Curiosity Killed the Pig?
February 14, 2012 In journalism school, they taught us the seven values of news – that is, they tried to teach us what makes something newsworthy. There were seven nice little “compartments” into which you could try and fit any news item that comes across your desk. If you’re writing a story that doesn’t fit any of them, well, you should go ahead and toss it into the trash.
In the case of my feature on an Arkansas grower, Pace Hindsley, and his battle against glyphosate-resistance pigweed, the news-value there is impact. The program he is implementing on his acreage, after all, could have a huge impact on how growers across the Mid-South and Southeast stand up to this problem.
But Hindsley’s story is also highly interesting to me out of sheer curiosity. Essentially, Hindsley and weed scientist Dr. Ken Smith asked some questions that I’ve wondered before. “What if money wasn’t really an issue in this battle? What if we pulled out all the stops against pigweed? What if we quit aiming for ‘weed management’ and set our sights on ‘weed overkill?’”
Because “curiosity” isn’t really one of the seven elements of news, I’m glad that this experiment that Hindsley and Smith are in the midst of right now still falls under the impact category. You can follow their story starting on page 12. I’ll be checking in with them over the next several years. Just out of curiosity, you know.
Henry also has a great human interest feature on Louisiana growers Kyle Aymond and Thad Herron. After years as a Certified Public Accountant, Aymond tried his hand at farming. He and Herron set out to farm 100 acres in 2001. Today they manage a massive 13,500-acre operation. Follow Henry’s story beginning on page 9 to learn how Aymond’s accounting background translates into successful management on such a large scale.
Another story we thought you’d be curious about is Bloomberg’s recent examination of the plight of the West African cotton farmer. As it turns out, the American cotton farmer isn’t the source of that region’s cotton woes. You can follow the story beginning on page 16.
We’ll be looking forward to harvest season in the meantime, as defoliant, doves and football signal the changing of the season. We hope you’re hauling in a bumper crop this year, and we hope to see you out there soon.
GET THE NEWSLETTER TODAY!
