John Deere Brings New Generation of 8R Tractors to the Fields

John Deere has released its next version of the 8R Tractors that were originally released last year. This upgraded version integrates the “smart-tractor” concept into the row-crop tractors. I caught up with Cody Dicken during the Farm Progress Show to take a look at the new 8R Tractor and learn more about its new features.

“First and foremost, customers will notice new styles and new lights on the front grill. But quickly when they step into it, they’ll notice that the power levels have increased by about a 10-15 percent power increase depending on the model,” explained Dicken.

The 8360R and the 8360RT get up to almost 300 btu horsepower and Dicken continued, “From what we can see, these are the most powerful row crop tractors anywhere in the industry.”

One advantage of the new 8R Tractors is that farmers are easily able to integrate the new GPS technologies into their operations.

“Last year when we came out with the 2010 8R we introduced the Command Center on the seat. This year, we’ve taken the Command Center to the next level,” said Dicken. “We now have an option to enable the tractor with a touch steer display and the GreenStar applications are now available.”

With the Command Center, growers can also operate AutoTrack and SwatchControl Pro, which makes it easier for growers to be able to use the technology.

You can customize the tractor to meet your needs so it works from a small to medium operation all the way up to an extra large operation. Not ready for all the bells and whistles yet? Don’t worry. You can add technologies as your operation grows.

To learn more, visit your local John Deere dealer. They are accepting orders now and manufacturing will begin in January 2011 for delivery in time for next growing season.

You can also learn more by listening to my interview with Cody Dicken. Cody Dicken Talks 8R Tractors

Check out our Farm Progress Photo Album.

Introducing Agrisure Viptera for Pest Control

This year during Farm Progress, Syngenta launched the Agrisure Viptera 3111 trait stack, its new breakthrough in pest control. Syngenta’s Grant Ozipko said that their customers are really excited about the product, and for good reason.

Syngenta customers who are participating in trials are seeing and experiencing a new level of control, the highest level of control soon to be available on the market according to Ozipko, as well as the broadest spectrum of control. Once Agrisure Viptera hits the market in time for the 2011 planting season, it will control 14 different pests including corn earworm, fall army worm, Western bean cut worm, and black cut worm, among others.

The protection is something Ozipko says growers are confident about when they plant the trait stack in their fields. “They’re going to have protection from planting all the way through harvest,” said Ozipko.

Ozipko continued, “At the end of the day, the grower is really driven by yield. We’re experiencing a 14 bushel benefit. Growers are excited about that 14 bushels per acre in the presence of corn earworm.”

This equates to about a half ton truck of grain on every acre and Ozipko said this is a pretty big yield loss if growers don’t control pests.

Regardless of environmental conditions, Agrisure Viptera is going to provide protection against pests. Many farmers in the Midwest suffered from excess moisture this growing season that can lead to mycotoxin or aflotoxin from pests that get into the corn ear. However, planting Agrisure Viptera can reduce damage from those pests, minimizing toxins and help the grower market his grain more effectively.

You can learn more about Agrisure Viptera at www.agrisureviptera.com and by listening to my interview with Grant Ozipko here. Introducing Agrisure Viptera for Pest Control

Check out our Farm Progress Photo Album.

Fives Minutes with Farm Progress Fuel Sponsor Star Energy

The Farm Progress Show last week was a huge success, especially for the Farm Progress Show 2010 fuel sponsor Star Energy. They provided all the biodiesel, along with FS Companies of Iowa and Renewable Energy Group (REG). This is the company’s second year providing fuel for all the farm equipment along with generators and such things as gators with Dieselex Gold, a diesel fuel blend enhanced with a 20 percent blend of soy-biodiesel manufactured by Ames, Iowa based REG.

I spoke with Jason Stauffer, Energy Management Specialist/Area Sales Manager for Star Energy about why this sponsorship was so important to his company. He said that there is no better way to demonstrate the benefits of biodiesel than people seeing it in action.

One benefit of biodiesel is its ability to reduce emissions, which in diesel vehicles often present themselves in the form of an unpleasant odor emanating from black smoke. You only have to add a B2 blend to begin to see these issues disappear and when you fuel with B20, you get nothing but clean air as Stauffer noted that many people who stopped by their booth said they didn’t see or small a thing.

Although this particular sponsorship is focused on biodiesel, the company also provides E10, E85 and propane to farmers around Iowa. They have 23 retail locations where farmers can fill up their equipment or an operation can sign up to have the fuel delivered right to their farm.

“We made the choice years ago not to use regular unleaded,” said Stauffer who continued by saying its been a great move for them.

Just like selling renewable fuels to the agriculture market is a no-brainer for them, so is their fuel sponsorship for the Farm Progress Show in 2011.

You can learn more about Star Energy and its Farm Progress Show fuel sponsorship in my interview with Jason. Star Energy Official Fuel Sponsor of Farm Progress

Whoa, Nelly, Big Bud is Big

Whoa Nelly AgWired peeps. Have you seen how BIG Big Bud is?

Big Bud is the world’s largest tractor and one of the biggest draws at this year’s Farm Progress Show. He was built by hand (all the Big Bud’s manufactured were done one at a time, no assembly line was ever used) and topped out at 27 feet long, 20 feet wide, 14 feet tall and weighing 100,000 pounds. Big Bud is the baby of Ron Harmonn, birthed in 1977 in Montana. The inspiration was derived for the need for a better tractor to plant and grow cotton.

Until this week, Big Bud had been on display in a farm museum in Dyersville, Iowa (the home of the famous ball field from Field of Dreams). He was moved to Boone, Iowa by Crop Production Services (Agrium), a company that provides agricultural inputs to farmers around the country.

Steve Sopher, an area agronomist with Agrium told me that they brought Big Bud in to give growers a walk down memory lane, and that he did. Between 15,000 – 20,000 people came to see Big Bud in person over the three days. It is estimated that nearly 100,000 people were at Farm Progress from around the world, so you can bet that most spent some time checking out Big Bud – and they won’t forget his enormity any time soon.

For those of you who missed out on this amazing piece of history, Sopher said that he will be back at the 2011 Farm Progress Show. You can also watch this video.

And be sure to check out all the Big Bud views in our Farm Progress Photo Album.

AgWired coverage of the 2010 Farm Progress Show
is sponsored by: New Holland and

I Scream for Ice Cream

You scream, I scream we all screamed for ice cream during this year’s Farm Progress Show. The weather may have been damp and somewhat dreary, but it didn’t stop the crowds from enjoying some homemade ice cream from Beekmans Homemade Ice Cream. They made vanilla, chocolate, peach, and raspberry delights right on site. All the ingredients came from local farmers in Boone and they even used solar power to charge the batteries.

Michelle Beekman, a Co-Owner, said that she has been with the company for six years, but it was started by her mother in 1998. She was also kind enough to let me watch her make a batch of ice cream and I caught the final moments on film. This particular batch was peach ice cream.

I however, have an infinity for raspberry so my perfect choice was raspberry swirled with vanilla and it was worth each and every calorie!

The Farm Progress Show might be over for this year, but you can still try out Beeckman’s ice cream at other Iowa events. Visit them at www.beekmanshomemadeicecream.com.

Farm Progress Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the 2010 Farm Progress Show
is sponsored by: New Holland and

Success of Ethanol Important for Corn Farmers

“We need ethanol to be able to use up the excess corn,” began Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey during a press conference at the Farm Progress Show hosted by Growth Energy. “That’s what started ethanol in the 1980s. Farmers said we’re tired of $1.50, $1.30 corn prices and we’re going to build an industry to use of some of the surpluses.”

And build an industry they did.

Northey explained that the ethanol industry is vital to corn farmers who are producing more and more each year. He used Iowa as an example and said in 2001, when the state conducted an Ag Census, ag sales from all farms in Iowa were $12 billion, half in crops and half in livestock. In 2007, sales were $20 billion with the biggest change being the amount that went to ethanol.

It worked and now our country has a robust industry whose future is uncertain due to questions over major policies that support the growth of the ethanol industry. The ethanol tax credit is under fire and opponents to ethanol are also trying to eliminate the ethanol tariff. In addition, the industry needs more access to markets and passing the E15 waiver would help to increase market access.

“Certainly we need some of those incentives to continue. We need more than three months predictability with those incentives going off this December. We need a long-term vision of what can happen out there,” said Northey.

Growth Energy CEO, Tom Buis, seconded Northey’s call for more effective, long-term policy and said that Senator Reid (D-NV) has already called for a lame duck session on November 15th to address the future of energy policy in America.

On several occasions Northey stressed, “We need more access to markets. We also need predictability, and policies we understand around for several years.”

He concluded that farmers are doing the right thing, and the ethanol industry is doing the right thing, now we need the politicians to do the right thing.

You can listen to the Growth Energy press conference here. Growth Energy Press Conference During Farm Progress Show

Farm Progress Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the 2010 Farm Progress Show
is sponsored by: New Holland and

Hagie Unveils New Self Propelled Sprayer

In an earlier post, Matt Jungmann, the director for the Farm Progress Show, noted that one of the reasons Farm Progress is one of the largest ag shows in the world is because of the new technologies unveiled. Last night, I was invited to a media preview of Hagie Manufacturing Company’s new self propelled sprayer, the STX10. This new product is in addition to their current lineup and is intended to be delivered into the producer market according to Alan Hagie, Vice President and COO. He is the third generation of Haigies to enter the business.

The STX10 is a single tank machine. Hagie said it is very well balanced, which is especially important this year with all of the rain. “People are starting to find out how important it is to keep a light weight balanced machine on their farm so they can protect their crops,” explained Hagie.

The sprayer is a fully CANBus machine. What this means is that it has a computer on board that controls all the functions of the machine. In addition, customized precision technologies can be added to the SPX10.

“We’re not a company that says you have to put our machine on it as far as precision type technology,” said Hagie. “We say, What do you want on the machine?”

The company is customers first, so they work with their customers to ensure the technology added to the machine will work best for them. This is also why the STX10 will be launched as a limited build after the first of the year. Although this machine has been tested more than any other Hagie machine, they want “every minute to test these machines” to make sure it performs above and beyond their customer’s standards.

You can check out photos of the full line-up of Hagie machines in our Farm Progress Photo Album.

Listen to the interview with Alan Hagie here: Alan Hagie Unveils New Self Propelled Sprayer, The SPX10

AgWired coverage of the 2010 Farm Progress Show
is sponsored by: New Holland and .

Farm Progress Show Expected to Draw the Crowds

The 2010 Farm Progress is hours away from kickoff and Matt Jungmann, the National Events Manager for the show, is expecting huge crowds. This year, more than 550 exhibitors will be on hand; this is slightly up from 2008 when the Farm Progress was last in Boone, Iowa. But maybe more impressive is the fact that the exhibitors that are here are using more space than ever.

This is a good sign for the 100,000 plus visitors who are expected to walk the roads over the next three days. Last year there were attendees from all 50 states as well as from 56 different countries. The show is a huge draw for the international crowd, who get to preview new equipment and products for the upcoming growing season.

I asked Jungmann what some of the new features will be at this year’s show. He said that people come, in part, to see the unveiling of new farm equipment. This year John Deere, Case IH and New Holland are all rolling out new tractors. AGCO is rolling out a brand new combine and Hagie is debuting a new self propelled sprayer.

Other elements that draw the crowds include the field demonstrations and the equipment demonstrations. “People love to watch the machinery run side by side,” said Jungmann.

Jungmann also suggested that people visit the website before they drive up to the gates. On the site that can create their own itinerary and buy and print tickets, basically create their own personal Farm Progress Show.

You can check out photos of the exhibitors setting up for the show in our Farm Progress Photo Album.

Listen to the interview with Matt Jungmann here: Matt Jungmann Talks Farm Progress Show

AgWired coverage of the 2010 Farm Progress Show
is sponsored by: New Holland and .

Citrus Expo Trade Show Sold Out

The Florida Citrus Expo has a sold out trade show this year and pre-registration is strong. It’s the 19th year of the show.

More than 150 exhibitors are scheduled to show off their goods on Aug. 18-19 at the World’s Premier Citrus Expo at the Lee Civic Center in Fort Myers.

Attendance is free both days to bona fide grove owners and managers, citrus production managers, professional crop advisers, association representatives, board members and the citrus research community. For easiest entry and to help the Citrus Expo team develop the best head count for event planning, those expecting to attend either or both days of Citrus Expo are encouraged to preregister at www.CitrusExpo.net or by calling 352-671-1909. Advance-registration brochures have been distributed industry-wide, and registration will be available at the door as well.

Registration Open For AG CONNECT Expo 2011

Registration is now open for AG CONNECT Expo 2011 in Atlanta, GA.

AG CONNECT Expo, the new global Ag trade show in North America, announces that registration has opened for the 2011 show. AG CONNECT Expo 2011 is slated for January 8-10, 2011 (Preview Day January 7 by special admission) at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This new international agriculture event showcases the latest industry innovations, products and technology and offers access to leading company and industry experts worldwide.

Registering in advance saves over 30 percent off the show registration fee. Attendees can also save money by registering in advance for the extensive educational programming that will take place at the show. Go online to www.aem.org for full details and to register.

SureVac From Ag Leader Technology

Earlier this week Ag Leader Technology added the patent-pending SureVac electric row shutoff to their lineup of planter section shutoff devices. Since I was at the Iowa Power Farming Show I stopped in and learned all about it from Chad Huedepohl. You can watch the interview or just listen to it below. Here’s the details:

SureVac provides today’s precision farming operation with an easily- installed, zero-maintenance solution to reduce seed costs and increase yield potential.

SureVac is designed for John Deere Pro-SeriesTM XP row units, but is also compatible with any John Deere vacuum seed meter manufactured in the last 20 years. In addition to John Deere corn and soybean seed disks, SureVac supports the eSet® vacuum disk from Precision Planting.

Chad says SureVac is an electric row shutoff made to shut off the seed placement per row on a row by row basis. He says this benefits the farmer user by saving on seed and avoiding “doubles” such as on point rows.

Iowa Power Farming Show Photo Album

America’s Farmers Grow Communities

MonsantoThere are booths on the floor of three different buildings at the Iowa Power Farming Show. They’re also in the hallways. I stopped at this one to learn about the Monsanto sponsored America’s Farmers Grow Communities Project. Lots of farmers were stopping by to sign up their favorite local charity. To tell us all about it I interviewed Gayla Daugherty, Monsanto Communications Manager.

She says it’s a new project for farmers to sign up a local non-profit of their choice to win via a random drawing. There are 179 counties involved in Iowa/Missouri/Arkansas and you can see them listed on the official rules page.

Plant $2,500 in your community and watch it grow.

As a farmer, you care for our land and grow our economy. You make everyone’s lives better – locally, nationally and globally. To thank you, Monsanto wants to make a contribution in your name to your local community with the America’s Farmers Grow Communities™ Project.

One nonprofit community organization in each eligible county will receive a $2,500 award. It’s up to farmers like you to help decide where it goes.

Together we can grow rural America…one community at a time. Apply now.

You can listen to my interview with Gayla below.

Iowa Power Farming Show Photo Album

Auditorium View of Iowa Power Farming Show

Iowa Power Farming ShowI enjoyed day one of the Iowa Power Farming Show. You’ve got to like a show that’s indoors when the day starts out at 14 degrees. Cindy will be attending next week’s National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville which is an indoor show too.

From all indications it was a good start here today. Like many farm shows, the second day is supposed to be the best day for attendance. I heard only positive comments today and still have some more interviews to post in the next day or so. I’ll actually be traveling home tomorrow to get ready for this Saturday’s Chicago Farmers Farmland Investment Fair before heading directly to the National Biodiesel Conference in Dallas.

Iowa Power Farming Show Photo Album

Ag Leader Launches Blue Delta Dealer Network

Mike OlsonAg Leader Technology has announced the Blue Delta Dealer Network. At the Iowa Power Farming Show I spoke with Mike Olson to learn more about it. He’s pictured working in the booth here at the show.

Basically, Ag Leader Technology has developed a new elite precision farming distribution network in an effort to bring more structure to a growing precision agriculture community.

The network is designed to help precision farming dealers become well-rounded precision farming experts, as well as help farmers locate and identify elite precision farming dealerships throughout North America.

“There are thousands of precision farming dealerships and specialists out there; our goal with Blue Delta is to create an opportunity for the best of these dealers to separate themselves with in-depth training, and increased product and marketing sup- port so they can become an even better resource for their customers,” says Mike Olson, North American Sales Manager. “We recognize the end user’s most important resource is their precision farming dealer. This is a great way to bring more consistency and expertise to the marketplace.”

Blue DeltaAg Leader unofficially launched the Blue Delta network in December at the grand opening of Ag Leader Academy in Ames. Since that time Ag Leader has been working with dealers on intense product training and marketing efforts.

“Our goal is to provide these dealers with a number of tools to help them better educate and sup- port their precision farming customers,” continues Olson. “We’ve learned that the more educated growers are about precision farming, the more they embrace it. We believe this will have a significant impact on the industry.”

You can listen to my interview with Mike below.

Iowa Power Farming Show Photo Album

Iowa Power Farming Show

Tom Junge IA Power Farming ShowI’m attending my first ever Iowa Power Farming Show courtesy of PrecisionPays.com sponsor Ag Leader Technology. The first person I met this morning was show manager, Tom Junge. The show is conducted by the Iowa-Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association.

Tom says they represent about 400 dealers and have been doing the show for 55 years. They have a show in December in Nebraska now too. Here at the Iowa show they use 3 different buildings with 6 acres of exhibits. They’re hoping for another record attendance this year like they had last year.

You can listen to my interview with Tom below. I also uploaded a short video clip from above the show floor with my iPhone so you can see what it’s like.

And of course I’ve got photos for you in the Iowa Power Farming Show Photo Album.

Fluidigm Workshop at Plant/Animal Genome Conference

paglogoThe 18th International Plant and Animal Genome Conference is about to take place January 9-13 at the Town & Country Convention Center in San Diego, California and AgWired sponsor Fluidigm will be there. In fact they will be conducting one of the workshops titled, “Enabling High Sample Throughput SNP Genotyping for Plant and Animal Studies.”

It will be held on Tuesday, January 12, from 1:30 – 3:50 PM in the Town & Country Royal Palm Salon 1, 2, 3 rooms. Speakers include Curt Van Tassell, USDA-ARS, Bovine Testing; Jim Seeb, University of Washington, Salmon Conservation and Nanne Faber, Enza Zaden, Seed Quality Control.

You can find Fluidigm in booth 126, featuring the Fluidigm EP1™ system for high throughput SNP genotyping and digital PCR. If you’ve been following our interviews with Fluidigm, you’ll know what all this means by now! You can find stories about how Fluidigm is assisting in ag biotech by clicking here and here.

I spoke with Fluidigm’s Product Manager, Yong Yi, about the PAG Conference and the company’s involvement with it since its inception. He says the PAG is an opportunity for people doing plant and animal research to get together and share information. Genetic research is one of the top areas of focus and that’s where the Fluidigm System really has an application. Yong says their exhibit will help demonstrate their technology and their workshop will feature three of their customers who will discuss real world examples of how they use it.

Download the Fluidigm PAG Workshop invite here (pdf) and listen to my interview with Yong below:

Leaders Honored at Beef Improvement Federation Research Symposium

The 41st BIF Research Symposium and Annual Meeting was hosted by the California Beef Cattle Improvement Association (CBCIA) and the California Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) in Sacramento, Calif. on April 30-May 3, 2009. I extend my congratulations to the beef industy leaders that were honored at this year’s event.

2009 Frank H. Baker Memorial Scholarship Award Recipients
The late Frank H. Baker played a key leadership role in helping establish the BIF in 1968. Since 1994, two deserving graduate students have been recognized for winning essays.

speidelbakerbif091Scott Speidel, research associate in breeding and genetics at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo., was a recipient of the 2009 Frank H. Baker Memorial Scholarship Award. Speidel accepted the award from Robert Williams, Ph.D., director of breed improvement and foreign marketing for the American-International Charolais Association, Kansas City, Mo. A California native, Speidel holds a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from California State University, Fresno; a master’s degree from the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., and plans to complete his doctorage this fall at Colorado State University.

leachmanbakerbif091 Lance D. Leachman, Christiansburg, Va., was also a recipient of the 2009 Frank H. Baker Memorial Scholarship Award. The award was presented by Robert Williams, Ph.D., director of breed improvement and foreign marketing, American-International Charolais Association, Kansas City, Mo., during the 41st Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Research Symposium and Annual Meeting, April 30- May 3, 2009, in Sacramento, Calif. Leachman was born in Maidstone, Sask., Canada. He holds a bachelor of science degree in Animal Sciences and Industry with a business option from Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., and a master’s degree in Animal and Poultry Science – Breeding Genetics from Virginia Polytechnic State University (Virginia Tech), Blackburg, Va. Currently, Leachman is a graduate student at Virginia Tech.

Nebraska Operation Named Beef Improvement Federation Commercial Producer of the Year

commercialbif091 The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) named the JHL Ranch, Ashby, Neb., as its 2009 Commercial Producer of the Year. The family has run cattle in the southwest corner in the Nebraska Sandhills since 1885. The JHL brand is reputed to be one of the oldest used in Nebraska having been legally registered in the state in 1920. Ranch owners Art and Merry Brownlee, along with their son Ethan, accepted the award from BEEF magazine Senior Editor Burt Rutherford during the 41st BIF Research Symposium and Annual Meeting, April 30 – May 3, 2009, in Sacramento, Calif. The ranch was nominated by the Nebraska Cattlemen and the Braunvieh Association of America, both based in Lincoln, Neb. (BIF) Outgoing President Tommy Brown (far left), Clanton, Ala., and BEEF magazine Senior Editor Burt Rutherford (far right), Amarillo, Texas, present the 2009 BIF Commercial Producer of the Year Award to Art and Merry Brown and their son Ethan of the JHL Ranch, Ashby, Neb. The award was sponsored by BEEF magazine, Minneapolis, Minn.

Photo by Cornerpost Publications, publisher of the California Cattleman.

Support for AG CONNECT is Growing

Support is growing for the new global agriculture trade show set to debut January 2010 in Orlando. AG CONNECT Expo 2010 made several announcements this week about support for the show.

Ag Connect ExpoFor starters, the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) will co-locate its annual Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference (AETC) with the new international agriculture exhibition. It will also conduct its annual AE50 “innovation” awards program at AG CONNECT and spotlight the AE50 winning products at the show.

The North American Equipment Dealers Association (NAEDA) joins a growing list of industry groups that have endorsed and will participate in the show. NAEDA will also serve as a major organizer of the AG CONNECT Expo “Preview Day” that will allow dealers and their customers to interact with key decision makers from manufacturers in attendance. That will be held on January 12, the day before the show officially gets underway. In addition, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association announced their support of the show this week.

AEMLast, but definitely not least, AG CONNECT Expo 2010 has been selected to be part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Buyer Program, which will help to recruit international attendees and encourage connections with exhibitors who sell to the global marketplace. This is a huge deal for the international show, according Charlie O’Brien, vice president of agricultural services with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) which owns and operates AG CONNECT Expo. “With the involvement of IBP, attendees and exhibitors at AG CONNECT Expo will benefit from potential trade leads and matchmaking opportunities, international insights into key ag issues, as well as the opportunity to learn different business practices in the context of a global agriculture trade show,” said O’Brien.

AG CONNECT Expo 2010 will be held January 13-15 at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center. Registration officially starts June 1, but exhibit space sales are already up for grabs. Find out more here.

Census Bureau Profile of Houston Stock Show

Houston Livestock Show and RodeoThe U. S. Census Bureau puts out some interesting stats each day like these about the Houston Stock Show in an audio report called “Profile America” (mp3).

The largest show of its kind will wind up this weekend. Before it’s over, the 77th annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is expected to have drawn nearly 2 million people to Reliant Park. To show how big the event is, it takes 20,000 volunteers to stage the three weeks of activities. The show will feature 30,000 entries from young farmers and ranchers, and will award almost $11 million in scholarships. The youngsters will compete in contests ranging from public speaking to plant identification. There are just over 2 million farms in the U.S. Texas has the largest number at 230,000, more than twice the second ranked state, Missouri. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at www.census.gov.