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Double Trouble

Melissa Sandfort

imageThis week Aunt Jeanette writes:

I was the only girl in my family – except Mom. I had an older brother and a younger brother, and of course, Dad. I pretty much learned that if I wanted to play with someone, I played with the boys. When I grew up and got married, we had three sons. Fortunately for me, I already knew all the tricks they might try. My brothers taught me well. However, I had no clue the following incident was going to happen.

My husband and I had pigs for a short time. It was actually A VERY SHORT TIME, but that is a story for a different walk. When our two oldest sons were 4 and 5 years old, they found out they could climb to the top of the pig shed. They even discovered what a wonderful sound shattering glass makes when a brick is dropped through it! You guessed it – not a window was left in the pig shed.

This is one version of the story … One brother took the screen off and dropped a brick through the glass. The other brother climbed down, retrieved the brick, and scooted back to the top of the pig shed. While he was retrieving the brick, the brother on top had removed the screen on the next window. Then it was the retriever’s turn to drop the brick. Unfortunately, one of them cut his finger on broken glass and had to make a trip to the house for a band-aid. Busted!

Now, almost 25 years later, the youngest brother (who was only a baby at the time) wanted me to tell the story. We all had a good laugh — now. I even thought I detected a little twinkle in the older brothers’ eyes as they remembered the sound of the shattering glass!

The old pig shed still stands on our farm, although mostly hidden now – a nostalgic reminder of lessons learned and stories to be told.

Until we walk again …

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How Deere Delivers Distinctive Value

Cindy Zimmerman

jd-intro-13-1The theme of this year’s
John Deere product introduction is Delivering Distinctive Value and the company’s vice president for sales and marketing told the dealers during the big floor show last night that they are the front lines of accomplishing that goal.

“It starts with the partnership between John Deere and John Deere dealers,” said Luke Gakstatter. “The products, the solutions and the technology that John Deere brings to the equation and the level of service, customer support (from our dealers) packaging that up all together.”
Luke says delivering distinctive value involves three particular value drivers. “It’s all about performance, it’s about uptime, and it’s about cost of operation,” he said.

jd-intro-13-lukeThe new products coming for farmers and ranchers were designed with those three drivers in mind – and they are exciting. New 7R and 8R tractors, redesigned self-propelled sprayers, S-series combine updates and tracks, a brand new windrower, and new technology solutions like wireless data transfer.

It’s an exciting time for John Deere because it’s an exciting time for agriculture!

Listen to my interview with Luke here: Interview with Luke Gakstatter

John Deere Product Intro photo album

Audio, Equipment, John Deere, Tractor

John Deere Virtual Tractor Intro

Cindy Zimmerman

jd-intro-13-virtualThis 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 a virtual tractor here in the photo.

Unfortunately, I was so awestruck that I held my iPhone the wrong way to shoot the video but you can definitely get the idea from the clip below. Check out photos from the first day of the intro which included a ride and drive and the big floor show.

John Deere Product Intro photo album

Agribusiness, Equipment, John Deere, Tractor, Video

Biotechnology & Antibiotics Critical for Food Production

Talia Goes

zp-nhOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How important are biotechnology and antibiotics for food production?”

Our poll results:

· Critical 65%
· Important but not vital 16%
· We can do without 16%
· Not important at all 0%
· Other 3%

It looks like even with all the negative comments from anti-agriculture groups, the majority still think these technologies are integral to our modern food production systems.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question “What is your opinion on farm info graphics?” Do they confuse you? Do you love them? Let us know!

ZimmPoll

Tablet App for ‘My American Farm’ Available

Melissa Sandfort

MyAmFarmThe American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has released a tablet app modeled after the popular agricultural game site, “My American Farm.” The app is now available for free download on iTunes and Google Play.

The app features five games from My American Farm—In My Barn; My Little Ag Me; Equipment Engineer; Farmer’s Market Challenge; and Ag Across America.

App users are rewarded with a virtual sticker after successfully completing each game. Stickers can be dragged and dropped onto a virtual passport, allowing users to track their progress.

New resources have also been developed to provide guidance for using the app in a traditional or non-traditional setting. A formal lesson plan for classroom instruction, as well as tips and tricks for suggested integration in a variety of settings will be available at www.myamericanfarm.org/games.

Agribusiness, Apps

Educating the Masses at NAMA Boot Camp

Jamie Johansen

nama-bootcamp-13-086-editedEducating the agricultural industry about other aspects of the agricultural industry is just as important as educating our consumers. And that is exactly what happened at this year’s NAMA Boot Camp, held last week in Kansas City. Breakout sessions titled Ag 101 and Ag 201 took place for attendees to hear from experts so they could broaden their knowledge of the community they work in.

Dr. Dan Thomson, Kansas State University Vet School, spoke to the crowd who attended Ag 201 specifically about the beef industry and food safety. I believe an eye-opening moment for many was when Dr. Thomson defined the difference between animals rights, animal activists and animal welfare.

He also stressed the importance of education through hands-on training. This statement brings me back to the FFA Motto. “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live and Living to Serve.” This old message that is taught to high school students across the country still rings true in today’s agriculture.

Later in my interview with Dr. Thompson, he expresses his concern on people farming to the audit and explains that assessments are the key to ensuring farming practices are done with food safety and humane practices on the forefront, not audits.

Listen to my interview with Dan here: Interview with Dr. Dan Thomson

Here are photos from the event:2013 NAMA Boot Camp Photo Album

Advertising, Audio, Beef, Education, Food, Livestock, Marketing, NAMA

2013 USDA-NASS Farm Computer Report

Chuck Zimmerman

USDA Farm Computer Usage and OwnershipThe latest USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service report, “Farm Computer Usage and Ownership Report” (pdf) is now available. As you would expect, there’s more computer ownership and usage and more high speed internet access with less dialup. You can find the full report here with breakout statistics by state. Here’s a summary of the data.

DSL was the most common method of accessing the Internet, with 35 percent of the farms in the United States using it, compared to 38 percent in 2011. Wireless was the second most common method of Internet access at 24 percent in 2013, up from 20 percent in 2011. Dialup access dropped from 12 percent in 2011 to 5 percent in 2013. Cable and satellite access were each reported as the primary Internet access method on 13 and 17 percent of farms in the United States, respectively.

A total of 67 percent of the farms in the United States now have Internet access, compared with 62 percent in 2011. Seventy percent of farms have access to a computer in 2013, up 5 percentage points from 2011. The proportion of United States farms owning or leasing a computer in 2013, at 68 percent, was also up 5 percentage points from 2011. Farms using computers for their farm business increased to 40 percent in 2013 compared to 37 percent in 2011.

In 2013, 84 percent of the farms in the United States with sales and government payments of $250,000 or more have access to a computer, 83 percent own or lease a computer, 72 percent are using a computer for their farm business, and 82 percent have Internet access. Of the farms with sales and government payments between $100,000 and $249,999, the figures are: 73 percent have access to a computer, 71 percent own or lease a computer, 56 percent are using a computer for their farm business, and 69 percent have Internet access. The farms with sales and government payments between $10,000 and $99,999, 68 percent reported having computer access, 66 percent own or lease a computer, 45 percent use a computer for their farm business, and 65 percent have Internet access.

For crop farms, 71 percent have computer access and 45 percent use a computer for their farm business in 2013, both up 4 percentage points from 2011. Internet access for crop farms has increased to 68 percent in 2013, compared with 64 percent in 2011. In 2013, a total of 70 percent of livestock farms have computer access and 66 percent have Internet access.

Internet, USDA

National Agvocacy 2.0 Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

AgChat Foundation ConferenceThis week I’ll be attending the 2013 National Agvocacy 2.0 Conference in Charlotte, NC. It has been fun to see the excitement build for the farmers and everyone who will be attending. For many it will be there first event of this kind. My ticket is printed and so are my boarding passes!

On Friday I will be sharing a presentation with Katie Pinke titled, “Fire, Aim, Ready! Media Creation on the Farm.” We’ll cover technical topics like equipment and software as well as posting media content via social media networks and have live examples to share.

The AgChat Foundation continues to grow while “Empowering farmers and ranchers to connect communities through social media platforms.”

Ag Groups, Social Networking

Do you have the right tool?

Melissa Sandfort

The inception of Bosse Tools occurred back in the summer of 2011 when current president & CEO, Stephen Walden, was working for his parents, doing construction and home & garden work. At the end of each day, he found himself exhausted – tired and sore. After shoveling for hours on end, a frustrated Stephen thought to himself “there must be a better way to do this.”

With a little creative thought, glue, and some PVC pipe, Stephen created the first double-handle shovel. He took the idea with him to Loyola Marymount University’s Center for Entrepreneurship and pitched the idea to his teacher, Fred Kiesner. Long story short, the business idea that ensued from this simple design won the University’s competition for creating a new business, and subsequently received school-wide recognition…thus, the birth of Bosse Tools.

The tools will launch for public purchase on Sept. 10.

Agribusiness