Drive Green

I’d like to announce the first two of our winning Deere fans who attended recent Drive Green events. They got lucky in our Drive Green and Win promotion.

Kenny Adams, Claremore, OK, is the winner of a 1-year, 100-hour lease on a new John Deere 5055E Utility Tractor with a 553 Loader – a prize valued at almost $12,000 (USD). Adams registered for the prize at a Drive Green Utility Tractor Show event that took place in February at P&K Equipment, a local John Deere dealer in Owasso, OK.

Karen Rottman, is the winner of a new John Deere AC2-CG35H-P Compresserator with electric start valued at more than $2,500 (USD). Rottman registered for the prize at a Drive Green Utility Tractor Show event that took place in Ft. Worth Texas earlier this year.

When I was in Ft. Worth recently at the Stock Show I met a group of local dealers who were there to see the show and then the rodeo.

We’ve got Ron LaRue, Blake Sanders and Buddy Steen from Premier Ag & Lawn. Ron says his children have shown in the arena and he thinks the show is a good thing and something he’s always wanted to see. They said that having an opportunity to let their customers see this equipment up close and personal is going to be really helpful. Since Buddy is a sales guy he’s happy to have this support from John Deere and he’s looking forward to a great 2009.

You can listen my interview with them here: dg-ft-worth-larue.mp3

To get a flavor for what show participants thought of our Ft. Worth Stock Show event I asked several of them right after the arena program.

You can hear what they had to say here: dg-ft-worth-montage.mp3

Or watch some video of the event while listening in this clip:

Besides tractors, the Drive Green Utility Tractor Show also provides an opportunity to see some of the new implements that add functionality to these machines.

While we were in Ft. Worth doing an arena show we had the opportunity to see one of the more unique implements in action. It was the Riata Rake which was used to make the arena floor nice and smooth and according to Kim Young, pictured on the right, “very pretty.” Kim has been to a few rodeos and says she’s never seen an arena rake like this one.

You can listen my interview with Kim here: dg-ft-worth-young.mp3

At the Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, Saginaw Implement Co. set up a whole store inside the trade show building. You could find everything from toys to tractors including toy tractors.

One of the friendly faces you find there belongs to Monty Hambrick. He’s the 4th generation working at the dealership. He says they sell everything from chain saws to combines. He says business has been good at their booth and I’d echo that. Every time I stopped by they had a crowd and it looked like serious business being done.

You can listen my interview with Monty here: dg-ft-worth-hambrick.mp3

Or watch the interview here:

It’s time for another edition of the Truck Driver Diary with Mark Roose.

Mark was very relaxed when I spoke with him in Ft. Worth and says he’s been working his way around Texas, visiting with a lot of people. He says the truck keeps drawing crowds he even hears it mentioned on the radio.

You can listen to my interview with Mark here: dg-ft-worth-truck-driver-diary.mp3

Don’t forget to visit our event photos: Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo photo album.

With the signal to go, the new 3E Series Tractor made its debut in Watt Arena at the Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. This was the first tractor in the lineup for the show, following mowers and the new Gators.

I had to leave my camera on a wide shot during the show but I’ll have more video clips and interviews coming up soon.

You’ll hear a reference to some “gifts” during the presentation. That was because periodically during the show our presenters would throw t-shirts into outstretched hands of our audience. They were a big hit.

You can listen to the presentation here: drive-green-ft-worth-3e.mp3

Or watch the presentation here:

The Drive Green Utility Tractor Show in Ft. Worth started out with the singing of our National Anthem by Shawn Belton-Miller. She is currently performing with Dr. Larry “T-Byrd” Gordon.

I spoke to her prior to the show. She says she sings the Anthem for the Mavericks and had a friend connect her to the show. I’m glad she did!

She says she’d like to ride one a tractor and as she puts it, “Girls love power.” She says she’d rather mow than wash dishes.

You can listen to my interview with Shawn here: dg-ft-worth-belton-miller.mp3

You can also listen to her sing the National Anthem here: dg-ft-worth-national-anthem.mp3

Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Photo Album

I know it’s the adults who are buying tractors but they’re not the only ones looking at them.

This is one of my favorite shots from the arena show in Ft. Worth this week. These guys were very well behaved and sitting right down in front.

I don’t have a count for how many showed up on Wednesday evening but we had a big crowd. In fact, the beverage vendor told me, “We didn’t expect a crowd this big.”

Well, we’re sort of coming to expect that when the Drive Green Utility Tractor Show rolls into town. It’s great family fun and I hope to see you on the road.

Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Photo Album

Well, we were broadcasting live from the Ft. Worth Stock Show in Watt Arena earlier tonight in front of this crowd. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do it again at a future stop.

It was a great audience and after the show they got to come out into the ring themselves to get up close and personal with these new tractors. Many of them are now enjoying the evening rodeo. I’ll be heading home early tomorrow and over the coming days I’ll be posting more content from the activities here today.

In the meantime, I’m uploading a new batch of photos to the: Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Photo Album

I think excitement is brewing for tonight’s Watt arena show here at the Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

We’ve got a full crew out here handing out John Deere key chains that have an invitation to the show.

People are mostly in the afternoon rodeo and the show will take place prior to the evening rodeo.

I’ll be there taking photos and getting some interviews so you can count on seeing some of that before I head on home tomorrow morning.

Here’s where you can find event photos: Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Photo Album

Day one of our show stop at the Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is complete and it was a good one. If you come out tomorrow you’ll find us in a couple different locations. To start with, our outdoor display is just inside the main entrance.

Local dealer, Saginwaw Implement Co., Inc. also has a large display inside the trade show building as you can see here. Then tomorrow afternoon we’ll be moving to the Watt Arena for our big show which starts at 6pm and ends prior to the evening rodeo.

So, we’ve got a full day of Drive Green planned for tomorrow. See you then.

Here’s where you can find event photos: Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Photo Album

The President of the Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is Bob Watt.

I met Bob this morning and asked him what he thought about having this Utility Tractor Show at a livestock show.

Bob thinks it’s a unique tie-in to the show and he really likes the display as you can hear him say here: dg-ft-worth-watt.mp3

Here’s where you can find event photos: Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Photo Album

We are on location at the Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. The day started off a little cool but it’s sunny and warm now. We’re expecting a lot of people to stop and see us at our display.

Tomorrow evening we’ll have a ring show in Watt Arena starting at 6pm. This is going to be fun.

I’ve got a photo album started for the event which you can find here: Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Photo Album