We Like Our Beef

Chuck ZimmermanZimmPoll

We’ve got some beef eaters in this community! In answer to our question, “What’s your favorite meat?” an overwhelming majority said Beef at 39%. Here’s how the other choices fared in order. Fish, 15%; Chicken, 12%; Pork, 10%; All of the above, 10%; Lamb, 5%; Venison, 5% and Other, 4%. I’ve spoken with some AgWired community members who voted that told me they voted for beef but definitely eat other meat choices. We just thought we’d ask the question this way to see if you had a favorite and it sure looks like you do. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “Will ethanol be an issue in the presidential race?” Let us know what you think. And if you have any questions you want to suggest for future ZimmPolls please let us know.

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

The Watering Hole

Melissa SandfortAgricultural Anthropology

I took a pottery class once in college. I think I made a coffee mug or an ash tray with the help of one of my artistic friends. That piece of clay wouldn’t mold if I willed it to.

But this piece of artwork was made to be both beautiful and functional. It’s a vintage whiskey jug or water jug. They’d hand-pump the cold water from the well into this jug, soak a burlap cloth in water and wrap it around to keep it cool, and take it out to the threshers in the field on a hot afternoon.

It’s from the Macomb Pottery company, incorporated in 1880, which eventually became Plant Number Three of Western Stoneware Co in 1906. The most recognizable stoneware they produced was the Cardinal brand of redware along with other specialty lines of stoneware and pottery. Facilities were sold in 1956.

I bet this jug has seen a lot of whiskey and water.

Until our next history lesson …

Sit Tight…The Water is Coming

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Insights WeeklyThe flood waters are coming, and for now, all farmers can do is play the waiting game to see just how bad it’s going to be. From Montana to Missouri, farmers, ag businesses and communities are all buckling down, hoping for the best but preparing for the worse.

Here’s a quick backgrounder if you didn’t catch WHY this is all happening: With the plains snow, extraordinary rainfall, and additional mountain snowpack accumulation to record levels in May and a delayed melt, these factors created somewhat of a perfect storm.

This scenario necessitated the need for water high releases. These releases will need to be maintained until the reservoirs are back down to a manageable level.

USDA has issued a statement telling consumers how to prepare for a flooding emergency and what to do after flooding.

But for farmers in the Midwest, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to crop insurance and flooding. Precision ag equipment, record-keeping and data management capabilities are going to be imperative for crop insurance claims to verify acres planted (possibly dating back three years). And, farmers should also take dated photographs of their farms and planted crops.

Michael Sandfort, farmer and custom sprayer in southeast Nebraska, explains, “We utilize precision ag — mapping and data storage on our planters and sprayers — which helps us keep track of acres planted. It’s just reassurance and peace of mind that we have the exact data we need, when and if it’s needed.”

And how’s he preparing for the flooding? He’s already taken a motor out of a pivot on his fields near Hamburg, Iowa.

“We’re keeping an eye on things. We have our main office and shop near the Little Nemaha River bank, and if Syracuse gets heavy rains, the potential for flooding increases. For now, we’ve moved chemicals and bin parts to another building on-site, but if flooding occurs, we’ll have to transfer equipment and tools to higher ground. We’re ahead of schedule on spraying, but as far as the flood? We wait.”

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

What’s Up With That Funny Looking QR Code

Chuck ZimmermanZimmPoll

So, we’ve got a little way to go as far as getting the whole QR Code thing going from the looks of our last ZimmPoll. We asked, “Have you ever used a smartphone to scan a QR code?” I was a little surprised to see the answer, What’s a QR code?, had the biggest response at 41%. But 37% of you responding said Yes and 22% said No. So what is a QR code? Here’s the Wikipedia definition:

A QR code (abbreviation for Quick Response code) is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) that is readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera telephones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded may be text, URL, or other data.

So give it a try. The QR code shown is for Wikipedia’s main web page. You might need to get a QR code reader app for your smartphone btw. I’m wondering how many agrimarketers have used or are using QR codes. Care to chime in with your thoughts or experiences?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “What’s your favorite meat?” If you have a choice not in our poll feel free to suggest it in comments. I can always add it to the poll.

And if you have any questions you want to suggest for future ZimmPolls please let us know.

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

FS Green Plan Solutions Overview

Chuck ZimmermanAudio, FS Green Plan Solution, Growmark

Meet Sid Parks, Manager, Precision Farming. That means we talked about FS Green Plan Solutions, a broad area of products and services offered to local FS retailers and a sponsor of Precision.AgWired.com. We’ve certainly introduced you to this part of GROWMARK before but thought you might be interested in Sid’s outlook.

The definition of precision farming is very broad and the technology is advancing at a fast pace. For this reason Sid says they offer a lot of educational and training opportunities for members. The support they provide really helps members and their farmer customers better understand and use the precision applications they are integrating into their farm operation. He says that there is a pretty wide variable of how much or what level of precision applications that are being used. I’m guessing that will be changing as the need to enhance productivity to improve profitability becomes more and more important. Sid says “I think we’re going to continue to see adoption of these technologies. Not every farm or every field is going to have some type of precision farming application or service done on it but I believe strongly in the eighty-twenty rule that most of the people that we are going to see actively farming and the people we do business with, there’s a lot more interest in these types of services.”

You can listen to my interview with Sid here and learn more about FS Green Plan Solutions: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/growmark/growmark-sid-parks.mp3″ text=”Sid Parks Interview”]

The 8-pound Iron

Melissa SandfortAgricultural Anthropology

I really dislike ironing. So much so that if I find a shirt I like and it’s 100% cotton, I’ll put it back on the rack. It has to be one fantastic piece of clothing for me to buy it if it needs ironing.

When my grandmother was growing up, they ironed everything: sheets, pillowcases, clothes, kitchen towels. They used sad irons – also known as flat irons or smoothing irons. The sad in sad iron is an old word for solid. And boy was this thing solid, weighing in at 8 pounds. They had metal handles, so they had to be picked up with a pad or thick rag. Some irons had wooden handles and in 1870 a detachable handle was patented in the U.S. (the iron pictured on the left was patented May 22, 1900). This stayed cool while the metal bases were heated on the stove.

You see, in order to iron properly, at least two irons in operation – one on the stove heating up while the other was in use. So not only did they iron, they had two or three going at one time!

The key to success was temperature. It is said that a little spit on your finger and if it sizzled, it was hot enough, but not so hot that it would scorch the cloth. The iron pictured on the left is sitting on a trivet. This was placed on the ironing board and when the iron was not in use, it was placed on the trivet as to not burn the ironing board cover.

Really though, I did iron a dress just two weeks ago. I had to wipe the dust off my iron and dig out my ironing board, but that’s beside the point.

I think I’d rather get out my steamer and use these old ones as cool bookends.

Until our next history lesson …

Precision Farming for Manure?

Melissa SandfortResearch, USDA

The same precision farming techniques that work with crops can work with manure management on cattle feedlots, according to USDA scientists.

Agricultural engineers and USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in Clay Center, Neb., map the distribution of manure on the surface of feedlots and the flow of liquid manure in rain runoff.

This research could lead to both precision harvesting of manure and also precision application of manure to crop fields, while controlling nutrient losses, gas emissions, and odors.

The scientists map manure distribution by slowly towing a GPS-equipped conductivity meter over feedlot pens and cropland. The meter estimates the amount and quality of manure in various places on the feedlot surface by measuring the manure’s ability to conduct electricity. Manure contains salt from feed supplements. Salt, in solution, is an excellent conductor of electricity.

Click here to read more.

Photo: Agricultural engineers Roger Eigenberg (left) and Bryan Woodbury evaluate a soil electrical conductivity map of a vegetative treatment area. Photo by Stephen Ausmus.

Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies

Melissa SandfortGeneral, Industry News

Farmers Edge, an independent precision agriculture consulting firm, has been ranked 11th by PROFIT: Your Guide to Business Success in their annual ranking of Canada’s Top 200 Fastest-Growing Companies.

Ranking Canada’s fastest-growing companies by five-year revenue growth, the PROFIT 200 profiles the country’s most successful growth companies.

Farmers Edge received similar accolades in 2010, when it was recognized as the number one fastest-growing company in Manitoba. Co-founders Wade Barnes and Curtis MacKinnon were also named Business Development Canada’s Young Entrepreneurs of the Year for Manitoba in 2009.

Farmers Edge offers complete land management solutions, from project development and crop planning to operations and harvest management. Farmers Edge offers advanced agronomy solutions, using a balance of traditional agronomy and new technology to provide value to the grower as well as the environment. To learn more about Farmers Edge, please visit www.FarmersEdge.ca.

Where to Find Ag Leader This Summer

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 summer in order to talk with Ag Leader experts:

• InfoAg in Springfield, IL July 12-14
Who should attend? Producers who want to learn more about technology applications and data management and interpretation. From hi-tech innovators giving us a glimpse of what is to come to producers putting all the gear and ideas to work in crop production, InfoAg is an event to stimulate the gray matter.
Click here for the conference program.

• Farm Journal Corn College July 18-22 in Heyworth, IL
Who’s it for? The Farm Journal Corn College “Classic” session provides practical, hands-on training to help corn growers advance their production skills, increase yields and improve their profitability.
Click here for a complete schedule of events.

• Farm Progress Show in Decatur, IL August 31 – September 1
Why should I attend? This event gives visitors the opportunity to see the latest equipment, seed, crop chemicals, field demonstrations, and more. Farmers and ranchers visit the show to see agriculture’s latest product introductions, meet face-to-face with agribusiness professionals and gain hands-on knowledge.
Click here for complete show information.

If you’re on the road this summer 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 this summer!

North Carolina to Build Ag Tech Center

Cindy ZimmermanResearch

Plans to build a $13.5 million, 50,000-square-foot agricultural research center with 18,000 square feet of world-class research greenhouse space near Research Triangle Park were recently announced by the governor of North Carolina.

“As complex environmental issues – like the growing world population, limits to world food supply, shrinking natural resources, and the need to develop green technologies – become increasingly urgent, the new Ag-Tech Center along with North Carolina’s commitment to education, innovation and agribusiness will ensure that our state plays a vital role in tackling those challenges,” said Governor Bev Perdue, in making the announcement at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.

The Alexandria Ag-Tech Center will feature cutting-edge individual greenhouse modules and support areas along with innovative shared amenities. Each greenhouse will have separate environmental controls, planting and support spaces.