Fellowship of Christian Farmers at NFMS

Anna Leigh Peek

nfms14-christianIf you have been in attendance this week at the National Farm Machinery Show you may have seen many people, especially high school students, walking around with sticks.

When you approach the Fellowship of Christian Farmers International (FCFI) booth you will be offered a free walking stick. These walking sticks are smooth and sturdy, but the five beads attached to a leather loop is what they want to tell you about. The five beads each stand for something and FCFI uses these walking sticks as a way to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“We have people from many different states here helping us in the booth today,” said FCFI volunteer Jeff Mings. “We attend farm shows and conduct mission work all over the world.”

Listen to my interview with Jeff here: Interview with Jeff Mings, FCFI volunteer

National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album


Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC and New Holland Agriculture
Ag Groups, Audio, National Farm Machinery Show, NFMS

Get a SatShot in MapShots

Chuck Zimmerman

mapshots-14-lanny-faleideHere’s another example of how MapShots has been working with partner companies to integrate their services into AgStudio.

One of the presenters at last week’s customer conference was Lanny Faleide, President/CEO of SatShot, a satellite and aerial imagery company. He told me that their specialized imagery integrates well with MapShots.

“We take an ag perspective, understand the agronomy, reasons why an image will work in the precision ag market and for crop insurance diagnostics as well, and we’re able to put that agricultural flair to it,” he said. Lanny added MapShots is an integrator of their product. “A few years ago, we took the tact of wanting to do one thing really well: distributing the data. We integrate with these farm softwares, and they do the more intense precision ag techniques, and we provide that data automatically [that has that agricultural flair].”

Lanny also talked about how SatShot provides the information in the image, such the biomass or quality of the vegetation. Then, using the MapShots AgStudio software, a producer is able to come up with a prescription and plug that into their hardware out in the field to make sure the right amount of seed, fertilizer, and/or pesticides and herbicides are applied at the right place at the right time. In the future, he said SatShot will scale up its automatic notification system when new imagery is available, as well as working with new satellite companies that will take the imagery technology to the next level

You can listen to my interview with Lanny here: Interview with Lanny Faleide, President/CEO of SatShot

2014 MapShots Customer Conference Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Precision Agriculture

FMC Anthem Provides Greater Flexibility

Chuck Zimmerman

FMC AnthemAs we prepare for the 2014 planting season corn and soybean growers have some new flexibility with the announcement of FMC Anthem herbicide registration in soybeans. FMC’s Nick Hustedde told me, “The Anthem registration in soybeans is really going to help allow growers to be flexible because it can be applied in corn or soybeans so we have that flexibility in one tank with no clean out concerns at all.”

FMC Agricultural Solutions announces a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) crop registration of its Anthem® SE herbicide now for use on soybeans. Anthem herbicide offers both corn and soybean growers control of broadleaf weeds and grasses with flexible application timing up to 45 days preplant, preemergence and early postemergence.

You can listen to my interview with Nick here: Interview with Nick Hustedde

National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album


Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC and New Holland Agriculture
Agribusiness, Audio, FMC, Herbicide, National Farm Machinery Show

Even Snowmen Love New Holland

Chuck Zimmerman

I Love NH SnowmanThis was too good to pass up. As Cindy and I were leaving our hotel this morning we saw an “I Love New Holland” snowman in the field across the street. Somebody was getting creative.

We’re on day three at the National Farm Machinery Show and the beautiful weather is coming to an end this afternoon with a prediction of several inches of new snow by tonight. We have had good crowds here at the expo center including this morning.

Keep watching AgWired and Precision Pays for our stories. And thank you!

National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album


Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC and New Holland Agriculture
Agribusiness, National Farm Machinery Show, New Holland

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Novozymes and Monsanto Company announce they have completed the closing of the The BioAg Alliance, as announced on December 10, 2013.
  • Brownfield Ag News is excited to announce the addition of heritage agriculture radio stations WOWO-AM and WOWO-FM in Fort Wayne and powerhouse station WIKY-FM in Evansville, Indiana to the growing list of affiliate partners carrying Brownfield Ag News programming.
  • Purdue Extension agricultural economists who follow farmland values agree that farmers need to carefully assess land prices and farm financial health before investing.
  • Farm income increased in the fourth quarter of 2013 (relative to a year earlier), according to the latest Agricultural Finance Monitor, published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
Zimfo Bytes

Managing Varying Soil Types

Melissa Sandfort

Insights WeeklyGrowers in many states have spent the winter months in drought conditions, and there’s non way to tell what Mother Nature has in store for the spring planting season. If we get rains like 2013, what if there was a way to improve your changes for a better harvest despite too much soil moisture? Well, there is a way to do just that: Ag Leader’s new Hydraulic Down Force System.

Ag Leader’s Brett Buehler explains that one of the big issues growers face during planting is that the seed is planted at the proper depth. When the seed is not optimally planted, it can negatively impact yield. While there are technologies on the market to help address this, Buehler said that many of them have limitations that the Hydraulic Down Force System overcomes.

Listen to Buehler explain

The technology, says Buehler, is excellent for the grower who has varying soil types his field.

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Ag Leader, Agribusiness

Most Like Crop Insurance in New Farm Bill

Talia Goes

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What’s best in the new farm bill?” More than a third of our respondents agree that crop insurance tops the charts, along with nothing. We see a bit of an oxymoron there!

Our poll results:

  • Crop insurance – 31.25%
  • None – 31.25%
  • Conservation – 9.38%
  • Rural Development – 9.38%
  • Energy – 6.25%
  • Specialty Crops – 6.25%
  • Forestry – 3.13%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “ How does farm economy compare to general U.S.?”

USDA is predicting lower net farm income this year after big gains in 2013 and overall the U.S. economy still appears to be sluggish. But as the farm show season is in full swing and farmers are looking ahead to spring planting, optimism is in the air. How do you think the farm economy looks compared to the general U.S. economy overall? Let us know.

ZimmPoll

Walk Along a New Holland CR8090 Combine

Chuck Zimmerman

New Holland CombineNew combines and headers from New Holland were getting a lot of attention at the National Farm Machinery Show. I got Cole Sanford to take a few minutes and walk me through some of the new features on the CR8090 model combine and folding corn head that you see him standing next to in the photo.

Introducing NEW CR Series combines from New Holland. They continue the more than 35-year pure Twin Rotor® bloodline, offering superior multi-pass threshing and best-in-class grain and straw quality. You can also expect industry leading stone protection thanks to the new, Dynamic Stone ProtectionTM system and superior residue management flexibility with features like the new Opti-Spread™ system. Another thing you can always count on from New Holland? New innovations that increase your productivity and ROI.
DECREASE YOUR OPERATING COSTS

The new Tier 4A engines that power CR Series combines not only decrease emissions, they decrease your fuel bills. They feature New Holland’s ECOBlue™ SCR technology that turns cool, clean air into more power while using less fuel for up to 10% fuel savings. When combined with long, 600-hour service intervals, and high-efficiency features like the IntelliCruise™ feeding system and the new Dynamic Stone Protection™ system that allows you to harvest in extremely stony conditions without stopping, it’s clear new CR Series combines are designed to increase your profitability.

You can listen to my interview with Cole here or watch the video below: Interview with Cole Sanford

National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album


Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC and New Holland Agriculture
Agribusiness, Audio, National Farm Machinery Show, New Holland, Video

AgHires Ready for Employers & Job Seekers

Chuck Zimmerman

AgHiresAgHires founder Lori Culler says her company is working to do its part to help farms and agribusinesses find the right people to help them keep up with demand as we move toward that 2050 milestone of 9 billion people that all need food, fuel, clothing and shelter. That’s why she started AgHires.

“We know Ag, we understand what it takes to find the right people, and we’re determined to help. We’re beyond passionate for agriculture and working hard to promote our industry, its culture, and showcasing what we have to offer in today’s Ag job market,” said AgHires Founder Lori Culler.

AgHires.com will provide new and innovative tools for both employers and job seekers. Employers will be impressed by how they can brand their opportunities to job seekers using videos, pictures and logos. AgHires.com is more than a place to post a job. With AgHires sourcing services, jobs are posted to multiple job boards including Monster, CareerBuilder, Indeed and more. AgHires also has an expert recruiting team focused on finding passive candidates, who may not be actively looking for a job, all to build a larger, more qualified candidate pool to select from.

AgHires is the resource for both job seekers and employers in and around the agriculture industry to connect. AgHires.com is the official site for jobs in Ag. AgHires headquarters is in Temperance, MI, and its web site is www.aghires.com

Agribusiness

Bring Back Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer!

Melissa Sandfort

1559585_768172473202759_1152660037_nToday Aunt Jeanette writes:

We have had another unusual winter here in south central Nebraska – as has most of the country. The snow and ice have not caused many problems for us, however, the cold temps have been another story. When I think of baby calves being born into a cruel negative 25 degrees (or more) wind chill…well, it just makes me shiver.

When I found these pictures, I thought you might like a little breath of summer blown into your winter, too. It gives us all something to look forward to.

1456591_728759803810693_1581077793_nOur grandkids from Chadron, Neb., are quite the cattle showmen. Ranch life in the Nebraska panhandle is anything but lazy, however I know it can get a little crazy! The kids are responsible for their own show calves – for the most part. They do their own chores, feeding, washing, etc., with help and guidance from their parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts. You get the picture – it is a family affair and a wonderful way of life.

These pictures were taken at the Junior National Hereford Expo in Kansas City and the Wyoming Junior Hereford Show, both held during the summer of 2013. Hannah’s heifer, Belle, is the brand new mother of a calf born Feb. 11. Daisy, Wiley’s heifer, had the misfortune of losing her calf at the same time that awful blizzard hit western Nebraska the middle of October 2013.

Now, those of you that are old enough to know the song, forgive me if you have it stuck in your head! And here’s to the early arrival of spring and/or summer!

Until we walk again …

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