John Deere is rolling out five new 7R Tractor models from 210 to 290 engine horsepower for 2014. Jarrod McGinnis, division marketing manager for John Deere, says the new FT4 engine and the transmission options help the 7R Series Tractors offer greater productivity and value to customers. “These new machines are more fluid efficient and offer increased horsepower for exceptional …
John Deere Virtual Tractor Intro
This was SUPER cool! John Deere did a Virtual Reality introduction of its new 8R tractor for the media here in Columbus, Ohio and it was pretty much the coolest live special effects I’ve ever seen. The screen was a tractor and the video was projected on and around it to give the 3D effect. It was awesome. That is …
AMS Fun at the Falls
Shot a little video of our wet and wild ride on the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls during the Ag Media Summit last week. Some of the folks you might recognize include Rich Jefferson, Chris Clayton, Sally Behringer, Anita Vanderwert, Amy McDonald, Barb Ulschmid, and Harlen Persinger, among others.
Nitrogen Loss Stinks at AMS
Everyone has experienced that nasty smell of a well-used porta potty on a hot day. Okay, so that’s what nitrogen loss smells like. Yuck. Kerry Overton with Koch Agronomic Services was the guy who treated unsuspecting visitors to his booth at the Ag Media Summit InfoExpo to the “here, smell this” experience. Gotta tell you, it was gross, but it …
Texas Congressman at Peanut Conference
Congressman Mike Conaway (R-TX) provided an update on the farm bill at the 2013 Southern Peanut Growers Conference on Saturday. Rep. Conaway, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, says the House still intends to get a nutrition bill passed. “We’ll have a nutrition title and it will have reforms in it…probably stronger reforms than what we had in the …
Cover Crops Improving Soil Health
When I attended the CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Tour last year it was in the middle of the drought and the ground was so dry that Roger Windhorn, USDA-NRCS, couldn’t even find moisture when he dug a soil pit. Different situation this year since he found water about 30 inches down on the Bachtold farm. Roger was giving a presentation …
Max Armstrong is Tractor Boy
Veteran farm broadcaster and vintage tractor lover Max Armstrong has come out with a new music video. Yeah – you read that right. It’s called “Tractor Boy” and Max is ready to show those Peterson Boys just how it’s done. Our friend Marilyn Cummins with Martinez Creative Group sent us the link just now. Max produced the video with MCG …
Senate Passes Immigration Reform
Unlike last week’s farm bill vote in the House, it was no real surprise to see the Senate pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation Thursday by nearly the 70 vote margin supporters had predicted. And the email reactions from agriculture groups are coming in fast – again, unlike last week when prepared statements on farm bill passage had to be furiously …
New Effort to Repeal Death Tax
While all eyes were on the farm bill in the House last week, Senator John Thune (R-SD) and Representative Kevin Brady (R-TX) re-introduced legislation to permanently repeal the federal estate tax, better known as the death tax. “We don’t think death should be a taxable event,” said Thune, Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference and member of the Senate Finance …
Conservation in Action Tour Almost Full
My next stop on the agriblogging highway will be the 2013 Conservation in Action Tour in Illinois. There are only a few seats left. I’ve been attending Conservation Technology Information Center tours for years now and they are loaded with information. This tour is July 9-10 in Livingston, IL. A pre-tour seminar on July 9 has also been added. Learn …