News
From the Editor: October 2011

I know, I know; there is definitely something different about Top Crop Manager! A new cover, a new logo, and a new layout inside.

What’s going on?
Well, certain things about our magazine have, in fact, been changed. By the same token, some of our hallmarks have remained the same. Yes, we have a new cover. Yes, the logo has been changed, too. And both are a reflection of things we have been hearing from people in the industry for several years, now. Take the name, for instance; at trade shows and conferences, people approach me, shake my hand and ask, “So how are things at Top Crop?” It is as if the “Manager” is an understood. So the emphasis with the new logo is, fittingly, on “Top Crop.”

As far as the cover is concerned, yes, the previous design has been a standard for nearly 30 years, and some believe the time has come to try a fresh look. No doubt there will be those who prefer to stay with the familiar. However, there is a quote that reminds us all that, “one does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore.” In these times, to stand still and do nothing is to stop growing.

Commitment to you remains the same
Besides, appearance is only part of the picture. We may be changing the brand, and what is on the outside, but what is inside – and what you have come to know and expect – is unchanged. Our short, one-sentence summation of what we do –“help growers grow a better crop” remains the same. We are still intent on providing you with insights and information on plant breeding, traits and technology, agronomics, the latest from the seed, chemical and equipment sectors, as well as market trends and farm business applications.

We know what you like about this magazine, and believe me, those things are not going to change.

A sign of the times
As you will see by this year’s edition of our Traits and Stewardship Guide there are some interesting changes there, as well. For instance, we welcome Dow AgroSciences as a new sponsor but we have also altered the layout of the guide. Gone is the hybrid refuge matrix, replaced by a significant growth of new technologies coming to the market in corn hybrids and soybean varieties. Interestingly, it is the addition of more “refuge in the bag” hybrids that has pushed the matrix right out of the guide.

Change can be very unsettling, especially when there is so much comfort that comes with familiarity. That is why we have left those aspects in which you find the greatest value intact and unchanged. As always, we welcome your comments and input on the scope, content and appearance of Top Crop. It is, after all, a reflection of what you want to see in a farm magazine.

And that hasn’t changed, either.