The book I read over the weekend now has a special place on my shelf since I have actually experienced a small portion of what author Tom Rivers describes in “Farm Hands“. The book is an accumulation of his writings for his local newspaper, The Daily News, where he chronicles the labor challenges faced by small farm operations in Upstate …
And the Winner Is…Iowa
Ok. So it has come as no surprise to most people that Iowa has won the Grid Iron game…this year anyway. The final score was Iowa 35, Iowa State 7. Earlier today, I asked many of the Iowa corn growers who would win the game and I must admit, the majority picked Iowa. But the real winners today are the …
The Iowa Football Player Experience
Last night during the Iowa Corn Growers Association VIP reception at Kinnick Stadium, attendees had the special privilege to hear from former University of Iowa football player Lew Montgomery. Nearly 20 years ago, Waterloo, Iowa native Montgomery was on the 1991 Rose Bowl team, an experience he said he would never forget. Montgomery is no stranger to farming. He grew …
New Holland Is Farm Raised
New Holland is rebuilding it’s brand and social media is playing a key role in the program. I learned about it from David Greenberg, New Holland Senior Director of Marketing for North America. You can find what New Holland is doing at IAmFarmRaised.com. David says that “Farm raised is an emotional expression that touches the soul of who we are, …
Corn and Soybean Growers At Pioneer Field Day
I have to believe that Pioneer Hi-Bred was very happy with farmer attendance at their Crop Technology Field day held in Carrollton, MO. Each of the tour stops were packed with an attentive audience. I spoke with two of the farmers in attendance. One was Paul Tracy from Denver, MO. Paul was there to see and learn more about new …
Vote for Your Fav Farmer’s Market
Have you cast your vote for your favorite farmer’s market yet? American Farmland Trust (AFT) is tracking the votes for its America’s Favorite Farmers Markets™ contest with an online leader-board of the top 20 markets in each of four categories. The lists of boutique, small, medium and large markets track up-to-the-minute results during the final month of voting, which closes …
Swine Health Seminar Take Aways
It’s always good to hear from the producers who attend a farm production meeting like the Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Swine Health Seminar. I’ve posted interviews with all the presenters so let’s hear from a couple of the attendees. First up is Mark Daughtry, Prestage Farms. He actually has a contract farm with Prestage bu also works for them. He says …
Camelina Gaining Favor with Farmers for Biodiesel
Farmers in several regions of the U.S. are discovering a new potential cash crop – camelina. Camelina is beginning to find favor with both the biofuels industry as a strong potential feedstock for biodiesel, as well as with farmers who are discovering they will be able to grow the crop profitably. One such farmer is Steve Camp, whose farm is …
No-till Cotton Provides Conservation Opportunity
During the Conservation in Action Tour one of our farm stops was the Carter Farm where we met Jon Black (pictured left). He gave us a presentation on no-till cotton which he is standing in. I caught up to him on the phone afterward since we didn’t have time for an interview there. Jon says continuous no-till farming is the …
Conserving Soil and Nutrients
While the Conservation in Action Tour was parked under the trees in the shade at one stop, we heard from local farmer, J.N. Mills. Pictured behind him is Eric Randolph, another local farmer we also heard from. A portion of the farm that J.N. operates was a grant from the king of England in the 1600’s. We were definitely seeing …