AGRICULTURE GETS LIMELIGHT IN 2-DAY EVENT

A high-ranking U.S. Agriculture Department official and an environmental manager for a major American corporation will be keynote speakers at a large farm industry show here Wednesday and Thursday.

Bruce Gardner, assistant U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for Economics, and Thomas J. Hoogheem, manager of Environmental Issues for Monsanto Agriculture Co. at St. Louis, will keynote the two-day "New Trends in Agriculture" program to be held at the Show Me Center on Southeast Missouri State University campus.

Gardner will discuss agriculture policy during the luncheon Wednesday, and Hoogheem will discuss major issues facing agricultural use of pesticides during the luncheon Thursday.

"New Trends in Agriculture," founded in 1988, is now one of the largest agriculture programs in the immediate area. Seminars on many aspects of farming are part of the program. More than 75 commercial exhibits will be included.

Youth activities are new on the program this year. They include livestock judging, hunting and farm safety, tractor driving for 4-H and FFA, and a toy tractor pull. Also new on the schedule this year is a comprehensive health fair that includes blood pressure checks, glaucoma examinations and other health tests.

Livestock seminars will be held Wednesday, starting at 9 a.m., with four sessions each on beef, dairy and swine, with discussions on management, feeding and marketing.

Crops will be featured Thursday, with sessions on alfalfa production, prescription fertilizer, conservation tillage and herbicide technology.

Awards for outstanding contributions to agriculture will be awarded during the two noon banquets.

Agri-Business award, presented Wednesday by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, for outstanding service to the agri-business community.

Stockman of the Year, presented Wednesday by the New Trends in Agriculture Committee.

Friends to Agriculture award, presented Thursday by the Chamber, for personal efforts toward improvement of agriculture.

Farmer of Year award, presented Thursday by Trends in Agriculture Committee.

The show is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.

The New Trends program was founded when three successful one-day programs were combined into the current, larger event. Those three programs were: New Trends in Crop Production, sponsored by the Missouri Extension Service and the Agronomy Committee; SEMO Cattlemen's Conference, sponsored by the SEMO Cattlemen's Association and Extension; and Annual Agriculture Appreciation Day and Banquet, sponsored by the Chamber and Agri-Business Committee.