Take a Seat

Melissa SandfortAgricultural Anthropology

When I was little, I always wanted to ride in the tractor with my dad. And even though my memory isn’t that great, I DO remember sitting in the hallway crying and throwing a tantrum because I had the chicken pox and mom wouldn’t let me go with him to feed the cattle .

The tractor he used didn’t have a passenger seat, so he cut a 2×4 that went from the arm rest to the window sill. That quickly became MY seat. In particularly rough fields, I really had to hang on because as dad’s seat flexed up and down, my 2×4 board bounced all over the place and nearly slid off. By the end of most rides, my rear was bruised but I was none worse for the wear.

This is a cast iron tractor seat saved from a seed drill from the Hoosier Drill Company. Hoosier Drill was acquired by the Oliver Farm Equipment Company in 1929, so this dates back pre-1929.

Can you imagine bumping around over a field in this seat with no padding? I’m no longer complaining about the 2×4.

Until our next history lesson …

Getting Social With Ag Leader

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Insights WeeklyDid you know that if you’re reading this post right now that means you’re part of the social media communications network? That’s right – precision.agwired.com is a blog, or an interactive website where visitors come to get information and leave feedback.

So what exactly IS this bigger picture of social media and why is it important to you as a farmer or rancher?

Social media tools include Facebook, Twitter, blogs, YouTube and Flickr, just to name a few, and it has taken off with U.S. consumers faster than anyone imagined it ever would. More than 75 percent of the U.S. online population is using social technologies and almost half read blogs at least monthly.

Social media uses web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into interactive dialogue. In essence, it’s “where the people are.” Social media is all about building relationships, having meaningful, interactive 1-on-1 conversations with consumers, media and fellow farmers.

Recognizing that emerging trend, Ag Leader turned to the Internet to create an online social media dialogue in an effort to make it possible for growers to engage with the company, other growers, dealers, university experts and anyone passionate about Precision ag online.

Growers can research products, find out more about Ag Leader, and join in the conversation, through:
• Precision Point blog
• Facebook
• Twitter (@agleadertech)
• YouTube

Katie Beeler, Marketing Communications Coordinator for Ag Leader, tells us more about their social media communications and marketing strategy.

So if you’re feeling social, there’s probably an online venue that suits you. Just find the one you’re most comfortable with and join in the conversation. Ask questions. Be involved. And educate others about precision agriculture and modern farming practices in the process.

GPS Interference Issue Continues

Cindy ZimmermanGPS

A company planning to provide a wireless broadband/satellite network claims to have solved a GPS interference issue, but a new study finds interfering with GPS signals could cost the economy.

Officials with the Virginia-based company LightSquared, which wants to set up 40,000 wireless broad-band stations across the nation on a frequency that is right next to the one used by GPS, have outlined a proposal they say will address the problem of interference.

Early test results indicated that one of LightSquared’s 10MHz blocks of frequencies poses interference to many GPS receivers. This block happens to be the specific set of frequencies that LightSquared planned to use for the initial launch of its nationwide wireless broadband network.

Based on those same early test results, LightSquared determined that another 10MHz block of the spectrum did not create such an interference risk. This block is lower on the spectrum band and located further away from the GPS frequencies, greatly reducing the risk for interference.

Test results show this lower block of frequencies is largely free of interference issues with the exception of a limited number of high precision GPS receivers that are specifically designed to rely on LightSquared’s spectrum. In its original plan, LightSquared planned to move into this other frequency block as its business grew over the next two to three years.

Agricultural interests are concerned about that exception. A study released by the Coalition to Save Our GPS, which includes several agricultural technology companies, estimates that LightSquared’s plan could result in “direct economic costs of up to $96 billion to U.S. commercial GPS users and manufacturers.” Jim Kirkland, vice president and general counsel of Trimble, says the analysis “also highlights how LightSquared’s recently announced ‘solution’ to the interference problem, which LightSquared admits will not reduce interference for high precision GPS uses, is no solution at all. High precision GPS uses represent nearly $ 10 billion in historical investment by GPS users over the last five years and $30 billion in annual economic benefits.”

“The use of GPS technology is vital to thousands of people who make their living with agricultural and construction equipment. It is simply not acceptable to allow this new network to interfere with these important industries when all indications are that there is no practical solution to mitigate this interference,” said Ken Golden, director of global public relations at John Deere. “In agriculture, the loss of a stable GPS system could have an impact of anywhere from $14 to $30 billion each year. That could significantly erode the strong competitive global position of U.S. farmers in the world agricultural economy.”

Meanwhile, the 2012 agriculture appropriations bill recently passed by the House includes language specifically to register concerns about the LightSquared network and directs the USDA “to ensure the FCC is aware of these concerns.”

Ethanol Might Be Issue In Political Race

Chuck ZimmermanZimmPoll

So, “Will ethanol be an issue in presidential race?” Maybe, maybe not. But I’m here to tell you, when I talk to anyone in agriculture this is a very hot topic. So it will be interesting to see how the candidates deal with it. In response to our survey, 58% say yes and 42% say no. What do you think? Should it be an issue?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “What can G20 ag ministers do to stabilize food prices?” Let us know what you think. I’ll bet you have an opinion on this one.

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

New Survey Shows State of Precision Ag

Cindy ZimmermanResearch, Retailers

The CropLife/Purdue Precision Agriculture survey is back after taking a year off and revealing the latest precision trends.

The survey, conducted this year by marketing consultant Dr. Linda D. Whipker and Purdue’s Dr. Bruce Erickson, was first conducted 16 years ago, when precision technologies were just entering the market. “After 16 years, the biggest change that has occurred is that many of these methods of serving the agricultural community and growing crops have become so common place that they aren’t thought of as unique any more,” they report. “However, the rapid improvements in technologies and how they’re implemented into everyday business continues to grow.”

CropLife’s Paul Schrimpf came up with 10 key trends from the latest survey, including that precision technology is becoming mainstream. “A curious “trend” expressed in the survey results was that the number of retailers offering precision agriculture “services” appears to be dropping in key categories, including georeferenced soil sampling and fieldmapping with GIS. Certainly, retailers may be outsourcing these services to other entities, or some growers might be doing some of this work on their own. But we also feel that it’s just as likely an indication that these services have become so integrated into full-service retailers that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to separate it out as an a la carte service. Precision services are packaged up into a larger, more holistic offering.”

Read more here and here.

Precision Ag Award Winners

Cindy ZimmermanGeneral

The PrecisionAg Institute recently announced the recipients of the 2011 PrecisionAg Awards of Excellence. This is the fifth annual presentation of these awards, designed to celebrate the people and programs that have helped agriculture realize the full benefits of technology to improve agronomy, efficiency, and stewardship in crop production.

This year’s winners are:

Legacy Award – Dr. Nyle Wollenhaupt, Plant Scientist, Minnetonka, MN
As a Plant Scientist, Nyle has always led first with the scientific approach to variable rate application: applying only what is needed and when, while determining those amounts based upon proven science. He has worked with farmers and custom applicators from the earliest concepts of statistical-based soil sampling to development of hardware and software tools. This allowed agronomists to add their local knowledge of agronomic practices and techniques in forms that enhanced agronomic value to their customers through practicing variable rate application of fertilizers, soil amendments and plant protection products. As additional support for using these field techniques, Wollenhaupt has worked closely with yield monitors and precision farming tools that assist in quantifying and substantiating the economic value of precision farming.

Farmer Award – Dan Forgey, Farm Manager, Gettysburg, SD
Dan Forgey is the agronomy manager at Cronin Farms, an 8,500 acre crop and cow-calf operation located in central South Dakota. He has been a no-till expert for 19 years growing spring wheat, winter wheat, corn, sunflowers, soybeans, field peas, and lentils as cash crops and numerous cover crops. He manages land for forage production for a 750 beef cow/calf operation and 12 different rotations over the 8,500 acres. Dan was a founding member of the Upper Midwest Space Consortium at the University of North Dakota. UMAC provides remote sensing (RS) imagery and collaborates with farmers to develop RS agriculture applications. He has been using RS and yield monitor data to create management zones for corn and wheat since 2003. Recently, Dan added real time kinetic (RTK) technology to map field elevations that now includes elevation to delineate zones.

Crop Adviser/Entrepreneur Award – Dave Nerpel, Director of Field Technology, Warden, WA
Dave Nerpel translates industry innovations into services for the Wilbur-Ellis Company. With his understanding of services, web-based record keeping, and telematics, Dave became the foundation of its AgVerdict program. Nerpel has a vision for the future which is coming into play as the industry recognizes that the concept of singular tools on one computer is being trumped by web-based systems that can be accessed simultaneously from multiple locations for system-wide program. Wilbur-Ellis’ AgVerdict is driving a new level of integrated solutions to a variety of needs. From proof of concept to commercial adoption, Dave has contributed to the development of multi-product rate control, software, hardware, the proliferation of high-accuracy GPS applications and steering control, moisture sensors, desktop to web-based geo-spatial records, and telematics.

Agriculture Educator/Researcher Award – Scott Beck, Atlanta, IN
Scott Beck manages and directs the Practical Farm Research facilities that promote agronomic and precision ag technologies and developments. A key goal for Beck and his group is to demonstrate new practices, including precision ag technologies, which allow growers to get a first hand view and understanding on how precision ag technology works. It also helps growers to determine if they will work for their farming operation before any capital investments are made. Scott’s Practical Farm Research program is currently testing the use of weather stations in conjunction with fungicide applications, particularly with soybeans. The program is trying to build a model to determine when it may be the best agronomic time to spray fungicides to achieve optimum performance and profitability.

The Fastest Socket Wrench

Melissa SandfortAgricultural Anthropology

I love organization. I wonder, at times, if I have OCD about cleaning and putting everything back in its place. I have a child who is almost 3 years old and probably thinks I’m no fun when it comes to playing…but I know right where all of his toys are, and every night, the same toys go back in the same box, and get put back in the same trunk in the same place. See a pattern here? I don’t like clutter.

I’d be that way about my husband’s toolbox too, but he’d probably throw a fit. Plus, that’s his domain.

I just find that when I complete this organizational routine, it makes my life easier because I don’t have to search for toys, car keys, tape, socks, cell phone or tools.

This is a 4-way speed wrench, made for two reasons. One, to clean up the toolbox clutter. (Oh, I like it already!) And two, to have four socket sizes at your fingertips to quickly and easily loosen lug nuts. This one was patented in October 1922.

Now we have impact wrenches, but this initial design was perfect for those who wanted an uncluttered toolbox, and liked doing things fast.

Until our next history lesson …

The Beginning of Something Great: The Story of Ag Leader (Part 1)

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Insights WeeklyThe telephone. The light bulb. The Model A Ford. These inventions came about in traditional fashion: a man has a dream, an idea, a theory; and with a lot of hard work and testing, he eventually turns that vision into a reality.

That’s exactly what happened in Al Myers’ basement in 1986.

Al Myers, an agricultural engineer, began developing ideas for a high-tech, ag-related product during the bottom of the farm crisis in 1986. He taught himself electronics and began tinkering in his basement, but little did he know this would be the start of something so much bigger.

For the next six years, mostly on his father’s Illinois farm, Myers developed and tested the first on-the-go yield monitor. In June of 1992, Myers left his job, depleted his savings and started a home-based business – Ag Leader Technology.

It was then that Ag Leader started manufacturing the Yield Monitor 2000, the revolutionary on-the-go yield monitoring system. Today, the yield monitor is the centerpiece of the precision farming practice and the Yield Monitor 2000 has become the benchmark to which all other manufacturers attempt to match.

In Ag Leader’s first year, Myers sold 10 yield monitors to farmers within 80 miles of Ames, Iowa, and in eastern Illinois near his father’s farm. His technical support staff consisted of one: whenever farmers had questions, Myers made the trip out to the fields where the monitors were being used.

In 1993, Myers moved Ag Leader Technology from his home to a small building in Ames, Iowa, and hired the first full-time Ag Leader employee. Two years later, Ag Leader had sold over 1,500 yield monitors.

Today, Ag Leader products are backed by industry-leading support, with a staff of knowledgeable technicians dedicated to supporting Ag Leader’s product line. Ag Leader currently employs over 200 people, with staff located across the continental U.S., Canada and England.

Stay tuned throughout the summer for the rest of the grassroots beginnings to today’s Ag Leader Technology.

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.

Proposed Broadband Service Creates GPS Concerns

Cindy ZimmermanGPS

Initial reports indicate a proposed high-speed wireless broadband network would interfere with global positioning systems around the country, including those used for precision farming.

Virginia-based company LightSquared wants to set up 40,000 wireless broad-band stations across the nation on a frequency that is right next to the one used by GPS. After concerns were voiced about possible interference, the Federal Communications Commission had the company investigate the possibility and report back to them. Preliminary findings from that report released yesterday indicate there may indeed be a problem. Company officials acknowledge that the tests show the technology could interfere with other signals at certain frequencies and power levels but they believe adjustments could be made to address that. LightSquared has been given another two weeks to present final findings to the FCC.

Opposition to the plan has become organized in the form of the Coalition to Save Our GPS, which consists of a wide variety of industries and companies, including agricultural interests and technology providers such as New Holland, Deere, GROWMARK, Leica Geosystems and Trimble Navigation.

Raven Introduces OmniSeed System

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Planting, Raven

More reliability, efficiency and control are what Raven Industries promises growers can get with the new OmniSeed Advanced Air Seeder Control System, just introduced this week.

“OmniSeed allows for variable rate technology, it’s a very scalable system with a lot of unique features on it that we think are going to be pretty popular in the air seeder market,” Raven’s Ryan Molitor said in an interview. The system consists of various components, including the Viper Pro Field Computer which Ryan says is the brains of the system, and Run Blockage powered by AgTron.

Ryan says the system is surprisingly simple to set up and easy to use. “And we have a vast dealer network throughout the world that is trained up and ready to service and support at point of sale and after,” he said.

Find out more about OmniSeed on the RavenPrecision.com website and listen to my interview with Ryan about the system here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/raven/raven-omniseed.mp3″ text=”Raven OmniSeed System”]

Raven Industries is a proud supporter of the Agwired app for iPhone and Droid. Don’t have it yet? Join the hundreds who do today and get Agwired, PrecisionPays, WorldDairyDiary and DomesticFuel news fast and easy on your smart phone! Click here.