While Chuck is busy basking in the glorious Florida weather, I am preparing to head on out to the 2008 Commodity Classic in Nashville at the Opryland.

First on the agenda tomorrow afternoon is the BASF International Seed Treatment Symposium to provide us media types with all the latest info on BASF products and technology.

The Classic really gets rolling on Thursday with meetings for each of the three commodity groups – corn, soybeans and wheat – WIN sessions and the trade show grand opening.

The yet-to-be-completed Farm Bill will likely be a major topic of conversation and new agriculture secretary Ed Schafer will address the crowd on Friday during the general session.

We are also looking forward to Saturday night’s entertainment at the Grand Ole Opry featuring “Corn Fed” Shannon Brown, John Conlee, Joe Diffie, Carolina Rain and The Steeldrivers.

The Commodity Classic is the combined convention and trade show of the American Soybean Association, the National Corn Growers Association, and the National Association of Wheat Growers. Next year it will be even bigger when the National Sorghum Producers join the show. Having these groups all meeting together is one of the best unifying moves that the agricultural industry has made in the last decade. Not only does it make it easier for the producers who may grow more than one of those commodities, but it sure makes it easier for the ag media to cover it all in one trip!

Look forward to our coverage on both AgWired and Domestic Fuel all week long. Chuck will be joining me late Wednesday evening after wrapping up at the National Ethanol Conference.

AgWired coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
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