Ag Leader Technology Developing New Territory

Chuck ZimmermanAg Leader, Audio, Farm Progress Show

At the Farm Progress Show I met Hans Stiekema (not pictured) who has just recently joined Ag Leader Technology. Hans is the Regional Manager – EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa). His job is to introduce and grow Ag Leader in this market by working with existing distributors and establishing new distributors in new areas. He’s also going to be working with OEM’s in the region.

When I spoke with Hans I asked him how important precision ag is to farmers in his region and what they are looking for. He says that in Europe it is needed since farms are very small compared to here in the United States. That makes precision even more important in order to get the most from the land they have. He provides some examples like Dutch tulip fields. But he also has parts of his territory very similar to the U.S. like in eastern Europe and Russia. You can listen in to my conversation with Hans here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/farm-progress/fps-11-stiekema.mp3″ text=”Interview with Hans Stiekema”]

2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Precision.AgWired.com Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by John Deere FS GreenPlan Solutions AgLeader

They Thought I Was Crazy.

Melissa SandfortAgricultural Anthropology

I sat down at the lunch table one Monday noon (when I was 33 years old, not 12), pulled out my ground meat (not PB&J) and the “kids” at my table thought I was crazy. Ground meat? I guess to them it looked slimy and unfit for human consumption, but I on the other hand was looking forward to a very tasty meal with it smothered over mashed potatoes.

Ever seen one of these? It’s a hand-crank meat patented in 1920. Families would butcher their own beef and hogs then cut the meat in small enough portions to grind it. The ground meat was put into jars and canned and I must say, it’s delicious.

*Note: To spare you the details of how hogs were butchered, you can read “Everything but the squeal” here.

Let’s just say the process consisted of hot water, a hair scraper and a butchering table.

‘nuf said.

Today we have meat cutting guides and charts and butchers have perfected their cutting methods to result in lean and tender cuts of beef and pork. There aren’t many butchers around who practice making canned meat anymore, and I have to admit that it was one of the oddest Christmas gifts I’ve ever seen someone give, but it is fabulous!

I have two words for you: slap chop. Or rather scrape grind.

I didn’t mind the lunchtime heckling from my friends. It was much better than PB&J.

Until our next history lesson …

AgChat Foundation Partners with USFRA

Cindy ZimmermanGeneral

The AgChat Foundation (ACF) and the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) have partnered up to help farmers and ranchers share their stories with the general public.

“The core vision of the AgChat Foundation is to empower farmers and ranchers to share their stories,” said Darin Grimm, Kansas farmer and AgChat Foundation president. “We are excited to partner with USFRA to build and expand those conversations”

AgChatThe partnership is multi-faceted. USFRA recently sponsored the AgChat Foundation’s Agvocacy 2.0 Conference, which sought to teach farmers and ranchers about using social media platforms and other technology to share their stories with food consumers. USFRA has also committed to an additional sponsorship, which will further the ACF’s ability to have an impact on more farmers and ranchers from across the country.

Playing to their strengths, the AgChat Foundation will be a key partner in USFRA’s Food Dialogues event on September 22. The event, a simultaneous grouping of four live meetings around the country as well as online participation, will feature a series of different panels discussing different topics in key locations. The goal of Food Dialogues is to answer the questions that Americans are asking about their food. The AgChat Foundation will help engage the online agricultural community through a strategic social media campaign in order to build excitement in the weeks leading up to and during the event. To learn more about Food Dialogues, visit www.fooddialogues.com.

Evergreen FS Tends FPS Fields

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Farm Progress Show, FS Green Plan Solution, Growmark

farm progress show 2011What makes the Farm Progress Show so special every year is the opportunity to watch real equipment working in real fields, so making the demo plots the best they can be is important, no matter what kind of tricks Mother Nature plays during the growing season.

That was the job of Evergreen FS this year as the agronomy sponsor for the demo plots, and Seed Marketing Manager Gary Bowen says it was definitely a challenge. “We had a pretty tough year,” he told Chuck Zimmerman at the show. “We started off really wet, we finally did get in and get it planted and then the water shut off and so we’ve been pretty droughty and it has affected our yield, no doubt about it.” Despite the challenges, it was still a decent crop and Gary says it was a good chance to highlight what the FS System can do.

Listen to or download Chuck’s interview with David here. [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/farm-progress/fps11-gmk-bowen.mp3″ text=”Gary Bowen with Evergreen FS”]

2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Precision.AgWired.com Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by John Deere FS GreenPlan Solutions AgLeader

Side-by-side Comparison of Precision Ag Tools

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Audio, Insights Weekly

Insights WeeklyTo round out our series of addressing some of the common concerns and obstacles growers face when it comes to adopting precision ag technology, we come to a close with:

Obstacle #4: A Comparison
Sometimes it helps to have a side-by-side comparison of precision ag equipment. We know that you need to run the numbers, see what the benefits are, and get a feel for what the expected payback will be.

So today we’re talking with Todd Peterson, owner of Peterson Ag Service and Ag Leader dealer from Remington, Ind., about how he approaches the subject of comparing equipment when a new or existing customer comes to him. Peterson says Ag Leader equipment is color-blind, meaning it works with most brands of equipment you might have.

When it comes to making a decision, Peterson says more and more growers want to put numbers on paper so they can see the difference.

And what’s the most important take-away from all of this? Peterson says talking to your local dealer is a must.

As our series of posts about precision ag adoption obstacles comes to a close, we once again encourage you to visit with a trusted Ag Leader dealer about how this technology can help take you and your farming operation to the next level.

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.

Majority Favor Broadband Internet Over GPS Service

Chuck ZimmermanZimmPoll

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Which is more important to rural America: GPS Service or Broadband Internet?” A majority of 66% said Broadband Internet with 34% choosing GPS Service. So perhaps most of you place more importance on being able to use the internet for whatever reason than having the ability to use your GPS device, which would include location based services on your mobile phone and of course there’s always precision ag applications like auto steer. Interesting. What do you think?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “What is best for ag to add jobs to the economy?” Jobs is a political key word right now and the economy sure needs a boost. Let us know what you think and thank you.

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

Preaching How Precision Planting Pays

Cindy ZimmermanFarm Progress Show, General, Growmark, Planting

farm progress show 2011As education coordinator for Precision Planting, Sean Arians has the opportunity to preach the message of how precision planting pays at farm shows like Farm Progress, demonstrating it live on-site.

“Everybody loves to see equipment moving,” Sean told Chuck Zimmerman during an interview at FPS. “We have a tractor running around on a sand track with eight different row units to compare performance of the meter and then we also have a 2020 Seed Sense monitor in the cab that allows us to communicate that information from the cab so everyone can see that around the track.”

farm progress show 2011Sean says help farmers maximize production and return on investment. “Technology is not a $5,000 investment anymore,” he said. “However, the end all benefit is usually a very quick pay back” in terms of input cost savings.

Sean is also an advocate for using technology for communications and was a beta tester for the new CropNAtion agricultural social network. “In today’s marketplace, it’s important to manage risk and part of that is having information at your fingertips,” he says. “CropNation allows farmers to get connected and find out what’s going on in various parts of the country. It provides a lot of opportunity for us to network and share ideas.”

Listen to or download Chuck’s interview with Sean here. [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/farm-progress/fps11-sean.mp3″ text=”Sean Arians with Precision Planting”]

2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Precision.AgWired.com Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by John Deere FS GreenPlan Solutions AgLeader

Vermeer Introduces New Products to the Forage Lineup

Melissa SandfortCompany Announcement, Equipment

A high-performance round baler, purposefully designed for producers who want capacity, speed and reliability in smaller 5′ x 4′ round bales, is now available from Vermeer. The new Vermeer 504N, modeled after the Vermeer Super M Series, produces 47″ wide x 60″ diameter (1.2 m x 1.5 m) packages that weigh up to 1200 lbs (544 kg), depending on moisture content.

Vermeer Introduces a New Generation of Rebel Balers — Twelve years ago, Vermeer introduced the first ever hitch ‘n go baler designed to meet the needs and pocketbooks of producers with low horsepower tractors looking to roll their own high-quality round bales. Today marks the launch of the new Rebel Baler generation, this time with two models – the Rebel 5420 and 5520 Balers – and several significant new features incorporated from larger Vermeer models, but still maintaining the user-friendly functionality and meeting the lower horsepower requirements of the popular original.

Vermeer Adds High-Capacity Wheel Rake to VR Series — A new, high-capacity wheel rake capable of raking 28′ (8.5 m) wide passes – yet nimble enough to maneuver like rakes much smaller in size – is now available from Vermeer Corporation. The heavy-duty VR1428 is designed to give operators more capacity and the ability to handle more acres in less time, with fewer maintenance issues. It combines smart, streamlined design and functionality with simple, tool-free adjustments, while incorporating outstanding operator conveniences.

Crop Scouting With ScoutPro

Chuck ZimmermanAudio, Farm Progress Show, Scouting

Entrepreneurship is alive and well at Iowa State University. I visited with Michael Koenig at the Farm Progress Show about it.

ScoutPro, a business started by 3 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences students at Iowa State University will be launching their first products: ScoutPro Lite™ Soybean and ScoutPro Lite™ Corn at the 2011 Farm Progress Show on Aug 30-31 and Sept. 1, in Decatur, IL.

Seniors Michael Koenig, Holden Nyhus and junior Stuart McCulloh founded the new venture, ScoutPro, a software applications development company, following their involvement in an entrepreneurship in agriculture course taught by Kevin Kimle, director of the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative at Iowa State University.

The company has developed a crop scouting app which eliminates the guess work in crop scouting, while increasing producer’s efficiency and profitability. Through systematic questions, the app narrows down pests to ensure a correct identification. Additionally, the app creates field specific crop scouting reports to help producers make better management decisions. The ScoutPro Lite™ apps are compatible on all smartphones, iPads or other tablet devices.

In addition to the app, producers will also be able to manage all scouting reports and gain access to aggregated pest data through their own private, secure website.

[wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/farm-progress/fps-11-scoutpro.mp3″ text=”ScoutPro Interview”]

2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Precision.AgWired.com Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by John Deere FS GreenPlan Solutions AgLeader

Liking Ag Leader at Farm Progress Show

Chuck ZimmermanAg Leader, Audio, Farm Progress Show

Illinois farmer Mike Behrends found a lot to like at the Ag Leader Technology building during the Farm Progress Show. To start with he likes the company on Facebook. Do you? If not, visit Ag Leader on Facebook.

Mike found a lot of things to look at FPS and especially from Ag Leader. Mike is using several products which he says make farming easier. He mainly uses auto guidance equipment along with yield monitoring and mapping. He says that “you can’t be afraid to push buttons” when you start using precision equipment and says you can always get good support when you call Ag Leader too.

You can listen to my interview with Mike here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/farm-progress/fps-11-behrends.mp3″ text=”Interview with Mike Behrends”]

2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Precision.AgWired.com Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by John Deere FS GreenPlan Solutions AgLeader