Farm Progress Show is always a great venue for policy makers to meet with farmers and talk about issues important to them, like a new farm bill and government regulations. National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) First Vice President Garry Niemeyer brought his own U.S. Representative Bobby Schilling (R-IL) in for a press conference on Tuesday to share some of perspectives …
Illinois Corn Growers at Farm Progress Show
One of our first stops coming in on pre-opening day at the Farm Progress Show was at the Illinois Corn Growers tent, where Chuck posed with his Illinois Family Farmers t-shirt and Illinois Corn Communications Director Tricia Braid while I got to interview her. Tricia says the IL Corn exhibit really has two main themes – with race cars outside …
Iowa Teams Defend Corn Growers
The Iowa Cy-Hawk trophy trash-talking got to be too much for the two college teams to take when people were dissing the corn growers. At a press conference on Tuesday announcing that the controversial corn-themed trophy will get a do-over, representatives from both the University of Iowa and Iowa State spoke up in defense of the Iowa Corn Growers, who …
Iowa Corn Trophy Reaps Publicity
P.T. Barnum has been quoted as saying “There’s no such thing as bad publicity,” but those in the agriculture industry might disagree with that at times. The vicious backlash over the Iowa Cy-Hawk series football trophy, sponsored by Iowa’s corn growers, might be one of those times – or it might not. The trophy shows an Iowa family together after …
Seven Wonders of Corn Yield World
Seven has always been considered to be the perfect number, so it’s no surprise that there are seven factors that make up the combination for consistent high yielding corn crops. A new website looks at “The Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World,” based on the research of University of Illinois plant physiologist Dr. Fred Below. Dr. Below has been …
FMC Looking Ahead to 2012 For Anthem
At the Ag Media Summit I stopped by the FMC booth in InfoExpo to find out what’s new. On hand was Matt Foster. Matt says they’re very excited to be launching Anthem herbicide in 2012. That’s a grass and broadleaf pre-emerge for both corn and soybeans that has both pre and post activity. I was out on field tour duty …
Hog Economics in the Biofuels Era
“Hog Economics in the Biofuels Era” was the topic of a presentation by Purdue University economist Dr. Chris Hurt at the Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Swine Health Seminar in North Carolina. Dr. Hurt says government policies like biofuels and even food stamps were built upon a “psychology of surplus” to increase prices. “We continue to see a psychology of surplus in …
NCGA and Pioneer Offer Growers NASCAR Dream Day
Start your engines, NASCAR fans, because the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and Pioneer HI-Bred are offering NCGA members a chance to win a NASCAR dream day to the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn., on Saturday, Aug. 27. The dream day race package includes access to the DuPont-Pioneer hospitality tent, a pit tour, and a …
Marketing Wyffels Hybrids
The Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies greeting committee included communications manager, Jill Loehr (center). I asked her how she’s finding success marketing this independent seed company. She says, “I think one of the things we have to do is stand out. We can’t afford to let someone flip past our ad or not pay attention to our radio or some of …
Wyffels Announces 2012 Iowa Corn Strategies Location
Wyffels Hybrids showed their appreciation to the Cummmings family for making their farm available once again for the 2011 Corn Strategies in Iowa. Pictured is the Cummings family with Marty Cummings receiving a very nice award from Bill Wyffels, Jr., company president. Marty was asked how long the family has been planting Wyffels products and what he likes about the …