KIC on GROWMARK Legislative Priority List

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Government, Growmark

The Illinois “Keep it for the Crop” (KIC) by 2025 campaign is on GROWMARK‘s list of legislative priorities on the state level for 2012, according to government affairs director Chuck Spencer.

“What is important about that is that it’s going to provide additional research dollars for stewardship programs,” Spencer said. “What we will see through this program is the ability to fund research projects in watersheds, looking at nutrient movement, and how we maximize efficiency, productivity and profitability for a producer. And when we do those things, we can feed the world.”

Spencer shared some of the cooperative’s top legislative priorities on both the state and national level during a media day tour last week on the day before Ag Day at the Illinois state capitol, where GROWMARK and other agricultural interests met with legislators to discuss issues important to the industry.

“Obviously everyone in Illinois is very concerned about budget, the cost of operations, consistency of policies, predictability of regulation in our business climate,” Chuck says. “We are seeing agriculture in the very fortunate position of being able to grow in this economy. We want to continue to do so.”

National priorities include the farm bill, of course, but also issues related to pesticide application permitting (HR872), transportation (limited exemption for hours of service for agriculture) and renewal of the Pesticide Registration and Improvement Act.

Listen to my interview with Chuck Spencer here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/growmark/gmk-2012-spencer-2.mp3″ text=”GROWMARK’s Chuck Spencer”]

Downloading Soil Survey Data Just Got Easier

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Insights Weekly

According to Isaac Bowers, Ag Leader Software Support and Training Supervisor, common questions during the winter months are, “Where can I go to find soil survey data?” and, “What do I need to do to bring that data into SMS?” In the past, growers had to know which websites had that data, wait to download a county’s worth of information to their local hard drive, and then had to assign each column of data they wanted to import that data.

“As part of Ag Leader’s continued effort to simplify tasks in SMS, we have added a simple wizard in SMS Basic/Advanced Version 11.5 that allows you to download soil survey data,” says Bowers. “SMS can download many attributes such as soil type, soil description, erodibility class, drainage class, up to six horizons of soil information, and many more.”

To access the new wizard in SMS, go to File – Download Soil Survey Data from Internet. Learn more from this video.

After downloading the soil survey information, growers can analyze data using queries, or the Comparison Analysis if they’re using SMS Advanced, and use the results to assist in making better management decisions to make sure they are getting as much out of their field as possible. For example, compare yield values to the different soil types in the field to determine which soil types are the more productive, and then use that information when creating planting and seeding prescriptions.

**Note – This ability is currently only available for U.S. customers. Customers outside of the U.S. can import shapefiles for soil survey data by going to File – Read Files.
**Note – The ability to download this information requires an active internet connection.

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Precision.AgWired.com Podcast: MyTraps.com

Meghan GrebnerAg Leader, Precision Pays Podcast

In 2010 US crop growers lost $20 billion to insect damage and spent $4.5 billion on insecticide.  In this Precision.AgWired.com Podcast, brought to you by Ag Leader Technology, we take a closer look at a new way to monitor insect pressure in your field.

Johnny Park, president and CEO of Spensa and a Purdue research assistant in electrical and computer engineer has created an easier, more efficient way for producers to monitor insect data collected from fields.  This month, Park launched MyTraps.com.

[wpaudio url=”http://precision.agwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2012/03/PPP-03-12.mp3″ text=”Precision.AgWired.com Podcast”]

You can subscribe to the Precision.AgWired.com Podcast here.

You can learn more at www.MyTraps.com.

TeeJet AI3070 Dual Pattern Flat Spray Tip Introduced

Melissa SandfortCompany Announcement, Spraying

The new AI3070 spray tip from TeeJet Technologies provides thorough plant coverage with minimal spray drift. This spray tip utilizes a patent-pending design that provides two spray patterns at angles of 30º forward and 70º rearward. The leading pattern provides good penetration into the foliage while the trailing pattern provides thorough coverage of the upper crop canopy and grain head. The AI3070 incorporates air induction technology to minimize spray drift, while producing a large percentage of droplets in the medium to coarse category to maximize surface coverage.

The AI3070 was designed specifically for fungicide application in cereal crops making it ideal for controlling fungal diseases. The prevalence of fusarium in wheat and other cereal crops makes this an ideal nozzle for small grain producers. The AI3070 is designed to maximize the efficacy of a grower’s fungicide application which contributes to higher yields and a higher quality grain sample.

The AI3070 is offered in six VisiFlo® color-coded sizes from -015 to -05 capacities. It is constructed of acetal (polymer) with a recommended operating range of 20-90 psi. The AI3070 tips are easily installed on Quick TeeJet® nozzle bodies. The tips are currently available at local TeeJet Authorized Distributors.

Looking for Grower Volunteers for Research Project

Melissa SandfortCompany Announcement, Corn

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension and the Nebraska Corn Growers Association are looking for corn growers to participate in a new research project.

There is no fee to join the network and you will gain valuable, useful information for your operation. Be part of a statewide on-farm research program addressing critical farmer production, profitability and natural resources questions.

Learn more here.

Or contact UNL Extension Educators: Keith Glewen at 402-624-8030 or kglewen1@unl.edu or Gary Zoubek at 402-362-5508 or gzoubek1@unl.edu. You can also contact the Nebraska Corn Growers Association at 888-267-6479, 402-438-6459 or info@necga.org. A terrific opportunity for Nebraska farmers to learn the art and science of conducting and interpreting on-farm research.

Death Tax Unwanted

Chuck ZimmermanZimmPoll

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What do you think is a fair “death tax” rate?” It is no surprise that common sense and fair thinking respondents said Zero – 66%; 35% over $5 million – 0% under (current) – 21%; Other – 8 % and 55% over $1 million – 0% under (pre 2001) – 5%. This really is one of the most unfair taxes we’ve got and in my opinion there should not be any tax on a person’s estate after death. What are your thoughts?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Should ABC News be Liable for Job Losses due to Lean Beef Trimmings Story?” This is one of the worst examples of supposed “news” reporting I’ve seen lately. It shows how a desperate for ratings news network will not just distort facts but publish erroneous information. They have no credibility. However, a gullible public has embraced their misinformation. The result? Job layoffs for people with families to feed who were making a very safe and nutritious product. That’s twisted. Do you think ABC News should be held liable? Should the media be held accountable for the financial impact inaccurate news stories have on jobs and businesses? Another likely outcome of this debacle will be higher beef prices. Nice, huh?

If for some reason you don’t know what this is all about, here’s a link to the ABC News story and here’s where you can get the truth – BeefisBeef.com.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

New Features for Leica mojoMINI and Leica mojo3D Now Available

Melissa SandfortCompany Announcement, Leica Geosystems

Leica Geosystems released additional features for its guidance systems Leica mojoMINI and Leica mojo3D to further enhance product usability and compatibility.

The touch screen of the Leica mojoMINI has undertaken several modifications. It offers now two lightbar modes: the traditional cross track only lightbar and the Leica smart lightbar. Furthermore farmers are able to choose the use of WAAS and EGNOS satellites or to deactivate them, if desired.

The added support for kml files gives users of the Leica mojoMINI the ability to export data of the most recent work for viewing in Google Earth or import into a Leica mojo3D.

Now just using the Leica mojo3D and the Leica twist allow steering of all Leica SteerDirect kits which are supported by the Leica mojoXact. To enable these extra steering options a Leica mojo3D SteerDirect kit is required. More updates to the Leica SteerDirect hydraulic solution proceed with two extra kits:
— Claas Lexion Hose Kit (Article Nr. 794531)
— Buhler 2xxx 4WD Hose Kit (Article Nr. 794540)

Like the Leica mojoMINI, the Leica mojo3D now offers the cross track only lightbar as well as the Leica smart lightbar. To further increase the compatibility of the guidance display, the support for kml and shape files has been introduced. This makes it easy to import and export field data and vehicle setups to another Leica mojo3D or different applications.

Why Certified Crop Specialists are So Special

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Farmers, Growmark

Dale Bermester with Gateway FS in Red Bud, Illinois has been an FS Certified Crop Specialist (CCS) for nearly a quarter of a century and nothing makes him happier every day than helping farmers be more profitable.

“It’s really an on-going process, especially with your customers that you’ve been doing business with for 25 years,” Dale says. “We’re in tune with a lot of the steps they do in their business. We’re like one of the family.”

Dale was among the first crop of crop specialists back in the late 1980’s when GROWMARK first developed the program. “When I became a salesman back in 1985, the general manager of Gateway, which was Randolph Service Center at the time, said he wanted to be the first company to have all certified crop specialists,” Dale said. “GROWMARK was a step ahead when they came out with the certified crop specialist to make sure that the people who were making recommendations were helping the farmer and not just putting money in their own pockets.”

Becoming a CCS requires testing in a number of different areas and frequent continuing education to keep up with the latest technological and crop protection advancements. “You have to keep that going with continued eds, on-farm discovery and contacts to make sure we’re doing it the right way,” said Dale. “I have to stay focused on what’s ahead.”

Dale says a lot has changed in farming since he first became a CCS, with less farmers and bigger operations, more focus on the environment and the advancement of precision technology. “The technology has really opened our eyes about drainage, backing away from the tree line,” he said. “Once you have a number off the yield monitor, it really gets farmers thinking about what he can do to better manage.”

Listen to my interview with Dale here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/growmark/gmk-ccs-dale.mp3″ text=”Dale Bermester Interview”]

Saving Money With Precision Ag Technology

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Insights Weekly

The use of precision farming products continues to increase. With increasing input costs, producers are often looking for ways to adopt technology to make farming operations more efficient and productive. Guidance systems also reduce overlap in fields which leads to less passes across the field, less fuel and product use (i.e. seed, fertilizer, and herbicide), and fewer operator hours.

And since today’s high-tech seed isn’t cheap, if growers aren’t controlling where and how much of each type of seed they plant, they’re probably sacrificing yield potential and bottom line performance. SeedCommand from Ag Leader helps growers manage all of their planting operations, including seed population, planter performance, hybrid/variety mapping, split planting and variable rates.

“I particularly like being able to monitor my skips and doubles with the Advanced Seed Monitoring,” says Merrill Swanson, grower from Gilbert, Iowa. “When you change hybrids, you usually have a different seed size. When I see that I’m having skips or doubles because of that, I can adjust my seed meters and see that the problem’s fixed on the screen.”

To quantify the amount of overlap that occurs in a typical production setting, Iowa State University researchers partnered with two Iowa producers in 2011 who did not own any precision ag technologies. More than 2,500 acres of field operations were monitored and analyzed to determine typical overlap in central Iowa production systems. Results from these producer tests showed an average 3.3 percent overlap during planting operations. Given these overlap levels, the return on investment by using precision ag products can be directly measured. Read the full analysis here.

The bottom line is: precision technologies such as SeedCommand from Ag Leader can help you lower seed cost during planting season and improve yield potential at harvest time. Contact an Ag Leader dealer today.

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Most Don’t Think Organic Food Healthier than Conventional

Chuck ZimmermanZimmPoll

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Is “Organic” food healthier than “Conventional” food?” The majority of respondents said No at 60 percent with only 40 percent saying Yes. Most of the people I know don’t think organic means healthier and although they like I will eat something that is certified organic we just don’t want to pay more for it. Do these results surprise you?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What do you think is a fair “death tax” rate?” Permanent estate tax relief and reform is extremely important not only to farmers but everyone regardless of what business you own or work for. Seriously, why should the government tax your estate just because you died? Didn’t you pay taxes all your life building that estate including real estate taxes, income taxes, etc? Here’s to hoping we get some reasonable long term resolution to this issue.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.