Tax Bill to Help Ag, Other Small Businesses

John Davis

capitol-nightThe Senate Finance Committee has moved forward legislation seen as important to agriculture and other small businesses. Farm Bureau is praising committee passage of the measure to extend important tax provisions through 2016.

The legislation includes two provisions that let small businesses deduct major capital expenditures over just a few years, rather than the full life of the equipment they buy. Known as Section 179 small-business expensing and bonus depreciation, these measures have already boosted the economy and increased cash flow for farmers and ranchers. Extending the provisions now is critical and an important step toward making them a permanent part of tax law. In a business marked by uncertainty, farmers and ranchers need a tax code that allows them to plan ahead and invest in the future of their businesses. The bill also includes language to promote the production and use of renewable energy, as well as incentives for charitable donations and higher education.

“Section 179 and bonus depreciation lend stability and help minimize risk in an unpredictable industry,” AFBF President Bob Stallman said. “Farmers and ranchers rely on tax provisions that allow them to manage their cash flow and put their money back to work for their businesses and local economies.”

Due to large investments in machinery and equipment, farmers and ranchers are especially dependent on tax provisions that allow them to write off these business expenses in the year purchases are made. Farm Bureau also called on Congress to make these provisions permanent.

AFBF, Ag Groups, Agribusiness

AgNerd Cloud – Apple Watch Review

Chuck Zimmerman

Chuck's Apple WatchI’ve finally had a chance to put some thoughts in writing about my ZimmWatch (Apple Watch). AgNerds have been bugging me to get it done. I’ve been wearing it for over a month now. I’ve traveled with it and worn it throughout the day to see how much I would use it, how I would use it and if I would like it and recommend it. As an AgNerd I bought my Watch feeling excited to get the latest wearable tech from one of my favorite companies. One word describes my feeling now – Disappointed. I expected something more than what I’ve got.

Things I Don’t Like

I have a watch that does a lot of things that a regular watch can’t do but those are all things I can do with my phone while having a better experience doing so. For example, I check the weather a lot. I have the Weather Channel app on my iPhone and my Watch. When I want to check the weather I use my iPhone with one hand. To use my Watch to check weather I either have to use two hands or hope Siri understands me. Neither of those options are good. Siri is okay at times but not when I’m sitting in a presentation or having a discussion. Additionally, the Watch version of the app doesn’t have all the features of the full app for my iPhone. This is true of a lot of apps for the Watch. Apps like USA Today take a long time to load and sync too.

Apple Watch AppsWhen I glance at my Watch to see the time I have to move my hand/wrist to a certain position for the screen to turn on. So, if I’m carrying something and can’t roll my wrist correctly I can’t see the time even though I can see the face of the Watch. This is very annoying.

Answering or making a phone call on my Watch was interesting the first time. But it’s just not practical. It is very awkward holding your wrist to your face. People look at you funny too.

I thought the ability to have my airline boarding pass on my Watch would be a really useful feature. Not right now. For one thing, I have to put my Delta boarding passes into the Passbook app and then have it transferred to the Passbook app on my Watch. It should be easier than that. Last time I flew United I couldn’t get electronic boarding passes at all. Then the next issue is at the airport. The Watch boarding pass only works well on a scanner that faces up. If it’s a down facing scanner with limited space underneath I can’t fit my hand/wrist and Watch underneath it so it can read the pass.

The Watch depends heavily on a connection to my iPhone. If I walk too far away from my phone I basically just have a watch. And finally, it is a watch I have to charge every day or every other day depending on how much I use it. I like my Citizen Eco-Drive Perpetual Calendar Chronograph which never needs to be charged and I can always see the time.

Things I Do Like

I’m not disappointed about everything though. So far, the best feature of the Watch is notifications. I can see my texts, FB messages, Snapchat alerts, Delta flight updates and who is calling. Then I can decide if it is worth pulling my phone out of my pocket while I’m in the middle of some activity and don’t want to get the phone out. This is very useful IMO. However, I don’t think it is enough to make me want to recommend the Watch to anyone just yet.

I guess I have to address some of the health/fitness features. I set my Watch to remind me to stand up every hour for example. It is annoying but serves the purpose of making me think about how long I’ve been sitting. I really didn’t use much else in this category because I either bike or do elliptical machines and like my Fitbit, Watch doesn’t recognize that type of activity. I believe this is an area that will see quite a bit of expansion in the future.

Pros:

Notifications on your wrist (a good feature for an ag app?)
Battery lasts longer than expected
Growing list of apps in the store
Very comfortable to wear (I am using sport band)
Looks good

Cons:

Having to use two hands even if it’s just to use scroll wheel to zoom in/out
Some apps aren’t ready for prime time
Not waterproof
More dangerous to use while driving than phone

Recommendation:

I’d wait on this product. Wait until new versions come out and a lot more apps have been built or developed to provide meaningful functionality.

Apps, Gadgets

Majority Polled Say Crops ‘Real Good’

Jamie Johansen

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How are the crops in your area looking?”

After reviewing these poll results I feel a glimpse of optimism for the crop outlook. However, it is still raining here in the Midwest and like one poller commented, soybeans are taking a hit. Chuck and Cindy have been talking with growers throughout the corn and soybean belt and it sounds like the weather is becoming more cooperative. However, they have talked to some this week that are just finishing a first planting of their soybeans!

Here are the poll results:

  • Bad – too much moisture – 16%
  • Bad – too dry – 15%
  • Some crops not planted – 8%
  • Ok – could be better – 13%
  • Real good – 38%
  • Not sure – 7%
  • Other – 3%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, Do you consider yourself social media savvy?

The era of social media marketing is upon us. Many across the agriculture community have reaped the benefits and others are making due without. I don’t believe anyone can call themselves a social media expert, because it is always changing. But are you savvy and staying up on the trends, do you need some more training or are you seeing no need to utilize it?

ZimmPoll

New Workmaster Tractors From New Holland

Chuck Zimmerman

New Holland WorkmasterPro Work Tools is a good name for the New Holland team that deals with utility and compact tractors. During New Holland media days Todd DeBock walked us through what makes them so much in demand. In fact, orders for Workmaster compact tractors through dealers have come in so strong they’ve sold out into 2016! Todd says the first thing you’ll notice is that these tractors have been designed with the new styling of all New Holland tractors. There are a lot of features on these new models that Todd says you won’t find on most utility tractors.

New Holland salutes a generation of doers by introducing a new line of tractors with a familiar name – WORKMASTER™. Popular in the 1960s, the original WORKMASTER models were known for their dependability and value. Today, it’s no different. Whether you’re mowing, moving, baling or loading, new WORKMASTER tractors work hard, are easy to afford, and at the end of the day, deliver the satisfaction of a job well done.

The WORKMASTER™ 50, 60 and 70 (53 – 70 gross horsepower) utility tractors boast a new look, new Tier 4B FPT common rail engines and new 600TL Series front-end loaders.

Watch Todd give us an in-the-field tour of new Workmasters.


New Holland Media Days 2015 Photo Album

Agribusiness, New Holland, Tractor, Video

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

  • Tucker Carlson, Political News Commentator and Co-host of Fox and Friends Weekend, will present An Insider’s Look at Washington, Politics and Everything In Between on Wednesay, September 30 at the General Session Luncheon of the 2015 United Fresh Washington Conference.
  • Swanson Russell announces the addition of five employees to its Lincoln office: Claire Abelbeck, Brooke Behrendt, Paul Rankin, Neale Stadler and Peter Worth.
  • Subsequent to adoption of the new 2016-2020 Beef Industry Long Range Plan during the 2015 Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver last week, the national Beef Checkoff Program transitioned its committee structure to reflect the consumer demand drivers critical to the success of that long range plan.
  • Sixty-two student delegates arrived in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 19 for the inaugural Agriculture Future of America Crop Science Institute.
Zimfo Bytes

Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Rep. Rob Bishop

John Davis

Agri-Pulse Open Mic this week features Rep. Rob Bishop.

open-micBishop chairs the House Committee on Natural Resources. Bishop is pleased with recent votes on forestry and water but admits a number of uphill battles remain for his committee and Congress. The Utah Republican minces no words in describing the Obama Administration as the “bully regulation machine” and in this interview discusses his concerns about federal regulations on private and public lands, water supply, and endangered species.

Click here to listen to Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Rep. Rob Bishop.

Agri-Pulse, Audio

NAMA Boot Camp Deadline to Register

Chuck Zimmerman

NAMA Boot CampJust two weeks. That’s all you’ve got left to register for the NAMA Boot Camp and hotel room. After that the price goes up.

The cutoff date for the Sheraton is August 3. Make sure you book your room by then in order to get the cheaper NAMA room rate. Click here to reserve your room today.

August 3 is also the early bird registration deadline! If you register for Boot Camp by then, you can save $50 on your registration. Follow this link to register now.

For more information about this year’s NAMA Boot Camp, visit the Boot Camp website.

NAMA

Mystik & Heil Harvesting to Dominate Extreme Jobs

Kelly Marshall

mystikMystik® Lubricants, specializing in performance lubricants for automotive, on-road fleets, off-road and agriculture, is teaming up with Mark Heil Harvesting, a custom harvester in Ulysses, Kansas to tackle the day-to-day challenges of a large scale harvesting operation.  The two companies will show life on the road for the harvesting team, showcasing tough terrain and weather as they move through Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado.

“Crisscrossing the Great Plains and battling everything Mother Nature throws at you makes teaming up with Mark Heil Harvesting the perfect fit for Mystik,” said Karl Schmidt, general manager of Mystik Lubricants. The team is well set to meet the challenge, with Heil Harvesting’s 40 years and thousands of acres’ worth of experience and Mystik Lubricant’s reputation of 60 years of testing prudcts in era-world conditions.

“When your office is the great outdoors, you have to be prepared for anything,” said Mark Heil, owner of Mark Heil Harvesting. “And that includes punishing weather like rain, hail and drought conditions. We’re excited to partner with Mystik to help us continue to push the extremes and are confident we can meet any challenge we face with Mystik protecting our equipment.”

Mystik fans are invited to stay tuned for exclusive insider views from the team, including harvesting in a variety of conditions, job recaps and maintenance updates. These informative webisodes are available on the Mystik Lubricants Facebook page, website and YouTube channel.

Agribusiness, Equipment, Harvest

Documenting New Holland’s Local History

Chuck Zimmerman

Don HorningDon Horning is a trustee of the New Holland Historical Society and although he’s retired from the auto industry he’s quite familiar with the impact that the New Holland Machine Company (as it was originally known) has had on the local community. He gave a presentation to agricultural media representatives attending last week’s New Holland Media Days.

Don says that the New Holland Machinery Company exhibit inside the New Holland Area Museum is permanent because, “This town would not be the same without New Holland Baler.” He says it’s such an important piece of their history that as long as the present trustees are in office this won’t change. On display is the history from the beginning when the company was a small tool shop doing foundry work to a much larger and prominent company. Once the New Holland baler was introduced it exploded from there.

The museum accepts contributions from people who may have some very historical items or equipment that would add to the exhibit.

You can listen to my interview with Don here: Don Horning, New Holland Historical Society

New Holland Media Days 2015 Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, New Holland

CTIC Cover Crop Survey Results

Chuck Zimmerman

CTIC SurveyCover crops are continuing to prove very beneficial to yields according to the results of a survey conducted by the Conservation Information Technology Center.

A survey of more than 1,200 farmers across the country revealed that cover crops boosted corn yields last year by a mean of 3.66 bushels per acre (2.1%) and increased soybeans by an average of 2.19 bushels per acre (4.2%)—the third year in a row a yield increase following cover crops was recorded by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) Cover Crop Survey.

The survey, conducted by CTIC with funding from USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), also registered a fifth year of steady increase in the average number of acres planted to cover crops. Average acres of cover crops per farm reported in the surveys have more than doubled over the past five years.

“It’s great to see the immediate benefits of yield increases from cover crops, and very exciting to see that the use of cover crops continues to expand,” says Chad Watts, CTIC program director. “What’s particularly interesting is that while seeing an immediate benefit like a yield bump from cover crops is great, the large majority of farmers who plant cover crops told us they actually rate improvements in soil health, increases in soil organic matter, reduced soil erosion and improved weed control far higher than yield increases when they list the benefits they enjoy from the practice. That shows a strong appreciation for the wide range of long-term benefits cover crops deliver.”

You can find a report on the survey here (pdf). Keep the upcoming CTIC Conservation in Action Tour in mind. Would be good to fit into your schedule.

Ag Groups, Conservation, CTIC