Ever been walking along a busy street, lost in the pathways of your own mind, when you happen to glance down and notice a quarter, or if you’re lucky, a dollar bill laying on the ground? You pick it up, stash it in your pocket, and go about your way. When I was a child, I used to have a …
NovAtel and Raven Team Up
NovAtel Inc., and Raven Industries are pleased to announce a new strategic partnership that will see NovAtel’s industry leading Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning technology integrated into Raven’s comprehensive line of precision agriculture products. The convergence of these two industry innovators is expected to drive new growth opportunities for both companies, and benefit customers by achieving further efficiencies in …
Putting Down Roots
These are my beloved pepper seeds. They represent more than just the possibility of having salsa at the end of this growing season. For a couple of weeks now, I have kept them in paper towels and each day, made sure they had adequate moisture. In response, they sprouted roots. This weekend, we put 30 seeds in soil, hoping to …
Ag Secretary Vilsack Celebrates NASS St. Louis Ops. Ctr.
U. S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, made a visit to St. Louis today. He was the keynote speaker at the St. Louis Agribusiness Club meeting and I have his comments available for you below. You’ll notice the Golden ZimmComm Microphone prominently displayed to get the best quality audio too! You can find some more photos from the event here: …
Where’s the Spin Cycle?
I love doing laundry. That involves separating whites and darks, walking down the hall, throwing it in the washer and going back to doing something else for 50 minutes while it washes; tossing it in the dryer and folding it. Total time = 1.5 hours. I have it easy. This is an old double-faced wash board that belonged to my …
A Catalog of All Catalogs
I do a lot of shopping online. You can browse thousands of items, pay online, and have it delivered right to your doorstep. But I also remember the thud-factor Sears catalogs mom used to get every year, filled with the latest styles and clothing trends. These are replicas of 1908 Sears Roebuck and 1895 Montgomery Ward catalogs. As you flip …
I Thought They Were Usually Roosters
It’s a classic farm-house icon. The rooster on top of the barn. At least that’s what I always thought they were. But my grandfather proved me wrong with this combination weather vane/lightning rod in the shape of a horse. This one is made out of copper and scrap metal so it’s heavy. Today, they’re made of aluminum. Back then, they …
Old Tractors
Our family farming operation bleeds green. To any John Deere lover, you know what I mean. The tractors today are bigger, have more horsepower, more options and enable growers to accomplish so much more in a short amount of time. It wasn’t always so. The top photo is a Mogul 8-16 breaking sod on our family’s farm in the early …
“Bury Derry Day” Details
It may sound disrespectful, but our good friend Derry Brownfield always referred to the day of his funeral as “Bury Derry Day” – so that’s what we’re calling it! The official obituary has been published now in the Jefferson City News Tribune with the important facts of his life distilled into a few short paragraphs. Those who knew him could …
Friends Support America’s Heartland
With federal funding for public broadcasting on the chopping block in Washington, programs like “America’s Heartland” need friends more than ever.