I was on the road most of last week, first in Peoria, Illinois for the Illinois Pork Expo and then on to Bettendorf, Iowa for the Overall Women in Agriculture Conference. Both events were well-attended and very informational. I took in Illinois Pork Expo as a reporter and was the keynote speaker and workshop presenter at the Overall Women’s Conference.
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Brownfield’s Ken Anderson has been covering events Washington, D.C. this week. He travelled to the nation’s capital with the Nebraska Corn Growers Association on its annual leadership program. Fourteen young corn farmers from around the state are part of the group. In addition to Capitol Hill visits, they have been to the Washington offices of several ag-related groups, including the U.S. Grains Council, Growth Energy and The Fertilizer Institute, just to name a few.
Ken’s Washington visit coincided with the EPA’s big RFS2 announcement from EPA this week. In fact, when Ken interviewed House Ag Committee chair Collin Peterson on Tuesday, Peterson hinted that the RFS2 rule would be released on Wednesday. Ken had comments from Peterson and Samantha Slater of the Renewable Fuels Association in a report that aired on Brownfield and Waitt Wednesday morning, making us one of the first media outlets to preview the RFS2 announcement before it took place.
Listen and watch for more of Ken’s Washington interviews in the coming days.
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It is always good to catch up with our peers in the ag media world when we are out covering meetings and other events. Steve Bridge, Farm Director for Brownfield partner radio stations WFMB AM and FM, Springfield, Illinois, was interviewing David Conrady, Chairman of the Illinois Pork Expo who farms near Lincoln when I snapped this photo.
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A Brownfield DYNAMIC DUO is in Orlando covering the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Annual Meeting.
Two for the price of one…
Brownfield is well represented at the National Association of Conservation Districts annual convention in Orlando. Indianapolis-based Dave Russell is a veteran of NACD coverage. He’s been getting interviews with most of those who are here to address NACD members (check out Brownfield’s NACD page). I am here on behalf of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, of which I am National Vice President. I am MCing the NACD Appreciation banquet Tuesday evening as representative of NAFB, but also reporting for Brownfield stations from the meeting.
Lest anyone thinks that the primary attraction in Florida is the weather, they’d be right. It’s just that the weather is not as pleasant as usual. It’s been cool and rainy during the NACD convention, which is of little worry because the meetings are indoors where it’s dry. But judging from the various divergent languages heard in the hotel lobby, it’s obvious that tourists are here from various parts of the globe, and no doubt a little disappointed that the Sunshine State is not presently living up to its adopted name.
-Tom Steever
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Brownfield’s Jerry Passer has been covering the pork industry for a long time. Attending and covering the 2010 Iowa Pork Congress stirred some memories for our Cedar Rapids-based reporter.
In his words:
It will be 44 years ago in July that I started my radio career at KBEW in Blue Earth, Minnesota and it would be impossible for me to remember all of the farm families I have met. Not only have I met hundreds but many of those I can call friends.
I came to Iowa and WMT in 1973 and for many of those years I have attended the Iowa Pork Congress in Des Moines and dozens of other agricultural events. The part that was most enjoyable was seeing old friends. That was exactly what happened at Pork Congress this year. While many of the producers I have known over the years are out of the business or are no longer with us, I was thrilled to see so many old friends.
First there was Jim and Margaret Ledger of Washington, Iowa. Jim’s son has taken over the operation but Jim still helps out. Craig Olson from Newhall is a past President of the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) from Newhall. Craig tapped me on the shoulder at a reception and because my eyes are getting older he isn’t I didn’t recognize him right away.. We had fun swapping stories of hog shows at the dinner table. Otis and Shirley Helmrichs from Manchester were there and I spent a lot of time over the years with them at events in Delaware County and the Iowa State Fair. There was Ken Hofer of Park Farms near Dewitt, Ken’s dad Paul was an IPPA president many years ago. Dale Clausen and his wife stopped to talk as did many others, just too many to name.
One of the first families I met when I came to Iowa was the Keppys’, Roy and Myrtle and their son Glen and his wife Jean. Roy passed away several years ago and I was sad to learn Myrtle had left us around Christmas time. Glen, Jean and I had to laugh about the many trips to the National Barrow Show in Austin and the celebrations when someone from our group showed a prize winning entry. And I will never forget Myrtle’s homemade sour cream and raisin pies, every year she brought at least one and sometimes more to the Barrow Show, the second one was usually mine and I can still taste it. It was fun meeting Glen and Jean’s son Chad and his wife, Chad is a twin and I remember when he was a toddler and riding in a stroller at the Barrow show, and he now has a two-year-old son. Glen informed me he is a grandpa and a hired man to the twins after spending the last several years in Washington.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention two of my favorite people Mary Lee and Bernita, long time office employees of the IPPA still meeting, greeting and renewing friendships at Pork Congress.
I have already put in my request to go back to Des Moines and Congress next year and see those old friends. I know some will be missing but the stories will go on.
Jerry Passer
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Ken Anderson and Andrew McCrea from the Brownfield Ag News team are in San Antonio this week covering the National Cattle Industry Convention. Our coverage is sponsored by Novartis Animal Health’s Healthy Heifer Program. Cattlemen from all across the country converged on San Antonio this week to participate in the meetings and attend the trade show.
Andrew McCrea
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Brownfield’s Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based Jerry Passer spent the past few days in Des Moines, covering Iowa Pork Congress. I wonder how many Iowa Pork Queens Jerry Passer has interviewed over the years?
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In my last post, I introduced our new intern, Beverley Kreul. Beverley was very busy over Winter break. In her words:
While many students consider Winter break as a time for rest and relaxation, I took a quite different approach this year. Instead of spending my time between semesters catching up on sleep and enjoying home cooked meals, I decided to go to China. That’s right. I wanted to spend two weeks half way around the world. The National FFA Organization sent approximately 50 students from across the Unites States to the International Leadership Seminar for State Officers.
After airport security and a 12 hour flight, I had finally made it to my destination- Beijing, China. Our group hit the ground running by starting off the next day with a tour of The Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, and The Forbidden City. By the end of day one, we were on our way to our first brush with Asian agriculture. Seventy percent of beef found in Beijing markets are provided by the Fuhau Beef Farm and has over 3,000 head of cattle on limited acreage. The very next day we were able to tour the Cangdafu Dairy Farm which milks 2,200 Holstein cattle every day.
Cangdafu Dairy Farm
However, the highlight of the trip, for me at least, came the very next day. The Great Wall of China! While many participants claimed it to be the hardest stair master in the world, the excitement and views more than made up for the unexpected exercise. After experiencing one of the Seven Wonders of the World, we left Beijing and headed for Xian. In Xian, I had the opportunity to visit a farming village that was host to 300 greenhouses covering over 10,000 acres. 
Great Wall of China
This particular village is considered one of the most advanced farming practices in all of China. Even the Chairman of Agriculture and Chairman of Fruit and Vegetable Trade showed up for our tour.
Greenhouses
Our stay in Xian was short, though, because the very next day we boarded a flight for the city of Suzhou. As deemed by Marco Polo, Suzhou, or the Venice of the East, is a city built almost exclusively with canals. A tour of the Uni-President Enterprises Corporation was on the itinerary for the day. The corporation is the largest instant noodle and bottled drinks factory in the nation. A short bus ride later and we found ourselves viewing the famous lights of Shanghai.
On our last days in China, we threw ourselves into learning about those agricultural practices that were very new to many of us on the trip. A goose farm, tea farm, and silk factory were the major sights of the day. We wrapped up our trip by viewing some of the local ornamental gardens, shopping, and seeing the famous Chinese acrobats. A fast train ride (260 mph) and a long flight later, I was back on U.S. soil with more memories and pictures than I know what to do with. The International Leadership Seminar for State Officers was an incredible way to spend my Winter break and despite the loss in sleep and home cooked food, I would not trade my trip for anything.
-Beverley Kreul
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Beverley Kreul, while new to Brownfield, is no stranger to the world of agricultural communications. She is currently a second year student at the University of Missouri where she is studying agricultural journalism with a specification in agricultural science.
Beverley grew up in southwest Missouri and became very active in the National FFA Organization. After participating all four years of high school, she was selected to serve as the Missouri FFA Association State Secretary for the 2008- 2009 school year. Since her year of service, she has traveled to Taiwan and China to study international agriculture and across the nation promoting agriculture literacy through speeches and workshops.
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As you might have heard (because we were very vocal about it!) Brownfield’s Tom Steever was elected Vice President of The National Association of Farm Broadcasting during the annual convention last fall.
My first NAFB Board Meeting as National Vice President
Last week was the first opportunity for the new National Association of Farm Broadcasting Board of Directors to meet. We gather face to face at least once every quarter and by conference call or some other electronic means as often as is needed. We’re discussing what we refer to as our 5-year strategic plan for the organization, which is important not only because of the group’s history back to the 1940s, but also because it’s necessary to keep such a group vital for its members, farm broadcasters.
Tom Steever, Lindsay Hill, Greg Akagi at Westin Hotel
I’m fortunate to be one of three members of the Association’s Executive Board, along with Greg Akagi with WIBW Radio and the Kansas Ag Network, who is NAFB President; and Lindsay Hill, NAFB President Elect, with ABN Radio and the Buckeye Ag Radio Network in Ohio. The three of us spent an extra day together videotaping promotional pieces for our annual meeting at the Westin Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City. NAFB was one of the first groups to hold a convention there soon after it opened and we’ve been doing it every November since 1974.
-Tom Steever
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