What the Flood has Left Behind

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Insights WeeklyNo one ever claimed there was a rhyme or reason to Mother Nature’s fury. From extreme heat and drought to the threat of tropical storms and flooding, most of the U.S. has been burdened with some type of weather issue since early spring. When it comes to flooding in the Midwest, by the middle of August water releases from Garrison Dam will be cut back and Army Corp Engineers estimate that by this fall, residents will be able to move back into their homes along the flooded Missouri Valley.

The river should be back in its banks by October but that leaves a question in the minds of many farmers: what about the farm ground?

Greg Austin, precision ag specialist for NMC Technologies in Omaha, Neb., an Ag Leader Blue Delta Dealer, gives us a “from the field” perspective on the potential impact the flooding could have on fields along the Missouri.

Austin says farmers’ use of precision ag tool such as yield maps will play a bigger role as the water recedes, the damage is surveyed and farmers decide how to move forward.

The waiting and watching continues this fall and well into the 2012 planting season.

For farmers with questions about precision ag technologies, 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.

The Kinze Autonomy Project

Melissa SandfortEquipment, technology

Kinze Manufacturing, Inc. unveiled an innovative solution to increase productivity on the farm—the Kinze Autonomy Project. The technology, which is the first of its kind in row crop production worldwide, utilizes autonomous agricultural equipment to complete many tasks on the farm with minimal direct human input.

As a project more than two years in the making, Kinze performed extensive obstacle detection testing to ensure the accuracy and safety of the autonomous equipment. Beginning in a laboratory environment and then in the field, Kinze engineers simulated real-world scenarios to ensure the equipment would detect objects often encountered in the field, such as fence posts, stand pipes, farm animals and other vehicles.

Similar autonomous technology has been used since the 1990s in many other industries, including mining, construction and the military.

The Kinze Autonomy Project is designed to reduce the need for skilled operators by taking the human element out of the tractor cab. Kinze will market this technology to help growers increase their productivity by allowing them to focus their time and attention elsewhere while performing cursory monitoring of the Kinze autonomous equipment.

iPads And Other Tablets Gaining Acceptance

Chuck ZimmermanZimmPoll

I’m very surprised at some of the response to our latest ZimmPoll. Although 37% responding say they have an iPad or other tablet, 33% said they don’t and don’t want one! And we had 30% who said they don’t have one but do want one. However, when you consider that no one had one less than two years ago you might consider the percentage who have or want one to be huge! I know I’m a geek and can’t have enough gadgets but not everyone is an agnerd.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “What do you think the biggest safety issue is at a biorefinery?” Your input and thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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

It’s the Pits

Melissa SandfortAgricultural Anthropology

If there’s one room in the house that has the most “stuff” it would have to be our kitchen. We’ve moved several times in the past five years and with each move, we toss, sell and donate more and more items. However, the kitchen always takes three times as many boxes when it comes to packing. I have a gadget for this, two sets of that, a utensil for this, and a machine for that. Thing is, I just can’t bring myself to throw any of it away. My rule on clothing is if I haven’t worn it for a year, toss it or donate it. There are things in the kitchen that haven’t been used in five years, but I keep them around, just in case.

Here are a couple of gadgets called cherry stoners (or cherry pitters). The one pictured on the top was patented in 1883 and the other in 1917. Back then, they didn’t have electric can openers or rice cookers, and they pitted their cherries one at a time by setting them on the plate then lowering the “pit poker” as I like to call it. The pits shot out into a pile and you had cherries you could eat without having to worry about your teeth.

I guess my Grandfather didn’t want to throw out any kitchen items either.

Until our next history lesson …

Ag Leader – From Basements to Mobile Devices

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Insights WeeklyAs noted in a previous blog post, Ag Leader Technology beginnings took shape in the basement of Al Myers in 1986. Since then, the company has grown to provide a complete line of precision farming technologies, from planting to harvest and from field to office.

We last left of in 1995 when Ag Leader had sold over 1,500 yield monitors. The next year, the first Ag Leader customer training sessions were held and GPS first became available with the introduction of the GPS 2000 receiver. By the following year (1997), over 4,000 Ag Leader yield monitors had been sold and the company employed more than 55 experts.

In 1998, Ag Leader revolutionized precision farming again by giving producers the power of on-the-go application control with the PF3000™. Experiencing good “growing pains,” the company moved to a new facility in Ames, Iowa, and in 1999, introduced the Lightbar.

The next six years brought about user-friendly mapping and management software solutions, the introduction of the EZ Guide® guidance system, the InSight™ display, the DirectCommand™ system, the AutoSwath™ feature, EZ-Boom, and SeedCommand.

By 2006, Ag Leader had come a long way from Al Myers’ basement and entered the market with precision ag that fits in your pocket with SMS Mobile which works on any handheld PDA device running Windows Mobile 5.x – 6.5. All said, Ag Leader was taking leaps and bounds within the precision ag market by helping farmers use site-specific information to make profitable decisions.

Be sure to tune in this summer for “the rest of the story”.

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.

Valley GPS Product Line Expanded

Melissa SandfortIrrigation

Valley Irrigation, the Leader in Precision Irrigation, has expanded their Valley GPS product line. Valley GPS Guidance for corners and linear irrigation equipment is now compatible with both John Deere® Starfire™ and Trimble® GPS products.

The compatibility with Trimble GPS base stations will make conversions from buried wire to Valley GPS Guidance easier, as it doesn’t require the same labor and maintenance as buried wire. Another advantage of GPS Guidance is that growers can install a corner machine on rented ground without the commitment of a buried wire.

The Valley GPS Guidance options also provide growers opportunities to put more acreage into irrigated production.

For more information about GPS offerings with Valley Irrigation, producers can contact their local Valley dealers.

We’re Worried About Government Regulations

Chuck ZimmermanZimmPoll

Not surprisingly you’re worried about government regulations. We asked the question, “Are you worried about how government regulations will hurt your business?” 76% say yes and 24% no. This is a big part of the rhetoric in Washington, DC right now, along with the debt ceiling and budget. All I can say is, “Get off my back Mr. Government Man!”

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “Do you own an iPad or other type of tablet?” Apps continue to be created to perform helpful agricultural functions. So let us know if you’ve made the investment. Thanks.

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

Precision Farming Growing in the Southeast

Cindy ZimmermanAg Leader, Audio, Equipment, Events, Trimble

The growing use of precision technology in the southeast, especially among peanut farmers, led AgLeader Technology to become a sponsor and exhibitor at the Southern Peanut Growers Conference (SPGC) this year for the first time.

AgLeader’s Russ Morman (left) says being at the conference was good for two reasons. “Number one, it’s certainly helped to educate us as to where the peanut industry is going and number two, it’s helped to show the growers in the area that AgLeader is definitely a big power in the precision ag industry and we’re here to help them.”

Listen to my interview with Russ from the SPGC here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/peanuts/spgc11-agleader.mp3″ text=”Russ Morman, AgLeader”]

Ag Technologies and Trimble were also at the SPGC, sponsoring the conference blog for the fourth year.

Robbie Tabb of Ag Technologies, pictured here on the far right, says they love coming to the conference and talking to peanut farmers about how they can help them be more efficient. “The southern peanut grower can stand to increase yield by 300-400 pounds per acre simply by having GPS,” he told me. “That’s why we’ve grown so much in the southeast is because of our peanut growers. They’ve really seen an increase in profitability just by having the guidance on the tractor.”

Listen to my interview with Robbie here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/peanuts/spgc11-trimble.mp3″ text=”Robbie Tabb, Ag Technologies”]

Both Scott and Robbie say the use of GPS for farming in the southeast has improved dramatically over the last several years, thanks to additional satellite availability and improved technology.

Raven Talks Connectivity and Software Integration at InfoAg

Cindy ZimmermanAg Leader, Audio, InfoAg, Raven, Software, technology

Precision.AgWired.com PodcastIt was obvious at the recent InfoAg Conference that developing industry standards, data sharing capability, connectivity and software integration are the hottest topics in precision ag technology right now.

In this edition of the Precision.AgWired.com Podcast, sponsored by Ag Leader Technology, we hear from Kelby Kleinsasser, director of Ag Information for Raven Industries and chairman of the Precision Ag Council of AgGateway, an organization of ag technology companies working together to find solutions that will allow the sharing of data while keeping proprietary information protected. Kelby gave a presentation at the conference on Slingshot API platform, which is designed to bridge the information gap between activity in the field and existing software at the office.

Listen to Kelby’s update in this Precision.AgWired.com Podcast. [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/precision/precision-podcast-21.mp3″ text=”Precision.AgWired.com Podcast”]

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

Precision.AgWired.com for Georgia Peanut Grower

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Farmers, General, GPS

georgia peanut achievement awardsKreg Freeman of Colquitt, Georgia is a double winner for his 2010 peanut crop that yielded a whopping 6626 pounds per acre.

Kreg, pictured here with University of Georgia Extension Peanut Agronomist John Beasley accepting his award as the statewide winner in the Georgia Achievement Club this year for the 100-300 acre category, credits a good part of his increase in profitability and yields to precision technology, as much as 500 pounds per acre. “We use GPS and auto steer tractors,” he told me. “What I got paid for the auto steer part of the tractor in one year.”

Kreg was also named as the Farm Press Publications Peanut Profitability Award winner for the Southeast during last week’s 2011 Southern Peanut Growers Conference. That award is based not only on yield, but production efficiency, honoring those growers who produce the highest yields at the lowest cost per acre.

Listen to my interview with Kreg from the SPGC here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/peanuts/spgc11-kreg.mp3″ text=”Kreg Freeman Interview”]