OPA Makes Changes to its Queen of the Furrow Program

May 15, 2014

New Age Requirements Announced

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

The Ontario Plowmen’s Association (OPA) announced new rules (age requirements) governing its Queen of the Furrow Program.

Contestants now must be at least 18 years of age by January 1st and have not reached their 25th birthday by December 31st to compete at their local county competition. Previously, contestants only needed to be 16 years of age and hold a valid driver’s licence. The new policy was announced ahead of local county association plowing matches that will begin to take place this summer. Rules will be in effect for the 2015 International Plowing Match.

Winners at the county level have the opportunity to compete for the provincial title of Ontario Queen of the Furrow at the IPM every year. Changes to the rules were outlined in the OPA’s spring newsletter, called "Straight from the Furrow."

In order to compete, queen contestants are required to participate in an interview, plow a parcel of land and deliver a prepared speech. Winners will represent their local plowing association at various community events promoting agriculture throughout the year before competing at the IPM.

The rule that contestants must be “single and without dependents,” be unmarried and without children remains unchanged. Local county associations are asked to keep the revised rules in mind when recruiting contestants for their local competitions.

The 2014 IPM will be held in Simcoe County, Ontario.

Video: Is China Buying US Soybeans + USDA Nov 14th Crop Report could be “Game Changing”

After a week of a U.S./China trade truce, markets/trade is skeptical that we have not seen a signed agreement nor heard much from China or seen any details. There are rumors that China is buying soybean futures & not the physical. Trust in Trump?
12 MMT of U.S. soybean purchases by China by year-end is better than 0 but we all need to give it more time and give it a chance to unfold. China did lower the tariffs on Ag and is buying U.S. wheat and sorghum.
U.S. supreme court could rule against Trumps tariffs, but the Trump administration does have a plan B.
U.S. government shutdown is now the longest in history at 38 days.
But despite a U.S. government shutdown we will be getting a USDA November crop report next Friday and it could be “game changing.” If the USDA provides a bullish surprise with lower U.S. corn and soybean yields and ending stocks that are lower than expected both corn and soybean futures will break out above their ceilings at $4.35/bu and $11.35/bu respectively.
The funds continued their selling in live and feeder cattle futures on continued fears that the Trump administration want to lower U.S. beef prices. The fundamentals have not changed, only market psychology has.
Stocks markets continue to worry about a weak U.S. job market, but you can blame ChatGPT for that. In the future, we will have a more efficient, productive and growing economy with a higher unemployment rate until we have more skilled AI workers.
After 34 new record highs in the S & P 500 and 124 new records in the NASDAQ in 2025 we are back to a correction and investor profit taking as AI valuations may have gotten too stretched near-term ahead of NVDA’s 3rd quarter earnings announcement on Nov. 19th. But this is not an AI bubble.
75% of Tesla shareholders approved a $1 trillion pay package for Elon Musk!
It has rained in South America in the last 7 days, but both the American and European models agree that Central Brazil remains dry in the next 14-days!

HSUS Forgoes its Tail Docking Ballot Proposal

Lime Squeeze