Chip Froly wanted to be a newsletter editor in his youth--and also which newsletter he wanted to join, Pro Farmer.Over the course of these interviews, we've spoken to a number of second-generation publishers. Almost universally they told me that "growing up" or "in college," the one thing they thought they knew was that they didn't want to wind up in the family newsletter business. (Life's funny that way.) Chip Froly is the other extreme. While not a second generation publisher, he did know at a young age that he wanted to become a newsletter editor. He also knew which newsletter he wanted to work for. "I came by journalism naturally, I guess. While I was growing up on a farm in East Iowa, my mother was a stringer string·er n. 1. One that strings: a stringer of beads. 2. Architecture a. A long heavy horizontal timber used as a support or connector. b. A stringboard. for some local papers and I began writing for the 4H newsletter. "Then one day Dad and I were headed to town in the pickup Pickup A gain in yield made by selling one bond and buying another. Also referred to as "yield pickup." Notes: When the present yield is relatively low compared to the longer-term yields, pickups will be done by investors trying to increase the yield and duration of their and we heard the Pro Farmer Minute on the radio. I wish I remember the subject, but what I remember is he turned the truck around, drove home, and did whatever it told him to do. "He always read Pro Farmer and from then on I did as well. "When I finished high school I called the editor and asked him how I should prepare myself to get a job with Pro Farmer. He suggested I get a degree in Agriculture Journalism and take as much economics as possible. I went to Iowa State and did just that. "Four years later I called again. They didn't have an opening for me in Cedar Falls Cedar Falls, city (1990 pop. 34,298), Black Hawk co., N Iowa, on the Cedar River; inc. 1854. It developed as a milling center in the late 19th-century after the coming of the railroad; its name is derived from the cedar tree. , but a spot was available on a sister Oster Communications publication in Chicago, Future World News. I grabbed it and for the next three and a half years I was a floor reporter at the board of trade for the newswire," he said. Finally, the chance to realize his dream In May of 1991 I had the chance to come back to Iowa to Pro Farmer and I jumped at it. I began as the Electronic Services Editor. At that time we sent out six updates a day on the grain and livestock markets through two outlets, the Data Transmission Network (DTN See disruption-tolerant network and delay-tolerant network. ) and Global Link." Stepping back, Pro Farmer was founded in 1973 by Merrill Oster and Jerry Carlson with the aim of giving the farmer a level playing field See net neutrality. . They made available the same information the professional grain handlers handlers persons involved in the handling of, for example, circus animals. Includes grooms, milkers, herdsmen, strappers. Used mostly in referring to persons handling animals for show or auction. had so the farmer could be an informed seller. "Others have followed," Froly said, "but I think it's fair to say we've changed the grain and livestock markets. The weekly print edition of Pro Farmer remains our flagship title. We currently have more than 16,000 'members' at $159/year." Both print and electronic version "We go in the mail Friday PM and I estimate 30 percent of our readers receive it Saturday. The majority of the rest on Monday and those in places like the Pacific Northwest and upper New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of State on Tuesday, or even Wednesday," Froly said. "Those far-flung readers have been the leaders in converting from print to our electronic edition, which goes out Friday to 2,500+ subs currently. Landowner newsletter "We also publish Landowner newsletter, now in its 32nd year, that covers trends in values of land, ownership, and rental units with the emphasis on farm land. It's twice-monthly ($99) and currently has 3,000+ subscribers. "Today we have 2,000+ readers of our electronic daily ($425) which provides seven updates daily either by e-mail or downloaded from our website, www.AgWeb.com. The exclusive reports there, available on a 'members only' basis, are one of our strongest assets." AgWeb Professional also provides numerous newsletters published by Pro Farmer and others. They include AgLine by Doane, The Opening Belle by Slingshot (networking, business, tool, product, protocol) Slingshot - CSK Software's real time financial server for the Internet. Slingshot allows the delivery of real time market data across the Internet and private intranets quickly, cheaply and securely. Publishing, The Brock brock n. Chiefly British A badger. [Middle English brok, from Old English broc, of Celtic origin.] Report Daily Comments, From the Floor with Eddy Lamar, Allendale Advisory Report, AgResource Daily and Weekend, The Kiplinger Agriculture Letter, and Inside Washington Inside Washington is a political roundtable show hosted by WJLA news anchor and chief political reporter Gordon Peterson. It is produced by Allbritton, owner of WJLA, and distributed to PBS stations nationwide. with Jim Wiesenmeyer. Seven years ago in April 1998, the Pro Farmer company was acquired by Philadelphia-based Farm Journal Media, a 128-year-old firm that publishes Farm Journal and other titles. "We're past the growing pains grow·ing pains pl.n. Pains in the limbs and joints of children or adolescents, frequently occurring at night and often attributed to rapid growth but arising from various unrelated causes. now, and it is working well," Froly said. Marketing Hold on to your hats for this one: We found a publisher who says, "Good old standard direct mail packages are still successful for us. We watch for seasonality in our markets and we may mail two or three times because farmers tend to take some time to be convinced and make a decision," Froly said. "As 'secondary marketing,' we also do telemarketing telemarketing, the practice of selling goods or services to customers by means of the telephone or of surveying consumer preferences in telephone conversations. , frequently offering sample issues. We have a small part-time staff in Cedar Falls and Farm Journal has a telemarketing operation in Webster Webster, town (1990 pop. 16,196), Worcester co., S Mass., near the Conn. line; settled c.1713, set off from Dudley and Oxford and inc. 1832. The chief manufactures are footwear, fabrics, and textiles. City that we can tap into for some full-time work they fit around their schedules." Froly said that all of this is done with a full-time staff of 11 in Cedar Falls, plus three "consultants," one in Washington. "I should have also said," Froly concluded, "that in addition to our mission of providing news and information that allow farmers a level playing field, I think I can say we are the leader in farm policy coverage, coverage of farm bill debates and perspective. I think this is one of the leading factors in our very strong renewal rate." Pro Farmer, 6612 Chancellor Drive, #300, Cedar Falls, IA 50613, 319-277-1278, fax 319-277-7982, www.profarmer.com |
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