The founder of Vermeer Corporation passed away today in Pella, Iowa.
Gary Vermeer started the business with a cousin in 1948, after inventing a wagon hoist five years earlier, which made it easier to unload corn. From that small operation, the company has grown over the past 60 years to an international organization that manufactures agricultural, construction, environmental, and industrial equipment. Today, Vermeer Corporation has industrial dealerships in over 60 countries and on every continent except Antarctica, in addition to hundreds of agricultural equipment dealers throughout the US. Vermeer’s business philosophy was, “Find a need. Fill that need with a product built to last. And simply build the best!”
A website has been established in honor of Gary and his lifetime of contributions – www.garyvermeer.com – that includes more information, including funeral arrangements and memorials for this farm machinery legend.
Here’s one of the photos from this afternoon’s end of day photo shoot along the river bank near my hotel. I shot a lot of birds too (digital photos) and there’s a couple of them that came out okay. I really didn’t have all my gear here and I was shooting hand held too so it could have gone better.
Whether or not you’re a fan of football, I’m sure that many of you took part in a Super Bowl party last night. I met up with some college friends to watch the game, laugh at the commercials and eat lots of food! Although I’m not an avid football guru (I always cheer for the underdog), I LOVE watching the commercials because I feel there is something to learn from corporate business that have millions of dollars to utilize their creativity and market their products. I heard that one commercial during the Super Bowl costs $3 million for 30 seconds! Amazingly, I heard that Budweiser had seven minutes of commercials.
After spending a week at the 2009 Cattle Industry Convention, I’m pretty excited about the new focus on the youth in agriculture. 2008 NCBA President Andy Groseta was incredibly driven to invest in the cattle industry’s youth, and he accomplished those goals in three ways: NCBA’s Young Producers Council (YPC) and NCBA Youth Public Speaking Contest and the Team Marketing Contest.
This is rodeo action at its best. It’s the 
It looks like there’s new life being breathed into the 
Childress, TX is home to one great photographer and that would be Russell Graves, 
I know that a lot of AgWired fans are pro photographers themselves or at least have a real interest in taking pictures so I hope you’ll really enjoy getting to know Russell and listening to our conversation about his work. Russell also teaches high school ag technology classes. He has a passion for his home state and looks at his work as a way to chronicle the rural lifestyle he grew up in so that current and future generations will still be able to enjoy it captured in pictures. If you take time to look through his pictures I’m sure you’ll see many that will make you think, “I’ve seen that same picture before (in your own life).” He could probably live anywhere he wants but he chooses to raise his children in a country environment and I applaud him for that decision.