Jim Middendorf is an ambassador for the Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau. He was just one of the people welcoming the exhibitors in the Farm Progress Show to Iowa. Tonight we had the annual exhibitors dinner and reception. Jim also had a present for us. Barilla pasta! He says a woman came by earlier and after trying some locally produced Barilla pasta she hasn’t bought anything else. He says the show is a big boost to the local economy.
You can listen to my interview with Bart here: Interview With Jim Middendorf
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USB memory sticks just keep coming out in cool new “styles.” Gene Hemphill, New Holland, is providing the media with media kits saved on them that are built into a bracelet. Kind of looks like the LiveStrong ones and as you can see it’s helping me display mine!
Thanks to Meghan Grebner, JMP Media Group, for the photo.
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The leadership of the National Corn Growers Association is all over the Farm Progress Show helping promote Iowa corn and NCGA. Here’s Mark Lambert, known as @CornGuy on Twitter, driving them around now that the rain has stopped.
I spoke with Bart Schott, NCGA 1st VP, sitting in the back behind Mark. Bart says they’ve been conducting media interviews and all the issues have come up that include the ethanol waiver, foreign trade and transportation. He’s impressed with the show and commented on how things have changed by pointing to a grain cart across the street from the media tent that holds more corn than his Dad’s granaries had when he was growing up.
You can listen to my interview with Bart here: Interview With Bart Schott
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New Holland unveiled their new T8 and T9 Tractors today at the Farm Progress Show. Prior to the unveiling the company held a press conference. I’ve got the audio for you below. The rain miraculously stopped just as it was time for the outdoor unveiling. What timing!
New Holland T8 Series tractors combine the productivity enhancing speed and stability of a long, 11’4” wheelbase with the agility you’d expect from a short wheelbase. The five models in the new T8 Series range from 235 hp to 339 hp.
and
New Holland’s T9 Series 4WD tractors meet the power and productivity needs of both row crop and broad acres producers with a choice of a standard or wide frame, industry-leading hydraulics, the largest cab in the industry and the industry’s first cab suspension system.
You can listen to the New Holland press conference (and download it) here: New Holland Press Conference
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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, how we want to act, how we want to hire and how we want to relate to our customers.” David calls it both an internal and external brand movement that works together. It’s “farmers selling equipment to farmers.” The program includes a YouTube channel, Twitter stream and Facebook page. “It’s our effort to bring our brand to life in the digital space.” Well said because as I hope everyone now knows, farmers are online and engaging and wanting to converse with their suppliers and these mechanisms allow that to happen.
You can listen to my interview with Dave here: Interview With David Greenberg
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This morning I streamed the audio from our press conferences that included this one with New Holland. I recorded it and will be posting that audio soon. I hope you enjoyed them.
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In an earlier post, Matt Jungmann, the director for the Farm Progress Show, noted that one of the reasons Farm Progress is one of the largest ag shows in the world is because of the new technologies unveiled. Last night, I was invited to a media preview of Hagie Manufacturing Company’s new self propelled sprayer, the STX10. This new product is in addition to their current lineup and is intended to be delivered into the producer market according to Alan Hagie, Vice President and COO. He is the third generation of Haigies to enter the business.
The STX10 is a single tank machine. Hagie said it is very well balanced, which is especially important this year with all of the rain. “People are starting to find out how important it is to keep a light weight balanced machine on their farm so they can protect their crops,” explained Hagie.
The sprayer is a fully CANBus machine. What this means is that it has a computer on board that controls all the functions of the machine. In addition, customized precision technologies can be added to the SPX10.
“We’re not a company that says you have to put our machine on it as far as precision type technology,” said Hagie. “We say, What do you want on the machine?”
The company is customers first, so they work with their customers to ensure the technology added to the machine will work best for them. This is also why the STX10 will be launched as a limited build after the first of the year. Although this machine has been tested more than any other Hagie machine, they want “every minute to test these machines” to make sure it performs above and beyond their customer’s standards.
You can check out photos of the full line-up of Hagie machines in our Farm Progress Photo Album.
Listen to the interview with Alan Hagie here: Alan Hagie Unveils New Self Propelled Sprayer, The SPX10
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The 2010 Farm Progress is hours away from kickoff and Matt Jungmann, the National Events Manager for the show, is expecting huge crowds. This year, more than 550 exhibitors will be on hand; this is slightly up from 2008 when the Farm Progress was last in Boone, Iowa. But maybe more impressive is the fact that the exhibitors that are here are using more space than ever.
This is a good sign for the 100,000 plus visitors who are expected to walk the roads over the next three days. Last year there were attendees from all 50 states as well as from 56 different countries. The show is a huge draw for the international crowd, who get to preview new equipment and products for the upcoming growing season.
I asked Jungmann what some of the new features will be at this year’s show. He said that people come, in part, to see the unveiling of new farm equipment. This year John Deere, Case IH and New Holland are all rolling out new tractors. AGCO is rolling out a brand new combine and Hagie is debuting a new self propelled sprayer.
Other elements that draw the crowds include the field demonstrations and the equipment demonstrations. “People love to watch the machinery run side by side,” said Jungmann.
Jungmann also suggested that people visit the website before they drive up to the gates. On the site that can create their own itinerary and buy and print tickets, basically create their own personal Farm Progress Show.
You can check out photos of the exhibitors setting up for the show in our Farm Progress Photo Album.
Listen to the interview with Matt Jungmann here: Matt Jungmann Talks Farm Progress Show
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The king of Farm Progress, Gene Hemphill, a consultant for New Holland, is on site and raring to go for the start of this year’s Farm Progress Show. The ZimmComm team is on site at the media tent, which is sponsored by New Holland. I’ll be reporting from the show this week along with Chuck Zimmerman.
Check out our Farm Progress Photo Album. You can also follow our coverage on Twitter under hashtag #FPS10.
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