Manufacturers Encouraged to Implement ADAPT

Kelly MarshallAg Group, AgGateway

aggateway-adaptA dozen farm groups and organizations have united to ask Farm Management Information System (FMIS) companies to use the new AgGateway ADAPT framework.  ADAPT allows for interoperability between precision ag systems- a major benefit to growers.

American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Farmers Union, National Sorghum Producers, National Sunflower Association, U.S. Canola Association, U.S. Dry Bean Council, and USA Rice join the American Farm Bureau Federation in sending a letter to AgGateway Chairman, David Black.

“Over the last decade, the most consistent concern raised by farmers using precision ag is that ‘different systems won’t work together,'” the letter states. “The farm and commodity groups are pleased that AgGateway member companies worked collectively to solve this problem by creating ADAPT…. As organizations representing producers of all commodities and in all 50 states, we offer our support to encourage FMIS companies to formally commit to integrating the ADAPT framework in the near future.”

“We are grateful for this truly impressive show of support from grower organizations, and are ready to assist companies – and get their feedback to continually improve ADAPT – as they incorporate this technology into their proprietary systems,” said Mark Stelford, Chairman of AgGateway’s ADAPT Oversight Committee and General Manager of Premier Crop Systems.

As AgGateway’s ADAPT is integrated into products, the grower will be much better equipped to manage data across different precision agriculture systems – regardless of the system manufacturer. ADAPT is an open source project, allowing precision ag software providers globally to use the software and to contribute to its continued development. The ADAPT framework is comprised of an Agricultural Application Data Model, a common API (Application Programming Interface), and a combination of open source and proprietary data conversion plug-ins. Developers can access additional information about the ADAPT SDK, as well as access the model, by going to www.ADAPTframework.org.

“ADAPT and the accompanying data format enables the interoperability between software systems, service providers and advisors that farmers need to perform their routine operations more efficiently and seamlessly,” said Tarak Reddy, Chair of AgGateway’s ADAPT Technical Committee and Delivery Architect of John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group.

Several companies have already committed to using ADAPT; AGCO Corporation, Ag Leader Technology, CLAAS, CNH Industrial, Deere & Company, Praxidyn, Raven Industries, Topcon Precision Agriculture, and Trimble Navigation are all working to release plug-ins for their technology. Timelines for plug-in development vary by manufacturer, but most will be ready this fall or into 2017.

A Story of Custom Wheat Harvest

Kelly MarshallHarvesting, wheat

ffa-16-214-editedTracey Zeorian was only 12 years old the first time she traveled along the custom wheat harvesting highway. Her passion for custom wheat harvesting was instilled in her by her grandparents and you could say the rest is history. Once married, she and her husband quickly knew they too wanted to follow in her families footsteps and first loaded up in 1990 to spend their first of many summers on the road with their family.

Tracey and her family’s story is told through the Great American Wheat Harvest documentary by Conrad Weaver and Jamie Johansen got to sit down with her during the recent 89th National FFA Convention where she was able to hand out classroom versions of the film to FFA members who visited the New Holland Agriculture booth during the expo.

“Custom harvesting is something that basically puts you into forced family time, which has been awesome. It has created a great family unity bond. It’s something that really gets in your blood and has been a tremendous lifestyle.”

This summer was the first time since 1990 the Zeorian family didn’t set out on the custom wheat harvest journey as a family. Their kids are grown ups now and made the hard decision to stay home.

Tracey’s enthusiasm for custom harvesting was contagious as FFA students swarmed the booth to take home their very own DVD and movie poster. “To be around these kids in blue jackets is amazing. It gives me hope that there is a future for agriculture. Just like the little wheat fields you seeing growing right now. It’s hope to me to know that next year that is something we will be able to harvest.”

Listen to Jamie’s complete interview with Tracey here: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/ffa-16-zeorian.mp3″ text=”Interview with Tracey Zeorian, Custom Wheat Harvester”]

Be sure to check out even more action by viewing the 89th National FFA Convention & Expo Photo Album.

Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by FMC
Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by New Holland

FFA Students Experience the Power of Ethanol

Kelly MarshallAg Group, Ethanol, FFA

ffa-16-269-editedFFA Students already understand the importance of ethanol to rural communities and national security, says Cory Harris of Growth Energy and American Ethanol.  That’s why they’ve chosen this special group of agriculture students to focus the message of performance.

“Our message here at National FFA Convention, […] we really wanted to focus this year on engine performance with Ethanol,” Harris told Jamie Johansen.

Many of the students at the event knew ethanol was corn based, and some related it to racing, but the team at Growth Energy wanted to go a little further.  They brought in a racing boat and experts to share with the future of agriculture just how proficient this alternative fuel can be.  Students can be skeptical about how it will work for them, Harris explains.  Their goal is to assure members that the product works great in small engines too, like their car or lawn mower.

The Convention provides a great place for students to talk about the science behind the product, but it will also provide the opportunity for a student to attend a NASCAR race and see ethanol in action with a drawing for free tickets.

Learn more about Growth Energy and their goals for FFA in Jamie’s interview: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/ffa-16-growth-energy.mp3″ text=”Interview with Cory Harris, Growth Energy”]

Be sure to check out even more action by viewing the 89th National FFA Convention & Expo Photo Album.

Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by FMC
Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by New Holland

FFA Proficiencies Promote Future Careers in Ag

Jamie JohansenAg Group, Audio, FFA, FMC, New Holland

ffa-16-400-editedWinners of the 2016 National Agricultural Proficiency Awards were announced during the sixth general session at the 89th National FFA Convention & Expo. These awards honor FFA members who, through their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs, have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers. Our two coverage sponsors also sponsored proficiency award categories to further their commitment to youth in agriculture.

New Holland Agriculture sponsored the Dairy Production — Entrepreneurship proficiency and it was awarded to Sabrina L. Portner from the Sleepy Eye FFA Chapter in Minnesota.

Sabrina raises and breeds her own dairy cattle. Receiving her first calf when she was 7, she currently owns a herd of 27 registered Brown Swiss cattle. She has used pedometers to increase heat observations and has conducted a milk quality research project with her herd that has allowed her to discover which mastitis organisms are affecting her cows. Portner is supported by her parents, Mary and Tom, and her FFA advisor, Mary Hoffman.

Listen to my interview with Sabrina as she shares more: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/ffa-16-dairy-ent-prof.mp3″ text=”Interview with Sabrina Portner, Dairy Production — Ent”]

ffa-16-401-editedFMC Corporation, Agricultural Solutions sponsored the Agriscience Research — Plant Systems proficiency and it was awarded to Mariah Joy Cox from the Zane Trace FFA Chapter in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Mariah has participated in science fairs since the fourth grade and found that she enjoyed the scientific research process and sharing her results with the judges. Her SAE research has focused on three projects, all related to plant science. She first identified properties of potato starch and their applications to plant-based packaging. Secondly, she compared two varieties of raspberries in terms of phenolics and anthocyanins. And finally, she worked in a lab in Hyberabad, India, testing plots of vegetable soybeans. Cox is supported by her parents, Rachel and Paul, and her FFA advisors, Jennifer Johnston and Aaron Miller.

Listen to my interview with Mariah as she shares more: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/ffa-16-ag-sci-prof.mp3″ text=”Interview with Mariah Cox, Agriscience Research — Plant Systems”]

Be sure to check out even more action by viewing the 89th National FFA Convention & Expo Photo Album.

Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by FMC
Coverage of the National FFA Convention is sponsored by New Holland

The Election & Ag Exports – Who’s the Best Candidate?

Jamie JohansenZimmPoll

zp-nh1Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What is most important to food sustainability?”

Sustainability is no longer simply a word used in agricultural circles. Consumers are also weighing in and therefore food companies are recognizing the importance of sustainability in agriculture, but some aren’t understanding technology and food production work hand-in-hand. Yet, this poll stresses agriculture’s point. All factors need to come into play when we talk sustainability.

Here are the poll results:

  • Biotechnology – 14%
  • Precision technology – 0%
  • Nutrient management – 4%
  • Water management – 8%
  • Ag education – 13%
  • All of the above – 53%
  • Other – 8%

Our new ZimmPoll is live and asks the question, Which candidate is better for agricultural exports?

Both major party candidates have said they are opposed to the Trans Pacific Partnership which most studies show would help to open up markets and increase agricultural exports. The Obama administration has been strongly in favor of TPP and urging Congress to ratify the trade agreement as soon as possible, but that will not likely be before the end of the year, leaving it in the hands of the next president and a new Congress. So, which candidate would be better to help increase ag exports?

Precision Investments Paying Off

Cindy ZimmermanAg Group, Audio, Corn, Exports, Grain

exex16-councellThe chairman of the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) says the investment farmers have made in new technology and equipment is paying off for their customers.

Maryland farmer Chip Councell, who was attending an event in Detroit this week to promote exports of U.S. coarse grains and ethanol co-products to international buyers, related how farmers in his area were able to harvest grain in record time when Hurricane Matthew was coming up the East Coast. “We actually harvested two-thirds of our corn crop in three and a half days,” he said. “It just shows the ability of the U.S. farmer to get it done when we have to.”

Councell says farmers were able to make significant investments to improve productivity a few years ago when customers of U.S. grains were paying much higher prices for corn. “So farmers invested in technology which I think our customers are benefiting from now,” he said.

The Export Exchange in Detroit this week, sponsored by USGC and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), is helping to connect international buyers and domestic suppliers of corn, distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), sorghum and barley.

“We have over 200 international customers from 35 countries,” said Councell. “It’s a great opportunity for us to show them U.S. agriculture and our infrastructure and how we are a consistent, reliable supplier of high quality grain.”

Learn more in this interview: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/exex16-councell.mp3″ text=”Interview with Chip Councell, US Grains Council Chairman”]

2016 Export Exchange Photo Album

Coverage of Export Exchange 2016 made possible by Coverage of Export Exchange 2016 made possible by the Renewable Fuels Association

Precision Bytes

Kelly MarshallUncategorized

  • precision bytes IntelinAir has appointed two members to its board of directors—Mark Holdsworth, Operating Partner and Co-Founder of Tennenbaum Capital Partners, and Peter Lacey, Founder and Chairman of Cervus Equipment Corporation. The company also announced the addition of agronomy and robotics experts to its advisory team.
  • DuPont has announced that Paul E. Stickler is retiring as president after 42 years of service. His retirement will be effective January 2, 2017.

CNH Named to Climate A List

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Case IH, climate, environment, New Holland

The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) has named CNH Industrial to its Climate A List. The CDP is the only global disclosure system for companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts, also providing investors and organizations with access to environmental information.

Thousands of companies submit annual climate disclosures to CDP for independent assessment against its scoring methodology. CNH Industrial is among the top 9%, out of over 2,100 corporations participating in CDP’s climate change program, to be awarded a position on the A List. This is in recognition of its actions to optimize energy consumption, reduce CO2 emissions and mitigate the business risks of climate change in the 2015 reporting year.

As part of its strategy to combat climate change, CNH Industrial conducted 201 projects throughout the course of 2015 to improve its global energy performance. These led to a number of positive results including 48% of the total energy consumption at manufacturing facilities from renewable sources and a reduction of more than 81,000 tons of CO2 emissions (-4% per hour of production in comparison to 2014).

In addition to being recognized as the Industry Leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices World and Europe, CNH Industrial is also admitted to other important sustainable indices including: MSCI Global ESG Indexes, MSCI Global SRI Indexes, FTSE4Good, ECPI Global Developed ESG Best in Class Equity, FTSE ECPI Italia SRI Benchmark and FTSE ECPI Italia SRI Leaders, Euronext Vigeo Europe 120, Euronext Vigeo Eurozone 120, STOXX ESG Leaders Indices, STOXX Sustainability Indices.

Soil Health Partnership Featured at Conference

Kelly MarshallAg Group, NCGA, Nutrient Management, Soil Health Partnership

soilhealthpartnershipSeveral key organizations have gathered in St. Louis, Missouri this week to delve into soil health as a key element in carbon sequestration efforts.  “C-Quest: Charting a Course for Climate Research in Agriculture,” featured the Soil Health Partnership (SHP), a farmer-led initiative of the Nation Corn Growers Association.  Together with Monsanto Company, Washington University in St. Louis, Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, Howard G. Buffet Foundation and the United States Department of Agriculture, The ILSI Research Foundation has been hosting this event to share solutions.

The conference focused on developing research targets for agricultural goals that:

    • Support achievement of USDA’s “building blocks” for climate-smart agriculture
    • Integrate existing U.S. Midwest field research networks (like SHP) for climate adaptation
    • Develop a research agenda to achieve a “carbon-neutral” agri-food system in the U.S. through a focus on soil carbon and soil health, including validation of soil carbon protocols.


“It’s exciting to see agricultural improvements that impact soil health recognized as an emerging opportunity to optimize productivity, sequester carbon and improve protection of our natural resources, like water,” said Soil Health Partnership Director, Nick Goeser. “We’re honored to participate in this discussion, and to see farmers recognized whole-heartedly as a part of the solution.”

The SHP is a leader in field-scale testing and measuring of more than 65 farm sites to lean what management practices improve soil health.  Growers are learning more about practices like cover crops to prevent erosion and nutrient loss, conservation tillage like no-till or strip till, and using science-based nutrient management techniques to reduce nutrient loss.

Case IH Celebrates 25 Years of Patriot Sprayers

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Case IH, Spraying

anniversary-cih-sprayerOctober 21st marked the 25th year of producing Case IH Patriot sprayers at the Benson, Minnesota manufacturing faculty.  Honored guests, executives and employees marked the day with a special ceremony.

“Twenty-five years ago, growers and professional applicators were introduced to Patriot sprayers and shown a better way to optimize their time and accuracy in any conditions,” said Jason Hausauer, Benson plant manager. “Today, we are proud to continue to build sprayers that offer some of the most advanced spray technology on the market.”

The “cab-forward, rear-engine” configuration gives Case IH Patriot sprayers a distinct look, as well as a performance edge. The design puts the static weight of the cab and engine over the front and rear axles. When the tank is full and the booms are extended, the design keeps the weight of the product tank in the center to allow more even weight distribution between the axles.

The occasion is marked with a limited edition 25th Anniversary Patriot 4440 and 3340 for 2017.  The commemorative machines will feature eye-catching silver and red paint, anniversary decals, MICHELIN® tires, Raven Industries technology and Wilger COMBO-RATE® nozzle bodies, the new AIM Command FLEX™ advanced spray technology, and boom-size and precision-technology options to match customer needs.