AgWired

2010 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Near the start of our coverage from this year’s National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky, Cindy talked to President and CEO of the Kentucky State Fair Board, Harold Workman, to get a preview of what was to come. After four big days with more than 800 exhibitors showing their latest and greatest for the ag industry, it only seemed fitting to go back to where we started and talk with Workman again to get his take on how things went. He says after a snowy start, the show has been a great success.

“We thought early on it would [be successful] because all of our exhibit space sold out very early.”

Of course, after a record one day snowfall for Louisville the night before the opening, Wednesday was a bit light. But Workman says every day since then has been great, and people really turned out. While he says they don’t have attendance numbers for this year’s show put together quite yet, his feel is that it will be pretty close to last year’s numbers when it was the second biggest on record. Workman says the good year grain farmers had last year could be a real economic stimulus for this country, as producers look to invest some of those profits in their operations in the coming year.

Workman adds that a show like this one also helps producers find the best deals on equipment and technology that will help them continue to be successful … and keep their economic stimulus going.

He says they’re already planning next year’s show … even already selling tickets to next year’s Championship Tractor Pull. But he says he would be remiss if he didn’t thank all the folks, including his staff and the show’s staff, for all their hard work.

It’s a great conversation, and you can hear more of it below.

AgWired continuing coverage at the National Farm Machinery Show sponsored by:

2010 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

One of the best parts of the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky. is the cutting-edge technology you see in just about every booth along the way. Companies obviously know this gathering is the perfect place to show off what they’ve got and time the release of many products to coincide with the show. So when we got this press release from TeeJet Technologies about its new New ISOBUS Sprayer Control Solutions, it made a bee line to the TeeJet booth where I met Jon Reinecker, one of the company’s technology specialists.

He told me that ISOBUS gives farmers the ability to communicate with other virtual terminals already in the cabs of their tractors.

“A lot of farmers are buying these newer implements that have these newer displays, and they say ‘Why can’t I hook my implement up to that new display?’ Think of ISOBUS as a universal language everybody can understand.”

Reinecker says the display in the cab can communicate with, say, a sprayer or spreader hooked up to the back of the tractor. That lets farmers make adjustments right there in the cab without having to have different boxes that clutter the area.

“Manufacturers like the idea of being able to work together, and it keeps the farmer happy [because] he can mix and match implements with the different tractors using this universal language,” says Reinecker.

One black box in the cab serves as the brains of the operation and connects with the universal connector on the back of most new farm machines, making it compatible with many makes and models without having to add more consoles to the cabs.

More information is available at TeeJet.com

Listen to more of my conversation with Jon below.

AgWired continuing coverage at the National Farm Machinery Show sponsored by:

2010 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

There’s another innovation from Trimble making its debut at the National Farm Machinery Show here in Louisville, Ky.

Trimble has sent out this press release introducing its EZ-Sync™ solution, a wireless data transfer capability that provides enhanced information management for growers and agribusinesses. While I was at the Trimble booth checking out the newly announced EZ Surface Software that provides surface drainage analysis and design for farmers and drainage contractors, I also caught up with Brian Stark, who does information management for Trimble and is the company’s EZ-Sync expert.

“EZ-Sync allows you to take data wirelessly from a mobile computer or from the Trimble FMX display and send that data from the field to the office. Or, if I’m in the office, I can send my data from the office, [such as] prescription maps or target points, to the field.”

Stark says the software is compatible with several different computers Trimble offers, and it lets producers and managers exchange information in real time. Plus, it decreases the amount of data that is lost simply because workers don’t have time to manually enter information gained in the field when they come back to the office. And, managers are able to better communicate with their workers still in the field.

“Just think about the possibilities here. If you have someone out there soil-sampling, they could be out there collecting sample points, finish the job, hit a button, [and download that information directly to the office],” says Stark.

Stark says you can’t really put a price on how valuable that fresh data will be for those in the field and at the office.

For more information, check with your local Trimble dealer or go to www.Trimble.com.

You can hear more of my conversation with Brian below.

AgWired continuing coverage at the National Farm Machinery Show sponsored by:

2010 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

California-based Trimble, a technology company specializing in software that has, among others, applications for agriculture, construction and mapping, has introduced its EZ Surface Software to provide surface drainage analysis and design, especially for farmers and drainage contractors. This marks the first time in the industry where the complete survey, design, layout, machine control, install and map capabilities in one system like this comes from one company.

I stopped by the Trimble booth here at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky. and talked to Joey Schlatter of Schlatter Inc. of Francesville, Indiana, who sells Trimble products.

“This software helps contractors define watersheds and flow patterns so they know how to properly drain their fields, whether using surface or sub-surface drainage methods.”

Schlatter says studies indicate that crop yields can be affected by 20 percent or more, well above most producers margins. With this system, elevation data is gathered through using some GPS-based tools from Trimble.

“Once we’ve collected all that elevation data, we bring that data into the office, into our EZ Surface program and generate a 3-D elevation map. Then, with a click of a few buttons, we can see the flow lines, watesheds and all the tools we need to properly design that [drainage] system.”

Schlatter says you can find out more information from your local Trimble dealer and at the company Web site: www.Trimble.com.

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You can hear all of my conversation with Joey here:

2010 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Chalk up another innovation for our friends at New Holland!

The company that is bringing you AgWired’s coverage of the 2010 National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky. is being recognized with Farm Industry News’ FinOvation Award for New Holland’s BB9000 Series large square balers at this year’s show.

I caught up with New Holland’s Platform Marketing Manager for Crop Packaging (which includes balers), Colin Skoronski, to get some of his thoughts about the award and the baler.

“The BB9000 is continuing to bring innovation … integrated density systems, on-the-go changes, the ability to adjust itself for what the customer has for desired inputs.”

He adds that New Holland is the first company to bring an true integrated bale weight system, an on-the-go weighing system that lets the customer know exactly what he’s making for bale weights. Skoronski says that’s especially important for producers who are custom baling and want to make sure they have just the right amount of weight in that bale. And for the customers on the receiving end, they know exactly what they are getting as well.

Skoronski says it’s a culture of innovation at New Holland.

“That’s how New Holland started way back when … [what New Holland was known for was] talking to the customers and listening to the customers and understanding what their true needs were and figuring out a better way for them to do it.”

And that innovation continues today.

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You can hear more of my interview with Colin here: