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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are some interviews you might have missed this week:

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

Now for some news from the ZimmComm News Network: