TeeJet Announces New Guidance Technologies At Ag Connect Expo

Joanna Schroeder

TeeJet Technologies, based in Springfield, IL, announced their new guidance system that offers guidance and liRichGould_TeeJetve video displayed simultaneously.  The news about the Matrix Guidance System with RealView Guidance Over Video was announced during the AG CONNECT Expo in Orlando, Fla. and comes in two screen sizes: 570G Model and 840G model with options for four or eight cameras.

In an AgWired exclusive interview with Rich Gould, vice president and guidance business manager at TeeJet Technologies explained that the really unique feature of the system lies in its ability to connect to a video camera and show real-time video images and in addition to show the guidance information overlayed on the video image. In other words, you are seeing your field on the screen.

Known as precision agriculture, this type of technology helps farmers to become more efficient whether planting, fertilizing or harvesting their crops. Ultimately, this information leads to reduced costs and higher profitability.

TeeJet has applied for a patent and Gould notes that, “This technology is applicable to anyone driving back in forth across a field.”

It can be used on any machine, manufactured by any company, in any country. This is an advantage for growers in developing countries in that they have the ability to jump ahead and adopt the latest technology immediately.

You can see photos from AG CONNECT Expo in our Flickr album and listen to my interview with Rich Gould here.

Agribusiness, Audio

Gators at AG CONNECT Expo

Chuck Zimmerman

Gator GirlsMy Alma Mater was out and about at AG CONNECT Expo today. Here are three ag comm students from The University of Florida. They were watching this afternoon’s panel discussion in the Innovations Theater on the future of ag communications. I’ll have more on that later.

Joanna and I have spent all day collecting interviews which we’ll be posting right here until they’re all posted. It’s probably going to take a few day because we’ve got a lot of them.

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

Uncategorized

Farm Bureau YF&R Winners

Cindy Zimmerman

Winners of the Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Achievement Award, Discussion Meet and Excellence in Agriculture competitions were announced final general session at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 91st annual meeting.

afbfScott and Mendy Sink of Virginia won the Excellence in Ag Award. They received a 2010 Dodge Ram pickup, courtesy of Dodge, and free registration to the YF&R Leadership Conference in Oklahoma February 20-22. The Excellence in Ag award recognizes young farmers and ranchers who do not derive the majority of their income from an agricultural operation, but who actively contribute and grow through their involvement in agriculture, their leadership ability, and participation in Farm Bureau and other organizations. We were especially proud that farm broadcasters Andy Vance and Lindsay Hill were in the top ten finalists for that award.

afbfAaron and Ashley Reding of Kentucky won the Achievement Award which recognizes young farmers and ranchers who have excelled in their farming or ranching operations and exhibited superior leadership abilities. They also won a 2010 Dodge Ram Pickup courtesy of Dodge and paid registration to the 2010 AFBF YF&R Leadership Conference.

afbfLast, but not least, Rachel Bina of North Dakota won the Discussion Meet. She also gets a new Dodge pickup and registration to the conference. The Discussion Meet simulates a committee meeting in which active discussion and participation are expected. Participants are evaluated on their ability to exchange ideas and information on a predetermined topic.

The runners-up in all three competitions won a $6,000 Savings Bond and a STIHL Farm Boss chainsaw, both courtesy of STIHL. Read more about all the winners here.

AFBF

AG CONNECT Expo Show Statistics

Chuck Zimmerman

Sara Mooney Charlie O'BrienAG CONNECT Expo released some statistics about the show this morning during a press briefing. We heard from Show Director Sara Mooney and AEM VP of Ag Services, Charlie O’Brien.

Here’s some quick stats for you. There are currently 7,000 registered. The final numbers will change since we’re not at the end of the show yet by the way. Of those 7,000 there are 2,000 producers with an average or 2,900 acres and 80 percent say they are decision makers. There are 1,800 agribusiness and 800 dealers. The balance consists of all the people working out on the show floor. There are 312 exhibitors using 167,800 square feet of space. About 20 percent of attendees are from outside the U.S. and there are 67 countries represented and 49 out of the 50 states in the U.S. (Hawaii) didn’t have anyone here.

AG CONNECT Expo – Press Briefing from Chuck Zimmerman on Vimeo.

You can listen to Sara and Charlie below:

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

AEM, Audio

Justice Department Investigating Monsanto

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking information from Monsanto about the company’s soybean traits business.

monsantoAccording to a press release from Monsanto, the Justice Department “has issued a civil investigative demand (CID) requesting information on its soybean traits business, primarily seeking a confirmation that, as Monsanto has previously indicated, farmers and seed companies will continue to have access to the first-generation Roundup Ready soybean trait following patent expiry in 2014.”

“Monsanto continues to cooperate with the U.S. Department of Justice inquiries, just as we have over the last several months,” said Scott Partridge, Monsanto’s Chief Deputy General Counsel. “We respect the thorough regulatory process. We believe our business practices are fair, pro-competitive and in compliance with the law.”

Monsanto has voluntarily cooperated with regulators to address their questions about its business and the broader agriculture industry. This request represents a continuation of that process. During this time, the company has provided extensive access to millions of pages of documents to ensure that regulators’ questions are addressed. Monsanto noted that it will continue to provide information that is requested of its business.

Read more here.

Uncategorized

Pioneer Hi-Bred Sponsors Farm Journal Legacy Project

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Journal Media Pioneer Hi-BredPioneer Hi-Bred announced a multi-year sponsorship to support Farm Journal Media’s Legacy Project at AG CONNECT Expo. You can listen to their press conference remarks below:

“The median age of the U.S. farmer today is 58 years, yet only 20 percent of farmers report being confident in succession plans for their businesses,” says Andy Weber, president and CEO of Farm Journal Media. “The need for succession education and tools cannot be overstated in its importance to individual farm families of this country and to the long-term viability of the U.S. agricultural system as a whole.” The sponsorship from Pioneer Hi-Bred will enable Farm Journal to expand upon its editorial commitment to raise awareness surrounding legacy planning and will kick off the single largest industry initiative of its kind in agriculture today.

“Pioneer recognizes the future of the industry it serves is dependent upon successful transition of America’s farm businesses from one generation to the next,” Frank Ross, Pioneer vice president and regional director – North America, says of his organization’s support of the Legacy Project. “With this in mind, Pioneer provides this sponsorship and joins the Legacy Project’s long-term commitment to cultivate multigenerational success for growers and production agriculture.” Read More

Audio, Farming, Media

Strawberry iPhone App

Chuck Zimmerman

strawberry-appHow about some sweet fruity goodness for your iPhone? The California Strawberry Commission has just officially launched its free STRAWBERRIES iPhone app.

After being reviewed by Apple, it has been highlighted as a “staff pick” in the App Store.

The app offers a collection of more than 50 strawberry recipes from food bloggers and chefs from around the web. Strawberries are among the healthiest foods in the world and the STRAWBERRIES app demonstrates a range of recipes such as strawberry shortcake to more exotic dishes like strawberry ceviche and strawberry dumplings.

Strawberry Recipe App is available now for free download in the App Store:
– More than 50 recipes, categorized by dish type.
– Access favorite recipes – and shopping lists – in the kitchen, at the store, or anywhere!
– Share recipes on Twitter, Facebook and email.
– Discover and link to the food bloggers and chefs behind the recipes.

“I’m excited to have one of my recipes included in this app because I enjoy sharing my passion for cooking that goes all the way back to when I was in the fourth grade,” said Michael Ruhlman, food writer and blogger behind Ruhlman.com. “This is a great way to further inspire people to recognize the importance and ease of preparing good and healthy food in their own kitchens.”

You can download the app here: http://bit.ly/8LANJo

Ag Groups

Joe Osborn Retiring From Osborn & Barr Communications

Chuck Zimmerman

joe-osbornAfter 22 years with the company he co-founded, Osborn & Barr’s Joe Osborn is retiring. He’ll still continue in a consulting role however.

“This is an exciting time for the agency. In recent years, we’ve re-focused our core business, which positions O&B well for current and future growth. I strongly believe the agency’s best days are ahead, and I’m pleased to help in the transition to new leadership,” Osborn said.

Although Osborn no longer will be at the agency on a daily basis, he will continue to counsel on a part-time basis over the next few years. His knowledge and industry experience will continue to be an asset to O&B employees and clients alike.

The O&B executive management team will consist of Barr along with partners Michael Turley (CEO) and Rhonda Ries-Aguilar (CFO). “Both Rhonda and Michael have contributed significantly to our rapid growth and have proven their strategic and management skills,” stated Barr. “They are also in the process of acquiring significant percentages of O&B shares, which will complete the transition of ownership based on Joe’s retirement. I couldn’t be more pleased than to have both Rhonda and Michael assuming day-to-day management and leading the continued growth of O&B.”

Agencies

Fifth US-Mongolia Business Forum at AG CONNECT a Success

Joanna Schroeder

MongolianBizForumThe Fifth U.S.-Mongolia Business Forum took place simultaneously with the AG CONNECT Expo yesterday with several dozen delegates from Mongolia meeting with delegates from the United States to discuss how the two countries can better work together. A goal as delivered by the various speakers, is to see more U.S. companies investing in Mongolia.
The Mongolian delegation is one of 20 that arrived in Orlando this week, and the largest, with 16 of these being organized by the Department of Commerce.

During the opening remarks, in a letter from Kh. Bekhbat, the Ambassador of Mongolia to the United States, read by Zhen Gong Cross, the Head of Mongolian Affairs with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bekhbat noted that Mongoia is a mineral rich economy that is now seeing foreign investors. The increased funds are being used to provide jobs, educational funds and health care.

Zhen Gong Cross, Head of Mongolian Affairs, US Dept. of CommerceNot only would the country like to see more investments in the mineral side, it has also created a new shared stock company that would share in the country’s mining industry, but they would also like to see investments and participation in the agriculture industry. “Agriculture is an important part of the economy,” wrote Bekhbat.

The Mongolian delegates plan to meet with various companies to dicusss agricultural opportunities and investments during the AG CONNECT Expo. The group has prioritized its greatest needs and prepared a detailed list of projects in which they seek global investors.

Agribusiness, International

John Deere AG CONNECT Classroom

Chuck Zimmerman

John Deere AG CONNECT ExpoBesides all the educational sessions and seminars taking place at AG CONNECT Expo many of the exhibitors are also conducting classes. John Deere has an elevated classroom in theirs that features a wide screen tv connected via internet back to their offices in Iowa. So, there is an on-site facilitator to operate the equipment on this end while the actual instructor is heard over speakers while he controls what you see on the screen.

This is an example of their remote training capabilities and to learn more about it I spoke with Kevin Blusher, Manager, Customer and Career Partnership Training. Kevin says this distance learning lab allows them to go on the road to dealerships or even into a customer’s home. The class taking place while I was there focused on precision ag applications. He says that there is a need for ongoing training with today’s equipment and software. They call it John Deere University. Feel free to log on and learn more.

You can listen to my interview with Kevin below:

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

Audio, John Deere