Will We Farm with Glass?

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 415Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. In this week’s program we’re going to talk about Glass, as in Google Glass.

Bruce RasaWill this new technology be coming to a farm near you? It has actually been used on farms as part of a Google Explorers project being conducted by Bruce Rasa, Inventive Branding. Bruce was one of a select few chosen my Google to receive and use Google Glass prior to the actual public launch of the product in 2014.

Google Glass (styled “GLΛSS”) is a wearable computer with an optical head-mounted display (OHMD) that is being developed by Google in the Project Glass research and development project, with a mission of producing a mass-market ubiquitous computer. Google Glass displays information in a smartphone-like hands-free format, that can communicate with the Internet via natural language voice commands.

Bruce spoke to a group of software developers during last week’s John Deere API Integrator Conference. He gave us a “what if” scenario for how you might use a device like this on the farm that included several videos with farmers who used Glass on their farm. He’s got some great ideas that I think you’ll enjoy by listening to this week’s program.

Listen to this week’s program here: Google Glass on the Farm

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

Apps, Audio, John Deere, Technology, ZimmCast

Indian Farmer to Receive TATT Award

Cindy Zimmerman

An Indian rice, cotton and sugarcane farmer with a passion for technology is the 2013 recipient of the Kleckner Trade & Technology Advancement Award.

tatt-ravi“We, as farmers, besides earning for our families, have a social obligation to feed our population with enough food and eradicate hunger.” says Ravichandran Vanchinathan of Tamil Nadu, India, who took part in the 2010 Truth About Trade & Technology Global Farmer Roundtable and World Food Prize in Des Moines.

With a passion to empower India’s small farmers, Ravi – as his friends call him – took the information he gained and has become a leading advocate of using technology to improve the lives of farmers in his country and around the world. Using technology to promote technology, he is a constant presence on Twitter (@FarmerRaviVKV), Facebook and as a commenter on media websites.

Ravi’s passion to feed the growing world population, his willingness to engage and share the information he has gained as a means to empower other small farmers led to his selection as the 2013 recipient of the Kleckner Trade & Technology Advancement Award.

The award, given annually by Truth About Trade & Technology (TATT), recognizes a global farmer who “exemplifies strong leadership, vision and resolve in advancing the rights of all farmers to choose the technology and tools that will improve the quality, quantity and availability of agricultural products around the world.”

The award will be presented Tuesday evening, October 15 in Des Moines and we’ll look forward to speaking with him there.

Follow the @TATT farmer roundtable on Twitter using the hashtag #TATTGFR. Follow @WorldFoodPrize on Twitter, using the hashtag #BorlaugDialogue. Follow me @farmpodcaster for tweets from the events.

Ag Groups, Farming, International, World Food Prize

2013 Blog Action Day

Chuck Zimmerman

The 2013 Blog Action Day is approaching fast. I think this year’s topic is a good one – Human Rights. That can apply to so many things and farming and food fit right in. So whatever your blog is about think about participating and letting your voice be heard.

Uncategorized

Join Global Farmer Roundtable Conversation

Cindy Zimmerman

TATT_GFR_VerticalEven if you are unable to attend the Global Farmer Roundtable discussions next week in Des Moines, you can still participate.

The Truth About Trade and Technology (TATT) event includes 20 farmers from various backgrounds and cultures who are invited to gather and discuss agricultural trade and technology access issues, and then continue to be part of a global network of producers. TATT has developed several social media channels to allow other farmers to join in the conversation.

Twitter – you can use the hashtag #TATTGFR to see a live feed of the roundtable discussions from TATT Twitter, ask your own questions and provide your personal input

Facebook – go to www.facebook.com/TruthAboutTrade to spread the message about technology in agriculture and provide your positive thoughts & comments

Website – go to www.truthabouttrade.org to follow the live blog and see pictures from the event.

Provide your input for the Roundtable opening session on Tuesday October 15 from 3:00 to 5:30 pm central. The question is “As a farmer, what are the key challenges you face in your farming operation today? How can farmers advocate effectively for solutions?”

The Roundtable leads into the 2013 World Food Prize and Borlaug Dialogue events (@worldfoodprize) which we will also be covering, thanks to the support of Elanco, using the hashtag #BorlaugDialogue.

Ag Groups, Farming, International, Social Media, World Food Prize

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

    Zimfo Bytes

  • The American Royal Association was pleased to announce the winners of the 2013 Grapes & Steaks Competition last night in Wagstaff Theater in the American Royal Complex.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued the Veterinary Biological License for Viralign 6, the first combination modified-live virus vaccine to provide targeted protection against bovine viral diarrhea virus 1b — the most predominant BVD virus strain in the United States.
  • October 22 is National Nut Day, and there’s no better time to start incorporating more nuts into your diet.
  • Monsanto recently announced its commitment to honey bee health at the 2013 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting with support from the Keystone Center, American Honey Producers Association, American Beekeeping Federation, World Wildlife Fund, Project Apis m. (PAm), and commodity groups.
Zimfo Bytes

Next NAMA Webinar

Chuck Zimmerman

NAMA WebinarsIt’s time to register for the National Agri-Marketing Association’s next webinar.

How are Ag Marketers Different Than Those in Other Industries?

Presented by Jan Johnson, Millennium Research

Ag marketers use print ads more than other industries. And, they rely on repeat customers more than any other industry. When you are talking to people you already know, what’s the best thing to say? What is the best way to communicate, connect and motivate prospective customers? Join Millennium Research as it presents 10 keys to capture attention and increase advertising effectiveness.

Register to attend NAMA’s next webinar on Thursday, October 24, 2013, at 1:00 pm central time.

NAMA

SMS Winter Training Dates are Announced!

Melissa Sandfort

Insights WeeklyHarvest is upon us and hopefully that means you are seeing the hard work that you’ve put in all season starting to pay off! As you watch the bushels on your yield monitor, do you question the factors that make some areas of the field more productive? Are you thinking about ways you can maximize profitability across all areas of your field? If you’ve answered yes to these questions, the next logical question is how do you go about making that happen?

SMS-Training-700x525The answer – by using your data to make better management decisions in the future. While there is not one solution that will work for all of us, if you don’t take the time to look at your data, you won’t find any answers! The SMS Desktop Software can help you analyze your data and make future seasons more productive. Whether you increase profit by optimizing your fields fertility levels with soil sampling and variable rate application or you decrease input costs by creating variable rate planting prescriptions, the SMS Software can help you accomplish your goals.

Not sure how to get started? Let us take the guess work out of it for you, by attending one of our classroom or online trainings this winter. We have trainings scheduled in several locations across the U.S. and online trainings can take place no matter where you are located! These trainings help you to gain hands-on experience in processing data, creating maps and reports, building field boundaries, creating prescriptions and populating your field displays with all the needed data for the next crop season. To learn more about our trainings please go here.

Have a safe harvest and we look forward to seeing you this winter!

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

2013 World Food Day

Chuck Zimmerman

2013 World Food DayI like to think of every day as food day but there is that special day each October as proclaimed by the FAO – World Food Day.

Once a year, on 16 October, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations commemorates its inception by celebrating efforts and raising awareness for the worlds hunger and nutrition problems. The focus this year: “Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition”. This year’s theme aims to highlight the problems and solutions present in the fight to end hunger. FAO is encouraging all participants to reflect and raise awareness about the diverse efforts being used to help feed the world’s population.

You can listen to the 2013 World Food Day message here: 2013 WFD Message

Food, International

Donate to South Dakota Rancher Relief Fund

Talia Goes

giveblackhillsLOGOjpgMIDRES_smallSouth Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, South Dakota Stockgrowers Association and South Dakota Sheep Growers Association established the South Dakota Rancher Relief Fund Oct. 8, 2013 with the Black Hills Area Community Foundation to provide support and relief assistance to those in the agriculture industry impacted by the blizzard of Oct. 4-7, 2013.

The fund will be administered by the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association and the South Dakota Sheep Growers Association for the direct benefit of the livestock producers impacted by this devastating blizzard.

To donate to the Rancher Relief Fund visit, www.giveblackhills.org and search “Rancher Relief Fund”. Donors can also mail checks to Black Hills Community Area Foundation/SD Rancher Relief Fund made out to the “Rancher Relief Fund.” Address: PO Box 231, Rapid City, 57709.

Agribusiness, Beef, Farming, Horses

Coming Inside to Warm Up

Melissa Sandfort

I can always tell what time of year it is by the number of dead flies I find lining the window sills and beneath the night lights in the kids’ rooms. I just leave the hose on my vacuum because it’s a daily occurrence – me picking up flies in an effort not to have them squashed up and down the wooden staircase. I guess it’s getting colder outside because they’re all trying to get in to warm up.

* STOP! Look before you eat that soup. A fly may have fallen in it. (They do seem to fall from mid-air.) *

My great-grandmother had a good idea. Grandpa tells us the story this week:

Listen to Grandpa explain

Maybe I should tell my son I’ll pay him a penny for each fly he picks up! See, maybe things aren’t so different than they were back then.

Until we walk again …

Uncategorized