There's No Place Like Home

Dorothy Gale from Kansas was right, there's no place like home. And for me, heading to the 2009 Farm Progress Show Decatur, IL was a trip back home.

I'm proud to say that I was born and raised in Decatur, IL, home of the Staley Bears...now the Chicago Bears, and was once known as the soybean capital of the world.



My parents still live here so I make the trip up every month or so for a visit, and maybe a little golf with my Dad. I've probably made the trip from St. Louis to Decatur more than 100 times since I moved to St. Louis in 1992. And as I was making that drive once again today, I started thinking about how I'm probably the only one, or one of the few who takes the two-lane highway 48 North to get to Decatur instead of Interstate 72 West. My Dad always told me that it saves at least 15 minutes, and who am I to argue.

This road less traveled has an abundance of two things...small towns and fields and fields of corn and soybeans.

It might sound corny, but ever since I started working at Monsanto more than eight years ago, I began counting the number of fields signs that had either Asgrow or DeKalb on it. It was a way to pass the time, and not being in the agriculture business before Monsanto, I honestly didn't pay that much attention. But since I did start to notice, one thing is for sure, the number of Asgrow and DeKalb field signs have grown in number while those of Pioneer have shrunk.

And, I always know that I'm close to home when I pass by Monsanto's soybean production plant in Stonington, IL. Looks like we're building on to it, I thought as I passed by today. That's a good thing.

As I entered Decatur's city limits, it occurred to me that my favorite burger joint, Krekels, was on my way out to the Farm Progress site. I had to stop and get a Krekel burger-a double with catsup, mustard and onion please.

Just like coming home, walking into the Farm Progress, I was met with old friends who also just happened to be Monsanto employees. Some I hadn't seen for two years or more since moving on to a new role. It made me feel comfortable right away. It felt like being home.

Now I'm back at my parent's house thinking about everything that needs to get done tomorrow at Farm Progress. It has my mind racing. It will be hard to sleep tonight. Time for bed, in my old bed, in my old room. There's no place like home.

It's really already here?

Posted by Troy:

Where did the time go?! The site is almost ready to go for the big show starting tomorrow! The fences are in place, the plot has been trimmed, the equipment is in place, and the finishing touches are being applied as I type this.

A couple weeks ago we hosted a dealer preview day – photo is below. As you can see, the site is looking good. This has been a fun, challenging, and rewarding experience, and I look forward to seeing many of you next week at the site!

Also, the communications group put together a video from the preview day that actually captured the growers' excitement about the Yields of Tomorrow Tour. And if you're heading to the Farm Progress Show, as well, be sure to check it out and say hello.

Expecting the BEST!

With the opening of the 2009 Farm Progress Show right around the corner, my excitement is growing greatly! This will be my first trip to what I’ve heard others refer to as “the Super Bowl of farm shows,” and there’s nothing I like better than the big game. Being a Bengals fan, I haven’t been able to sport my orange and black jersey in a playoff situation ... ever - so I view FPS as a win-win situation!
No, it’s not a competition, but Farm Progress is the perfect venue to showcase technologies and developments that agricultural companies made possible over the past year. Kind of like the Super Bowl- where athletes train all year to end up in that last game, showing off what they’ve worked so hard to become (and the touchdown dances/antics they have developed). The plus side of Farm Progress though, is that there isn’t a loosing team- everyone benefits from being in attendance- unlike a Bengals game where attending makes the sting of a loss, much worse.
Most importantly, Farm Progress gives people the opportunity to come out and learn what’s going on in the world of agriculture, rather they are personally involved or not, attendees can develop a better understanding of all the labor and technology that goes into their food, feed and clothing. Kind of like pre-season games and training camps in football, where you are able to discover your star wide receiver is now kicking field goals and had seriously and legally changed his surname to “Ochocinco.”
The difference? People take what they see at Farm Progress serious and are very interested in how and when they can implement such systems into their operations. What they are able to view is the future of farming and agriculture- who doesn’t want a little glimpse into the future?
But it’s not just one company telling you about their seed pipeline, it’s everything you could possibly need in one place so you can compare, contrast and supplement everything that is being offered. With over 600 vendors slated to attend this years show, it’s almost a guarantee you can find something new and exciting during the three day show! This might sound like the promises Mr. Ochocinco himself throws around, but with an estimated attendance over 150,000- the track record is much better in Decatur than Cincinnati!
So rather you are interested in new corn planters for seasons to come, or effective ways to handle cattle- if you have any interest in agriculture, the 2009 Farm Progress Show is the place to be!

Looking Spiffy at Farm Progress

The appearance of the site has changed dramatically over the past couple of weeks. The tent structures are up, and most of the fence is now in place.





To give you a sneak peek at other features in our "Yields of Tomorrow" plot this year besides plants, is machinery. The GEN V planter was set in place last week along with a research plot combine to help showcase some of the technology our researchers are utilizing. It really is some exciting stuff and we'll be able to show growers what work is being done behind-the-scenes to improve agronomic practices on their farm to help reach even higher yields.



In addition, the Bt soybeans were infested with velvet bean caterpillar last week by Monmouth Learning Center technician Dudley Ricketts and Technical Development Representative Associate Brian Hogendorp and Stephanie Smith infested the biotech plots with corn earworm. In the photos below, you can see how much they enjoy their job - I think the smile on their faces says it all.


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(Step 2)


A lot of work going on and showtime is almost upon us! Stay tuned for more to come and most importantly, we hope to see you there!

I'm Famous on YouTube?

Okay, maybe I'm not famous on YouTube, but I have taken the first step - I've made my YouTube debut. 

In order to generate even more excitement about this year's show, Monsanto's Public Affairs department came out to get an interview about what goes on behind the scenes. 

Sit back, grab some popcorn and enjoy the video!