| ByLine: November/December 2007 Our Code of Ethics: We're All in this Together "Farmers are much more aware of advertiser influence on editorial content than we might think." -- Karen Simon, ethics committee co-chair Recently I received a call from an AAEA member, a long-time leader in our organization, who had a rather knotty question about advertising side expectations for sponsored email newsletters. A couple weeks earlier, a colleague asked me about the ethics of accepting a certain kind of speaking engagement. He had looked through the AAEA code and found nothing that seemed to address the situation precisely. Some AAEA members who have recently received stipends have donated them to the AAEA Professional Improvement Foundation. Other ethics questions I've heard raised recently have to do with the perceived differences in the lines between advertising and editorial in various media. Is the editorial role somehow different in non-print media -- in radio, for example? Quite a number of us are now involved in video, radio and Web work, as well as print. Shouldn't our ethical stance be consistent from one medium to another? Our code of ethics was revised in 2006, in part to address a growing concern that the lines between editorial and advertising were blurring in new media. Other issues on the forefront were advertiser-paid trips, gifts from marketing communications agencies, and proper labeling of advertorials. The updated ethics code brought immediate benefits. For one thing, there was open discussion of these issues at the 2006 Agricultural Media Summit (AMS) in Portland, Ore. The panel presentation at the annual meeting that year enabled editorial, agribusiness, and agency people to talk openly about media ethics. That session played before a packed room, and you could almost feel the weight of previously unaired concerns lifting from people's shoulders. Also, it was beneficial that the AAEA board, upon recommendation of the ethics committee, adopted the "preferred practices" of the American Business Media (ABM) organization, the professional group of our publishers. The logic has proved sound, I think: In addressing ethics questions with our code, editors can state that they are simply following the publishers' own policies. While the 2006 revisions were a big step forward for our organization, it's clear that ethics questions have not disappeared from our daily routines. Our business keeps evolving, and the industry's players continue to change. The Portland session proved it is healthy to get these issues out in the open. Going forward it would seem wise to keep ethics topics a major part of our coverage in The ByLine and annual meeting programming. And, it certainly helped me to give the new code a quick re-reading recently. It's brief -- a mere three pages -- and clearly worded. A good understanding of these provisions may make your life easier the next time an ethics issue crops up in your shop. In thinking through the history of AAEA's efforts to address ethics issues in our industry, I recently interviewed Karen Simon, co-chair of the ethics committee and an active member of AAEA for many years. Karen wrote her masters degree thesis on ethics in agriculture and was a presenter on the ethics panel at the 2006 AMS. JW: Karen, what do you feel we accomplished with the 2006 revisions? KS: By revising the code of ethics, we accomplished several things. First, we brought a new awareness of ethics to the industry. Second, we addressed some concerns by adopting a code that was more specific. (Examples are the guidelines for ag journalists to avoid influence and the labeling guidelines for advertorials.) Third, by adopting the publishers' code we aligned ourselves with others in the industry. This is crucial, because in order to make a difference we must all work together to protect the integrity of our agricultural publications. JW: Regarding your masters thesis, what were a couple of its most significant findings? KS: My thesis looked at the influence of advertising on editorial content and examined ways to develop ethical accountability for ag journalists. In my opinion, the most important finding is that farmers are much more aware of advertiser influence on editorial content than we might think. Second was the awareness that it isn't just the editor's responsibility to uphold ethical standards, it's everyone's responsibility, industry-wide. Protecting trustworthy and unbiased ag publications is in everyone's best interest. JW: Are you aware of any specific cases that have cropped up in which our new code has been useful? KS: I've heard of several examples recently. In one case, a major agricultural publication found that having a more specific code of ethics provided the editorial staff with another tool to use when faced with unethical demands from the advertising department. One of the editors there believes most publications have thought about ethics a lot more in the past year. However, he also said that with the fierce competition between publications for advertising dollars, it's even more crucial to stand united when it comes to journalistic ethics, because if one publication caves in to the pressure, the rest soon follow. In another case, a major equipment manufacturer has seen a change in the way publications behave since the ethics discussion began last year, noting that some agencies have changed their proposals to make sure their ideas don't violate the new code of ethics. And, I've heard that a crop chemical company has pledged not to place advertisements in publications that engage in unethical practices. JW: What issues remain for us regarding ethics? KS: Loren [Kruse, co-chair] and I hope to build on the groundwork laid this past year to continue to create opportunities for education and awareness, both within AAEA and throughout the industry. There has also been interest in developing a code of ethics that would address issues faced by affiliate members. The steps taken to adopt a new code of ethics and raise awareness of ethical issues are a positive first step. However, one is never done when it comes to this issue. Ethics is an ever-evolving process, and we must continue our work in this area. John Walter is director of multimedia at Successful Farming/Agriculture Online. You can reach him at 515-284-2802 or john.walter@meredith.com Join The One Club By Betsy Freese, chair of Membership Committee The membership committee is kicking things up a notch with an exciting new plan this year. The goal is to have 400 members by the end of our fiscal year -- July 31, 2008. We have about 385 members now. The goal may not sound like much, but in an industry that could easily shrink in numbers each year if we let it, this will take some work. First, we are offering a steep discount to new members. Our normal fee to join AAEA is $170. For new members in 2008, we will entice them to sign up for just $100! What a deal. Plus, there will be an incentive for current members. If you sign someone up who hasn't been a member before, you get a $25 Visa Gift card. Surely everyone can find one person in the industry who should be a member and isn't, whether it is a freelancer, photographer, graphic designer, or communicator in a company or agency. The idea is to create a great incentive for people to join (especially affiliates). The committee is preparing a special email message to a group of at least 100 prospects we've identified. What is The One Club? That's a new club we've created to encourage everyone to find new members for AAEA. Find just one new member and you are now a member of The One Club. You get the $25 gift card for each new member you recruit, and you will be invited to a special event at the 2008 Agricultural Media Summit. Stay tuned for more details. All you have to do is notify us when you find out a new member you recruited has joined our organization. It's that simple. Bottom line: this is for new members only between now and the end of the fiscal year, July 31. The One Club is a plan to get all our members engaged in finding just one new member. Questions, comments, ideas? The membership committee wants to hear from
you. We are:
Remember AAEA PIF in Your Year-end Giving By Paul Queck, AAEA Professional Improvement Foundation chair Watch for a mid-November email asking for you to remember AAEA's Professional Improvement Foundation (PIF) in your end-of year giving. Your donation to PIF will be used to continue and expand professional improvement opportunities such as Webinars, regional professional improvement meetings, scholarships for ag journalism students, and grants for AAEA members to attend courses, seminars and International Federation of Agricultural Journalists congresses. Last year AAEA's past presidents led the way by challenging themselves to each give $200 for professional improvement. A dozen met the challenge last year and plans are to continue the Presidents' Club for 2008. Donating will be quick and easy this year as the AAEA Web site is set up so you can make your donation online. PIF is a non-profit 501 C3 organization, so contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Paul Queck can be reached at pqueck@aol.com.
Harold Johnson Fund contributes $5,000 to PIF The AAEA Professional Improvement Foundation (PIF) has received a $5,000 grant from the Harold and Joan Johnson Family Fund. Harold, as many long-time AAEA members know, worked for many years as an ag editor, first for Farm Industry News, then as creator and owner of Farm Show magazine. Harold died of Parkinson's disease about a year ago. His wife Joan had passed away in the late 1990s. One of Farm Show magazine's long-time editors, Bill Gergen, said the disease took its toll over the years on Harold, but "he still had a sharp mind and wanted to contribute to AAEA." Mark Newall, editor and publisher of Farm Show magazine, said Harold always loved attending AAEA meetings. "He loved AAEA because of the way it brought ag editors together," he said. Harold also made numerous other contributions to organizations through his family fund. On behalf of the entire membership, AAEA says thank you to the surviving
family of Harold and Joan Johnson for this marvelous gift to PIF. A letter
of thanks was sent to the family upon receipt of the gift. Stay Tuned for Distance Learning By Linda Smith, Member Services Committee chair The Member Services Committee is finalizing plans for two Webinars. The first will cover how to size and imbed a graphic element into and format an email, tentatively planned for 30 minutes on Dec. 18, 2007, at a cost of $30. The second will cover editorial blogs -- benefit to publications, how to make them valuable to readers, and the ins and outs of blogging. It will last one hour and take place in January, at a cost of $40. This is a great chance to learn new skills from the comfort of your office. Watch your email and the AAEA Web site for more details. Join us! Linda Smith, executive editor, Top Producer, can be reached at 215-557-8960 or lsmith@farmjournal.com.
Save The Date -- Regional Workshop Please mark your calendars for The Nuts and Bolts of Ag Communications: Midwest Regional Design & Writing Workshop jointly organized by AAEA and Livestock Publications Council (LPC) members on April 10, 2008, in Des Moines, Iowa. This is the second workshop in Des Moines and we are hoping for an even bigger crowd. The agenda includes traditional media, non-traditional and emerging media as well as interactive and motivational speakers to get us fired up or recharged. The workshop also includes a farmer panel, so come hear what our audience needs and wants. Registration information will be available in early 2008. Hope to see you there!
Confessions of the Invisible Editor By Cheri Zagurski, The ByLine committee Sometimes I feel like I am the most invisible editor in all of ag journalism. But I can't complain. It's been my choice. Recently I volunteered to join the AAEA committee that puts out The ByLine newsletter. When Dan Zinkand asked me via email if he was correct in thinking he had met me at a U.S. Grains Council meeting in Monterey or a NAAJ meeting seven years ago, I had to laugh. In 21 years working in ag journalism, I have met many of my fellows via email and phone conversations. But, unless you've been to the DTN offices, we probably haven't met face-to-face. I don't get out much. Since I am basically an "unknown," Zinkand asked me if I could write a little something about myself so those who might see my name in the newsletter wouldn't be perplexed -- Zagurski? Wasn't he a football player? Or a Polish weight lifter in the 1968 Olympics? Following my 1982 graduation from Kearney State College's J-School in Kearney, Neb., (our motto in the late 70s/early 80s was "More Partying Per Capita Than Other State-Funded Institutions") I had a series of jobs at small town weekly, bi-weekly and daily Nebraska newspapers. At one of those jobs I met the son of a county commissioner whose board I regularly covered. I hoped to date him, but instead ended up going to work for him. That landed me in the big time: United Press International (UPI). Only, it wasn't all that big. In the mid-1980s UPI was having troubles. Paychecks bounced. Staff was reduced. I was one of four employees covering the entire state of Nebraska. My job mostly consisted of reading the Omaha World Herald and rewriting stories for the UPI wire, which would have been okay for awhile. I have a high tolerance for tedium. What I didn't have a high tolerance for was murder. One night while I was on duty (the newbie worked the night shift and holiday hours), an Omaha man killed his wife at her job in a local restaurant and then killed himself. I was dispatched to cover. And it broke my heart. So I quit. DTN was looking for a staffer at the time and I decided to plunge into ag land -- where most days the only things that die are hogs and cattle; some chickens and sheep. I suppose that's sad too, in a way. But I have to admit, I do love a good hot dog. I had covered ag issues at those small town newspapers. You can't work at a rural weekly and not have to write about ag. So I wasn't totally unprepared. But DTN at that time was unprepared for journalism. Back in the day, DTN was 27 pages of weather, cash grain quotes from elevators, cash livestock prices and market analysis. My bosses were grain analysts. They were very smart about the markets, but they didn't know AP style from a hair style. They weren't reporters or editors. They were grain traders and buyers who could write. Once, a DTN staffer finished a piece with a casual off-hand "Ciao!" Only he spelled it "chow." And it was published that way. When I pointed out the error, he responded: "Well, I wouldn't know. I went to a land grant college." I did not explain to him that I, too, attended a land grant college, and was drunk most of the time I was there, but still managed to learn that "Ciao" and "chow" mean entirely different things. For years my capacity for sheer hard work is what was valued at DTN. Not my ability to write a short, funny column. Not my knowledge of subject-verb agreement or spelling skills. Not my ability to connect with an interviewee. Eventually DTN evolved. More journalists were hired, including ag weatherman Bryce Anderson, Kim Dloughy Lang, Peter Shinn and more recently former Asian Wall Street Journal editor Urban Lehner. The focus switched from weather and quotes to news. I felt entirely at home. But, you haven't seen my name on any award-winning articles in AAEA contests. When I was a staff reporter, DTN didn't enter contests. Now as managing editor, I spend most of my time managing, some of my time editing, very little of my time writing and virtually none of my time traveling. That's been my choice. I'm a behind-the-scenes kind of gal. Good reporting requires time on the road. I decided a long time ago I had to have a career I could balance with my home life -- and I wanted my home life to be at home. No missed ball games. No missed teacher conferences. No wondering what my 14 year old was doing on the computer, because I'm there looking over his shoulder pretty much constantly. Boy, does he hate that. DTN has accommodated my family life and I'm extremely grateful. My life plan, however, has kept me from Commodity Classics, Agricultural Media Summits, other ag news events and gatherings. Lately, I'm beginning to think that maybe I missed out by missing all these events. I have worked through 21 years of farm bills and disaster aid bills. I have written about PIK (payment in kind) certificates and "piking and rolling." I have stayed up late year after year, posting crop tour stories called in from the road. I have edited Jerry Gulke's columns (and sometimes typed them from faxes) for decades. I have received a gift of the biggest ham I'd ever seen from a DTN advisory service provider and a gift of the prettiest French silk scarf from DTN's Political Correspondent Jerry Hagstrom. (I sent him a DTN polo shirt. Probably not the fairest trade in the world, but it worked for me!) And I helped teach many new ag journalists the difference between LDPs and CCPs, the difference between disc and disk; the difference between a barrow and a boar. But I'm thinking maybe it's time I taught my husband the proper picking up and dropping off pattern at the elementary school and the intricacies of social interaction at PTA and Sunday school meetings so he can share the joy and I can hit the road! Hope to meet some of you face to face when I do. Cheri Zagurski is DTN Managing Editor, in Omaha, Neb. She can be reached at (402) 399-6402 or cheri.zagurski@dtn.com
Looking for New Opportunities? Check the Job Bank Check the AAEA Job Bank on the AAEA Web site regularly for the latest job opportunities in the agricultural communications industry.
Images from Japan Click here to view more photos from Japan, thanks to David Lundquist, CHS/Land O'Lakes; Kurt Lawton, Stellar Content; and Lilian Schaer, Eastern Canada Farm Writers' Association.
Reflections of IFAJ - Japan By Kurt Lawton First off, a million thanks to members of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) committee and the AAEA Professional Improvement Foundation that extended a stipend so I could experience my first federation of 184 journalists from across the globe. I now understand why some members among us -- Paul Queck and Mike Wilson to name two -- journey to this meeting annually, and get involved. It's the rural kinship connection, the people, the hobnobbing, and immersing oneself in the oddities of different cultures (like trying not to see male peers buck-naked in a Japanese hot spa). I'm now a believer (in IFAJ, not the spa), and question why I have not gone before now. What you gain are amazing global perspectives, which are extremely valuable in the global agricultural marketplace we try to decipher every week. And my Palm address list now contains dozens of journalists from 20-plus countries, all who cover agriculture. There might even be more names once I translate a few napkins. You get the picture. Now, having travelled Europe a half-dozen times, I was intrigued by the Far East, yet slightly leery. But I figured at least I'd be taller than most of the huge population. Imagine one-third the U.S. population crammed onto an island the size of California. While Tokyo was an extremely crowded city filled with an endless supply of skyscrapers and apartments that extended on top of each other and into tomorrow, I did discover a fascinating culture of friendly people -- both traditional and westernized. But I was truly happiest when the bullet train finally left Tokyo station and headed north to wide open rural spaces. While I could write an intriguing Atlantic-Monthly-sized travelogue of our adventures, I'll Readers Digest-icize it to keep you scrolling without boredom - Japan agriculture faces many challenges. A shrinking and aging population (average farmer age is 65 with 1.75 hectares) of farm owners/workers, decreasing total ag output due to decline in prices under globalization, increasing acreage abandonment of cultivated land and a continuous decline in food self-sufficiency (now 39%). Their self-sufficiency goal is 50% by 2015. - Agricultural area of Japan is 13% of total acres (4.8 million hectares of 37.8 total). Forest comprises 67% of Japan. Ag output consists of 30% livestock, 24% vegetables, 23% rice, 8% fruit, 5% flowers, 5% other, 2% wheat/barley, 2% potatoes, 1% beans. - Sticky white rice formed into balls and rolls, along with fish staring at you, is not a favorite daily breakfast of mine. Nor for lunch AND dinner, too. But the beef tongue was tolerable - and welcomed. - University research and the government are trying to improve efficiency among farmers --and those who comply will receive more support. Case in point, we witnessed an impressive field demonstration of a university-developed GPS-guided driverless rice transplanter -- but they stated it could be 10 years before it is commercially ready! - Food safety is a big issue in Japan, as consumers demand fresh, safe and secure food free of GMOs (but they're not all willing to pay top Yen for them). The government enforces strict standards to ensure this -- at least in some products but not all. - There are 1,800 different brands/types of sake (rice wine) -- but we only sampled 20 (I think -- but some multiple times). Sorry also to report that we didn't quite get all trade issues resolved. - Japan defends its price support system -- like most countries -- especially in the rice, dairy and beef areas of concern. They claim very low tariffs (3%) on 90% of their items. But yet they ban U.S. beef, and they charge 490% tariff on rice, 330% on butter and 200% on milk powder. - Japan is currently implementing a new "Farm Management Stabilization Program" designed to accelerate structural reform of agriculture by focusing on the best, most efficient farmers. They will have management plans certified by local municipal governments, and will be rewarded. - And finally, I witnessed first hand how music is truly a universal language when our group of global ag journalists gathered about the piano for group karaoke -- led by Mike Wilson, Den Gardner and Owen Roberts (of AAEA house band "Quasimojo" fame) at the keyboard. Classic British/American rock and folk filled the air, as did some Irish tunes and more. But the strongest song of the night, with lyrics that everyone knew by heart and belted out, was "Take Me Home Country Roads." I'd highly recommend you add the annual IFAJ Congress to your list of things to attend before you write that last byline. The friends, contacts and memories are worth every dollar -- or Yen, in this case. Kurt Lawton, freelance journalist/strategist/photographer, Stellar Content, can be reached at 952-221-2776 or kurt@stellarcontent.biz.
Reflecting on a Japanese Experience By Lilian Schaer Welcome to the Land of Mizhou -- that was the theme of the first-ever Asian congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ), hosted by the Japanese Agricultural Journalists Association this past September. For me, a Canadian farm writer with limited knowledge of Asia, this trip to Japan was one of insights: into Japan's unique culture that is so different from ours, and into Japanese agriculture, which is a remarkable study in contrasts, not unlike the country itself. Let me explain. History and tradition are very important in Japan and their biggest challenge is to find a way to preserve their ancient ways in the face of globalization and rapidly decreasing profitability of their small and often inefficient farms. Their average farm size is a little more than one hectare (approx. 2.5 acres) and the official government policy to improve the viability of their agricultural sector is one of consolidation. Of the two million farms in Japan currently, the government's plan is to reduce that to about 400,000 by 2015. And with 75 percent of their farmers age 60 or older and few young farmers willing to take over, there is no doubt that interesting times are ahead for agriculture in Japan. Japan's key agricultural outputs include livestock, vegetables and rice, with fruits and flowers rounding out the top five. The country has the lowest food self-sufficiency among major developed countries, at 39 percent, which was highlighted as a national concern by hosts at many different tour stops. This is partially due to a decrease in rice consumption (rice can be a self-sufficient crop in Japan), and an increase in the consumption of livestock products and fats by the Japanese. By comparison, the United States is 122 percent self-sufficient in food. Food safety is one of the main pillars of Japanese agriculture, largely
in response to the concern of the country's consumers. Several food safety-related
scares in recent years have greatly influenced the agri-food industry's
focus on producing safe food: Many different programs and initiatives are underway to allay consumer worries over food safety. For example, a mandatory cattle traceability program assigns each animal a 10-digit identification number. This number follows the animal straight through to the supermarket. A consumer can take that number off a package of meat and look up on the Internet exactly where that animal was born, raised and slaughtered. The cooperative system is a cornerstone of Japanese agriculture. One example we toured was a local farmer's market in Miyagi prefecture (or state) about two hours north of Tokyo. It was a sight to behold: more than three million customers pass through its doors every year. According to market general manager Jin-ichi Sato, only two places in the entire prefecture have three million annual visitors: the market and Sendai (the prefectural capital) train station. The market only sells locally grown products supplied by 276 area farmers, with a single focus on freshness and seasonality. The market, as a major buyer of produce in the area, makes three pledges to its farmers and its customers: Freshness, Extension and Competition. Freshness Vegetables harvested before breakfast are to be delivered to the market by 9 a.m.; those harvested after breakfast are to be delivered by 11 a.m., and those harvested after lunch go to market no later than 3 p.m. for a total of three daily deliveries. This is to ensure that customers can always buy the freshest possible produce. Extension The market works with farmers to teach them production techniques. One of the keys here is encouraging farmers to follow proportioned cultivation to ensure that they will always have fruits and vegetables to deliver. This helps the market have a consistent supply and farmers a consistent income stream. Competition The market strongly urges its farmers not to compete with each other and tries to treat everyone the same. According to general manager Sato, when farmers are competitive with each other, they become envious of the success of others and spend more time focusing on that than on what they are growing. Where does food come from? That is a question many Canadian school children don't know how to answer -- and it's one that stumps Japanese youngsters as well, says Prof Shinichi Kobayashi from the Department of Animal Science at Nihon University. According to Prof. Kobayashi, a survey of Tokyo school children showed that an astonishing 30 percent had no idea whether milk came from cows and bulls or cows only. Alarming indicators like this has led Japanese farmers to start education programs for schools called "animal assisted education," where they bring kids and dairy cows together in an effort to help them learn the answer to that elusive question. In a way it is nice to know that similarities exist between two cultures as different from each other as Japan and Canada -- but it is disappointing that it is the lack of knowledge of where their food comes from that is one of these unifying factors. Overall, Japan was a unique wonderful experience - the people were warm and welcoming, and always helpful, even when language was a barrier. And it was interesting to learn that their agriculture -- although very different compared to Canada or the United States -- is one that struggles with some of the same issues we do, including an aging farm population, a focus on food safety and the drive to promote local food. Lilian Schaer is president of the Eastern Canada Farm Writers' Association and co-chair of the 2011 IFAJ congress in Canada. Read about her IFAJ 2007 experiences at www.agrifoodprojects.ca
Welcome Lucy Bernick AAEA member Jeanne Bernick, crops and issues editor, Farm Journal Media, gave birth to a baby girl named Lucy Marie Bernick on October 12, 2007. She is welcomed by dad, Scott Bernick and sisters, Emma and Sarah Bernick.
New Members Tracey Feist Pat Hill Billy Frey Tom Taylor Rick Jordahl Bill Gergen Lisa Adams Jennifer Bennett Greg Horstmeier
ABM Publishes E-newsletter American Business Media (ABM) debuted its Agri-Intelligence Report in September, a quarterly e-newsletter serving the ag media industry. The main objective of this newsletter is to educate ag marketers and agencies about important ag media research and increase awareness of the ag media industry. Each issue will bring readers updates on the latest ag media research, including new cutting-edge digital initiatives by farmers and ranchers, and an Agri Council member spotlight. For questions concerning delivery of this newsletter, or to subscribe, please contact info@abmmail.com.
Climate Change Conference Fellowships Available Journalists interested in climate change may receive support covering the 13th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Climate Change Convention, December 3-14, 2007, in Bali, Indonesia. Fellowships, which will cover travel and accommodations, and an accreditation fee, are being coordinated through an organization called the Earth Journalism Network. Click here for the application. <link to Fellowship.doc>
Guide to Grants and Fellowships Check out this guide to grants and fellowships for journalists, created by Newswise, http://www.newswise.com/resources/j_grants/. Newswise is a resource for knowledge-based news, embargoed research results, and expert contacts from the world's leading research institutions. Newswise maintains a comprehensive database of current news, searchable archives, subscription wire services, and advanced information-management tools to enhance the value and efficiency of research-based news delivery for both journalists and source institutions.
Harvest PR Sweeps PRSA Portland Chapter's Spotlight Awards Portland, Ore.-based Harvest PR & Marketing Inc., a boutique PR firm specializing in farm-to-fork industries, won big at the recent Public Relations Society of America's (PRSA) Portland Metro Chapter Spotlight Awards celebration and banquet. The firm took home six awards -- more than any other Portland company. Five awards were for Harvest PR's producer-funded commodity marketing programs. PRSA's Spotlight Awards recognizes campaigns and tactics incorporating sound research, planning, execution and evaluation that show results, return-on-investment and ethical practice. In the Marketing Consumer Product or Service category, Harvest PR received the prestigious "Spotlight" award for its Ongoing Media Relations Program for Pear Bureau Northwest. This program generated 107 million targeted consumer impressions valued at more than $8 million in 2006 alone. The firm also received Merit awards in the following categories: -- Marketing Consumer Product or Service: "Pear Panache Campaign" for Pear Bureau Northwest -- Web site: "Pear Panache Web Site" for Pear Bureau Northwest -- Feature Story: "Stand-Up Grass, Stand-Out Profits" for Cotton Incorporated, and "Are You Ready for Cottonseed?" for Cotton Incorporated "These awards are a huge honor, but mostly an affirmation of our collaborative approach and the esprit de corps our team brings to client service," said AAEA member Heidi Nelson, owner of Harvest PR. "We're a small firm, but agile and passionate, and our programs are a reflection of the big thinking our clients encourage." Nelson served on the 2006 Agricultural Media Summit program committee. She set up the Mt. Hood Fruit Loop tour and helped plan the Taste of Oregon reception.
When the Real World Becomes Career World By Christine Zettler No matter what side of the border you're on, from a student's perspective the idea of entering the real world, is daunting. I know, because I'm doing it. In a year, I'll be searching for a full-time job to suit my career path, goals and dreams. It's intimidating, as it is for any new graduate. Fortunately, Mike Bachner, manager at AgCall Human Resources, St. Marys, Ontario, Canada, has some tips to help each of us -- from new college graduates to industry leaders -- find our dream job. One of Bachner's key pieces of advice is "research yourself." Find out about you. For example, what kind of experience do you possess, whether in the workplace, your academic or social life or volunteering? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Knowing what these are help you to discover yourself and what kind of job you're after. A Myers-Briggs test or similar type of skills assessment is another strategy to understanding your personality. Researching your ideal job and company is a crucial part of the equation to getting the perfect job, too. Develop a reasonable list of the 20 things you want in a job. While prioritizing your top 10 realistic items, choose which one is your deal breaker, the one you must have. Matching up what you desire with the top five companies in the industry that you are passionate about is a great start. Once you have become successful in getting a foot in the door with an interview, it's important to remember this axiom from Bachner. Your resume is what you can do, but your interview shows what you will do. Arriving early, having a brief 30-second speech ready about yourself and coming up with questions for interviewers are also valuable. Questions to interviewers, such as "Why did you join the company?" and "What kind of room exists for growth and advancement?" help you to decide whether or not the company is a good fit for you. By knowing yourself, identifying your dream job and showing what you can do, you'll be prepared with the key elements in the job-seeking equation, said Bachner. As David McCullough, a noted American historian and best-selling author, says, "Real success is finding lifework in the work that you love". Mike Bachner can be contacted at Christine Zettler is a junior majoring in Agriculture Science at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, about 40 miles outside of Toronto. She was born and raised on a beef and hog farm near Teeswater, Ont., near Lake Huron, and is the vice president (special projects) for Canadian Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow. Christine's dream job is to become a crop consultant while continuing to write for an agricultural publication on the side.
Everyone's a Critic Some news releases about food whet the appetite -- literally and figuratively or, perhaps, extinguish it -- more than others. That's the case for the book Hungry Planet, reviewed by Margy Fischer of Farm Journal magazine. The release about Hungry Planet qualifies on both counts: "Hungry Planet feeds that imagination with an extraordinary study of what the world eats -- we meet a Mexican family who drinks six gallons of Coca-Cola a week, a family in Ecuador who raises (and eats) guinea pigs and a Kuwaiti mother who is considering putting her 4-year-old on a diet." Read on for more on Hungry Planet and the movie King Corn. The Book Hungry Planet Illustrates the Classic Bumper
Sticker Saying "if you eat you're involved in agriculture" By Margy Fischer Everyone has to eat, and the book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, by photographer Peter Menzel and writer Faith D'Aluisio, provides a comprehensive global look at what people around the world consume. D'Aluisio and Menzel traveled to 24 countries, visiting 30 families. They chronicle what a family eats in a week -- including meals fixed at home or purchased at a restaurant. Their destinations ranged from Japan to Turkey to Guatemala and the United States. It's quite revealing for the subjects to disclose what they eat, how much it costs and why they make the food decisions they do. This book juxtaposes a subsistence farmer in Bhutan to a suburban family in the United States. And it successfully tells the story of the similarities and the great differences in the factors surrounding our nutrition. Despite the dietary, lifestyle and geographic differences, each entry on the families in Hungry Planet maintains consistency with accompanying field notes, family recipes and regional statistics. The families had an unconventional family portrait taken that includes all of the food that they consume in a week. I probably spent just as much time studying this photograph as I did reading the text of each entry, which is more of statement about how the photography and written commentary are consistently engaging. Through the book, it kept me thinking, and in fact I'm still thinking about what would be in my family portrait. We all do it. When we're traveling from story to story, farm to farm, we inevitably make the convenient stop off the highway for fast food. But how would we like to be photographed with a week's worth of the food we eat on the road? Hungry Planet is a "coffee table" style book of 288 pages with full color. It retails for $40 for hardback and a paperback edition retailing for $24.95 is scheduled to be issued this fall. Check the web at: www.tenspeedpress.com. Margy Fishcher is the machinery editor and assistant test plot director at Farm Journal. She can be reached at mfischer@farmjournal.com King Corn: Opening a Window Into Our World By Elaine Kub Two kids from Boston move to Iowa and plant an acre of corn. The premise of King Corn, a documentary by Ian Cheney, Curt Ellis and director Aaron Woolf, sounds delightfully innocent and rich with potential to educate a broad audience about what it means to be a farmer in the 21st century. However, it is also ripe to be used by spin doctors trying to push conclusions about what Americans should eat, how their tax dollars should be spent, or the oft-repeated food vs. fuel debate. Initially I was struck by how unbiased - how truly documentary and not activist - this film seemed to be. Watching King Corn, one doesn't immediately sense that the producers want you to draw a particular conclusion. But in all the post-production propaganda and hyping of nationwide screenings, one finds phrases like "troubling questions," "subsidizing obesity," and a harvest "as grotesque as it is abundant." By early November, this film was playing in 11 locations including New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco and Omaha. PBS will broadcast King Corn nationally in 2008. I'm eager to see how this movie gets assimilated into popular culture. The filming was done in 2004 and 2005 (when growing grain wasn't profitable without government subsidies) near Greene, Iowa, a small town where Ellis and Cheney's grandfathers once lived. The friends' earnest desire to research corn's background and not necessarily vilify its producers keeps the film from being outright offensive. Ellis wrote in October 2007 on the culinate.com blog: "[A lot of people our age think] farming actually sounds kind of fun. This is, I think, the reason Ian and I wanted to grow corn when we finished college instead of taking a desk job, and why we started work on "King Corn" with Aaron four years ago. Admittedly, growing GMO corn didn't turn out to be as rewarding as growing actual people-food, but I think we'd plant something else on that acre if we did it again. I think beyond the obesity epidemic and the politics of the farm bill, there's a cultural reason why so many of my friends are willing to go to a movie about watching corn grow - a topic that to an older generation is axiomatic for boring. There's a new kind of back-to-the-land movement on right now, and it's a whole lot of young people deciding to reconnect with something far away from the city. In a food system facing a lot of problems, I think that's a hopeful idea." Indeed, before the movie goes down the rabbit hole of what happens to corn after harvest, King Corn has a wholesome, Elysian tone in its portrayal of what it's like to produce a commodity crop in Greene, Iowa. To my surprise and delight, the crop itself and the people who grow it come off as quite loveable. Even the filmmakers themselves were endearing: in one scene, Ellis slides headfirst down a gigantic pile of corn at the Greene elevator - what farmer hasn't wanted to do that? As outsiders, Cheney and Ellis had the freedom to express the affectionate impulses that idyllic farm life inspires. But I was on the edge of my seat through the entire film, ready to feel defensive about the industry. I asked myself, "what would someone in a Manhattan high rise think of that Iowa farmer's haircut?" or "how would my former business school classmates in California view this footage of muddy lot after muddy lot of feeder cattle crushed together concentration-camp-style?" Seeing a cow in a university research lab with a polyurethane window cut into its stomach is always a little disturbing, even to someone like me who's seen it before in person. When Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe reviewed King Corn, he called it "clear-minded and fair, but just damningly descriptive enough to leave you distrustful of everything on your plate." I think he means distrustful of the "moral" implications of corn-based food. Ellis and Cheney's documentary makes corn-fed beef look as cruel as foie gras and portrays the farm bill as a tool to force feed soda pop into diabetes-prone children. The official King Corn Web site has a "Take Action" section where viewers are encouraged to learn more about agriculture subsidies (via the Environmental Working Group's website), eat local, try avoiding high fructose corn syrup for a week, and write their Congressperson. As a farm kid myself, I know how rewarding it feels to eat tomatoes grown from a garden or meat from a critter whose name you knew and dietary intake you had absolute control over. I can easily sympathize with city folk who want that same experience. Let's face it: most Americans are shamefully unfamiliar with agriculture, so any medium that introduces them to reality has the potential to change the landscape of consumer demand. The warm, fuzzy first half of King Corn may only strengthen Americans' desire to support family farms. If this movie really does have a far-reaching effect and the American consumer really does start to reject high fructose corn syrup-based products, the agriculture industry will adapt. Notable by its absence in King Corn was any presentation of the ethanol industry. If this documentary starts to be applied as a tool in the food vs. fuel debate, maybe fuel will actually start to get the upper hand in mainstream media's portrayal of U.S. agriculture. Like the filmmakers, Elaine Kub recently harvested her first small (40 acre) field of corn. She is a commodity futures market analyst for DTN and can be contacted at elaine.kub@dtn.com, or (402) 255-8489. |
