Lindsay and I are in Grapevine for Commodity Classic, what I call one of the “Big Three” when it comes to Winter farm conventions (the American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting and Cattle Industry Annual Convention being the other two). This gathering, featuring the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, and National Sorghum Producers, is attended by thousands of growers every year.

One of the typical addresses at the Convention is by the Secretary of the US Department of Agriculture. While each of the preceding three Secretaries addressed Classic – I believe every year of their tenures – newly confirmed Secretary Tom Vilsack, it appears, will not be attending this week.

Our colleague Gary Truitt has some comments on his Hat Chat blog, including an interview with Indiana Grower and ASA officer Alan Kemper. Kemper, and no doubt his fellow officers in each Classic organization, is rightfully disappointed. Vilsack is batting a big zero when it comes to addressing agricultural conventions in he early days of his tenure. I brought this up when he skipped out on the Cattle Industry Convention a few weeks ago… Is this a sign of things to come?

To quote the Magic 8 Ball, Signs Point to Yes.

Oh, and Lindsay and I have the same view as fellow farm broadcaster Cindy Young: the parking lot…