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| Farm World makes a loud noise when it hits mailbox |
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I apologize for that “thud” you heard in your mailbox recently – it’s our fault. As Farm World continues to grow with circulation and advertising from Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee, the paper continues to thicken in size.<br>
This week’s paper is 120 pages – more when you add in the Rural King advertising insert.<br>
I’m beginning to feel a little sorry for the mailman who has to carry more than one on his back. (On the other hand, I get a slight sensation of revenge when I consider how much the U.S. Post Office raised our rates in July 2007.)<br>
Our annual National Farm Machinery Show (NFMS) preview helped boost the size of this week’s Farm World. <br>
The 43rd NFMS and the 40th Championship Tractor Pull will be Feb. 13-16 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky. Recent construction at the Center has allowed the NFMS to open up even more exhibit space.<br>
Event organizers said there are more than 800 exhibitors at this year’s NFMS, and they are expecting more than 300,000 people to attend the four-day event. <br>
More than 27 acres of exhibit space is under one, climate-controlled roof. For those of you who have never been to the show, it truly is an interesting experience. <br>
In my eight years of attending the NFMS, I’ve had lunch with farmers from across the world (Germany, the Netherlands and Canada), and others from nearly across the street (Knightstown and Carthage, Ind.). All the heavy hitters bring their top experts to talk to producers one-on-one at their booths. A couple years ago I interviewed one of the designers of the latest New Holland combine. He attended the NFMS to show farmers the differences from NH’s last model. <br>
The sights, the sounds and all the people – many in funny hats to help family and friends to find them in a crowded hall – are highly entertaining. There is no charge to attend the show, but the Kentucky Exposition Center charges $5 for vehicles to park on their property. The NFMS is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.
See this week’s preview edition for more details.<br>
New secretary, lost leader<br>
Separated by six days, the USDA received a new leader and it lost one of its veteran leaders.<br>
On Feb. 4, former North Dakota governor Ed Schafer became the new secretary of the USDA by unanimous consent in the Senate. Schafer was approved only hours before President Bush gave his final State of the Union address later that day.<br>
On Feb. 9, Earl Butz, 98, a former USDA Secretary and a former dean of the Purdue University College of Agriculture, died in Washington D.C. while visiting his son, William. Butz was the USDA secretary from 1971-76; first for President Nixon and later for President Ford. Born on a farm near Albion, Ind. on July 3, 1909. He graduated from Purdue in 1932. He received Purdue’s first doctorate in agricultural economics in 1937. He served as the head of Purdue’s ag econ department from 1946-54, and he was the ag college’s dean from 1957-67.<br>
Butz was known as a believer in free-market systems. He encouraged U.S. farmers to produce more, and to work hard in creating new export markets.<br>
Schafer’s policy beliefs seem to be in line with the Bush Administration’s, so far. But little progress has been made on a new farm bill. The current extensions to the present farm bill are set to expire on March 15. |
| 2/6/2008 |
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