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Electric Shock “Therapy” for Soil

Laura McNamara

All it takes to find out what kind of soils and elements are found in a plot of land is just a bit of electric charge. Veris Technologies has developed a method for determining soil ratios using electricity: “What we’re looking at here is using AC voltage or very low voltage injecting it into the soil with two electrodes,” Paul …

Agribusiness, Audio, Equipment, Farming, Technology

Aggie-Lance Makes Farm Progress

Chuck Zimmerman

I finally got to meet the creator and founder of Aggie-Lance, Mark Jewell, here at the Farm Progress Show. He came by with his daughter, Nora, who is appropriately attired in Aggie-Lance baby gear. I caught a picture of her sleeping through an interview with her Dad. Actually, Laura McNamara interviewed Mark. I thought that would be kind of appropriate …

Agribusiness, Audio, BASF, Farm Progress Show, New Holland, ZimmCast

BASF Still Making Headlines

Chuck Zimmerman

Two of the BASF team members on location at the Farm Progress Show are (l-r) Gary Schmitz, Midwest Regional Tech Manager and Nick Fassler, Tech Manager for Plant Health. Headline is still making headlines so I spoke to them together about how the product has been developing in the corn and soybean markets. Nick says Headline is making great progress …

Agribusiness, Audio, BASF, Farm Progress Show, New Holland

Corn Progress

Laura McNamara

There’s a lot the National Corn Growers Association is looking forward to in the next few months. I caught up with Bob Dickey, First Vice President of the association, at the 2008 Farm Progress Show in Boone, IA today. He says corn growers are counting on good weather, a good harvest and a good relationship with the new Secretary of …

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, Ethanol, Farm Progress Show, Farm Shows, Farming

Farm Progress Burns B20 Biodiesel Blend

Laura McNamara

Ag equipment has been running on biodiesel during the Farm Progress Show for a number of years, but this year is the first year machinery will be operating on a B20 blend at the show. Growmark is this year’s official Farm Progress Show fuel sponsor. Mark Dehner, Marketing Manger Refined and Renewable Fuels for Growmark, says the company is using …

Agribusiness, Audio, Biodiesel, Energy, Farm Progress Show, Farm Shows, Farming

Pleasantly Cool at Farm Progress

Laura McNamara

It feels more like fall and not late August this morning at the Farm Progress Show. And, that’s a good thing. Farm Progress is hoping the beautiful, mild weather will draw more participants to this year’s show in Boone, Iowa. Don Tourte, National Sales Director for Farm Progress Companies says participants will have more to see this year. The exhibition …

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, Farm Progress Show, Farm Shows, Farming

Infrared Mapping for Carbon

Laura McNamara

Veris Technologies is doing what any committed any company specializing in agricultural technology should do: it’s thinking ahead and developing products it anticipates farmers will need in the near future. Representative Eric Lund says that’s why Veris has developed near infrared mapping. The technology is designed primarily for mapping soil carbon, a need that Eric explains might not be relevant …

Agribusiness, Audio, Environment, Farming, Research, Technology

John Stevenson is New to New Holland

Chuck Zimmerman

AgWired has arrived at the Farm Progress Show and the first person I got to meet is the new VP, Sales and Marketing, New Holland Agricultural Equipment NA. He’s John Stevenson and this is his first Farm Progress Show. Thanks to Laura McNamara for taking our picture. So John is my first interview and that’s appropriate since New Holland is …

Agribusiness, Audio, BASF, Farm Progress Show, New Holland, Tractor

Getting Smart with the Smart Nozzle

Laura McNamara

The Smart Nozzle does exactly what it sounds like it does. It’s a boom nozzle that can operate independently during sprayer operations. John Harrison Jr. is the Product Engineer for Harrison Technologies(pictured far left) and is the brainchild behind this innovative, yet “why-didn’t-I-think-of-this” technology. “The smart nozzle takes existing technology for precision agriculture of boom control with the boom sections …

Agribusiness, Audio, Farming, Technology, Video

Forecasting for Farming Success

Laura McNamara

There are two kinds of information that are important for Pessl Instruments: “ground truth” and expected forecasts. The Austria-based company claims that it offers a one-of-a-kind tool for farmers: “What we do is we measure the ground truth,” Gottfried Pessl, President of Pessl Instruments said. “That means what’s going on actually on the field of the farmers but we now …

Agribusiness, Audio, Environment, Equipment, Farming, International, Technology, Weather