Planting On The Minds of Growers

Chuck ZimmermanAudio, Commodity Classic, Raven

During the recent Commodity Classic which was held in Tampa, FL, I spoke with Ryan Molitor, Raven Industries. Ryan is actually in the background of this photo of their booth. He and I seem to run into each other at shows all over the country and at all times of the year. So I asked him what’s different about this event and what are the farmers he’s talking to most interested in. He says they’re most interested is their OmniRow advanced planter control system. Since the show takes place prior to the new planting season that sure makes sense. He says that the large acreage farmers attending like the features that includes variable rate by individual row. It just provides a lot of flexibility. And of course planting leads into auto steering . . .

You can listen to my interview with Ryan here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/commodity-classic/classic-11-raven.mp3″ text=”Ryan Molitor Interview”]

Raven is the sponsor of the AgWired iPhone App on which you can find Precision.AgWired.com news.

Secretary Vilsack Receives Mixed Mid Term Grades

Chuck ZimmermanZimmPoll

What grade did you give U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for his mid-term? I think the results of our last ZimmPoll show how difficult it is to please everyone. We asked the question, “What mid-term grade would you give Ag Sec. Vilsack?” The votes for an A and an F were the highest and equal. 24% give him an A while 24% give him and F. Those grades are followed by 20% giving him a B, 19% a D and 13% a C. If you feel strongly about a certain grade feel free to leave a comment about why. We love getting your opinions and comments lets you freely express them!

So, let’s look at our newest ZimmPoll question, “How should farmers respond to critical documentaries such as Food Inc.?” The results of this question will be published at the start of the 2011 Agri-Marketing Conference next week and I think the results will be of real interest to agrimarketers attending. If you have a different idea than one of the choices we’ve presented then please feel free to comment. Thanks your your participation.

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.

Computer Model Calculates Livestock Numbers

Cindy Zimmermancomputers, livestock, USDA

Ranchers in the central Great Plains may be using some of their winter downtime in the future to rehearse the upcoming production season, all from the warmth of their homes, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) soil scientists.

The ranchers would use the GPFARM (Great Plains Framework for Agricultural Resource Management)-Range computer model to see which cattle or sheep stocking rate scenarios are sustainable. USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) soil scientists are testing the model in enough locations to get the model fully usable throughout the central Great Plains.

The model would allow ranchers to test various scenarios involving forage yields and the weight gains of beef cattle and calves and other livestock under various stocking and weather scenarios. The high variability of precipitation makes it difficult to choose a stocking rate that is the best balance between economic and rangeland sustainability. Looking at National Weather Service seasonal weather predictions, ranchers would judge whether precipitation in the coming season would likely be normal or above or below normal.

GPFARM-Range is one of a few range models that can factor in the effects of climate change on stocking rates, predicting the response of forage plants to increased carbon dioxide and higher temperatures.

Source: USDA-ARS

I Thought They Were Usually Roosters

Melissa SandfortAgricultural Anthropology

It’s a classic farm-house icon. The rooster on top of the barn. At least that’s what I always thought they were. But my grandfather proved me wrong with this combination weather vane/lightning rod in the shape of a horse.

This one is made out of copper and scrap metal so it’s heavy. Today, they’re made of aluminum. Back then, they showed the wind direction and acted as a lightning rod; today, they only tell you which way the wind is blowing on the horse’s rear end (or rooster’s tail feathers).

Now I know it’s kind of hard to see from this picture, but either my dad or my uncle was a pretty good shot with a BB gun and got this ol’ horse right between its hind legs.

Until our next history lesson …

NovAtel and Raven Team Up

Melissa SandfortRaven

NovAtel Inc., and Raven Industries are pleased to announce a new strategic partnership that will see NovAtel’s industry leading Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning technology integrated into Raven’s comprehensive line of precision agriculture products. The convergence of these two industry innovators is expected to drive new growth opportunities for both companies, and benefit customers by achieving further efficiencies in their agricultural operations.

Get Ready for the Growing Season with Video Tutorials

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Insights WeeklyTechnology is literally at the tips of our fingers. We have the ability to learn and read and study the latest advances in agriculture in a variety of different ways. Ag Leader provides information about how to use these technologies via user manuals, and for those customers who are more visual, newly created videos demonstrate the processes step-by-step. These videos can be accessed and viewed with iPads and Smart Phones or any device with access to the Internet. No matter what delivery vehicle or reading method you choose, it’s a simple matter of staying connected; and you choose your preference.

For the visual learners: the newly created tutorial videos about the EDGE and INTEGRA displays explain some of the basic functions of the display as you prepare for the upcoming planting/application season. And if you have been through an Ag Leader Academy training, you can refer to these videos as a refresh of your training.

Mark Irvin, Ag Leader Technical Support Specialist, says, “The Ag Leader team is constantly creating tools that help growers stay up-to-date on our latest technologies. We understand that different people have different needs and they all learn in different ways. That’s why we created these tutorial videos – in hopes of providing yet another means of education for growers as they prepare for the 2011 planting season.”

The first video delves into how to import a management setup file (.MSF) into the display. An .MSF is used to import management items into a display, such as growers, farms, field names, boundaries, products/product mixes and guidance patterns. Importing guidance patterns is something new for 2011, and you need SMS v. 10.5 to export them to an .MSF file.

Another of the videos covers creating field boundaries on the EDGE and INTEGRA displays; it explains the difference between inner and outer boundaries and the importance of boundary offsets.

The remaining tutorials cover the creation of vehicles and using GPS offsets, as well as videos about Ag Leader’s guidance and steering products.

Be sure to check back as Ag Leader will be developing training videos throughout the coming year. And, visit Ag Leader for more information on products and services.

Precision Agriculture Applications for California Growers

Melissa SandfortData Collection, Regulation, technology, yields

Pitney Bowes Business Insight announced that Britz-Simplot LLC, the largest, full-service agricultural retailer and wholesaler of fertilizers, seed and other applications in California, is leveraging Pitney Bowes Business Insight’s mapping and location intelligence technology to strengthen its precision agriculture business. As growers face increasing industry challenges, such as budget constraints, environmental concerns and compliance regulations, Britz-Simplot turned to Pitney Bowes Business Insight as a technology partner who would offer strong support and a user-friendly solution.

For growers who want to purchase and use less fertilizer, but still yield higher results in their crop production and increase ROI, Britz-Simplot provides answers to questions on growing potential, including detailed information on fields and soil type.

With a desire to improve mapping accuracy and offer better intelligence to its customers, Britz-Simplot integrated Pitney Bowes Business Insight’s MapInfo Professional®, a powerful Web-based mapping and geographic analysis software tool designed to easily visualize the relationships between data and geography. In addition, Britz-Simplot used MapInfo ProViewer™ to share the location intelligence with clients and employees, allowing them to more easily open, view and manipulate the maps, tables and analyses created with MapInfo Professional.

Britz-Simplot also helps customers with budget management, regulatory compliance and environmental issues. In fact, they also provide data for faster and easier compliance reporting, which helps growers spend less time on legal and regulatory requirements reporting and spend more time on their core business.

To read the full story, click here.

CAST Honors Two for Ag, Science and Technology

Cindy ZimmermanAg Group, Events

Dr. John BonnerDuring the recent National Ag Day festivities in Washington DC, the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) Executive VP/CEO Dr. John Bonner presented Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE) and Representative Collin Peterson (D-MN) with the President’s Award which recognizes those individuals who have furthered the cause of agriculture, science, and technology.

Senator Johanns grew up on a farm and eventually became the 28th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in January 2005. He is the Ranking Member on the Agriculture Committee’s Domestic and Foreign Marketing, Inspection, and Plant & Animal Health Subcommittee, and he honored our nation’s farmers and ranchers as part of National Agriculture Week in a speech on the Senate floor when he highlighted the hard work of producers across Nebraska and the nation who continue to lead the way in agriculture. Senator Johanns stays in touch with the CAST organization, and he recommended a study of the Convergence of Agriculture and Energy, a CAST publication that produced valuable research information.

Representative Peterson also has farming roots, and he has been in Congress since 1990. Currently the Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee, he has been involved in many agriculture bills, and the President’s Award is yet another achievement to add to his many accomplishments. His agriculture staff has assisted the National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research (NC-FAR) with locations for luncheon gatherings, and CAST has been able to present numerous Task Force Papers and Commentaries at these events.

Dr. Bonner is also chairman of the Agriculture Council of America, which sponsors National Ag Day activities, something he says is very important to help educate the public about American agriculture.

Listen to Chuck Zimmerman’s interview with John on Ag Day here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/agday/agday-11-bonner.mp3″ text=”Dr. John Bonner Interview”]

Organic Farmers File Lawsuit Against Monsanto

Cindy ZimmermanFarmers, seed

Monsanto is facing a legal challenge from organic farmers over genetically modified seed.

monsantoThe Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) filed suit this week on behalf of 60 family farmers, seed businesses and organic agricultural organizations, against Monsanto Company as a preemptive measure “to protect themselves from being accused of patent infringement should they ever become contaminated by Monsanto’s genetically modified seed, something Monsanto has done to others in the past.”

“This case asks whether Monsanto has the right to sue organic farmers for patent infringement if Monsanto’s transgenic seed should land on their property,” said Dan Ravicher, PUBPAT’s Executive Director and Lecturer of Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York. “It seems quite perverse that an organic farmer contaminated by transgenic seed could be accused of patent infringement, but Monsanto has made such accusations before and is notorious for having sued hundreds of farmers for patent infringement, so we had to act to protect the interests of our clients.”

Monsanto calls the organization’s allegations “false, misleading and deceptive.”

The plaintiffs’ approach is a publicity stunt designed to confuse the facts about American agriculture. These efforts seek to reduce private and public investment in the development of new higher-yielding seed technologies. This attack comes at a time when the world needs every agricultural tool available to meet the needs of a growing population, expected to reach 9 billion people by 2050. While we respect the opinion of organic farmers as it relates to the products they choose to grow, we don’t believe that American agriculture faces an all-or-nothing approach. Rather we believe that farmers should have the ability to choose the best agricultural tools to farm their own land and serve their own end-market customers. We are confident that these multiple approaches can coexist side-by-side and sustainably meet the world’s food needs over next 40 years.

Join us at InfoAg 2011

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Events, InfoAg

InfoAg 2009 was a terrific success. Over 650 participants shared in presentations on a wide range of topics on technology applications and data management and interpretation. As with previous InfoAg Conferences, the networking among participants was again a highlight of the experience. New relationships formed at InfoAg will lead to greater benefits and opportunities for those involved.

InfoAg 2011 will be held July 12-14 in Springfield, Ill.

Coverage of the event will be sponsored by Ag Leader.