The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) was celebrating the International Year of Soils this year’s Commodity Classic in Phoenix. CTIC executive director Karen Scanlon was handing out gummy worms and recipes at Commodity Classic so families can have a fun way to learn about soils. “[CTIC] has always supported soil health by promoting conservation systems as a great combination of …
BASF to Sponsor Wheat Yield Contest
BASF Crop Protection and the National Wheat Foundation had a big announcement at the 2015 Commodity Classic – the creation and implementation of a National Wheat Yield Contest. “We appreciate the generous support of our primary industry partner, BASF, to assist in the creation of this program,” said NWF Chairman Dusty Tallman of Colorado. “We are looking forward to this …
#Classic15 Pocket Knife Ribbon Cutting
Normally we video the opening ceremonies for the Commodity Classic trade show, but we were a little shorthanded this year so it was just photos. Fortunately, our gold star intern Taylor Truckey recorded enough of a sequence to enjoy the moment as the ribbon cutters were having a hard time with some dull scissors and it came down to a …
#Classic15 Session on Farming Like a Champ
Two yield rocking champions played to a standing room only crowd at the 2015 Commodity Classic in a session sponsored by BASF Crop Protection on how to get the most out of your acres. Always a crowd pleaser, world champion soybean grower Kip Cullers of Missouri hammered home the importance of happy plants and packing starch. “You keep that plant …
AFBF and NFU Policy Panel at #Classic15
John Deere sponsored an ag policy panel at the 2015 Commodity Classic, moderated by our friend Sara Wyant with Agri-Pulse, and featuring the policy specialists from the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and National Farmers Union (NFU). With trade being a top issue on Capitol Hill right now, NFU’s Chandler Goule and AFBF’s Mary Kay Thatcher voiced their respective organizations’ …
#Classic15 Presidents
The tradition of Commodity Classic emcee Mark Mayfield interviewing the presidents of each organization continued this year. Left to right are Mayfield, National Sorghum Producers chairman JB Stewart of Oklahoma, National Association of Wheat Growers president Paul Penner of Kansas, American Soybean Association president Wade Cowan of Texas, and National Corn Growers Association president Chip Bowling of Maryland. Listen to …
Former Ag Secretaries Urge Congress to Pass TPA
A bipartisan group of former U.S. Agriculture Secretaries, representing all past administrations since President Jimmy Carter, issued an open letter on Friday urging Congress to pass Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). The former secretaries note that TPA has been given to all previous presidents since Gerald Ford and is critical for successfully negotiating new trade partnerships that boost exports and create …
Astronaut Stresses Need for Science at Bayer Forum
Among her many accomplishments Dr. Mae Carol Jemison is a dancer, a doctor, an actress, an astronaut and a strong advocate for “Making Science Make Sense.” She’s done more in her life so far than most of us even think about doing! Jemison talked to the Bayer CropScience 10th annual Ag Issues Forum on Tuesday about why scientific literacy is …
Commodity Classic Groups Meet the Press
Trade, taxes, biotechnology, farm policy and government regulations are the main issues of concern to the commodity organizations who make up the Commodity Classic. Leadership of the American Soybean Association (ASA), National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), and National Sorghum Producers (NSP) all held press conferences Thursday to talk about their top priorities. Under the …
Propane Power Pays at #Classic15
If you are a farmer at Commodity Classic this week and you might be in the market for propane-powered equipment, you definitely should stop by the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) booth at the trade show and get incentivized. When I visited with PERC opening day, I met Tom Uhlman of Nebraska who took advantage of the propane incentive …