What do Argentine gauchos do out in the pampas when they are bored and maybe have had a little too much Quilmes to drink? They tie dried cowhides to their horses and drag each other around in them.
Seriously. I don’t know what it’s called – there must be a name for it – so I just call it cowhide sledding. Who knows? It could become an Olympic sport.
2013 IFAJ Congress Photo Album
Coverage of the 2013 IFAJ Congress is sponsored by Novus International and Dupont Pioneer
Producing a safe and bountiful food supply is the forefront of what Bayer CropScience is all about. At the recent 2013 Farm Progress Show, they shared how they are doing what they can to help enhance food security globally.
After Bayer’s ag media luncheon, Chuck caught up with David Hollinrake, Vice President of Agricultural Commercial Operations Marketing at Bayer CropScience. They discussed in depth the challenges farmers face and what Bayer is specially doing to help them out with these crazy weather patterns we have been seeing. They also hit on some of the major crops in the US and what Bayer has coming down the pipeline.
“Farmers are faced with some challenges. They know that they have to produce more food on the same land they have today. They want to do it more efficiently and they want to do it in a way that helps them over come some of the challenges, like weed resistance, that they have. Our investment in R & D is really about helping them meet these challenges. I’m very proud in the fact that we haven’t changed our investment strategy over the years. We’ve remained focused on how do we help produce a more effective food supply such that they can be more successful in the future.”
Listen to Chuck’s complete interview with David here: Interview with David Hollinrake
2013 Farm Progress Show Photo Album
Coverage of the 2013 Farm Progress show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience, Growmark and New Holland
On to Scotland! It’s the 2014 Congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists. I got my passport and I see that Karen Simon has hers. She’s pictured with 2014 Pre-Congress Joint-Chair Adrian Bell. The Congress is being hosted by the British Guild of Agricultural 
Journalists for an unprecedented sixth time. The them is “Innovations from a Small Island” and the event will showcase British food and farming. Can you say Scotch Beef and Scotch Whiskey? I can.
Learn more about it in my interview with Adrian. You can also watch British Guild Chairman, Jane Craigie, preview next year’s Congress, see a toast with that good Scotch Whiskey and hear the bagpipes. Follow on Twitter, Facebook and see the promo video here. So we’ll see you in Scotland where you’ll need to know what fit like means! You can fill out your passport online here.
You can listen to my interview with Adrian here: Interview with Adrian Bell
2013 IFAJ Congress Photo Album
Coverage of the 2013 IFAJ Congress is sponsored by Novus International and Dupont Pioneer
You know times have changed when a smartphone has become a “farm tool!” Of course not every farmer will use one and not every farmer with a smartphone will use an iPhone. But a lot do and this week we got the announcement of the next generation of iPhones like this iPhone 5S in the image.
This post is not meant to be a complete review of a device I have not even held in my hands yet. I just want to alert you to next week’s opportunity to order the new 5S or 5C. Which one is right for you? It probably depends on what your budget and needs are. As I understand it the 5C is much like the current iPhone 5 but with improvements to the camera, comes in several colors and will have the new iOS on it. The 5S has a faster processor and the new fingerprint identity sensor. I’ve always believed that the iPhone has had the best camera of any smartphone. It has now become even better!
BTW. I have a Galaxy Note II and like it and use it on a different carrier than my iPhone. Nothing wrong with Android really but I like the apps on the iOS side better.
So, if you’re in a gadget upgrading mood you can not go wrong with a new iPhone in my opinion. Watch the video to see why I’m excited about this camera, I mean, phone.
Cindy and I are close to wrapping up our coverage of the 2013 IFAJ Congress in Argentina but not quite done. As we arrived at the airport in Buenos Aires to return home I spent a few minutes with Marcus Rediger, President, IFAJ. Marcus is pictured on the left with Congress President, Carlos Curci Gonzalez.
Marcus says he was already looking back on a very successful IFAJ Congress with social and emotional experiences in meeting Argentina farmers and gauchos. He talks about the business of the IFAJ which is in great shape. Initiatives like working with young ag journalists are moving forward and a proposal regarding elections was passed after significant discussion. One of the most enjoyable experiences for him was on the livestock farm where you could talk personally with the gauchos and the river crossing we observed from boats.
You can listen to my interview with Marcus here: Interview with Marcus Rediger
2013 IFAJ Congress Photo Album
Coverage of the 2013 IFAJ Congress is sponsored by Novus International and Dupont Pioneer
It is time once again for the Best of NAMA Call for Entries. The balloon head guy says, “Let it go to your head.”
So here’s the information:
The Best of NAMA awards program honors the best work in agricultural communications. Actually, the best of the best, since companies/agencies must first qualify through regional competition in order to advance to the national level. The national awards ceremony will take place April 9, 2014, at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront.
Regional entry deadline is October 11, 2013. You can download information and forms on the NAMA website. Got questions? Call 913-491-6500.
Looks like precision agriculture has a bright future according to a new report by Markets and Markets that says that the market will be worth $3,721.27 Million by 2018. The title of the report is, “Precision Farming Market by Technology (GPS/GNSS, GIS, Remote Sensing & VRT), Components (Automation & Control, Sensors, FMS), Applications (Yield Monitoring, VRA, Mapping, Soil Monitoring, Scouting) – Global Forecast & Analysis (2013 – 2018).” You can request a sample of the report, purchase the full report or even purchase a customized version of the report. Here’s an excerpt from the report description.
The global population is expected to rise up to, nearly, 7.5 billion by the year 2020, and the ability to manage and tackle the ever increasing demand for food would, in all likelihood, continue to plague the world. Global warming continues to be an influential deciding factor in determining agriculture productivity, as well as the soil properties, and sustainability of natural resources. The effect of climate change on agriculture is related to variability in local climates rather than the global climate patterns.
All these concerns marked the way for the entry of the new world of agriculture management practices. Precision farming can significantly reduce the amount of nutrient and other crop inputs used while boosting yields. Farmers, thus, obtain a return on their investment by saving on phytosanitory and fertilizer costs. The second large- scale benefit of targeting inputs in spatial, temporal and qualitative terms reduce concerns of environmental impacts. Read More
Here is the next in our series as we introduce you to a few of dedicated precision ag equipment dealers in a series called “Getting to Know Ag Leader”.
We caught up with Ronnie Sherrod of Hale Center Coop Supply Hale Center, TX:
1. From an agronomy standpoint, what do you consider to be the biggest issues facing growers today?
Weed resistance is a real problem in our area and will continue until the farmer takes steps to start using different chemistry on their crops.
Companies are coming to the market with newer varieties so quickly that it requires me as a dealer to really keep up with the changes so that recommendations can be made to fit the customer’s needs.
The information pipeline is so full that it is sometimes hard for the farmer to make a decision on what he needs. That is where we have to spend more and more of our time to keep up with the technology so that we can make the right recommendation for the farmer to be profitable.
2. Tell us about how growers in your area are using precision agriculture.
Our growers are basically using precision agriculture for steering. We are starting to see more strip-til application being done. This is helping us as a dealer show them how they can use the equipment they already have to monitor their applications and remove clutter in the cab.
3. What benefits are growers seeing by using precision ag on their farms? Give us some examples.
One of the best examples we have here is the farmers that are using strip-til are using smaller applicators than their planters. Ag Leader has the accuracy to strip-til 12-30 inch rows and come back with their 16 row planter and be right where they need to plant.Read More
This is a great video by Fuels America that explains how our farmers are feeding and fueling America. Agriculture in the U.S. is more sustainable than ever. We may be producing more food per acre but we’re doing it with less energy, less water and fewer resources than ever and “we’re just getting started.” So who wouldn’t want a cleaner and oil-independent America powered by farmers?
Sounds good to me.
