Our Secretary of Agriculture, Ed Schafer, showed up here at the Farm Progress Show and started out at the ADM tent with Orion Samuelson and Max Armstrong. After a brief opening statement he opened things up for some Q&A. You can hear Orion ask the first question here: fp-08-schafer-orion.mp3 You can also download the audio file with this link. Max …
The Art and Science of Soil Conservation
The air we breath is often taken for granted. And, Peggy James, Natural Resources Conservation Service liaison to The Nature Conservancy says, so too are non-profits. “Non-profits are like air,” Peggy said. “They’re all around us but we hardly notice it. They are an integral part of a healthy, artistic, viably economic, productive society working towards sustainability.” Sustainability, Peggy says, …
USDA Awards $35 Million For Renewable Energy
USDA announced today that 639 individuals and businesses in 43 states and the Virgin Islands have been selected to receive $35 million in grants and loan guarantees for renewable energy systems or to improve energy efficiency in farm and business operations. On hand to make the announcement here at the Farm Progress Show was our USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development, …
Some BASF Headliners
Our world record holder for soybean yield, Kip Cullers, is on site at the Farm Progress Show. Here’s he is (center) with his wife, Michelle, and ASA President John Hoffman. They’re in the ASA hospitality/lunch tent. I asked Kip what he thought about BASF serving lunch to ASA members and he said, “Well it doesn’t surprise me a bit. I …
BASF And ASA Programs
At the American Soybean Association tent, BASF is providing lunch for members of state soybean associations as well as ASA. Here’s a couple of the folks from BASF, serving their customers. I visited the tent and spoke with ASA VP, Rob Joslin. He’s national membership chairman and really enjoys the relationship that has developed with BASF. For example, he likes …
Electric Shock “Therapy” for Soil
All it takes to find out what kind of soils and elements are found in a plot of land is just a bit of electric charge. Veris Technologies has developed a method for determining soil ratios using electricity: “What we’re looking at here is using AC voltage or very low voltage injecting it into the soil with two electrodes,” Paul …
Aggie-Lance Makes Farm Progress
I finally got to meet the creator and founder of Aggie-Lance, Mark Jewell, here at the Farm Progress Show. He came by with his daughter, Nora, who is appropriately attired in Aggie-Lance baby gear. I caught a picture of her sleeping through an interview with her Dad. Actually, Laura McNamara interviewed Mark. I thought that would be kind of appropriate …
BASF Still Making Headlines
Two of the BASF team members on location at the Farm Progress Show are (l-r) Gary Schmitz, Midwest Regional Tech Manager and Nick Fassler, Tech Manager for Plant Health. Headline is still making headlines so I spoke to them together about how the product has been developing in the corn and soybean markets. Nick says Headline is making great progress …
Corn Progress
There’s a lot the National Corn Growers Association is looking forward to in the next few months. I caught up with Bob Dickey, First Vice President of the association, at the 2008 Farm Progress Show in Boone, IA today. He says corn growers are counting on good weather, a good harvest and a good relationship with the new Secretary of …
Farm Progress Burns B20 Biodiesel Blend
Ag equipment has been running on biodiesel during the Farm Progress Show for a number of years, but this year is the first year machinery will be operating on a B20 blend at the show. Growmark is this year’s official Farm Progress Show fuel sponsor. Mark Dehner, Marketing Manger Refined and Renewable Fuels for Growmark, says the company is using …