Pearl Snaps

Stories of a cowgirl living life by her own lights

Tag Archives: Ryan Goodman


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HayTalk goes to the National Farm Machinery Show

by Jesse Bussard

I don’t think I’ve ever seen that much farm equipment crammed under one roof. I also don’t think I’ve ever seen Ryan Goodman quite so overwhelmed by a large crowd. This past Saturday, Ryan and I took a trip to Lousiville, KY for the 47th National Farm Machinery

The HayTalk Crew - Me, Ryan Goodman, and James Brown

Show (NFMS). This was my second time there and Ryan’s first (hence, the feeling overwhelmed).  The NFMS is the nation’s largest indoor farm show and is held annually at the Kentucky Exposition Center.  This event is also home to the nation’s Championship Tractor Pulls where some of the best pullers across the country too see who’s rigs have the most torque and horsepower.

In addition to touring the show, we were also there to promote the HayTalk.com website and our bi-monthly Twitter #HayTalk chat. This was the first chance I’d had to meet up with the co-founder of the #HayTalk chat, James Brown a.k.a. @hoosierhayfarm on Twitter.  It was good to finally put a face to the name and talk to one of the collaborators Ryan and I’ve been working with so closely to grow #HayTalk chat.

Throughout our time at the NFMS we saw an assortment of the latest and greatest in farm equipment, including an impressive RealTree camo combine and a Dekalb themed chopper motorcycle. Below is a slideshow of some of the equipment we saw:

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The event covered over 1.2 million square feet with over 850 agricultural displays and exhibits. If it wasn’t for Ryan’s sense of direction in that maze I fear I’d of ended up walking in circles all day! Luckily this year the NFMS featured a downloadable app from Farm Industry News for smartphones and tablets that made navigating the large expanse of the Expo Center a little easier.

We had the chance to talk to people from many different agricultural companies including seed and chemical, planting technology, milking equipment, and livestock feeds.  Overall the show was a great experience and I highly recommend checking it out if you’ve never been! You’ll see some amazing examples of the variety of farm equipment that farmers and ranchers use to produce the food, fuel, and fiber to keep our country going and get to meet people from across the nation.

Also be sure to check out Ryan’s post about the trip and see some more photos of equipment.


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Thankful for Agriculture

One of the 2 gardens my mom plants every year

by Jesse Bussard

Ryan Goodman (AgricultureProud.com) is at it again with his blog prompt ideas.  This time the subject is, “Why are you thankful for agriculture?”  I’d say that’s a fairly easy question to answer.  I eat, therefore I NEED agriculture to exist.  Without it, you and I are both history.  Agriculture is responsible for producing the food that most of us take for granted everyday.  Without it, our society would not be able to flourish at it’s current population levels and we’d all be spending a lot more time hunting and gathering than what we do now.  Because of agriculture, I can go to graduate school and pursue other interests that I have without having to worry where my next meal is going to come from.

Grandpa Bussard's Angus cowherd

But my thankfulness for agriculture goes deeper than that.  You see, agriculture is one of the several things that I am most passionate about.  Next to God and my family, it’s near and dear to my heart.  I grew up in a farming family.  All of my grandparents were farmers.  My father is a logger; my mother the farmer’s daughter.  Growing up some of my favorite memories were of baling hay in the summer time and spending the afternoon with my grandma checking Grandpa’s Angus cowherd.  I owe a lot to these people and the others I’ve encountered in agriculture that have had significant impacts on my life.  Agriculture drives and inspires me.  If you’ve ever heard me call myself an #agnerd, maybe now you understand why.

Because of this great community that makes up US agriculture, we as Americans can wake up everyday and pursue interests, careers, and desires that many in other parts of the world may never get the chance to do.  I hope that you’ll take a moment to give #foodthanks for all the important people (farmers, ranchers, food processors, retailers, truck drivers, etc.)  that get the food from the gate to your plate everyday.

Why are you Thankful for Agriculture? Leave your comments below or use the idea as a blog prompt. Also, check out the #foodthanks Twitter feed during the holidays.


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I am Ag-Thankful

by Jesse Bussard

Over a year ago I wrote a guest post for Ryan Goodman’s blog, Agriculture Proud.  This was back before I had even ever thought about starting my own blog.  At the time I was just happy to share with others about why I am Ag-Thankful.  I thought it only fitting that as we are in the month of Thanksgiving that I share this post again.  

I’m ag-thankful for many reasons. Growing up my family was always involved in agriculture. I’m thankful that as a kid I got to spend the summers at my grandparent’s farm helping take care of the cattle and with the farm work. My grandfather, a farmer his whole life, taught me more about responsibility and hard work than I could ever learn from a text-book. When I think about it now, my constant involvement in agriculture either through family or friends was the main driver in my decision to pursue a career in the agricultural industry. I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. I’m happiest on the farm and I’m thankful that I’ve always had the opportunity to do what makes me happiest.

I’m thankful that I’ve never had to worry about having food on my table. My family has always raised our own beef cattle and every summer we have two large gardens. My mother canned vegetables from the garden and every year we butchered a steer for freezer beef. To this day, I can go home and know where every bit of food on our table comes from.

Coming to college, my interest in agriculture expanded and I’ve become aware of many issues confronting our industry. It’s made me thankful that I was able to be brought up with the knowledge of how and where my food is produced. I’m also thankful I’ve had the opportunity to go many places and meet many people who have been influential in my life by choosing agriculture as my chosen field of study.

Being a part of agriculture is more than just a job, it’s a responsibility to humanity. Without agriculture our world would not have been able to develop to the level it has today. Through both the hard-working ethic of the agricultural community and scientific innovations we have enabled human civilization to expand and develop into the amazing society we are today with countless opportunities available to each and every one of us. I’m thankful to know that by being involved in the agricultural industry I am helping to make this a possibility. I take this responsibility seriously and strive to do my best each and every day to inform people about current issues in our industry and tell my story.

There are a countless number of reasons I could give you for why I am ag-thankful, these were just a few. It would take me forever to tell you each and every one. I hope that by sharing these reasons I have helped you to feel a little more ag-thankful as well.

I leave you with a few photos of things I’m thankful for in my farm life.  Thanks for the opportunity to share my thoughts and I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving.

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