Rural Lifestyle on Highway 6

Some Fun "Rural" Videos

We're fortunate to be able to travel the country for our clients and much of that travel has to do with shooting video.  Along with the "official" work we're doing we spend some time to do the "fun stuff".  Short side videos that reflect the people and the place we're at.  Thought you might like to see some.

A couple of years ago we were at the Farm Progress Show near Boone, Iowa.  We parked the vehicle, did our shoot and then...

 

We became very thankful to the folks on the go-carts patrolling the grounds who helped us search.

Back in 2010 members of the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association - Supply Section visited the Case/New Holland Headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin.  Here is a quick tour...

 

Pretty neat and thanks for making us all feel "at home".

Also in 2010 we made this video about Farm Crawl.  About a dozen small farms get together in early fall and provide over 1,200 visitors a glimpse of sustainable agriculture. 

  

Pretty neat idea and fits into the world of "agri-tourism".

Now, this is SHORT.  Here we are on a day when the temps hit 113...the actual temperature not "what it felt like".  We were on the Dossett Farm near McPherson, Kansas.

 

Remember there is no "fear" in McPherson.

On the same trip we then headed north to Cawker City, Kansas to the Remus Family Farm.  Here you'll see how we light and shoot and get a little back story about the family.

 

Did you catch that? "...walk over to that device."  Adam is learning...on every trip.

I'll share some additional pieces in the future.  Thanks for coming by!

On Twitter:  @RuralLifeRadio

Michael P. Libbie

 

 

 

 

 

 

Farming & Farm Service - Wisconsin

Our company does quite a bit of work in rural areas of the country.  Last week we were in Brownsville, WI on a film shoot.  Here are a couple of quick videos with some new friends, Teri Jacobson, Steve Guell, and Jim Kelroy.

Steve has a small dairy and beef herd.  It was a very windy and warm Tuesday afternoon when we made our stop with Jim Kelroy from Jacobson Farm Service.

  

Thanks Steve and take a break.   ;-)

Later in the day we spoke with Teri Jacobson about what it's like being a female in the male dominated business of farm supply stores.  She said:

 

Teri...you ROCK!  Thanks for the insight and for the great stories.  All the very best!

If you want to connect you can leave a comment here or join us on Twitter @RuralLifeRadio.  Thanks for coming by.

Farming & Technology

Our friend Jory Hunerdosse from Indianola, Iowa talks about how his world has changed when he received an iPad from his wife.

 

Technology and Farming...the times are changing...fast.

Meanwhile, it's trade show heaven for the nation's largest indoor farm show the National Farm Machinery Show based in Louisville, KY.  On one side we've got the technology and on the other folks still show up to kick tires.

If you would like to leave a comment here, feel free or join us on Twitter @RuralLilfeRadio.  Thanks for coming by.  

Of Food & Film

Two interesting stories to share with you.  In the first I had a meeting with the chairperson of the Iowa House Agricultural Committee, Annette Sweeney, who I took to task last year over the "Farm FIlming Bill" she authored.  In short it would have made it a felony to get a job at an Iowa Farm and then take secret video of the operation including animal agriculture.  Here is that post.  And, here is the post from  the Insight on Business News Hour.  (Sorry about the tin foil hat....)

My argument, which caused some in the ag community to doubt my judgement, was it was a bad bill that would give folks, who already have an agenda, to point to Iowa Agriculture and say, "See!  We told you they were doing horrible things and now they have put in place a law to cover up their crimes."  (I'm telling you...that would be the rally call.)  My proposal was to change the bill and make it a crime only IF the person filming what he/she considered to be abuse failed to, in a reasonable amount of time, turn the footage or photo over to law enforcement so they could follow up on the complaint.  After all, IF the point of the complaint is the protection and welfare of critters and humans shouldn't it run through the correct channels?

That's exactly what this bill now does.  Congratulations to Representative Sweeney for making those subtle changes.  Next?  (And, it was great catching up with you!)

Sustainable Local/Regional Farm Programs

I like this.  The Environmental Working Group for Agriculture recently posted this piece regarding the 2012 Farm Bill and, what they say, is a way to support small family farming operations that produce local/regional food.  It's worth a read and, judging from the overwhelming support "Buy Fresh/Buy Local" has had on consumers seems like a sound idea.  Your thoughts?

Thanks for coming by!  On Twitter it's @RuralLifeRadio or you can comment here. - Michael Libbie 

Iowa Power Farming - Three Minutes

The second largest indoor farm trade-show is going on at the Iowa Events Center.  I caught up with Andy Goodman the President/CEO of the Iowa/Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association and asked him what that means and what visitors to this event can expect to see.

 

Key word was: Technology.  Farming has come so far in just the past ten years.  If you're planning a trip to the 57th Iowa Power Farming Show you'll not be disappointed...and the weather is...fantastic!

Pickups Loaded With Cash...

This week the Iowa Power Farming Show will kick off it's 57th run in the city of DesMoines.  Thousands of producers, manufacturers and 4-H kids will flock to the Capitol City to see "what's new".  What's new for the show is that it is now the second largest indoor farm trade-show in the nation.  The largest is still the National Farm Machinery Show based in Louisville, KY.

Over the years my friends at the Iowa/Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association (INEDA) have guided this show (and it's twin based in Lincoln, NE) to new heights.  And it has been deliberate.  Four years ago, as we sat in Kansas City, my friend, Andy Goodman the President/CEO of INEDA told me his goal was to build a larger, bigger show, support a new downtown hotel and help move the renovation of Vets Auditorium...two down...one to go.  But there is more:

Agriculture is riding high.  Land prices in Iowa have set records, corn and soybeans prices continue to put cash in the pockets of farmers and rural manufacturing has seen the benefit.  This week, as thousands of pickup trucks rumble into the Capitol City, they are filled with cash.  But, for the most part, urban retail centers are not noticing.  They are unaware and that's too bad.  Think of the possibilities of attracting consumers with cash to spend.  Maybe next year...

Thanks for connecting.  If you would like to leave a comment here, feel free.  Or let's do this on Twitter @RuralLifeRadio. - If you are following the show use #IPFS12 so we can connect there too?  Thanks...again - Michael. 

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture - Bill Northey

Recently we did this video for Iowa's Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey as he invites members of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture from across the United States to the NASDA Annual Meeting to be held here in Des Moines this fall.

 

We just thought you would like to see.  For more about the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship here is that link.  For more about NASDA you can go here.

Thanks for coming by..

Is Less...Best?

A new, snappy campaign for our friends at Calcium Products rolled out the first week of November.  In a nutshell Calcium Products has been battling a quality issue for years.  The quality of their agricultural liming agent SuperCal 98G is far superior to most on the market and producers get confused when agronomists tell farmers they need to put tons of traditional ag-lime on their fields vs. just a few hundred poundsof SuperCal 98G.

The same goes with gypsum a great source of sulfur in the sulfate form.  Some companies out there have created a "synthetic gypsum" and they also recommend tons of product vs. a few hundred pounds of SuperCal SO4.  Why? Again it's about quality and purity.

So...When Less is Best was born.

The campaign starts out by suggesting that "more" is not always....better.  More traffic, more pancakes, more...cats.

It will be fun to watch and see if farmers include their own "When Less is Best" story.  We're proud to be part of the promotion effort and thought you might be interested in a fun campaign that can help farmers make a difference in their yields.

You can follow them on Twitter @WhenLessIsBest or here is their link to Facebook.  Maybe you've got a story to share?   When Less Is Best...

 

Family Farming - Southern Iowa

We're doing a major project for a client.  The project includes various stops across the country interviewing farmers and their equipment buying habits.  Along the way we take some FLIP Video of what we're doing.  Here's a short from our new friends Wayne and Jory Hunerdosse of Indianola, Iowa:

 

For folks that think all of Iowa is...flat.  Oh...and sorry, about that "Field of Dreams" scene.  We just couldn't help ourselves. Thanks for coming by... - Michael

Cattle, Cotton & Peanuts - Georgia

Last week we traveled to Moultre, Georgia home of the Sunbelt Expo...a month ahead  of the show... to film a producer and the dealership Lasseter Equipment.  It's all for a client of ours as we trek across the United States talking to farmers about their work and their equipment.

This trip found us at the Davis Farm in Doerun, a tiny community north of Moultre.  (You can click on the images to enlarge.)  Here Bart Davis, his wife Paula and three children farm over 4,000 acres of cattle, cotton, peanuts, hay and some corn.  Bart has an interesting story:  Grandson of a sharecropper, Bart's parents died six months apart when he was eighteen.  His inheritance was an old house and a several hundred acres of farm ground.  He married his high school sweetheart, Bart was twenty Paula was seventeen, and went to work...hard.

We were there on the day his brand new John Deere 7760 cotton picker was delivered.    Price tag:  $580,000.  Here's a quick video of our new friend and a little about what he does...

 

A couple of other pieces of information:  Bart tells us he doesn't take a vacation, "Why go away from what I love to do?" and he's concerned about things like the future generation: "We can't find competent people to work.  They won't listen, stay on the job...or sometimes even show up."  He knows about not paying attention too...recently an employee hit a tree with a sprayer arm, cost to repair: $25,000.

It was a great visit and thank you Bart for your friendship and your hard work.