Want to showcase how easy it is to drive your company’s newest tractor, combine or sprayer? Invite a bunch of ag editors over and host a ride and drive. AGCO did just that this week at the Midwest Ag Industries Exposition in Bloomington. After making a few laps in a RoGator and TerraGator, I can honestly say they were easy to drive. Notice, I did not say “operate.” When I started taking pictures of the cab, I somehow morphed into a 10-year-old version of myself. Every…

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Have you ever thought, “I’d love to meet the engineer who designed this”? Sometimes that thought will crop up in a moment of joy. Other times, it’s a moment of frustration. Last week, it’s a good thing the engineer didn’t appear when that thought crossed my mind. It would have been bad for him/her. A couple months ago, we traded cars for a 2001 Nissan Xterra. It’s 10 years old, but here’s the best part. It only had 35,000 miles. I figured…

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Today, I braved the blowing and drifting snow to attend the University of Illinois' annual Corn and Soybean Classics. And, boy, I'm glad I did.   For farmers, U of I's seminars are a good place to pick up production tips and a hint of research on the horizon. It's also a chance to discuss the brutal year that was 2009.   For me, the conference was a veritable gold mine for story ideas. All of the presenters were very good, but I was absolutely enthralled with U of I economist Gary…

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Last night, my wife coasted into the garage on vapors. Too busy to fill the tank this morning, she grabbed the keys to my car. Thankfully she warned me and left my wallet on the table.   As I filled up her tank, I noticed her front tires looked a smidge low. Knowing I'd purchased a cute little pink pressure gauge for her, I rummaged through her glove box trying to locate it.   I finally found it and went to work. I pulled off the first valve stem and fitted the gauge overtop it. Poof! The…

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With the Farm Progress Show wrapping up on the last day, I've realized something very important. Weather makes a big difference!   Each year, the show is lined with exhibitors. All of which are rolling out new products or upgraded versions. The grounds are always expertly manicured and traffic flow is becoming a fine science at the permanent sites.   However, each year, the weather is the one thing the show staff cannot control (at least to my knowledge). Last year around this time, I was…

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