Janice's nephew tries out a cotton picker for size in 2002. He’s grow a lot since then in both size & awareness in agriculture.
This past weekend was the big farm show here in my backyard, Memphis, TN. This one is usually abbreviated as the Gin Show though and that tends to get unique looks or comments from folks. And next month there’s a gin show in Texas. And yes, with my sense of humor, I’ve been known to joke about being on point for the limes (far easier to carry in a backpack than tonic would be!) But I love that shows like this one give me a chance to talk to my non-farm connected friends and family about agriculture.
So what is a gin show? It’s a cotton thing. And yes, it relates to the cotton gin, not the alcohol.
They’re Planting Biotech What?? Where??
February 26, 2010
Cotton farmers in Africa inspect their crop. In Burkina Faso, a country in West Africa, biotech cotton increased from 8,500 hectares to 115,000 hectares.
This week’s ISAAA report is at first glance, not surprising: yes, the “how much?” question is always the lead, and as in other years, the report says more and more farmers around the world are planting biotech crops.*
But more interesting to me, are the answers to the “where?” and “what?” questions. As in, where are farmers planting biotech crops and what are they planting? Reviewing the list, I see countries that I haven’t seen before as well as new products that I haven’t heard of (blue roses anyone?). Here’s some tidbits that caught my eye. Also, I should note that Monsanto is a sponsor of ISAAA. Read the rest of this entry »
How the FFA has Impacted Monsanto Employees
February 24, 2010
Elizabeth McKillip, daughter of Monsanto employee Brian McKillip, is raising her lamb, Speckles, for an FFA competition later this summer. Elizabeth is a current member of the Muscatine FFA Chapter, and Brian is an alum of the same chapter.
National FFA Week is upon us, and it’s a great time to celebrate the contributions that past members have made and current students are making. At Monsanto, we have hundreds of employees who are FFA alumni. This week, I spoke with four Monsanto employees about their FFA experiences and how the organization has had a lasting impact on their lives and careers.
Michele Grevie, who works at Monsanto’s Woodland facility and is an alumna of the Woodland High School FFA Chapter in Woodland, Calif., said she got involved in FFA because of her family’s ag background.
Blue Jacket Pride
February 19, 2010
Monsanto Senior Scientist Dannette Ward with members of the Clyde C. Miller Academy FFA Chapter.
Who knew the FFA was so cool? I certainly didn’t, growing up in suburban St. Louis where my high school had 1,500 kids but no FFA chapter (or any agricultural education, for that matter). I didn’t even know that farming—or agriculture—was a career option.
But now, agriculture is hot because of a renewed interest in where, how, and by whom food is produced. This week’s USA Today reports on urban FFA chapters. According to the National FFA Organization, 34% of their members live in urban or suburban areas. The story profiles an urban St. Louis FFA chapter at the Clyde C. Miller Career Academy (CCMA). Monsanto’s own Dannette Ward works with the chapter.
The blue jackets worn by FFA students are familiar at Monsanto since a number of our employees are former FFA members, as well as several members of our leadership teams. But me? Well, I never had a blue jacket, and darn it, I’m a bit jealous.
Farmers Giving the Consumers What They Want: A Healthy Heart
February 15, 2010
In 2009 there was a lot of buzz around trans-fat free foods when places like New York City passed regulations that pushed the use of healthier oils. It may be hard to imagine, but that decision affected farmers like John Buck, who farms in Ohio in the small town of New Bloomington. Although trans-fat foods may be the rage in big cities, it is on farms that the healthier products start.
