“Without soil, we’re out of business.” That is the simple reason why corn growers support cutting edge conservation practices, according to Illinois farmer Dan Cole, a member of the National Corn Growers Association Production & Stewardship Action Team (PSAT) who took part in the recent Conservation Technology Information Center 2013 Conservation in Action Tour. “PSAT is in charge of water … Read More
Reaping the Rewards of Good Soil Investment
“The wealth of Illinois is in her soil, and her strength lies in its intelligent development.” That quote was from one of the first presidents of the University of Illinois almost 200 years, but attendees of the recent Conservation Technology Information Center tour in Livingston County, Ill., heard it reiterated by Jean Payne, President of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical … Read More
Ag Resource Management Survey for Peanuts
The last time peanuts were the subject of a USDA Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) was 2004 but soon those outdated figures for peanut farmers financial and crop production practices will be updated, according to USDA officials who attended the 2013 Southern Peanut Growers Conference this past week in Panama City Beach, Florida. “This is a crucial time for us … Read More
InfoAg: Measuring ROI on the Farm
Farmers want to make sure they get the most for the dollars they invest into their operation, and precision agriculture obviously fits right into that line of thinking. At the 2013 InfoAg Conference on precision agriculture, Brian Watkins, a family farmer from northwest Ohio, did a session called Measuring Tech ROI (Return on Investment) on the Farm. “Every time you … Read More
Ag Leader DirectCommand with OptRx Crop Sensors
Our coverage sponsor for the 2014 InfoAg Conference is Ag Leader Technology once again. Thank you very much! They brought out a full team and wide range of products to show the record crowd. The first person I visited with was Matt Wolfe (pictured on left). His favorite product to talk about because they’re so involved with it right now … Read More
GROWMARK on the CTIC Tour
Kilgus Dairy in Fairbury, Illinois was the venue for the nutrient management portion of CTIC’s 2013 Conservation in Action Tour last week. This part of the tour was sponsored by GROWMARK, Inc., which is a strong promoter of the 4Rs – using the right nutrient source at the right time and right rate and in the right place. Nutrient management … Read More
Social Media Analytics
I was very surprised during yesterday’s Social Media session at the 2013 InfoAg Conference by how many session attendees are actively using social media for company use. I asked for a show of hands if they had a company Twitter account and almost everyone raised their hand, the same when I asked if they had a company Facebook page. That’s … Read More
2013 InfoAg Conference Off to Record Start
It’s all good at the 2013 InfoAg Conference on precision agriculture. Attendance is at a record above 1,100 at current count. Two years ago it was at 700! And now the conference is moving to every year and will be in St. Louis, MO in 2014, Union Station Hilton, July 1-3. Steve Phillips, Southeast Region Director for the North American … Read More
Keeping Nitrogen in Fields Farmers’ Priority, Too
Contrary to what seems to be reported many times, farmers don’t want to see their field nutrients washed on down the river to contribute to some “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico. “Farmers don’t want nitrogen to leave their fields. They want it in their corn crop,” explained Tim Smith during the recent Conservation Technology Information Center tour in … Read More
CTIC Tour: Filter Strips Valuable for Soil Health
Healthy soils are products of good management practices. And topping the list of practices for Terry Bachtold (shown getting an appreciation present for all his hard work of hosting), one of the host farmers for last week’s Conservation Technology Information Center tour in Livingston County, Ill., is using filter strips. “I’m a big believer in filter strips,” he exclaimed. “Whether … Read More