Observations from a Commodity Classic First Time Attendee

Classic observations from a first timer

The 2013 Commodity Classic set attendance records last week, both for total attendance and first time attendees. There were over 1,000 first timers and one of them is a recently retired Indiana Farm Bureau district director and now a new member of the Indiana Soybean Alliance board of directors.

Kendall Culp from Jasper County gave the event high marks when HAT spoke with him Friday.

“So far it’s very positive. A great turnout of people here and I’ve seen people here from Jasper County that are farmers and have no other reason to come but to take in the activities and learn about what’s happening in technology in modern agriculture and the latest in all those innovations. I’ve always heard that if you want to come to a conference where you see active farmers, active producers, the Classic is what you want to come to and boy I can sure see that.”

Culp said there was good value in the learning center sessions and the general session when he got the chance to hear the story of each of the commodity group national presidents, corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum, and their vision for their organization.

“Then you come into the trade show and it’s really just overwhelming. This isn’t quite what the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville is, but it’s the next closest thing that I’ve seen to that. Of course that really focuses on machinery and equipment. This really is more technology and those technologies that you can apply, and practices that you can apply on your farm at home, so it’s really something very valuable.”

Now with the bulk of the winter meetings and conventions past us, it’s time to look toward planting, and Culp is excited about that.

“I think everybody is ready to put 2012 behind them and look to 2013. The drought certainly affected us in Jasper County, not nearly as bad is it did in some of the southern counties of Indiana, but you know farmers are optimists and we’re always looking toward the future and what a great industry right now to be involved with.”

Hear more thoughts from Kendall Culp in the full HAT interview:Kendall Culp at Commodity Classic

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