Brownfield

That's a good ear

Another Farm Progress Show under my belt.  I've covered somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 shows in my farm broadcasting career.  The Decatur show was - from a facilities standpoint - far and above the best.  Asphalt streets.  Real bathrooms.  No traffic jams.  It was, however, the most miserable from a temperature standpoint that I have yet to experience.  When the Farm Progress Show was held later in September, we would often wear winter coats and gloves when doing early morning broadcasts from the show site. 

The exhibits have become much more elaborate over the years.  I could not pick a favorite, but I did enjoy the interactive Pioneer display.  (Did I mention they had cool air pumped in to the back of the tent and used fans to circulate that cool air?) 

I posed with Jerry Harrington, Sales Public Relations Manager in front of the ear corn models in the Pioneer tent.  The "good ear" is representative of a corn hybrid with the Herculex Extra trait.

Farm Show Fun

If there is the slightest chance it might be used on a farm in the Midwest, you'll find it at The Farm Progress Show. Some of the exhibitors also know how to have some fun and provide something a bit different for visitors.

For example, the Illinois Soybean Association has a very cool tent at their exhibit. When I say cool, I mean about 30 degrees cooler than it is on the lot outside the exhibit. An air conditioned lounge area complete with cold drinks, leather sofas and newspapers is a welcome site for members of the Illinois Soybean Association as well as potential association members. 

The soybean group isn't the only one that knows how to have fun. My good friend Mark Lambert with the Illinois Corn Growers Association was kind enough to pose for a photo as Captain Cornelius at the ICGA exhibit. 

Hot at Farm Progress Show

It was hot in the media tent yesterday.  Between 11am and 2pm, it was almost unbearable, even for seasoned veterans who have covered many a hot state fair.

Overheard in the media tent early this morning:

I grew up in the heat.  I am a farmer.  I work in the heat. It was hot here yesterday.  Imagine baling hay in a parka in a sauna about a quarter mile north of Hades. -Gene Blue, WHOW, Clinton, Illinois

Gene Hemphill with New Holland, who has hosted media at the Farm Progress Show for 20 years, put a portable air conditioner in each corner of the media tent.  If you stand right next to it, it feels pretty good.  We found that opening up the sides of the tent and letting what breeze there is blow through works just as well.

Brownfield trio cover FP Show

Tom Steever, Dave Russell and I (Cyndi Young) are all sweating it out at the 2007 Farm Progress Show at Decatur, Illinois today.  There is a nice breeze, but temperatures are in the mid-90's this afternoon.

I have covered about 20 Farm Progress Shows and I must say, it was never before so painless to get in to the show.  No traffic jams.  Parking was a breeze.  The streets are paved with asphalt so we're not covered with dust and dirt and grime. 

There are numerous news conferences being held here in the Media Tent sponsored by New Holland.  Dave Russell served as the moderator for a panel discussion sponsored by the United Soybean Board earlier today.

John Deere product launch

"One thing is for sure, John Deere knows how to launch new products." - Dave Russell

Brownfield's Dave Russell is in Cincinnati, Ohio for John Deere's new product launch, which featured one of the new 9030 series tractors, the new 70 series combines and the new 600c corn heads.  This is the largest product launch in the history of the company.

Thanks to Chuck Zimmerman for sending this picture of Dave Russell interviewing Doug DeVries, John Deere Senior VP, Agricultural Marketing, North America/Australia/Asia at the John Deere "Dedicated Leadership" launch underway this week.

Military leave

Many of you have inquired as to the whereabouts of our Omaha-based farm broadcaster Pete Shinn.  First Lieutenant Pete Shinn is on military leave, stationed at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi.   We heard from him just this morning:

. . .We're no into our third week of training for the Manpower Personnell Officer Course, and the curriculum definitely took a turn for the tougher last week, when we began learning about the statistics and processes behind development of Air Force manpower standards and requirements. . . .And so the training continues, though it's not all in the classroom.  We do have ongoing physical training requirements, and I've been running about 6 miles a day in the Gulf Coast heat.  They also have three nicely-equipped gyms here on base, so keepingi n some kind of shape has been no problem!

Biloxi itself, where Keesler AFB is located, is clearly still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.  Two years later, there are now several brand-new casinos right outside the base gate, including a new Hard Rock Cafe that had been on the verge of opening right before Katrina hit.  But there are still many, many buildings that remain nearly, completely or are totally destroyed.  And the beaches in the area, while they look good from a distance, still have lots of debris embedded in them just below the surface.  Locals here estimate total clean-up could take another decade - if another hurricane doesn't hit in the meantime!

Pete closed his missive by thanking us all for letting him serve.  We thank him, too. 

Bean power

The 2007 Indiana State Fair midway was powered by soy biodiesel.  All 9 generators used to power midway rides and foodstands were powered by a B5 blend of soy biodiesel.

Lt. Governor Becky Skillman took a ride on the carousel to salute the Hoosier homegrown energy industry.

Soy biodiesel has actually been used at the Indiana State Fair for the past decade, as the tractors pulling shuttles at the fair have been powered using a B20 blend since 1997.

Back in saddle

The American Hereford Association (AHA) just announced that David Mehlhaff is their new director of communications.

We've known Dave for years.  He was a farm broadcaster in Minnesota and South Dakota before going to work as a spokesman for first National Pork Producers Council and then National Cattlemen's Association.  Since then he has worked with public relations and advertising firms with which Brownfield has had a relationship.

Welcome back to the livestock industry, Dave!

Here to stay!

We are pleased to announce that Taryn Dameron, our summer Brownfield intern, has agreed to stay on with us through her next semester.  Taryn is an Ag Journalism student at the University of Missouri. 

Missouri's Director of Agriculture Katie Smith was also an Ag J student at MU.  Taryn caught up with Director Smith at the Missouri State Fair.  (Taryn is the one holding the microphone!)

Front row seat

Tom Steever has been busy this week, first at the Illinois State Fair to cover Ag Day activities and then north to Milford, Iowa to spend a day at Syngenta Learning Centers. While visiting some of my favorite websites today, I spotted a picture of Tom on the edge of his seat, listening to Dr. Fred Below, Professor of Crop Physiology at the University of Illinois, discussing corn on corn.