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 …
Stabilizing Yields
Southwest Iowa is home to Larry Stolte (not pictured). He was one of the growers in attendance at the Monsanto Technology Showcase tour stop in Elkhart, IA. Larry has corn, beans and hogs. I interviewed him part way through the program and he says that what he was seeing and hearing was “very interesting.” He’s learning more about corn and …
Attending Field Days “Critical”
It’s always good to get a grower perspective when it comes to new technology. Dallas Johnston farms 1,500 acres of corn and soybeans in southwest Iowa. He’s taking notes during a field station stop. You can also see that he’s got his AgWired t-shirt with him too! That was my thank you for letting me interview him. He attends field …
How A Farmer Uses Media
At this year’s NAMA Boot Camp, attendees got to hear from a panel of producers. One of them was Hal Swaney, Platte City, MO. Hal has a very diversified family farm with corn, soybeans, cattle and burley tobacco. I asked him what his primary sources of information are for making buying decisions. He says that he’s very “local” minded. He …
Tour of the Chortí Maya Agricultural Training Center
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 …