I think everybody knows Leon Corzine, central Illinois farmer and former chairman of the National Corn Growers Association. He’s a big champion of biotechnology and renewable fuels. Well all that work he’s done for so many years and on so many levels was recognized yesterday by Lincoln Heritage Committee as they bestowed the Abraham Lincoln National Agriculture Award on him here at the Farm Progress Show. Leon is one of the inaugural award recipients.
Here’s Leon with his award. That’s a heavy statue. I tried to move it and it takes two hands! Leon is really proud and honored to receive the award. You can here him talk about what it means in my interview with him.
You can listen to my interview with Leon here: fp-07-corzine.mp3
Besides Leon other award recipients are former Secretary of Agriculture, John Block, University of Illinois Ag Communications Professor Emeritus, Jim Evans and retired National Livestock and Meat Board Executive VP, John Huston.
Or you can download here: 
Leon Corzine Interview (6 min MP3)
AgWired coverage of the 2007 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by 
I make sure I get here to the Farm Progress Show early so I don’t have to deal with traffic. However, it sure looks like an orderly process in this shot.
The sun is actually high in the sky already here and the Farm Progress Show, day 2, is open.
Dow AgroSciences says it’s planning for the future of biotechnology. But, the company is quick to point out a host of innovative technologies available now for improving crop yields. Dow AgroSciences says its Herculex family of traits offers the broadest protection when comes to safeguarding crops against most insects, both above ground and below ground, in corn. Representatives add that its 2,4-D trait offers a robust performance and excellent tolerance. Traits & Germplasm Licensing Leader Ben Kaehler says the plan is to bring out what the company feels will provide the best insect protection, 
by having Herculex Extra, with the best opportunity to control weeds with a herbicide tolerant trait to give growers the best opportunity to have maximum yields, clean fields and make a lot of money using Dow AgroSciences products and traits.
Technology for Traits is built upon a system meant to maintain glycocen as a management tool for a long time because farmers value it for its simplicity, economic costs and effectiveness. Dow AgroSciences says it wants to help farmers maximize their yield.
I doubt I can keep the sunrise/sunset pictures coming but I’ll try. 
I am impressed with the welcome we received here this evening at the exhibitor’s dinner. Here’s the greeting line.
I went out to my car a little while ago to sit in the air conditioning and the thermometer in it said 101 degrees. It is toasty here. In fact, my computer here in the media tent is heating up and acting up or I’d have some video posted for you already. 
On stage in the media tent here at the Farm Progress Show this morning was