AgNerd Cloud – John Deere App Center

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast 463AgNerd Cloud alert! I was just feeling appy this morning so I thought this week’s program could focus on Apps. As in the new John Deere App Center.

John Deere App CenterTo learn all about it I talked with Nathan Greuel, John Deere Mobile Technician.

The John Deere App Center provides users the ability to search and find apps most useful to their business or operations. They will also be able to share the apps on social media and provide feedback to improve the applications and develop additional apps for the future. The App Center is actually an app itself which allows you to search within it for the right kind of John Deere app you’re looking for. A version for Android is in the works too.

As we learned in last week’s ZimmCast the faster mobile technology on the horizon will only increase the number of apps for farmers allowing them to transfer and utilize more and more data in a mobile fashion. I think that this is just the start of increased app efforts like this. Learn more in this week’s program.

You can listen to this week’s program here: AgNerd Cloud - John Deere App Center

Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here.

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Agribusiness, Apps, Audio, John Deere

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

Zimfo Bytes

  • Look for a celebration of local Vermont food via the 4th Annual Capital Cook-Off, an Iron Chef-style cooking competition highlighting an exciting secret ingredient; and a Buy Local Market featuring locally made Vermont products.
  • Peterson Farms of Loretto, Ky., has been named the winner of the 2015 Top Producer of the Year award.
  • NCGA announced the 16 winners of the 2014 Fields of Corn Photo Contest.
  • “Tools to Fund Agricultural Research” is the topic to be examined at the Farm Foundation Forum on Wednesday, Jan. 28. To participate by audiocast CLICK HERE.
Zimfo Bytes

Bayer Seeking Bee Leader Nominations

Cindy Zimmerman

bayer CropScienceBayer CropScience is seeking nominations for its third annual Bee Care Community Leadership Award. The award recognizes beekeepers and others who use their commitment and interest in honey bees for the benefit of their communities.

“Honey bees play an important role in supporting our food supply, pollinating as much as a quarter of all plants consumed in the U.S. and $15 billion of American crops,” said Dr. David Fischer, manager of the Bayer North America Bee Care Center. “Beekeepers not only care for these important insects, but also provide a positive influence in their communities by encouraging others to explore innovative ways to incorporate honey bee colonies in their work.”

The award, an initiative of Bayer’s North American Bee Care Program, provides a $5,000 grant to the winner to be used in support of a community beekeeping project and the winner will also receive an all-expense paid trip to a reception in Washington, D.C. during National Pollinator Week.

Any beekeeper or individual with a focus on honey bees may apply. Activities the beekeeper or individual may be engaged in include, but are not limited to, the use of beekeeping in therapy, such as with at-risk youth or veterans, bee care education for children or adults and community events that allow non-beekeepers to understand the inner working of a bee hive and more. Individuals interested in applying for the award can obtain an application at www.pollinatorweek.bayer.com. The deadline for submission is April 3, 2015.

Bayer, Bees

Farmers’ Data Could be Big Cash Crop

John Davis

afbf15-farmobileIt’s said that knowledge is power, and now information could be a powerful cash crop for farmers. Attendees of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 96th Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show heard from Jason Tatge, current president, CEO and co-founder of FarMobile, who sees huge potential for farmers to dictate the sale of their data to large agricultural companies.

According to Tatge, farmers currently lack the necessary protection of their data. “Without a safeguard, data could manipulate margins,” he explained. “Our goal is to get the revenue stream back to the growers.”

He expects his company, FarMobile, to be the first of many to step in and mediate this process. FarMobile provides farmers with a device that can be plugged into a tractor to gather data on land and machinery including fuel economy, speed, direction and products being applied. The information is then directed to an electronic file that can be accessed at the farmer’s discretion.

Once this data is in the system, FarMobile facilitates opportunities between farmers and agricultural companies by allowing large companies to make offers to purchase the farmer’s data, should they desire to make a profit rather than utilize it for personal use. According to Tatge, this is the main way farmers can start to turn a profit on their data.

Tatge says the current state of “farmer data rights are the Wild West,” and he wants to put control back into the hands of farmers.

2015 AFBF Convention photo album

AFBF, Ag Groups, Agribusiness, data

Farm & Ranch Life’s Top Ten Tractors

Leah Guffey

Farm and Ranch Living recently asked their readers to submit and vote for their favorite tractor of all time. This really hit home for me since my dad still has the first tractor he over bought – a Massey-Harris 101 Junior. He also has the first car he ever bought, but that’s a different story.

farmandranchlivingOld tractors are still used on a lot of farms and ranches today because, as they say, they just don’t make them like they used to. I teased my dad when he took me to my first antique show by asking him why it was an antique when it was what we used!

For my Hick Chick Chat podcast last week on Precision.AgWired.com, I spoke with Farm and Ranch Living editor Robin Hoffman about how they came up with their top ten list. Robin said it was really a lot of fun to calculate the votes and read through the stories readers sent in. He told me that most of the stories they received weren’t that much different from what my dad and I had discussed. People are very passionate about their thoughts and how they feel about their old iron!

You can find the complete list and check out the stories that were printed by going online or checking our their publication, but Robin and I go through all ten and the honorable mentions here in this interview: Interview with Robin Hoffman, Farm and Ranch Life

Audio, Case IH, Farm Machinery, John Deere, Tractor

AgNerd Giveaways

Chuck Zimmerman

Touchfire Keyboard for iPadThe AgriBlogger wants to get more serious about his AgNerd giveaways.

I’ve done several just via social media mentions and the response has been great. Here’s the latest results. I offered a new Touchfire Screen-Top Keyboard for iPad (1,2,3). It’s just a random drawing of those who responded via Twitter or Facebook. The lucky person to win this gadget helper is Harlen Persinger. His FB comment was “I’ll take a shot, never hurts to get lucky now and then.” Well Harlen, I guess you got lucky. So it’s on it’s way your way.

I have several more very cool AgNerd Giveaways ready to go and will begin featuring them here in addition to social media channels. It just ties into my new AgNerd Cloud column too well not to share the gadget love.

I’m also still seeking a sponsor for the AgNerd Cloud/Giveaways. This would be very helpful to me in getting out into more direct ag gadgetry and Appery. Is Appery a word? Tune in next Monday when I announce the next AgNerd Giveaway.

Gadgets

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

  • John Bozeman has been named SEEDWAY’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective Sept. 1, 2015.
  • DTN/The Progressive Farmer recently captured three first place and three honorable mention awards in the 2014 Folio Awards.
  • Monsanto plans to open its first plant in Russia in coming years, stepping up its activities in the world’s fourth largest grain producer as it seeks to counter the effects of a plunging rouble.
  • The American Angus Association has launched a new program called Future Angus Stockmen – an effort to impact the next generation through learning opportunities, while building a bond with the Angus breed and its member-driven organization.
Zimfo Bytes

John Deere’s $35,000 Green Fever Giveaway

Jamie Johansen

johndeereAs John Deere kicks off its annual Green Fever sales event to start its 2015 product marketing year, the company is launching a new $35,000 Green Fever Giveaway program, which includes a $25,000 landscape makeover. Also during Green Fever sales event, customers can get major discounts and financing incentives on select models of equipment purchased from November 1, 2014, to February 2, 2015.

As part of the Green Fever Giveaway, John Deere is offering a grand prize package of a $25,000 landscape makeover and choice of either a John Deere Gator, ZTrak Mower, 1 Family Tractor or Signature Series Lawn Tractor (total approximate retail value up to $36,748, depending on selected equipment).

The Green Fever Giveaway Sweepstakes runs from Nov. 3, 2014, to Feb. 27, 2015 and is open to U.S. residents only. People can enter by completing the online entry form. Participants will receive coupons for free John Deere merchandise, redeemable at their local dealership, when they enter the giveaway.

In addition to the Green Fever Giveaway grand prize package, John Deere is giving away one $500 gift card each month from November to February, with the winners selected from those who enter the contest. Monthly winners can redeem their gift cards at participating John Deere dealers and are eligible for the grand prize as well.

From now through February 2, 2015, John Deere is offering special retail discounts and financing incentives on a wide variety of John Deere equipment, including compact utility tractors, utility tractors, Gators, riding lawn equipment, hay tools and more. Go to www.JohnDeere.com/GreenFever for a complete list of equipment, discounts and financing options.

Steve Geick, tactical marketing manager for John Deere, says the Green Fever Giveaway program is designed to get customers excited about all the new John Deere equipment available through their local dealers. “This year’s program offers customers some of the biggest savings we’ve ever had on a wide variety of new compact utility and utility tractors and other equipment for their farm, ranch and residential properties or commercial lawn/landscape businesses,” Geick explains.

Agribusiness, Equipment, John Deere

Regional NAMA Banquet Time

Chuck Zimmerman

NAMA Region IIIMaybe you haven’t been able to attend a National Agri-Marketing Association regional banquet but you can still see photos and lists of the winners. In this photo our new President, Marvin Kokes, celebrates with Region III winners at the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates in Des Moines, IA.

You can find photos from Region II and Region III on the NAMA Facebook page. Here’s where you can find lists of the regional winners.

Ag Groups, NAMA

Farmers Need to Talk with Consumers to Build Trust

John Davis

afbf15-arnot1Having good conversations with consumers will be key if farmers want to build long-term trust in today’s food system. That was the message attendees of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 96th Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show heard from Charlie Arnot, CEO of the Center for Food Integrity (CFI).

“Farmers are accustomed to fixing things in the next production cycle. Building trust with consumers has a longer horizon,” said Arnot, who presented findings from CFI’s 2014 consumer research into consumer skepticism, trending attitudes and trust-building transparency. The research was sponsored, in part, by AFBF.

The survey of 2,005 people looked into the concerns and attitudes of three groups of people: moms, millennials and foodies. Millennials are described as those ages 18-34. Foodies are people who are more likely to seek out information about food and food ingredients and to share information about cooking, food safety and nutrition. CFI’s research showed that keeping healthy food affordable is a high priority for all three segments. Arnot called that finding “very good news” for those involved in food production when it comes to talking with consumers. “Everything you do can be talked about in that context,” he said. “If we address consumer concerns in that context, our messages will be better received.”

Arnot went on to say that demonstrating shared values is more effective than demonstrating competence when it comes to building trust with consumers, and farmers need to realize the “goal is not to win a scientific argument, but to find meaningful and relevant ways to introduce science and technology.”

2015 AFBF Convention photo album

AFBF, Ag Groups, Agribusiness