Three days and counting until I leave for Iowa, and I’m more intrigued than ever about what to expect when I arrive. The buzz is palpable here in the St. Louis office; people keep telling me that the Farm Progress show is the “Detroit auto show of agriculture.”
Since I’ve never been to Detroit, I’m still not sure what to expect. But I can respect the metaphor.
I’ve been hearing about experimental plots, new technology demonstrations and the amount of not only domestic but international excitement about this year’s show. Apparently, more than 1,500 international farmers are expected to attend.
I think the most interesting thing to experience will be the Monsanto Technology Showcase and sustainability initiative. Along with Farm Progress, sustainability is a major issue being talked about at Monsanto lately. A big part of this year’s plot at the show is to focus on how each crop is part of our Sustainable Yield Initiative, which says Monsanto will double crop yield by 2030, reduce by one-third by 2030 the amount of resources needed to grow crops and improve farmers’ lives.
These are ambitious goals for any agricultural company to achieve. But, in my limited experience with agriculture, I’ve never come across another company that’s more dedicated to making these goals a reality. I can’t wait to see it first-hand, in the field with growers and producers.
And I want to know how those growers and producers see our technology—both how it can help sustainability and how it can improve each individual grower’s life.
Though it’s not Detroit and I’m sure there will be more combines than new cars, this show is progressively growing on me—and I’m not even there yet.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
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3 comments:
I love this Emily, it looks great. I am equally excited...did that sound convincing? No seriously, this is really a great way to learn about the Monsanto business, our products and most importantly, an opportunity to speak with our customers.
See you in Iowa.
Hi, Emily! I went to Farm Progress last year (just as an attendee, not someone with a job in Monsanto's exhibit), and had a blast. Since I've got some farm background, I could perhaps appreciate some of the stuff better than an outsider.
I won't be going this year, since it's farther away (hard to do as a one-day trip); so I'll be enjoying it viacriously through your blog, I guess!
I put together a slide show to share my experience last year with my teammates; you can look at it, if you want, at
\\finch\cpi_dmgt\$team\public\FarmProgress.ppt
If you do, be sure to read the slide notes; they explain what each picture is showing.
Emily -- I'm reading this from Amsterdam -- keep up the good work -- can't wait to see your posts.
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