Thirty-three percent of the land’s surface is used for food production. That’s the figure that John Hoffman, Iowa farmer and President of the American Soybean Association puts out there. He says that 33 percent makes up 55 percent of the land that’s arable. So, we’re already using more than half the arable land out there to feed the world. Much …
Host Farm Family
Representing one of the host families here at the Farm Progress Show is Dick Isaacson, pictured here at the exhibitor’s welcome reception. The Farm Progress Show’s new, permanent biennial site wouldn’t be possible without the cooperation of local landowners. Host families include Eric and Carol Ziel, along with Eric’s parents, Bob and Mary; Dick and Judy Isaacson and his mother, …
The Art and Science of Soil Conservation
The air we breath is often taken for granted. And, Peggy James, Natural Resources Conservation Service liaison to The Nature Conservancy says, so too are non-profits. “Non-profits are like air,” Peggy said. “They’re all around us but we hardly notice it. They are an integral part of a healthy, artistic, viably economic, productive society working towards sustainability.” Sustainability, Peggy says, …
Electric Shock “Therapy” for Soil
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 …
Corn Progress
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 …
Farm Progress Burns B20 Biodiesel Blend
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 …
Pleasantly Cool at Farm Progress
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 …
Infrared Mapping for Carbon
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 …
Getting Smart with the Smart Nozzle
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 …
Forecasting for Farming Success
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 …