American Agri-Women Look Forward to Convention

Kelly MarshallAg Group, Women

aawThe American Agri-Women (AAW) conference in Raleigh, North Carolina begins on November 17.  Attendees will spend three days touring agriculture sites of interest in North Carolina, as well as conducting the business of the organization.

The keynote speaker for the event will be the 2013 World Food Prize Laureate, Dr. Mary Dell-Chilton.  As a founder of Syngenta’s biotechnology research labs and distinguished science fellow, Dr. Mary Dell-Chilton changed the way genetic research is done.

Other highlights from the event include an all-day trade show and luncheon.  Elections for Vice-President of Education, Secretary, and three Foundation board members will take place during the event and activities will wrap up with a closing banquet to honor high achieving members.

“Convention is always a terrific time for members to network, gain new knowledge, and get the business of the organization done, along with celebrating the outstanding work of members and those in the community at large,” says AAW President Doris Mold.  “It is also an exciting time as we announce new advocacy efforts, projects and partnerships. This is our first convention in North Carolina and we are eager to learn more about their agriculture and history.”

CNH Industrial Brands Win World Class Titles

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Award, Case IH, New Holland

2017-tractor-of-the-year-case-ih-optum-300-cvxTwo of  CNH Industrial‘s agriculture brands won titles at the EIMA 2016 exhibition in Bologna, Italy.  Case IH won the top honor of Tractor of the Year for 2017 with their Optum 200 CVX model.  New Holland claimed Best Utility for the T5.120 tractor.

EIMA is a biennial event that hosts some 1,900 companies from 40 countries exhibiting more than 50,000 models of machinery and equipment for all types of agricultural operations.

The TOTY® 2017 awards are determined by a jury of professional trade journalists from Europe’s top agricultural publications. The jury deliberated over the latest tractor models, with the 2017 edition seeing 15 finalists vie for the four main category titles: Tractor of the Year, Best Utility, Best of Specialized and Best Design. Case IH and New Holland Agriculture were nominated finalists in three of the four categories, winning in the Tractor of the Year and Best Utility categories respectively.

best-utility-2017-tractor-of-the-year-new-holland-agriculture-t5-120 The Case IH Optum 300 CVX earned the honor of Tractor of the Year for its focus on reducing soil compaction and improving fuel efficiency.  The model, built in Austria, boasts a strong, yet lighter weight design with a robust front axle and engine design that gives a 250-300 horsepower tractor a high power-to-weight ratio.

New Holland’s Best Utility title was awarded for it’s feature t5 Tier 4B, re-engineered system designed for livestock farmers who need a nimble, mid-sized tractor for dairy or mixed farming.  Built in Italy, this workhorse can do multiple jobs on the farm while keeping the driver in best-in-class comfort.

New Advanta Seeds & Texas A&M Biotech Research Station

Joanna Schroederseed, technology

A new Advanta Seeds biotech research station is in the works following a new partnership between Advanta and Texas A&M AgriLife Research. The goal of the facility, which will support all global Advanta Seeds research programs, is to further seed technology R&D. The research will focus on several key crops: sorghum, tropical and subtropical corn, hot peppers and corn. In addition, the research station will apply molecular markers to plant breeding in several additional crops including sunflower, canola, wheat and rice to name a few.

Advanta Logo strapline_Full colour_CMYK“This research is important to provide farmers with new products and novel traits and higher yielding hybrids stable across the seasons,” said Global R&D Director of Advanta Seeds Dr. Alberto Leon. “This is a new investment that demonstrates the serious the commitment by Advanta Seeds and UPL Group to innovation, and most importantly commitment to farmers and sustainable food production in the face of global food supply challenges.”

Advanta Seeds is a member of the the UPL Group and is a global research, development, production, seller of high-performance seeds and agricultural solutions.

Ben Adams, business director-North America for Advanta Seeds, added, “This effort will accelerate and expand our rich history of seed breeding and development to further enhance the profitability and sustainability of growers. We expect new technologies and traits to improve tolerances to drought, pests, insecticides and herbicides as well as increase yields.”

In a press release, Advanta Seeds reported Texas A&M was chosen due to their proven leadership in plant breeding. Also of note is the institution’s relationships with local and state government entities.

“We are excited about this agreement with Advanta Seeds because of their outstanding reputation in seed development,” concluded Craig Nessler, Director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research. “This will also allow our scientists to participate in cutting-edge research with a world-class company.”

Will Agriculture Triumph with Trump?

Jamie JohansenZimmPoll

zp-nh1Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Final decision time – who are you voting for?”

The polls have closed and Donald Trump is officially our President Elect. Many across the country are a bit surprised, yet our most recent ZimmPoll had Trump with a clear lead. The agricultural community predicted this win.

Here are the poll results:

  • Donald Trump – 56%
  • Hillary Clinton – 34%
  • Gary Johnson – 3%
  • Jill Stein – 0%
  • None of the above – 7%

Our new ZimmPoll is live and asks the question, What will Trump presidency mean for ag?

The election is over – what now? NAFB hosted a agriculture “Reaction to Election” panel highlighting insights from key agricultural leader opinions. No one has the exact answers, but the big question now is what will a Trump presidency mean for agriculture. What do you think?

#NAFB16 Features Reactions to #Election2016

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Government, NAFB, Policy

nafb-16-panel-1To kick-off the 2016 National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) Convention in Kansas City, Mo., we heard agriculture leaders share insights on “Counting the Returns: Agriculture Reacts to the Election.”

Jay Truitt, Policy Solutions, moderated panel discussion with Dr. Bob Young, Chief Economist, American Farm Bureau Federation, Roger Johnson, President, National Farmers Union and Jon Doggett, Executive Vice President, National Corn Growers Association.

Key topics of discussion included prospects for the new Secretary of Agriculture, the future of trade including Trans Pacific Partnership and NAFTA, when we might see a new farm bill discussed, immigration and it’s impact on agriculture and what we could see during the Trump Administration’s first 100 days.

nafb16-35-jpgListen to the complete panel discussion here: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/nafb-16-ag-reacts-panel.mp3″ text=”Ag Reacts to Election”]

As a strong figure in the U.S. livestock and food industry when it comes to policy issues, Jay Truitt, sat down with me following the panel discussion to share his personal views on those same key issues central to the agricultural community.

Listen to the complete panel discussion here: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/nafb-16-truitt.mp3″ text=”Interview with Jay Truitt”]

NAFB Convention Photo Album

Coverage of the NAFB convention is sponsored by
NAFB Convention is sponsored by FMC

Develop with Deere Proves Worth While

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Audio, John Deere

jd-develop-16-hutchison Ryan Hutchison is the Integrated Solutions Manger for South Country Equipment in Saskatchewan. He traveled far from home last week to be in Kansas City, Missouri for the Develop with Deere event that brought together dealers, software developers, and Operations Center team members. When asked by Chuck Zimmerman if the conference was worth it, Hutchison responded, “Absolutely!”

Hutchison says the conference is doing great things because it’s bringing together other dealers, allowing him to network and see what they’re thinking. Dealers get good ideas from each other, he said, and they also share stories about working with companies, or ask questions he wouldn’t have thought of. It’s good to see the growth the formal invitation from John Deere created.

Hutchison also reports he thinks the dialog going on is an important part of making the event successful. “One of the things I think we’re seeing in this group of John Deere people is, and I mean they’re all professional in what they do everyday, but I think this is a tighter knit group all trying to seek the same end goal, and maybe some more frank conversations than I would have expected about what the Operations Center should or shouldn’t do and why,” he says.

This focus on using the Operations Center, training dealers on one platform, and asking for feedback is why Hutchison says he’ll not only be back, he may bring another staff member with him.

Listen to Hutchison’s full interview here: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/jd-develop-16-hutchison.mp3″ text=”Ryan Hutchison, South Country Equipment”]

Photos from this year’s conference can be found here: Develop with Deere Photo Album

Satshot Grows Precision Adoption at Develop with Deere

Kelly MarshallAerial Imagery, Agribusiness, John Deere, Satellite

jd-develop-16-faleide The most exciting thing about precision agriculture, says Satshot President Lanny Faleide, is seeing farmers adopt it.

That was Faleide’s goal in attending the Develop with Deere conference in Kansas City last week. For a smaller company like Satshot, coming on board with John Deere’s Operations Center is like being able to make an app for Apple, he says. They can now get their satellite imagery to 50 percent of the market, allowing growers to take information from their LandScout mobile app and download it right in the tractor. From there a grower can analyze the data, build zones, merge them, choose a rate for each zone and be ready to apply in about five minutes.

Getting precision tech into the hands of more growers will be key to surviving tough economic times, Faleide believes. In fact, he tells Chuck Zimmerman he knows he can save every grower money on their application. Today’s farmers are eager to “take the bull by the horns,” and they expect more and more from companies all the time, but the reality is there is still a small adoption curve overall. That’s why Satshot has gone even further and actually offered their product with a John Deere label, strictly for Deere dealers.

This creates a channel for getting to customers, with machinery becoming the center place.  Satshot can focus on dealers, equipping them to help famers. “Four or five years ago we were still developing the value of imagery,” Faleide says. Now it’s time for growers to see what it can do.

Learn more in Chuck’s interview: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/jd-develop-16-faleide.mp3″ text=”Lanny Faleide, Satshot President”]

Photos from this year’s conference can be found here: Develop with Deere Photo Album

Hugreen Finds a Better Way for Small Farm Irrigation

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Irrigation, Water Management

gnomeHugreen is an agriculture technology startup dedicated to bringing high tech precision solutions to smallholder farmers. The company has just announced an Indiegogo campaign for Gnome, their flagship product that uses solar and radio frequency to power a smart irrigation system.

The Gnome system is comprised of a network of sensors and water valves, connected to one central hub:
The hub is the control center for Gnome’s sensors and valves. It can link up to 30 nodes (sensors and valves) that are within a 1km radius range, and connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi. – Its primary function is to send data to the user and relay commands to the nodes.

The sensors monitor fertilizer level, sunlight exposure, soil temperature, and ambient temperature via four stainless steel probes.

The valves control water flow of the sprinkler system remotely, which can handle water pressure up to 115 psi.
Gnome is the only IoT sensor that can measure fertilizer level and soil moisture concurrently. Gnome uses industrial level Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) technology to measure the presence of fertilizer and uses that data to get an unbiased soil moisture level, which is typically only found in more expensive non-smart sensors.

Clement Lee is the founder of Hugreen.  He began is career as a solar researcher and engineer leading projects for an international solar tech corporation.  “I quit my job and started building rooftop gardens in Hong Kong, but wasn’t pleased with the tech solutions available to monitor and adjust irrigation as there was a lot of unnecessary waste,” he said. “So I decided to combine my background in engineering and passion for sustainable farming to create solar-powered technology that makes is possible for everyone to grow.”

Gnome’s app allows users to manage the water system remotely.  Alerts are sent when the soil becomes too dry, or the water is too warm.  Being able to adjust the system or automate timers based on soil moisture, saves time, money and resources.

In addition, the app offers information about growing plants. “The Gnome app has a comprehensive plant database that can teach you how to optimize growing at your location,” Lee said. “Based on plant type, seasonality and location, Gnome can tell you what parameters would be best for this plant and ways you can achieve them.”

Unit prices begin at $120.

Precision Weather Platform Forecasts Solutions

Lizzy SchultzAgribusiness, Audio, Data, John Deere, weather

jd-develop-16-bork While we can’t control the weather, understanding current and upcoming conditions is paramount in making effective crop management decisions. WxAgrios, a meteorology solutions platform that recently integrated with the John Deere Operations Center and Field Connect, is providing growers an unprecedented ability to observe and analyze weather information and forecasts directly from their fields.

WxAgrios was developed by Precision Weather Solutions (PWS), a full-service meteorology and climatology solutions provider based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Suzi Bonk, CEO of PWS, sat down for an interview with Chuck during the Develop With Deere Conference last week, where she discussed the ways this new platform offers a unique added value for growers.

“We have meteorologist and agro-meteorologists that work for us, and there are about 30,000 real-time, site-specific weather stations that feed into our overall network,” she said.

Subscribed users simply enter their information into the John Deere Operations Center, where it will integrate with the WxAgrios platform, allowing growers to look at current weather information and interact with radar and forecasting data while working in their fields.

“It creates an enriched opportunity for the grower and their decision-making processes,” said Bonk. “Our forecasting is an hourly forecast that updates every single hour, so for growers that are in the process of running their operations, especially if they’ve got a lot of fields, that can make a huge difference and save thousands of dollars. ”

Learn more in Chuck’s full interview with Suzi here:
[wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/jd-develop-16-bork.mp3″ text=”Interview with Suzi Bonk, Precision Weather Solutions”]

View and download photos from the event here: 2016 Develop With Deere Conference Photo Album.

AgDNA Develops With Deere Dealers

Lizzy SchultzAgribusiness, Audio, Data, Dealers, John Deere

jd-develop-16-turner AgDNA is one of the API Integrators John Deere uses with its precision ag software. The company’s precision ag software solution automatically pulls the data from John Deere machinery, processes it, and creates insights for growers to increase yield and lower operating costs.

Chuck sat down with Paul Turner, CEO of AgDNA, during the Develop with Deere Conference last week in Kansas City, to discuss the way the company works with Deere dealers to bring this innovative platforms to customers across the nation.

“Deere dealers are our customers, the way we sell our service is to private label it on behalf of the dealers, so it has their brand front and center on the mobile app and the website, and they remain the face to the customer,” said Turner in an interview during the conference. “We don’t sell direct to the grower, we offer the platform to the dealer and they sell it as a service.”

Learn more in Chuck’s full interview with Paul here: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/jd-develop-16-turner.mp3″ text=”Interview with Paul Turner, AgDNA”]

Photos from this year’s conference can be found here: Develop with Deere Photo Album