I know this isn’t a sunrise but I just didn’t get a good shot of it this morning.
Instead you get the moon over the Farm Progress Show.
When I got to the media tent we had a Highway Patrolman stop in. He said they had over 50 heat problem call-ins yesterday. It was definitely easy to overdo it in the high heat we had out here.
Today promises to be much more mild and that should bode well for final day attendance.
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Here’s today’s Farm Progress Show sunset for you.
This is outside my hotel in Clinton, IL.
The photo is in the photo album and looks a lot better large size.
I hope the clouds mean that some weather is moving through and tomorrow will bring cooler temperatures. I guess we’ll see.
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Merging the latest in seed technology with resistance management is the key Syngenta wants to give to farmers so they can fully maximize their productivity. I grabbed Craig Abell with Syngenta Crop Protection and Syngenta Brands NK Seeds Steve Pig to talk about how the two sects work together to give farmers the most out each bushel and acre.
Listen to Craig and Steve here: craig_steve.mp3
Or you can download here:
(3:00 min mp3)
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Farmers wanting to payback all those pesky little pests that challenge them in the field can at the Monsanto display. Well, sort of. Blue flashing lights and ringing buzzer sounded after each whacking spree. The game lured the largest line in the exhibit when I stopped in to check it out. Visitors could also check out a mountain display of seeds, play a Price-Is-Right style plinko game and see live benefits of RoundUp Ready.
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Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns visited around while he was here at the Farm Progress Show. One of his stops was the New Holland tent to see Jay Leno’s Ecojet, the concept car that runs on 100% biodiesel.
Pictured (l-r) are Alan Kemper, VP of the American Soybean Association, Harold Boyanovsky, CEO of CNH, Sec. Johanns and Ricky “Skip” Tyler who travels with the car. They’re looking at the jet engine that powers this muscle car.
I asked Sec. Johanns what he thinks of a company like New Holland working with an entertainer like Jay Leno to promote biodiesel.
You can listen to Secretary Johanns reply here: fp-07-johanns-quote.mp3
New Holland’s Gene Hemhill is responsible for bringing the farm equipment company together with Jay Leno and so I asked him what this means to New Holland.
You can listen to Gene’s reply here: fp-07-hemphill-quote.mp3
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Traceability is the main theme at the National Institute for Animal Agriculture ID/INFO EXPO in Kansas City this year and the recent outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the UK has made it very timely.
One of the most interesting presentations was by Ray Brown, a dairy producer from Cheshire, England. Ray spoke on the impact of FMD from a producer’s perspective and how traceability is making a difference with this year’s outbreak of FMD compared to the devastating outbreak in 2001.
I interviewed Ray after his presentation and found him very interesting and forthright – plus he’s got that great British accent. It’s long (over 11 minutes), but really fascinating, especially for those of you in the livestock industry wrestling with the idea of animal ID and premises registration. Here’s why it’s important.
niaa-07-brown-interview.mp3
My purpose here at the EXPO is to send out media alerts to farm broadcasters and publications with links to photos and interviews from presenters. Here is a link to the Day One Virtual Media Room document from ID/INFO EXPO.
And, yeah – while Chuck is sweating in the heat at Farm Progress, I have the air-conditioned hotel gig. No complaints here.
The restored antique Farmall sits next to the Gold Signature Edition Farmall tractor at the Case IH display in Progress City, IL to commemorate the company’s 60th year as an FFA sponsor. Case IH is auctioning the Gold Edition Farmall on ebay and all proceeds will go toward charity. The auction ends at the close of this week. Senior Marketing Director John Koetz says the 18-hp, sub-compact tractor customized with distinctive red-and-gold paint is a commemorative nod to the International Harvester heritage of Case IH. He says International Harvester manufactured special “Gold Demonstrator” tractors in the late 1960s and 1970s. John says Case IH is proud of its long-standing relationship and says the youth involved in FFA represent the future of agriculture. 
The local FFA chapter is auctioning off the restored antique Farmall as well to help raise chapter funds.
John also points out the commemorative Gold Edition Farmall is a smaller version of the limited edition Gold Signature Edition Magnum® and Steiger® tractors Case IH is selling to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Magnum tractor and 50th anniversary of Steiger.
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Big or small, from Yamaha to remote control, the crowds at the 2007 Farm Progress Show are checking out the dirt tracks and the turf tracks. Consumers can climb on to various Yamaha four-wheelers and hit the small, rugged dirt track just outside of the exit to the field harvesting demonstrations to get a feel for which Yamaha model suits them best. Fast Stop wants farmers to make it their first stop. Not only does the display have RC Truck Races, but if you time it right you’ll get to listen to a live performer. When I stopped by, a singer was crooning about his human music stand. 
Speaking of going for a ride, I’m planning on heading over to the Rural Life Compact Tractor Ride n’ Drive at 3 p.m. The big dogs will be out all day Thursday so farmers can get a real feel for the latest in tractor models being displayed throughout Progress City.
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Did I mention that it’s hot here at the Farm Progress Show? Hot enough that Jeff Nalley, The Cromwell Ag Network, is having to cool his notebook computer in front of the cooler units so it will turn back on.
He’s even got a cooling unit for it to sit on but it’s not enough. We’re working these computers pretty hard. That’s why I’ve got mine raised up off the table with my fan blowing directly on it. It’s just a part of today’s communications technology in a challenging outdoor environment.
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Our U. S. Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns is visiting the Farm Progress Show today.
His first stop was the media tent where he awarded EJ Water Cooperative with $8.8 million for a loan and grant to build a water treatment plant. This is part of USDA’s Rural Development initiative.
Johanns then proceeded to make some comments regarding the farm bill and other policy topics before answering questions from the press.
You can listen to Secretary Johanns remarks here: fp-07-johanns-conference.mp3
Or you can download here: Secretary Johanns Press Conference (8 min MP3)
You can also watch the Secretary on YouTube:
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