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Posts Tagged ‘HuntFishFeed’

Reaching Beyond Our Boundaries

29 Sep

I was researching “locavore” movement and stumbled across Jackson Lander’s blog, The Locavore Hunter. I met Jackson at OWAA’s conference in Utah in July and was impressed by his mix of political astuteness and outdoor sensibility. That, and he actually wrote a book Hunting Deer for Food for those foodies who are “okay” with harvesting an animal as long as they eat the whole thing.

Whatever gets them outside, I say.

Jackson was on a panel with Hank Shaw, author of Hunt, Gather, Cook. They were discussing their respective books, the locavore movement and how writers can capitalize on it.

So there were two authors, one actually touring the country as we speak, who have successfully reached out to a WHOLE different audience with their books. Jackson even recently spoke at Mother Earth News Fair in Pennsylvania about how to quarter venison. WHAT??!! He was someplace I would think “our kind” would never be welcomed and THEY ASKED HIM TO BE THERE.

Why didn’t we think of this sooner?

prepping venison taco meat at a shelter in Milwauke for Sportsman Channel's Hunt.Fish.Feed.

And then there’s Tovar Cerulli. Another great blogger and someone I’ve grown to respect immensely. He is a vegan-turned-hunter. How much more contradictive is that? He’s also writing a book about his adventures and how others can follow suit. I’m currently reading his thesis, which is the basis for the book. Good stuff so far.

So that’s three books reaching out to communities we never touched before: foodies, people who like to eat locally (locavores), organic lovers and those who just like to know where the heck their food is coming from.

I think the foodies category is poised to really grow. CBS just started a show “The Chew” to replace “All My Children” and it’s all about preparing food, loving food, sitting around food and displaying food. How about getting Chef Mario Batali prepping and cooking venison on national TV? Before I would say that would never happen, but you should never say never.

 
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The Message Behind Our Sportsman Fund

01 Sep

Cleaning a pelican at Fort Jackson Oiled Wildlife Center in Ft. Jackson, Louisiana. Photo credit: Mike Checkett/Ducks Unlimited

Yesterday, Sportsman Channel announced the wonderful news we are now available on DISH Network via a la carte for $3/mth AND part of the proceeds are directly helping to restore habitat on the Gulf with the Coastal Conservation Association. In doing this collaboration with three companies, we decided to go all out and create a fund inside CCA called “Sportsman Fund.” Has a good ring to it, right?

The REAL message we are sending with Sportsman Fund is this: the oil well may be fixed and the news media may have moved on, but the effect on our wildlife – our habitat – is far from over. We’ll continue creating buzz on these efforts to KEEP the Gulf in the news.

This particular effort with DISH Network ends December 31. But we are already thinking ahead to how we can continue raising funds into 2011. Perhaps text to donate? Perhaps an event or concert? Maybe we can tap into a high-profile official spokesperson?

CCA has been the best partner in this whole process. Our staff were knocking heads trying to decide what non-profit group was the best fit for Sportsman Fund.  One of our sister companies, Florida Sportsman, told us CCA was the way to go. They sang praises over their chapter leaders and efforts on the ground and on the hill. Pat Murray, CCA’s president, told me they are so excited to see this fund grow and are already planning on how to utilize it for the best results. The important point is 100 percent of these funds will go to on-the-ground efforts on the Gulf.

And please, as sportsmen and women, do what you can to contribute to restoring these areas. If you are a DISH customer and don’t already have Sportsman Channel, buy us a la carte and you’ll automatically contribute to Sportsman Fund. If you already get our great network on DISH – or any other carrier – and want to contribute, then click on the “Sportsman Fund” logo on CCA’s website joincca.org

Is your group doing something to help the Gulf? Share your story and let’s see if we all can’t help each other.

 
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Hunt.Fish.Feed Milwaukee and How I Wrangled an Invite to the Monkey Room

27 Jul

Michelle shucking corn at Hunt.Fish.Feed Milwaukee

We hosted yet another successful Hunt.Fish.Feed in Milwaukee this past week where we fed more than 400 people a tasty meal of venison Sloppy Joes complete with corn on the cob, macaroni salad and watermelon. A highlight of any Hunt.Fish.Feed event we do is to simply create an awesome meal with donated venison.  But the Milwaukee stop on our tour gave us something a little extra we didn’t expect – Milwaukee gave us a lot of media love.

We reach out to media on every Hunt.Fish.Feed stop and for the most part, we do well with a couple big TV mentions and some print hits.  Milwaukee went above and beyond and for the first time, I felt we really got the message across that hunters are the heroes here.

Milwaukee by the numbers:

  • 406 people fed
  • 115 pounds of venison donated
  • 45 huge watermelons purchased
  • 500 ears of corn shucked and boiled
  • 25 volunteers from Sportsman Channel and Time Warner Cable
  • One radio show – Cutting Edge Outdoors Show on ESPN 1250AM (where I was invited back AGAIN because the response was so good, click on the link to hear the show)
  • One national radio clip – CBS News ran the story nationally over the weekend
  • One AP article that was picked up by approximately 20 local outlets

That’s quite the media coverage! So what was the “secret sauce” that led to this success? I can only assume the following:

1. Serving venison at a shelter is not something you hear about – that makes it newsworthy

2. We are based in Milwaukee – that makes it local

3. The event was on a Tuesday and not much happens on Tuesdays, barring weather – that makes it timely

4. And – this is not something they teach you in PR/Journalism class – but Milwaukee is hunter friendly. The newstations had no problem promoting the event. The FOX6 station ran the clip they took of the event during five different news segments. FIVE!

The ladies from The Morning Blend, Michelle and Scott Leysath

Next week we head to San Diego and I doubt I can repeat this amount of media coverage. I am pretty much hitting #1 and #3 on my list. I know the area isn’t as friendly to our cause and that’s sad because it isn’t about hunters – it is about what we are ALL doing to help those during their time of need. This is the second largest group we’ve ever fed with 1,500 meals. That’s 400 pounds of venison! The largest group we served was in Detroit with 2,000 people served in 2009.

And the Monkey Room? That’s from the Cutting Edge Outdoors radio guys. One of the hosts of the show owns a bait shop and it seems they have a room above the retail floor with a table, chairs and a whole bunch of mounts. It is their “guy place” where women are invited (hence my invite) but they certainly don’t stay long.   I can only assume I received the invite for one reason: I took the time to drive to the studio and go on air instead of calling in.

Go the extra mile for media and it will get returned to you in double.

What is your “secret sauce” to get media coverage for your events? Why do you think you are, or aren’t, successful in getting local coverage?

P.S. I really doubt I will be visiting the Monkey Room anytime soon.

 
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