Yesterday was the grand opening of this year’s trade show here at the Commodity Classic. There was a lot to discover on the trade show floor, and Mary and I were not shy to test some of the interactive components of the displays.
At our first stop, we were pulled in by the energetic team at the Golden Harvest booth to take part in a remote control car race. Mary won the race. Mary won the race big time. I was completely unable to make the remote control car go forward much less make it go around a small track. Let’s just say I lacked the motor skills.
Next, we were the first to try out the Whac-A-Worm game sponsored by Yield Guard Plus at the Monsanto booth. Thank goodness that we tied. Otherwise, I would have been zero for two in our impromptu trade show game competition.
Margy Plays Wack-a-worm (:21 wmv file) Mary Plays Wack-a-worm (:31 wmv file)
Then it was off to the race track again, except this time I climbed into the copy of the ethanol-powered Indy car and was more successful. Margy In the IndyCar Simulator (:22 wmv file) In fact, I got the high ranking of the day finishing fourth out of 26. As the driver, I played a video game that was connected to an X-box. I hit the wall almost every time around the turns, but my secret to success was flooring the gas pedal the entire time.
And our last stop before getting ready for dinner was at the John Deere booth, where Mary (who bleeds John Deere green), played Combine Combat. She harvested $59,000 worth of corn in the minute-long game. Test your harvesting skills at this direct link on Agriculture.com
It’s not often that you see boots like these. But then they’re being worn by a very unique and wonderful person who brightens any room she walks into. Your job is to guess who.
Farmers yielding impressive amounts such as 306 bushels/acre as the Mez-Farm in Bagley, Wisconsin did were surrounded by cars worth up to one million dollars. 
One of the announcements made today was that next year’s Commodity Classic will include the National Association of Wheat Growers. So we’ll have a tri-commodity shindig in Tampa.
The Ethanol Promotion & Information Council wants you to experience fuel performance at 220 miles per hour. As they say, “There’s nothing Mickey Mouse about that.”
A lot of people are entering our 
Also speaking out at the opening press conference was the ASA president, Bob Metz. Bob is proud of the progress being made with biodiesel and thinks that soybean growers need to get involved in the organization to make their voice heard. It’s a grassroots effort he says. That’s what’s going on here at policy issues are discussed and the membership provides guidance for the staff of the organization to work on in the coming year.
I love Michael Peterson! He is here at the 2006 Commodity Classic promoting his new CD “Down on the Farm”. He was gracious enough to give me his signature and take a picture with Margy and I and Chuck was kind enough to get us a signed copy of his new CD!!! 
For those of you who may be confused, Michael Peterson is a country singer who sang the songs Drink, Swear, Steal, and Lie and From Here to Eternity, just to name a few. He is a wonderful artist. He is performing tomorrow at the general session. 
The first press conference here at Commodity Classic is always with the leadership of NCGA and ASA. Next year that will include NAWG, but more on that later. To get us started I interviewed NCGA President, Gerald Tumbleson.
Already, I’ve had a chance to sit in a copy of the ethanol powered Indy car.