When the annual Farm Progress Show opens, one crop will be front and center: corn.
American farmers have planted more of it than ever this year 92.9 million acres and prices have stayed high, largely because of demand for ethanol. Not coincidentally, soybeans, another crop touted for its biofuel potential, fetch good prices.
"Everybody's beginning to kind of see some reward for the biofuel talk," said show manager Matt Jungmann. "When the economy's like this is when the companies step up and bring out the new technologies."
About 475 exhibitors are to attend this year's show, which begins Tuesday and runs through Thursday, 25 more than 2005, the last time the exhibition was in Decatur. In even-numbered years organizers stage the show in Iowa.
Exhibitors will range from farm-equipment makers like Caterpillar Inc. and Deere & Co., showing off multi-ton machines, to seed makers and financial-service companies.
Dow Agrosciences hasn't had much of a presence at the show in the past few years, but returns this year to display a new variety of herbicide-tolerant corn, said spokeswoman Kenda Resler-Friend.
The decision to return was "innovation driven," she said. Or, as Jungmann put it, "They've seen this as a great opportunity to shake hands with their customers."
But Dow and most of the other exhibitors won't know until much later, when sales come in, whether the show was worth the time and expense.
Jungmann said he expects over 100,000 people at the show, but that's now how he'll gauge its success.
How will he know?
"If the exhibitors tell me they had a good show, if the farmers are interested in their product," he said.
The show also is scheduled to include two appearances Wednesday by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns. Johanns is expected to talk about the new farm bill passed by the Senate and waiting for action in the House and about pending trade agreements.
On the Net:
Farm Progress Show: http://www.farmprogressshow.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Unions would be able to organize farm workers in California by collecting signed membership cards instead of holding an election with secret ballots under a bill sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Supporters said the change would deter intimidation by growers and could help boost the ranks of unions. In turn, farmers predicted it would have the opposite effect and allow coercion by union organizers.
Schwarzenegger has 30 days to consider the bill after the Senate agreed to technical Assembly amendments on a party-line, 23-14 vote Monday. He has not taken a position.
The United Farm Workers union has stopped trying to organize laborers while it waits to see if the bill becomes law, union president Arturo Rodriguez said.
The union sought the change after suffering a loss two years ago while trying to organize workers employed by one of the nation's top producers of table grapes.Associated Press
