View From a Tower Stand

Chuck Zimmerman

Crystal Pig Hunt ClubIt’s close to that time of year once again – deer season. Adrenaline levels in avid deer hunters are climbing. Speaking of climbing. We’re talking climber stands, tower stands, etc.

This week I got to spend a few days in the woods doing some preparation work on a new lease property with my hunt buddies that include three nephews. The youngest is 8 yrs. old and this will be his first deer hunt with Uncle Chuck. I’m hoping he is as successful as his brother who shot a monster buck on his first hunt at 8 yrs. old! I’ve been deer hunting with Gary Cooper, Southeast AgNet, and my youngest brother, Paul, for 21 yrs. It’s really hard to describe the experience and time together in the woods each year. Now we’ve got another generation becoming more and more involved in the hunt. I’m proud of these young men (Eli, Luke and Joe) who have tackled every challenge without complaining. It has been a joy watching them grow up and learn how to take care of themselves and the land they get to hunt on.

This is the view from one of the tower stands we put up this week on land that was recently clear cut for the timber by the owner. The new browse is making for excellent forage for deer and we saw plenty of sign. I’ve got a lot of miles to cover before getting back out on the land for the Crystal Pig Hunt Club deer hunt in November but you can bet it’s going to be on my mind a lot between now and then.

Hunting

SMS Basic/Advanced v13.0 and SMS Mobile v7.0 Released!

Melissa Sandfort

Insights WeeklyAg Leader is proud to announce the release of SMS Basic/Advanced v13.0 and SMS Mobile v7.0. Here are just a few items that are included in this update:
• Enhanced support for Ag Leader® Integra and Versa™ displays; as well as for ISO 11783 displays and displays from CNH®, John Deere™, and Precision Planting.
• Added support for Ag Leader Compass™ displays
• Added support for importing LIDAR elevation data
• Added option to show direction arrows for heading/degree based maps
• Added option to show surface contour lines
• Enhanced Water Management tools
• Enhanced 3D Terrain View and Terrain Analysis
• …and many more. To learn more about this update, you can find the release notes by clicking here.

Luke James, Ag Leader Software Sales Manager, explains the new features and updates in more detail for both the Basic and Advanced software.

Listen to James explain

James explains how growers can get the v13 update.

Listen to James explain

If you have any questions about the update process please contact Technical Support at (515)232-5363 or by email at SMSsupport@agleader.com.

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Ag Leader, Agribusiness

What Rodeo Event Is Your Favorite?

Talia Goes

zp-nhOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Planning to buy new iPhone or upgrade?”

Our poll results:
· Happy with my current iPhone 25%
· Still using a dumb phone 25%
· Not an iPhone fan 17%
· Upgrading to 5S 17%
· Buying 1st iPhone – either one 8%
· Other 8%
· Upgrading to 5C 0%

It looks like the majority of you are satisfied with what your current phone has to offer, or still using what you’re comfortable with. Leave the bells and whistles for someone else you say!

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What is your favorite rodeo event?” What really gets your heart racing (besides the cowboys and cowgirls)? Do you show up early for the roping or stay late for the bull riding? Let us know!

ZimmPoll

FieldSync Your Data

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 413Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. In this week’s program we’re going to learn about FieldSync from Jen Cochran. We visited yesterday to talk about their mobile, cloud-based, technology and applications for agriculture.

FieldSyncFieldSync™ builds software solutions for businesses that want to “lower costs, improve efficiency, increase revenue, and gain valuable oversight and visibility to their operations.” One of the key ag industry segments they offer support to is livestock.

FieldSync iPodTracking your livestock can be a tough job. FieldSync has the tools that you need to get the most out of your day and your operation. Entering critical data about your animals on a mobile device saves you time and money. Our customers are able to check in and check out livestock 50% faster. They’ve also tackled source verification, and are able to track treatments, pulls, and weight gains on an individual basis. Built in reports and alerts make it easy to react to critical and time sensitive situations.

Beyond livestock FieldSync also offers a lot to any farm operation including row crops with features like:

  • Keep accurate records of employee and contractor timecards and expenses
  • Agricultural equipment is the heart of success. Keep complete data on record showing equipment history, incidents, mileage/hours and maintenance
  • Use custom built forms (no tech staff required) to collect field and crop data such as treatments, field prep, planting, trials, production and post-production notes
  • Track details on farm and field assets such as tools and irrigation equipment, including location and chain-of-custody
  • Easily built reports based on your criteria

Listen to my conversation with Jen in this week’s ZimmCast to learn more about FieldSync here: FieldSync Your Data

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsors, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong and Monsanto, Roundup Ready Plus, for their support.

Agribusiness, Apps, Audio, Precision Agriculture, ZimmCast

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

New Holland Helping Farmers and Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

cnh-club-kacherFarmers who provide corn for ethanol plants can get special discounts on New Holland equipment and help the ethanol industry at the same time.

New Holland district sales manager Bob Kacher says their American Ethanol Producers Club is an initiative they developed two years ago with Growth Energy to help both growers and the ethanol industry. “It offers the opportunity to reinvest back into the ethanol industry through the purchase of New Holland products,” he explained during an event this week at the Absolute Energy biorefinery near Lyle, Minnesota. “The producers are part of the club by their contracts and the amount of grain they sell to the ethanol producing plants and that membership allows them discounts off New Holland equipment that they purchase through their local dealer, and in turn New Holland reinvests back into the support and promotion of ethanol.”

Producers can qualify for club membership if they have a current contract with an ethanol plant for at least 10,000 bushels, supply at least 50,000 bushels per year or purchase at least 280 tons of distillers grain, or be a board member or major investor in an ethanol plant. Bob suggests producers contact their local ethanol plant or Growth Energy for more information.

Find out more in this interview: Interview with Bob Kacher, New Holland
New Holland American Ethanol Producers Club photo album

Audio, Equipment, Ethanol, New Holland

Ethanol’s Positive Impact on Rural Economy

Cindy Zimmerman

Nearly 200 area farmers attended a New Holland American Ethanol Producers Club event Wednesday at Absolute Energy, an ethanol biorefinery located near Lyle, Minnesota.

schwarkThe event, which was the 12th held at ethanol plants around the country this year, was designed to introduce producers who provide corn for the plant to the partnership between New Holland, Growth Energy and American Ethanol that offers equipment discounts. It also encouraged those farmers to communicate with their members of Congress the importance of maintaining the Renewable Fuel Standard.

“Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association – they’re working tirelessly every day in support of agriculture and the ethanol industry,” said Absolute Energy president and CEO Rick Schwark. “But there’s nothing like the grower talking to his congressman. It really does have an impact.”

Absolute Energy is a 125 million gallon per year ethanol plant on the Iowa-Minnesota border. Schwark says they additionally produce about 350,000 tons of distillers grains and 4.5 million gallons of corn oil annually – and they help boost the local economy. “We started in 2006, we’re owned by 470 local residents – 75% of those folks are farmers – we’ve had great economic success here and we’re very proud that those economic dollars are staying here in our local community,” he said.

Listen to or download my interview with Rick here and watch the video below of his remarks at the event: Interview with Rick Schwarck, Absolute Energy
New Holland American Ethanol Producers Club photo album

Agribusiness, Audio, Equipment, Ethanol, New Holland, Video

What is Conservation Agriculture Worth?

Jamie Johansen

CTIC Dialogue6The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) Dialogues are right around the corner. The panel discussion will focus on the economic and ecological benefits of agricultural conservation systems. Conservation tools, measurements for economic and ecological benefits, long-term economic returns and their effects on producers’ decision-making processes and conservation trends that will affect agriculture in the next five years are all topics the panel will cover.

Agricultural conservation systems could hold solutions for several of the issues we are facing in agriculture, such as a growing population and the loss of land for agriculture. Conservation agriculture enables producers to do more with less while protecting water and air quality, improving the soil, providing habitat for wildlife, contributing to a healthy community and producing high-yielding crops for our nation’s feed, fiber and fuel.

The event will take place October 21 from 3:30-5:30pm in Washington, D.C. at the Rayburn House Office Building, room 2168.

Panelists will include:
– Suzy Friedman – Director of Agricultural Sustainability, Environmental Defense Fund
– Josh Maxwell – Senior Professional Staff, House Committee on Agriculture
– Ray McCormick – Producer, Indiana
– Jean Payne – President, Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association
– Wallace Tyner – Professor of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University
– Sara Wyant, Moderator & President, Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.

For more information visit www.ctic.org/CTICDialogues or call 756-494-9555.

Conservation, Environment, Events

Celebrate National Teach Ag Day

Jamie Johansen

TAG-day-13-webToday is National Teach Ag Day. One day out of 365 to celebrate school-based agricultural education and to encourage agricultural education advocates to share with others the great career opportunities in agricultural education.

The national ag holiday is for anyone who wants to share the story of agricultural education’s importance and effectiveness in the United States and also encourage students to consider careers as agricultural educators. Anyone who want to participate can find a variety of resources to help them talk about agricultural education at naae.org/teachag.

Many FFA chapters and state FFA organizations will host activities including capitol rallies, special lessons, community activities and much more. The Teach Ag website is a clearinghouse of resources to help teachers and advocates. These free resources include a video, suggested teaching activities, games and giveaway items.

The Teach Ag Campaign is an initiative of the National Council for Agricultural Education, led by the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE). It is sponsored by the CHS Foundation and CSX as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

Help celebrate the day and tune in to the celebration which will be streamed live from 1-3pm eastern. And don’t forget to participate via social media. On Twitter follow @Teach_Ag and use the hashtag #taglive13. You can also checkout their Facebook page.

Education, FFA

Mmmmm, Bacon!

Jamie Johansen

bacon-bowl-logo2The inaugural Bacon Bowl, presented by Petit Jean Meats, is just a month away. Saturday, October 26, in Fayetteville, Arkansas at the Northwest Arkansas Mall is the day to see if your personal bacon-inspired dish is worthy of a trip representing the Bacon Bowl at the 6th Annual New Orleans Food Fest. Spots are going fast for the event so sign-up as soon as possible to secure a spot for your entree or dessert.

Bacon Bowl and Petit Jean Meats is supporting Youth Bridge, a local non-profit agency that plays an important role in communities across North Arkansas and gives area young people the confidence, education and interpersonal skills they need to face today’s problems and tomorrow’s challenges.

At the competition you can also take in the Dallas Cowboys Grill Team, who will be on hand offering grilling demonstrations. Reality TV star, Adam Pock from Big Brother Season 13 will be one of the celebrity judges. As a lover of bacon, Adam actually had a bacon-themed wedding and can give some tips you if too are interested in tying the knot “bacon style.”

Other competitions throughout the day include the Great Day Farm Egg Toss and the Petit Jean Meats Pig-Out bacon eating contest.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, September 27 at the Northwest Arkansas Mall and in Macadoodles in Springdale, Arkansas. For more information visit baconbowl.net.

Pork