Thanks for stopping by! A brief intro – I’m a financial/business journalist who’s logged hard time as a reporter and editor at Bloomberg News, Crain’s Chicago Business, Reuters, Dow Jones Newswires, the St. Joseph (Mo.) News-Press and a few other stops the past 20 years. I’ve spent a lot of time on Chicago’s trading floors chronicling the exciting worlds of commodity markets and finance, covered subjects ranging from the World Series, the Federal Reserve and the biggest oil boom in history, and have also freelanced for, to name a few, the Chicago Cubs, Major League Baseball, and CME Group, the futures exchange operator.
A little enlightenment for non-media types: “Freelancer” is basically journalist code for “unemployed,” which I was as of March 17, 2009*, after Crain’s dropped the axe in yet another round of editorial bloodletting that’s happening a lot these days. That’s right – I got canned on St. Patrick’s Day. Suck it, St. Pat. Anyway, you’ll find my resume and story samples on my LinkedIn profile.
As the name of this blog implies, I live in the north side of Chicago in an enclave known as Wrigleyville, close enough to see the lights of the Friendly Confines from my roof. The lovely Kate, a Downers Grove, Ill. native, serves as my part-time agronomist’s assistant and full-time wife. We’re happy to report we now have a sprout of our own, Paige Carolyn, born November 16, 2009. Between her and the corn, I’m not sure who’s growing faster.
Finally, I’m a 1990 alum of Iowa State University and grew up on a farm outside of the town of Williamsburg in the great state of Iowa, home of the tall corn and the inspiration for ths blog.
I hope you enjoy watching corn grow even a fraction as much as I do. Cheers! Bruce
*Good news! I rejoined the rat race in January 2010 – Business Editor for Vance Publishing’s Food360 division, covering commodity markets, agribusiness and the food industry from the floor of the CBOT.
Yo Diggler!
I think this is the first stuff of yours I’ve ever read, Bruce! I love how you write!
Thanks Lori, I appreciate the thoughts. Happen to know anyone who’d pay me for this? We can rule out the local ticket brokers.
I appreciate what you’re doing. Fellow Iowa native here….in fact, if you knew any Currys in Williamsburg, they were my cousins. Take care and keep it up.
Chad, I knew a few Currys, way way back in the Burg days. Thanks for the note. You in Chi-town?
Bruce. Are you having any drying capacity problems? Using the oven, perhaps?
Terry
No capacity problems. But like the farmers I’m going to wait on harvest a little more to let the stuff dry naturally and save on drying costs. These ovens run on gas too, you know.
I guess… 867 kernals/beans…