High Fives for John Deere

Cindy Zimmerman

The John Deere 5 Series utility tractors take up a significant portion of the booth space at the National Farm Machinery show and served yet another purpose – as seating for many at the show taking a break from walking around the 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space!

John Deere has introduced a large volume of new tractors this year, ranging from 45 to 105 hp, to fit just about any need. I talked with Keith Hendrix with Deere who told me all about the new tractors that are part of the Drive Green caravan that Chuck has been busy following around the country.

“That ranges from our new 5D series, moving up to the 5E series, and the premium line of the new 5M,” Keith explains. “We have a tractor for every application for any specific need if you’re looking for 105 down to a 45 engine horsepower tractor.”

Listen to an interview with Keith here nfms09-jd-keith.mp3

You can also download the interview here: John Deere 5 Series (mp3).

Check out Precision Pays.com for more coverage of the show this week.

NFMS 09 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show
is being sponsored today by: John Deere

Audio, Farm Machinery, John Deere, Media, National Farm Machinery Show, NFMS

Economy Strong at Farm Machinery Show

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Farm Machinery Show is still going strong despite the troubles in other sectors of the economy.

Vice president of public relations and media for the Kentucky State Fair Board Vicki Glass says the 44th annual show was sold out two months ago. “With the economy as it is, you might not expect that, but that’s the case and we are very pleased to have that much interest continue year after year,” Vicki says.

The show has an economic impact for the city of Louisville of more than $15 million and also includes the Championship Tractor Pull, sponsored by Syngenta.

Listen to an interview with Vicki here nfms09-vicki.mp3

You can also download the interview here: NFMS Vicki Glass (mp3).

Watch a brief video that I shot with Vicki while walking around the show and recording audio at the same time – which was a little challenging, to say the least!

Check out Precision Pays.com for more coverage of the show this week.

NFMS 09 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show
is being sponsored today by: John Deere

Agribusiness, Audio, Equipment, Farm Machinery, John Deere, National Farm Machinery Show, NFMS

WSSA/SWSS Meeting

Chuck Zimmerman

Posters at WSSA Annual MeetingWhile Cindy is looking at machinery, I’ll be talking weeds here in Orlando at the 49th meeting of the Weed Science Society of America and 69th meeting of the Southern Weed Science Society.

I just got registered and see that everyone is in one of the afternoon sessions. There are a lot of posters displayed here and I can see from the program that they’re experimenting with the format for providing opportunities to interact with the authors so there’s more time available to do so.

My session on communications will take place tomorrow morning and then I’ll also be part of tomorrow afternoon’s general session. I’ll be live blogging my own presentation since I think it’s one of the best ways to demonstrate these new media tools.

Ag Groups

John Deere Unveils Industry’s Largest Planter

Cindy Zimmerman

John Deere is generating buzz at the 2009 National Farm Machinery Show with the new DB120 – the largest planter in the industry.

Rob Rippchen, division marketing manager at John Deere seed in Moline, IL says this 120 foot planter is the next generation planter building off the DB90 introduced five years ago. “This planter will plant somewhere between 90 and 100 acres an hour,” Rob says. “Most growers will remember last spring when it was so wet and one of the easiest ways to improve productivity is to increase your working width.”

The huge machine was gathering a crowd early at the show on Wednesday. “There’s kind of a ‘wow’ factor,” said Rob. “It’s so wide it can’t even unfold all the way in our booth.” But he says the outer four row units fold over on each end so it is still the same transport width as the DB90 and just about six foot longer in transport length.

Rob says John Deere will have a limited number of the new planters running in the fields this spring and will start taking orders for the big boy this summer.

Listen to an interview with Rob here nfms09-jd-rob.mp3

You can also download the interview here: New John Deere Planter (mp3).

Watch Rob explain some of the DB120 features here:

Check out Precision Pays.com for more coverage of the show this week.

NFMS 09 Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show
is being sponsored by: John Deere

Audio, Farm Machinery, John Deere, National Farm Machinery Show, NFMS, Video

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

    National Farm Machinery Show Opens

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The weather is threatening here in Louisville, but that is not deterring people from arriving to the 2009 National Farm Machinery Show, which just opened its doors.

    If the economy is bad, you wouldn’t know it here. More than 800 exhibitors are expected in the 27 acres of exhibit space here. I am a “newbie” to the show, so I am looking forward to getting out there and seeing all the new stuff on the floor.

    Stay tuned here and at Precision Pays.com for complete coverage of the show this week – while Chuck is in Orlando for the Weed Science Society convention.

    Photo album is started here – check back regularly for new sights from the show!
    NFMS 09 Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show
    is being sponsored by: John Deere

    Farm Machinery, John Deere, National Farm Machinery Show, NFMS

    Green Day at Farm Machinery Show

    Chuck Zimmerman

    While Cindy is getting ready to head on over to the National Farm Machinery Show this morning I thought I’d share my latest video for the Drive Green Utility Tractor Show. I’m starting to get used to the whole new YouTube HD thing and I love it. I thought this would be especially appropriate since John Deere is sponsoring Cindy’s coverage today at the show in Louisville.

    John Deere, National Farm Machinery Show, Video

    Connecting with Consumers

    Amanda Nolz

    Without a doubt, those of us in agriculture have science backing us up to defend our food production practices. We can spout off the latest studies, nutrition facts or university research to give credit to our feed rations, grazing methods, and the reasons to include meat and dairy in a healthy diet. However, these studies never seem to resonate with our consumers. I wonder why? Animal rights activists are effective because they use emotion to capture the hearts of their consumers. So, why don’t we do the same?

    I found an article on The Beef Site that talks about this subject. The article is titled, “Connecting with Consumers on an Emotional Level,” and it encourages livestock producers to start sharing their stories. Now, I read a lot of blogs, and I think blogging is one of the most simplistic ways to share our food production stories with others.

    thomasNeed an example of somebody that is doing a fantastic job? Check out the Elkton Farmer Blog, written by Thomas Peters. Although it is simple and the entries are never longer than a few sentences, Thomas does an incredible job of telling a story with photos. He highlights his neighbors, friends and area activities to tell the story of the American farmer.

    What do you think of this marketing idea? Is your company utilizing blogs to get a message across to your intended audience? Where do you see the era of blogs moving in the future?

    Uncategorized

    For Ag Journalists

    Amanda Nolz

    For Ag Journalists is a website published by Fred Meyers, a freelance writer who shares his expertise in the field with those wanting to enter into the wild field of ag journalism, too. As a student learning the ins and outs of this profession, I like to reference Fred’s columns from time to time. Fred shares articles, tips, a forum, quotes and more on his interactive website that is dedicated to helping others share the food production story. Fred’s insights into the future of agriculture are quite interesting, and his quotes on life will inspire you in your own. Here is an excerpt from his website…

    fredmyersmugsmiley“I have always been driven by the search for excellence in this profession. I seek the facts, encourage my imagination and often go where no one has gone before. A test a few years ago confirmed what I’ve long suspected. That is, I am a visionary. If you don’t already know this, visionaries are often obstructed in what they attempt to do and criticized for the way they view the future. In the end, however, I have no regrets. I have always firmly believed life should be an exciting trip, a time of doing only what is enjoyable and of supporting and promoting a chosen profession.” -Fred Meyers

    Take a look at Fred’s website. Whether you are a writer or not, he has quite a few tips on how to conquer the challenges we face in agriculture. Why don’t you head over there now? It may just perk up your Tuesday afternoon…

    ACN