America President. He focused on advancing American agriculture.  That's the ZimmCast for now. Please let me know if you have ideas for a future podcast. Just email me at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.

ZimmCast 735 - Preview of the 2024 NAMA Fall Conference

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. It's time for the 2024 NAMA Fall Conference which will be held in Minneapolis, MN, October 14-16. The theme is "Fall Back" and you'll hear why in my interview with Laura Rustmann, Director of Marketing and Sales, J.L. Farmakis, Inc. and Chair of the committee that is organizing the conference. Cindy and I have enjoyed a few weeks without travel since the Farm Progress Show but things will get started again the beginning of October. I will not be able to attend the NAMA Fall Conference this year due to a conflict but we're going to get a preview from Laura. That's the ZimmCast for now. Please let me know if you have ideas for a future podcast. Just email me at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.

ZimmCast 734 - Interviews from FPS

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. I've lost count of how many Farm Progress Shows I have attended but it's a lot. This year in Boone, IA we had great weather and that's not always the case. But it was also an opportunity to see friends as well as clients. I was only on site for Tuesday and half of Wednesday but I recorded 26 interviews that you can find on AgNewsWire in our virtual newsroom for the event. So, speaking of clients and the fact that we're always interested in what's new in the world of agribusiness I'm going to share interviews with several companies. They include: Scott Nelson, Make Hay; Thad England, Groundwork Bioag; Craig Dick, Phospholutions; Scott Trbovich, Taranis and Steve Nicholson, Rabo AgriFinance. They'll go in that order. We post the ZimmCast on AgWired as the official podcast. We also post stories using other interviews as we have time so keep your eye out for them too. That's the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 733 - Farm Bill and Ag Media Summit

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. Although Cindy and I got a little break from the agriblogging highway things got busy again. In this episode I'm going to share a few interviews that have a focus on a new Farm Bill. What do you think? Is it still possible this year or will it be sometime in 2025? You will hear different thoughts from Ted McKinney, NASDA, Sonny Perdue, University of Georgia Chancellor, Representative Austin Scott, (R-GA) and Representative Frank Lucas, (R-OK). After these interviews I'll provide you with a preview of this year's Ag Media Summit which will start August 3 through the 6th. This is the 25th AMS and it will be held in Kansas City, Missouri. I'll be taking lots of photos so keep your eye out for them throughout the event and feel free to download and share. That's the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 732 - Conversation with new Executive Director of NAFB

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. I'm getting a break from the agriblogging highway after last week's AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting in Altoona, IA. Cindy and I have worked on our calendar through the end of the year and there are quite a few more places to be around the USA. In this episode I have a conversation with Gardner Hatch, the new Executive Director of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. We have known Gardner for a long time and he is a card carrying member of the ZimmComm Golden Mic Club. And was the recipient of one of the first Golden Mic Awards at the Agri-Marketing Conference. So, let's get started. Gardner talks about why he chose to make this career move and the NAFB 10 year strategic plans and priorities. That's the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for listening.

ZimmCast 731 - Celebration of Modern Ag on the Mall

ZimmCast 730 - AWIS and Nitrogen Pulse

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. Cindy and I celebrated our 20th anniversary of ZimmComm at the Agri-Marketing Conference in KC, MO. We got to see and talk to many of our friends and clients and talk about the "old" days and what we think is on the horizon. We've needed to make changes, go in different directions and learn new skills as so much has changed, most especially just before and through the pandemic years. We're looking ahead to the future discussing some new ideas and making some changes once again.  In the meantime, I'll be on my annual retreat the end of the week and right on to Washington, DC for The Future of Food & Farming: The Modern Celebration of Ag on the National Mall, working with AEM. After that I'll be on the road to the AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting in Des Moines, IA. So, let's dive in to this episode with Karl Harker, AWIS and Scot Benson, Nitrogen Pulse. These companies are cooperating on tools for farmers to better manage their nitrogen use, tied into weather data. You can learn more about it in our discussion. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank for listening.

ZimmCast 729 - Preview of 2024 Agri-Marketing Conference

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. It's almost time for the 2024 Agri-Marketing Conference that is put on by the National Agri-Marketing Association. ZimmComm will be there to celebrate our 20th anniversary in our Connection Point booth. We've got more to come on this when we get to the conference later this month. In this episode I'm talking with Lori Kruger, Signal Theory, and Chair for the Agri-Marketing Conference committee. We'll do a preview of what you'll find. In case you haven't registered it's easy to go to the NAMA website and get it done. So, that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 728 - Global Center for AgComm

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. I started in a career of agricultural communications back in 1983 and in all these years it is amazing how much has changed. Technology has played a major role and that includes the ability today to easily communicate about agriculture everywhere in the world. Having said this I'm going to have a conversation with Dr. Owen Roberts. He is a good friend and we first met being involved at events of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists.  Owen Roberts, Ed.D. Lecturer and Director, Dr. Jim Evans Agricultural Communications Initiative; Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications program; College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign  He is also involved with a new initiative at the University of Illinois's College of Agriculture. And that's the subject of this podcast episode. Plans have been made for a global center for food and agricultural communications and it is named after another good friend, Dr. James Evans.  The James F. Evans Global Center for Food and Agricultural Communications That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 727 - Syngenta at Commodity Class 2024

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. Once again I learned all about what's new in the world of agribusiness for Syngenta during the Commodity Classic which was just held in Houston, TX. So this episode will feature interviews I did in the Syngenta booth.  Between Cindy and myself this was our 7th conference of the year. You can find virtual newsrooms from them all on AgNewsWire.com. In there are photos and lots of interviews. So, these are some interview I picked out to provide a good selection of topics from Syngenta: Eric Boeck, Regional Director North America Seeds at Syngenta; Liz Hunt, Sustainable & Responsible Business Head, Syngenta; Jim Shertzer, Head of Branded Marketing, Syngenta North America Seeds; Matt Dolch and Jared Benson, NK corn and soybean product managers; Kramer Farney, Golden Harvest head of marketing Next on the AgriBlogging Highway Cindy will be at the ACE DC Fly-in. I will be at the Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit and National Ag Day activities. Then we will both be at the Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City, MO with a booth in the Connection Point. We launched ZimmComm publicly at the 2004 Agri-Marketing Conference. We are already celebrating 20 years since we created ZimmComm and "What a long, strange trip it's been." BTW. I did see Grateful Dead live and in concert many, many years ago. That's the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 726 - Clean and Renewable Fuels

A look at the Clean Fuels Conference and the National Ethanol Conference

ZimmCast 725 - NCBA Leaders

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. The last two weeks have been hectic for the ZimmComm Team. I was in Orlando for CattleCon and I'm going to share some interviews from there in this episode. Then I was off to Ft. Worth for the Clean Fuels Conference while Cindy went to Scottsdale for the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting. You can find virtual newsrooms for all of them on AgNewsWire.com. They contain links to the photo albums, interviews and selected session audio. We've got a break this week but a lot more on the schedule in the next couple months. So, let's get on with CattleCon. I'm going to share interviews with Todd Wilkinson, Past NCBA President;  Mark Eisele, NCBA President; Buck Wehrbein, NCBA President-Elect and Colin Woodall, CEO, NCBA. Besides these CattleCon interviews there are many more that are separated as officers, staff, trade show and other interviews. Besides looking them up online you can also easily get them by subscribing to the ZimmComm Golden Mic Audio Podcast with your favorite platform. That is the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 724 - Preview of CattleCon

Welcome to the ZimmCast, I'm Chuck Zimmerman. This week we're going to get a preview of the new CattleCon. I love that name. It is new and perfect for the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show. In fact, CattleCon is the official new name.  To learn all about what's new and different with CattleCon I talked with Kristin Torres, Executive Director of Meetings and Events, NCBA. CattleCon is where the beef industry meets! We're Onward to Orlando from January 31 to February 2, 2024. At CattleCon, you'll discover a unique and comprehensive experience that brings together education, networking, business opportunities, advocacy, and fun for the whole family, all under one roof. Join us at CattleCon, the ultimate destination where the beef industry meets to learn, connect, grow, and enjoy. Registration for CattleCon24 is now open. Click here to register for the largest event in the cattle industry. Thanks Kristin for walking us through the newly named event and some of the changes that attendees will find. So, that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you listening.

ZimmCast 723 - 2023 Events Compilation

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. As we come to the end of 2023, we already have dates on the calendar going into the new year for about the same events we did this year, most of which we have been doing for about 15 years. From Beltwide Cotton Conferences right after new years to the American Seed Trade association Field Crops seed convention, we stayed busy all year. Here is a compilation of interviews from 2023. And that will wrap it up for 2023 – see you somewhere on the agriblogging highway in 2024. And that's the ZimmCast. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 722 - Interviews from NAFB Trade Talk

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. During this year's NAFB Trade Talk I interviewed a lot of company representatives and am taking this opportunity to share some of them. These folks had a lot more than just the Golden ZimmComm Microphone in their face! But they are now members of the Golden Mic Club. Here's who you can listen to in this order: Mike DiPaola,Taranis and Ethan Noll, Ag Partners Co-op; Mark Foster, AMVAC; Aaron Robinson, Benson Hill; Aaron Eddy, Azotic and Brian Neineke, Phospholutions. I know that was a lot of information on different products and companies but I hope you enjoyed it. Cindy and I will be on the agriblogging and podcasting trail for the American Seed Trade Association's newly named Field Crop Seed Conference. It is being held in Orlando, FL for the first time. The Golden ZimmComm Microphone will get a workout once again before we start the new year in Ft. Worth at the Beltwide Cotton Conference. That's the ZimmCast for this episode. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 721 - AWIS Winter Weather Ag Forecast Services

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. In this episode I'm going to share a timely interview. You'll hear my conversation with Karl Harker with the Agricultural Weather Information Service. AWIS is advertising on AgNewsWire to reach new prospects for their services. That's what we'll be talking about as we approach winter which is a very important one for all types of farmers and those who provide them with weather information. The ZimmComm Team has been very busy this fall so far but we've still got a lot on the calendar still before the end of the year. If you enjoy the ZimmCast let me know if you would like to sponsor the program or have ideas of topics or interviews you'd like to hear. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 720 - Ag Web Domain Sale and More

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.  In this episode we're going to learn about special sale of agriculture focused website domains being sold by Dave Larson of Larson Ent. LLC. There are a number of categories and I'll let him tell you about what is available. After that I'm going to share my wrap-up interview of the 2023 NAMA Fall Conference with John Rozum, AEM and current President of NAMA. It was a well attended and successful conference. I'll be in the woods starting this weekend for a few days for my annual deer hunt and I'm looking forward to getting some more venison in the freezer. Can't wait. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 719 - Preview of the 2023 NAMA Fall Conference

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. It is time to get a preview of what to expect at this year's NAMA Fall Conference. I spoke with Trista Thompson, Wyffels, Chair for the conference and Laura Rustmann, J.L. Farmakis, Vice Chair. In our discussion we'll talk about the ag tour the day before the official start of the conference; keynote speakers; breakout sessions, professional development awards and lots of opportunity for networking. You can still register and we hope to see you there. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 718 - Grand Opening of the AIC

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. Last week the Ag Innovation Campus held its grand opening in Crookston, MN. You can see lots of photos and interviews in the virtual newsroom I published on AgNewsWire.com. I'm going to share some of those interviews in the episode. Before getting to the AIC facility I met a group of farmers and other ag leaders in Fargo, ND to tour the Northern Crops Institute. This is a collaborative effort among Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota to support the promotion and market development of crops grown in this four-state region and it is situated on the campus of North Dakota State University, in Fargo. I'll share my interview with Mark Jirik, Director, who will describe the unique work they do there. After that we got on a bus and traveled to the Riverview Waukon Dairy where I met David Yost who will provide an overview of the large and very impressive facility they have built. Then we moved on to Crookston, MN to the Ag Innovation Campus. We had presentations from a variety of people who have played a part in the success of reaching phase one of the facility and a ribbon cutting. I talked with several leaders about the work that the AIC will do to deliver crops and processing technologies from bench top to commercialization. Think of the term, crush facility, and you'll hear more about this staring with Tom Slunecka, Acting AIC CEO. Next we'll hear from Mike Skaug, AIC Board Member. Finally in this episode you can hear from the AIC Plant Manger, Kent Meyers. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 717 - Syngenta at #FPS23

Interviews with Kramer Farney, Golden Harvest head of marketing; NASCAR Driver Sammy Smith; Mary Kay Thatcher, senior lead for federal government relations at Syngenta; Eric Boeck, Regional Director North America for Syngenta Seeds; Sustainable Oils President Mike Karst; Matt Dolch, NK Corn Product Manager, and Jared Benson, NK Soybean Product Manager

ZimmCast 716 - A New Podcast and New Presidents

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. I'm going to start with an excerpt of the brand new podcast, The Heart of Rural America, hosted by Amanda Radke. She's a South Dakota cattle rancher, wife, mama, author, and motivational speaker. Amanda also wrote for AgWired back in 2010! I highly recommend you subscribe to and listen to her new podcast. We are very proud of Amanda and have enjoyed watching her family and career grow over the years. Next in the program are interviews with the new presidents of the Agricultural Communicators Network and the Livestock Publications Council. The gavel was passed for both organizations during the Ag Media Summit. First up is Martha Mintz, Corral Creek Communications. Next, you can listen to my interview with Katrina Huffstutler, Grant Company LLC. That's the ZimmCast for this week. Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoyed it.

ZimmCast 715 - Preview of 2023 Ag Media Summit

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman After getting a break from the agriblogging highway the ZimmComm Team has used the time for some needed work on headquarters. Fortunately it has been indoors as the temperatures are high and a lot of rain has fallen until the last couple days. So now it's time to look ahead to some events we will be attending. The first one is the 2023 Tech Hub Live with a preview from Scott Cogdill, Proagrica. This is the third annual event and will have over 88 speakers, 19 tech talks, 19 fireside chats, 17 roundtable discussion groups and 10 breakout sessions. You can see who is exhibiting here. Following Tech Hub Live I will be at the Southern Peanut Growers Conference in Destin, FL. I'll be creating content for the conference blog and there will be lots of photos and interviews. Then it's on to the 2023 Ag Media Summit in Palm Springs, CA, and the Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel. I haven't been able to attend them all but most of them. The AMS started in 1999. To get a preview of this year's event I spoke with Shelia Grobosky, Public Relations Coordinator at BioZyme Inc. who is the AMS Steering Committee Chair and a member of the Livestock Publications Council. She says there are a number of things that have been changed in the schedule but the basics all all there. It's not too late to register. You can do that here. Hope you are staying cool if you are in an area with significant heat but, hey, it is summer. So that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 714 - Margy Eckelkamp, Farm Journal

ZimmCast 713 - The Work of AgGateway

Hello to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. In this episode I will be sharing a couple of interviews from the AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting. One of those is with Andres Ferrerya, Data Asset Manager for Syngenta Digital. The kind of work that he does and the work of AgGateway can get pretty technical but he describes it in a clear way to understand, in my opinion. Then you can hear Jeremy Wilson, AgGateway's Executive VP/COO, as he talks about the various working groups in AgGateway and what they are doing. The work that AgGateway is doing is really vital for farmers, retailers and other companies that are seeking standards of various kinds to make the process of digital information quicker, simpler and more useful. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 712 - 2023 IFAJ Congress Preview

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. It is going to be a very active June into July for ZimmComm, with a variety of on-location events. One of those is the annual IFAJ World Congress which is being held this year in Alberta, Canada. I will be there and I believe this will be my 10th IFAJ Congress. These events are very well planned and packed with business, professional development and farm tours. To get a preview of the activities I spoke with Jessika Guse, co-chair of the planning committee. I'll be taking a lot of photos throughout the Congress and hope to have time and internet to get them up asap. I'll be doing the same immediately after the Congress when I stay in Calgary for the Alltech ONE World Tour stop. That's the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 711 - Water for Food Global Conference

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Cindy Zimmerman This episode comes to you from the 2023 Water for Food Global Conference, which was held May 8-11 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This was the 10th Water for Food Conference but the first time it's been held since 2019, thanks to COVID. The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska works to address the global challenge of achieving food security with less stress on water resources through water management in agricultural and food systems and the conference brings together experts and thought leaders from around the world to help find solutions to water and food security challenges. In this episode, you will hear from DWFI executive director Peter McCornick, DWFI board member Felicia Marcus, Colorado farmer and LRE Water consultant Dick Wolfe, Nebraska farmer Debbie Borg, and Louise Mabulo, founder of The Cacao Project. We hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 710 - Preview of the 2023 Agri-Marketing Conference

The 2023 Agri-Marketing Conference is approaching fast. You can still register right here. And in this episode you can hear a comprehensive preview of the conference from Vice Chair, Lori Kruger, Signal Theory. In 2004 Cindy and I announced the start of ZimmComm at the conference which means we're starting our 20th year!! It was one of the best decisions we have made and we will be exhibiting once again in the Connection Point. I'll be easy to find and hope you will stop by. I'll have the Golden ZimmComm Microphone ready to conduct interviews. I'd like you to tell me a little about your what you do, your company and your products/services. Simple. No wrong answers.  You can also enter our booth drawing which is a Supernote A6 X bundle that includes pen and folio. It is a dedicated digital note taking device! I want to thank Lori and all the committee members and staff for putting together a fantastic looking conference agenda. I hope to see you there. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 709 - Captive Insurance Programs

In this episode we're going to continue learning about newer options for insurance programs for farmers. And in the program we're going to learn about a relatively new way for farmers, ag processors and cooperatives to have more control over their own risk protection. In particular, the subject will be Captive Insurance Programs.  I had a conversation with John Capasso, founder and current President & Chief Executive Officer of Captive Planning Associates, LLC. John has over 20 years of insurance experience. He walks us through the definition of captive programs and answers questions farmers have about creating them and making the best use of this risk tool. So, listen in as John provides us with the "Captivating Possibilities" of Captive Insurance Programs. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thanks for listening.

ZimmCast 708 - New at Commodity Classic

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. ZimmComm is celebrating 19 years in business this month! In this episode you'll hear about some new products, because that's what Classic is all about. I want to say a special thank you to Syngenta and Phospholutions for making my attendance possible. First you'll hear my conversation with Hunter Swisher, CEO/Founder, Phospholutions. This was the companies public announcement of their product RhizoSorb, an entirely new phosphate fertilizer technology. Hunter will explain. Moving over to Syngenta, a key announcement was a new way to buy seed. They call it Seed Simplified and it is starting with their GHX by Golden Harvest brand to farmers in Iowa and Illinois. Golden Harvest's Morgan Dugan explains it. That's all for the ZimmCast this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 707 - Ready for Spring

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.  I'm going to focus on a couple of different conferences in this episode. First I'm going to share an interview Cindy did with Erik Huschitt, Badger State Ethanol, who is the Chair for the Renewable Fuels Association. This was during the National Ethanol Conference last week. We've been working on the annual conference since 2007. Besides Erik's interview we have lots of content on our AgNewsWire.com virtual ag newsroom. It might be the most we've ever produced at this conference. In Cindy's interview you'll hear Erik talk about what a great conference it was this year. Next I'm going to let you hear what Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse, says about the upcoming Agri-Pulse Ag and Food Policy Summit, which is will place in The National Press Club in Washington, DC. With spring almost here it is time for National Ag Day with activities in Washington, DC the day following the Agri-Pulse event. National Agriculture Day is celebrating 50 years. Amy Bradford, GROWMARK, is chair of the event this year with is hosted by the Agriculture Council of America. Amy talks us through the planned activities. So, that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 706 - From Cattle to CIRB

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. This week's program will start with cattle and end with CIRB. By that I mean a couple of my interviews from the Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show and then from the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting. First up is Colin Woodall, CEO, NCBA, who provides an overview of the organization and how the 2023 convention and trade show has performed. Following Colin is Kent Bacus, Executive Director, Government Affairs, for NCBA who talks about export markets. Moving on to the CIRB Annual Meeting you will hear from Jim Wiesemeyer, Farm Journal policy analyst, who provided his annual political update. And then Michael Torrey, Executive Director, CIRB, provides a wrap-up on this year's event. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 705 - Riding with Can-Am

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. In the middle of the winter meetings I'm going to take a break share a conversation with JJ Rivet, Can-Am. Can-Am provided the members of the Crystal Pig Hunt Club to try out an HD-10 Unlimited model during the early part of the deer hunting season in Georgia, which was very successful. I just talk with JJ a few weeks ago and asked him to talk about the product we worked with. It was a closed cab with heat and air and we filled up feeders, dropped people off at their stands and brought our harvest back to the camp. In our conversation you'll hear about the specifications of this model and a little bit about its history. The cab is a game changer and you'll hear about various add-ons and options to fit your woods, farm and work needs We hope to work with Can-Am again in the future because it sure helped us be more productinve in the field. That's the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 704 - From Beltwide to VISION

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. I'm a little behind on this latest episode. The holidays and early conferences have kept Cindy and I very busy. This includes traveling to see family and that includes a beautiful wedding for one of our nieces. We are very blessed to be able to see so many of our family members. We're scattered all over the place so it's not easy. But worth it. So, I'm going to include a few of the interviews I conducted in the last two weeks.  Let's start with the Beltwide Cotton Conferences in New Orleans. These interviews are from the Cotton Sustainability Conference. First up will be Dr. Gary Adams, President and CEO, National Cotton Council, talking about the U. S. Cotton Trust Protocol. Following Gary will be Dr. Jesse Daystar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Cotton Incorporated, talking about Climate Smart Cotton. There are a quite a few more interviews and other audio in the Beltwide Cotton Conferences virtual ag newsroom on AgNewsWire.com. That includes regulatory updates, cotton policy updates and a world cotton outlook. Now let's move to this week's VISION Conference conducted by Meister Media and held in Glendale, AZ. It is the 6th year for this conference. First up is Joe Monahan, President and COO of Meister Media. He talks about the conference theme of Harnessing the Power of Agriculture 4.0. Then you'll hear Rob Dongoski, Global Food & Agribusiness Leader, Ernst & Young. He has some great information about how technology will enable the future food system from producers to consumers. Coming up next on the ZimmComm schedule is the Clean Fuels Conference followed by the annual meeting of the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau. I'm looking forward to them! I'd also like to remind you that you can subscribe, not only to the ZimmCast, but the ZimmComm Golden Mic Audio Podcast. That podcast contains all interviews or other audio files that we publish. You can find it in all the major podcast directories. Just search for ZimmComm Golden Mic Audio Podcast. So, that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thanks for listening.

ZimmCast 703 - Introducing AgriCap Group, LLC

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. As you know, our theme here on AgWired has always been, "What's new in the world of agribusiness." And in this program we're going to learn about a relatively new way for farmers, ag processors and cooperatives to have more control over their own risk protection. There is more to the story in my interview with Dennis Daggett, a partner with AgriCap Group, LLC out of Minnesota. We had a great conversation during the recent AgGateway Annual Meeting. Our team has cultivated relationships with top insurance companies to develop unique and cost-effective insurance solutions. By bringing together top re-insurers, captive insurance managers, and service providers we help farmers, ag processors and cooperatives retain the investment and tax advantages being lost to commercial insurance companies. We are experienced professionals with a 'hands-on' approach to Ag Risk Management and Protection. Our reinsurers have earned an 'Excellent' rating from A.M. Best for over 50 years. This rating proves that they have the financial strength to pay your claims and give you peace of mind when you need it most. So, listen in as Dennis tells us all about AgriCap and how farmers and their ag partners can find out more. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 702 - Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa

During the 2022 ASTA CSS & Seed Expo I met one of the international attendees yesterday who lives in Kenya and is Head of Seed Research & Systems Development for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). She has a great story and I think you'll enjoy learning about farming challenges in the eleven country area that the organization works in. I think it is always fascinating to learn more about agriculture in other countries. That's why I've supported the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists. They have an annual meeting in a different member country each year. By attending many of them I have been able to travel in Japan, New Zealand, Argentina, Canada, Switzerland and many others. You can learn more about IFAJ at IFAJ.org. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 701 - A View from the Top with Syngenta Crop Protection

In this episode I'm going to share some interview with Syngenta leadership from the company's crop protection media summit. So, let's learn what's new with Syngenta Crop Protection. First I'll share my conversation with Vern Hawkins, President, Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC, followed by Jeff Cecil, Head of North America Crop Protection Marketing. Vern will discuss a "View from the Top." Next we have Jeff who will discuss "Syngenta CP Innovation and Economics of Agronomics." For more interviews from the Syngenta Media Summit go to AgNewsWire.com and click on the virtual newsroom where you will also find lots of photos from the event in Louisiana. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 700 - NAMA Fall Conference & Export Exchange

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. We're reached another milestone. This is episode 700 of the podcast that started back at the beginning of 2005. You can find them all on AgWired.com by searching the category link for the ZimmCast.  This week I'm going to share a few interviews from my week last week in Minneapolis. First was the NAMA Fall Conference followed by the Export Exchange. First we'll hear from Matt Coniglio, Farm Progress, and chair of the NAMA Foundation. Next up is Brian Torrey, John Deere, who is the chair for the 2023 Agri-Marketing Conference which will take place in St. Louis next April. He provides a little look ahead for that. After the NAMA Fall Conference I changed hotels for the Export Exchange which is an opportunity for foreign grain buyers to come visit with farmers, agribusiness companies and the U.S. Grains Council, Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy, who partner to put the even on. First up is Ryan LeGrand, U.S. Grains Council President/CEO. Next Ann Lewis of the RFA provides current numbers for the exports of U.S. ethanol and dried distillers grains. It was a busy week in Minneapolis but later this week I'll be in the Georgia woods hunting deer. Looking forward to a little R&R. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 699 - Preview of the 2022 NAMA Fall Conference

This week's program will be a preview interview on the NAMA Fall Conference coming up very soon in Minneapolis. To get the details I talked with GROWMARK's Chris Grogan who is the vice chair of the NAMA committee that has worked with staff to plan this year's event. We'll talk about the program and speakers, registration, the hotel and more. The conference will be held at the Loews in Minneapolis on October 10-12. You can find the link to register on the NAMA website if you haven't already done so.

ZimmCast 698 - What's New from Syngenta During #FPS22

In this episode I'm going to share interviews with Syngenta/Golden Harvest representatives who were on location at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, IA. Thank you Syngenta for making my attendance possible this year. There is a lot of content in the virtual newsroom on AgNewWire that includes lots of photos and interviews. Just go to AgNewsWire.com to check it out and feel free to download and use. So, in this program you will hear what's new from the company from: Rex Gray, Golden Harvest corn product manager David Schlake, Golden Harvest agronomy manager - west Andy Ackley, Ph.D., Golden Harvest corn portfolio manager Ron Beyer, Golden Harvest agronomist Logan Romines, Syngenta fungicide product lead And that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it.

ZimmCast 697 - Bayer Crop Science Field Technology Showcase

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. This is the 697th episode. Almost to 700! I'm sharing two of the interviews I conducted during the Bayer Crop Science Field Technology Showcase last week. We had multiple in-field demonstration plots and presenters. I was most interested in one about small stature corn which you'll hear is the core of Bayer's Smart Corn strategy. Then on the soybean side of things you'll hear about new technologies coming to help farmers with weed control and also a description of their investment in CoverCress which is planted in the fall and harvested just ahead of spring planting. The product works as a good cover crop and has additional opportunities for farmers to obtain additional income from the harvested crop. Bayer recently purchased a majority stake in CoverCress, Inc. First up is my interview with Kelly Gillespie, VP Digital Ecosystems Services, Bayer Crop Science. Then there is my interview with Jennifer Ralston, Global Soybean Seed & Traits Portfolio Manager, Bayer Crop Science. So, that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 696 - Yield10 Bioscience

Interview with Oliver Peoples, President and CEO Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. is an agricultural bioscience company that is using its differentiated trait gene discovery platform, the "Trait Factory", to develop improved Camelina varieties for the production of biofuel feedstock oils, PHA bioplastics and omega-3 (DHA+EPA) oils and to license our yield traits to major seed companies for commercialization in major row crops, including corn, soybean and canola. Yield10 is headquartered in Woburn, MA and has an Oilseeds Center of Excellence in Saskatoon, Canada.

ZimmCast 695 - Preview of 2022 Ag Media Summit

This will be episode 695 of the ZimmCast. I'd love any feedback you want to give. Do you like the format? What would change? What topics or speakers would you like to hear? Message me and I really appreciate it. In just over a week the annual Ag Media Summit will take place in Raleigh, NC. If you have not registered, you can do so on site if you need to. But you can also follow on social media with the hashtag #AgMediaSummit2022 and I'll be posting lots of photos and interviews when I can. In this week's program you can hear a preview of the event from Kenna Rathai, Broadhead, who is Chair of the Steering Committee for the Ag Media Summit this year. It is easy to find more information about the Ag Media Summit and to register. Just go to AgMediaSummit.com. So, that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 694 - Sharing AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting Conversations

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. This week I got on the agriblogging and podcasting highway to Altoona, Iowa for the AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting. This is the organization's "roll up your sleeves, working meeting." There are many topic work groups and discussions. All of which will lead to the agenda for the Annual Meeting later this year. So, for this episode I'm going to share some of the interviews I conducted. You can find all of them and photos in the virtual newsroom on AgNewsWire.com. Let's get started. First up is Brent Kemp, President/CEO, AgGateway. Next, let's listen in to Doug Farrington, BASF, who is Chair of AgGateway. Now we'll learn about what AgGateway means to Andres Ferreyra, Syngenta. I had a great conversation with Dennis Daggett, Enterprise Ag Strategies. Finally, I'm sharing my conversation with Jacob Crow, GROWMARK, who serves on the board of AgGateway. As you have heard during the program, AgGateway has organized itself to be a more global organization and I think we'll be seeing and hearing a lot more about them in the future. I'll be on a short break from the road but will be attending the Ag Media Summit next. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 693 - Stay Curious with Alltech Crop Science

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. In this week's podcast I'm going to share a couple of speakers who have just been added to the AgNewsWire virtual newsroom for the Alltech ONE Conference. I thought you might be interested in their topics. Let's start out with Amy Bell-Elmohammed, Quality Manager for Alltech. Amy managed the Stay Curious Track for the conference. She will explain what that means. Next we'll turn to a topic area many of you are involved in which is crop science. Learn what Alltech is doing in this area from Steve Borst, Vice President of Alltech Crop Science. So, if you liked these topics you can find more if you register for the Alltech ONE Conference and look through all the virtual content. And, that's the ZimmComm for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 692- Alltech Award Winners

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. This week I was in Lexington, KY for the Alltech ONE Conference. It has been 3 years since Alltech created one of the very first virtual conferences in 2020. So you can imagine the excitement and joy of being with customers and friends from all over the world. That includes agricultural media who had a great press room to work out of as usual. So, for this week's ZimmCast I'm going to share two interviews. First will be the 2021 Alltech Canada Planet of Plenty Award Winner, Andrea Stroeve-Sawa, Shipwheel Cattle Feeders, Alberta. Next will be the 2022 Alltech Canada Planet of Plenty Award winner, Jillian Byers, Blue Ridge Farms, Alberta.

ZimmCast 691 - New Update from CropTrak

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. Before getting to our featured guest I did a little look into the way back machine of AgWired. I found a ZimmCast I did with an interview with PrecisonEarth, owned by Cogent3D, Inc, and that's where I met Aaron Hutchison. We were at the InfoAg Conference in 2011 where the company was showcasing a new iPad soil collect and display app called PrecisionEarth. At the time that was still early use of iOS devices for precision ag. The company then moved on to a product called CropTrak. Now look forward to today and I just interviewed Aaron, President and Co-Founder, about CropTrak, a cloud technology solutions company that helps multinational food, beverage, agriculture, and protein customers increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of their supply chain management processes and systems. CropTrak just released a platform update that expands its capabilities to provide multi-stakeholders complete visibility of the financial transactions across their ingredient supply chain. For the first time, food and beverage companies managing grower contracts and settlements can do so in one seamless platform optimized for collaboration and insights. Aaron says "Our goal is to continue to lead the food industry with ongoing innovation and process improvements to help assure food is safe, affordable, and sustainable, while making paper contracts a thing of the past."  Sounds like a lofty goal and it is as CropTrak is working with companies like Del Monte, Bolthouse Farms, Corteva, Pivot Bio, Benson Hill and more.  That's the ZimmCast. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 690 - Remarks & Interviews from the 2022 Agri-Marketing Conference

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast, I'm Chuck Zimmerman. The topic of this episode is the 2022 Agri-Marketing Conference which took place last week. Besides exhibiting in the Connection Point I was also taking photos for NAMA, over 500 of them which you can find in our online album. Just click on the Flickr icon on AgWired.com or AgNewsWire.com to find them. During the conference I recorded remarks from our industry award winners as well as interviewing the new president of NAMA, Deron Johnson, Curious Plot. The Golden ZimmComm Microphone was active in our Connection Point booth and I conducted interviews with a number of attendees and other exhibitors. You can find them all on the virtual newsroom on AgNewsWire.com.  I'm going to share a number of these remarks and interviews with you in this week's program.  That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 689 - Preview of the 2022 Agri-Marketing Conference

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. Trips on the agriblogging highway continue with the Agri-Marketing Conference coming up next week. After that conference it will be on to Lexington, KY for the Alltech ONE Conference in May.  ZimmComm will be exhibiting in the Connection Point at the Agri-Marketing Conference once again, in booth 201. The ZimmComm Golden Mic will be there to conduct interviews with attendees. All you have to do is stop by and we can chat about what is new in the world of agribusiness with you. You can also stop by to enter a drawing for a blue Apple HomePod mini while you're at it. To get a preview of this year's NAMA conference I'm sharing a conversation with Tom Posta, Bader Rutter, who is Chair of this year's event.

ZimmCast 688 - Ag Day Preview

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. In this week's program we'll get a preview of National Ag Day activities in Washington, DC from Amy Bradford, GROWMARK, and Chair of the Agriculture Council of America. March 22 is the offical Ag Day but there will be activities on the 21st and 22nd. These include on Monday, a Celebration of Ag with company and association exhibits on the National Mall, the annual Agri-Pulse Ag and Food Policy Summit, a joint reception at the National Press Club and then on Tuesday the exhibits are open again, Sec. of Ag Tom Vilsack will sign a declaration for Ag Day and there will be a virtual event with several speakers including the Outstanding Young Farmers and the Ag Day Essay Contest Winners. You can go to AgDay.org to register now. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 687 - Verdant Robotics

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman Before getting to this week's interview I thought I'd summarize a little bit of our activities. Last week Cindy and I tagged teamed the National Ethanol Conference where we created a customized virtual newsroom for the Renewable Fuels Association. There is a lot of content in there including 2 different event photo albums and lots of interviews and other audio. That was in New Orleans. Which is where I will be back to next week for the Commodity Classic and working with several companies and organizations. Like most people I know, we are deeply concerned about the war taking place in Ukraine. We have friends there from time spent during IFAJ Congresses and we have heard that they are okay right now. We are praying for an end to this conflict. There are lots of parties that can share the blame on it but what is most important are the lives of people, including children, who are dying or have already become homeless. So, let's move on to one of the things we always like to talk about and that's what is new in the world of agribusiness. Last week we distributed a news release for Verdant Robotics that announced its first multi-action autonomous farm robot for specialty crops. I talked with company co-founder and CEO, Gabe Sibley.

ZimmCast 686 - Agri-Pulse Newsmakers

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast, I'm Chuck Zimmerman. Our friends at Agri-Pulse have launched a national news show called Agri-Pulse Newsmakers. The inaugural show was published this past Friday and you can find it on the Agri-Pulse website. The program designed for a broader audience and to engage lawmakers and key influencers on the hottest political topics. I talked with Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse Founder and Editor about the new program and that's the topic for this week's ZimmCast. To sign up for updates from the new weekly Newsmakers program and daily newsletters just go to the Agri-Pulse website. So, that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 685 - Cattle Industry Convention

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. Last week I traveled to Houston for the annual Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show. We produced a customized virtual newsroom for NCBA on AgNewsWire.com. It is loaded with content including photos, interviews and session audio that is all available all media. In this week's episode I'm going to feature some of my interviews. Included are now-past president Jerry Bohn and new president Don Schiefelbein. They each bring their perspective to the last year and the year ahead. Also in this week's program you'll hear from NCBA staff members CEO Colin Woodall and VP of Government Affairs, Ethan Lane. A very well attended each year is the Cattlefax Outlook. Afterward I spoke with Cattlefax VP of Industry Relations and Analysis to get a summary of what the outlook is for the cattle industry. Finally, I thought you might enjoy hearing Markie Hageman who received the Beef Advocacy Program Advocate of the Year. It was a great conference. Like in Florida, there were no mask requirements or other ones. Over 6,000 people had a great time and that is the way I'd like to see all conferences from now on. No good reason not to. This week I'll be back on the agriblogging highway to the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau annual meeting near Palm Springs, CA. See you from there. So, that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you like it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 684 - Talking With Mike Adams

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.  Recently retired farm broadcaster Mike Adams was honored by the biodiesel industry last week at the National Biodiesel Conference and Expo in Las Vegas. Adams was presented with the Biodiesel Impact Award. "As I look back, I remember those soy diesel days," said Adams. "It made so much sense to me I couldn't understand why anyone would ever be against either ethanol or biodiesel." During the conference I sat down with Mike to talk about his career and the award. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you listening.

ZimmCast 683 - Wrap-ups and Previews

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. This episode will be about wrap-ups and previews. 2022 got off to a fast start with our virtual newsroom production for the National Cotton Council and the Beltwide Cotton Conferences. You can find the interviews and photos on AgNewsWire.com which has a link to the custom page we created for this project. I'm going to share my wrap-up interview of the conferences with Gary Adams, President/CEO, National Cotton Council. Next week both Cindy and I will be on the agriblogging highway to separate locations. Cindy will be in Glendale, Arizona for the PrecisionAg Vision Conference while I will be in Las Vegas for the National Biodiesel Conference. So, to preview these conferences I have my preview interview with Meister Media's Eric Davis and Richard Jones. And then Cindy's interview with Brad Shimmens, National Biodiesel Board.

ZimmCast 682 - The Latest from Syngenta

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. In this episode I'm going to share stories from Syngenta since they were at all of the events I attended in the last few weeks. We really appreciate Syngenta's support which helps make what we do at ZimmComm possible. So let's get started. At the NAFB Trade Talk we heard about Syngenta's sustainability efforts from Caydee Savinelli and Steven Wall. Next, it was on to the Farm Journal MILK Business Conference where Enogen was in the spotlight to help dairy producers. Describing this are Todd Lunde, Ted Koehler, Liz Novotny, Katie Edmunds and from Penn State, Dr. Alexander Hristov. Last but not least, Syngenta was a major sponsor at the ASTA CSS & Seed Trade Expo where I spoke with Eric Boeck and Mary Kay Thatcher. Want to sponsor the ZimmCast? Just let me know and we can talk through ideas for your company. I'm AgriBlogger on Twitter or just email me at chuck@zimmcomm.biz. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 681 - What's New for 2022 from NAFB Trade Talk

ZimmCast 680 - Learning About Zeolite from Ida-Ore

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. This week's episode is sponsored by IDA-ORE ZEOLITE. Zeolite is a miracle mineral that is rapidly taking over the agricultural, turf, and water filtration industries. Visit www.ida-ore.com or call 208-515-6966 to get a quote for bulk orders. Mention discount code "CHUCK" for savings! In this week's program I have a conversation with Matt Lott, Sales Manager, Ida-Ore. The topic is Zeolite and we're going to learn all about it. Matt will provide us with background on the company and then focus on their products. Zeolite is used in a variety of industries like turf, soil amendment, animal feed additive, water filtration and waste and more. One that I found interesting was the use of Zeolite in pet products that include bedding and cat litter. It has enormous odor eliminating properties. Home Depot is a large retailer of their products. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thanks for listening.

ZimmCast 679 - Public Relations Professionals

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. After missing it for a few years I was able to attend the Agricultural Relations Council (ARC) Annual Meeting which took place in Richmond, VA. We had a good turnout with some great sessions. I interviewed several of the attendees. More on that in a moment. The Golden ARC Awards, which were started in 1990 as the pre-eminent ag public relations awards, had many entries and awards were announced during the meeting. The awards themselves did not get to the hotel on time so they will be sent to the winners. You can find a list of all the winners on the ARC website. So, let's get started a conversation I had with Lynn Henderson, AgriMarketing, who was inducted into the ARC Public Relations Hall of Fame. Next up, I spoke with Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse, who participated in an editor panel which had the job of talking about reaching editors with news and information. Also participating on the editor panel was Jessica Johnson, NewsWise. There was an ag panel discussion on the "Beneficial Swamp Dwellers." I spoke with Bethany Shively, ASTA, who talked about the value of those fighting the good public relations fight for ag and food in Washington, DC. She also gets in a plug for the upcoming ASTA CSS & Seed Expo in Chicago in December. I also spoke with Erin Nash, NAFB. NAFB was a sponsor at the ARC Annual Meeting. Erin talks about services NAFB offers to ag public relations professionals. Lastly in the program for this week, I spoke with conference attendee, Hannah Thompson-Weeman, Animal Ag Alliance. This was her first ARC Annual Meeting. Hannah also provides a plug for the organizations annual Stakeholders meeting. I'm really glad I was able to go to the ARC meeting this year and spend some face to face time with so many friends in the industry. Next on my schedule is the NAFB annual meeting in Kansas City. I'll be there all day for Trade Talk, so maybe I'll see you then. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thanks for listening.

ZimmCast 678 - Preview of the ARC Annual Meeting

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.  In this program we're going to get a preview of the 2021 Agricultural Relations Council Annual Meeting. Providing the details is Kristy Mach, Corner Window Communications and Executive Director of ARC. Kristy walks us through the program and speakers as well as the annual business meeting and awards program. The second day will be tour day to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Colonial Williamsburg. There will be lots of networking opportunities as well. The meeting if for agricultural public relations professionals of all kinds and levels of experience.

ZimmCast 677 - Preview of NAMA Fall Conference

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast, I'm Chuck Zimmerman. In this program we're going to learn all about the 2021 NAMA Fall Conference from the head of the conference committee, Michele Tibodeau, CHS, Inc. Michele walks us through a preview of the program which includes the presentation of the annual Professional Development Awards of Excellence, network opportunities like on and off-site receptions and great speakers and sessions. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 676 - Ethanol & Stugis Motorcycle Rally

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. Last week I attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, working primarily in the Buffalo Chip Campground with the Renewable Fuels Association. This is the 8th out of the last ten years I've had this opportunity. I get to work with a group of great people, creating content during the various sponsorship activities. It is both an educational as well as promotional effort. The focus is on helping motorcycle riders understand the value and safety of using an E10 blend of ethanol and gas in their machines. All motorcycle manufacturers warranty this fuel. Robert White, VP of Industry Relations for RFA, spearheads this project and has done so for all of the 13 years the organization has been involved with the Sturgis Rally. I talked to him about how things went this year as we were wrapping up the activities. The Free Fuel Happy Hours on the Buffalo Chip property is the major component of RFA's activities as bikers line up to fill their bikes with E10, 93 octane, fuel. It provides a great opportunity to talk one on one with bikers about ethanol and answer questions they may have. I spoke with several of the folks who came through and thought I'd share what they had to say. RFA pumped more than 3,000 gallons of fuel during the four days of Free Fuel Happy Hours for three hours per day.  So, that's the ZimmCast for this week. Thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 675 - Growth of Benson Hill

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.  In this episode I'm sharing a conversation with Matt Crisp, CEO of Benson Hill, a food technology company that is unlocking the natural genetic diversity of plants for the plant-based food revolution. It is some very new technology they are employing and Matt will walk us through it. There are some terms like Cloud Biology, nutrition security and the company's CropOS platform that I think you'll find them very interesting. So, let's learn more about what is new with Benson Hill. That's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

ZimmCast 674 - Live Event Previews

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. If you are into numbers this is episode # 674. Downloads of the ZimmCast have increased on a regular basis this year. If you'd like to be a ZimmCast sponsor, just let me know. Cindy and I have been making travel plans for work. That's something pretty rare since early last year. So we've got flights scheduled, hotel reservations and conference registered. I guess it's kind of like riding a bike. Pretty simple list of things that are needed so it has been just like we missed a long beat is all. So, speaking of travel for work this week's episode will provide previews of two events that take us out on the agriblogging highway. The first is the Meister Media inaugural Tech Hub Live conference in Des Moines. Also included is the Souther Peanut Grower Conference where we create content for the conference blog, something we've done since 2008. We will have virtual ag newsrooms from these events on AgNewsWire.com which provide free content for publications, websites, social media, newsletters and more. And we'll also be sharing individual stories on AgWired.com. So, that's the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.