Can Farm Movies Improve Ag’s Image?

Jamie JohansenZimmPoll

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Do you think farm movies can help the public image of agriculture?”

It looks like the majority polled believe these farm movies can play a positive role in improving the agricultural industries image. Getting people to theaters to watch them might be tricky, but the old fashioned word-of-mouth advertising could be the ticket. I, personally, am eager to watch them and share with friends and family.

Our poll results:

  • Definitely – 38%
  • Maybe – 27%
  • No – 11%
  • Not sure – 4%
  • Can’t hurt – 15%
  • Other – 5%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What’s the largest percentage of your 2014 marketing budget?”

Next week is the annual Agri-Marketing Conference in Jacksonville, FL. Agribusiness/agency/media and more will be networking and participating in professional development activities. We’re pretty sure this question will be a part of the conversation.

Syngenta Supports FFA Ambassador Program

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, FFA, Syngenta

Syngenta_BiotechAs the pressure on natural resources increases from feeding, fueling and clothing a growing global population, the agricultural industry needs a stronger chorus of voices to tell its story effectively. With support from Syngenta and other sponsors, the National FFA Organization has developed the National Collegiate Agriculture Ambassadors program to help meet this challenge.

“The FFA Ag Ambassador program helps educate a broad audience on food production,” said J.R. Peterson, district manager at Syngenta. “It is critical that our best and brightest young people can effectively communicate the importance of agriculture in public settings.”

Each year, 20 college students from across the country are selected to participate in the program. These Ag Ambassadors serve for one year, speaking at local schools, colleges, FFA chapters, civic organizations and Farm Bureau groups about the importance of sustainable agriculture in their communities. In return, they receive a $1,000 scholarship, a digital camera, the use of an LCD projector and compensation for travel.

Applications for the 2014-2015 Collegiate FFA Agriculture Ambassador team are now available. College sophomores, juniors, seniors or graduate students pursuing agricultural degrees can apply for the program. All ambassadors must be former FFA members, current collegiate FFA members or members of the National FFA Alumni Association.

Applicants must submit a video presentation of themselves to showcase facilitation skills. They also must answer essay questions and provide references by the April 15, 2014, entry deadline. Selected ambassadors will attend two training sessions: The first is August 4 to 8, 2014, in North Carolina, where they will spend part of the week at the Syngenta facility in Greensboro. The second will take place in December 2014.

“Our goal is to grow these students personally and professionally through their experience as ambassadors,” says Ryan Amaral, an FFA education specialist. “Throughout their year of service, students are learning more about agriculture, building a strong network of peer and professional contacts in the industry, and telling the inspirational story of agriculture.”

The 2013/2014 Ag Ambassador team, which is featured on the Syngenta Thrive website, is currently hard at work helping to promote the industry.

Sam Tauchen, a senior at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, says, “When I share my story of agriculture, I realize what I am doing is bigger than myself. The program has been a blessing, and I am honored to join a group of people who are committed to improving the future of agriculture.”

Leica mojoXact Plus Adds ISOBUS Universal Terminal

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Data Collection, technology

4315_024 (screens from 4415_061,64, 65, 68)By supporting ISOBUS Universal Terminals, Leica Geosystems Agriculture make its Leica mojoXact Plus more versatile than ever before. With a simple software upgrade, farmers can minimise cab clutter, and maximise the use of their existing equipment, thus reducing capital costs and installation complexity.

The ISOBUS (ISO11783) standard provides a communication network that links compliant equipment through a single user interface. It allows farmers to connect different tools and controls to their machines by simply attaching a cable via standardised connectors. By complying with the ISOBUS standard, the Leica mojoXact Plus makes a breakthrough by providing a fully functional guidance system that works with existing equipment available on the machine. This provides farmers with many benefits such as easy installation, less cab clutter, reduced costs, simplified machine integration and the confidence that they are investing in a future-proof technology.

“We are very proud of what we have achieved with the Leica mojoXact Plus. It’s very compact and the fact that it can be installed in any direction and orientation inside the tractor cab is a big advantage over the competition. By adding Universal Terminal support, farmers can not only leverage the ISOBUS standard to customise their precision guidance solution but they also maximise their return on investment,” said Joe Arico, Manager of Product Management and Global Support at Leica Geosystems Agriculture.

The Leica mojoXact Plus continues to provide all the functions of the previous Leica mojoXact product, keeping the RTK upgrade option for the Leica mojo3D and continuing to support open standards (ISO, NMEA, RTK correction formats). The remote service and support tool, Leica Virtual Wrench™ remains a key benefit and is available for both Leica mojo3D and Universal Terminal system configurations. GLONASS continues to be a no-cost option and used in combination with the 6 axis inertial measurement unit and dual frequency GNSS receiver the mojoXact Plus provides repeatable accuracy and unsurpassed steering performance.

Midwest Region of US Boasts Photosynthetic Activity

Jamie JohansenAerial Imagery, Ag Group

nasalogoData from satellite sensors show that during the Northern Hemisphere’s growing season, the Midwest region of the United States boasts more photosynthetic activity than any other spot on Earth, according to NASA and university scientists.

Recent research from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., demonstrated that fluorescence from plants could be teased out of data from existing satellites, and a new study used the data for the first time to estimate photosynthesis from agriculture. Results were published March 25 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

According to co-author Christian Frankenberg of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., “The paper shows that fluorescence is a much better proxy for agricultural productivity than anything we’ve had before. This can go a long way regarding monitoring – and maybe even predicting – regional crop yields.”

Most of the year the study found that the tropics are most productive. But during the Northern Hemisphere’s growing season, the U.S. Corn Belt “really stands out,” Frankenberg said. “Areas all over the world are not as productive as this area.”

Data showed that fluorescence from the Corn Belt, which extends from Ohio to Nebraska and Kansas, peaks in July at levels 40 percent greater than those observed in the Amazon.

The analysis revealed that carbon cycle models – which scientists use to understand how carbon cycles through the ocean, land and atmosphere over time – underestimate the productivity of the Corn Belt by 40 to 60 percent.

Unlike most vegetation, food crops are managed to maximize productivity. They usually have access to abundant nutrients and are irrigated. The Corn Belt, for example, receives water from the Mississippi River. Accounting for irrigation is currently a challenge for models, which is one reason why they underestimate agricultural productivity.

According to Frankenberg, the remote sensing-based techniques now available could be a powerful monitoring tool for food security, especially data from OCO-2 and in combination with data from other upcoming satellites, such as NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive, scheduled for launch later this year.

NRCS New Web Pages Meet Modern Farmers Needs

Jamie JohansenAg Group, Conservation, NRCS

Screen Shot 2014-04-01 at 12.01.22 PMFor generations, children have been singing about the farmer, his wife and kids, and even the mouse and the cheese. But today, a modern farmer is more likely to be using the mouse on his computer (or more realistically, a smartphone or tablet) than dancing around a small wooded valley with his family and farm animals.

The website of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, has been evolving to keep pace with the needs of today’s farmer, says NRCS Webmaster Elisa O’Halloran.

“Our mission is to provide American farmers, ranchers and other visitors with the tools and resources they are looking for on a site that is easy to use and navigate.”

The most-effective websites combine clear and readable text, usability, functionality and simple navigation. NRCS writes the text for targeted audiences, which includes farmers and ranchers, as well as people who use NRCS online tools, such as Web Soil Survey, PLANTS database and COMET-FarmTM.

Recently, the agency created a new Get Started with NRCS page. This new webpage helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners learn how they can make improvements to their land with conservation.

This webpage features the five steps to getting assistance from NRCS, so that farmers, ranchers and forest landowners can know about the process of applying for assistance from the comfort of their own home, barn, tractor or wherever else they hop online.

Also, NRCS revamped its About and Drought Resources pages and created a Resources for Small Farms page. About NRCS provides an overview of what NRCS offers, including those popular tools that bring many visitors to the website.

Drought Resources houses information on assistance and resources that can help farms and ranches be more resilient to drought. And finally, the Resources for Small Farms page pulls together information and resources that may be of interest to owners and managers of smaller farms, such as information on organics and seasonal high tunnels.

NRCS uses a number of tools to help create these pages, including site traffic and customer experience information. “We’ve found that more than 61 percent of people coming to our website were new visitors, many of whom were farmers, ranchers and forest landowners looking for information on conservation programs,” O’Halloran said.

NRCS has about 13,000 visits per day on its national website. Some of the most popular pages deal with soils, Web Soil Survey and the Farm Bill.

“We hope you enjoy these new and revamped pages, and we welcome feedback on how we can improve our ‘digital’ service center,” says O’Halloran. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to help you get started with NRCS!”

NovAtel CORRECT™ With TerraStar Service

Jamie JohansenAerial Application, Agribusiness, technology

NovatelLogoNovAtel Inc. announced today that with the release of its 6.400 firmware, NovAtel CORRECT positioning technology is now available with TerraStar’s precise point positioning (PPP) corrections. Delivered via L-band, TerraStar corrections provide decimetre-level accuracy worldwide on all NovAtel OEM6® high precision receivers, without users having to add base-station infrastructure. Subscriptions to the TerraStar correction service are available seamlessly to customers through NovAtel’s standard sales order process. Interested parties need only contact a NovAtel sales representative.

NovAtel CORRECT optimally combines data from multiple GNSS satellite constellations with corrections from a variety of sources, to deliver the best position solution possible. The strategic importance of TerraStar’s decimetre-level correction service to NovAtel’s product offering is reflected in the recent purchase of TerraStar parent company Veripos by Hexagon.

“The OEM nature of TerraStar’s correction service makes them a perfect partner for NovAtel,” stated Sara Masterson, New Business Development Manager for NovAtel. “We are extremely pleased with the performance of our current TerraStar offering and, with the ability to now work more closely together, we are very excited about developing positioning innovations for our customers in the future.”

NovAtel CORRECT is available for land, air and sea applications, providing customers with one-stop shopping for receivers, antennas and correction services. It provides integrators with the opportunity to choose pricing and subscription options that best match their OEM business objectives.

Global Expansion for Raven’s Precision Ag Group

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, agronomy, Audio, International, Raven, technology

RavenRaven Industries Applied Technology Division has recently taken their diverse product offering into new territories throughout the world as part of their continuous vision for global expansion. Raven recently signed new product dealers in Mexico, Thailand, and the Philippines with new prospects continually being identified. To support their efforts of global development, Raven has also translated their website and product guide app into several languages including Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese, among others.

“Precision agriculture is an industry with world-wide growth potential. As Raven pursues new markets, we are strongly committed to providing customer service and sales tools, including web sites and product apps, translated into local languages,” said Michelle Lavallee, global leader of sales and marketing.

As further commitment to the global vision, Raven has promoted Jeff Rohlena to global manager of business development managers, where he will focus on promoting and expanding the reach of Raven’s innovative precision agriculture solutions around the world.

“Jeff has the vision, knowledge and experience to lead the global business development team to new markets and new verticals,” said Lavallee. “He clearly understands the need to take Raven’s business in new directions and I am confident he can help achieve one of our most important initiatives of the year.”

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Michelle Lavallee here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/raven/raven-lavallee.mp3″ text=”Interview with Michelle Lavallee”]

For more information on Raven’s global expansion, please visit www.ravenprecision.com.

Powerful & Accurate Steering in Precision Farming

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Equipment, Guidance

4570_085Leica Geosystems today released the Leica SteerDirect ES Plus, the electric steering system for farmers who seek a brand independent retrofit solution for their auto steering needs. Using Leica SteerDirect ES Plus farmers benefit from improved accuracy, diminished skips and overlaps, and reduced operator fatigue.

The Leica SteerDirect ES Plus has a built-in encoder for more accurate steering and a powerful electric motor that provides superior performance. Adding Leica SteerDirect ES Plus doesn’t involve integration into the hydraulic system or dismounting the steering wheel. The steering system latches on and off for easy transfer between vehicles and it comes with a separate engage switch to allow convenient and flexible operator handling.

Leica SteerDirect ES Plus provides assisted steering for a wide range of tractor, sprayer and harvester models. It is compatible with the Leica mojo3D guidance system and the Leica mojoXact Plus, Leica Geosystems’ latest RTK upgrade option with ISOBUS capability. The steering solution supplies customers with a large number of vehicle specific installation kits as well as a universal installation kit.

”With the Leica SteerDirect ES Plus farmers can easily add auto-steering regardless of the machinery brand they use. Due to the simple installation and the transferability of the Leica SteerDirect ES Plus customers can save money by utilizing the system across their fleet. An extended list of supported vehicles and technical improvements help more customers to achieve accuracte steering hassle-free.”, said Joe Arico, Manager Product Management and Global Support at Leica Geosystems Agriculture.

More information about Leica Geosystems Agriculture products is available from all authorized Leica Geosystems distribution partners and at www.AgGuidance.com.

Precision.AgWired.com Podcast: The Big Data revolution

Meghan GrebnerData Collection, Precision Pays Podcast, technology

pp-podcast“Big Data” is one of the hottest topics at just about any farm meeting.  Some of the questions that surround its use focus on who owns it and how it should be used.

Data editor for The Economist Ken Cukier says as technology advances farmers are able to monitor their farms more efficiently and effectively.  But there are questions remains – how should that data be shared?

In this Precision.AgWired.com Podcast, sponsored by Ag Leader Technology, we’ll hear one expert’s thoughts on the “Big Data” revolution.

[wpaudio url=”http://precision.agwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2014/03/PPP_March14.mp3″ text=”Precision.AgWired.com Podcast”]

The Precision.AgWired.com Podcast is sponsored by Ag Leader Technology.

Land Trusts Converging on Washington

Jamie JohansenAg Group, Government, Land

LandLand trust leaders from across the country are converging on Capitol Hill on April 2 to educate and engage Congressional members on key land conservation issues that support the nation in securing local economic sustainability, fresh food, clean water, places to recreate, and keeping family farms in the family, during the third annual Land Trust Advocacy Day sponsored by the Land Trust Alliance.

Land trust leaders will attend issue briefings and networking events before conducting more than 100 individual meetings with staff and members of Congress in the Senate and House from key districts, as well as with members on the tax, agriculture and appropriations committees to promote the economic, social and natural impacts their work has on rural, suburban and urban communities alike. Everyone from sportsmen, farmers, and ranchers, to foresters and recreationists value and seek favorable policies to support land conservation.

Last year’s meetings were instrumental in securing more than one billion dollars for a new conservation program in the Farm Bill. Land trusts have also recently celebrated an enhanced tax incentive for conservation easement donations that was included both in President Obama’s proposed budget and in the tax reform package proposed by House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (MI).

Land trusts are community-based conservation organizations formed by local citizens that acquire and protect land for the benefit of their community. Strong land trusts provide local communities with effective champions and caretakers of their critical land resources.

The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation group that works on behalf of the nation’s 1,700 land trusts to save the places people love by strengthening conservation nationwide. The Alliance works to increase the pace and quality of conservation by advocating favorable tax policies and training land trusts in best practices, and working to ensure the permanence of conservation in the face of continuing threats.