Precision Ag is Cloud Mobile

Chuck Zimmerman

Cloud management of data for precision ag applications and more is just a natural part of the continuing technology revolution and it is now here thanks to AgIntegrated which is launching their Onsite service very soon. To learn more about Onsite and AgIntegrated I spoke with Mike Santostefano, Director of Marketing and Business Development. Mike says that during the last …

Agribusiness, Audio, Internet, Precision Agriculture, Technology, ZimmCast

BASF Looks to Tackle Sustainability, Quality Issues

John Davis

When it comes to feeding a growing population, quality is just as important as quantity. Since farmers need to be producing more food, while at the same time being responsive to the quality needs of their customers, the recent BASF Agricultural Solutions Media Summit in Chicago featured a panel with representatives from Purdue AgriBusiness, Murphy-Brown and JBS United to talk …

Audio, BASF

John Deere Mobile Weather

Chuck Zimmerman

Mobile weather sounds like it would be a high priority for farmers today. John Deere unveiled their version of it at the FarmSight Tech Summit. I visited with Janae Tapper, Product Manager in the John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group about the product. For private and commercial applicators who need precise weather information in order to make proper product application and …

Agribusiness, Audio, John Deere, Precision Agriculture, Technology, Weather

Livestock Reports Not Sexy, Hard to Understand, and At Risk

John Davis

For anyone who has ever done livestock market reports in the media, you know how complex and how intertwined they are. What happens in one market can greatly affect all of the others (including what goes on in the grain markets), and understanding these relationships is certainly not an easy task (doing markets for Chuck back during our days at …

Animal Agriculture, Audio, Farm Foundation, Livestock, Markets

Insight into John Deere FarmSight

Chuck Zimmerman

When it comes to FarmSight, Jerry Roell has the insight. He’s John Deere’s Director, FarmSight, Intelligent Solutions Group. Jerry says they began developing FarmSight about two years ago looking at three areas. The first of these is machine optimization and trying to figure out how to make machines more efficient, more productive and to monitor machine help. The second area …

Agribusiness, Audio, John Deere

Private Companies Also Worried About USDA Cuts

John Davis

Previously, we talked about how USDA officials are concerned about how possible budget cuts will affect their ability to keep providing the timely, accurate reports on which so many farmers depend. And they’re not the only ones concerned. In our continuing series looking at the recent Farm Foundation webinar on data collection, we hear from Paul Hughes of Nestle Purina …

Audio, Farm Foundation, Markets, USDA

USDA: Environment Not Conducive to Public Info

John Davis

At a time when farmers rely more and more on good information, officials at the USDA worry that budget cuts are going to make their job of providing information to those farmers more difficult. “We were being stressed right now in an environment not conducive to public information,” said Joe Prusacki, Director, Statistics Division, at the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics …

Audio, Farm Foundation, Markets, USDA

GROWMARK Supports ASTA

Chuck Zimmerman

Matt Hynes, Manager, Agronomy Marketing, for GROWMARK is on the board of the American Seed Trade Association as a Regional Vice President. I spoke with him to learn more about ASTA and why GROWMARK is supportive of the organization. To start with Matt says that the seed business is part of what GROWMARK does. “To be part of an organization …

Agribusiness, ASTA, Audio, Cooperatives, GROWMARK

Data Collection Focus of Farm Foundation Webinar

John Davis

Having good information is critical to agricultural operations, but increasing budget concerns are limiting the U.S. government’s ability to provide the information farmers want and need. Our friends at the Farm Foundation recently held a webinar organized by the Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (C-FARE), in partnership with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), and …

Audio, Farm Foundation, USDA

NAMA Announces Fall Conference Theme

Chuck Zimmerman

“Fertile Ground, Forward Thinking” is the theme for the new National Agri-Marketing Association Fall Conference. The event will be held at the Graves 601 Hotel in Minneapolis, MN, September 25-26. To learn more about the new NAMA Fall Conference I visited with NAMA President, Beth Burgy, Broadhead. She says the conference will be new and different this year with a …

Ag Groups, Audio, NAMA, ZimmCast