ASTA Announces Educational Website

Kelly MarshallAg Group, ASTA, Website

The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) has announced a new, educational website, seedinginnovation.org. The organization hopes to provide answers to consumer questions like: What is plant breeding innovation? What do plant breeders do? And what could the latest breeding techniques like gene editing mean for the future of agriculture and our society?

The new site offers informational videos, blog posts, plant breeder profiles, FAQs and other resources about the ever-changing field of plant breeding. You can also follow ASTA @Better_Seed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

#NFMS17 Kicks off Today

Chuck ZimmermanAudio, Equipment, FMC, National Farm Machinery Show, NFMS

Greetings from Louisville and the 2017 National Farm Machinery Show!

Steve Kelly with the Kentucky Exposition Center says they have filled 1.2 million square feet of space under roof and there’s enough demand to sell almost that much more for this largest indoor farm show in America. They have made a few significant changes in the show which allows for more first level room for farm equipment so there is now a Gift & Craft Market on the Mezzanine Level with more than 70 booths for shopping.

This is the 52nd NFMS and also the 49th annual Championship Tractor Pull. Steve says there have been some additions to the tractor pull which include pay per view live streaming from the show this year. Steve says that there will be some big equipment announcements as usual and that this year the show even has “drones.” Keep up with me as I will be your eyes and ears at the show thanks to our sponsor FMC.

Learn more in this interview: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/nfms-17-kelly.mp3″ text=”Interview with Steve Kelly, Kentucky State Fair Board”]

2017 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC

Field to Market Announces Sustainability Metrics

Kelly MarshallPlatform, sustainability

Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture has made sustainability metrics and algorithms part of the Fieldprint Platform. The new tool offers commodity crop producers a way to analyze their management practices using data from partners like Ag Connections, LLC’s Land.db system, Agrible’s Morning Farm Report and Heartland Science and Technology Group’s Precision Conservation Management Portal. The integration with these systems was made possible through the use of a Fieldprint Application Programming Interface (API).

“By combining Field to Market’s sustainability metrics and algorithms together with leading software solutions farmers can simultaneously evaluate productivity, profitability and sustainability options as part of their planning process,” said Rod Snyder, president of Field to Market. “This integration now provides farmers with a robust analysis of their sustainability performance at their fingertips, which is underpinned by the industry’s most accepted and recognized sustainability measurement framework.”

Kubota Allies with Precision Guidance Tech Company

Kelly MarshallEquipment, Guidance

Kubota Tractor Corporation and Smart Path Systems are now working together to provide guidance technology for the Kubota M, L, and B-Series tractors, F-Series mowers and utility vehicles. The new precision systems allow for autonomous steering for mowing, sweeping, spraying or snow removal with sub-inch accuracy and a simple android tablet app.

Operators have the option of taking predetermined paths created in the web portal management system, or record their own path, allowing an operator to replay the exact same route at any time in the future. This record and replay approach is ideal for plowing snow and sweeping walking trails, spraying along fence rows or cracks, repeated mowing by less-experienced operators and striping a fairway with precise consistency. According to Smart Path, users of the technology have experienced a 20 percent increase in time savings or productivity gain.

“Kubota is the first to bring this level of technology to the market segment. Applying Smart Path’s precision guidance technology to Kubota equipment furthers our commitment to continuous improvement,” said Todd Stucke, Kubota senior vice president, marketing, product support and strategic projects. “We give our customers the tools they need to get their work done more efficiently and effectively, and this alliance will give our customers access to advanced technology that will further enhance their user experience and make them more productive and more profitable.”

Ag Leader, New Leader Team Up on Dry Nutrient Application

Kelly MarshallAg Leader, Agribusiness, Equipment, Nutrient Management

The New NL5000 G5 Crop Nutrient Applicator is the result of a collaboration between Ag Leader Technology, Inc. and New Leader. Together these companies are offering a machine that can perform 16 section swath width control while simultaneously adjusting the spinner assembly position, providing a highly responsive, reliable way to apply nutrients in the right amount and in the right place.

“Our vision is to radically improve the way dry nutrients are applied. Guiding that vision is responsible nutrient management,” stated New Leader Director of Marketing, Cory Venable. “The NL5000 G5 provides swath width control in a spinner spreader, allowing the placement of fertilizer to be more exact. It takes spinner spreaders to an unprecedented level of application with pinpoint accuracy.”

Princeton Provides Monitoring for Remotest Farmers

Kelly Marshallweather

In West Africa the most important question is ‘Will the rains be good or bad?’ Eric Wood, a professor at Princeton University, has worked with small farms in Africa and Latin America to create a drought and flood risk monitoring system, letting growers know when rains will come and how plentiful they will be. Weather data in those areas can be plentiful, Wood notes, but hard for local farmers to analyze.

“There’s a strong seasonal cycle of rainfall, coming from the south,” said Wood. “They want to know, will they have good rains or bad rains, when will the rainy season start? They want to make sure the rains are there before they plant. If they plant too early, the seeds will die before they get established. These are people who live on a couple of dollars a day, maybe less. It’s very difficult for them to get new seed to plant.”

You can learn more about the project on Princeton’s website.

US Grains Council Welcomes Communications Manager

Kelly MarshallAg Group, Grain

Julia Debes has joined the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) as their Communications Manager. She has served as communications director for the National Sorghum Producers, assistant director of communications at U.S. Wheat Associates, and in her own communications company.

“Having known Julia professionally for several years, I am confident she will be an immediate asset to the Council and a friendly partner for all of us in our ongoing work,” said Melissa Kessler, USGC’s communications director. “I am excited to have Julia joining our team and look forward to her working with our members and staff.”

Round Two for @CIRBdc Emerging Leaders

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Crop Insurance

CIRB Emerging Leaders Program current class and alumni meet up at annual meeting

This is the second year of the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) Emerging Leaders Program and it was so popular last year that this year’s class is almost double in size.

Jim Konstanty, PartnerRe, was a member of the first ELP class and we followed up with him this year to see how the program helped him.

“It’s really been a great learning experience for me,” he said. “It’s a real testament to the success of the program that last year we had six people and now they have 11.”

Konstanty helped to encouraged two members of the new class to join this year and he believes strongly in the importance of the program to educate members on how to take the positive message of crop insurance to Capitol Hill. Listen to Cindy Zimmerman’s interview with him here: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/cirb17-jim-k.mp3″ text=”Interview with Jim Konstanty, PartnerRe”]

2017 CIRB Annual Meeting photo album

Political Forecast from #CIRB2017

Kelly MarshallAg Group, Audio, Crop Insurance, Government

Last year at the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) annual meeting, there were still lots of candidates for president and Informa Economics Senior VP Jim Wiesemeyer talked about what they might mean to the future of agriculture.

This year, he only had to focus on the one who actually made it to the White House. “It’s a great time because you don’t even have to tell the truth anymore,” he joked. “Everybody told me the world was going to come to an end if Trump won.”

Wiesemeyer pointed out that one of the reasons Trump won was support from rural America. “Not just farmers,” he said. “(But) it was a big factor and he has not forgotten that.”

Last year Wiesemeyer said that Trump was an unknown when it came to policy but was likely to pick good people, so he spent some time discussing the various cabinet picks and how they might impact farm policy and trade in particular. Listen to his presentation here: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcast/cirb17-wiesemeyer.mp3″ text=”Interview with Jim Wiesemeyer, Informa Economics”]

2017 CIRB Annual Meeting photo album

Championship Tractor Pull Revving Up

Kelly MarshallEvents, National Farm Machinery Show

More than 70,000 fans agree, there’s nothing like the annual Championship Tractor Pull at the National Farm Machinery Show. Coming next week, February 15-18 at the Kentucky Exposition Center, the event will showcase the nation’s top drivers competing for more than $200,000 in prizes. The competitor to beat– last year’s Grand Champion Mendi Nelson. She’s the second woman to ever win the title and she’s upping the ante, hoping to be the first woman to win back-to-back championships.

The National Farm Machinery Show is the largest indoor show in the country, and the Championship Tractor Pull isn’t the only attraction. Tyne Morgan will be taping a live “U.S. Farm Report” market roundtable on February 16th at 2:30 and free seminars with topics ranging from the market to weather strategies are scheduled the 15-17th. Admission is free and the event is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tickets for the Championship Tractor Pull are on sale now at ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.