Send2Press Newswire

May is Prime Time to Plant Home Vineyard

Mon, 05 May 2008 09:31:41 GMT

JEFFERSON VALLEY, N.Y., May 5 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- For those dreaming of installing a small vineyard at their home, Vinescapes Inc. announces May is rush time. Plants must be in the ground before June 2, which makes this the busiest time of the year for the home vineyard industry. Those who miss this crucial window can prepare the vineyard this season by installing the trellising, testing and amending the soil. But must wait until next year to start their new vines.

Those interested in creating their own home based vineyard need to act quickly in order to get their vines in the ground before the buds begin to swell. Growers should expect usable grapes in about three to five years after first planting vines. Common red and white grapes grown in New York State include cabernet franc, riesling, sayval blanc, traminette, and vidal blanc just to name a few. Home based winemakers can expect about a gallon of wine per vine once they start producing grapes.

With advances in vineyard techniques over the past ten years, more and more people are creating personal home based wineries. Some companies, like Vinescapes, Inc., take customers from planning a vineyard all the way through teaching making wine from their own grapes-from the vine to the wine. This is a great option for those looking to make their own organic or kosher wines or just bottle their own label. It is a good idea for those just starting out to take advantage of such expertise.

It doesn't take much to create a small vineyard - as few as ten vines. This brings the idea of a boutique winery to a whole new level. In order to yield the highest-quality grapes it is important to start with a good piece of land and the right vines for the location.

According to Christopher DeNisco of Vinescapes, Inc. (www.vinescapesinc.com) "You would be surprised at how easy it can be to start a home-based vineyard. Right now is our busiest time of the year as new and expanding vineyards rush to get their plants in the ground."

Vinescapes, Inc. custom-designs home and commercial vineyards to ensure that growers have the best chance of success.

Contact Christopher DeNisco by calling 914-588-7729 or visit www.vinescapesinc.com.

Copyright © 2008 Send2Press® Newswire, a unit of Neotrope®
TAGS: Send2Press Newswire, home based vineyard, Vinescapes Inc

Plangarden's Vegetable Gardening Software Expands Web 2.0 Social Networking Features

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:12:13 GMT

Plangarden enhances vegetable garden software by allowing vegetable gardeners to share, view, comment and rate gardens in the Plangarden community.

HALF MOON BAY, Calif., March 27 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Plangarden enhances its drag-and-drop online vegetable gardening software by expanding features for its rapidly growing community of vegetable gardeners. The new Web 2.0 social networking features enable vegetable garden enthusiasts from all over the world to interact over a "virtual backyard fence" where they can ask or swap advice. On a Google Maps mash-up you can visually find fellow gardeners in your area or type in locations around the world that you are interested in.

With the enhanced "Shared Garden" feature of the Plangarden Web site, gardeners can now leave comments, rate, and put a "watch" on other shared gardens, allotments and small farms. These community features complement Plangarden's award-winning Web-based layout and design tool that has appealed to many vegetable gardeners who can quickly create a virtual on-line garden.

"I found myself not only viewing my garden from work and at home (Macintosh and Windows), but when the opportunity presented itself, I was able to use this incredible program to show off what I was growing to friends - on their computer. Now that is cool!" comments Karl Mueller, a Plangarden user since 2006.

The expanded Shared Garden features include "GardenComments," "GardenWatch" and "GardenRating."

GardenComments is a great way to communicate, share and learn from fellow gardeners. Like many social networking sites, this feature creates a friendly, interactive way for gardeners to exchange ideas and tips in the Plangarden community. The Google Maps mash-up lets gardeners visually find Plangarden users in their area (represented as ladybug icons) who opt to share their garden plan. Clicking on a ladybug icon will allow gardeners to view that particular Plangarden user's layout, vegetables, and garden journal. If they desire, they can add a comment or ask a question to the garden owner. Any comment sends an automatic email alert to the Plangarden user.

GardenWatch lets gardeners build up a "buddy list" of gardeners. Buddy gardeners can be alerted by email or RSS feed when a Plangarden user makes changes to her plan.

GardenRating allows vegetable gardeners to give star ratings to plans of Plangarden users. This fun option allows people to give kudos to interesting and creative garden layouts. And while users may focus on gardens in their area, they are also free to explore the world and rate gardens in faraway places!

About Plangarden:
Over 12,000 users from all over the world have discovered Plangarden, the first Web-based vegetable garden design application, that assists gardeners in visualizing, planning and recording gardening activities. Plangarden has been member-tested and recommended by the National Home Gardening Club. Users can sign up for a free 45-day trial. A full year subscription is available for $20 per year, or $36 for 3-years.

More information: www.plangarden.com.

All trademarks acknowledged.

Copyright © 2008 Send2Press® Newswire, a unit of Neotrope®
TAGS: Send2Press Newswire, Plangarden gardening software, virtual vegetable garden

Cengea Solutions Inc. acquires Inform Network for Systems Management Limited

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 09:11:28 GMT

VANCOUVER, B.C. Canada - Feb. 5 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Cengea Solutions Inc. announces today that it has acquired the assets of Inform Network for Systems Management Limited. Cengea and Inform have been the two dominant suppliers of spatially enabled information systems to the forest products industry in Canada and have had growing success in providing systems to the forest products industry in the United States.

"The acquisition of Inform broadens the Cengea product set and strengthens our ability to address the emerging needs of the North American marketplace. The skill base that comes with Inform enhances our ability to not only service existing customers but address the opportunities we see rising in the related land use applications," said Garry Rasmussen, President and CEO of Cengea Solutions Inc.

Mary Jane Devine, President, Inform Network for Systems Management Limited said "By combining the capabilities of the two companies we provide our customers with an expanded capacity to meet their needs in future and our employees with a greater diversity of opportunities."

Cengea Solutions Inc. is the result of a merger in 2006 of Ansera Resources Inc. of Vancouver and Linnet Geomatics International of Winnipeg. The company is active in both the Forestry and Agriculture Industries with customers in Canada the United States and Great Britain.

Inform Network for Systems Management Limited is a joint venture of TELUS and Timberline Natural Resource Group. Founded in 1999 the company has customers in Canada and the United States.

More information: www.cengea.com.

Copyright © 2008 Send2Press® Newswire, a unit of Neotrope®
TAGS: Send2Press Newswire, Cengea Solutions Inc, spatially enabled information systems

Haywood County Tomatoes Travel the Internet

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:24:26 GMT

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. - Jan. 31 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Haywood County tomatoes are now traveling worldwide, thanks to a short web-based video recently produced by the Buy Haywood Market Development Project. More and more, people are receiving messages that communicate "thousands of miles fresher," "buy local," and "support sustainable agriculture." Often these messages are on bumper stickers or in print ads, but the Buy Haywood project has taken these ideas to the next level with the assistance of the World Wide Web.

While the Buy Haywood project often draws parallels with other place-based promotional efforts, like Vidalia Onions, this new marketing effort has more in common with the California Raisin ads from years ago, including music, humor, and animated produce.

"We wanted to try a more creative approach to promoting our local farm products," said George Ivey, Coordinator of the Buy Haywood project. "We have always had excellent soils, hard-working farmers, and great-tasting produce, but what we need to make a difference in our sales and marketing efforts might really be cartoon tomatoes and YouTube."

The video was produced locally by Stellar Media, which aims to provide animation at an affordable price for nonprofits as well as businesses. "In this case, animation allowed us to take some serious issues and present them in a humorous and hopefully memorable way," said Eric Larson, President of Stellar Media. "Posting the video on the web will also help the project reach many new and different audiences."

The voices for the video are also local, with Kristin Yarborough and Mark Terry narrating the 80-second video. A shorter, 30-second version has also been produced with possible television use in mind. The video can be seen online at www.buyhaywood.com, www.stellarmediaonline.com, and www.youtube.com/BuyHaywood.

The Buy Haywood Market Development Project seeks to improve awareness, interest, and sales of fruits, vegetables, and other farm products grown in Haywood County, North Carolina. The project is managed by the Haywood County Economic Development Commission, and it receives support from the Golden LEAF Foundation.

Buy Haywood Market Development Project
c/o Haywood County Economic Development Commission
144 Industrial Park Drive
Waynesville, NC 28786
828-456-3737 phone, 828-452-1352 fax

Video and this news release may be viewed together at:
http://send2press.com/newswire/2008-01-0131-004.shtml .

Copyright © 2008 Send2Press® Newswire, a unit of Neotrope®
TAGS: Send2Press Newswire, Buy Haywood Market Development Project, Stellar Media web video

Colorado Machinery Doubles in Size through Mergers

Thu, 20 Apr 2006 19:15:00 GMT

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - April 20 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Colorado Machinery LLC has completed a merger that increases its store total from five to nine and broadens its product mix and geographic reach. On April 8, 2006, the Colorado Springs-based construction equipment company merged with Romer Mercantile, based in Holly and Lamar, Colo., and with Bi-State Machinery Co. Inc., based in Greeley and Ft Collins, Colo.

With the transactions, Colorado Machinery LLC broadens its focus to include sales, parts, service and rental of construction and forestry equipment, agricultural equipment and compact utility equipment. Four of the company's nine stores will be branded as Colorado Machinery LLC; four will operate under a new name, Colorado Equipment LLC; and the ninth will operate as Bobcat of Colorado Springs, a part of Colorado Compact Equipment LLC.

Keith Olson, Colorado Machinery General Manager is enthusiastic about the company's new opportunities for growth and service. "Our mission is to be the finest service company in Colorado," Olson said. "Now we're joining forces with people who share our outlook and commitment."

Craig Schomaker, managing partner in Holly and Lamar, looks forward to the resources the merger will bring to his stores. "We'll be able to connect our employees and bring customers an even broader range of John Deere equipment," he noted.

Duane Wallin, managing partner for the agricultural stores in Greeley and Ft Collins stressed the opportunities for teamwork: "We're working together to be more efficient internally and meet our customers' needs better than ever."

Here's a breakdown of Colorado Machinery's stores by location and product focus:

Colorado Machinery - John Deere construction and forestry equipment, Ingersoll Rand equipment
* Colorado Springs
* Ft. Collins
* Frederick
* Pueblo

Colorado Compact Equipment - Bobcat and Ingersoll Rand Construction Technologies compact utility equipment
* Bobcat of Colorado Springs
* Ft. Collins
* Pueblo

Colorado Equipment - John Deere agricultural equipment
* Ft. Collins
* Greeley
* Holly
* Lamar

Colorado Machinery LLC is a regional leader in equipment sales and ranks consistently in the top 10 percent of John Deere equipment dealers nationwide. The expanded company now employs 220 people in its nine stores. The corporate office and will continue to be based in Colorado Springs.

The business traces its history back to 1926, when Rudolph Romer opened an agricultural equipment dealership in Holly, Colo. In the late 1960s, Bruce Young and Roy Romer moved into the John Deere Construction business. The three Colorado Romer/Young dealerships were combined into one ownership group in 1988. With the growth of the John Deere construction and forestry division, the company became known as Colorado Machinery in 1994. Colorado Machinery's fourth John Deere location opened in Frederick, Colo., in 2003. A fifth Bobcat and Ingersoll Rand location opened last year in August as Bobcat of Colorado Springs. 2006 marks the company's entry into the agricultural sector of Eastern Colorado.

For additional information, visit: http://www.coloradomachinery.com

Inside the Mega-Dairy: New Study Will Reveal How They Do Business - Huge Dairy Farms Operate Much Differently Than Traditional Dairies

Mon, 09 May 2005 13:16:00 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - May 9 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- A new study from Entira (www.entira.net), "Inside the Mega Dairy: Management Strategy and Decision-Making Structure," will reveal how top managers in this important segment of the agricultural market think and operate.

"Fewer than 1,300 large dairy operations produce about one-third of the milk in the U.S.," according to Joy Parr Drach, senior partner of Entira and a principal author of the study. "That means these businesses are huge purchasers of feed, seed, veterinary supplies and services, equipment, financial services and other farm inputs. Focusing on this small but influential group is a powerful way for agribusiness to increase sales."

The study will provide new perspectives on how to approach and capitalize on this market, Parr Drach said. "Owners of mega-dairies have very different business viewpoints than traditional, smaller dairy farmers," Parr Drach says. "To be effective in this market, it's important to know what mega-dairies need, how they buy, who makes the buying decisions and how they evaluate suppliers."

"Inside the Mega Dairy" will:

* Provide insights for positioning companies, products and services within this market segment

* Fuel new product development based on the problems and unmet needs of this segment

* Suggest strategic alternatives for sales and distribution to mega-dairies

* Identify the level of resources and level to commit to this segment

* Prioritize the relative weights for producer vs. influencer marketing and promotional activities

Funding for "Inside the Mega Dairy" will come from a consortium of agribusiness participants formed specifically for this project. Those who enroll by June 10, 2005 will have the opportunity to tailor the study to their specific interests. The study will be completed by October 2005.

A study prospectus with full details is available at www.megadairy.com. For further information, contact Entira partners Joy Parr Drach at 615-273-2977 or Mike Karst at 901-753-0470.

Entira (www.entira.net) is a unique hybrid of marketing/management consultants and sales development specialists. The firm helps food and agribusiness companies devise innovative strategic solutions to meet changing market needs.