Conference Photos
Here's a sample of the week's speakers and activities:
landscape photos
Sheraton Music City, Nashville
Beautiful lobby
NFRBMEA Pre-conference Board Meeting
NFRBMEA Pre-conference Board Meeting
Sunday evening Dessert Reception
Listening to Lisa Shaffer's performance
Bob McHugh, representing Pc Mars at Nashville, talking with George Moriarty.
Todd Hall, Ag Connections, Murray, KY
Stacy Davis (L) visits with a conference attendee in Nashville
Matt Neal, Farm Credit Services
Vance Cook, attorney, spoke on Estate Tax Planning for Farmers
Farm Financial Standards Council display
Jimmy Armistad (L) of ProAg talks with Bart Peters
Josh Vrieze (L) and Ty Goodrich of TASC
Barry Rager(L), Josh Arnall (C), and Timothy Greer (R) visit with NFRBMEA president-elect Jay D. Olsen.
Monday Session
The IABME participants dined at the Hard Rock Cafe Monday night (Photo: Rodney Armstrong)
Tour 1: Tobacco Barn (Photo: Jim McCuistion)
Tour 1: Tour Participants gather outside a tobacco barn (Photo: Rodney Armstrong)
Tobacco grower (Photo: Rodney Armstrong)
Tour 1: A Field of Tobacco (Photo: Jim McCuistion)
Tour 1: Tobacco Plant (Photo: Jim McCuistion)
Tour 1: L to R, Jesse Schwanke, Jim McCuistion and Mike Schmitz (Photo: Jay M. Olson)
Tour 2: Tennessee Farmers Co-op (Photo: Mary Kurtz)
Tour 2: Feed bags getting ready to be filled (Photo: Mary Kurtz)
Tour 2: Filled bags of dairy feed (Photo: Mary Kurtz)
Tour 2: Tennessee Farmers Co-op (Photo: Mary Kurtz)
Tour 3: Fort Negley Visitor Center
Tour 3: The opening guns of the Battle of Nashville (Dec. 15-16, 1864) were fired from Ft. Negely, which was never directly attacked during the war.
Tour 3: Display at the Ft. Negely Visitors Center. The fort was named for U.S. Gen. James S. Negley, who was briefly stationed there in 1862.
Tour 4: Hatcher Family Dairy Store (Photo: Tom & Elaine Weygandt)
Tour 4: Hatcher Family Dairy (Photo: Tom & Elaine Weygandt)
Tour 4: Elaine Weygandt making friends with some of the girls (Photo: Tom Weygandt)
Tour 4: Lucy Hatcher explaining the Hatcher Dairy operation including processing, direct marketing, grazing, etc... (Photo: Tom & Elaine Weygandt)
After the tours, we had a picnic lunch in the park.
Good timing! Shortly after we got to the shelters, it started raining.
Tuesday Picnic
Jim Kelm listens as Wayne Pike gives the group a Minnesota quiz and tells about the Bloomington, MN area, our 2012 Conference destination.
Mark Holkup, Bismarck, ND, presents at the Experience Exchange
NFRBMEA Annual Business Meeting
John Sponaugle, Boonville, MO (L) presents the Distinguished Service Award to Norm Rohrbach, Columbia, MO
Greg Tullis (L) receives his Distinguished Service Award from Rick Morgan. They are colleagues in Moorhead, MN
Deb Pike was surprised and touched to receive her "very own" DSA from Ira Beckman
Gary Thome, Doug Wertish, Gene Kuntz and Barry Kurtz, all Minnesota instructors, at Wednesday's session.
Precision Ag Panel: (L-R) Dr. Shockley, Dr. Stombaugh, Robert Eckman and Joe Nichols.
Bart Peters (R) introduces farmer Joe Nichols.
Evan Conrad, Kentucky Farm Business Management
Jay M. Olson, Rick Morgan and Deb Pike discussing the rainy weather.
Because of the rain, our evening event at Nashville Shores was cancelled. An impromptu Pizza party and movie was held at the Sheraton instead.
Thursday started with the Denny Jackson Storytelling Breakfast.
John Sponaugle explains how Missouri Synod Lutherans change a light bulb.
Vangie Olson tells this year's prize-winning story.
Post-conference Board Meeting, L-R: Ira Beckman, NFRBMEA Rep on The National Council; Myron Oftedahl, Treasurer; Doug Wertish, President Elect; and Wayne Pike 2012 Conference Planner.
Post-conference Board Meeting, L-R: Jim McCuistion, Secretary; Jim Kelm, 2012 Conference Planner; Al Graner, Past President; Jay D. Olsen, President; and Tom Weygandt, IABME Director.
portrait photos
Our 2011 Conference Venue
During their stay, many families chose to spend a little time in the pool with its pretty courtyard.
Evan Conrad introduces our Sunday Social Entertainer (photos removed at entertainer's request)
Rick Costin, University of Kentucky
Dr. Michael Boehlje, Purdue University
Scott Laine (R) of Farm Works
Tim Dodd, Tennessee Farm Bureau spoke on Estate Tax Legislation and Current Policy
William R. Klump, CPA
Tour 2: Bags of poultry feed being tagged (Photo: Mary Kurtz)
Tour 3: The Nissan plant in Smyrna, TN was an amazing tour. It was very interesting to see the production process.
Tour 4: Chanel, a Brown Swiss (Photo: Tom Weygandt)
Tuesday Picnic
Greg Kalinoski, Thief River Falls, MN, presents at the Experience Exchange
IABME Director Tom Weygandt, Wooster, OH, gives his report
Past President Wayne Pike (L) receives his Retiring Officer Plaque from President Al Graner
Dr. Tim Stombaugh, University of Kentucky Ag Engineer
Robert Eckman, Capstan sales rep
Dr. Jordan Shockley, UKY Ag Economist
Jeff Nalley, Farm Director, The Cromwell Ag Network
Carl Chaney, Chaney's Dairy Barn, Bowling Green, KY
Doug Hileman, Illinois Farm Business Farm Management, reports on IRS audits
Adam Kestner, Illinois Farm Business Farm Management reports on IRS audits
Laura Powers, University of Kentucky, talked about Immigration and H2As
Hal Pepper, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture, talked about Value-Added Farming
Host Pat Harrington listens as Anthony Barrett tells his story.
Gene Kuntz explains a real-life tale of travel woe.
Craig Infanger, University of Kentucky, spoke on Economic Policy and Agriculture.
Around Nashville & Spouse Tour Photos
landscape photos
Exploring Nashville ...
“You say to-may-to, I say to-mah-to ...”. In Missouri they say “shut” instead of “closed”. (Photo: Ginny Morgan)
Carriage rides around Nashville were an option, day or night. (Photo: Ginny Morgan)
Beautiful shot of the General Jackson in the Park (Photo: Jay M. Olson)
On Tuesday evening, many in our group attended the Grand Ole Opry at Opryland.
The AT&T Building
Nashville's Downtown District
Just one of the many interesting restaurant and regional cuisine choices in the District. (Photo: Ginny Morgan)
Inside Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville.
Myron Oftedahl and the Pikes enjoying some of Nashville's night life, along with Ira Beckman and the Morgans... on the other side of the camera lens. (Photo: Ginny Morgan)
This is a pedal bar, which appeared to be most popular with young women. We saw several “pour” off at the end of their ride.
The “General Lee” car was parked below the Morgans' balcony at the Sheraton. Anybody see Bo & Luke Duke? (Photo: Ginny Morgan)
On Monday morning, the spouses toured Belle Meade Plantation, a 30-acre historic site. At one time, this farm covered 5400 acres.
Our group gathers to begin the tour.
The Winery at Belle Meade Plantation. L-R, Barbara Ruff (in background) and Nadine Torgerson.
Following our tour, we dined at their restaurant
Magnolia Tree
“... my little magnolia blossom ...”
portrait photos
Nashville Skyline (Photo: Jay M. Olson)
It's Elvis!
“The King” was everywhere! Here he is with Vangie Olson. (Photo: Jay M. Olson)
Front (L to R): Wayne Pike, Barbara Baumann & Ginny Morgan Back: Horse
He looked more like Elvis from the back than the front.
The RCA Victor Dog was spotted in a store window.
The District is a bustling place, with lots of neon and music everywhere.
We had wonderful tour guides who really brought the story of Belle Meade and its residents to life. Note the bullet holes in the pillar above our guide.
Recent Kentucky Derby winners & racing legends can trace their bloodlines back to Belle Meade.
Some people just know how to accessorize!