Ethanol Car On Display

Chuck Zimmerman August 31, 2006

It seems like the number 17 Team Ethanol Indy Car is all over the place. It’s here on display at the Farm Progress Show courtesy of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC).

The man who’s been touring this around is Alan Slunecka, farmer and brother to EPIC Executive Director, Tom Slunecka. The vehicle here has a simulator attached and that’s been a big draw with the little and big (adult) kids.

I asked Alan how it’s going here at the show. He says the line has been long at times with people waiting their turn driving the car. As a farmer he’s very proud of the work being done in the renewable fuels area to make America independent of foreign oil. He doesn’t mind the hard work and long hours driving this demonstrator around the country to promote ethanol which he firmly believes is good for America, the environment and farmers like himself. He not only grows corn that’s turned into ethanol but feeds the by-product (DDG’s) to his cattle.

You can listen to my interview with Alan Slunecka here: Alan Slunecka Interview (3 min. MP3)

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Monsanto:

Audio, Ethanol, Farm Progress Show

Monsanto’s Technology Chief

Chuck Zimmerman August 31, 2006

I finally got to tour the Monsanto exhibit last night. All I can say is “wow.” It’s got to be the coolest exhibit I’ve seen at this show. I know they’re my sponsor but you’d have to see it to believe it.

It’s kind of like an EPCOT exhibit at DisneyWorld. We started out in an air-conditioned room with our tour guide giving us the background. Then Monsanto’s Chief Technology Officer, Rob Fraley, (pictured) gave us a tour through plots of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and cotton that are all neatly labelled with informative signs. Yes, cotton growing here in Iowa. They have all of their current and some future products on display! It’s all certified by USDA too.

This is just an awesome display. They told us prior to the tour that by the end of the show they’ll have had more farmers tour and see their technology than go through their Chesterfield research facility near St. Louis in a year. That’s impressive.

I interviewed Rob Fraley after our tour and asked him to describe what they have on display. He also talks about what it’s like to be the CTO for a company like Monsanto. He describes where the company and industry is at in the biotechnology arena as similar to where we were at with computers in the 1960’s. In other words, we haven’t even scratched the surface yet on what’s possible.

You can listen to my interview with Rob Fraley here: Rob Fraley Interview (4 min. MP3)

I’ve decided that I’m going to return my little video camera I brought out here but I did use it last night while Rob was giving us a tourn. You can watch it here: Monsanto Exhibit Tour (2 min WMV)

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Monsanto:

Audio, Farm Progress Show, Video

Satellite Radio At The Show

Chuck Zimmerman August 31, 2006

At the Chevrolet exhibit you’ll find XM Satellite Radio.

I know they’re putting these in new cars. Is anyone putting them in new tractors?

It seems like having a satellite radio receiver in your cab would make a lot of sense on a long hot day of work. How many of you AgWired farm fans have satellite radio.

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Monsanto:

Farm Progress Show

Combine Demonstration

Kelcy August 31, 2006

With all the new technologies out, many of the people who come to the Farm Progress Show come to see the field demonstrations.

On Tuesday, the demonstrations were canceled due to all the rain but they started up yesterday in full force! I was able to see the combines harvest the corn; it was really nice to see the operation set up for the public to watch the demonstrations. All the combines all line up along the right side of the field and it is all roped off so people can watch them slowly. A combine runs about every 3-4 minutes so you are able to see each combine by itself.

With the media pass I have, I was able to ride in one of the combines. Amazing, how nice the combines are in the inside; way nicer than most cars I’ve ridden in! There was a rider seat next to the driver I got to sit in so I got the chance to watch the computer controlling the combine and be up close with the operation.

I was able to ride in a CAT Lexion combine, and Jeff Gray was the driver. Jeff Gray works for Claas and has for many years. I was able to do a short interview with him about his job and what he does. Also, I have a short video of the process of the combine harvesting the corn.

If I could recommend anything here at the Farm Progress Show, I would go see the demonstrations. The tractors/combines are enormous! It is amazing to see how the style, functions, and over quality changes over time.

Listen to my interview with Jeff Gray here: Jeff Gray (1 min. MP3)

Here’s the video: Harvesting Corn (2 min WMV)

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Monsanto:

Audio, Farm Progress Show, Video

Ag in America Tour

Kelcy August 31, 2006

The next generation is going to be our future farmers. It is important to educate the next generation and show them the importance of agriculture. Ag in America Tour is doing just that!

Ag in America Tour goes around to different schools across the Midwest promoting agriculture. It is up to the younger generation to determine how our future goes. They will be the ones filling our shoes later down the road.

I think one cool thing about this program is that is it operated by younger people. When they go to schools, it isn’t some old person telling how important it is to know what is happening in the agricultural industry. It is more believable when you can relate to the person speaking to you, which also makes it more interesting.

I had the opportunity to speak with Nick Nagele, senior associate for the Ag in America Tour. He loves the job he has and the best part of it all, he loves to work with the children, teaching them stuff that means so much to him, and also seeing his influence in them.

As the Ag in America Tour travels around, they talk to thousands of children, and it will be amazing someday so see the impact it has on kids. Since the program just started, results are not to their fullest yet, but will be in the future. If anybody would like to contact Nick to recieve more information or see if they can come to your school, his email is nick@aginamerica.com.

Listen to my interview with Nick Nagele here: Nick Nagele (1 min. MP3)

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Monsanto:

Audio, Farm Progress Show

Final Day Underway

Chuck Zimmerman August 31, 2006

It’s a beautiful morning here on the final day of the Farm Progress Show.

I would have posted more last night from my hotel but their internet access wasn’t working and neither was access to Sprint.

Here’s a scene on the way in from the parking lot a few minutes ago from the back of Gene Hemphill’s golf cart.

By the time we got to the media tent the balloon was almost on top of us.

I had heard that some reporters were getting rides in a hot air balloon over the show. Conditions yesterday and today have been just about perfect for it.

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Monsanto:

Farm Progress Show

ADM’s Future

Kelcy August 31, 2006

ADM is a large provider for farm commodities. They have a nice tent set up with a lot of employee around to talk to.

I had the chance to talk to Greg Webb, Vice President of Public Affairs. Greg was very knowledgeable about the direction ADM was heading. Technology is always changing and it is up to them to keep up with it!

Greg Webb also talked about the different industries ADM coincides with. They do not just deal with corn and beans, but they are an expanded company that also deals with sunflowers, flax, and cotton.

Listen to my interview with Greg Webb here: Greg Webb (1 min. MP3)

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Monsanto:

Audio, Farm Progress Show

Thoughts of Day 2

Kelcy August 30, 2006

Today started off rough…I woke up an hour late. I was not a happy camper to say the least! I wanted to leave my hotel room at 6:10a and I woke up at 6:10a. From then on, the day started to get better.

I didn’t get many posts done today because most of the day I was out walking around, finding things to write about. I will have three more posts to put up in the morning so I was busy ALL day. The highlight of my day was my Mother coming to visit me. Thanks to her boss, Jim Veenstra let her come up here to represent her ADM office. She brought all of us brownies, which I think everybody enjoyed!!

I don’t have much to write about! Chuck took me out to eat tonight, very delicious!! We ate at Outback Steakhouse. I enjoyed talking to him about the business his wife and him have started and where it is going. There are not any blogging websites for agriculture so that makes me feel privilaged to be a part of this website!

Well have a good night!

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Monsanto:

Farm Progress Show

Mom and I

Kelcy August 30, 2006

Today, my mother was able to attend the Farm Progress Show and she got to see a little bit of the blogging process I do everyday.

I know this whole Farm Progress Show thing isn’t my mom’s style but I know she enjoyed going around with me, looking for blogging opportunities. We walked around the whole grounds, went through the Varied Industries Tent and other various locations.

It was nice to get to spend the day with my mother… and it also gave me somebody to talk to as I walked around all day. My mom didn’t want to do an interview at all but finally Chuck and I convinced her to talk to us. The following clip is of me talking with my mom and what she thinks about me here at the Farm Progress Show

Listen to Deena Schroder here: Deena Schroder (1 min. MP3)

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Monsanto:

Audio, Farm Progress Show

Corn Combustion

Kelcy August 30, 2006

Corn has many uses, as well all know but a new up and growing industry is the corn burning stoves. My grandparents have one, and I know of a few others and they are very economical, energy sufficient, and effective.

There are a few corn burning stove companies at the Farm Progress Show but the one I had a chance to glance at was Bixby Corn Stoves. I had the opportunity to talk to Dave Pudenz, the store owner about the stoves. Bixby offers many advantages to their stoves: they are automatic starting so no wood pellets are necessary, push button adjustment of heat levels, bins hold up to 106 pounds of corn, and it has a self-cleaner fire pot.

As the rising costs of heat keep going up, buying a corn stove is very economical. It pays itself off in just a matter of a few years. The Bixby Corn Stoves have a combustion efficiency of 99.7% so the consumers are getting more heat for their money!

When I first heard of corn stoves coming out, I though about the smell they would put off and the appearance of them in a house… (maybe that’s just a girl thing) The corn stoves do not put off an odor, near as I can tell and they have become quit decorative pieces for houses. They do take up some space but they are beautiful and are available in many different colors.

Listen to Dave Pudenz here: Dave Pudenz (1 min. MP3)

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Monsanto:

Audio, Corn, Farm Progress Show

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