The executive director of the National Biodiesel Board is not just a country music fan, but also a country music singer… well, for his wife and kids at home at least. But today, Joe got a bit more exposure than a home audience. He performed live on the Dave Nemo Show on XM Radio with renowned country music singer/songwriter Michael Peterson.
Michael and Joe also delved into energy issues, renewable fuels and where all that fits in with public policy. Joe says the National Biodiesel Board is aiming to have biodiesel replace five percent of the national supply of diesel fuel. He says that is equivalent to the amount of diesel the U.S. if refining and importing from in Iraq. In other words, he says the National Biodiesel Board is aiming to replace the diesel fuel we get from Iraq.
Some critics arguing against renewable fuels point out that the alternative fuel sources will never fully replace the need for oil. But, Joe says that’s not the point, “That’s like saying if you can’t do everything than you shouldn’t do anything.” Joe says The National Biodiesel Board simply doesn’t share that frame of thought. That’s why it has launched the BioTrucker Fuel Card. The card offers card holders cash price on all biodiesel fuel at 5,000 participating locations and special discounts at select truck stops all without any transaction fees. Those interested can sign up for the card at BioTrucker.com.
Both Michael and Joe lauded the farmers that make up the nation’s ag industry. Joe says agriculture is a powerful industry that fosters cutting-edge, technological innovation. “Ag is slow to move but powerful to respond,” Joe said.
You can listen to the entire broadcast of the Dave New Show with Michael and Joe here:
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I also got some videos of Michael and Joe while they were singing and strumming their guitars. You can watch the videos here:
It’s time for me to pack up and head on home from the Farm Progress Show. I hope you’ve enjoyed our coverage and I want to thank New Holland for their sponsorship. As always it has been a pleasure to work with Gene Hemphill, New Holland and Holly Fritz, H.B. Fritz & Associates, Inc.
Right before heading out I spoke with Farm Progress Show Manager Matt Jungmann and he gave me a wrapup on the show so far. He says that not only the attendees seem to be happy but they’re getting very happy comments from exhibitors. Matt says that on the first two days of corn harvest the corn was running at about 15-17% moisture and 175 to 180 bushels.
Listen to my interview with Matt here:
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So you say you’ve never been to a Farm Progress Show? Hopefully the 40 something posts from here on AgWired will give you a pretty good overview of what it’s like.
Since New Holland is my sponsor I thought you might enjoy a walking tour through their exhibit. This is not meant to be a serious product demonstration so it doesn’t get into specifics but you’ll get a pretty good idea of what the show is like and their booth in particular.
Combines, tractors and 4-wheelers aren’t the only thing you can test drive here at the Farm Progress Show.
You can also test drive a quarter horse thanks to the American Quarter Horse Association. I didn’t get to watch for long but it looked pretty sedate to me. No racing going on out here today.
Just test rides like these and horse handling demonstrations.
Here’s the New Holland exhibit from a high level view early morning. It’s very different this year. No big blue and white striped tents for example. That’s part of the new New Holland branding strategy according to the head of global communications for CNH, Gualberto Rainieri. He’s one of the corporate executives here at the show that I had a chance to meet and have a discussion with.
Gualberto says that moving the Case IH and New Holland exhibits apart on the show grounds is also part of the strategy to refresh and focus the individual brands. The New Holland exhibit in particular showcases the company’s new logo scheme for agriculture.
Learn more about the CNH communications strategy in my interview with Gualberto here:
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If you like to go fishing then stop by the Wyffels Hybrids exhibit at the Farm Progress Show. During Wyfelmania you can fish for prizes and it is a great spot to cool off while getting an opportunity for some cool Wyffels gear.
One of the owners of Wyffels Hybrids is Bill Wyffels. He manages the company with his brother Bob and family is very important to them. Not only for Wyffels but their customers too. Bill says they’re developing their brand with some a whole new marketing campaign that’s being managed by their agency, The Hondo Group.
One of the ways they’re trying to get the name out there is by using text messaging to mobile phones. Right now if you text the word, “corn,” to 77007 you’ll get back a text message to your phone with a link to a mobile browser friendly web page that gives you the Wyffels Hybrids vision and mission which by the way is:
Our Vision…
Is to be the leading, most respected, and most customer-focused supplier of elite corn hybrids in our chosen marketing area.
Our Mission…
Is to develop enthusiastically satisfied customers through industry-leading products and exceptional customer service.
You can find the instructions for texting Wyffels on billboards on the highways leading in and out of the Farm Progress Show. That’s an innovative marketing concept.
Learn more about Wyffels Hybrids in my interview with Bill here:
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I know this isn’t a sunrise but I just didn’t get a good shot of it this morning.
Instead you get the moon over the Farm Progress Show.
When I got to the media tent we had a Highway Patrolman stop in. He said they had over 50 heat problem call-ins yesterday. It was definitely easy to overdo it in the high heat we had out here.
Today promises to be much more mild and that should bode well for final day attendance.
Merging the latest in seed technology with resistance management is the key Syngenta wants to give to farmers so they can fully maximize their productivity. I grabbed Craig Abell with Syngenta Crop Protection and Syngenta Brands NK Seeds Steve Pig to talk about how the two sects work together to give farmers the most out each bushel and acre.
Listen to Craig and Steve here:
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Farmers wanting to payback all those pesky little pests that challenge them in the field can at the Monsanto display. Well, sort of. Blue flashing lights and ringing buzzer sounded after each whacking spree. The game lured the largest line in the exhibit when I stopped in to check it out. Visitors could also check out a mountain display of seeds, play a Price-Is-Right style plinko game and see live benefits of RoundUp Ready.
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns visited around while he was here at the Farm Progress Show. One of his stops was the New Holland tent to see Jay Leno’s Ecojet, the concept car that runs on 100% biodiesel.
Pictured (l-r) are Alan Kemper, VP of the American Soybean Association, Harold Boyanovsky, CEO of CNH, Sec. Johanns and Ricky “Skip” Tyler who travels with the car. They’re looking at the jet engine that powers this muscle car.
I asked Sec. Johanns what he thinks of a company like New Holland working with an entertainer like Jay Leno to promote biodiesel.
You can listen to Secretary Johanns reply here:
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New Holland’s Gene Hemhill is responsible for bringing the farm equipment company together with Jay Leno and so I asked him what this means to New Holland.
You can listen to Gene’s reply here:
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The restored antique Farmall sits next to the Gold Signature Edition Farmall tractor at the Case IH display in Progress City, IL to commemorate the company’s 60th year as an FFA sponsor. Case IH is auctioning the Gold Edition Farmall on ebay and all proceeds will go toward charity. The auction ends at the close of this week. Senior Marketing Director John Koetz says the 18-hp, sub-compact tractor customized with distinctive red-and-gold paint is a commemorative nod to the International Harvester heritage of Case IH. He says International Harvester manufactured special “Gold Demonstrator” tractors in the late 1960s and 1970s. John says Case IH is proud of its long-standing relationship and says the youth involved in FFA represent the future of agriculture. The local FFA chapter is auctioning off the restored antique Farmall as well to help raise chapter funds.
John also points out the commemorative Gold Edition Farmall is a smaller version of the limited edition Gold Signature Edition Magnum® and Steiger® tractors Case IH is selling to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Magnum tractor and 50th anniversary of Steiger.
Big or small, from Yamaha to remote control, the crowds at the 2007 Farm Progress Show are checking out the dirt tracks and the turf tracks. Consumers can climb on to various Yamaha four-wheelers and hit the small, rugged dirt track just outside of the exit to the field harvesting demonstrations to get a feel for which Yamaha model suits them best. Fast Stop wants farmers to make it their first stop. Not only does the display have RC Truck Races, but if you time it right you’ll get to listen to a live performer. When I stopped by, a singer was crooning about his human music stand. Speaking of going for a ride, I’m planning on heading over to the Rural Life Compact Tractor Ride n’ Drive at 3 p.m. The big dogs will be out all day Thursday so farmers can get a real feel for the latest in tractor models being displayed throughout Progress City.
Did I mention that it’s hot here at the Farm Progress Show? Hot enough that Jeff Nalley, The Cromwell Ag Network, is having to cool his notebook computer in front of the cooler units so it will turn back on.
He’s even got a cooling unit for it to sit on but it’s not enough. We’re working these computers pretty hard. That’s why I’ve got mine raised up off the table with my fan blowing directly on it. It’s just a part of today’s communications technology in a challenging outdoor environment.
Our U. S. Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns is visiting the Farm Progress Show today.
His first stop was the media tent where he awarded EJ Water Cooperative with $8.8 million for a loan and grant to build a water treatment plant. This is part of USDA’s Rural Development initiative.
Johanns then proceeded to make some comments regarding the farm bill and other policy topics before answering questions from the press.
You can listen to Secretary Johanns remarks here:
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“See the next decade of biotechnology products.” That’s what Monsanto says its Technology Showcase Tour: The Road Map to Success will demonstrate to farmers in Progress City, IL. The gene optimization, desired trait characteristics and advanced product development that Monsanto promotes with its products is all on display in a live side-by-side comparison of crops with Monsanto products and crops without. The Tour demonstrates how Monsanto works with gene traits to not only protect crops from bugs and weeds, but to “propel yields into the next decade.” Monsanto says its products help match demand with innovative technology, making it possible to meet global feed markets, global food markets and global biofuel markets.
The Tour spelled out how the hybrid system works using female and male parents, which are crossed to produce seed with hybird characteristics. Monsanto displayed these new elite commercial hybrids that it says look bigger and have more yield potential. Researchers are mining corn hybrids not just from the U.S., but from Argentina and Brazil. Representatives say that enables researchers to bring new combinations of genes that benefit growers. They offer new breeding tools that lets scientists pick the valuable gene out of a Brazilian corn line that might be super heat tolerant or a gene from an Argentinian corn line that might have great disease resistance and bring those genes together in a special combination that helps farmers. Monsanto says their tool for breeding is fundamentally changing the yield production for corn production.
Monsanto demonstrated the same ideals in its soybean products. The company says it has found a way to use the RoundUp Ready gene in a place in the soybean chromosome that’s “super hot for yield.” Data shows about a 7 to 11% increase in soybean breeding terms. Monsanto say that’s close to the gain that would be expected from 10 years of breeding. Researchers say there is a huge yield potential embroiled in this product that will provide growers with that “step-change they need to meet that great need for soybean products and the pressure for competition with corn for ethanol.
The pipeline also demonstrates work transforming soybean crops capable of producing oil that is Monsanto claims is virtually identical to olive oil. Oil that is lower in saturated fat and free of harmful trans fats. Monsanto has a million and a half acres dedicated to this demonstration of the first large-scale, identity-preserved value-added gene traits in soybeans.
I spoke briefly with Soybean Trait Manager Gary Elmore about the myriad of technology Monsanto is demonstrating. You can listen to Gary briefly run through what’s going on at the Monsanto Road Map to Success Tour here:
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The Pioneer tent is a really popular place here at the Farm Progress Show. For one thing they’re popping corn at the entrance but more importantly they’ve got air conditioning. I took a break from the sun in their tent and spoke with Jerry Harrington and GW Fuhr.
GW says that Pioneer has a very comprehensive display for farmers this year and in my interview he goes over all of them. For example, you’ve got the big globe in the middle to show how Pioneer is meeting world demand. Then arranged around that are different modules featuring stacked traits in corn technology, soybean technology, biofuels, forage and their crop genetics pipeline.
You can listen to my interview with GW here:
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The executive director of the National Biodiesel Board is not just a country music fan, but also a country music singer… well, for his wife and kids at home at least. But today, Joe got a bit more exposure than a home audience. He performed live on the Dave Nemo Show on XM Radio with renowned country music singer/songwriter Michael Peterson.
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It’s time for me to pack up and head on home from the Farm Progress Show. I hope you’ve enjoyed our coverage and I want to thank New Holland for their sponsorship. As always it has been a pleasure to work with Gene Hemphill, New Holland and Holly Fritz, H.B. Fritz & Associates, Inc.
I almost completely forgot about this. This is an AgWired, “Guess Who’s Boots” post.
It’s cool and breezy today but the sun is shining at the Farm Progress Show. 
Combines, tractors and 4-wheelers aren’t the only thing you can test drive here at the Farm Progress Show.
Here’s the New Holland exhibit from a high level view early morning. It’s very different this year. No big blue and white striped tents for example. That’s part of the new New Holland branding strategy according to the head of global communications for 
If you like to go fishing then stop by the 
One of the ways they’re trying to get the name out there is by using text messaging to mobile phones. Right now if you text the word, “corn,” to 77007 you’ll get back a text message to your phone with a link to a mobile browser friendly web page that gives you the Wyffels Hybrids vision and mission which by the way is:
From the looks of it the Farm Progress Show concert was a big success.
I know this isn’t a sunrise but I just didn’t get a good shot of it this morning.
Here’s today’s Farm Progress Show sunset for you.
Merging the latest in seed technology with resistance management is the key Syngenta wants to give to farmers so they can fully maximize their productivity. I grabbed Craig Abell with Syngenta Crop Protection and Syngenta Brands NK Seeds Steve Pig to talk about how the two sects work together to give farmers the most out each bushel and acre. 
Farmers wanting to payback all those pesky little pests that challenge them in the field can at the Monsanto display. Well, sort of. Blue flashing lights and ringing buzzer sounded after each whacking spree. The game lured the largest line in the exhibit when I stopped in to check it out. Visitors could also check out a mountain display of seeds, play a Price-Is-Right style plinko game and see live benefits of RoundUp Ready.
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns visited around while he was here at the Farm Progress Show. One of his stops was the New Holland tent to see Jay Leno’s Ecojet, the concept car that runs on 100% biodiesel.
The restored antique Farmall sits next to the Gold Signature Edition Farmall tractor at the Case IH display in Progress City, IL to commemorate the company’s 60th year as an FFA sponsor. Case IH is auctioning the Gold Edition Farmall on 
The local FFA chapter is auctioning off the restored antique Farmall as well to help raise chapter funds.
Big or small, from Yamaha to remote control, the crowds at the 2007 Farm Progress Show are checking out the dirt tracks and the turf tracks. Consumers can climb on to various Yamaha four-wheelers and hit the small, rugged dirt track just outside of the exit to the field harvesting demonstrations to get a feel for which Yamaha model suits them best. Fast Stop wants farmers to make it their first stop. Not only does the display have RC Truck Races, but if you time it right you’ll get to listen to a live performer. When I stopped by, a singer was crooning about his human music stand. 
Speaking of going for a ride, I’m planning on heading over to the Rural Life Compact Tractor Ride n’ Drive at 3 p.m. The big dogs will be out all day Thursday so farmers can get a real feel for the latest in tractor models being displayed throughout Progress City.
Did I mention that it’s hot here at the Farm Progress Show? Hot enough that Jeff Nalley, 
Our U. S. Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns is visiting the Farm Progress Show today.
“See the next decade of biotechnology products.” That’s what Monsanto says its Technology Showcase Tour: The Road Map to Success will demonstrate to farmers in Progress City, IL. The gene optimization, desired trait characteristics and advanced product development that Monsanto promotes with its products is all on display in a live side-by-side comparison of crops with Monsanto products and crops without. The Tour demonstrates how Monsanto works with gene traits to not only protect crops from bugs and weeds, but to “propel yields into the next decade.” Monsanto says its products help match demand with innovative technology, making it possible to meet global feed markets, global food markets and global biofuel markets.
The Tour spelled out how the hybrid system works using female and male parents, which are crossed to produce seed with hybird characteristics. Monsanto displayed these new elite commercial hybrids that it says look bigger and have more yield potential. Researchers are mining corn hybrids not just from the U.S., but from Argentina and Brazil. Representatives say that enables researchers to bring new combinations of genes that benefit growers. They offer new breeding tools that lets scientists pick the valuable gene out of a Brazilian corn line that might be super heat tolerant or a gene from an Argentinian corn line that might have great disease resistance and bring those genes together in a special combination that helps farmers. Monsanto says their tool for breeding is fundamentally changing the yield production for corn production.
The pipeline also demonstrates work transforming soybean crops capable of producing oil that is Monsanto claims is virtually identical to olive oil. Oil that is lower in saturated fat and free of harmful trans fats. Monsanto has a million and a half acres dedicated to this demonstration of the first large-scale, identity-preserved value-added gene traits in soybeans. 
The Pioneer tent is a really popular place here at the Farm Progress Show. For one thing they’re popping corn at the entrance but more importantly they’ve got air conditioning. I took a break from the sun in their tent and spoke with Jerry Harrington and GW Fuhr.
Peanut producers are meeing in Panama City, FL and Cindy has them covered.
