Besides hearing from a researcher and a farmer we also heard from Commodity Classic Learning Center sponsor Bruce Battles, Agronomy Marketing Manager, Syngenta Seeds. The subject was Maximizing Yield in Continuous Corn. Bruce says the company is investing a lot of time and money in testing their hybrid specific recommendations to increase the percentage of success their customers have. When …
Manage Residue When Planting Corn on Corn
I think growers appreciate hearing from other growers, even if they also sell Garst Seed. At the Commodity Classic Learning Center session on Maximizing Yield in Continuous Corn, north central Iowa grower Mike Missman talked about his experience with corn on corn. When I spoke with him prior to his presentation he said that the first consideration would be Garst …
Media Room Sponsorships Vital
There were 145 media representatives covering Commodity Classic. Here’s some of them at the Sec. of Ag Schafer press conference. We all have significant needs for things like internet access, phone lines, work spaces, convenient food/beverages, privacy, a meeting place, secure room for equipment and help finding our way around. That’s why it is so important and appreciated to have …
Dr. Fred Below Says Use High Yielding Varieties
If you haven’t heard Dr. Fred Below, Professor of Plant Physiology, University of Illinois, speak then you’re missing something. He was part of a panel discussion on Maximizing Yield in Continuous Corn that filled the room. The Learning Center session was sponsored by Syngenta. The first thing Dr. Below wanted growers to know is that they’ll take an approximate 10% …
BASF Honors Corn Yield Contest Winners
BASF congratulated the country’s leading corn growers and their families for their leadership in embracing innovation at the National Corn Growers Association’s National Corn Yield Contest banquet at the 2008 Commodity Classic. Markus Heldt, head of the BASF North American crop protection division, joined NCGA president Ron Litterer to honor the winners. Markus told the audience of almost 2,000 corn …
Manufacturers Support of Biodiesel
Ed Hegland is a farmer from Minnesota and currently serving as Chairman of the National Biodiesel Board. He stopped by the New Holland booth here at the Commodity Classic trade show where I got to talk to him about how equipment manufacturers are supporting biodiesel. Ed says that as a farmer he’s excited to see companies like New Holland and …
The 3 Amigos on Stage
Each year at the Commodity Classic general session we get to hear from the Presidents of the participating associations. Here they are on stage involved in an interactive discussion with moderator John Phipps. Pictured left to right are John Hoffman, ASA, Ron Litterer, NCGA and John Thaemert, NAWG. John starts out wondering how in the world these three guys got …
Classic Scholarships
BASF, the American Soybean Association and the National Corn Growers Association are supporting the future of agriculture by awarding scholarships to young people working towards careers in the industry. The first scholarship winners were announced today at a Commodity Classic news conference. I did interviews with all the winners who were here, which I will post later, but here is …
New Holland at Maximum Capacity
The head of the Cash Crop Segment for New Holland is Ed Barry who is here at Commodity Classic. He says they have a T8040 Tractor on display and a CR9060 Combine along with a lot of training aids. Business is good as evidenced by the somewhat short supply they currently have on equipment. He says that New Holland has …
Secretary Schafer Press Conference
After his speech Secretary Schafer met up with the press near the media room. You might find this more interesting than his speech since he gets to respond to specific questions. He fielded quite a few relating to the recent meat recall and made the point over and over that “the rules will be followed.” He said that although he …