Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has shaken up the meat and poultry industry with his comments about how sequestration might impact agriculture during a speech to the National Ethanol Conference last week. Answering a question about funding for a farm bill, Vilsack talked more broadly about what might happen after March 1 if Congress fails to act and sequester creates automatic …
NCBA’s Work In Washington
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is hard at work advocating for beef producers year-round, but during the Cattle Industry Convention they get to hear with cattlemen and women from across the country. During this year’s event I talked with Colin Woodall, Vice President of Government Affairs for NCBA. To start off our chat I asked him about some of the …
Soybean Growers See Fruits of Labor in BioVegas
Ever wondered about the fruits of your labor? Soybean growers from around the country had the opportunity to see all the different products made from soybeans during the Farmers Las Vegas Tour (or should we say BioVegas tour) where they visited the Rebel Oil Fuel Terminal, the Biodiesel of Las Vegas plant, and the SYNLawn showroom, where where soybeans are …
Opening Day of National Farm Machinery Show
The first day of the National Farm Machinery Show has been a busy one. The large crowd was treated to some light snow which has now melted and it seemed to have no effect on attendance that I can tell. I visited with Corinne Fetter, Director of Expositions, once again to get her outlook on this year’s show. She says …
New Holland’s New NCBA Partnership
A lot is new with New Holland and that includes expanded support of the livestock industry as this display shows early in the morning at the 2013 Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show in Tampa, FL. To get an overview of everything New Holland is doing to support livestock producers I spoke with Abe Hughes, VP, North America. He says …
Sanding Ovations at the NCBA Trade Show
If you attended the 2013 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show this year then I know you passed the people playing in the sand a couple dozen times. I couldn’t help but stop and snap a few pictures of the duo hard at work. I even asked if I could interview them and Meredith Corson, with Sanding Ovations, said …
Vilsack Visits Ethanol and Biodiesel Meetings
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack hit two meetings in one city last week, appearing at both the National Ethanol Conference and the National Biodiesel Conference within a few hours of each other, since they were both being held in Las Vegas a mile apart. Vilsack told both groups that the renewable fuels industry is worth fighting for. “Your country’s future depends …
2013 CIC – Education, Engagement & Entertainment
Education, engagement and entertainment were the focus to this year’s Cattle Industry Convention in sunny Tampa, Fl. Cattlemen and women gathered to gain knowledge, network with fellow producers and take in some sights along the way. Forrest Roberts, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, shared with me highlights for members who attended this year’s convention, NCBA’s priorities for 2013 …
New Beef Board Leadership
The 2013 Cattle Industry Convention is coming to a close but we’ll have more stories to share over the next several days. Today was business meeting day for the CBB, Federation and NCBA. The Cattlemen’s Beef Board now has a new Chairman, Weldon Wynn. Here’s now past Chairman, Wesley Grau, passing the gavel to Weldon. Other officers elected were Kim …
Stuart Varney on Stage
During the 2013 Cattle Industry Convention attendees got to hear from Stuart Varney who serves as a business contributor and substitute host for FOX News Channel’s (FNC) “Your World with Neil Cavuto” as well as the host of FOX Business Network’s “Varney & Co.” He was a very entertaining and informative speaker. To get a taste of what you missed …