I made it to La Ceiba on the north coast of Honduras. The city is much more set up for tourists and I was able to wander into a local resort and get a good enough connection to load some more video. Finally! So, for those of you interested in getting a better look at the ag program Billy Collins is running for the indigenous Chortí Maya living in Western Honduras, here’s video of Billy giving an impromptu tour of the training farm:
There is a group of indigenous people in Honduras that live off an average of $300 a year… less than one dollar a day. At least two months out of every year they starve. That’s the reality as Billy Collins sees it. Billy has been working with the Chortí Maya, the direct descendants of the Mayan Indians, for five years.
I met Billy in Copán Ruinas, a charming town in Western Honduras not far from the Guatemalan border. The small, cobblestoned town is “base camp” so-to-speak for visiting Honduras’ famous ancient Mayan ruins. That’s why I am here: to see the ruins. But, it’s been three days and I have yet to explore them. Instead, I’ve been exploring the harsh realities of the Chortí Maya, realties that Billy, his wife Mary and a handful of others are committed to changing. And, they’re making those changes largely through agriculture. I spent an entire day with Billy touring villages of adobe huts with straw roofs, bumping and bouncing along dirt roads consistently washed out by the wet season’s frequent rains to get to them.
While Billy and his wife are involved in more than a handful of projects with the Chortí, their SALT project, or Sloping Agricultural Land Technology, is among one of the biggest. It’s a project that’s aimed at training the indigenous people how to cultivate their rolling, mountainous lands more efficiently and successfully. Through a double hedgerow terracing technique, Billy says the Chortí Maya can double, even triple their current crop yields.
“We give them enough to plant like a half acre, enough seeds,” Billy said. “I’m talking about seeds for their terracing. We use leguminous seeds to terrace. We use the A-frame to mark out how terraces should go and then they plant it… We want to stop water long enough to let it drop the soil, let plants get taller, this soil will get higher and they’ll have good soil. In three to four years, if they do this right they can double their harvest.” (more…)
Monsanto is conducting the 2008 Technology Showcase as a tour of stops in 13 midwest locations. I’ve got the opportunity to attend tomorrow’s event in Alleman, IA. I just like saying Alleman, don’t you? So you can expect some interviews and pics right here on AgWired as we see what’s new in the world of agribusiness from Monsanto.
Here’s why Monsanto is holding these events:
To demonstrate the multiple benefits of Monsanto corn and soybean systems can provide under different types of stressors including: insects, weeds and weather.
To showcase Monsanto pipeline technologies in corn and soybeans.
To educate farmers about the direct and indirect benefits of Monsanto systems in order to prepare for future agronomic input traits including drought, nitrogen utilization, and cold-tolerance. These tours help farmers experience first hand how biotech crop shelp to manage crop stress and ultimately a farmer’s risk of growing biotech crops. No other company research or demonstration plots have attempted to demonstrate (to this scale) the potential impact that certain environmental stressors could have on field crops.
To date, an estimated 30,000 farmers and /or agriculturalists have viewed these demonstrations and learned how to increase profitability on their farms over the past three years!
If you want application maps for your fields, then you might want to consider GK Technology for Agriculture. Kelly Sharpe is an agronomist for GK and he says his company offers a full service GIS package to growers. What does that mean exactly? Kelly says GK is able to take yield data and convert them into application maps that can then be used to write prescriptions for pretty much any controller out in the market. The best part, Kelly says, is GK works extremely well with satellite images - something he says most of GK’s competitors, well, can’t.
“We’re able to take data from just about any source available,” Kelly said.
Kelly says GK’s GIS package allows farmers to practice site-specific agriculture. The company’s services are a key element, he says, in precision farming. Kelly adds that GK understands it’s “all about the money” for farmers. He says that’s why GK is committed to keeping precision farming as low cost for the farmer as possible.
I spoke with Kelly about what GK Technology can do for growers. You can listen to my interview here:
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If you ask Joe Tebis, AGCO is the company to go to if you’re looking for products that offer leading variable rate applications. Now, Joe is the product manager for precision ag products for AGCO, so he might be a little biased. He says he’s particularly proud of AGCO’s Terragator and RoGator product lines.
These products are just some of the leading equipment that Joe says work seamlessly with precision agriculture. He adds that AGCO is committed to continually offering more products that evolve with precision technology, integrating the newest applications available on the market. Joe says that’s important because precision technology offers farmers more value. He says equipment that’s equipped with precision applications, such as auto steering, can save growers on fuel and fertilizer costs. The AGCO expert adds that his companies products are designed to fit the unique needs of farmers and can adjust to various farming strategies.
“We create the tools to allow them to implement their expertise,” Joe said.
I spoke with Joe about AGCO and the company’s role in precision farming. You can listen to my interview with Joe here:
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SST puts it quite succinctly: Manage data. Harvest Information. The global provider of Geographic Information System (GIS) software is offering what it calls the “Premier Desktop GIS for Agriculture.” The company boasts that its SSToolbox lets growers gather valuable information such as yield data and soil data and use it to determine the variability that exists within their fields and design specific practices to manage their unique field variability.
I caught up with Duncan Maeer (pictured left), the International Accounts Manager for SST, and he gave me a more thorough explanation of what the SSToolbox can offer farmers. Things like valuable cost savings, for example. You can listen to my interview with Duncan here:
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The 9th annual Precision Ag Conference is being held in Denver, CO. The conference kicked off today and will continue through Wednesday, July 23rd. Experts from around the globe will be presenting the latest techniques in precision farming technology. During the reception this evening, I spoke with precision experts from South Africa, India and Egypt. So far, the general idea seems to be that the U.S. is the leader in developing precision technology while the rest of the world puts it to use. We’ll see if that’s really the case.
I’ll be covering the conference in Denver this week. Updates will be posted on PrecisionPays.com, and most of the content will be used for continued posting on the precision ag Website.
I must say, the reception on the 12th floor of the Hyatt Regency boasted spectacular views of the Rockies. A few of us couldn’t tear ourselves away from the stunning sunset over the mountains and foothills.
Michigan’s largest agricultural equipment exposition has more to boast than just equipment. The 29th annual Michigan Ag Expo is underway this week at Michigan State University in Lansing and there’s more to the show than machinery… or even fencing, canopies, turkey legs, honey and free cake batter ice cream from MSU students.
Farmers and growers will also find a 28-foot Mobile Greenhouse on the grounds of the exposition. The greenhouse on wheels is part of Monsanto’s “Summer of Soy” tour. The tour is showcasing one of the ag company’s newest and most innovative crops: its Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybean line. Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans are Monsanto’s second-generation of genetically modified soybean crop. Farmers can visit the Mobile Greenhouse to get a first-hand look at Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans at various growth stages.
I attended the Michigan Ag Expo yesterday to find out more about Monsanto’s new exhibit and soybean tour and will be posting lots of info from the event here.
Left to right, the trio representing them at the conference were Josh Pitts of Ag Technologies, Trimble regional sales manager Tim East and Brian Kelly with Ag Technologies. I set up my computer at their booth to do most of my work at the conference and enjoyed spending time with these guys.
Tim says they chose to sponsor this coverage because, like precision agriculture, it is “cutting edge - a high-tech way of communicating, getting ideas out and sharing experiences.”
They did spend quite a bit of time talking with peanut growers at the conference about precision technology because it can be a big time and money saver for growers.
Chuck used some of this interview in his ZimmCast this week, I believe, but you can listen to the entire interview with all three here:
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Investment in Africa is spurring economic innovation and growth throughout the continent. There’s no question about that for the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer.
“Make no mistake about it,” Schafer said. “Investment in agriculture, investment in the structure of agriculture to move food to the market, is an investment in Africa’s future.”
Schafer urged private sector investors to build stronger partners and markets in Africa at the 2008 U.S. Africa Agribusiness Forum Friday. The ag secretary said in order to truly develop a successful farm to market infrastructure in Africa, the private sector must get involved. Schafer pointed out that much of Africa lacks the basic fundamentals needed for thriving agriculture markets. He said things as simple as storage, refrigeration, a consistent supply of electricity, expertise in where to sell and how to sell simply don’t exist in many African regions. (more…)
Changing the African vision from one of short-term pay-offs to that of long-term success was one of the key issues for panelists at the “Education and Knowledge Building in Animal Agriculture” breakout session. The session was one of fifteen being offered at the 2008 U.S. Africa Agribusiness Forum. The workshop, sponsored by Novus International, featured a panel of experts that addressed the needs and means for improving education and first-hand know-how for creating “robust agribusiness value-chains” throughout Africa.
And, robust agribusiness in Africa is a very real possibility offering real opportunities if you ask Dr. Jerry Nelson. Jerry is a professor of plant sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia and served as the panel moderator.
“Africa probably has the most agricultural potential than anywhere we’re looking at right now,” Jerry said.
Thad Simons, the president and CEO of Novus International highlighted the ultimate goal: “providing safe and secure food all over the world.” He added that performance and sustainability were critical for realizing that goal.
The panelists looked at how to drive that performance and sustainability in Africa. Sergio Beliver, sales manager for Europe, Africa and Middle East at Novus International, stressed the importance of education. He said Africans need to be educated not only in the processes, management and technology needed for modernizing Africa’s agricultural industry but also in long-term vision. He says farmers need to be taught to recognize the value in a more secure future instead of looking for quick pay-offs in the present. That’s something Dave Harlan, director of Global Animal Health & Food Safety at Cargill Inc. also stressed.
“It’s not about capturing a high price, but locking in a price that people can live on,” Dave said.
Dr. Shaukat Ali Abdulrazak, secretary National Council for Science and Technology in Kenya, also echoed Sergio’s call for more education. Shaukat said his country needs personnel that is both educated and trained in modern farming techniques, management and the development of necessary infrastructure. He conceded that one major challenge is “short-sighted politicians” who only consider programs that fall within the parameters of the term they serve in parliament. He says politicians in Kenya tend to have an agenda that expire when their term expires.
But, Shaukat says Kenya does have government initiatives and national development plans that should attract investors. He stressed that leaders in the public and private sectors of both the U.S. and Africa need to work together to build off of the positives that already exist. Shaukat says leaders and experts need to “make lemonade out of the lemons we have.”
Tasir Olawale Raji, the permanent secretary with Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, agreed. He said its crucial for African countries to move with other developing countries throughout the world, so Africa won’t be left behind. And, to do that, Tasir said leaders and experts need to focus on those that are already on the job in Africa, building upon “already acquired experience.”
Jerry highlighted the critical agricultural “lemons” so-to-speak that countries throughout Africa need to work on including land, water, electricity, energy and marketing. Jerry said African countries must develop the needed infrastructures and the continent’s agricultural industries must exists within those infrastructures. The continent should work as a larger unit to develop a strategy planning mission with each country, Jerry said, offering its own unique approach and contribution.
The entire panel discussion is available here on AgWired.com. You can listen to the discussion in two parts here:
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The technology behind farm machinery, such as tractors and sprayers, is continually becoming more streamlined with advances in computer and software innovation. So, why not livestock? MobileDemand is a rugged tablet PC manufacturer based out of Idaho and they’ve just put the power of the PC in the hands of the field staff at Wendell, Idaho’s Box Canyon Dairy.
MobileDemand says its partnership with ProfitSource enables dairy farms to bring both wireless computing and specialized DairyQuest software into the cattle pens, streamlining operations, saving time, and reducing error.
I spoke with MobileDemand CEO Matt Miller about how he found the agriculture industry to be optimal match for the rugged PC company. You can listen to my interview with Matt here.
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MobileDemand also offers a video summary of its case study with Box Canyon Dairy. The video further illustrates how the tablet PC and DairyQuest Software have helped one dairy farm increase efficiency in both the breeding and health monitoring of its 8,000 cows. You can watch the video here:
A $1 million grant from John Deere will fund the development of a new John Deere Technology Innovation Center at the University of Illinois. Illini students and faculty will use the center for studies and research in agriculture, business, engineering and information technology.
The new facility, which is expected to be ready by July, is located in the
University Research Park in Champaign, Illinois and will create an accelerated
innovation environment to assist Deere in utilizing advanced electronics, mechatronics,
advanced sensors and control systems technology.
Deere said the new technology innovation center in Champaign will expand its
capabilities to respond to the rapidly changing environment for John Deere’s customers
and businesses through leveraging the capabilities of the University.
John Deere says the new center will serve as a satellite facility for the company’s Moline Technology Innovation Center, which is located on John Deere’s World Headquarters campus in Moline, IL.
Citrus growers will soon have a new employment option: robots. Energid Technologies is developing a robotic citrus harvester for bulk fruit removal.
Energid Technologies Corporation has been funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Small Business Innovation Research Program to develop a new robotic citrus harvesting system. This system will combine the intelligence of robotics with the efficiency of bulk fruit removal to reduce harvesting costs to the citrus grower.
Most citrus today is harvested by hand, throughout the U.S. and the world. The resulting high costs, especially high in the U.S., are a significant part of the total cost of producing an orange or grapefruit for consumption. The new system being developed will reduce the cost of citrus products to the consumer while maintaining grower profitability.
Most past attempts at automated harvesting have focused either on conventional robotics, multi-link arms, or on bulk removal, such as trunk and canopy shakers. Energid is developing a unique system that combines the best of both approaches. (more…)
The state of sustainable agriculture in developing countries will be one of the main issues addressed at the BIO International Convention this summer. The Biotechnology Industry Organization is hosting the convention in San Diego from Tuesday, June 17 through Friday, June 20.
Biotechnology leaders from around the globe will be descending upon San Diego, one of the leading biotech hubs in the world, to discuss the most pressing issues and share their unique perspectives. In addition, there will be a total of 36 regional and country pavilions within the BIO Exhibition with several new pavilions, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Dubai, and South Africa.
This years convention will focus on the promise of biotech innovation to heal, fuel and feed the world. International case studies on biofuels, biomanufacturing, research funding, and international collaborations will focus on examples from Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, North America, Singapore, and Sweden. Two additional breakout session tracks will focus on doing business globally and global health. A session entitled, The Dynamics of a Globalized World and the Future of the Biotechnology Industry, will feature international public officials sharing insights on the evolving business landscape.
This years keynote speakers include Gen. Colin Powell, J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. (more…)
An agricultural research facility in Florida fears the 10 percent reduction in ag research funding will close its doors… and abruptly abort research on a nameless, mixed breed of cattle. The St. Petersburg Times reports:
Indeed, few people have ever seen cattle like these. Unless you’re knowledgeable in bovine research, the cross-bred calves huddled in tall grass of the pastures near the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Subtropical Agricultural Research Station at Chinsegut Hill may appear rather strange.
The animals are so new, in fact, that they don’t even have an official name yet.
Rather, research scientists at the facility refer to them simply as an F1 composite breed, a catch-all name that indicates they are the mixed offspring of several beef cattle breeds in this case American Angus and Brahma cattle, plus the South American Romosinuanos that are a product of more than a decade of genetic research.
While Coleman praised the calves’ aesthetic virtues, his hope is that they will someday lead to a tastier, more profitable breed of beef cattle.
Though that result is a long way off, Coleman fears it may never happen at all…
With the Bush Administration calling for a 10 percent cut in agricultural research in its proposed USDA budget for 2009, Coleman said this agricultural research station is one of three targeted for closing. (more…)
Alltech’s founder and President, Dr. Pearse Lyons, is holding up a gene chip. It’s what the company’s new, first-of-it’s-kind Nutrigenomics Center is all about.
Dr. Lyons says that when he started his career he could only dream about the type of laboratory that the researchers here will be working in.
I, along with everyone at Alltech, am very excited about the potential of this incredible facility, the first of its kind anywhere in the world, said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. The ability to comprehend nutrition at the most basic level gene expression really makes us stand apart and will give us a much greater understanding of the nutritional needs of our animals,
In addition to Nutrigenomics, the facility will house the companys research initiatives at its global headquarters, including the study of Functional Glycomics, Solid State Fermentation, Rumen Function and Ecology, Aquaculture, Organic Trace Minerals and Biorefining.
You can listen to Dr. Lyon’s remarks here and watch them on video:
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Kentucky’s Governor, Steve Beshear was on hand this morning to cut the ribbon to open the Alltech Nutrigenomics Center. He says that he’d love to see a facility like this in every county in the state.
He wants Kentucky to project an image of a state that encourages technology, industry and engineering as well as race horses and good bourbon. He calls the Nutrigenomics Center, “agriculture of the most advanced kind.”
He says that Kentucky is proud to have helped Alltech by not only providing a $1 million grant for this facility but also an $8 million grant for the new biorefining facility that was announced yesterday.
You can listen to Governor Beshear’s remarks here and watch them on video:
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In the words of NAMA Executive Director Jenny Pickett (pictured right), organizers of this year’s “Leading the Charge” Agri-marketing Conference “knocked it out of the park.” This was Jenny’s first conference as the Executive Director, though she has been a part of NAMA for a long time. Jenny stepped up as executive director last year when the previous director, Eldon White, left.
Chuck interviewed Jenny just as the event was winding down. You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Jenny here:
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NAMA President Patty Travis (pictured left) says this year’s attendance was the highest attendance the NAMA Agri-marketing Conference has had in almost a decade. She says this year’s conference also picked up 80 first-timers. Patty, with 5MetaCom, says the ag business is strong right now and there is probably no better time than now to be in the industry. She says NAMA is planning to throw new things into the mix for the spring conference and the fall agri-business forum.
Chuck also interviewed Patty just before the close of the event. You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Patty here:
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No, not the color green. Environmentally green. Parducci Wine Cellars says its the first winery to go carbon neutral. And, the winery is now operating on 100 percent solar and wind power.
Parducci effectively transferred all of its energy needs to non-polluting, renewable sources by supplementing its on-site solar power with Green-E(R) certified wind energy purchased from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The annual positive environmental impact of the winery’s 100% green power use is equivalent to:
— removing 172 cars from the road for a year, or
— planting 242 acres of trees, or
— not driving a passenger vehicle 2,171,450 miles.
The oldest family-owned winery in Northern California’s Mendocino County, Parducci Wine Cellars is committed to responsible land stewardship, sustainable viticulture and green business practices that yield superior wines while protecting the environment.
In 2007 Parducci received the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award, California’s highest environmental honor, for the company’s efforts to combat climate change. In addition to buying grapes from local family farmers, Parducci uses sustainable farming practices including bio-diesel tractors in the vineyards and 100% green power as well as earth friendly packaging at the winery. Parducci’s respect for the land yields quality wines as evident by recent 90+ point scores in several national wine publications.
There is a group of indigenous people in Honduras that live off an average of $300 a year… less than one dollar a day. At least two months out of every year they starve. That’s the reality as Billy Collins sees it. Billy has been working with the Chortí Maya, the direct descendants of the Mayan Indians, for five years.
While Billy and his wife are involved in more than a handful of projects with the Chortí, their SALT project, or Sloping Agricultural Land Technology, is among one of the biggest. It’s a project that’s aimed at training the indigenous people how to cultivate their rolling, mountainous lands more efficiently and successfully. Through a double hedgerow terracing technique, Billy says the Chortí Maya can double, even triple their current crop yields.
Michigan’s largest agricultural equipment exposition has more to boast than just equipment. The 29th annual 
New technology and new media are a perfect fit, so it is fitting that 
A $1 million grant from 
Alltech’s founder and President, Dr. Pearse Lyons, is holding up a gene chip. It’s what the company’s new, first-of-it’s-kind Nutrigenomics Center is all about.
Kentucky’s Governor, Steve Beshear was on hand this morning to cut the ribbon to open the Alltech Nutrigenomics Center. He says that he’d love to see a facility like this in every county in the state.
Cool Interactive Ideas in new media was the topic of a NAMA Boot Camp presentation by Erin Holte, Martin Williams.
