Syngenta Seeds Thinks Like a Farmer

Cindy Zimmerman

When Syngenta Seeds considers new products to bring to market, they think like a farmer.

Syngenta Seeds Bruce Battles“They’re our primary customer at the end of the day and we can have the greatest technologies, the greatest genetics but if we don’t understand their business and the challenges they face, it could all be wasted,” said Agronomy Marketing Manager Bruce Battles at a recent ag media day at Syngenta Seeds new headquarters in Minnetonka, Minn.

Bruce says they use their seed innovations to meet grower needs and one example is the aphid management system they are preparing to launch in the next year. “In this example, we have taken genetics and taken a trait and put it with the genetics for controlling aphids. But, we’ve also taken our expertise from our seed care group in using a product like Cruiser as a seed treatment to help suppress aphid pressure,” he said.

Find out more about the Syngenta AMS, launching in 2010, here. Listen to or download my interview with Bruce in the audio player below.

Sponsored by

Audio, Seed, Syngenta

Husker Farmer Tweets Harvest Video

Chuck Zimmerman

The Husker Farmer is harvesting some corn in south central Nebraska. “Finally” as he puts it. He is Ryan Weeks and you can find him active on Twitter as @huskerfarm. He’s another farmer using new media tools himself to tell his story and let the public know what farming like in America today. (Still amazes me that while so many of their customers are doing it, lots of ag companies still haven’t jumped in.)

Of course I found out about Ryan’s activity via his tweet that shows he’s using a BlackBerry and TwitVid.

My first attempt at a harvest video from the combine with my Blackberry Tour. #harvest #farm #agchat

Corn, Farming, Video

Ag Degrees at U of F

Chuck Zimmerman

Charlotte EmersonThere are a lot of colleges involved with farm shows all over the country. At Sunbelt Ag Expo I spoke with Charlotte Emerson, Director of Student Development and Recruitment, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Florida. We’re sitting in their exhibit chatting about my alma mater.

She says the college has 24 majors and over 50 specializations ranging from agriculture education to animal sciences to family youth and community sciences. They also have a famous soon to be graduate who will be leading the #1 ranked Gator football team tonight, Tim Tebow!

You can listen to my interview with Charlotte below:

Sunbelt Ag Expo 2009 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of Sunbelt Ag Expo is sponsored by Growth Energy.

Audio, Sunbelt Ag Expo, University

May the Growth Force Be With You

Cindy Zimmerman

growth forceIf you are in agriculture and support ethanol, the Growth Force wants you.

Growth Force is the individual membership arm of Growth Energy, the ethanol advocacy organization started about this time last year to help fight the attacks on farming and renewable fuels like ethanol.

“Right now it’s more than 10,000 strong, and growing,” says Growth Energy director of public affairs Christ Thorne. “The purpose is to identify Growth Energy as the coalition of ethanol supporters, whether those supporters be ethanol makers, farmers, or mini-van driving soccer moms who care about a cleaner sky.”

Membership in the Growth Force is free and includes electronic updates on current agriculture and ethanol policy issues, and a complimentary gift pack. More information is available at growthforce.org.

Join – and may the Growth Force be with you.

Ethanol

Another Sunbelt Under Our Belts

Chuck Zimmerman

Sunbelt Ag ExpoThe 2009 Sunbelt Ag Expo was another good one. It’s big enough that there’s just no way to cover it all. You really need three days to check out all the exhibits and field demonstrations.

Here’s to hoping I’ll be back again next year. I still have a few stories to post and will get them on over the next couple days.

Don’t forget to check out who was tweeting about this year’s show by searching Twitter for #SAE09.

Sunbelt Ag Expo 2009 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of Sunbelt Ag Expo is sponsored by Growth Energy.

Sunbelt Ag Expo

Trimble Precision On Display at Sunbelt

Chuck Zimmerman

Trimble BoothThe largest field demonstration of precision applications at Sunbelt Ag Expo was conducted by Trimble. I stopped and spoke with Matt Hesse, Autopilot Sales Manager.

The company was showing various levels of precision integration. They had two different land leveling systems. One used a GPS control and one used a 2D laser system. They also had their new TrueGuide passive implement steering system in use. This system puts an antenna on the implement to tell the tractor where it is so the tractor knows how much to move in relation to the desired line to optimize the placement of the implement. They also had their TrueTracker System on multiple tractors and implements.

Matt says that they take applications that are not possible for human beings and put them into a machine to do it for us. This ultimately increases efficiencies that have produced up to 20 bushels per acre increases in corn.

Sunbelt Ag Expo 2009 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of Sunbelt Ag Expo is sponsored by Growth Energy.

Precision Agriculture, Sunbelt Ag Expo, Video

Planting With Precision

Chuck Zimmerman

Bruce SauderPrecision agriculture applications continue to grow and develop and were on display at Sunbelt Ag Expo. Let’s use Precision Planting as an example. I spoke with Bruce Sauder about what is new with the company that producers were getting to see in their exhibit.

He says that some of the new units that they’ve come out with this year include a 20/20 RowFlow Module that controls the population rate of seed as you move through the field and swath control for minimizing overplanting. Bruce says the swath control can save as much as 2 bushels of seed in a 240 acre center pivot.

You can listen to my interview with Bruce below:

Sunbelt Ag Expo 2009 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of Sunbelt Ag Expo is sponsored by Growth Energy.

Agribusiness, Audio, Precision Agriculture

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Global Animal Management announces the launch of its newly renovated Web site designed to educate consumers on the importance of animal identification.
  • More than 150 area residents joined global animal health company Alltech to celebrate the opening of its new facility in Clovis on Thursday, Oct. 15.
  • Farm Journal Media is proud to announce its new event, Marketing Rally 2009, which will feature the world’s largest marketing roundtable, with all 16 advisers participating in a live taping of “U.S. Farm Report.”
  • Jack Maddux of Wauneta, Neb., received the 32nd annual National Golden Spur Award from the Ranching Heritage Association in Lubbock, Texas.
    Zimfo Bytes

    State of the Blogosphere 2009

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Technorati State of the BlogosphereThe 2009 Technorati State of the Blogosphere is worth your time to read through. The final segment of the report will be released today. Here’s just a couple of tidbits from the report and you can listen to my interview with Richard Jalichandra discuss the report here.

    The rise of the professional blogger continues. 70% of Part-Timers, Pros, and Self-Employeds are blogging more than ever . . .

    Bloggers describe significant, positive impacts on their personal lives, but even more bloggers have experienced positive career and business impacts. 70% say that they are better known in their industry because of their blog.

    Over half of the corporate bloggers blog to attract new clients for their business, while most part-timers (61%) want to make additional money and almost three quarters self-employed bloggers try to draw in new customers for their business. But no matter the type of blogger, the most important reason for them all is either to share their experience and expertise or to speak their mind.

    After the Introduction you’ll find report segments on:

    Day 1 — Who Are the Bloggers?

    Day 2 — The What and Why of Blogging

    Day 3 — The How of Blogging

    Day 4 — Monetization And Revenue Generation, Brands in the Blogosphere

    Day 5 — 2009 Trends: Political Impact of Blogging, Twitter Usage

    Uncategorized

    Colleges On Display At Sunbelt Ag Expo

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Sheilachu GomezThere are exhibits from land grant colleges throughout the southeast at Sunbelt Ag Expo. As a member of the Gator Nation I had to spend some time with the University of Florida.

    One stop in their building was with a display for the Florida Center for Renewable Chemicals & Fuels. On hand to tell their story was Sheilachu P. Gomez, Assistant Director, pictured here. She says the Center is primarily for the development of the technology to convert biomass to ethanol and organic acids. They have two patents that have been purchased by two companies already (an ethanol patent to Verenium and organic acids patent to Myriant). They have a pilot plant for cellulosic ethanol production to optimize biomass conversion at the campus and have a planned plant to be located in Perry, FL. The last is a partnership with Myriant and Buckeye. In the future Sheila says they’re looking more into the value added products of the production process.

    You can listen to my interview with Sheila below:

    Sunbelt Ag Expo 2009 Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of Sunbelt Ag Expo is sponsored by Growth Energy.

    Audio, Energy, Ethanol, Sunbelt Ag Expo