By Brian Hefty
If you could go see 12 of the top-yielding (and most profitable) farmers in the country all in one day, that should be worth the trip, right? At the free Ag PhD Field Day on our farm near Baltic, South Dakota, not only will you get to see these farmers (4 corn yield champs, 4 soybean yield champs, and 4 in wheat), you will get to see their plots and hear them talk about what they’re doing in the field!
As a new feature to our field day this year, Darren and I will be competing against a group of top agronomists, as well as 4 of the top corn, soybean, and wheat yield champs from around the country. The way this works is we are all communicating daily with our head research person to tell him what needs to be done in our plots, but none of us knows what the other is doing. We will each find out the day before the Field Day, and we’ll each be speaking about our plots at the Field Day on July 30.
In addition to this activity, when you attend this year’s Field Day, Darren and I will take you through our plots to show you new technologies in seed, fertility, and crop protection. We will also have live, in-field demonstrations for you with planting, spraying, tiling, tillage, and hopefully harvest if the weather cooperates.
You’ll also have the opportunity to hear from great guest speakers on topics like drainage law, estate planning, UAVs, and other new technologies. Plus, you can learn how to pull your own soil samples and interpret them.
As a special treat, you’ll also hear from Hall of Fame coach Mike Ditka, legendary actor John Ratzenberger, and Monsanto’s Chief Technology Officer Dr. Robert Fraley.
We’ll have great food and many other activities for you and your family, and the best part is it’s all in one day on Thursday, July 30. You won’t want to miss it!