Ag Leader Technology and Norac Get Together Precisely

Chuck Zimmerman

NoracWhen you’ve got a precision agriculture conference going on that has a trade show you know the announcements will be coming out. Here’s the first one I received today.

This morning, Ag Leader Technology, Inc., a leading manufacturer of precision farming equipment, and NORAC, Inc., a pioneer in ultrasonic boom height control for sprayers, announced the introduction of the InSight™ display interface to the UC5™ Spray Height Controller. This new technology will allow operators to control boom height and use the InSight functionality—all in one display.

The new UC5 Spray Height Controller will be interfaced by the InSight display in the tractor or sprayer cab. The InSight display will support set-up, calibration and run time operation of the UC5. Using a CAN-system design there is only a single cable connection needed between Ag Leader and NORAC products.

With the InSight display interface to the UC5 Spray Height Controller users will be able to monitor and control boom height functions as well as view an on-screen coverage map and data log. When using the UC5 interface with the InSight DirectCommand™ system, operators will be able to use features such as AutoSwath™, Smart Report™ and rate control along with spray height control to maximize productivity and reduce operator fatigue. The InSight DirectCommand system also supports variable rate and multiple product application control.

Agribusiness, Precision Agriculture

2007 InfoAg Getting Started

Chuck Zimmerman

InfoAg 2007The 2007 InfoAg is about to get started here in Springfield, IL. Things start out with an opening session and a welcome from Harold Reetz, Director of External Support and the Foundation for Agronomic Research.

We’re also going to see a presentation of the Precision Ag Award of Excellence.

I’m going to be conducting some interviews after the session and during the trade show today. Expect to learn more about precision agriculture right here on the website that brings you what’s new in the world of agribusiness.

Ag Groups, Precision Agriculture

A Golden Voice on the Plains

Chuck Zimmerman

Rocking M Radio, Inc.According to a release sent to me today there’s going to be a new farm radio network on the plains.

Golden Plains Ag Network a division of Rocking M Radio, owner and operator of the largest number of Kansas radio stations, will officially launch Wednesday, Aug. 1. The network will begin operations with 19 affiliated radio stations that are strategically located in the heart of major agriculture producing states Kansas, Texas/Oklahoma Panhandle, Colorado, and Nebraska.

Golden Plains Ag Network will originate from RMR’s flagship station KXXX AM, in Colby, KS. By being in the very center of some of this nation’s largest farms, feed yards, and ranches, the Golden Plains Ag Network will be a more “hands on” and “reality based” voice for agribusiness. Chad Wolf and John Jenkinson are the primary on air personalities for the network. Wolf and Jenkinson bring to GPAN a vast background and experience not only in production agribusiness, but as members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, and will provide unbiased and professional reporting of markets and news from the very core of this major agribusiness region.

Kay Leiker, Scott City, KS is directory of marketing for the new network. Leiker brings her knowledge and experience as a top marketing expert to provide clientele of the network, optimum customer service that exceeds their expectations in effective “hands on” advertising.

Media

No “Stick” in Drumsticks

Laura McNamara

WheatwareDrummers won’t be pounding out beats with wood if they start using Wheatware products. Nor will they be using plastic. Instead, they’ll be using, you guessed it, wheat. The new biodegradable product line also offers guitar picks, hangars and more.

To help protect the Earth’s virgin forests and reduce global warming, Wheatware.com, exclusive U.S. distributor of Wheatware™ products, has donated biodegradable-compostable drumsticks, guitar picks, clothes hangers and more — all made using wheat. The company has donated 272 pairs of Wheatware™ Compostable drumsticks, 3,240 Wheatware™ Compostable guitar picks, and 4,100 Wheatware™ Compostable clothes hangers to Live Earth musicians across the world, including London, England; Johannesburg, South Africa; Sydney, Australia; Tokyo, Japan — and best of all, New York City, America.

The launch of Wheatware™ products is part of Wheatware’s Great Switch-Out™ from Wood to Wheat, a campaign to entice people to switch from unsustainable tree products like wood to sustainable, crop-based ones like wheat, thus saving the forests critically needed to halt global warming. The passion of the founders of Wheatware™ is to replace the 45 billion pairs of disposable wood chopsticks produced every year which consume over 25 million virgin forest trees annually. For this reason, Wheatware decided to also include over 664 packages of their chopsticks made from the Wheatware™ BioMass-75 in all the gift bags sent to the Live Earth concerts.Read More

Technology, Wheat

Syngenta Acquires Zeraim Gedera

Laura McNamara

SyngentaSyngenta expands into Israel as it acquires Zeraim Gedera, an Israeli seeds company. Syngenta believes Zeraim offers an ideal addition to its vegetable seeds business.

Syngenta announced that it has agreed to acquire Zeraim Gedera Ltd., a high quality Israeli vegetable seeds company focusing on high-value crops, including tomato, pepper and melon. Syngenta will buy all outstanding shares in the company from Markstone Capital Partners, an Israeli private equity group, for a consideration of $95 million, subject to closing adjustments. Sales in 2006 were $33 million.

Israel is well known for high-quality germplasm and seed technologies. Zeraim Gedera has outstanding breeding capabilities as well as longstanding relationships with Israeli research institutes and universities. This acquisition will reinforce the growth and quality of Syngenta’s vegetable seeds business.

Mike Mack, Chief Operating Officer Syngenta Seeds said: “This acquisition further expands Syngenta’s position in high-value growth segments. Zeraim Gedera’s portfolio and its strong presence in Mediterranean markets ideally complement our vegetable seeds business.”

Zeraim Gedera was originally founded in 1952. It focuses on six high-end vegetable products for growers and consumers: tomatoes, sweet peppers, watermelons, melons, squash and cucumbers. The business will continue to trade under the Zeraim brand.

Syngenta Vegetable Seeds breeds, produces and markets superior quality proprietary vegetable seeds. The business operates globally under regional brands including S&G(R), Rogers(R), Dulcinea(R) and Daehnfeldt(R). Its portfolio includes tomato, pepper, sweet corn, watermelon, melon, brassica, lettuce, cucumber, leek, beans and peas.

Agribusiness, Seed, Syngenta, Technology

“Orchard Perfect” Fruit Finding Way to Grocer’s Freezer

Laura McNamara

Stop & shopWe’ve all seen that Florida’s Natural commercial where the juice company promises “to bring the grove to you.” Now, a new company is promising to bring “Orchard Perfect” fruit to your grocer’s freezer.

Warm weather creates the optimum time to grow tasty fruit and vegetables but Stop & Shop is combining a special handling process with fresh fruit growers to introduce Orchard Perfect fruit in all of the company’s 389 stores.

Orchard Perfect is a specialty line of summer fruit that has been carefully ripened under the warm Californian summer sun and hand picked at the peak of perfection. Once the fruit is picked it’s gently layered by hand into single layer cartons to prevent bruising. This process assures that the fruit is immediately ready for consumption once it arrives in the stores. Orchard Perfect fruit is exclusive to Stop & Shop and includes peaches, nectarines, plums, white flesh peaches and white flesh nectarines.

The Orchard Perfect program uses the latest farming practices including packing and shipping systems to provide consumers with the sweetest, juiciest, tastiest fruit available today. Orchard Perfect peaches and nectarines are pre-conditioned with a special “temperature management” process that enhances ripening prior to shipping making these summer fruits taste as if they were just picked.

“This unique ripening process allows us to offer consumers fruit that is juicier, consistent and much more flavorful,” said Andrea Astrachan, Vice President of Consumer Affairs for Stop & Shop. “Pre-ripening also protects the fruit from internal breakdown, such as discoloration, browning and mealiness. This all-natural process gives our consumers the ultimate eating experience.”

About Stop and Shop

The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, based in Quincy, Massachusetts, employs more than 59,000 associates and operates 389 stores throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, New York and New Jersey.

Agribusiness, Food

Zimfo Bites

Laura McNamara

  • Diamond V Mills has announced their continued support of innovative research through the Diamond V Research Program, a grant program available to researchers focused on improving the use of yeast cultures for animal production. This is the second year Diamond V Mills is offering the program. The recipients will receive a maximum of $30,000 each year for a two-year period for their research.
  • Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced that thousands of disabled farmers in 21 states will have access to education and assistance to continue farming through the funding of more than $3.7 million for “AgrAbility” projects. “Disabilities should not prevent someone from having a career in agriculture,” said Johanns.
  • The National Pork Board will begin the 2008 planning process at its summer meeting in St. Louis July 17-20. The board also will seat its newly appointed board members and elect new board officers. Under the National Pork Board’s planning and budgeting process, the board each year begins the process by identifying the critical issues it believes it can address on behalf of the U.S. pork producers who invest in the Pork Checkoff. The meeting is open to the public. Those planning to attend are asked to contact Lorraine Garner at lgarner@pork.org
  • CHS (NASDAQ:CHSCP) , a leading grains, food and energy company, has opened a grain marketing office in Geneva, Switzerland. “This European location compliments our existing grain business and enables us to enhance both service and execution to our global customers,” said Mark Palmquist, chief operating officer and executive vice president for Ag Business at CHS. CHS is the third largest U.S. grain company and handles nearly 1.2 billion bushels annually.
Zimfo Bytes

67 Days On The Road

Chuck Zimmerman

It looks like I’ve spent 67 days on the road so far this year doing event blogging. This doesn’t count Cindy’s days. Over two months out of just over 6 months. I’m not counting some out of town meetings and presentations either.

How does that compare to your travel schedule? I’m curious. Anyone got more days? Feel free to comment.

I know of 45 more days that are already scheduled between now and the end of the year too. Want to get me on your schedule?

Just in case you were wondering.

Uncategorized

Lifetime Achievement Awards Revived by AAEA

Chuck Zimmerman

AAEAThe American Association of Agricultural Editors has revived it’s Lifetime Achievement Awards which are sponsored by the Sonja Hillgren Foundation. All five of these recipients are AAEA past presidents.

Sonja Hillgren Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award ­ 2007 Recipients
Wilson Carnes, National FFA Magazine
Bob Rupp, The Farmer

AAEA Heritage Award ­ 2007 Recipients
Charlie Scruggs, Progressive Farmer
Cordell Tindall, Missouri Ruralist
Jim Thomson, Prairie Farmer

“The Service Awards Committee performed so well and so harmoniously in working to create these new awards, as mandated to us by the AAEA Board of Directors,” said committee chair Larry Dreiling, High Plains Journal and past AAEA president. The very first AAEA Lifetime Achievement Award was presented in 1990 to Wheeler McMillen, Farm Journal editor and AAEA president from 1934 to 1938. The award has not been given since that time. AAEA’s membership committee last year suggested creating more permanent criteria for the awards.

ACN

InfoAgging it This Week

Chuck Zimmerman

InfoAgI’ll be on the road again this week blogging about precision agriculture at the InfoAg Conference 2007 in Springfield, IL.

Some of my posts will be used on Precision Pays, the John Deere website about all things precision. They are a conference sponsor too. I’ll get in tomorrow morning and plan to stay around for “Farmer Day.” What is Farmer Day?

Thursday, July 12 is designated “Farmer Day” at InfoAg. We have set a special Thursday only registration fee of $75 to attract producers from around the Midwest and around the country. The program includes producers talking about their experience with precision tools, consultants sharing their findings from on-farm trials and determined data analysis, and researchers providing practical tips for top production systems. The closing session will feature two distinguished panelists to discuss the impact on cropping systems management with the shift to broader adoption of fuel production crops.

You can find a conference schedule here.

Ag Groups, Precision Agriculture