I just bought our 2009 wall calendar and we’ve got a lot to put on it. One of those items is Commodity Classic. It looks like we’ve got some great performers again this year.
Attendees will enjoy performances by Grammy award winners Pam Tillis and Riders In The Sky during the Evening of Entertainment at the 2009 Commodity Classic convention and trade show to be held Feb. 26-28, at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas.
Commodity Classic attendees will experience the sweet sounds of singer, songwriter and actress Pam Tillis. A Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year, Tillis has written songs for top singers such as Conway Twitty, Chaka Kahn, Highway 101 and Martina McBride, including more than a few of her own hits. She starred in Leiber and Stoller’s “Smokey Joe’s Café” on Broadway and appeared in the “Promised Land” and “L.A. Law” television series. Tillis, the daughter of country legend Mel Tillis, was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2000.
When Riders In The Sky takes the stage, the audience will hear Western music at its finest. Riders In The Sky members Ranger Doug, Too Slim, Woody Paul and Joey the Cowpolka King are better known as “America’s favorite cowboys.” For over 30 years, they have kept the tradition of the singing cowboy alive with their wacky humor and way-out, Western wit. In addition to being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and being named the Western Music Association Entertainers of the Year six times, Riders in the Sky also performed “Woody’s Round Up” in Disney’s “Toy Story 2.”
There was certainly a lot of precision agriculture equipment and software on display at this year’s Commodity Classic as well as at the National Farm Machinery Show. Here’s Matt Hesse, Auto Pilot Segment Manager for Trimble at Classic. We asked Stewart Doan to find out what’s new from Trimble in ‘08.
Matt says they’ve got a number of new products out this year including a new EZ-Guide light bar, EZ-Office software package to manage collected data and a Trimble Agriculture Manager system that helps you save time managing all your precision assets. He says that precision starts with guidance and the returns are easy to see. Guidance pays for itself and with good commodity prices now is a great time to have new products to sell.
You can listen to Stewart’s interview with Matt here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Continuing the theme of their customers being “more than a number” Wyffels Hybrids was on display at Commodity Classic. With the help of Stewart Doan we got an interview with Kim Jones.
Kim says that the company is unique and independent offering a full range of traits in their hybrids, proprietary genetics packages and personal service. She says that because they service a smaller territory than some of the really big companies they can provide a level of personal service that just plain makes their customers “more than a number” to them.
She says that the company has had its own in-house genetics program for 35 years allowing them to produce unique hybrids that aren’t available anywhere else. She says they also have an agronomist staff to conduct a testing program for all their product lines.
You can listen to Stewart’s interview with Kim here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
At the Commodity Classic Cindy and I couldn’t make it to all the booths that we wanted to so we enlisted the help of Stewart Doan. Stewart did several interviews for us including this one with Dave Redmond, National Sales Manager for Stoller USA. We wanted to find out what was new with this company.
Dave tells Stewart that Stoller is providing growers with a management tool they can apply to their product that will allow the crop to realize its full yield potential. The main product they’re focusing on this year is Bio-Forge. This is a product he says helps plants manage stress from a variety of causes. This allows the plant to yield more. You can learn more about specific crops the product is labeled for as well as application information in the interview.
During this time of good crop prices he says growers are more willing to look at ways to push yield. He noticed at the show that the attitude of growers was very upbeat which he says is helpful for everyone in the industry.
You can listen to Stewart’s interview with Dave here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
A sample from Kip Cullers’ world record soybean yield was on display in a trophy case at Pioneer’s Commodity Classic trade show booth and it certainly received a lot of well-deserved attention. Kip’s record in 2007, you may recall, was an astonishing 154 bushels per acre.
Pioneer and BASF are two of the companies Kip credits with helping him break his own world record last year. Another is EMD Crop BioScience.
I talked with Matt Hays of EMD at the trade show and he told me how their product Optimize helps Kip and other growers optimize their yields.
“It’s a seed treatment that is LCO promoter technology that just turns on the vital growth processes in the plant,” Hays says. “Basically, it enhances your emergence, improves your plant health and handles environmental stresses better.”
Listen to my interview with Matt here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
I know we’ve heard a lot from Gene Hemphill here on AgWired the past few days but well we should. Here’s my interview with him from the trade show floor at Commodity Classic. In it we talk about his support of the ag media including sponsoring the media room. Gene says they’ve been doing it since Commodity Classic started and before that individually at the organizational meetings of the groups involved with Classic.
Gene says they don’t just sponsor media rooms at events like this just to get a microphone or reporter in front of their representatives. He says that many of their staff are farmers or come from farms and so they feel a need to do what they can to help get information out from meetings like Commodity Classic. He says that the company’s sponsorships help them keep in touch with the media and through them to help keep their customers up to date with what’s happening in the industry.
At some of these events he says they even provide staff like himself to help manage the media rooms. We’ve all seen Gene making coffee and bringing in the donuts at Farm Progress Show for example.
Listen to my interview with Gene here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
AgWired coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: and
There aren’t too many people in agricultural marketing who don’t know Gene Hemphill, Industry Affairs, New Holland. You probably know that we honored him at the media reception at Commodity Classic. This week’s program expands on that theme. Gene is a friend as well as a client and beloved by all of us in the media who have worked with him for so long. For all the attention he’s getting for “partially retiring” I can’t wait to see what happens when he really retires!
I promise you this isn’t too long (since I cut him off) but you can not only listen to Gene’s comments at the media reception but you can also watch them in this video. The lighting was kind of funky and at one point we went to full dark but it works. You’ll see Emcee Mike Adams, AgriTalk, introduce Gene first.
Before hearing Gene’s comments in this week’s program you can hear Pam Fretwell’s (WTAD) story about how she met Gene. It’s a good example of the stories we heard at the reception. I did record the full presentation which I’m sending to Gene on a disk so he can show it to his wife and kids.
You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 161 (17 min MP3)
Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes
AgWired coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: and
Kip Cullers of Missouri is not only a great corn and soybean grower, he has become one heck of an entertaining speaker. He’s really fun to be around, but he is totally serious about helping other growers meet their optimum potential for yields.
Kip revealed some of his record-breaking yield tips at the American Soybean Association-BASF breakfast at the 2008 Commodity Classic last week. The breakfast was attended by growers enrolled in the 2008 Secure Optimal Yield (SOY) program, a joint program of the ASA and BASF that is designed to help soybean growers maximize yields and net profits.
Kip says with prices where they are today, growers should make every effort to maximize soybean yields. “Soybeans now are $15, so - my gosh - you can spend a little and make a bunch. It’s simple economics.”
His philosophy, whether it’s corn or soybeans, is simple - it’s all about plant health. “Plant the best genetics for your area, protect with fungicide and insecticide program, and don’t let your weeds get out of control,” he says.
Kip yielded an average of 73 bushels per acre of soybeans last year – almost twice the Missouri state average – by following the secrets to success he outlined in his breakfast presentation.
He encourages growers to sign up for the 2008 SOY program. The registration deadline for the program has been extended to March 14.
Listen to my interview with Kip here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
AgWired coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: and
Besides hearing from a researcher and a farmer we also heard from Commodity Classic Learning Center sponsor Bruce Battles, Agronomy Marketing Manager, Syngenta Seeds. The subject was Maximizing Yield in Continuous Corn.
Bruce says the company is investing a lot of time and money in testing their hybrid specific recommendations to increase the percentage of success their customers have. When it comes to corn on corn he says the biggest controllable difference a grower can make is hybrid selection. He suggests growers get as much yield information as possible to find the best one that will work on their fields.
Listen to my interview with Bruce here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
AgWired coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: and
I think growers appreciate hearing from other growers, even if they also sell Garst Seed. At the Commodity Classic Learning Center session on Maximizing Yield in Continuous Corn, north central Iowa grower Mike Missman talked about his experience with corn on corn.
When I spoke with him prior to his presentation he said that the first consideration would be Garst Agrisure traited corn. Of course he would say so. But he also suggests that managing residue is very important, especially wet fields that are easily compacted.
Listen to my interview with Mike here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
AgWired coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: and
There were 145 media representatives covering Commodity Classic. Here’s some of them at the Sec. of Ag Schafer press conference. We all have significant needs for things like internet access, phone lines, work spaces, convenient food/beverages, privacy, a meeting place, secure room for equipment and help finding our way around. That’s why it is so important and appreciated to have companies like New Holland sponsor a media/press conference room at events like Commodity Classic.
To give you a perspective on how important this is I spoke to Pam Fretwell, WTAD and Past President of NAFB. She says that there just wouldn’t be the amount of stories going out if we didn’t have resources like the ones made possible by sponsors like New Holland.
Listen to Pam’s comments here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
I also spoke to Mike Wilson, Farm Futures and Senior Vice President of IFAJ. He says the sponsorship of the media room is very important since these events are getting so big and the resources offered really help us do our jobs. He also says that for the sponsoring company it really helps build strong relationships.
Listen to Mike’s comments here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
AgWired coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: and
If you haven’t heard Dr. Fred Below, Professor of Plant Physiology, University of Illinois, speak then you’re missing something. He was part of a panel discussion on Maximizing Yield in Continuous Corn that filled the room. The Learning Center session was sponsored by Syngenta.
The first thing Dr. Below wanted growers to know is that they’ll take an approximate 10% yield penalty by doing corn on corn. He’s done a lot of work on how you go about mitigating that penalty. To do so he says you should utilize a high yielding hybrid and apply sufficient nitrogen. Of course it helps to have a little cooperation from the weather too since that’s the single biggest impact factor on yield. Another thing he suggests is planting more seed per acre since corn planted after corn often emerges poorly. For more information he recommends that growers contact their local extension offices where they’ll find a lot of information on this subject.
Listen to my interview with Dr. Below here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
You didn’t think I was done posting from Commodity Classic did you? Well I’m not. There’s still more to come.
AgWired coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: and
BASF congratulated the country’s leading corn growers and their families for their leadership in embracing innovation at the National Corn Growers Association’s National Corn Yield Contest banquet at the 2008 Commodity Classic. Markus Heldt, head of the BASF North American crop protection division, joined NCGA president Ron Litterer to honor the winners.
Markus told the audience of almost 2,000 corn growers that BASF is working to help fill the information and innovation gap to help corn yields continue to break the yield barrier.
“How can it be possible for some growers to double the U.S. corn yield average?” he asked rhetorically, pointing to the national yield champions as examples of success. “At BASF, we believe that the gap is information and innovation, and we’re taking action to fill both those gaps by supporting education through scholarship programs and by building on our 143-year history of R&D investment, now totaling $450 million per year in crop protection.”
BASF has been a sponsor of NCGA’s National Corn Yield Contest for more than 20 years.
Listen to my interview with Markus here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
AgWired coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: and
Thanks to Ron Bolte of Stealth Productions for the banquet photos!
I didn’t get to spend any time with Whitney Wallace at Commodity Classic but I got to follow her via her Monsanto Student Blogger blog - Whitney’s Classic Comments. I’m happy to see Monsanto continuing the Future Ag Journalists Fellowship program we got started a couple years ago now. I know the experience that students like Whitney are getting will serve them well in their careers and provide them with skills that many companies today need, including the media. Here’s an excerpt from Whitney’s blog to give you an example of her writing.
After a short flight, we landed safely in Missouri. During our take-off, I saw some bright red, picturesque barns dotting the Tennessee countryside. It made me think about hard-working farmers across our nation. From seeing the opportunities this weekend, I know that Commodity Classic provides growers with excellent resources. Several of the producers I met said they come to the event to expand their knowledge of new technology, techniques, and products. With the outstanding programs, press conferences and trade show displays, I’d say…mission accomplished!
I’m glad she’s safely at home and I hope everyone has a safe journey. Cindy and I are part way at this point. She’s driving, I’m blogging.
AgWired coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: and
I think I’m the last one in the media room now. In fact, it closes in 20 minutes and they’re already tearing it down around me. Here’s Ned Arthur, Truffle Media Networks, hard at work earlier.
In case you’ve never seen these professionals in action Cindy shot a short video clip when things were very active. We had a record 145 media representatives here at Classic this year including some sort of “mainstream” media we don’t normally see.
Cindy took off to do some shopping a while ago and I’m ready for a break so I’m going to quit for now. However, you can expect to see and hear more from this year’s show right here on AgWired.
Thank you once again to Gene Hemphill, New Holland, for not only sponsoring AgWired coverage of Commodity Classic but the media room as well.
AgWired coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: and
Ed Hegland is a farmer from Minnesota and currently serving as Chairman of the National Biodiesel Board. He stopped by the New Holland booth here at the Commodity Classic trade show where I got to talk to him about how equipment manufacturers are supporting biodiesel.
Ed says that as a farmer he’s excited to see companies like New Holland and others following their lead to step up and help promote the use of biodiesel, a farm product.
I asked him what other things these companies can do besides providing warranty support for 100% biodiesel. He says that education would be one thing. He thinks the manufacturers need to make sure that dealers and distributors get the right information on usage and handling of biodiesel so customers will learn it and to make sure that they stress quality.
Listen to my interview with Ed Hegland here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
AgWired coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: and
It took 3 or 4 days but we’re pretty sure that Evan Slack, Evan Slack Network, showed everyone attending Commodity Classic how to use the iPhone. I’m hoping Apple is paying Evan a commission.
Here he’s showing Anita Vanderwert, Brownfield, how to check her stock quotes via the built in web browser. She doesn’t seem to be paying attention.
If you’re thinking of getting one then please give Evan a call.
AgWired coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: and
Each year at the Commodity Classic general session we get to hear from the Presidents of the participating associations. Here they are on stage involved in an interactive discussion with moderator John Phipps. Pictured left to right are John Hoffman, ASA, Ron Litterer, NCGA and John Thaemert, NAWG.
John starts out wondering how in the world these three guys got so lucky as to be President this year when we’ve got such fantastic market prices. It’s a lively discussion which I hope you’ll enjoy.
Listen to the 3 Amigos here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
AgWired coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: and
I just bought our 2009 wall calendar and we’ve got a lot to put on it. One of those items is Commodity Classic. It looks like we’ve got some great performers again this year.
There was certainly a lot of precision agriculture equipment and software on display at this year’s Commodity Classic as well as at the National Farm Machinery Show. Here’s Matt Hesse, Auto Pilot Segment Manager for 
Continuing the theme of their customers being “more than a number” 
At the Commodity Classic Cindy and I couldn’t make it to all the booths that we wanted to so we enlisted the help of Stewart Doan. Stewart did several interviews for us including this one with Dave Redmond, National Sales Manager for 
A sample from Kip Cullers’ world record soybean yield was on display in a trophy case at Pioneer’s Commodity Classic trade show booth and it certainly received a lot of well-deserved attention. Kip’s record in 2007, you may recall, was an astonishing 154 bushels per acre. 
I know we’ve heard a lot from Gene Hemphill here on AgWired the past few days but well we should. Here’s my interview with him from the trade show floor at Commodity Classic. In it we talk about his support of the ag media including sponsoring the media room. Gene says they’ve been doing it since Commodity Classic started and before that individually at the organizational meetings of the groups involved with Classic.
and 
There aren’t too many people in agricultural marketing who don’t know Gene Hemphill, Industry Affairs, New Holland. You probably know that we honored him at the media reception at Commodity Classic. This week’s program expands on that theme. Gene is a friend as well as a client and beloved by all of us in the media who have worked with him for so long. For all the attention he’s getting for “partially retiring” I can’t wait to see what happens when he really retires!
Kip Cullers of Missouri is not only a great corn and soybean grower, he has become one heck of an entertaining speaker. He’s really fun to be around, but he is totally serious about helping other growers meet their optimum potential for yields.
Kip says with prices where they are today, growers should make every effort to maximize soybean yields. “Soybeans now are $15, so - my gosh - you can spend a little and make a bunch. It’s simple economics.”
Besides hearing from a researcher and a farmer we also heard from Commodity Classic Learning Center sponsor Bruce Battles, Agronomy Marketing Manager, 
I think growers appreciate hearing from other growers, even if they also sell Garst Seed. At the Commodity Classic Learning Center session on Maximizing Yield in Continuous Corn, north central Iowa grower Mike Missman talked about his experience with corn on corn.
There were 145 media representatives covering Commodity Classic. Here’s some of them at the Sec. of Ag Schafer press conference. We all have significant needs for things like internet access, phone lines, work spaces, convenient food/beverages, privacy, a meeting place, secure room for equipment and help finding our way around. That’s why it is so important and appreciated to have companies like New Holland sponsor a media/press conference room at events like Commodity Classic.
If you haven’t heard Dr. Fred Below, Professor of Plant Physiology, University of Illinois, speak then you’re missing something. He was part of a panel discussion on Maximizing Yield in Continuous Corn that filled the room. The Learning Center session was sponsored by 
BASF congratulated the country’s leading corn growers and their families for their leadership in embracing innovation at the National Corn Growers Association’s National Corn Yield Contest banquet at the 2008 Commodity Classic. Markus Heldt, head of the BASF North American crop protection division, joined NCGA president Ron Litterer to honor the winners.
“How can it be possible for some growers to double the U.S. corn yield average?” he asked rhetorically, pointing to the national yield champions as examples of success. “At BASF, we believe that the gap is information and innovation, and we’re taking action to fill both those gaps by supporting education through scholarship programs and by building on our 143-year history of R&D investment, now totaling $450 million per year in crop protection.” 
I didn’t get to spend any time with Whitney Wallace at Commodity Classic but I got to follow her via her Monsanto Student Blogger blog - 
I think I’m the last one in the media room now. In fact, it closes in 20 minutes and they’re already tearing it down around me. Here’s Ned Arthur, 
Ed Hegland is a farmer from Minnesota and currently serving as Chairman of the 
Registration is now officially closed here at Commodity Classic and the final numbers have been posted.
For the last couple days we’ve been watching the 
It took 3 or 4 days but we’re pretty sure that Evan Slack, 
Each year at the Commodity Classic general session we get to hear from the Presidents of the participating associations. Here they are on stage involved in an interactive discussion with moderator John Phipps. Pictured left to right are John Hoffman, ASA, Ron Litterer, NCGA and John Thaemert, NAWG.
You get to learn what's new with companies at NAFB's Trade Talk.
