Doom and Gloom.

Yeah. It's that exciting. It's May 8th and we've seen such very little activity in the field - I'm starting to get depressed. Yeah... Really. It has been an interesting week, though, to say the least.

We started our new Early Morning Agriculture Program. It has presented some challenges but really opened the door for new things, too. We're working with Chip Nelliger a Market Advisor with Water Street Solutions with our closing grain analysis. Chip's been great! He has been a nice addition to our coverage of the agriculture world. Everything else just comes down two timing and getting comfortable in my own skin with a new program. It is nice to know - in a world where there has been a lessening emphasis on the agriculture industry - the company I work for has allowed room for growth. It made me laugh a little bit during the first show - I was nervous. I don't mean a few butterflies. I mean I was all in - feeling like I was going to get sick. It all worked out - things have been rolling along. We're having fun doing it, too.

On another note - one of the many "fun" things we get to do is our Rain Gauge Report. It's interesting to find out where it rained and how much rain fell across Central Illinois. However... I'm starting to get emails from listeners that are asking to turn it off for awhile. I was hoping for better news this morning - not so much. Guy - our weather guy (hehe) - said more scattered shows today... tonight... and then towards the backside of the weekend. Blah. Blah. Blah. I won't tell you the text message I received from a farmer friend of mine from a little North of here. It was rather vulgar - but funny and oh so true. Needless to say - we need some sunshine. For the fields... For the sanity of those wanting to get in the fields. Not to mention - I may be suffering from that SAD. Isn't that what it's called? I need some Vitamin D processed.

While I am blogging about grumpy things - I always find it amusing with people chastise things they don't know about or understand. Certain people were expressing their disgust about the use of social media - Twitter in particular. Said people were complaining about how people use Twitter to post everything they're doing at every minute of the day. I agree - some people do do that. However - there are people that use it to post interesting things - news stories - and discuss topics of importance. I think the world of agriculture is using Twitter to the best of its ability. From the #agchats to the topics that are discussed and posted on a daily basis - it allows for so many beneficial things. From the common person to obtain that connection to where the food they consume, to the people in the agriculture industry to see what is going on in places other than their general location and most importantly and instantaneous way to quickly (140 characters or less) open a door to education about the industry we all love and fight to protect.

I guess my point of saying all of this is - new technology provides a wonderful opportunity. If you embrace it, it can open up a whole new world of education, resources and opportunity to network. If you don't like it - don't use it... But don't berate or chastise those of us that do!

Here's to a sun-shine filled weekend... and a better mood on Monday!

We've got some catching up to do...

Why is it I can never remember my password when I attempt to log in and actually blog? Oh - that's right - it's because I rarely (even though I say I'm going to be better at it) sit down to write.

It's been one of those weeks. I love a plan. I love a man with the plan. I love to be the (wo)man with the plan. I have learned to roll with the punches, be flexible, relax (not really - but I try hard) ... I have learned to do all those things because I have to - not everything always goes the way I like it. This week has been a true testament to my patience. The weather has manipulated my plan. Today was the Woodford County Farm Bureau's Ag Extravaganza. It is one of the great things the Ag In The Classroom Program does for schools. All the fourth grade students from Woodford County converge on the Farm Bureau Park in Eureka to learn about the agriculture industry. They see animals, they learn about using GPS, they see equipment. All the things talked about by the Ag Literacy Coordinators are put in the visual form. It's a great event. It was started when I was in fourth grade (that was a really, really long time ago). We've attended and broadcast from there since I took this job three years ago. We missed today's. I was a little sad. There's always next year!

See - we were scheduled to kick off our BASF Planting Tour tomorrow in Mattoon for the Operation SAFE Fly-In. Because of the lingering and uncertain weather we decided to move it up a day to make sure we could kick off the Planting Tour in style. And that, we did. Today we were in a hanger - of the Coles County Airport learning about how agriculture aviators (crop dusters) test and calibrate their equipment. A string - some dye - and papers. I know I have probably over simplified it and made it sound antiquated - but it really isn't. After they collect the samples from the string and the pieces of paper - they run it through a lot of very technologically advanced equipment. If there are adjustments that need to be made to provide fore more efficient and effective release of product - they make the needed adjustments to the equipment and retest until they have it where they want it. Pretty cool? Crop dusters have been around since the 1920's and like everything else - technology has evolved to make them the most productive the possibly can.

It's all part of the growing process. Mike loved the planes. I loved the fact that we were able to do a remote outside and it wasn't raining and the weather was gorgeous. I know I'm not the only person hoping that this looming weather system misses us and our fields can continue to dry out. Surely - if it does - we'll start to see planters rolling in Central Illinois.

We're excited to team up with BASF this Spring for our 2009 Planting Tour. They're great people to work with and we're all waiting with anticipation to start our travels across Central Illinois.

Some other big news for the Ag Department (oh, that's me)... As of Monday we've expanded our commitment to the agriculture industry in Central Illinois. We launched our Early Mornings in Central Illinois Agriculture Program. Catch us 5:30 to 6:00 on Classic Country 1290 WIRL. It's been an adventure already this week... But it is well worth it.


To find out where we're headed next - visit http://ag.1290wirl.com or http://ag.1470wmbd.com There's a link to the BASF Planting Tour.

As always - you can follow us on Twitter, too...


We'll get it updated as weather permits ;-)....

Into Every Life...

A little rain much fall. And this Spring - again - has been no exception. Every year we follow how much rain listeners receive with our AgLand FS Rain Gauge report. This morning when I opened my email I have rainfall totals from all over Central Illinois and I honestly just let out a huge sigh. We're getting reports from 3/4 of an inch to over two inches over the weekend. Our ground is already so saturated - I wonder if it is ever going to end.

Then I look at the forecast... Possible rain showers today and tonight and tomorrow... BLECH! Friday on my way home I saw equipment moving... I got a little hopeful. Today - I have a feeling of blech. May 1st.. My goal to do our first planting tour stop is by May 1st. With the weather the way it is - I won't hold my breath...

Later this week looks nice though - mid 60's on Wednesday, mid 70's on Thursday and on Friday - 80.. 80? Seriously!? Honestly - I'd be happy with 75 and sunny every day... Is that too much to ask?

I suppose this is enough for now - I should get into the office and get real work done.

Are You Helping To Grow Your Soup?

Those that know me.. know I get excited about some of the silliest things. When I say silly - I don't mean childish silly - I just mean things that most people wouldn't normally get excited about. For example - I love "Double Cross" Mornings at the radio station. I love simplistic beautiful architecture. Like Martha Stewart, I too, love "Good Things" (that's the only thing I want to compare to Martha Stewart). I even like the Fine Young Cannibals song "Good Thing". So when I get excited about something, especially... Good Things I want to share it over and over and over again.

I'm sure you're wondering where this is going.... Today, on The Noon Show - I had John Faulkner who is the Director of Brand Communications with Campbell's Soup Company back to talk about their Help Grow Your Soup Campaign that they started last Fall. Today he talked about how successful the campaign was. Today... we also talked about their new campaign. It's still called Help Grow Your Soup but this time... Campbell's is teaming up with the National FFA Organization and Urban Farming to plant gardens in six urban areas across the United States. In addition - Campbell's is partnering with Partners in Active Learning Support (PALS), a mentoring program of the National FFA Organization, to help build agricultural learning greenhouses in schools.

So - yes.. I get excited for interesting things. I really, really get excited over companies wanting to educate consumers about where their products originate.

Ones last thing... If you go to http://helpgrowyoursoup.com/ and click on the grow button you can donate seeds to the greenhouse... through Campbell's. If you purchase a can of Campbell's Soup and enter the codes... You can get your own packet of Campbell's Seed to grow for yourself. These aren't any seeds... These are seeds that Campbell's uses to grow tomatoes for their soup... Pretty Cool, eh?

One last thing (I promise)... Here's a video that John sent me that talks about the campaign even more.




Enjoy... and Help Grow Your Soup!!! It's a Good Thing, Marther.

Mission: Blog.

I keep telling myself (and you) that I'm going to sit down and blog. I have so much to say - I'm just not sure if my thoughts are organized enough to put everything in writing. What's more - I'm a little scatter brained this morning.... I'm not sure if it is from the snow... Or the creepy voice mail that was on the phone in my office when I came into work this morning.

So here's what's been going on recently... The last time I wrote - I was getting ready to leave for Germany. I wrote on the 18th of March - before Germany. My goal was to blog from there about the trip... But I didn't succeed... So now.. I'm playing "catch-up". Hopefully I'll be able to post every day... That way I can give you multiple stories and pictures from Germany!

I'm going to break this down day by day in separate posts. This way - this isn't such a long post!

Day One "I'm Leaving On A JetPlane":

The day I left for Germany was the last day of National Agriculture Week. So my mom and I headed for breakfast at the Knights of Columbus Hall off of Radnor Road in Peoria to support the Peoria County Farm Bureau's Farmer Share of the Dollar Breakfast. It was pretty tasty and a great way to start off my trip! My mom dropped me off at the airport in Peoria and I started my journey. I landed in Chicago with an eight hour layover - and I used every minute of it! I ran into some fellow broadcasters, and participants of the trip. We loaded up for our flight and were on our way to Germany.


I had the most entertaining and one of the most interesting people I have ever met next to me on my flight. It made for some interesting conversation, to say the least. We landed in Germany around 8AM local time (that's about 2AM back home). We headed to he most amazing hotel to a little R&R and to tour the sites in Dusseldorf. Here are some photos from Day 1.

















Those are some photos from the tour of Dusseldorf. After our tour some of us grabbed some dinner (lunch to normal people) in the hotel and relaxed before our evening. I really, really love those trees!!!

I love food - that should be no secret. However - we had the most amazing food while we were in Germany. Our first night kicked it off right... Our dinner consisted of soup, the man course, dessert and bier! We went back to the hotel to get some rest because our first day of sessions in Monheim are going to be a busy one. And that's coming up next....

Before I sign off this morning - here are some photos from our dinner that first night...

P.S. Mission: Accomplished.

Where Do I Start?

I really am not quite sure where to start this... There's been so much going on lately. The last time I wrote I was in Grapevine, TX for Commodities Classic... I had a great week but it was tiring - as trade shows and meetings of that caliber are. I got home on Saturday - went to the wildest birthday party I have ever witnessed - and then left at 5 o'clock the next morning for a week long trip to Washington, D.C. for my Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program. Now that trip was AMAZING. You can read more about that rip by clicking HERE

We arrived back in Chicago around 3 o'clock that day... When I turned my phone on - I had a message regarding an opportunity to travel to Germany with Bayer CropScience and extension personnel from around the United States... After the decision was made that I could go - the real challenges began.

*Side Note* When I was accepted to the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program last August I had a very silly (at the time) conversation with my mom... It went something like this:

MOM - "Meghan - you better get your passport now so you have it "just in case".

MEGHAN - "Nah, I have two years.. I'm not planning any big trips any time soon."

MOM - "But, Meghan.... You never know."

MEGHAN - "Okay. I'll think about it."

Guess what... I didn't get my passport. Whoops.

So last Thursday I had a meeting in the 'burbs. I figured... Ahh... I'll make an appointment at the Kluczynski Building... It'll take a few hours and I'll head to my meeting... I arrived at the Kluczynski Building at 10am... 5 hours later... Mission accomplished. I was told my passport would be processed on Friday and shipped no later than Monday - in my hands by Tuesday. I was urged to call the Travel Agency's 800 number to monitor the progress of my passport... I did... and I also have the FedEx Tracking number memorized because I have put it so many times over the last five days. So anyway.. back to my story... I call the passport number on Friday - wait on hold FOREVER - and they tell me it hasn't even been looked at yet and to call back later that day... So I did - still nothing.

Monday came and I was still in the same bind. They had at least started the process. A friend of mine (Tom B) suggested that I call my Congressman's office. So I start at the office in Washington, D.C. I spoke to two interns in Congressman Schock's office. Neither one of them could get my story correct let alone understand what I was referring to with problems obtaining my expedited passport. My favorite line "So, um, like you lost your passport while you were here in Washington last week.". *sigh* No... So - I called the Peoria office, District 18 headquarters... And they are my new favorite people in the world. Tiffany from Representative Schock's Peoria office is truly was a Godsend. She got to the bottom of the passport issue and it was processed on Monday and printed on Tuesday and should be here by 10:30 this morning. At least that's what the FedEx website said. Not only did she call once.. She called to follow up again and again. And everytime she followed up - she let me know what was going on with the passport. She definitely went above and beyond what she had to do and I most certainly appreiciate it.

I truly feel sorry for the people at the 800 number - I think I was calling three to four times a day. So Sorry! But the issue is resolved and the passport is in Bartonville waiting to be brought to me at the station. Woohoo!


This morning - on my way into work.. I stopped by the gas station to get a Diet Coke... I stop at the same place every morning... Same time.. Same routine. This morning I left and was headed to the McCluggage Bridge and in the middle of the road was a pack or herd or whatever you want to call it of seven or eight deer. I decided to go "dowling" or "deer-bowling". I took out three - in one swipe. Luckily - I'm fine... My car is fine. The deer kind of rolled up gave me a little wink and a smile and ran off. Apparently they think "no harm, no foul". I was a little pissed... But that's okay. I"m sure I'll survive.

I'm hoping that I'll be able to blog from Germany fairly easily. That way I can keep you abreast as to what's happening.

And hopefully - Things will relax a little bit today.. I am not sure if I can take much more of this!

~M

Genuity...

So you may wonder what exactly Genuity is - but Monsanto just gave us the details.

"Genuity is the family of traits that enables farmers to so what they do best, even better.". We're at Monsanto's new product announcement and they're trying to unite producers with the technologies they embrace. The three key terms are Unite, Simplify and Differential.

Dion McBay who is a member of the Monsanto family said when producers helped to make the choice of the branding - McBay said farmers identified "Genuity" they saw "genuine". McBay elaborated and said they're trying to keep things more simple.

You can expect to see "Genuity" in your product line up starting in 2010 Genuity SmartStax (pending regulatory approval).


We'll have more details as the week goes on... This is "their next step forward towards the future of technology." Here's a quick look at what the Genuity lable may look like going forward....