• By Carroll Smith,
Editor •
The 69th annual Mid-South Farm and Gin Show is rolling out an interactive virtual show site this year to replace its physical event Feb. 26-27 typically held at the Renasant Convention Center — formerly the Cook Convention Center, 255 North Main, Memphis, Tennessee.
To register, go to farmandginshow.com. You will be given a badge identification number, which will provide access to the virtual show site, which goes live Feb. 26.
“The site, which debuts in 2021, is being developed as a continuing component of the in-person Mid-South Farm and Gin Show for the future,” says Tim Price, show manager and Southern Cotton Ginners Association executive vice president.
“It will become a valuable addition to the in-person show, extending exhibitor presence and interaction with attendees. Exhibits, exhibitor pages and seminars from the 2021 Mid-South Farm and Gin Show will be available for registered attendees to log in and view on-demand at the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show virtual show site.”
The interactive website features:
• Content that will be livestreamed during the Friday and Saturday sessions — ag outlooks and seminars and any other special sessions.
• Live question-and-answer sessions and chat space for people to post about relevant topics.
• On-demand recordings of all seminars.
• Separate pages for each exhibitor.
• The site will be available for one year following the show.
As the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show draws near, visit farmandginshow.com or southerncottonginners.org for the latest information pertaining to the Southern Cotton Ginners Association and Foundation Annual Meetings.
Friday Kickoff
The 2021 show officially begins at 8:30 a.m., Friday, with the Ag Update Meeting. Brad Williams, Burlison Gin, will preside. The National Cotton Council chairman will discuss cotton issues; and Joe Nicosia, trading operations officer and executive vice president, Louis Dreyfus Co., will present an outlook for U.S. and world cotton.
Beginning at 11 a.m., Friday, AgLaunch is bringing its Startup Station back to the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show for a fourth time. The station serves as the culmination of Phase II of the AgLaunch365 programming, a farm-centric model that supports ag tech companies with real-world solutions addressing on-farm issues by connecting them to farmers.
A special educational seminar starts at 1:30 p.m. Check the official show program for more details.
Other Educational Opportunities
The show resumes Saturday at 8:30 a.m. with another Ag Update Meeting. It features Richard Brock, Brock Associates, who will present a grain market outlook and share his unique insight into grain marketing and the challenges farmers will face in the year ahead.
Milo Hamilton, co-founder and senior agricultural economist, Firstgrain Inc., will host a special rice marketing educational seminar at 1:30 p.m.
“Good rice marketing involves a knowledge of the global situation for rice trends in price and stocks,” he says. “Rice is not like, say, oats, which are largely a domestic market and fed to horses. Rice is fed to people with all that entails.”
The workshop is broken into two sessions:
• How to assess global rice conditions and their impact on your local price trend.
• How to assess what is a high or low price in your area at any point in time.
Show Continues To Evolve
To register and view the most up-to-date information, go to farmandginshow.com or southerncottonginners.org.
“Even after 69 years, the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show continues to evolve and confirms we have a viable, active ag business sector as represented by our exhibitors,” Price says.
“It also provides educational opportunities and gives attendees an idea about where our ag industry is headed. We look forward to sharing our first-ever interactive website this year and making it an integral part of our traditional event in the future.”