Jim Middendorf is an ambassador for the Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau. He was just one of the people welcoming the exhibitors in the Farm Progress Show to Iowa. Tonight we had the annual exhibitors dinner and reception. Jim also had a present for us. Barilla pasta! He says a woman came by earlier and after trying some locally produced Barilla pasta she hasn’t bought anything else. He says the show is a big boost to the local economy.
USB memory sticks just keep coming out in cool new “styles.” Gene Hemphill, New Holland, is providing the media with media kits saved on them that are built into a bracelet. Kind of looks like the LiveStrong ones and as you can see it’s helping me display mine!
The leadership of the National Corn Growers Association is all over the Farm Progress Show helping promote Iowa corn and NCGA. Here’s Mark Lambert, known as @CornGuy on Twitter, driving them around now that the rain has stopped.
I spoke with Bart Schott, NCGA 1st VP, sitting in the back behind Mark. Bart says they’ve been conducting media interviews and all the issues have come up that include the ethanol waiver, foreign trade and transportation. He’s impressed with the show and commented on how things have changed by pointing to a grain cart across the street from the media tent that holds more corn than his Dad’s granaries had when he was growing up.
New Holland unveiled their new T8 and T9 Tractors today at the Farm Progress Show. Prior to the unveiling the company held a press conference. I’ve got the audio for you below. The rain miraculously stopped just as it was time for the outdoor unveiling. What timing!
New Holland T8 Series tractors combine the productivity enhancing speed and stability of a long, 11’4” wheelbase with the agility you’d expect from a short wheelbase. The five models in the new T8 Series range from 235 hp to 339 hp.
and
New Holland’s T9 Series 4WD tractors meet the power and productivity needs of both row crop and broad acres producers with a choice of a standard or wide frame, industry-leading hydraulics, the largest cab in the industry and the industry’s first cab suspension system.
New Holland is rebuilding it’s brand and social media is playing a key role in the program. I learned about it from David Greenberg, New Holland Senior Director of Marketing for North America. You can find what New Holland is doing at IAmFarmRaised.com.
David says that “Farm raised is an emotional expression that touches the soul of who we are, how we want to act, how we want to hire and how we want to relate to our customers.” David calls it both an internal and external brand movement that works together. It’s “farmers selling equipment to farmers.” The program includes a YouTube channel, Twitter stream and Facebook page. “It’s our effort to bring our brand to life in the digital space.” Well said because as I hope everyone now knows, farmers are online and engaging and wanting to converse with their suppliers and these mechanisms allow that to happen.
This morning I streamed the audio from our press conferences that included this one with New Holland. I recorded it and will be posting that audio soon. I hope you enjoyed them.
In an earlier post, Matt Jungmann, the director for the Farm Progress Show, noted that one of the reasons Farm Progress is one of the largest ag shows in the world is because of the new technologies unveiled. Last night, I was invited to a media preview of Hagie Manufacturing Company’s new self propelled sprayer, the STX10. This new product is in addition to their current lineup and is intended to be delivered into the producer market according to Alan Hagie, Vice President and COO. He is the third generation of Haigies to enter the business.
The STX10 is a single tank machine. Hagie said it is very well balanced, which is especially important this year with all of the rain. “People are starting to find out how important it is to keep a light weight balanced machine on their farm so they can protect their crops,” explained Hagie.
The sprayer is a fully CANBus machine. What this means is that it has a computer on board that controls all the functions of the machine. In addition, customized precision technologies can be added to the SPX10.
“We’re not a company that says you have to put our machine on it as far as precision type technology,” said Hagie. “We say, What do you want on the machine?”
The company is customers first, so they work with their customers to ensure the technology added to the machine will work best for them. This is also why the STX10 will be launched as a limited build after the first of the year. Although this machine has been tested more than any other Hagie machine, they want “every minute to test these machines” to make sure it performs above and beyond their customer’s standards.
The 2010 Farm Progress is hours away from kickoff and Matt Jungmann, the National Events Manager for the show, is expecting huge crowds. This year, more than 550 exhibitors will be on hand; this is slightly up from 2008 when the Farm Progress was last in Boone, Iowa. But maybe more impressive is the fact that the exhibitors that are here are using more space than ever.
This is a good sign for the 100,000 plus visitors who are expected to walk the roads over the next three days. Last year there were attendees from all 50 states as well as from 56 different countries. The show is a huge draw for the international crowd, who get to preview new equipment and products for the upcoming growing season.
I asked Jungmann what some of the new features will be at this year’s show. He said that people come, in part, to see the unveiling of new farm equipment. This year John Deere, Case IH and New Holland are all rolling out new tractors. AGCO is rolling out a brand new combine and Hagie is debuting a new self propelled sprayer.
Other elements that draw the crowds include the field demonstrations and the equipment demonstrations. “People love to watch the machinery run side by side,” said Jungmann.
Jungmann also suggested that people visit the website before they drive up to the gates. On the site that can create their own itinerary and buy and print tickets, basically create their own personal Farm Progress Show.
You can check out photos of the exhibitors setting up for the show in our Farm Progress Photo Album.
The king of Farm Progress, Gene Hemphill, a consultant for New Holland, is on site and raring to go for the start of this year’s Farm Progress Show. The ZimmComm team is on site at the media tent, which is sponsored by New Holland. I’ll be reporting from the show this week along with Chuck Zimmerman.
Check out our Farm Progress Photo Album. You can also follow our coverage on Twitter under hashtag #FPS10.
AgWired coverage of the 2010 Farm Progress Show
is sponsored by: and .
To promote and show off the new steering technology of the John Deere 8R tractors the company has sponsored a new game on Agriculture.com called Steer Your Deere.
Navigate a John Deere 8R Series tractor down an obstacle-strewn path. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to acquire ACS, immediately noticing easier steering ability. You’ll generate income for travel time, overtime and bonus items, but you stand to lose some for uncontrolled driving. Rocks, hay bales, and logs abound!
Once you’ve given it a spin, stop by Machinery Talk, add your score and talk a little friendly smack!
We all have traditions. Whether it be gathering at Thanksgiving, sitting down to the dinner table as a family, or the passing of the bride’s hand by her father, traditions have become customs and beliefs we pass down from generation to generation. Cowboys also have traditions, one of which involves old, worn-out boots.
Have you ever seen a rickety fence lined with old boots and tennis shoes? It looks like the fence is about to fall over from wear. It’s as tired as the old shoes that decorate it. But there’s a reason for that.
Many ranchers wear cowboy boots and like everything else, they eventually wear out. Ranchers are very resourceful and when this happens — they put the boots on top of the posts to keep them covered and prevent rain water from seeping into the posts and rotting them out.
Sometimes, a rancher will put boots on the fencepost to honor the passing of a beloved horse, a hired hand or fallen comrade. Also, before telephones were invented, a rancher would indicate he was home and the workday was over by hanging boots on the fence.
So, I have good reason to leave my old sneakers outside the back door. I am just letting people know I’m home. Call it tradition.
Eight bovine veterinary students from across the United States each received $1,500 awards, sponsored by Intervet, and all-expenses-paid trips to the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) annual conference.
Wyffels Hybrids has added a third region to its sales structure in Illinois, further expanding the reach of its resources. This region is located in the central part of the state, serving 22 counties and 3.6 million corn acres.
HealthPro Brands, Inc., and Elanco announced that Elanco is the global animal-protein development partner for HealthPro Brands’ antimicrobial food wash.
Boot Media, LLC, parent company of PegasusTV.com, host of the Equine Film & Video Archives, and Equus Theater, a new PPV distribution platform for video-on-demand digital home media, announced the development of a twenty-four hour a day streaming iTV network focused on equestrian lifestyles and rural farm and ranch living.
Friday’s joint USDA/DOJ public workshop was a marathon with potentially over 2,000 people participating. You can follow some of what happened in my archived CoverItLive stream and the press conference featuring Sec. Vilsack and AG Eric Holder. For those of you who couldn’t attend, couldn’t listen to the live stream or need the audio for your reports or broadcasts I’m posting the 4 main panel sessions for you. I’m including a list of the participants of each too.
Eric Holder, Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice
Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Christine Varney, Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice
Betsy Markey, Congresswoman, U.S. House of Representatives
Bill Ritter, Jr., Governor, state of Colorado
John Suthers, Attorney General, state of Colorado
Steve Bullock, Attorney General, state of Montana
John Stulp, Commissioner of Agriculture, state of Colorado
Producer/Feeder Presentation of IssuesProducer/Feeder Presentation
This panel will be an opportunity to hear first-hand from producers or feeders as they share their experiences and perspectives on the industry.
Moderators:
Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Christine Varney, Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice
Panelists:
Mike Harper, sheep producer, Eaton, Colorado
Dr. Taylor Haynes, rancher, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Robbie LeValley, rancher, Hotchkiss, Colorado
Harry Livermont, rancher, Interior, South Dakota
Chris Petersen, hog farmer, Clear Lake, Iowa
Allen Sents, feedlot owner, Marquette, Kansas
Alden Zuhlke, rancher, Brunswick, Nebraska
Panel I – Trends in the Livestock IndustryTrends In Livestock Industry
This panel will discuss trends in the livestock industry, including issues associated with contracting, price transparency and the effects of concentration.
Moderator:
Philip Weiser, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice
Panelists:
Jerry Bohn, general manager, Pratt Feeders, Pratt, Kansas
Libby Cook, co-founder, Wild Oats Markets and Sunflower Farmers Markets
Mark Greenwood, vice president, commercial lending, AgStar Financial Services
Bill Heffernan, professor emeritus of rural sociology, University of Missouri
Mark Lauritsen, international vice president, director food processing, packing and manufacturing division, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union
Gilles Stockton, rancher, Range, Montana
Armando Valdez, rancher, La Jara, Colorado
Clem Ward, professor and extension economist, Oklahoma State University
Panel II – Market StructureMarket Structure
This panel will include a variety of market participants who will discuss market structure issues in the livestock industry.
Moderator:
James MacDonald, Chief, Agricultural Structure and Productivity Branch, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Panelists:
Bruce Cobb, general manager, Consolidated Beef Producers
David Domina, attorney, Domina Law Group
Mark Dopp, attorney, American Meat Institute
James Herring, president and chief executive officer, Friona Industries
Robert Mack, cattle producer/feeder, Watertown, South Dakota
Bob Miller, rancher, Okmulgee, Oklahoma
William Rishel, Richel Angus, Platt, Nebraska.
Charlie Rogers, owner/general manager, Clovis Livestock Auction
The media got a sneak peek this week at what we can expect at the 2010 Farm Progress Show when it officially gets underway on Tuesday in Boone, Iowa. Our roving reporter and New Holland representative Gene Hemphill was kind enough to send us a couple of photos from the event. New Holland is once again the sponsor of the media tent at FPS, something Gene has taken care of for years and which the media sincerely appreciates!
Dena Morgan, Farm Progress national shows marketing specialist, told the media about many changes made this year that longtime attendees will notice and appreciate – things like improved traffic control, new web cams, hand sanitizer stations, and more.
The media day is an opportunity for reporters to get a feel for the show site ahead of the big event. Riding in a tram pulled by (what else?) a New Holland tractor, the media checked out several highlights around the site including the field demonstration plots, the locations of the web cams, the cattle handling location, the hospitality tent, the Iowa State University exhibit, and Big Bud.
Chuck and Joanna will be the ZimmComm bloggers on site at FPS 2010 this year, with coverage provided here on Agwired and on Precision Pays, as well as other websites as appropriate. New Holland will once again be the main sponsor of our coverage here on Agwired, with other sponsors here and on Precision Pays including AgLeader Technologies, John Deere, and Pioneer.
The player below will let you see my CoverItLive stream from the workshop. Thanks to the hundreds who logged in and especially those who commented. I was also live tweeting today using the #USDADOJ hashtag.
I was streaming live audio from today’s workshop all day. We had about 800 different people tune in and many stayed with it all day. It was a fascinating event in many ways, especially hearing so many different opinions in such a short period of time!
I’ve got most of the conference recorded and will be sharing out tidbits in coming days. For now, it’s time to get out of the facility and head home to ZimmComm World Headquarters in the morning. Thanks to everyone who followed along!
Sec. of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Attorney General Eric Holder held a press conference this morning during a break in the USDA/DOJ public workshop in Ft. Collins, CO. I’m posting the full audio from it here for you. I’ve got lots of audio and story ideas for after today. I think getting photos, audio and live streaming to the over 300 who have been listening in so far has been priority.
I asked Sec. Vilsack if USDA or anyone has done any research on the impact or consequences of the proposed GIPSA rule. He gave a round about answer that made it apparent that none has. He pointed to the thousands of comments that have come in and are still coming in as providing lots of input on what people think will happen.
It’s a beautiful day on the campus of Colorado State University. The activity is picking up at the Lory Student Center where today’s USDA/DOJ public workshop will take place.
A large crowd is already outside waiting for the doors to open. The media got in early to set up and make sure we’ve got internet access, etc. I’ll be live tweeting and covering the session here on AgWired so check in often.
Katie Miron, a 19-year-old college student from Hugo, Minn., was crowned the 57th Princess Kay of the Milky Way in an evening ceremony at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds August 25.
As Princess Kay, Miron, who represents Washington County, will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for Minnesota’s nearly 4,700 dairy farmers. Katie is the daughter of Fran and Mary Ann Miron of Hugo, and attends the University of Minnesota, studying agricultural education. This marks the second time two people from the same family have been named Princess Kay: Miron’s sister, Ann, was crowned Princess Kay in 2007.
Throughout her year-long reign as Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Miron will make public appearances helping consumers make a connection with Minnesota dairy farm families who are dedicated to producing wholesome milk while caring for their animals and natural resources.
The American Soybean Association has confirmed five new members (John Heisdorffer, IA; Lucas Heinen, KS; C.W. Gaffner and Dan Farney, IL; and Monica McCranie, S.D.) and extended the appointments of nine other soybean growers to lead ASA’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health Program.
INFORCE 3, a new three-way respiratory cattle vaccine, will be available Sept. 1 from Pfizer Animal Health. The intranasal vaccine offers unprecedented respiratory protection with the highest level of disease prevention available against bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV).
Something big is coming to the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa: Geringhoff unleashes the only 24 row folding corn head in the world.
In this week's program Chuck talks with David Armano, Global Innovation and Integration.
David conducted a presentation on delivering expert opinion via social media to an audience at the start of International Poultry Expo week. He's got some great information about who consumers trust and how you can use today's consumer behavior to help communicate your message.
Jim Middendorf is an ambassador for the Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau. He was just one of the people welcoming the exhibitors in the Farm Progress Show to Iowa. Tonight we had the annual exhibitors dinner and reception. Jim also had a present for us. Barilla pasta! He says a woman came by earlier and after trying some locally produced Barilla pasta she hasn’t bought anything else. He says the show is a big boost to the local economy.
and 
The media got a sneak peek this week at what we can expect at the 
The media day is an opportunity for reporters to get a feel for the show site ahead of the big event. Riding in a tram pulled by (what else?) a New Holland tractor, the media checked out several highlights around the site including the field demonstration plots, the locations of the web cams, the cattle handling location, the hospitality tent, the Iowa State University exhibit, and 
In this week's program Chuck talks with David Armano, Global Innovation and Integration.
