The Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association last week elected new officers and new members to its 16-person Board of Directors.

The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer landed at 135 in October, up three points from September. It represented the third-highest reading since data collection began in fall 2015.

A member of Canada’s NAFTA Advisory Council says it is time to be worried about the negotiations, which begin again this week.

The Association sends a big thanks to members celebrating milestone anniversaries in November and a special welcome to the companies just joining us.

Canada-based Brandt is talking with a taxing body in Central Illinois about the possibility of a tax abatement to move onto a site currently occupied by Kongskilde.

Firestone Ag recently announced winners in its “What Drives You?” social media contest. The contest was designed to celebrate hardworking farmers in conjunction with the tire makers’ Farm Hard campaign launched earlier this year.

More than 450 executives who represent the farm equipment supply chain gathered in Houston last week. Take a look at how we spent our time together.

Meet the New VP at Kondex

Is This the Silver Lining for a Struggling Agriculture Economy?

It’s Time to Think Flights,Schedules, and Fun! We’re inside the four-week mark now, which means if you haven’t yet, it’s time to think about booking your flight to Houston and planning how you’ll spend your time at the 2017 Marketing & Distribution Convention. We’re here to help you prepare.

When Farm Bill Debate Heats Up, These Elected Leaders Will Lead the Conversation

Part of a panel we’ve assembled to help manufacturers understand what drives decision-making when it comes to farm equipment.

In Talks of Tax Reform, Executives Make This Case for the Impact in Manufacturing

These companies have recently applied for membership. We look forward to getting to know you.

Advocates for Biofuels Call on Trump to Have ‘Their Back’ on This Measure. EPA consideration of “drastic, unprecedented changes” that threaten the U.S. biofuels industry.

This Member Company Recently Assumed 100% Ownership of an Operation in Brazil

Wearable Technology Good for Safety, Health, but it Poses These Regulatory Questions

An Ontario-Based Shortline Company is Expanding to Nebraska

See What North Dakota’s Attorney General Says About the State’s Face-Off Between Shortline Distribution, Dealer Purity –

. . . public interest would be served by allowing consumers to select the most appropriate product for their needs and reducing the distance a consumer has to travel in rural North Dakota to shop for the various products offered by farm equipment implement dealers.

This month we celebrate a member that has been part of the Association as long as the Association has existed. Its company name has undergone transition, but its commitment has been steadfast.

Vermeer acquired a minority interest in the Greenville, S.C. company in 2012.

“We are pleased to report meaningful improvement in our operational performance and profitability for the third quarter,”

Learn Who Will Succeed Art Fultz at Beall Manufacturing/CSI

Farmers Will Get More than $9.6 Billion Soon. Find Out Why.

See the Latest in Dealership Acquisitions, Consolidations

Meet the Two Men Assuming Key Positions in the USDA

Wisconsin Shortline Manufacturers Can Trust This Law Will Not Expire

What’s Behind the Commodity Slowdown Along the Mississippi River?

Meet the New Chair of the Board for the Equipment Dealers Association

Farmers Offer These Varying Opinions About the Ag Market Today and the Ag Market Tomorrow

​As they do virtually every year, member companies who manufacture rotary cutters and post hole diggers took part in farm safety events by delivering a safety message through a national magazine.

The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers has revised its adoption of ISO 5673-1:2005 for the general manufacturing and safety requirements for PTO drive shafts.

Association partner Sentry Insurance invites members to a safety training opportunity at its headquarters in Wisconsin. Principles of Safety Management is Tuesday to Thursday, Oct. 17 to 19, at the company’s home office in Stevens Point, Wis.

Ben Voss, an entrepreneur, long-time executive, grain farmer, and agricultural engineer, has succeeded Casey Davis as CEO. Voss joined the company as president in 2015. He will continue as both president and CEO.

As the workers compensation industry moves away from immediate medical imaging and surgery, it’s encouraging those who talk to injured workers to choose words with the potential to improve outcomes for patients with back injuries.

A low unemployment rate and an aging population have employers in Wisconsin scrambling to fill positions. “We are right at the brink of the crisis… There just aren’t enough human beings in Wisconsin with baby boomers retiring.”

Wind supplied just over 6 percent of the country’s electricity last year, and the industry employed close to 102,000 people—nearly double the number working in

After three consecutive years of decline, farm sector profits are forecast to increase in 2017. Net cash farm income for 2017 is forecast at

After a painful report for July, the Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index improved in August. The index, which ranges between 0 and 100, increased to 42.2 from 40.7 in July. The index considers

Hurricane Irma may have destroyed half of Florida’s $800 million citrus crop and 70 percent of ground crops. Overall losses to agriculture, which is the state’s second biggest industry, are estimated in the

Deere last week completed the acquisition of Blue River Technology for $305 million. California-based Blue River has designed technology for spraying equipment that

You’ve heard the famous line: “Houston, we have a problem.” Our optional NASA tour in Houston will see Historic Mission Control, where NASA monitored nine Gemini and all Apollo lunar missions.

Business leaders in the southern United States have put their disaster preparedness plans to the test in recent weeks. What they learned from their ordeals likely will be added to a body of information on how best to prepare and respond in such situations. They’ll be added to these thoughts from a business continuity pro who experienced Superstorm Sandy.

Whether this will be your first convention or your 50th, it’s good to review the definitions for the MarketPlace and Contact Session. They happen at the same time—next to one another.

A controversial rule that would have more than doubled the salary threshold for overtime pay was dealt its final blow in recent weeks. On August 31, the Texas court again struck down the rule, this time on merit.

The companies celebrating membership anniversaries this month represent more than two centuries of participation in the Association. We thank them—and each of you—for your years of commitment and the wealth of industry knowledge you share. We also welcome a new member applicant.

After years of stealing data for fraud and corporate espionage, hackers increasingly are trying a new way to profit from their digital break-ins: extortion.

A product from Worksaver, Inc. has been named one of the Contractor’s Top 50 New Products for 2017 by Equipment Today.

Talking with a member last week about our annual fall meeting I learned for him the most important convention moments often happened in the hallways during his casual conversations with colleagues.

He also said the meetings were more valuable to him when business was bad, because it was important to pick up ideas and try new things. In his words, when business was off, he worried he was missing something, and he came looking for it at meetings.

It is true of most of us that until we need something, we don’t know where we’ll go to get it. That is why executives so often tell us they didn’t know . . .