On the eve of the 2012 Farm Progress Show, the media was invited to Monsanto’s Huxley, Iowa facility for a sneak preview of FieldScripts, the company’s first product from the Integrated Farming Systems (IFS) platform. Monsanto IFS commercial lead John Raines says FieldScripts will deliver two things for farmers. “A variable rate corn hybrid prescription in that field, as well …
New Agvocating Tool – iPhone 5
It’s here (almost). The newest gadget to make agricultural communications fun. It’s the iPhone 5, announced by Apple today. If you missed the announcement you can read back through live coverage on Engadget. You can begin pre-ordering online this Friday or buy in Apple stores on September 21. Some of the things that stood out for me include: It will …
Corn Maze QR Code
I’d hate to see the size of the scanner you’d need to read this QR code. Actually, you can scan it via a flyover. It was tested from a helicopter. The Kraay Family Farm in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada got themselves in the Guinness Book of World Records for this effort which is just over a mile square. The code takes …
STAR Energy Making Fuel Tanks Sparkle
A dirty tank can make even the best of fuel less than optimum, which is why GROWMARK STAR energy was demonstrating a high efficiency fuel tank cleaning process at the 2012 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa. Curt Snyder with STAR Energy demonstrated the cleaner, which can run in any size tank from 500-1000 gallons. “It has a pressurized nozzle …
Catching Up With BASF Great Grower Kip Tom
The last time we chatted with BASF Great Grower Kip Tom of Indiana he was with his son Kyle at the BASF Agricultural Solutions Media Summit. When we caught up with him this time, he was with his adorable grandson Kamden at the Farm Progress Show. We talked with Kip about the impact of the drought this summer on Tom …
Mobile Technology the Future of Agriculture
Float Mobile Learning has several new research papers available for purchase that deal with the use of mobile technology and agriculture. According to their infographic forty percent of farmers own a smartphone and ninety four percent own a mobile or smart phone. Of course we know it’s a lot and that’s why we went directly to an app so you …
Ag Sec. Vilsack Announces Beginning Farmers Grants
New USDA grants to support beginning farmers were announced by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on the final day of the Farm Progress Show. Sec. Vilsack held a a press conference in the New Holland media tent. “In the past few decades, U.S. agriculture has become the second most productive sector of the American economy thanks to farmers adopting …
Livestock 101 at NAMA Boot Camp
Animal agriculture seems to be under a constant fire from those who don’t understand it. During the recent NAMA Boot Camp, Dr. Dan Thomson, Assistant Dean of Outreach and Professor at Kansas State University Vet School, addressed the basics of the industry along with issues and challenges so agri-marketers could help educate the growing population of non-ag consumers. “I think …
Talking About Farmers
Usually I do the interviews but sometimes I become the interviewee. That was the case yesterday when Michael Libbie stopped by the Farm Progress Show media tent to find out what we were hearing from farmers. Here’s what I had to say. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts in comments. 2012 Farm Progress Show Photo Album
Farm Progress Show Sunrise Day Two
Welcome to day two of the 2012 Farm Progress Show. Here’s the sunrise view from the media tent this morning. Cindy and I are on location again enjoying the cool temperatures before things heat up. We’re hoping to get out in the field for some harvest demonstrations since this will be the first show in a while where they can …