The 50th Western Farm Show got started this morning with a proclamation from the City Council of Kansas City. On hand to present the proclamation was Cindy Circo, City Coucilwoman. Receiving the proclamation was Jeff Flora Western Farm Show, CEO.
You can listen to the Cindy read the proclamation and Jeff’s comments here: Western Farm Show Proclamation
Post Update: I’ve now got a photo album started which I’ll be adding to periodically (as usual): 2011 Western Farm Show Photo Album
This happy group of agricultural PR professionals are meeting in Ft. Myers, where the weather is in the 80s and gorgeous, while the Midwest is back in the cold and snow. We feel bad (not!).
The Ag Relations Council annual meeting enjoyed a dinner cruise on the Gulf of Mexico with near perfect weather – okay, it was perfect. We even got treated to a couple of friendly dolphins playing around the dock and the boat.
Today we are out touring fruit, vegetable, citrus and cattle operations in southwest Florida, courtesy of Gary Cooper with Southeast Agnet. Hope to upload photos later but the upload speed at the hotel is really not good. I am doing this post from our first tour stop – Worden Farm. More to come….
I recently attended the Iowa Power Farming Show and one of the technologies that I featured in a post on our sister blog Precision Pays, was Ag Leader’s new SMS Mobile Technologies. As I result, I was asked to write a guest post for Broadband for America. They asked if I could write a blog about how broadband technology has really changed the way agriculture does business. Precision Agriculture has not only made agriculture a bit easier, but its also made it a bit more profitable. Now, with the internet, precision ag can take it one more step.
With their permission, I am reprinting the article here.
For my mother, who grew up on a farm in Iowa, it was hard to imagine how far technology would advance agriculture in such a short time. For instance, the introduction of broadband would be a welcome surprise for many. It’s hard to fathom living without internet access; however, in the past, those in rural America did not have as much access as those living in urban areas. Fortunately, this is changing. According to Pew Internet, adults living in rural America have witnessed high-speed usage grow from 38% in 2008 to 46% in 2009. Many of these adults are farmers.
With the introduction of broadband also came the introduction of many precision agriculture technologies. For example, Ag Leader’s new SMS Mobile Technology helps farmers gain important information. The technology is designed to run on their handheld Mesa Rugged Notepad and provides a platform for farmers to gather information such as soil tests, scouting records and documentation of test trials. With the help of a wireless broadband network, farmers can instantaneously transfer the data to his SMS desktop software. The data can be combined with previous data and take his crop management to another level – a level that is designed to improve his profitability.
While this technology is still somewhat in its infancy, access to wireless communications has offered possibilities not before thought possible. Precision agriculture is taking full advantage of this technology. Each year, data integration and programs are more effective and easier to use as adoption among growers increases.
According to Tim Murphy, in a 2002 article, “Broadband Connection Highs and Lows Across Rural America“, the census found that half the farms in the country were connected to the internet in some way whether it be via broadband or dial-up. By 2007, the percentage of farms connected rose to 56.5 percent. As precision ag comes of age, I expect to see greater growth in the adoption in broadband in rural America. Why? Because broadband and precision ag, together, are helping to change the face of agriculture in a positive and profitable way.
We’re off to a frosty start at the 50th Western Farm Show. If you’re driving in today please be careful.
I just got settled in at the AgWired booth (main entrance hallway) and will be doing a photo shoot walk around once we get some traffic going this morning. I’ll also be conducting a session at 11am Central. If you would like to let us see your thoughts on using social media to advocate for your industry then please chime in with the Twitter hashtag for the show – #WFS11.
Thanks!
Opening day weather for the Western Farm Show will be much better than set up day. A very unexpected winter storm developed and moved over Missouri today. My local radio station in Jefferson City, MO was still using a recorded forecast from the morning that said it would be up to 49 degrees and some showers moving in overnight. Wrong! When I heard that about noon today it was only 34 degrees and sleet/snowing! I called to let them (KWOS-AM) know they really should do live weather and not pre-recorded.
So the AgWired booth is set up in the main entrance way hall. We’re working with our iPhone App sponsor Raven Industries to give away an iPod Touch to one lucky person. If you come out to the show stop and enter and say hi. I’ll be conducting a presentation with Darin Grimm on Friday at 11am in Wagstaff Theater on becoming an “agvocate.” Then on Saturday I’ll do a how-to session on social media.
Of course there will be stories posted over the next several days from the show and lots of photos. Meanwhile, Cindy is enjoying much better temperatures in Ft. Myers, FL at the Agricultural Relations Council meeting. I’m sure we’ll be hearing all about what’s going on there soon.
For all you on Twitter, the show hashtag is #WFS11. See you there.
I didn’t get to go to the World Ag Expo to see these tractors unveiled but they were on display at the National Farm Machinery Show. They are the New Holland PowerStar Series Utility Tractors. To learn about them I spoke with Brad Moore, North American Mid-Range Tractor Segment Leader.
Brad says customers really designed these tractors by giving feedback in a series of customer clinics and “virtual reality” applications. The virtual reality allowed for a lot of models that could be tested with customers without using real steel.
PowerStar tractors will be available in both cab and ROPS versions. The entire three-model line (75 hp – 100 hp) will provide outstanding maneuverability, unparalleled comfort and excellent fuel efficiency for part-time farmers as well as livestock, dairy and other operators who are looking for a highly versatile tractor.
You can listen to my interview with Brad here: Brad Moore Interview
2011 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album
AgWired coverage at the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by:
Let’s learn what’s new with McCormick Company this week. As part of my ongoing series of conversations with agricultural marketing and communications agencies I spoke with Mark Perrin, President.
Mark says the agency is one of the oldest in the country having started in 1926 in Texas. It has grown to include offices in Amarillo, Kansas City, Des Moines and two offices in Canada. He says they’ve put a real priority on analytics in the last two years. To him that means “doing our best to monetize an advertiser’s investment in marketing communications.” Additonally, they’ve made a real focus on mobile and have partnered with Unwired Nation and a product called Kinita, a mobile-apps-as-a-service model.
Listen in our my conversation with Mark: ZimmCast 293 - McCormick Company
This week’s program ends with some music from Music Alley. It’s called “Under Western Skies” by Gabe Hizer.
Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsor, Growmark, locally owned, globally strong, for their support.
The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our a Subscribe page
To be told something is average has a negative or “middle of the road – not to exceed expectation” kind of connotation. But if you think of what it means, it’s just that there’s got to be someone or something higher, and someone or something lower. When my son was a baby, they’d say — “He’s in the 95th percentile on height. He’s really tall!” — as though babies in the 25th percentile were anything less than average.
In agriculture, averages can help us explain societal shifts, production changes, population growth and a whole lot more. This picture comes from my great-grandfather. He raised hogs, and on an “average” day, he’d have 12 pigs on the farm. Some for butchering and canning for personal use and some for selling. In 1992, the average number of hogs on a farm was 945. In 2004, it had risen to 4,646.
But in the same breath, I have to make note that even though the operation size has increased, they’re still family-owned and operated farms. In fact, the term “factory farming” was devised to frighten consumers into thinking modern food production is unhealthy. It’s not. It’s safe, frighteningly efficient and a family tradition that 97% of U.S. farmers take pride in.
The average beef cow herd size is 40. That’s family farming at its finest and an “average” that many farmers should be proud of.
Not everything can be as small as it was back in 1919. Our houses are bigger, cars are bigger, and yes, animal agriculture is bigger. We just have more mouths to feed.
Until we walk again …
Farmer and rancher members of many local Farm Bureaus are reaching out to consumers in their communities during Food Check-Out Week (Feb. 20-26) by offering information and cost-saving tips on putting nutritious meals on the table.
“Stretching Your Grocery Dollar With Healthy, Nutritious Food,” the official theme of Farm Bureau’s Food Check-Out Week, reflects the fact that Americans from all walks of life continue to work through an economic squeeze. Dining out less often and preparing more meals at home is the new reality for many Americans.
Since the program was initiated in the mid-1990s, Farm Bureau members have donated approximately $3 million in food and monetary contributions to Ronald McDonald Houses and other worthwhile charities during Food Check-Out Week. A number of studies have shown that rising energy costs for processing, packaging and transportation are the driving forces behind recent increases in retail food prices.
Participating county and state Farm Bureaus are holding events throughout Food Check-Out Week. Links to state Farm Bureau websites may be found here.
The third week of February was selected for Food Check-Out Week as a bridge to National Nutrition Month in March.
*Photo courtesy of American Farm Bureau.
