It’s Preview Day at AG CONNECT Expo and the final shine is being put on the equipment. I shot a short video clip to show you what to expect. Preview time is at 11am for media and invited guests. The opening ceremony will take place at 4pm this afternoon. The shuttle buses are running and the sun is shining. I think it’s going to be a great day and a great first time event.
Bradshaw Leaves Them Laughing
Football great Terry Bradshaw encouraged thousands of farmers and ranchers to keep smiling during an address at the 91st American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting on Monday.
Bradshaw talked about his horses and owning 58 head of Angus cattle that he bought in Kansas. “I had 60 but cougars got two of them,” he said. Then he talked about his “Pigs for Jesus” foundation that has fed some 10,000 people – even though he doesn’t know what a female pig is called.
Bradshaw also praised the work farmers and ranchers do. “There is no greater drug, no greater addiction, than being in the farming business,” he declared.
Listen to the first 15 minutes of his talk here – pretty funny stuff! And check out the photos in the American Farm Bureau Federation 91st Annual Meeting Photo Album.
AG CONNECT Expo About To Go Live
It’s almost time for the official start of the first ever AG CONNECT Expo. It’s historic and it’s going to be fun.
The big banners are now hanging outside the Orange County Convention Center welcoming attendees who will be coming from all over the world. The ceremonies will kick off tomorrow afternoon and I’ll be on the scene live bringing it all too you. So don’t go away.
Farmers Exchange Ideas
American Farm Bureau Federation 91st Annual Meeting Photo Album
An Illinois farmer won the top prize in the Farmer Idea Exchange competition at the American Farm Bureau Federation 91st annual meeting on Monday.
Paul Berbaum of Champaign (pictured here with his wife Shirley) came up with the “Auger Dolly” to easily move an auger from place to place. As the top winner in the competition, he wins a year’s use of a New Holland TV-145 Bidirectional tractor. New Holland is sponsor of the Farmer Idea Exchange.
Listen to my interview with Paul here:
National Beef Ambassadors in Action
My favorite youth agriculture organization, the National Beef Ambassador Program (NBAP), is busy working on behalf of America’s beef cattle producers. Their latest efforts took them to Wooster, OH where they visited the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) headquarters to take part in their Building Blocks for Success Seminar. As the NBAP Team learned about successful marketing programs, grassroots consumer education strategies, as well as an overview of sales and trade marketing within the industry, the beef ambassadors took away important messages about the beef industry and about how they can make a difference as youth leaders within the beef cattle business. Here is what a few of the team members had to say about their experience…
Jackson Alexander found CAB’s role in selecting cattle for the program interesting. “The cattle selected are only the best and we were able to experience “Angus Beef at it’s Best!” The trainers and CAB employees educated us so much about industry issues, selection and grading processes, and marketing strategies facing their business. Not to mention they kept us well fed and made us feel right at home.”
Malorie Bankhead felt learning from professionals that exhibit great passion for the beef industry not only taught her about the Certified Angus Beef Brand, but it also taught her to hold tight to her passion for the beef industry. “I will always remember that the integrity of the beef industry is that which the members of the industry believe in and uphold wholeheartedly and that Certified Angus Beef makes for a positive, memorable experience within the beef industry!”
About the photo: National Beef Ambassador team members include: Malorie, Bankhead, Calif.; Rebecca Vraspir, Wy.; Ellen Hoffschneider, Neb.; Jackson Alexander, Okla.; and Amanda Laurent, Texas. Read more about their travels and beef promotional and educational efforts at their blog.
Outlook For Ag Equipment Industry
Agrievolution 2010 is a very international event. We’ve got participants and presentations from countries like Russia, Brazil, Venuzuela and China. I met one of our delegates, Massimo Goldoni, President, UNACOMA, the Italian equipment manufacturers association, who attended the first Agrievolution in Rome in 2008.
Massimo says that back in 2008 they thought it would be helpful to pull together the worldwide associations and company executives to discuss the future for the industry. That first event took place during a boom period he says but the forecast they were looking at took a plunge in 2009. So they found that the idea of an event like this every 2 years might need to be revisited in light of quicker changes in the industry. Looking at the forecast now he says that he thinks we’re at the bottom and are starting to recover.
You can listen to or download my interview with Massimo below:
AGCO Supports Agrievolution at AG CONNECT Expo
Attending today’s Agrievolution program is Martin Richenhagen, President/CEO, AGCO. I had the opportunity to talk with him about this new ag show – AG CONNECT Expo. AGCO is supporting the show in a big way.
Martin says says that although the U.S. is one of the biggest countries in farming, the biggest farm shows are in Europe and they wanted to change that by having the industry association (AEM) put on the show so that the money made goes back into the industry. He says this gives companies a real vested interest in the show. In fact, he says “we feel pretty much like shareholders.” He really likes what the AEM staff has done with the show.
AGCO has invited about 1,500 dealers and customers to the show and they’ll have some new equipment on display. The idea has been very well received according to initial feedback.
AGCO is also sponsoring the first ever AGCO/AEM/AgChat tweetup following tomorrow’s opening session/reception at approximately 6pm in the news media center which is located in room W221 of the convention center.
You can listen to or download my interview with Martin below:
An Agrievolution Taking Place in Orlando
One of the co-located events taking place with AG CONNECT EXPO is Agrievolution. Opening up the program this morning is Doug DeVries, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing Services – Agriculture and Turf Division, John Deere. I spoke with him just prior to the start of the program. Doug is pictured on the right with Rusty Fowler, Krone NA and Martin Richenhagen, AGCO.
Doug says that over the years ag equipment companies have seen an opportunity to work more closely together so two years ago there was a first meeting of a broad range of equipment manufacturing groups from around the world who met in Rome to seek ways to work together for the benefit of the industry. He says it’s no coincidence that this second meeting in taking place in conjunction with AG CONNECT Expo. The show is a global showcase for agricultural technology and it made sense to co-locate Agrievolution. Participants are here from all over the world representing a high percentage of the industry. They’ll talk about the state of the industry today and then tomorrow meet in groups to determine areas of opportunity to come together as a broader set of organizations. And that leads them right into AG CONNECT Expo.
You can listen to or download Doug’s full opening remarks about the U.S. ag industry here: agconnect-10-devries-2.mp3 Download (mp3)
You can also listen to or download my interview with Doug below:
Zimfo Bytes
- NMPF announced a reorganization of its staff to achieve the best possible results in the year ahead.
- Keith H. Heffernan will serve as senior vice president of operations and industry relations of the Washington, D.C., based U.S. Grains Council.
- Farmers National Company is pleased to announce that Rod Ferguson, Accredited Farm Manager (AFM) of Argenta, Ill., has been named the company’s 2009 Farm Manager of the Year.
- Gibbs & Soell, Inc., has promoted Kerry Henderson to managing director of its Raleigh, NC, office, effective Jan. 1, 2010.
AFBF President Meets the Press
In his annual press conference, American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman answered questions from reporters about every thing from climate change and animal rights to crop insurance and estate taxes.
With opposition to cap and trade legislation in Congress a major focus at the meeting, Stallman was asked what kind of climate change legislation he would support. “A lot of people say the only thing you can have is a carbon tax or a mandatory cap and trade program, we disagree,” said Stallman. “We think we can move forward with the renewable electricity standard, more incentives for solar and wind energy, continue with the Renewable Fuel Standard, create more supplies of natural gas, research and development of carbon capture and storage” and nuclear power.
Listen or download Stallman’s press conference here: