Check Out Deere’s Connect Mobile App

Kelly Marshall

If you’re familiar with John Deere‘s Seed Star Mobile app, get ready – the next big thing is here! Amy Pousson-Noonan was at the National Farm Machinery Show recently to launch the Connect Mobile app; a family of apps that helps monitor and learn from the performance of their planter or sprayer while its in the field.

She explains that Connect Mobile replaces Seed Star Mobile but when you download the new app it will include old data from the Seed Star program, so you’ll still be able to see information from the past. Connect Mobile is upgrading the old system with row-by-row data, simulations, populations information, easily adjusted legends, and field review for scouting, but it also has room for options being planned for the future. It will also include other operations, like harvesting, to offer even better decision-making information.

“It’s available now in the Apple app store; you can download Connect Mobile and sync that up with any Connect Mobile machine to give you in-the-field, real-time, job quality information to make sure you’re doing the best job that you can with the short time windows that you have,” Pousson-Noonan explained. The new app requires a subscription that can be obtained on John Deere’s website, but it’s being offered for free in 2017.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Amy from NFMS and check out the Connect Mobile app at the Commodity Classic trade show this week: Interview with Amy Pousson-Noonan, John Deere

2017 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC
Agribusiness, Apps, Audio, John Deere, National Farm Machinery Show

POTUS Ditches WOTUS

Cindy Zimmerman

The president of the American Farm Bureau Federation had the privilege of being with the President of the United States Tuesday as he signed an executive order directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to formally reconsider the controversial Waters of the United States, or WOTUS, rule under the Clean Water Act.

“President Trump’s executive order to ditch the Waters of the U.S. rule is a welcome relief to farmers and ranchers across the country,” said AFBF president Zippy Duvall. “Farmers and ranchers have been calling for a common-sense approach to regulatory reform, and today the Trump administration responded to that call.”

“(This) is one of the rules most strongly opposed by farmers, ranchers and agricultural workers all across our land…it’s been a disaster,” said President Trump during the White House signing ceremony. “It’s a horrible, horrible rule. Has sort of a nice name, but everything else is bad.” President Trump signs WOTUS order

Immediately after the signing, new EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt had the privilege of announcing the news to Farm Bureau members at the 2017 FB Advocacy Conference being held just outside of Washington DC.

Pruitt says he has already set the ball in motion with official action after the executive order was signed. “Relief is on the way with respect to withdrawing the Waters of the United States rule,” he said to applause.

“As EPA administrator, we’re going to focus on rule of law,” Pruitt continued. “No agency has power that Congress has not given them – that’s called rule of law.”

Listen to Pruitt’s comments here: EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt at FB Advocacy Conference

Since the executive order was signed, we have received press releases from virtually every agricultural organization to say they are pleased, as well as from environmental groups to say they are not pleased.

AFBF, Audio, EPA, Water

It’s #AgVocate Time for @Bayer4CropsUS

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 537It is #AgVocacy Forum time prior to Commodity Classic here in San Antonio. I got to sit down with my good friend, David Hollinrake, vice president of Agricultural Commercial Operations (ACO) Marketing for Crop Science, a Division of Bayer. We’ve been having fun agvocating since even before I was part of the Google Glass program.

In this week’s episode David talks about how and why Bayer is committed to investing in the concept of agvocating. That effort has trained 1,000 people so far and he says they have a goal of 10,000. I hope you enjoy our conversation just prior to the start of today’s program.

Listen to this week’s program here: ZimmCast with David Hollinrake, Bayer

2017 Bayer AgVocate Forum Photos


Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here. Use this url in iTunes or your favorite news reader program/app.

The ZimmCast

sponsored by
The ZimmCast podcast is sponsored by GROWMARK
Locally owned, globally strong.
Bayer, Video, ZimmCast

AgVocates Gathering for Bayer Forum

Cindy Zimmerman

AgVocates from around the country – including the @Agriblogger – are gathering in San Antonio today for the Bayer AgVocacy Forum starting today.

This is the 12th consecutive year that Bayer has organized the forum before Commodity Classic to showcase individuals and ideas that are making a strong impact on the future of farming and food production. This year’s event will continue open discussion and engagement around critical topics, such as launching the next agricultural food revolution, embracing new and emerging technologies to achieve sustainable agriculture, addressing farm labor concerns from all sides, and more.

Among the many AgVocates on the agenda is author and academic lecturer Dr. Vikram Mansharamani who will keynote on how to navigate global economic uncertainty. Mansharamani is a frequent commentator on issues driving disruption in the global business environment. Additionally, Vivian Howard, chef and owner of Chef & The Farmer in Kinston, N.C., as well as TV star of PBS’s “A Chef’s Life,” will also join the forum to share her personal story of returning to invest in a rural American community.

2017 Bayer AgVocate Forum Photos

Agribusiness, Bayer

Charleston|Orwig Adds Senior Account Executive

Kelly Marshall

Cassie Yontz is joining the client services team at Charleston|Orwig, working to support Dairyland Seed and the Illinois Soybean Association with marketing, brand strategy and communication.

“Cassie’s extensive crop and agriculture background make her a key addition to the C|O family. Her role brings immense value to our clients and C|O, and we are excited to have her join us,” said Brittany Unterweger, vice president of client services.

Yontz joins the C|O team from Archer Malmo, where she served as a public relations specialist for a variety of agricultural clients. Prior to that she spent five years with GROWMARK, Inc. in Bloomington, Illinois as the publications and media relations specialist. Since growing up on her family farm in central Illinois, Cassie has had a passion for all things agriculture. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in agricultural communications and public relations and remains focused on being a voice for the agriculture industry.

Agribusiness

ICYMI: Live With Camso at #NFMS17

Chuck Zimmerman

We were AgWired Live on Facebook from the National Farm Machinery Show recently with Martin Lunkenbein and Eric Blondeau to talk about two new products from Camso. I gave them each the opportunity to tell us what’s new during our live webcast – you can watch the replay below:


Martin talks about Camso’s new CTS High Speed which allows tracked harvesting machines to reach road speeds similar to wheeled combines with its integrated final drive system.

Eric shows off the AG 2500 series track, available for all friction-drive tractors, including the John Deere 8RT and 9RT tractors as well as the AGCO MT700 and MT800 platforms.

2017 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC
Equipment, NFMS, Tractor, Video

Farmers Edge at #Classic17

Jamie Johansen

A little birdie told us Farmers Edge has some big news being revealed next week at Commodity Classic. Mums the word, but we suggest stopping by booth #942 to hear the latest in precision technology on Friday, March 3rd.


Agribusiness, Commodity Classic, Precision Agriculture, Video

FMC Offers PPO Resistance Advice for Farmers

Kelly Marshall

When we say “resistance” most of us think glyphosate, but marestail and palmer amaranth have also developed a resistance to PPO in some states, according to FMC technical service representative Nick Hustedde.

“It’s definitely a significant problem. It’s unfortunate any time we loose a herbicide technology,” Hustedde said during an interview at National Farm Machinery Show. But fortunately we can do things to preserve the effectiveness of PPO herbicides.

“With PPO resistance the mechanism is actually a low-level resistance so we can still over come it. Our soil applied treatments are still providing value, so when we think about a soil treatment, you know we’re trying to control what’s there at the time of application as well as what might come up six weeks from the application. So it’s a high dose in the soil and it can overcome that resistance mechanism.”

Diversification and more effective sites of action are key to control. FMC offers products like Authority MTZ and Authority Elite herbicides that offer two sites of action, as well as others that work for growers facing more large seeded broad leaf pressure, like Anthem Maxx herbicide. Other practices like row spacing, higher seeding rates and cover crops play a part in preserving technologies as well.

To learn more listen to Chuck’s full interview with Hustedde and stop by to talk with him and other FMC experts at both Commodity Class and the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show this week. Interview with Nick Hustedde, FMC

2017 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Audio, FMC, National Farm Machinery Show, NFMS

NAMA Honors Mike Stern as Agribusiness Leader

Kelly Marshall

Mike Stern, Chief Executive Officer of The Climate Corporation, a subsidiary of Monsanto Company, has been selected as the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) 2017 Agribusiness Leader of the Year. The award, considered NAMA’s highest honor, will be presented at the 2017 Agri-Marketing Conference in April.

Mike Stern exemplifies the spirit of the award through his understanding of the challenges farmers face and his passion for solving agriculture’s most pressing issue: the need to feed a growing population while minimizing the impact on the environment. Stern and his team are on the forefront of solving this problem through digital agriculture, which holds the potential to unlock the next giant leap in farming productivity and efficiency. Through the combination of advanced data science, sensors and seamless connectivity of farm data, Climate is helping farmers gain a deeper understanding of their fields with data-driven, real-time insights delivered through digital tools available right at their fingertips.

Stern has served the agriculture industry by providing testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture on the importance of privacy, speaking about the potential of digital ag and helping to launch the America’s Farmers program that supports rural communities and schools.

NAMA

House Ag Committee Chair to Speak at Classic

Kelly Marshall

U.S. Congressman Mike Conaway, chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, will give an address at Commodity Classic on Friday, March 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Conaway represents 29 counties in the 11th congressional district of Texas– his native state. He also serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Premanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

“We are very pleased that Congressman Conaway has agreed to address Commodity Classic attendees,” said Ed Erickson, Jr., a North Dakota soybean farmer and co-chair of the 2017 Commodity Classic. “With the change in administration in Washington, DC, the next Farm Bill due for debate, and discussions on international trade policy, the farmers attending Commodity Classic will be very interested to hear from one of the nation’s ag policy leaders on a wide range of issues.”

Other notable speakers include John O’Leary, a motivation speaker who suffered sever childhood burns and amputations and now encourages other to live boldly, and the leadership of the four presenting commodity associations.

Ag Groups, Commodity Classic