2015 #FarmProgressShow Wrap Up

Chuck ZimmermanAudio, Farm Progress Show

Farm Progress ShowThe 2015 Farm Progress Show concluded but the Farm Progress staff are now moving on to the next show and already planning for next year in Boone, IA. The ZimmComm Team has a lot more stories to share with you over the next couple weeks so keep checking back.

Before we left Decatur, I sat down with Don Tourte, Vice President/Market Leader for Penton Farm Progress, to get a wrap up of the show. We had three beautiful days of weather and field demos which were attended by big crowds. Unfortunately, the FAA grounded the UAV demos but hopefully they’ll get their regs together by next year.

Listen to my interview with Don here: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/fps-15-fps-tourte.mp3″ text=”Don Tourte, Farm Progress Companies”]

2015 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by John DeereCoverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience

HiSoy Golden Sweepstakes Winner

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Farm Progress Show, FS System, Growmark, seed, Soybeans

fps-gmk-winnerMatt Davis and his son Adam who farm near Mendota, Illinois are going home from the Farm Progress Show this week with a Meridian Seed Tender, courtesy of GROWMARK and Grainco FS in honor of the 50th anniversary of HiSoy soybeans.

“It’s fantastic, I didn’t actually believe it at first,” said Davis when he was awarded his prize at the show Wednesday. “It will fit in great with the operation I’ve got.”

GROWMARK seed division mgr Mark Thornsbrough, winner Matt Davis and son Adam; John Walsh and Mike Fredrichson of Grainco FS

GROWMARK seed division mgr Mark Thornsbrough, winner Matt Davis and son Adam; John Walsh and Mike Fredrickson of Grainco FS

GROWMARK Seed Division Manager Mark Thornsbrough said they came up with the sweepstakes to celebrate the golden anniversary of HiSoy. “HiSoy was the first and the oldest continuous brand in the United States and we’re very proud of our brand,” said Thornsbrough. “We launched (the sweepstakes) about a year ago and wanted to finish it up here at the Farm Progress Show.”

Thornsbrough says one thing that makes HiSoy so special is the leadership behind the brand. “We’ve had four product managers and they’ve all continued to make the brand a leading brand in the industry,” he said. “The most important part from a farmer’s standpoint as a cooperative, it is the farmers’ brand – the farmers own this brand and we want to make sure that we give them the best opportunity for high yields and the ability to maximize their income per acre.”

The GROWMARK Seed Division plans to award three seed tenders to three participants in the HiSOY Golden Anniversary Sweepstakes – randomly selecting a winner from each sales region – Northern, Southern, and Western. Davis was the Northern region winner.

Learn more in this interview: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/fps-gmk-hisoy.mp3″ text=”GROWMARK HiSoy Sweepstakes Winner”]

2015 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by John DeereCoverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience

Leading Innovation in Seed Traits at Bayer CropScience

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Audio, Bayer CropScience, Farm Progress Show, seed

21046902136_ffce823f57_zBayer CropScience strives to be a leading innovator in seed breeding and trait development and they held a media luncheon during the 2015 Farm Progress Show. Lloyd McCall works in Bayer’s breeding and trait development department and I sat down with him to learn more about four components that are key to customer success. They include: germplasm, people, process and approach, and resources and infrastructure.

“Germplasm is key for breeding. Without it germplasm and natural variation for the traits you are interested in you will make no progress in plant breeding. Collecting germplasm and putting the right components together is the critical step in breeding.”

Lloyd said they are also leveraging their germplasm on the global front. “We are looking at our breeding programs in Brazil and Argentina searching for materials we can bring to the U.S., not only as parents but as possible varieties. Then we do the reverse.”

Bayer CropScience is relatively new to the table when it comes to seed development in soybeans and wheat. The addition of new staff has been another big player in their breeding program. “We try to bring in the expertise that will help translate it from a theory into a practicality in a breeding program.”

Lloyd said the goal at Bayer CropScience is to always focus on the customer and that customer is the grower. “We have to have the right verity. We have to have the right trait package and we have to have something that is tested, evaluated regionally. We want to come to our growers and offer them a product with confidence.”

In my complete interview with Lloyd you can hear how Bayer is utilizing data and an update on their growth in infrastructure. [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/fps-15-bayer-mccall.mp3″ text=”Interview with Lloyd McCall, Bayer CropScience”]

View and download photos from the event here: 2015 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by John DeereCoverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience

aWhere Developers Community Launched

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Apps, Support

aWhere logoAgricultural application developers can now find an online community in aWhere, a portal for precision agriculture product developers.

The Developer Community portal provides developers with transparent access to documentation, open source sample code, best practice recommendations and tutorials. Developers integrating with aWhere data services can expect the same quality service and tools that they receive from leading global enterprise API platforms.

Developers can start coding with trial access and receive support from the community forums and aWhere’s API support team today. By launching this portal aWhere is providing their customers and agricultural technology innovators resources to expand their weather and agronomic data offerings. Agricultural platforms deliver this data to empower growers and crop specialists with important planting, crop management and harvesting information for better decision making.

“Providing open trial access to aWhere’s APIs displays the integrity of our commitment to provide meaningful agricultural weather data and insights derived from agronomic models to agriculture solution developers,” saidStewart Collis, CTO and Co-Founder of aWhere, who added, “It will assist agricultural software designers with the tools to rapidly connect with aWhere’s agronomic, meteorological, and technology experts.”

Weather aWhere is a globally available, cloud-based resource, providing agronomic decision support for large and small holder farmers through the software developed by our customers. It consists of a global database of daily high-resolution weather data and critical agronomic attributes driven by weather.

“By opening this Developer Community portal our customers have easy access to the operational data for enhanced developer productivity and applications that will make a difference to farmers worldwide, every growing season,” concluded Jeof Oyster, Senior Product Manager.

John Deere’s 6E Series Multi-Purpose Tractors

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Audio, Farm Progress Show, John Deere, Tractor

fps-15-jd-6eOn display at the 2015 Farm Progress Show is John Deere’s 6E Series Tractors which features enhanced performance, added versatility and greater value to the existing family of high-horsepower utility tractors. I spoke with Jean Jones, future product manager for John Deere’s 6E series tractors and she took time to walk me through the tractors specs while visiting their booth.

“The 6E tractors are the replacement for the 6D tractors. These are tractors that are really focused on our livestock and haying segment of customers. They are from a 105-135 horsepower tractor and they are generally used with a loader. So, we match them up with our John Deere H series loaders.”

“People are really impressed with the comfort in the cab with these E series tractors. It has a 15 degree swivel seat, as well as an optional loader view roof that allows customers to be able to see while stacking bales high.” Jean also said those that have strolled through the booth were excited about the hydraulic functions the series provides.

Jean said this tractor was just released two weeks ago and production has just begun. Producers can see these tractors hit dealer lots later this fall.

Learn more about John Deere’s multi-purpose tractor here: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/fps-15-jd-6e-jones.mp3″ text=”Interview with Jean Jones, John Deere”]

View and download photos from the event here: 2015 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by John DeereCoverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience

New #USFRA Consumer Attitudes Study

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Farm Progress Show, Research, sustainability, USFRA

fps-usfra-nancyDuring the Farm Progress Show this weed, U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) announced the results of a new survey on consumer views on farming and ranching sustainability.

“For USFRA, no question about agriculture is off the table,” said USFRA chair Nancy Kavazanjian during the press conference. “We want to make sure farmers and ranchers are involved in the most important conversations about food. We know that impact on the environment is a frequent conversation when it comes to food production. While farmers and ranchers are stewards of the land, we have not always been vocal voices in the environmental conversation, and we want that to change.”

USFRA is using the results as a foundation to better answer consumer questions about sustainability and agriculture. The survey found that 56 percent of all respondents agreed with the statement, “Farmers and ranchers use new technologies and innovations to protect the environment.” While 47 percent of all respondents agreed with the statement, “The way that most of today’s farming and ranching operations in the U.S. grow and raise food meets the standards of sustainability.” However, when presented with the same statement, the survey revealed that women are less likely than men to agree that farming and ranching practices are sustainable – 37 percent of women versus 59 percent of men responding they are in agreement.

Learn more about this survey in this interview – [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/fps-usfra-nancy.mp3″ text=”Interview with Nancy Kavazanjian, USFRA Chair”]

Hear more in this press conference with USFRA CEO Randy Krotz and Nancy Kavazanjian- [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/fps15-usfra-pressconf.mp3″ text=”USFRA Press Conference”]

2015 Farm Progress Show Album

Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by John DeereCoverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience

Help @GROWMARK Feed the Hungry

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Farm Progress Show, Food, FS System, Growmark

fps-gmk-exhibitGROWMARK and the FS System are the folks who make the Farm Progress Show grow and go – so you definitely should stop by and visit them on the corner of Central and Eleventh before the show ends on Thursday afternoon.

“We are the official fuel and agronomic sponsor of the field demonstrations here,” says Rachel Moore with the GROWMARK Marketing and Communications division, pictured here on the right with Bev Long, manager of that division.

Inside the exhibit, there are lots of interactive games related to the FS member companies, including grain systems, agronomy, and energy with the diesel fuel branded as Dieselex Gold. “We’re doing a Dieselex Gold challenge where people can sign up for that in our booth,” said Moore.

fps-gmk-gameNew to the exhibit this year is a way for visitors to not only have fun, but also make a difference in the local community by helping to feed those in need. “Farming Forever is a way we wanted to pair up with two food banks – Midwest Food Bank and Feeding America,” said Long. “For every person that plays Farming Forever, the GROWMARK Foundation on behalf of FS Member Companies will give a dollar. We’re looking for 10,000 people to come in and play, so that’s $5,000 to each of those organizations.”

Find out more in this interview with Rachel and Bev – and better yet, stop by and play the game so they can meet their goal! [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/fps-gmk-exhibit.mp3″ text=”Interview with Rachel Moore and Bev Long, GROWMARK”]

2015 Farm Progress Show Album

Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by John DeereCoverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience

Trimble Expands with Three New Offerings

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Apps, Software, Website, Wireless

trimbleTrimble has recently announced three new projects within the company.

Their Connected Farm solution will soon be available in subscription bundles to suit all types of farm management needs.  The entry level bundle allows growers to organize data from a desktop or mobile device.  A standard bundle gives farmers a platform for fleet management, crop health monitoring, precipitation monitoring, and unlimited data exchange between office and field.

Trimble has further announced it will be working with third-party software companies to create apps for Android-based Trimble TMX-2050 display and Web-based Connected Farm management solution.  This new offering shows their commitment to giving customers comprehensive farm management tools for informed decision-making.  The collaboration will address more precision farming challenges.

The third project is the wireless connectivity between the Trimble TMX-2050 to the Connected Farm platform.  TMX 3.0 will also feature a marketplace for downloading the third-party mobile apps.  The features will come standard on the 3.0, at no additional cost to the customer.

“With this release, we are reinforcing Trimble’s commitment to transforming agriculture, making wireless connectivity standard on the farm and simplifying the way growers utilize and manage data on their operations,” said Pierre-Andre Rebeyrat, marketing director for Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “Now real-time communication will be an integrated part of the workflow on a modern farm.”

To contact a local Trimble representative visit: http://dealerlocator.trimble.com.

Demos Back After Three Years

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Corn, Equipment, Farm Progress Show, Video

fps-15-combiningIt has been three years since harvesters have been able to roll through the demonstration fields at Farm Progress Show and the crowd was out in full force. Farm equipment companies lined up to show attendees just how well their combines work in the field. Each equipment company exhibiting a combine or corn head has the opportunity to take part in the demos. Checkout our video of the demos and we have plenty of photos in our album from the field. Did you have a favorite?

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2015 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Coverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by John DeereCoverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the 2015 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience

MyEquipment Gives Real-Time Data Management

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Data, Equipment

MyEquipmentDTN/The Progressive Farmer is releasing MyEquipment.  Powered by Farmobile PUC, a Passive Upload Connection device, MyEquipment provides real-time machinery data collection as part of the MyDTN management suite.

“We are proud of this collaboration, which brings together the management tools of MyDTN with the most comprehensive and timely machine and agronomic data from Farmobile,” said Jason Tatge, CEO and founder of Farmobile. “Like DTN/The Progressive Farmer, we are committed to farmers and are focused on partnerships that will create the next generation of information to drive value back to farms.”

The MyDTN suite offers informations about a variety of farm aspects from anywhere, on any device.  Growers can receive alerts to help spot favorable market conditions, consolidate market, weather, and industry information for better time management, and view field-level forecasts for timing of irrigation, crop protection applications, and livestock care.