Where to Find Ag Leader This Winter

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Insights WeeklyAre you interested in getting the latest information about precision ag equipment? If so, here are a few stops you might want to schedule this winter in order to talk with Ag Leader experts:

• Amarillo Farm & Ranch Show – Amarillo, Texas
The 27th Annual Amarillo Farm and Ranch Show will take place Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 at the Amarillo Civic Center in Amarillo, Texas. The event encompasses every aspect of farming and ranching, and is a one-stop show for attendees to interact with manufacturers, obtain necessary CEU credits and network with other producers in the region.

• Greater Peoria Farm Show – Peoria, Illinois
The 30th Annual Greater Peoria Farm Show will be open Nov. 29, 30, & Dec. 1, 2011 at the Peoria Civic Center.

• Farm Forum Event – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
The Farm Forum Event takes place Nov. 29 – Dec. 1. The goal is to send every participant home armed with new ideas and knowledge that will help them make wise decisions, achieve greater profitability, and reach their lifestyle goals too.

• Ag Retailers Association – Boca Raton, Florida
The Ag Retailers Association Annual Meeting takes place Nov. 29 – Dec. 1. The 2011 ARA Conference & Expo, Growing a Sustainable Business, examines the major pillars of sustainability— social, economic and environmental—from three unique perspectives including your customers, consumers and the Government.

• Nebraska Power Farming Show – Lincoln, Nebraska
The Nebraska Power Farming Show happens Dec. 6-8. The show is the largest indoor farm show west of the Missouri River and fourth largest in the country.

If you’re on the road this winter and have time to visit one of these locations, be sure to find Ag Leader’s staff of experts who will be on hand to talk about the latest in precision technology equipment, enhancements, future products, and much more.

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.

See you at the show!

Most Planning Same Thanksgiving Meal Size

Chuck ZimmermanZimmPoll

The ZimmPoll is one year old! And you can re-visit all of them since they are all archived right here on AgWired. Thank you Rhea + Kaiser for your sponsorship and support.

In our latest ZimmPoll we asked the question, “Will higher cost (13%) of Thanksgiving dinner affect your meal?” Apparently it won’t for most of our respondents. 64% said, No, same as usual; 22% said Yes, Fewer items on table; 9% said Yes, Planning smaller portions and 5% said No, Bigger dinner this year. A story in yesterday’s USA Today seems to reflect this response. It says that some will be cutting back.

Some are holding potluck dinners instead of springing for the entire feast. Others are staying home rather than flying. And a few are skipping the turkey altogether.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “Do you use Facebook or Google+?” Google+ now allows company pages but so far they don’t seem to have attracted the kind of audience found by companies using Facebook. Which “house” do you live in? Feel free to chime in. We appreciate it.

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

Agritechnica Attendance Smashes Previous Record

Cindy ZimmermanAgritechnica

AgritechnicaMore than 415,000 visitors are reported to have attended Agritechnica 2011 last week in Hanover, Germany, the huge international agricultural show held every two years and organized by DLG – the German Agricultural Society. That’s a giant leap from the 350,000 visitors who attended the previous show in 2009.

“Agritechnica 2011 has impressively demonstrated the global importance of agriculture and agricultural machinery and equipment. With over 2,700 exhibitors and some 415,000 visitors, of whom 100,000 came from outside Germany, a new dimension has been achieved,” said Dr. Reinhard Grandke, DLG Chief Executive Officer at the close of the event on November 19. He added that this result confirmed Agritechnica’s leading role as global forum for the agricultural machinery and equipment industry.

The next Agritechnica will be held at the Exhibition Grounds in Hanover from 12 to 16 November 2013.

The Everything Basket

Melissa SandfortAgricultural Anthropology

Do you have a favorite bag or basket or box that you use in the house to carry laundry or magazines or a stack of papers to be filed? I have a linen bag inside for just that reason, and a 5-gallon bucket outside for the same. Outside I fill my bucket with weeds from the garden, leaves and sticks, trash to be hauled to the burn pile and anything else I can think of.

It’s the “everything basket”.

That’s what I call this old fruit basket. When grandpa first acquired it, it came filled with apples or pears. He then kept the basket and on a daily basis you can see him hauling it across the front yard filled with grass clippings, leaves, weeds and any other yard waste he may find.

I believe grandma has another one for taking laundry and clothes pins out to the clothesline and to hold gardening hand tools in the garage.

I think they’re pretty handy old baskets. Back then, they thought of everything.

Until our next history lesson …

John Deere Wins Swedish Steel Prize

Cindy ZimmermanJohn Deere

John Deere has become the first U.S. company in seven years to win the Swedish International Steel Prize.

john deereInstituted in 1999 by steel supplier SSAB Americas’ parent company in Sweden, the award is often referred to as the “Nobel Prize” of the steel industry. The award includes a statuette and a cash prize of $15,000 for the winner. John Deere’s Design Engineer Kent Brown and Senior Engineer Corwin Puryk (pictured) accepted the award on behalf of the company at the Swedish Steel Prize 2011 award ceremony on November 17.

“We’re extremely pleased to be the winners of Swedish Steel Prize 2011. John Deere will donate the prize money to FIRST, an organization aimed at encouraging an interest in innovation and technology among children and young people. FIRST programs show innovators of the future how creativity combined with science and technology can resolve real engineering problems,” said Puryk.

Brown added, “Innovation is one of John Deere’s four core values and we wish to inspire and help the next generation of innovators to grow. One day, perhaps some youngster who attended a FIRST program will contribute to a company winning the Swedish Steel Prize.”

Deere was chosen for the award specifically for the new S-series combines, which allow for greater harvesting efficiency while meeting stringent engine emission requirements. The company’s goal for these harvesting applications was to find a material that would reduce mass and retain strength. The weight of targeted steel parts in the S-series was reduced by 50 percent and the new design has helped to reduce the amount of welding by almost 70 percent.

John Deere Combine Can Sculpture Complete

Cindy ZimmermanJohn Deere, Video

On Thursday John Deere finished and revealed the sculpture for Project “Can Do” – which is being considered now for inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records.

This farm scene with an S-Series combine harvesting a field of corn required approximately 323,000 cans of food to complete. The finalized sculpture is now on display at the John Deere Pavilion. When it is taken down, all those cans will be donated to charity.

Katie Dierker, Division Marketing Manager for the S-Series combines, says the right model S-Series combine can harvest enough wheat in a day to make 1 million loaves of bread, or it can go through the equivalent of 30 football fields of corn in an hour or 350 acres per day.

Learn more about the project in an interview with Katie here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/john-deere/jd-can-do-katie-dierker.mp3″ text=”Interview with Katie Dierker”]

Here’s a cool time lapse video of the sculpture being built.

Changes to Ag Leader Support Schedule

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Audio, Insights Weekly

Insights WeeklyLate November and December are particularly busy months for Ag Leader’s Technical Support department, as they are currently making preparations for Dealer Training 2012. Here’s a head’s up so you can plan ahead.

The Customer Support hours have been adjusted back to a normal operating schedule: Monday-Friday, 7am to 6pm CDT. During this time, Technical Support will be available to help with any late harvest and fall fertilizer application questions, as well as any pre-spring planting questions.

The weekend schedule is also about to change; Saturday, November 19th will be the last Saturday that they are open for the year. Technical Support will not be open November 24th and 25th, so be sure to get your questions answered before Thanksgiving!

Nathan Tebbe, Ag Leader Technical Support Supervisor, says tech support conducts training in an ongoing effort to better serve their customers.

[wpaudio url=”http://precision.agwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2011/11/tebbe1.mp3″ text=”Listen to Tebbe explain”]

As part of preparation for the 2012 growing season, the Hardware and GPS Technical Support teams will also be completing several hours of internal staff training. Tebbe says internal staff training days help ensure technicians have the resources and information they need to efficiently assist Ag Leader dealers and customers with technical questions. [wpaudio url=”http://precision.agwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2011/11/tebbe2.mp3″ text=”Listen to Tebbe explain”] During these training sessions, Technical Support for hardware and GPS products will not be available, so plan ahead to get your questions answered.

And with colder temperatures here and the crops out of the field, fall application will soon be in full swing. Here are some safety tips for fall application. When transitioning from harvest to fall application, there are also a few things to remember to keep your data in order and prevent downtime in the field. Read more here.

Again, you can reach Ag Leader Customer Support at 515-232-5363 or support@agleader.com.

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.

USDA to Conduct Chesapeake Bay Conservation Survey

Cindy ZimmermanConservation, USDA

USDA is conducting a survey for the 2011 National Resources Inventory (NRI) – Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) to collect information from producers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed about farming and conservation practices on cultivated cropland. The information gathered from the survey will help USDA improve and strengthen technical and financial programs that help private landowners plan and adopt on-farm conservation practices.

NASS representatives will visit more than 1,500 farms throughout Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia from November 2011 through January 2012. Producers will be asked to provide information on farm production practices; chemical, fertilizer and manure applications; integrated pest management; and adopted conservation practices.

A CEAP study for the Great Lakes and their associated waterways released last month showed that the use of conservation tillage and other conservation practices has resulted in a 50 percent decline in sediment entering rivers and streams, along with 36 and 37 percent declines, respectively, in phosphorus and nitrogen loading.

“CEAP is one on of the strongest and most advanced conservation tools used in American agriculture because it helps farmers and ranchers understand how to improve farming and management activities that help protect soil and water resources,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The information gathered on conservation practices in the Chesapeake Bay watershed will help contribute to the region’s sustainability, supporting those who rely on the land and water for livelihoods and recreation.”

Since the CEAP survey was last conducted in the Chesapeake Bay region, farmers have adopted many agricultural best management practices using publicly available technical and financial assistance from conservation programs and through their own initiative and at their own expense. This survey will capture all of those on-farm conservation accomplishments.

Case IH Expands & Improves Precision Farming Offerings

Melissa SandfortEquipment, Industry News

Case IH will expand its Advanced Farming Systems (AFS) precision farming offering by introducing a new GPS receiver and new variable-rate controller and telematics systems and AFS software. Earlier this week at Agritechnica in Hanover, Germany, Case IH unveiled an expanded AFS software package, AccuControl rate controller technology, the AFS 372 receiver and AFS Connect telematics.

AFS Connect
Representing the first commercial telematics launch for Case IH, AFS Connect provides wireless connectivity to the Pro 600 and Pro 700 display through cellular data. AFS Connect will provide up-to-date information regarding fleet management, a virtual display of cab monitors in the office, performance analysis, file management received from the field, and two-way messaging, among other key features.

AFS software
The all-new Case IH AFS software suite will greatly expand upon the current capabilities of AFS desktop software, while also interfacing seamlessly with previously collected AFS data. At launch, the Case IH AFS software offering will include five packages designed to work together seamlessly and meet a variety of needs.

AFS AccuControl rate controller
Using the new AFS AccuControl rate controller technology, Case IH AFS Pro 600 and AFS Pro 700 display users can vary sprayer, spreader, planter and seeder rates or turn implement sections, including non-Case IH implements, on and off.

AFS 372 receiver
The new Case IH AFS 372 receiver is a combined GPS and GLONASS integrated receiver/antenna. By combining the functionality of the U.S. GPS and Russian GLONASS (Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System) systems, the AFS 372 receiver has the capability to include up to 44 satellites in a position solution, resulting in improved uptime during crucial field operations.

Click here for more information.

ZimmPoll Has Ron Paul On Top

Chuck ZimmermanZimmPoll

It looks like there are a lot of Ron Paul supporters out there. In our latest ZimmPoll we asked the question, “Which Republican candidate for President is best for ag?” The big leader was Ron Paul at 41% followed by Newt Gingrich, 16%; Herman Cain, 13%; Rick Perry, 8%; Rick Perry, 8%; Mitt Romney, 7%; Jon Huntsman, 6%; Michele Bachmann, 5%; Gary Johnson, 3% and Rick Santorum, 2%. Does this surprise you?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “Will higher cost (13%) of Thanksgiving dinner affect your meal?” The increased cost of a traditional Thanksgiving meal comes from an announcement by the American Farm Bureau Federation last week.

AFBF’s 26th annual informal price survey of classic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table indicates the average cost of this year’s feast for 10 is $49.20, a $5.73 price increase from last year’s average of $43.47.

You can find the announcement here.

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