As we wrap up the week and the month of August, we can?t help but breathe a sigh of relief after a long month. Between all the events we are a part of, it can drain you. The thing that keeps you going, though, is the camaraderie with fellow broadcasters, the people that you meet, and telling the story of agriculture in all its forms. The Farm Progress Show is one of those events that brings together all three aspects. It is a show that has grown and evolved over the decades.
Now for a chance to join another broadcaster, tell the story, and talk about being among the people.
Max Armstrong is an Ag reporter who needs no introduction. He?s a legend that many of us look up to, but best of all he is a true friend and mentor to all of us. The stories he tells us make us laugh and cry and appreciate the hard work of the agriculture industry. I caught up with him at the Farm Progress Show in Boone and he talked with us about the show?s beginnings.
He talked about the move to a summer show making it a real challenge to get the corn ready to harvest in time. That was the case with our late planting season. Max told us stories of the Farm Progress Shows of the past. Years where it was hot, years it was rained out, and the decision to move it to the permanent sites between Decatur, Illinois, and Boone, Iowa.
However, for Armstrong, it is always about the people he meets. The people he has gotten to know. He tells the story of a young man he met that was part of a family dairy operation out east, and now he is among the annals of American heroes.
Farmers come from all over the country and from all walks of life, but they share the same goals. That is to feed the American people and help feed the people of the entire world. It is nice to see that celebrated and remembered at events like the Farm Progress Show.
