Farm Progress Show

It's that time of year again, and Farm Progress is kicking off this week. I always enjoy this show, because often times vendors will debut new equipment or features at this show. As always, I will post anything I hear about that is new right here on my blog. This year the weather promising, so it should be enjoyable to all in attendance. The lineup of vendors and seminars this year also looks to be very good. You can find out more about the show and the schedule at www.farmprogressshow.com/

If you plan on attending, make sure to stop by and say hi to my friends in the Ag Leader and Trimble booths. They are always available to answer questions, or share thoughts about Precision Ag.

Data Management

So often we forget about one of the most important things in Precision Ag. Everyone talks about hardware; how much money they can save, how much easier it has made field operations. One of the most powerful tools we have available to us is actually the software. The data that is captured from each pass across the field can serve as very detailed records. Those of you with automatic shutoffs on your planters, you can download the data from the monitor to get planting dates, location of hybrids, productivity, and even field elevations just to name a few. The software allows us to manage the operation from a viewpoint we didn't have the luxury of seeing just a few years ago.

All this data is a wonderful thing, but it has to be managed to be valuable. There are several different possiblities for this. You can buy a copy of software and spend some time in front of it learning how to run it, or buy a copy of software and hope your wife or children learn how to run it. In either of these cases, I would strongly suggest some professional training. Most software vendors offer training classes, and in the case of SMS from Ag Leader, HTS teaches classes annually as well as offers one on one training, both in person and remotely.

Lets not overlook another option for those of you that don't want to sit in front of your computer working on this. You can hire a professional to process your data and provide you maps. This is a great solution for those that don't want to spend the time learning the program and analyzing the data. HTS can also help out here, as we offer several different options, custom tailored to fit your needs.

The bottom line is, we are collecting this data, and there is great value in it. Don't let technology stand in your way when there are so many different options available to make sure you get the most out of your investment.

Gearing up for Fall

All across the farming community, it is starting to happen. Machinery is getting serviced and prepared for harvest, some are trading up to a newer piece of machinery. In the process of getting everything ready, don't forget about your precision ag equipment. Spending a bit of time getting the technology ready now can ensure that your data will be accurate, as well as save on frustrating hold ups during harvest. The obvious things are to check cabling for damage and make sure everything is secure, as well as check the flow sensor for wear, but there are some other things that need attention as well and often get overlooked. If you don't feel comfortable checking these things over, or want to have one of our expert technicians tackle this for you, contact HTS and ask about our Precision Maintenance Plan. This plan offers onsite pre-season checks of your equipment as well as priority phone support in season. Below is a list of items to check from Ag Leader, but most of them will apply to pretty much any yield monitor system on the market.

Pre-harvest Checklist

• Clear Data from the card
• Clear Loads
• Change / Create field names
• Set Grain Type For Each Field
• Set Swath Width – (for each grain type)
• Stop Height Calibration – (for each grain type)
• Vibration Calibration – (for each grain type)
• Temperature Calibration
• Distance Calibration

Checklist of Things To Do During Harvest

• Moisture Calibration – (for each grain type)
• Grain Weight Calibration – (for each grain type)

Where do I start?

So many times, I have been asked the question - "Where do I start with this technology, Adam?" My response is nearly always the same - simply put, it doesn't matter where you start, but the time is NOW!

Precision Ag really is year round, with advances to planting, spraying, harvesting, and automated steering. The best thing to do is get started somewhere, and have a plan of where you want to go in the future.

Many of the systems on the market today can be used for multiple applications, so your investment can be compounded by using it all year, instead of on one piece of machinery.

For example, someone might want to put automated shutoffs on their planter, but maybe didn't realize that they could potentially use the same monitor in their combine as a yield monitor.

Someone else might want to use an autosteer for planting in the spring, and uses the same tractor for NH3 application in the fall. This "double use" of the technology has an incredible return on investment.

So to answer the question of where do I start, I first need to ask, Where do you want to go?

Contact me if you have any questions about how to get more out of your investment!

Great week at Trimble meeting

Last week I traveled to Alexandria, MN for the Trimble Mid Year Reseller's Meeting. Trimble has made some great strides in the precision ag arena, and I am excited to have been part of it.

Trimble trained us on their new Ag 3000 cellular modem, which is used to connect to a VRS or CORS network for RTK corrections. I had the privilege of testing this product for Trimble this spring, which most of you have read about in my previous posts. They announced the pricing at $1995 for the modem, and $800 per year for the cellular service. The Ag 3000 modem should be availabe for sale this fall.

Another great product they are introducing to the market is True Guide, which is their new passive implement steering. Trimble has pioneered the way with implement steering using many different methods to hydrauliclly steer the implement separate from the tractor, but now they are offering an option to correct implement drift by steering the tractor offline in an effort to pull the implement on the line. Pictures of testing looked really good, and I believe this could be a great technology moving forward.

All in all, it was a great week both in learning and networking with fellow Trimble dealers from around the midwest.