Saturday at Memphis — Energy impact on agriculture feature of Gin Show seminar
Feb 29, 2008 11:20 AM
The broad impact of energy on agriculture will be the focus of a special seminar Saturday at the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show at the Memphis Cook Convention Center.
A FAMILY AFFAIR - There's much to see and do for the entire family at the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show.
“Energy: Changing Agriculture and Its Future,” to be held at 1 p.m. in the Steamboat Room on the mezzanine level, will be a highlight the informational seminars offered this year to those attending the event sponsored by the Southern Cotton Ginners Association and Foundation.
“Energy is changing everything,” says Tim Price, SCGA executive vice president and show manager. “It affects the crops we grow and is changing our future through increased demand for bio-based energy products.
“This seminar will address both areas and provide farmers crucial information on how to respond.”
Speakers for the special session include H.W. “Kip” Butts, who is senior analyst for Informa Economics and a member of the firm’s Energy Services, conducting analyses for energy products.
Also on the program will be Tommy Foltz, president of Foltz Company. He is a 15-year veteran of the alternative energy industry with experience at the U.S. Department of Energy; Clean Fuels Strategies; Blue Energy & Technologies Company; and the Texas Campaign for Clean Transportation.
Other speakers representing industry, government and other energy sectors have been invited to participate, Price says.
At the Saturday morning Ag Update Session at 8:30 in the convention center lobby auditorium, Richard Brock, Brock & Associates, will provide his unique insight and grain marketing advice, as well as information on the economy and political landscape.
Brock, one of the nation’s leading markets analysts, has been a feature of the show for several years and draws standing-room-only crowds.
Also a top draw for visitors to the 56th annual show, which features more than 400 exhibitors from 48 states and five foreign countries, are the two new cotton harvesters with on-board module builders from Case IH and John Deere.
“We’re pleased to be able to offer farmers the opportunity to see these innovative new machines on display for the first time under one roof,“ Price says. “It’s exciting to be able to showcase these revolutionary machines and offer farmers a first look at cutting-edge technology that can help them meet the challenges of tomorrow.”
The Mid-South’s largest indoor farm event, co-sponsored by Delta Farm Press, includes farm equipment manufacturers, specialized services, the latest in seed varieties, and new technologies in precision farming software and services.
Exhibit hours for the show are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Visitors to the exhibit areas are eligible for prizes to be awarded each afternoon, including $4,000 in attendance prizes awarded daily.
