2010 Agricultural Media SummitSaint Paul, Minnesota

2nd Place: EDJE Technologies ILoveFarmers.orgCreated by Tiffany Nickelson

Honorable Mention: AgtownTechnologiesClosedHerd.comCreated by Agtown Technologies Staff

1st Place:EDJE Technologies

westernshowcase.comCreated by Sherry Peterson

Great entries in this category. Nice, clean designs throughout. It was

difficult to select the winners. Great use of color, navigation and

organization. The top two sites were unique. The Western Showcase site

has an excellent use of photography separating it from the others. The

images of ILoveFarmers are of equally good quality, but just not as

varied throughout the site as the winning entry. Strong content in the

winning entries.

2nd Place: EDJE Technologiesmorgansmeadows.comCreated by Jimmy Hoover

Honorable Mention: EDJE Technologies shaffergoldrush.comCreated by Amber Martin

1st Place:Agtown Technologies candmherefords.com

Agtown Technologies Staff

All entries provide the visitor thorough and informative content. The top two entries

provided clean design, eye-catching page headers and good use of fonts. All sites are

easy to navigate. The winning entry effectively incorporated social media with Facebook, and the photo gallery is an added attraction to the

home page. The second-place entry may confuse the visitor with the duplication of

page tabs at the top, with those directly beneath. The top two sites clearly and easily

direct the visitor’s attention in a logical manner through the site.

2nd Place: Houston LivestockShow and Rodeowww.rodeohouston.comCreated by Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Staff

1st Place:Agtown Technologies

nationalwestern.comCreated by Agtown Technologies Staff

The winning entries in this category presented well-designed and well-organized Web sites. They offered

strong design, which also complimented the subject matter and audience. The winning entry also

provided a lot of well-organized supporting news and articles. It will be effective in their search engine

optimization efforts. The top entries handled advertisers’ logos well – in terms of balance of design

and clear exposure for the advertiser. The use of photo slide shows and videos are effective to attract

and keep readers at the site. Overall, good work from all entrants. Two entries just rose above the rest for

overall design, completeness, information and search engine optimization opportunities.

2nd Place: Ohio Cattlemen’s Association “2009 Ohio Cattlemen’s Association THE RING Directory”Created by Jamie King

Honorable Mention: AgTown Technologies“Wow! Burger”Created by AgTown Technologies Staff

1st Place:BEEF Magazine

“2010 BEEF Media Kit”Created by Katie Maas

The BEEF Media Kit package was very well designed. The PDF on the USB seemed more

generic in design.

1st Place:American Angus Association

“2010 American Angus Association Annual Report”Created by Crystal Albers,

Crystal Young and Eric Grant

Well-designed and attractive piece. Nice, efficient use of

space and photos. Easy to read.

2nd Place: EDJE Technologies“Wild, Wild West Simmental Sale”Created by Connie Barbour

1st Place:Agtown Technologies

“Heart of the West Horse Sale”

Created by AgtownTechnologies Staff

The winning entry utilizes attractive design and good use of space. The design is easily readable, except for

areas using gray text.

2nd Place: The Singularis Group“GENETRUST at Chimney Rock Cattle Co. Sale Catalog”Created by Jessica White and Jared Suhn

Honorable Mention: EDJE Technologies “Thomas & Son Farms and Heart Felt Farms Spring Preview Sale”Created by Shari Holloway

1st Place:Hereford Publications Inc.

“Hoffman-W4-Topp Annual Sale Catalog” Created by

Sean Jersett and the HPI Staff

Good copy and image flow. Easy to read and not too

packed with information.

2nd Place: Filament Marketing, LLC“Natures Grown Organics First-To-Know”Created by Filament Marketing and Distillery Design Studio

Honorable Mention: Angus Productions, Inc.“Eby Ranch”Created by Crystal Young

Honorable Mention: The Cattleman“2010 TSCRA Convention Weekend”Created by Linda Lee

1st Place:Angus Productions, Inc.

“Land of Contrasts, Ranching’scommitment to Oregon”

Created by Crystal Young and Eric Grant

The winning entry provides a clean presentation of a clear message.

The design doesn’t get in the way. Overall, in this category, entrants

must remember that special effects and gimmicks are no substitute for

good design and organization of information. Don’t rely on drop

shadows and traditional cut-outs.If you’re doing your own pre-press

work, consult with the printer to determine contrast and saturation

limits and push to those limits. A great design can suffer when

printing renders it flat and dull.Limit the number of typefaces used

in a project! Four is too many.

2nd Place: Agtown Technologies“Premium Natural Beef”Created by Agtown Technologies Staff

Honorable Mention: EDJE Technologies“FarmPro Agribusiness Services, Inc.” Created by Jonina Searl

No first place awarded. Both entries were overcomplicated, and were more graphics than logos. Remember the rules of logo design:Does it easily scale up and down?Does it reproduce well in a single color?Is it concise and memorable?Avoid over-complication. Too many colors and elements are no substitute for good design. Modern is not the same as trendy. Trendy is quickly dated.If you have a stated objective for the logo, try to achieve it with as few elements as possible.

2nd Place: The Singularis Group“Performance Genetics. Trusted Cattlemen”Created by Jessica White and Jared Suhn

No first place awarded. Both submissions were from the same entrant, and both were safe, traditional executions.Special effects and gimmicks are no substitute for good design and organization of information. Don’t rely on drop shadows and traditional cut-outs. If an objective has been clearly identified, make sure the design supports it. For example, if a Web site is being promoted, the URL should be clearly and consistently visible. If promoting an event, don’t bury the notice in a photo.

2nd Place: EDJE Technologies“EDJE Technologies Company Advertising”Created by Jonina Searl and Steve Sellers

Honorable Mention: The Singularis Group“Performance Genetics. Trusted Cattlemen”Created by Jessica White and Jared Suhn

1st Place:Agtown Technologies,

“Premium Natural Beef”Created by Agtown

Technologies Staff

The winning entry offers consistency of

presentation throughout the campaign; a solid

approach to introduce and promote the brand.

1st Place:The Singularis Group

“Performance Genetics, Trusted Cattlemen”

Created by Jessica White and Jared Suhn

A consistent layout with easily identifiable items.

Not cluttered, but a bit busy trying to include a

lot of facts.

Honorable Mention: Filament Marketing, LLC“Organic Means Something”Created by Filament Marketing

1st Place:The Cattle Business Weekly

“Cattle Business, Herd Reference Guide”

Created by Josh Hauk

A very clean, unique approach to the product. Nice color selection and

graphics compliment the logo well. Graphic and

headline pulls you in, encouraging you to read

the rest of the copy.

2nd Place: Ohio Cattlemen’s Association “CLS Show Cattle”Created by Jamie King

1st Place:Ohio Cattlemen’s

Association “Fenton Show Cattle”

Created by Jamie King

Creative approach and a unique concept. Clean

design and to the point. Nice graphic with the

stethoscope.

Honorable Mention: Filament Marketing LLC“Mare’s Match ‘Peace of Mind’ Print Ad”Created by Filament Marketing and Distillery Design Studio

1st Place:EDJE Technologies,

“American Cattle Services”Created by Shari Holloway

The photo says it all. A clean, simple approach. Nice, big headline. The

warm-and-fuzzy approach works.

1st Place:EDJE Technologies

“DeRouchey Cattle Co.” Created by Jonina Searl

Nice use of Photoshop work without being too busy. A

clean layout that emphasizes cattle well. Unique tie in with

cattle being “classy.”

2nd Place:The Singularis Group“Performance Genetics. Trusted Cattlemen.” (Missouri Beef Cattleman) Created by Jessica White and Jared Suhn

1st Place:The Singularis Group

“Performance Genetics. Trusted Cattlemen.” (Florida Cattleman)

Created by Jessica White and Jared Suhn

Consistency and clarity of the items in the ads were good. The designers used creative layout and color choices. Layout was

not too crammed with copy, which gave the ads a clean look. High-quality photos were used.

2nd Place:BEEF“BEEF Daily and Beef Daily Blog”Created by Amanda Nolz

1st Place:High Plains Journal

“Potlucks are key to family status”

Created by Jennifer M. Latzke

Articles in Category 35 are personal and conversational,

providing a lighthearted reprieve from all the facts and

data characteristic of most articles found in livestock

publications. Just as in news stories and commentaries,

however, these articles must be clear, articulate, grammatically

correct and well organized, containing proper sentence

structure and flow of content.

2nd Place:Dairy Today“New Animal Well-Being Program: A Chance to Prove”Created by Catherine Merlo

2nd Place:BEEF“Lion & the Lamb”Created by Joe Roybal

Honorable Mention:Certified Angus Beef“Going Once, Going Twice”Created by Miranda Reiman

1st Place:BEEF

“Tracking Failure”Created by Wes Ishmael

Articles in category 34 provided the author’s viewpoints with detailed descriptions and

much data to support the author’s opinions. Each winning article contained a good introduction and conclusion, sufficient

information and data to support the author’s position, and appropriate use of grammar

and punctuation. Points were made clearly and articles were well organized, flowing

easily to a conclusion, supporting the initial statement. Articles not placing were not organized well and contained too many quotes where paraphrasing would have

been more appropriate.

2nd Place:Dairy Today“Hunker Down 2009”Created by Jim Dickrell and Catherine Merlo

1st Place:Drovers

“Drovers Survival Guide”Created by Drovers Staff

Good depth of reporting. Would like to see more

quotes from sources to help break up the facts and

figures. Good headlines on most stories. Well

organized pieces with great topics.

1st Place:Dairy Today

“The Hurt of Holding On”Created by

Catherine Merlo

Informative story. Good mix of sources and information.

Excellent headline approach. Copy was well-

written and organized.

2nd Place:Beef Today“Out to Pasture”Created by Steve Cornett

Honorable Mention:Ohio Cattleman“Harsh Realities”Created by Elizabeth Harsh

1st Place:High Plains Journal

“Common Ground – Cow dog leadership skills; At my best; Farming with a mouse click”

Created by Jennifer M. Latzke

Ag issues are important to cover, but readers also like to be

entertained. The winner in this category was not afraid to poke fun at herself and leveraged life

experiences to create a series of columns that were very

entertaining to read. Coverage of important ag issues was also

well-done. Weak headlines and spelling errors brought down

scores on some entries.

2nd Place:High Plains Journal“Four-color propaganda”Created by Jennifer M. Latzke

Honorable Mention:High Plains Journal“It’s our job”Created by Jennifer Bremer

1st Place:Drovers

“Food Inc. incites the activists”Created by Greg Henderson

The editors did a great job of using the editorial space to speak on

behalf of farmers and agriculture. We would challenge all editors to

put more energy into their headline writing to draw more readers into

these great stories. The depth of some stories could have been

greater. But, the topics discussed were timely and informative.

2nd Place:High Plains Journal“State funding of livestock market reporting cut”Created by Jennifer M. Latzke

Honorable Mention:BEEF“EPA Throws a Curve”Created by Burt Rutherford

Honorable Mention:High Plains Journal“Bovine tuberculosis not completely eradicated”Created by Jennifer Bremer

1st Place:Dairy Today

“California goes dry”Created by

Catherine Merlo

Articles in Category 29 contain in-depth coverage of various aspects of the livestock industry, including real-life examples of the

challenges faced by those working in this industry. Most submitted articles featured

compelling introductions, good conclusions and a strong writing style, with appropriate

use of grammar and punctuation. Articles not placed contained organizational and

transition problems, run-on sentences, misused semicolons, as well as repeated

use of weak phrases such as “due to,” “there are,” “there is,” and “there has.”

2nd Place:High Plains Journal/Midwest Ag Journal“Hereford Breeders Believe in Family”Created by Jennifer Bremer

Honorable Mention:Drovers“Young Cowboy Goes Far”Created by John Maday

1st Place:BEEF

“The Naturals”Created byJoe Roybal

People want to read about people. Profiles can be the most important part of a

publication. Each entry gave the reader heartfelt, warm, true-to-life characteristics about their sources. It makes me feel good as writers, ourselves, to know that profiles

are being done on people who deserve such a pat on the back. The lead-in of the winning

entry was great, and we were hooked. Written with enough great info and quotes

throughout its long length to keep our interest. Very intriguing, heartfelt profile on a

forward-thinking couple. Glad the writer knew enough to write about the Hatfields,

because they deserved it.

2nd Place:Beef Today“Is your Facility Ready to Receive”Created by Sara Brown

Honorable Mention:BEEF“DNA Dos and Don’ts”Created by Alaina Burt

1st Place:Dairy Today

“Stop the Shrink”Created by

Catherine Merlo

The winning entry provided good information quickly and succinctly. We

loved the “Undercover Agents” sidebar –it’s a good use of humor. The two- to

three-word paragraph starter allowed the reader to scan and get highlights.

Overall, a great way to highlight instruction points, quickly and easily.

2nd Place:High Plains Journal“Keeping the Shelves Stocked”Created by Jennifer M. Latzke

Honorable Mention:American Farriers Journal“Three Ring Farrier”Created by Jeremy McGovern

1st Place:BEEF

“Big Fat Lies?”Created byDiana Barto

Very timely article, and it fits the category of human interest

above all other entries. A great subject, as it is applicable to ag,

beef or the non-ag reader. Great headline.

2nd Place:High Plains Journal“Another genetic defect affects Angus cattle”Created by Jennifer Bremer

Honorable Mention:Dairy Today“Pipeline Dreams”Created by Jim Dickrell

1st Place:BEEF

“Dealing with Deads”Created byAlaina Burt

Technical articles serve as valuable management tools to

producers. New information and research is available every day, but

applying that research to an operation can be a

challenge. Writers in this category did a good job of communicating the main ideas and benefits of technical

information while using producer quotes and lessons learned to give

their stories interest and credibility. The best entries were from writers

who had the skill to weave these two worlds together.

2nd Place:American Farriers Journal“Build Trust and Build Your Shoeing Business”Created by Pat Tearney

Honorable Mention:High Plains Journal“Meat Marketing Tactics Change With Consumers”Created by Jennifer M. Latzke

1st Place:Certified Angus Beef

“Straightforward Success”Created by

Laura Nelson

Thank goodness writers and publications are willing to tackle this

topic. Readers will gain valuable information from each of these entries.

The top entries were outstanding and each deserve a gold star. The winning

entry featured a fantastic lead, the best of the category. It offers detail and puts

a visual spin on a ranching situation. The writer knows how to get great information and great quotes from sources. The article stands out as a marketing profile, offers marketing

points and profiles the source with a sense of humor on an otherwise

traditional topic.

2nd Place:Beef Today“match.cow”Created by Kim Watson Potts

Honorable Mention:Dairy Today“Be the Cow”Created by Jim Dickrell

1st Place:BEEF

“Grazers of the Purple Sage”

Created byBurt Rutherford

With such a large percentage of editorial falling into this category, it’s tough to stand

out from the crowd. Stories with solid leads and opening paragraphs that give the

reader a reason to keep reading rise to the top. Overall, this was a solid category with

lots of good writing and timely subject matter. Would like to see subheads that

communicate more benefits to the reader, as well as more sidebars, info boxes and pull

quotes that give readers additional points of entry into the text.

2nd Place:Hereford World“Inspired”Created by Sara Gugelmeyer

Honorable Mention:High Plains Journal“Equine therapy program heals hearts and minds”Created by Kylene Scott

1st Place:Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo

Bowlegged H Magazine “Myrtis Dightman”

Created byBrad Levy

A great human interest piece inspires the reader by creating a connection

with the story’s subject and their unique role or outlook on life. All

entries in this category do just that. Entries could have been

improved with tighter editing and some with more effective use of

quotes, but overall… good writing.

2nd Place:The American Quarter Horse Journal“Pure Genetics”Created by The American Quarter Horse Journal Staff

1st Place:The Cattleman Magazine

“Mythbusters: BVD”Created by

Katrina Waters

The key to developing an effective technical article is breaking down a complex subject into smaller pieces that can easily be consumed by the

reader. Knowledge and expertise on technical subjects within each

publication’s audience will vary greatly. Technical stories should be

written simply, clearly and concisely, as well as provide illustrations, graphics

and sidebars that increase comprehension. Be careful not to make

technical stories too long—you’ll lose your reader. Consider breaking the

subject up into two or three smaller stories.

1st Place:BEEF

“Sky Bandits”Created by

Dennis Wolf

This illustration is a very light-hearted take on the

bird problem in some feedyards. It is creative

and unique.

1st Place:The Cattleman Magazine

“(Intracoastal)Cattle Crossing”

Created byCarol Hutchison

The photographer did an excellent job of capturing the

adventure of moving cattle across the canal. She captured

both the emotion and excitement of the move while

reflecting the calm and almost routine process. Photographs were well-balanced, followed

the rule of thirds, and had depth. Great artwork.

2nd Place:High Plains Journal“Seed Wheat Issue Cover”Created by Lance Ziesch

Honorable Mention:Tri-State Livestock News“White Ranch”Created by Sharla Hayford

1st Place:High Plains Journal

“2009 Animal Health Issue”

Created byDiana Derstein

We were impressed by the creativity shown in the designs of the publication covers. All

the entries did a good job of communicating the brand of the respective publications. We

would like to have seen more defined objectives versus photo captions and story

cutlines. Placings were chosen by the covers that we felt lead the reader to believe

that he or she would be better off in some way for having the knowledge shared,

combined with eye-appeal and graphic design -- the ones that did the best job of

intriguing us to read more.

2nd Place:BEEF“State of the Industry”Illustration by Greg Hargreaves; modified illustration by Jim Bauer; art direction by Krista Trempe

1st Place:National Hog Farmer

“Teetering on the Financial Brink”Original illustration by Rob Colvin; modified illustration by Jim Bauer;

art direction by Krista Trempe

The winning entry depicts a very good graphic interpretation of the theme, “Teetering on the Financial

Brink.” Bright colors made this entry stand out during the competition,

which will easily translate to the reader moving from cover to

magazine content.

2nd Place:America’s Horse“Tres Seis”Photography by Mikel DonahueDesign by Justin Foster

Honorable Mention:The Cattleman Magazine“Focus on Water”Photography by Mark List Design by Linda Lee

1st Place:The American Quarter Horse Racing

Journal“Seeking Safety”

Photography by Dan Dry

Design by Justin Foster

The challenge for any cover design is to create a focal point that a reader

instantly connects with the stated or implied theme of the issue. The 1st-

place cover accomplishes this task. The jockey’s magenta jacket, the white

taped fingers and eyes pointed upward instantly supports the

stated safety theme.

2nd Place:Houston Livestock Show & RodeoTM/Bowlegged H Magazine “From Show to Shasta”Created by Houston Livestock Show & RodeoTM

1st Place:BEEF

“The Naturals”Layout and design

by Krista TrempePhotos by Joe Roybal

Designing multiple page editorial layouts isn’t always the

easiest of design tasks. Page 1 must be interesting enough to compel the reader to move to

the next page and all the pages that follow. The strategic use of call-outs/life-outs and sidebar

information invites the reader to move through the entire feature. The meatcase photo on the last

page is a perfect visual to conclude the feature article.

2nd Place:Dairy Today“World Dairy Expo”Created by Lisa Behnke and the Dairy Today Special Projects Team

1st Place:Houston Livestock

Show & RodeoTM

“2009 OfficialVisitors Guide”

Created by Houston Livestock Show & RodeoTM

The 1st-place program accomplished a difficult task

by condensing a large volume of information into a very user-friendly program without compromising type

size and readability. Each section was approached with

a regard for intent and function.

2nd Place:Tri-State Livestock News“The Cattle Journal”Created by Sharla Hayford

Honorable Mention:2009 North American Bull Guide/Crow Publication“2009 North American Bull Guide”Design by Sharon Murano

1st Place:The Cattle Business Weekly

“Cattle Business, Herd Reference”Created by Codi

Vallery-Mills, Kindra Gordon, Mary Ravellette, Josh Hauk and

Danielle Stoddard

All entries featured great photography and cover shots. The

content flowed cleanly and readable throughout all issues.

Great use of graphic elements to show the highlighted portions of

the publication’s special issue.

2nd Place:American Farriers Journal“Getting Started in Hoof Care… A Career Guide for the New Farrier”Created by Jeremy McGovern

Honorable Mention:Tri-State Livestock News “Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo Annual Premier Edition”Created by Sharla Hayford

1st Place:BEEF

“2009 Cow-Calf Issue”Created by BEEF Staff

All pieces featured a clean look and feel throughout, and good use of

photography. The winner really makes the issue a special issue, concentrating on the special issue content and doing

so throughout the piece.Suggestions for all pieces: more

guidance needed directing reader where to go next. Some photography

needed to be color corrected and enhanced more to engage the reader

to continue with the story. Simple is more.

2nd Place:BEEFBeefMagazine.com Created by BEEF Staff

Honorable Mention:Filament Marketing LLCFilamentMarketing.comCreated by Filament Marketing and Distillery Design Studio

1st Place:Houston Livestock Show and

RodeoTM

RodeoHouston.comCreated by Houston Livestock

Show and RodeoTM

The winning entry featured an attractive design with easy

navigation. Good use of sharing buttons and

integration of e-merchandising, signup and

sharing tools (e.g. Facebook and Twitter).

2nd Place:Kansas Stockman“KLA News & Market Report”Editor: Todd Domer

Honorable Mention:Houston Livestock Show & RodeoTM

“Rodeo Roundup E-Newsletter” Created by Houston Livestock Show and RodeoTM

1st Place:Beef Today

“Beef Today’s Cattle Drive”

Created by Beef Today Staff

The winning entry features nice, clean design with quick

access to relevant articles. Not too much information,

which makes for an efficient read.

1st Place:Hereford World

Created by Hereford Publications Inc. Staff

The winning entry features clean use of typography. Initial caps are nice, and

help you find the beginning of the story. Nice use of boldface leads to break up

expanses of text. Nice use of “hero” shots and using larger images for story leads.

Suggestions include using photo captions for ALL images, unless for effect

only. Some nice headlines, but many need more interest to draw reader. Photo

placements in some articles are too randomly placed. Keep it simple. Think

simple, overall shapes. (Flush left, or flush right, or centered. Avoid using all

on same page.)

Honorable Mention:DroversCreated by Drovers Staff

1st Place:Dairy Today

Editorial team led by Jim Dickrell

1st Place:BEEF

Created by BEEF Staff

The top two entries were extremely close, with each having different

strengths. In Dairy Today, its greatest strength was overall design and

striking cow images on covers. It is less intimidating to read, with use of white space and larger type. BEEF’s

greatest strengths are compelling headlines and content, cover blurb

usage, and large use of lead images in several stories.

2nd Place:Houston Livestock Show & RodeoTM/Bowlegged H MagazineCreated by Houston Livestock Show & RodeoTM

Honorable Mention:The American Quarter Horse Racing JournalCreated by The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal Staff

1st Place:America’s Horse

Created by America’s Horse Staff

All entries featured great use of photography and flow of content.

Consistency on the design throughout the pieces assisted the

reader’s flow to the next article. Very clean and simple design concepts.

The winning entry did a great job of not using too much copy and

content. It reads really nicely and has a great use of photography.

Simple is more.