Here’s a cool on-line tool that offers yield and production comparisons of various crops by county.
I received an email a few weeks ago from the guy who built the tool for a comparison engine called “Find the Best,” and also FindtheData.org.
Woody Robinson is a recent graduate of the University of California Santa Barbara who now works for FindTheBest, which he describes as “an objective, socially curated comparison engine that allows you to find a topic, compare your options and decide what’s best for you.”
He says that not only is the crop comparison tool “pretty fun to play around with,” it can also offer farmers some insight into crop production in various regions of the country. “Using data from the USDA, crops are compared using several categories (state, county, harvested, production, yield, etc). These categories can also be filtered to narrow crop search results,” Woody says. “It does provide an interesting perspective for the diversity of American farming.”
The hot, dry summer has taken a toll on the corn crop, according to the latest USDA forecast.
The estimate for corn production this year is now 12.5 billion bushels, down 3 percent from the August forecast but still more than last year and would still be the third largest corn crop in history. Yields are expected to average just over 148 bushels/acre, however, the lowest in six years. Meanwhile, soybean production is forecast at 3.09 billion bushels, up 1 percent from August with yields expected to average 41.8 bushels per acre, up 0.4 bushel from last month. That’s still less than last year, but at least the crop is not suffering as much as corn from the heat.
World Soybean Yield Champion and Rock Star Kip Cullers describes his corn crop in southwest Missouri this year as “horrible at best.” His first 4,000 acres averaged just 23 bushels an acre.
However, Kip says his soybeans actually look pretty good. “Soybeans are a lot more forgiving. They bloom 75 days so basically you got 75 days to mess up and 75 days to redeem yourself.” Kip was on stage at the Pioneer tent at Farm Progress Show talking about his grand champion soybean yield strategies.
Listen to or download my interview with Kip here. Kip Cullers at FPS 2011
2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album
AgWired Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by New Holland GROWMARK Trellis Growing Systems
Got a building need and want it to last a lifetime? Bedford Reinforced Plastics may have the answer.
Shannon says the company manufactures all sorts of structural shapes like this building for their shared exhibit with Trellis Growing Systems. The focus at the Farm Progress Show was the ag market of course. He says the primary problem in the market is corrosion but the fiberglass material they use is impervious to it. Basically their products last a lifetime. And almost everything they produce is custom designed. This includes fertilizer storage, hog barns, poultry houses and more.
You can listen to my interview with Shannon here: Interview with Shannon Foor
2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album
AgWired Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by New Holland GROWMARK Trellis Growing Systems
This morning the IFAJ 2011 Master Class is in session while Boot Camp meets separately. Yesterday both groups were together. Here’s a little information about the Master Class:
Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is supporting a pilot project called the IFAJ-Pioneer HiBred Master Class. This program will bring a group of journalists from developing countries to a two-day journalism and leadership workshop prior to the congress.
The workshop will focus on journalistic training, global agriculture and communications trends. Journalists will have a chance to share ideas with colleagues, and network with professionals from around the world. Master Class participants will be selected from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
The project will be based on a workshop with developing-country journalists initiated at the 2010 Belgium Congress, which was managed by AgriTerra, a Dutch-based agri-development agency. AgriTerra will help coordinate the master class program in Canada, owing to its experience in networking with journalists from underdeveloped countries
Here’s our Boot Camp group getting their first lesson of the day.
Alltech will expand its sponsorship of the successful IFAJ-Alltech Young Leaders in
Agricultural Journalism award to include a Boot Camp workshop. This activity will provide
select young journalists with expert training and feedback through on-site writing or
broadcasting assignments and further develop their leadership skills through formal in-class
training.
2011 IFAJ Congress Photo Album
I talked a little bit about the new construction going on in our front yard – the new shed. Last week, instead of focusing on my flowers and deer skull and new maple tree as decorations, I had to snap a photo of the latest lawn adornment – an 18-wheeler. It wasn’t there for long, but the tire tracks in the grass still remain.
This semi delivered all the materials for our new shop, including monstrous trusses. Our driveway is a sharp angle off the country road, so he had to drive in through the ditch … right into our front yard. On top of that, in order to get the trusses off the truck and into the construction area, my husband had to use his forklift and you guessed it, drive through the front yard.
I’m not much for fancy plush-looking grass, but I AM the one who mows around here and I don’t appreciate more ruts in the yard for me to bounce over and through. All complaining aside, it’s par for the course to get a shed and a lean-to for the horses for winter.
Oh, and new sleeping quarters for black kitty and her raccoon kids.
Until we walk again …
Getting $7/dozen for sweet corn in Canada is a pretty sweet deal for Channing Strom, owner along with his wife Amy, of Strom’s Farm. Especially if you sell an average of 10-12 thousand dozen. I caught a picture of Channing, who is outstanding in his field, during our visit to the farm today. He drove a wagon load of IFAJ folks around before dinner this evening. On this farm the Strom’s grow sweet corn and pumpkins for people to come out a purchase. They promise that the sweet corn you buy is never more than two hours from the stalk! They also create a six acre corn maze using field corn and have a variety of other family fun features that bring out thousands of people to spend several hours of outdoor enjoyment. It is agri-tourism done right. You can see part of our group taking the corn maze challenge in the photo below.
The Stroms are part of Taste Real, a branding initiative for locally grown food in the Guelph Wellington area.
When you see the taste real logo, you know that you are experiencing food grown close to home! When you see the logo at farmers markets, farm gate stalls, on-farm stores, at your favourite retail outlets, restaurants and places to stay you will know it is home to real local food. The brand exists to support local businesses and farms and represents a group of people who are ….Passionate about the way local food is grown, prepared, presented and enjoyed, and how real it tastes!
You can listen to my interview with Channing here: Channing Strom Interview
Our on-farm dinner included fresh picked and boiled sweet corn. It is definitely some of the best I’ve ever eaten. Having more than one ear was desert for me! There are plenty more photos in my photo album from our trip to the farm this evening.
2011 IFAJ Congress Photo Album
Coverage of the IFAJ Congress is sponsored by PIONEER Hi-Bred
During the Farm Progress Show I stopped in at the “Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World” and visited with Jeff Whetstine, AGROTAIN. The company worked with several others to put together a massive display of corn test plots that demonstrate the work of Dr. Fred Below which is aimed at finding out how much new high tech products can improve yield in corn. Jeff describes how they put the test plots together that are part of the exhibit and how they dealt with very challenging summer weather conditions. Jeff says Dr. Below has been able to show a 50 bushel yield difference between a grower’s standard practice and the “high tech package.”
You can listen to my interview with Jeff here: Interview with Jeff Whetstine
2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album
AgWired Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by New Holland GROWMARK Trellis Growing Systems
How do you stay positive even when you’re in a negative environment? The IFAJ Master Class and Boot Camp class attendees heard multiple ways from motivational speaker Declan Coyle, Andec Communications. Declan’s presentation was sponsored by Alltech. I heard him first earlier this year at the Alltech Symposium.
Declan uses a strategy based on what he calls the green platform. Think of your thoughts and actions as if you’re looking at a traffic light. Red stops you but green makes you go. So when you think negatively you’re on the red platform. When you think positively you’re on the green platform. Of course this is where you want to be. Declan provided many anecdotes from his own personal life as well others from various studies and individuals who have lived a life that provided a good example of his points. I recorded one of those stories for you.
You can listen to a portion of Declan’s presentation here: Declan Coyle Presentation
I have started a photo album for the 2011 IFAJ Congress. It will contain photos from the pre-Congress classes I’m attending, the Outdoor Farm Show and the full Congress: 2011 IFAJ Congress Photo Album
Coverage of the IFAJ Congress is sponsored by PIONEER Hi-Bred
It’s time for the 2011 IFAJ games to begin. Kim Waalderbos, freelance writer, is checking us in this afternoon at my hotel. I’ve already run into several of my IFAJ friends that I haven’t seen in a couple of years.
Tonight we have a welcoming reception for participants in the pre-Congress Master Class/BootCamp. I thought I’d take advantage of some lobby wireless while my room is getting ready.
This program will get started with sessions tomorrow morning. I’m sharing duties for one of them in the afternoon. I’m looking forward to working with a diverse group of ag journalists!
Coverage of the IFAJ Congress is sponsored by PIONEER Hi-Bred