CELEBRATING 125 YEARS.Practical Platform Still Serves Farm Journal Well Unembellished adjectives might best describe the success and longevity longevity (lŏnjĕv`ĭtē), term denoting the length or duration of the life of an animal or plant, often used to indicate an unusually long life. of one of the oldest farm magazines in the country. One hundred and twenty-five years since its inception, "simple" and "practical" are words Farm Journal leaders use to talk about what has grown from a one-man, one-magazine journal to a multi-media company. "Farm Journal has evolved over the years in response to changes in agriculture, media and technology, but disseminating dis·sem·i·nate v. dis·sem·i·nat·ed, dis·sem·i·nat·ing, dis·sem·i·nates v.tr. 1. To scatter widely, as in sowing seed. 2. practical information to farmers has always been the underlying value of the company," says Sonja Hillgren, editor, Farm Journal, Philadelphia. A PRACTICAL PAST Farm Journal was first published in March 1877. Wilmer Atkinson, a journalist, farmer and Quaker, created the journal as a way to communicate to others who farmed within a day's journey In premodern literature, including the Bible, ancient geographers and ethnographers such as Herodotus, is a measurement of distance. Not precisely defined in the Bible, the distance has been estimated from 32 to 40 kilometers (20-25 miles). from Philadelphia. Atkinson was considered a very practical and ethical man, and he was soon labeled a source of solid farming information. As the journal's reputation spread under Atkinson's ambitious eye, so also did it's reach. During Atkinson's lifetime and in the early 20th century, the magazine achieved national circulation. "Farm Journal was viewed as the place to get practical, not theoretical, information on how to be a better farmer, and Atkinson didn't accept advertising for snake oil A product that has been proven to not live up to the vendor's marketing hype. The term comes from the 1800s in which elixirs and potions of all kinds, even ones that supposedly included the oils from snakes, were sold as a cure for everything that ailed a person. ," says Hillgren. When the farm economy weakened weak·en tr. & intr.v. weak·ened, weak·en·ing, weak·ens To make or become weak or weaker. weak  en·er n. during the Great Depression, the Pew PEW. A seat in a church separated from all others, with a convenient space to stand therein.2. It is an incorporeal interest in the real property. And, although a man has the exclusive right to it, yet, it seems, he cannot maintain trespass against a person family bought Farm Journal in 1935. "The Pews saved the magazine. They invested money into it and recruited high-caliber editorial and publishing executives," says Hillgren. In 1939, Farm Journal Inc. purchased Farmer's Wife farmer’s wife makes hell too hot even for the devil, who sends her back home. [Am. Balladry: “The Devil and the Farmer’s Wife”] See : Shrewishness and the publication became a women's section in the journal. The company also bought Country Gentleman country gentleman n. A man who owns a country estate. in 1955, but had to divest To deprive or take away. Divest is usually used in reference to the relinquishment of authority, power, property, or title. If, for example, an individual is disinherited, he or she is divested of the right to inherit money. the publication because of anti-trust laws. In 1935, publisher Graham Patterson sold the printing press and signed on with R.R. Donnelley & Sons to print the magazine, setting the stage for one of the major milestones of the company's history. In 1982, R.R. Donnelley and Farm Journal pioneered a new dimension of publishing known as selectronic binding. "Farm Journal is perhaps most famous in the magazine industry for our selectronic binding innovation--we know the profiles of our readers from our database and can use that information to produce tailored issues of the magazine that are specific to reader demographics The attributes of people in a particular geographic area. Used for marketing purposes, population, ethnic origins, religion, spoken language, income and age range are examples of demographic data. ," says Hillgren. "We were the very first magazine with that capability." Selectronic binding also was instrumental in the decision to take livestock-specific sections out of the magazine and create new stand-alone publications, including Dairy Today and Beef Today. "When Farm Journal was created, farmers were more alike in size and raised a wide variety of crops and livestock. But the thrust of the 20th century was specialization A career option pursued by some attorneys that entails the acquisition of detailed knowledge of, and proficiency in, a particular area of law. As the law in the United States becomes increasingly complex and covers a greater number of subjects, more and more attorneys are . That's why selectronic binding became so important," says Hillgren. "As farmers specialized spe·cial·ize v. spe·cial·ized, spe·cial·iz·ing, spe·cial·iz·es v.intr. 1. To pursue a special activity, occupation, or field of study. 2. , we had the capability to target editorial and advertising and eventually provide livestock publications to serve them." Top Producer was introduced in 1984 to serve the emerging group of farmers aggressive about expansion. Earl Ainsworth, who was then senior vice president-editorial of Farm Journal, Inc., modeled the high-end publication after Fortune magazine. The Tribune Company The Tribune Company (NYSE: TRB) is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, responsible for the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, Hartford Courant owned Farm Journal from 1994 to 1997 when an investor and management group bought the magazine family. The new ownership group also acquired Pro Farmer and AgDay Television. "Adding the Pro Farmer newsletters allowed us to look toward creating more content for our Internet site, FarmJournal.com," says Hillgren. FarmJournal.com eventually became AgWeb.com, which was founded at the beginning of 2000. While AgWeb operates as a separate company, Farm Journal, Inc. and AgWeb remain very closely aligned strategically. "AgWeb is populated pop·u·late tr.v. pop·u·lat·ed, pop·u·lat·ing, pop·u·lates 1. To supply with inhabitants, as by colonization; people. 2. with Farm Journal media content to serve our readers on-line and we cooperate on cross-content platforms," says Hillgren. FARM JOURNAL'S FUTURE The 1990s strategy of the new management and ownership group was to become a multi-media company. So Farm Journal, Inc. added a radio network and seminars and conferences to the family of magazine, newsletter, television and Internet interests. The owners also began to think about ways to tailor content for farmers who might rely on any or all of the sources for their ag information. The strategy initiated in the late 1990s to develop multi-media solutions for farmers and agribusiness agribusiness Agriculture operated by business; specifically, that part of a modern national economy devoted to the production, processing, and distribution of food and fibre products and byproducts. commands Farm Journal's full attention today, stresses Andy Weber Weber, river, United States Weber (wē`bər), river, c.125 mi (200 km) long, rising in the Uinta Mts., N central Utah, and flowing north and northwest to join the Ogden River at Ogden. The combined stream flows to the Great Salt Lake. , who was named president and chief executive officer in May 2000. Weber brought an extensive background in publishing and associated businesses, as well as an interest in working for an independent company focused solely in a market he respects. "My career started in agriculture. I worked for a competitor and was always impressed im·press 1 tr.v. im·pressed, im·press·ing, im·press·es 1. To affect strongly, often favorably: by the strength of the Farm Journal brand," says Weber "Because of our unwavering commitment to serving farmers' needs, we have earned their trust and they look to us first." Weber plans to move forward with a basic and straightforward strategy. "We are a simple business," he says. "We provide critical business information in whatever form farmers need it and try to impact as many stages of their decision-making process as possible. This content then serves as a strong platform to link buyers and sellers in agriculture." Weber plans more "cross-content" platforms, such that different slices of the same topic can be tailored for all outlets and audiences for a complete package, from AgDay Television and Top Producer to the Internet. A recent example is Farm Journal, Inc. publishing a magazine version of AgDay's "WeekEnd MarketPlace" show taped on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) The second largest futures exchange in the US, and a pioneer in the development of financial futures and options. . "We will strengthen our effort to be a multi-media platform with relevant and cutting edge information," adds Hillgren. "We have tightened our focus on crop and livestock production and take seriously our role as a leader in providing policy information. We will continue to develop content relevant to producers' needs to increase profits. We are forward-looking as we build on our past." As an example, the company has just entered a joint venture with Landwirtschaftsverlag GmbH, the leading agricultural publisher in Germany, to publish The Tractor tractor, in agriculture, vehicle used to pull such equipment as plows, cultivators, and mowers; to power stationary devices such as saws and winches; and to push snowplows and earth-moving implements. Sourcebook. The resource book, which will be released in November, will contain reviews of major U.S. tractor brands and driving impressions, workshop maintenance and repair ideas, as well as lighter pictorial stories. Weber says that Farm Journal will rely on its database and hands-on involvement in the market to help shape its future. "We have a large staff in Iowa that updates 700,000 farmer demographics each year. We have over 50 leading journalists in the field. That database and our field presence tells us what shifts are taking place and allows us to understand farming trends first. It allows us to reflect those trends in our magazines, television, radio, over the Internet and everywhere else," he says. Farm Journal will also use database information and its myriad Myriad is a classical Greek name for the number 104 = 10 000. In modern English the word refers to an unspecified large quantity. The term myriad is a progression in the commonly used system of describing numbers using tens and hundreds. media to help agribusinesses position products and tailor solutions according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. customer needs. "We help agribusiness generate more than just awareness--we help them sell products," Weber says. "We want to be partners with agribusiness in as many stages of their sales process A sales process is a systematic approach for performing product or service sales. The reasons for having a sales process include seller and buyer risk management, achieving standardized customer interaction in sales and scalable revenue generation. as possible." Farm Journal has a journalistic jour·nal·is·tic adj. Of, relating to, or characteristic of journalism or journalists. jour  nal·is commitment and farmers trust our consistency," he sums. "Our proud past and brand equity will help us grow as we provide more types of information and solutions for the ag community. We are excited about these prospects." AT A GLANCE Farm Journal, Inc. has grown dramatically in its 125 years. Today, the Company holds interests in print, electronic, newsletter and Internet businesses. Publication titles include Farm Journal, Top Producer, Beef Today and Dairy Today. Broadcast properties include AgDay and WeekEnd MarketPlace, both nationally syndicated television shows, and the Farm Journal Radio Network. Farm Journal's newsletter publications include Pro Farmer and LandOwner, and Farm Journal's Internet presence continues through its significant content, business and investment partnership in AgWeb.com. FARM JOURNAL MILESTONES 1877--Farm Journal founded by Wilmer Atkinson with 25,000 copies printed. 1915--Farm Journal achieves national distribution and one million subscribers. 1935--After purchase by the Pew family, Farm Journal, Inc. sells presses and contracts printing with R.R. Donnelley & Sons. 1939--Farm Journal, Inc. buys Farmer's Wife magazine from Webb Publishing. 1952--Farm Journal launches three regional editions. 1955--Farm Journal, Inc. buys Country Gentleman from Curtis Publishing. 1958--Farm Journal initiates controlled circulation to persons with an active interest in farming. 1962-64--Farm Journal launches livestock demographic sections bound inside the magazine. 1960s--Farm Journal, Inc. computerizes circulation file and begins collecting demographic data on subscribers that becomes the most advanced database on farmers. 1982--Building on its database, Farm Journal becomes the first magazine in history to bind its issues selectronically, thus targeting magazines depending on readers' crops or livestock, size and region. 1984--Farm Journal Inc. launches Top Producer for large farms. 1984--Farm Journal publishes 8,896 different versions of its May issue. 1985--Livestock sections become separate vertical magazines. 1995--Farm Journal, Inc. launches Internet site. 1998--Farm Journal, Inc. purchases Pro Farmer, nation's largest circulation agricultural newsletter. 1998--Farm Journal, Inc. purchases AgDay Television. 2000--AgWeb founded as Internet company. Barb Baylor Anderson is a freelance writer from Edwardsville, Ill., who covers a wide variety of ag issues. |
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