Landmark Breaks Ground for New Facility

Talia GoesAgribusiness

landmarkLandmark Services Cooperative broke ground for a new state-of-the-art grain facility in Fall River, Wis., on June 24. The new grain-loading facility is to be completed by August 2014. The facility will have capacity to hold up to 4.6 million bushels of grain and to market 15 to 25 million bushels of grain annually.

The new facility will be the second of its kind in the state of Wisconsin. The facility will allow producers to store and market grain at the best economic time for their operation. A rail system will be built into the grain facility so rail cars can enter the bin infrastructure and be loaded directly, saving on shipping and loading costs and reducing carbon emissions associated with traditional shipping.

The first grain shuttle loading facility in Wisconsin is in Evansville, Wis., and is also owned by Landmark Services Cooperative. The Evansville facility was completed in 2002 and has since benefited community members and agricultural producers through increased marketing opportunities and shipping speed, greater community employment, added economic activity and fewer carbon emissions.

The first 50 growers to contract 1,000 bushels to the facility will have their signatures placed on one of the groundbreaking shovels, displayed permanently in the new facility.

AgStudio Summer Showcase Event

Talia GoesAgribusiness, Data Collection, Software

AgStudioHeaderMapShots is planning to showcase the AgStudio line of software products on Monday July 15th, in Springfield, IL. The showcase event will be held at the Northfield Inn Suites & Conference Center.

Ted Macy, MapShots President, says “This summer’s InfoAg Conference will be the most significant in MapShots history. We planned this event to give our customers, and those interested in MapShots AgStudio, an advanced look at what we will be featuring at InfoAg.”

The MapShots team will be demonstrating the use of AgStudio for precision soil fertility management, variable rate irrigation and seeding, data analysis, and new business integration tools, including automated crop insurance reporting and AgStudio’s exclusive multiple boundary sets feature.

In addition, MapShots will be demonstrating the AgStudio Select web application. More than just a data viewer, AgStudio Select is poised to become a central part of the AgStudio data management solution.

Getting To Know Ag Leader

Talia GoesAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Insights WeeklyHere is the next in our series as we introduce you to a few of dedicated precision ag equipment dealers in a series called “Getting to Know Ag Leader”.

We caught up with Michael Short of Ag West Supply in Harrisburg, Ore.:

1. From an agronomy standpoint, what do you consider to be the biggest issues facing growers today?
Growers today must have the proper tools to enable their crops to grow to their full potential. These tools include pesticides and fertilizers that are being watched very closely by the government and other associations looking after the environment. Without these tools, growers cannot create the food supply that we see today.
michael short
2. Tell us about how growers in your area are using precision agriculture.
In Oregon, growers are utilizing precision farming applications in all areas of their operations. Many growers are utilizing rate and section control on their sprayers and fertilizer spreaders to reduce over-application of expensive herbicides and pesticides. Other operations use precision solutions on tillage operations to reduce the fuel inputs required to prepare their fields for the next crop. Beyond tillage, growers are utilizing RTK accuracy to plant sweet corn, beans and many other specialty crops that are grown in the Willamette Valley. Still others are collecting data, creating variable rate maps and other important crop input programs, again, reducing inputs and better record keeping. In all, Precision Farming is a very important part of Oregon’s agricultural industry, with more specialty applications being thought of every week.

Read More

IDEAg Interconnectivity Conference A Success

Joanna SchroederAudio, IDEAg

The second annual IDEAg Interconnectivity Conference took place in Altoona, Iowa this week where the precision agriculture industry along with producers came together to discuss how to “connect” all the data that is being developed through precision agriculture.

IDEAg13-kaplanDuring the show, I had a chance to learn more about the conference from Samantha Kaplan who is the marketing manager, events and expos for IDEAg along with several other farm shows. She said the show has grown out of the fact that precision agriculture is no longer an option, but rather a necessity – it’s required to help farmers increase their production and thus increase profits.

This year’s theme was the power of knowledge shared and the first day focused on local precision ag, whereas the second day looked at a more global perspective – how local precision agriculture is affecting and changing agriculture on a global scale.

Kaplan said that one session that has created a huge buzz was Kansas State Professor Kevin Price’s presentation about unmanned ariel technology, or drones. He brought in a couple of samples that he has been building and a drone, weighing less than 5 pounds can cover and analyze acres of farmland in a matter of hours. She said people were amazed.

His was just one speaker of many who provided informative sessions and the dialogue spurred during the event will continue among companies and producers as precision ag evolves. During the next few weeks, Kaplan said all the presentations will be available online.

Listen to my interview with Samantha here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/IDEAg/IDEAg13-kaplan.mp3″ text=”IDEAg Interconnectivity Conference A Success”]

View the IDEAg Interconnectivity Conference photo album.

China Approves Drought Tolerance Trait

Cindy ZimmermanCorn, International, Monsanto

The drought tolerance trait in Monsanto’s Genuity® DroughtGard® hybrids recently received final import approval from China, a major market for U.S. corn grain and dried distillers grain solubles (DDGS).

droughtgardThe approval was granted last week = as part of a broader series of approvals and represents a significant step forward for technology approvals in China, according to Monsanto officials.

“The import approval of this trait is great news for U.S. farmers,” said Lisa Safarian, U.S. Row Crops Lead for Monsanto. “With full import approvals in key export markets, farmers can market their grain more broadly this year and plant with confidence in 2014.” Safarian added, “This approval also provides expanded access to another tool that can help farmers more sustainably manage their risk.”

More than 250 farmers in the Western Great Plains planted DroughtGard Hybrids last year on their farms as a part of Monsanto’s Ground Breakers® program. This year, the product was introduced in the Western Great Plains under stewardship requirements. Farmers who purchased DroughtGard Hybrids for planting in 2013 signed a grain stewardship agreement committing to use the grain as on-farm feed or to sell the grain for domestic use due to pending import approvals in key export markets. With the approval in China, Monsanto will remove the grain stewardship requirements, and grain will no longer be required to remain in the domestic market.

Read more from Monsanto press release.

Precision Dairy Show

Cindy ZimmermanDairy, Data Collection, technology

Precision farming is not just for crops.

This week, the first ever U.S. Precision Dairy Conference and Expo was held in Rochester, Minnesota featuring experts in the field of precision dairy management, as well as producer panels on the topics of robotic milking, automated calf feeders and sensor technology; and various latest precision dairy research abstracts from the US and around the world.

robo-dairyAmong the show’s sponsors was BouMatic® Robotics, featuring the OptiFlo™ CF variable speed milk transfer control system for the ultimate in cooling system efficiency. Also on display was the integrated dairy management system SmartDairy, which collects, delivers and manages performance data “while providing operational control and monitoring of the dairy enterprise at the touch of a finger.”

Dairymaster was another company sponsoring the event. “Our milking parlors have been tested and those tests showed that they produce 5% more milk, milk each cow an average a minute faster,” said Dr Edmond Harty, CEO & Technical Director, Dairymaster. “Because of advanced technologies our rotaries are operating with fewer labor units. This is science applied to make producers’ lives easier and more profitable”

Dairymaster also has a Select Detect Mobile app which helps dairy producers manage fertility and increase pregnancy rate.

Are You a Satellite Radio Listener

Talia GoesZimmPoll

Before we get to our new Zimmpoll let’s look at the results of our latest one which asked the question, “How concerned are you about the government having your private data?” Our poll results read loud and clear this week. Over half of you are now more worried that the government sees private data.

Our poll results: Sixty-nine percent said More Worried, twenty-four percent said Not Concerned, four percent said Other and two percent said Less Worried. Many agriculturalists have converted to digital data systems in order to become more efficient. Knowing the government is actively collecting private data is causing concerns in all sectors of business and that includes farming.

Untitled

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Do you listen to satellite radio?” Satellite radio has become more and more popular over the years. Not only is it included in many new vehicles but you can even access it over your smartphone. So do you subscribe? Has it changed your listening habits? Will this affect “regular” farm radio? Let us know.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by New Holland Agriculture.

FarmLogs Sponsor ISOBlue Project

Talia GoesAgribusiness, Software

farmlogsIn an effort to free farmers from vendor-controlled data, Purdue University has launched ISOBlue, an open-source project that aims to provide farmers, via smartphone, with easy access to agricultural data gathered by the industry-standard ISOBUS port located on tractors, harvesters and equipment. FarmLogs, the company that created user-friendly farm management software and mobile apps to help farmers plan, manage and analyze their farms’ operations, is contributing by making a financial commitment and acting as a mentor on the project.

Currently, farmers, agronomists and consultants cannot easily access the useful data that is being generated by farming equipment because of the proprietary data collection systems put in place by agricultural equipment manufacturers. Modern farming equipment generally communicates via a standard ISOBUS network to a proprietary monitor in the tractor or harvester.

ISOBlue’s goal is to free the data by creating a small, low-cost device that forwards the information directly from ISOBUS to the smartphone via Bluetooth. From there, the farmers can easily access the data in real time on their smartphones or elsewhere in the cloud. Unlike other expensive telematics solutions from vendors such as John Deere and Trimble, ISOBlue uses the existing data connection already on the farmer’s smartphone, saving the cost of a dedicated connection. In addition, the device does not require expensive hardware. Ultimately, ISOBlue will provide farmers with cheaper and easier access to their data, which can be used to increase production and cost savings.

FarmLogs will be exhibiting its farm management software at the IDEAg Interconnectivity Conference in Altoona, Iowa on June 26 and 27.

Register for The InfoAg Conference

Talia GoesAgribusiness, InfoAg

infoaglogoInfoAg 2013 will be held July 16-18 in Springfield, Illinois at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. InfoAg continues to be the premier precision agriculture event for producers, consultants, and the crop production industry. Mark your calendar and make plans to join us.

Early bird registration rates run thru July 1st. After July 1, rates go up. Take advantage of $100 savings on a full conference registration and get signed up now. Registration information can be found at, http://infoag.org/Registration/, including online registration and a downloadable pdf form. Whichever you choose, be sure to register before the July 1st deadline.

Don’t miss our very own Chuck Zimmerman, Social Media Tools – Apps and Devices, on Wednesday July 17th.

New DuPont Innovation Center Launched in Iowa

Talia GoesAgribusiness

tn-DuPont-Johnston-Innovation-Center-752DuPont opened its Johnston Innovation Center, the company’s second innovation center in the United States and 12th around the world, focusing on the company’s unique integrated science capabilities across the food, agriculture and energy value chains.

The 3,500 square foot space and adjoining collaboration room showcases the latest company technology, applications and products created to meet the world’s biggest challenges, including food security, energy and protection. During the opening event, Chair and Chief Executive Officer Ellen Kullman, also announced two recent DuPont projects in Iowa that further demonstrate the company’s commitment to growing its research capacity globally in order to address the demands of a growing world population. DuPont Pioneer will break ground on a new research facility, Beaver Creek II, in Johnston in the fall of 2013 – a project that will add 100 new jobs to the Des Moines metro area. Additionally, DuPont is investing over $200 million in its Nevada, Iowa commercial cellulosic ethanol production facility. The construction of the facility will employ over 1,000 construction workers. It will employ over 60 full time jobs and involve hundreds of farmers who will supply the stover to the facility upon completion.