Innovative wearable technology company TekWear, LLC, finished third among 10 finalists at VilCap USA: Agriculture 2014, an entrepreneurial funding program. TekWear was chosen from more than 60 other start-up companies to take part in the three-month program devoted to finding, developing or marketing innovative products and services that provide solutions to agricultural and food production challenges. “We were thrilled to …
Football Player to Farmer Featured at #AIF2015
For some guys when they go through a mid-life crisis, they might go out and by a sports car or a boat in their 40s. For Jason Brown, that crisis came a bit earlier and took an unusual turn toward farming. “I went through my mid-life crisis at 27 years old,” said the former NFL center and current farmer as …
CTIC Celebrates Soil at #Classic15
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 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 …
Mid-South Farm & Gin Show Rocking
The Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is in full swing on day two here in Memphis. This is the last stop on the agriblogging highway for me this week. It’s back to ZimmComm World Headquarters tonight. Right off the bat this morning I ran into Tim Price, Show Manager. This is the 63rd show and with all the weather issues …
Nebraska Grower Leader and New Holland
While I was attending Commodity Classic this week I ran into Greg Anderson, Nebraska soybean grower and USB board member. Greg was in the New Holland booth looking at some new equipment so I asked him to talk with me about his experience with their products. He says that prior to high school he remembers using equipment of a different …
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 …