A Drive Through the Country
Yesterday was the coldest morning of the winter season. So naturally, I spent a large part of it on the road.
The reason was a trip to Sheffield in Franklin County for the Iowa Soybean Association’s first “Innovation to Profit” event of the winter season. They hold one in each of the four quarters of the state.
Never mind that the air temperature dropped to more than 20 degrees below zero in that part of the world, the meeting was still full of farmers looking to learn. You’ll hear interviews I recorded at that event over the next week or so on KXEL.
And I couldn’t go to Sheffield without stopping at the headquarters of Sukup Manufacturing, a global leader in production of bins, dryers, etc. I got a nice tour of the manufacturing facilities with their impressive integration of robots and humans operating at maximum efficiency. And I was told that while they were working more than 40 hours per week now, those work days would be extended soon because business is so good.
As I drove over, through the rural areas of Butler and Franklin counties, the new cover of snow—long awaited in most areas—fit the scene perfectly. As the best farm ground on earth rests before another cycle of feeding the world begins soon, that blanket of snow seems appropriate. And probably a good thing too, so that farmers eager to try out what they learn at events like Innovation to Profit don’t get out there too soon.
Same with the Hawkeye Farm Show next week. I always look forward to the three days we spent at the site, because it’s another chance for folks to gather, learn, shop, and share before spring arrives. And in normal Iowa custom, the difference between the low temperature yesterday and the forecast high just one week later is more than 60 degrees.
Another reason to love living here, even when those of us who tell you to be careful hop into our own vehicles for a drive through the country.
