Missouri Governor Matt Blunt addressed a big crowd in St. Louis today at his annual ag conference.

I think attendance is up this year and people got here even with a major interstate in the area closed for construction. This is a real who’s who in Missouri agriculture.

The conference actually takes place over two days with lots of speakers like our Governor who spoke at lunch.

You can listen to the Governor’s speech if you’d like: mo-gov-speech.mp3

During the Governor’s speech he talked about several initiatives he’s proposed to assist farmers in the state. They include:

Expanding Missouri Dairy Farms

Gov. Blunt announced his plan to establish Dairy Parlor Renovation Grants to help expand Missouri dairy farms. The grants will help producers at older dairies with the costs of parlor renovations for more efficient milking, allowing them to grow their herds.

New technology and a “parabone” design allow producers to cut their milking time in half. The governor is calling for $200,000 to help producers make needed renovations in the first year. The grant will require producers to share 50 percent of costs and will be awarded up to $10,000 per grant.

Enhancing Infrastructure to Support Agriculture

The governor will also recommend $4 million in new funding for Port Authority capital improvement projects. The projects support infrastructure critical to growing Missouri agriculture needs. cale needed to weigh inbound and outbound trucks transporting fertilizer and similar bulk products.

Supporting the Future of Agriculture

Gov. Blunt announced his plan to establish the Farm Legacy Exchange Program, which will help keep Missouri’s farming industry strong for future generations by facilitating succession planning. The Farm Legacy Exchange Program will match beginning farmers with farmers nearing retirement to help form a working relationship and strategy to transition farming responsibilities and designated assets from existing farmers to beginning farmers.

The Farm Legacy Exchange Program addresses a growing need as the average age of working farmers has risen to 60. In addition, the program will help young farmers address the rising cost of production land through collaboration with experienced farmers considering phasing out their operations. The governor’s new program will match veteran producers ready to retire with younger producers based on a survey of each farmer. The program will provide estate planning, legal contacts and access to all the financial incentive programs administered through the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority.

The Farm Legacy Exchange Program is a collaborative effort among the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the Missouri Farm Bureau, University of Missouri-Extension, Farm Credit Services, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the International Farm Transition Network.

After his speech the Governor made himself available to the media. Of course the golden ZimmComm microphone was in the mix.

It’s going to get a workout this week since it’s time now to head to Nashville and the Beltwide Cotton Conferences.