“My American Farm” Informs Young Consumers

Cindy Zimmerman

Agricultural literacy is the goal of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture’s My American Farm virtual education program.

afbfDuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred is helping to fund the effort with a $500,000 donation to the program, announced during the AFBF annual meeting.

“The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has identified a great opportunity for teaching the public about modern agriculture. Through science and productivity, farmers are feeding the world and bettering the lives of people every day,” said Frank Ross, vice president and regional director – Pioneer, North America. “We are pleased to partner on this initiative and support the cause of increased agricultural literacy.”

The My American Farm virtual education program is anticipated to engage millions of youth, teachers and parents over the next five years through unique educational experiences. The website, www.myamericanfarm.org, is a destination for children to be entertained by playing games while learning math, social studies, language arts and science in the context of agriculture and food production.

AFBF, Education, Pioneer

Satshot Offers AG CONNECT Attendees Online GIS System

Joanna Schroeder

During the AG CONNECT Expo last week, I spoke with Nathan Faleide, sales and marketing for Satshot. The company offers a GIS online system for the agricultural industry that handles and manages satellite imagery and other data for use in variable rate technology with a fertilization, seed and chemical all-in-one online mapping system. The system can be managed from anywhere in the world with online access.

SatShotI asked Faleide what types of information a grower who uses this precision ag technology would see and he explained, “What the imagery works out is the vegetative biomass or the vegetative reflectiveness of the plant which correlates to yield and productivity in the field.”

This imagery, said Faleide, shows the higher points of the growth yield potential or lower points that don’t yield as much. Ultimately, this is an advantage because farmers can focus on areas with higher yield potential and put less inputs on areas with lower yield potential, increasing the productivity and profit of the grower.

The company also provides a worldwide elevation model and when combined with their other technology can, “really pinpoint the best areas in the field to maximize efficiency,” said Faleide.

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

Listen to my interview with Nathan here.

Audio, Precision Agriculture

Brazil Shows Strong Presence During AG CONNECT Expo

Joanna Schroeder

ABIMEI had a chance to sit down with Alida Bellandi, the Director of International Marketing for the Brazilian Association of Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers (ABIMAQ) during the AG CONNECT Expo. Bellandi’s organization was here to participate in the AgriEvolution Forum, a forum that is promoting a dialogue between the associations of manufacturing around the world. The first forum was in Rome two years ago, and the second one was hosted here by the Association of Equipment Manufactures (AEM) with the goal to discuss the future of the industry.

Bellandi told me that her organization represents manufacturers that produce equipment for small to medium sized farmers. This includes equipment used for soil preparation to silos to tractors and harvesters. Brazil has been manufacturing equipment for 30 years and currently exports to more than 60 countries.

She noted that not only is Brazil diversified in its production of machinery, but its agricultural industry is also diversified. Brazil grows tobacco, coffee, cotton, soybeans, tropical fruits, vegetables, beans, rice and sugarcane. “Brazil is a very agricultural powerful nation,” said Bellandi.

BrazilPavillionSince AG CONNECT Expo was an international show, I asked Bellandi about Brazil’s efforts in helping other countries with their efforts. She told me that Brazil has developed a direct planting technology that is something other Latin American countries are very interested as are many countries in Africa. She also noted that while sustainability is a very important aspect for the ag industry in Brazil, it is not yet important in developing countries.

“What you have to understand is the stage they are in right now. They have to feed their people and they have practically nothing in many countries. So environmental issues are not very important for them. We’re trying to show them they could start thinking about it a little bit differently. But in Latin America, we’re beginning to influence them,” Bellandi.

To get people thinking about environmental issues, ABIMAQ has produced a free video called “The Earth hanging by a drop,” that demonstrates how ecosystems are affected by global warming.  To receive a free copy of this video and to learn more about the organization, visit ABIMAQ’s website.

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album.

Listen to my full interview with Alida here.


AEM, Audio, International

Kinze Launches ASD Feature During AG CONNECT

Joanna Schroeder

Kinze1Row crop growers were introduced to some new technology from Kinze Manufacturing during the AG CONNECT Expo: the 3800 Forward Folding and 3660 Twin-Line® planters with Air Seed Delivery (ASD). The ASD is offered in different models and many different configurations and Laura Blomme, Training Coordinator with Kinze, noted that one really exciting feature with the ASD package is the scale package that they offer. “We’re the only company to do that.”

The advantage of the scale package, explained Blomme, is that it will allow the producer as he is filling the bulk fill tanks, to see exactly how much he’s putting in each tank. This integrates with the Kinze Vision Display so the operator can see on the display how many acres until he is empty.Kinze2

“So we’re giving them that productivity, it’s a 110 bushel capacity and allows them to see on their display how much is in their tanks and how much until empty,” said Blomme.

The ASD package is only available with air seed delivery models. To learn more about the ASD feature, visit Kinze’s website and listen to my interview with Laura Blomme.

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album.

Audio, Farm Machinery

AgWired is Top Agriculture Blog in PostRank Analytics

Chuck Zimmerman

PostRank Topblogs 2009 – #2 in Agriculture

PostRank Analytics says, “Over 80% of the engagement with your content doesn’t happen on your blog.” This is the hardest thing for today’s media buyers and marketing/communications people to understand. When it comes to social networking and influence the blog is often just the hub of the wheel while most of the activity is taking place out on the spokes. But as with anyone investing time and money they want a number to answer the question of “What is my ROI?”

That’s why you’ve got to look at the bigger picture and not get caught up in website visitors and page views anymore. They’re interesting but don’t tell the whole story. That’s where services like PostRank Analytics come in handy.

I thought I’d bring them up today since I just learned that AgWired was listed as the #2 blog in the Science/Agriculture in 2009!

ZimmComm Announcement

AG CONNECT Expo Wrapup

Chuck Zimmerman

The inaugural AG CONNECT Expo is “in the books.” It was a good one too. I believe the show was very professionally done and everything went smooth. Attendees and exhibitors have echoed those comments when I’ve spoken with them.

To wrap things up I spoke to Charlie O’Brien, VP Ag Services for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. He says that they’re extremely pleased with the show. Attendance neared a total of 8,000. He says that the show committees have all met and the common theme among them was “quality, quality, quality.” Meaning that they have all been impressed with the quality of the booths, the sessions and the people on hand to answer questions. Looking forward they would like to broaden the scope of the show with more exhibitors. They’ve already got a large portion of next year’s floor space sold. He also heard from exhibitors that they were grateful for the integration of educational sessions into the show.

Next year’s show will be in Atlanta, GA January 7-10 so make your plans now. You can watch my interview with Charlie or listen to and download it below:

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

AEM, Audio

Canadian Ag Minister Talks COOL During AG CONNECT

Joanna Schroeder

GerryRitzCanadian Minister of Agriculture, Gerry Ritz, was the featured speaker today during the State Agriculture and Rural Leaders’ Annual Legislative Agriculture Chairs Summit Luncheon during the AG CONNECT Expo. While Ritz focused on ag initiatives in Canada and the agricultural and trade relationships and programs between Canada and the U.S., the issue that got many fired up in the audience was that of Country of Origin Labeling or COOL.

Ritz noted that COOL is the biggest trade hurdle between Canada and it’s a very controversial issue. There is a contingency of people who want to have all food labeled so that they know what country their food is coming from. The reasons for this knowledge are threefold: to support American-made products, protectionism and ensure food safety. On the other side of the fence are the people who don’t see the need for labeling, in part because it adds costs to food products.LuncheonCrowd

The Canadian government opposes Country of Origin Label and when asked what the chances were that this policy would be enacted, Ritz simply said, “50-50.”

One last topic of discussion was farm raised fish, a movement gaining momentum in Canada and supported by the government. In closing Ritz noted, “I know there are some controversial stories around about enviromental this and so on like that. Most of them are not based on sound science they’re based on some sort of wild speculation under the moon with a tinfoil hat.”

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album.

International

Case IH Floor Show at AG CONNECT Expo

Chuck Zimmerman

Case IHThe exhibitors at AG CONNECT Expo really invested a lot in their presentations and none more than Case IH in my opinion. I watched a couple of their floor shows and thought you might enjoy a look at one of them.

Centered in the exhibit is a whole command console to control lights and sound. It really is well done and attendees loved it. I heard that the whole thing was put together in 90 days. If that’s so, then whoever did it should get some real kudos.

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

Agribusiness, Case IH, Equipment, Video

Catching Up With Trimble at AG CONNECT Expo

Joanna Schroeder

When Trimble launches a new product it’s available worldwide and next week Trimble will be launching several new products. I tried to coerce Guillermo Perez-Iturbe, the regional manager for Latin America, to give me a scoop during the AG CONNECT Expo, but he held out. Good for Trimble – bad for me.

Today, the company has a suite of precision ag products available including GPS guidance systems. One of their new products is the EZ-Steer assisted steering system which takes over the steering while the farmer focuses on steering, spraying and more. There are three versions of the EZ-Steer system including the AgGPS FmX Integrated Display. This display has 3D land leveling capabilities and the technologies in the pipeline will add even more options to the current products.

In the past year, Trimble has acquired several key companies in order to, “close the cycle of the ag precision space,” said Iturbe.  The company has a worldwide presence and Iturbe noted that other countries are in very different places in their adoption of precision ag technologies.

The Trimble Team: Sergio Lucas, Vilson Hansen, Guillermo Perez-Iturbe and Rafeal Bull

The Trimble Team: Sergio Lucas, Vilson Hansen, Guillermo Perez-Iturbe and Rafeal Bull

For example, Argentina started precision farming 14 years ago with lightbars and has yet to adopt the higher levels of precision technology while Mexico has adopted the most advanced precision ag technology available but doesn’t use something as simple as a lightbar.

Today, Trimble is working with its customers to better help them identify the best precision ag technologies for their farms, and this is important to the company because they understand that no farmers’ operations are the same.

Listen to my AgWired exclusive interview with Guillermo Perez-Iturbe here.

Audio, Precision Agriculture

AgDay TV Taping Draws Large Crowd at Ag CONNECT Expo

Joanna Schroeder

LiveTapingofAgDayTVIf you’re in agriculture, then you know Al Pell, the host of AgDay TV. Al and his crew were on hand during the AG CONNECT Expo and while there, taped a show. In the background – a standing room only crowd.AgDayTVCrowd2

Chip Flory, with Pro Farmer was the featured guest. The topic of discussion was to be crop reports but with the market movement this past week, this became the topic du jour.

AgDay TV airs on RFD TV each weekday at 8:00 am EST / 7:00 am CT. You can also check out the show on Dish network channel 231 and Direct TV channel 345.

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