I've been in ag journalism for some time now and can easily point out several highlights during the years. But none would quite match the experience I recently had at the National Farm Machinery Show. It's the largest indoor machinery show in the U.S. and it's energizing as well as exhausting to attend.
While at the show, I had the good fortune to help hand over the keys to a brand spanking new combine and tractor to the winners of our magazine's MarketMaxx contest. It was rush to assist our sponsor, Massey Ferguson, in giving the two winners of the corn and soybean divisions keys for a year's use of the equipment.
Now really, can you imagine handing two young, aggressive farmers the keys to a free, high-horsepower tractor and combine? I wonder if this is how Alex Trebek feels when he hands over cash to winners on Jeopardy?
I couldn't be happier to be part of a special project like MarketMaxx that rewards winners with such valuable prizes. But best of all, the MarketMaxx program is an educational tool to help you practice your marketing skills without losing any of your own hard-earned cash.
For a closer look at how Seth Taylor and Marcus Spotts became overall winners, see “Hand Over The Keys” on page 11.
Year two of MarketMaxx is currently underway and so far more than 4,400 players are trading futures and options in the fantasy grain game. You can register and begin playing now, too. It's fun, free and educational.
Just log on to www.MarketMaxx.net and sign up in the upper left hand corner. Besides being able to win a tractor and combine from Massey Ferguson, you could also win a computer system from Syngenta, rugged mobile computers from Grayhill Custom Mobile Solutions or a high-speed satellite Internet service package from Agristar Global Networks.
The game is up and running now and concludes this fall. Players who obtain the highest average selling price for their fictitious 100,000 bu. of corn and 50,000 bu. of soybeans by Oct. 31 will be named winners.
Just log on to www.MarketMaxx.net and begin playing.
EDITOR
greg.lamp@penton.com
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