Future Farmer
NDSU's Groundb reaking Research Ag Facility in the M aking
CONTENTS
COVER STORY
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FEATURES
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EMERGING PRAIRIE
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NDSU BREAKS GROUND ON NEW AGRICULTURE BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
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A Q&A WITH GREG LARDY ABOUT THE PELTIER COMPLEX
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GROWING GRASSLANDS – A NEW OPPORTUNITY IN NORTH DAKOTA
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A BRIGHT FUTURE OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE AG INDUSTRY SUPPLY CHAIN
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SEED TO FEED UPDATE FROM THE FIELD
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20 AGTECH STARTUPS TO BE AWARE OF
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FUTURE FARMER'S COVERS OF 2021
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APPLAUDING INVESTMENT IN NORTH DAKOTA
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AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS WITH SABANTO
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INTELLIGENTAG BELIEVES IN NORTH DAKOTA'S POTENTIAL
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CREATING THE MIDWEST AS AN AGRICULTURAL HUB WITH SOLITECH WIRELESS
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3 MOVE TO A DATA-DRIVEN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
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November/December 2021 Volume 2 Issue 6
Future Farmer Future Farmer is published 6 times a year and is direct mailed to farmers throughout North Dakota and Minnesota. Find us online at Futurefarmermag.com.
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NDSU breaks ground on new agriculture BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE By NDSU Foundation
F Fargo, N.D. — State leaders, agriculturalists, and the North Dakota State University campus community gathered for the Peltier Complex groundbreaking and naming ceremony on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. This state-ofthe-art facility will be a hub for agricultural innovation, product development, and advancing research and education that will provide new economic opportunities for North Dakota, the region, and the world. “One of the great themes of North Dakota is family,” NDSU
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President Dean L. Bresciani said. “For generations, [the Peltier family] have been connected to our state, to our leading industry, and to NDSU and have been catalytic to the success of all of those.” The Peltier Complex will bring together researchers, scientists, students, grower groups, and producers from NDSU, the Northern Crops Institute (NCI), and the industry to advance next generation products developed right here in North Dakota. The new facility will house NDSU’s
food science, meat science, and cereal science laboratories along with the NCI and the North Dakota Trade Office, creating more opportunities for communication and collaboration between different research groups, industry representatives, and domestic and international customers who buy the region’s agricultural commodities. The building will provide opportunities for researchers to ensure more value is added to agricultural products and better meet consumer needs as the
global demand for agricultural commodities continues to grow. “What we’re celebrating here is landmark, historic, and game changing,” Bresciani said. “This isn’t an NDSU building, this is a state of North Dakota building.” In 2021, the North Dakota Legislature gave final approval to $70 million appropriations for the completion of the Peltier Complex and authorized an additional $15 million in private fundraising.
Keith Peltier is the President and General Manager of Proseed Inc. Josiah Kopp
“While private philanthropy makes things work at [North Dakota State University], it takes legislative leaders to understand the impact and the importance of the work that goes on here, and it’s not just for NDSU, it’s for the whole state,” Gov. Doug Burgum said. “It’s going to make an impact on the citizens of North Dakota for generations to come.” Together, this legislative and philanthropic support will provide the largest academic facility space for NDSU students,
faculty, and staff to maximize their research and learning for the benefit of farmers, ranchers, and processors in the state and beyond. “Today is about saying thank you and congratulations,” Sen. John Hoeven said. “It’s amazing to do something this wonderful in terms of generosity and support for the University, but it’s particularly amazing to do it in a way that’s going to have such a profound impact on so many people in so many ways.”
North Dakota Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, was instrumental in securing funding for the Peltier Complex and said when the facility is built, it will demonstrate “the Legacy Fund at work in North Dakota.” After touring NDSU’s Harris Hall, Wardner was convinced that NDSU needed an updated facility to showcase North Dakota’s agricultural products that would be “the pride not only of North Dakota, but of the United States of America.”
The Peltier family made leadership philanthropic gifts to support the private fundraising portion of the project and is one of the region’s most longstanding supporters of teaching, research, and extension in agriculture. “What really makes this special is that this is a local company, this is a local family,” State Sen. Ronald Sorvaag said. “They’ve obviously been successful through hard work, and when that opportunity comes along, what they’ve chosen to do is put it back in their community.”
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Keith Peltier ’75 said his late father, Joe ’51, was an excellent promoter of ag products and that his family thought the Peltier Complex would be a great place to honor Joe and his life’s work. “It’s an honor and a pleasure for our family to be part of the legacy that contributed to the ag products development center, promoting and adding value to North Dakota agriculture, and that we can honor my dad by putting his name on the complex,” Keith Peltier, president and general manager of Proseed, said. “The complex will be a showcase in returning value to North Dakota agriculture and an aid in recruitment to those promoting and adding value.”
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In addition to the Peltier family, numerous gift commitments were made by several commodity groups, alumni, businesses, and friends of NDSU and the NCI. These gifts were part of NDSU’s $455 million In Our Hands fundraising campaign, scheduled to conclude Dec. 31, 2021. For decades, agricultural success in North Dakota, the region, and the world has been shaped by research that has grown out of partnerships between NDSU and the NCI. The Peltier Complex will promote further collaboration while being just minutes away from the fields that yield much of the world’s food.
“By bringing NDSU’s cereal science, food science, and meat science programs together with the NCI, we will capitalize on unique synergies between these programs to drive further innovation and add value to agricultural commodities produced in the region,” Greg Lardy, NDSU’s vice president for agricultural affairs, said. “Forty years ago, the region’s agricultural leaders and North Dakota elected officials had the vision to create the Northern Crops Institute. They knew that crops and crop quality do not stop at state borders. They knew the potential to change how we position this region’s crops on the world stage,” Mark Jirik, NCI director, said. “Once again, North Dakota agricultural
leaders and elected officials have had the wisdom and fortitude to continue to move that vision forward. This is about bringing the world to our door.” The Peltier Complex will allow NDSU researchers to address current challenges and industry needs. Eric Berg, professor of animal sciences, said the new facility will allow NDSU to address problems and opportunities by providing novel services that create lasting partnerships missing in today’s market. “By having animal and plant sciences located in the same building, there will be meaningful collaborations that will not only enhance product development but address the
most pressing issues of our time, such as agricultural sustainability, food security, and food waste,” Berg said. “We can create better feed varieties for livestock and invent more innovative North Dakota food products that excel in nutrition, taste, and palatability.” Berg added that the Peltier Complex will point NDSU students to career opportunities and the industry to potential employees by offering new learning and research capabilities to the next generation of agriculturalists and scientists who will feed the world. “As students, we will undoubtedly benefit from the hands-on experience and be empowered by the versatile, interdisciplinary, and collaborative space that awaits us,” Anna Magallanes López, a graduate research assistant and Ph.D. candidate in NDSU’s cereal science program,
said. “The Peltier Complex is the stateof-the-art facility we need in order to fulfill future expectations and keep nourishing the people of today and tomorrow.” The Peltier Complex will be located in the southwest corner of campus. Construction is estimated to begin in the late spring of 2022 and will take approximately 20-24 months to complete. ABOUT NDSU FOUNDATION
The NDSU Foundation builds enduring relationships that maximize advocacy and philanthropy to support North Dakota State University.
A Q&A With
Greg Lardy About the Peltier Complex
About Greg Lardy: Greg Lardy is NDSU's VP of Ag Affairs, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources; Director of the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station; and Director of NDSU Extention.
In your own words, what is the Peltier Complex? It's a building where we're going to bring together food science, cereal science and all of those programs from a research and teaching standpoint along with the North Crops Institute and North Dakota Trade Office to create a complex that will add value to North Dakota Agriculture commodities. Those different programs were all housed under different roofs, correct?
By Brady Drake
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Yeah, we're bringing together groups that were in separate areas. Clearly, there has been collaboration between those groups in the past but having them all under one roof will really make a difference in terms of our ability to do some neat things with collaborative work and work that's going to add value to products that are grown here.
Can you give some examples of different projects that are going to be possible? One would be the ability to focus on the milling and baking characteristics of our wheat and other grains that are grown here in our region. The building is going to have a sensory laboratory where we can do consumer evaluations and sensory panel work with different formulations. Maybe we'll test a different blend of flours in a particular baked ingredient. We'll be able to have the test kitchen there to prepare different products and have consumers rate the different characteristics like flavor and taste. We'll be able to do the same thing with meat products. We'll be able to do that sort of century work with those products, rating tenderness, juiciness, flavor, those sorts of attributes that consumers find important. It's really going to complete that gate to plate or field to fork sort of approach.
So that sort of work wasn't being done by NDSU previously? That sensory panel work we weren't doing because we don't have a food-grade kitchen and sensory panel room laboratory on campus right now. So, that's going to be a new addition. We obviously have laboratories that have been doing some work with cereal science and meat science but they're laboratories that were built in the 50s and are antiquated. So, the fact that we can do the sensory work and some of those sorts of things is really going to help move those programs ahead. Are there any other pieces of technology that are going to be available in this building that hasn't previously been available to the NDSU community? We are going to have a number of different labs that focus on milling and refining processes for these commodities. We do have some of that type of equipment now, but a lot of it isn't modern. And then, bringing all of these scientists and unique disciplines under one roof is going to have a real positive impact on the synergies and collaborations that could happen. How do you see this bringing value to the local farmers? If we, for example, develop a new spring wheat variety here, one of the things we're going to want to know is what the milling and baking characteristics of that spring wheat are. This facility is going to be able to give us those answers before that variety goes out into production. Our customers, whether it's a domestic flour miller or a flour miller in Asia, they want to know with certainty that the crop that they are buying has good milling characteristics and is going to make a good quality brand. This is going to give them the assurance that the research has been done and that they know exactly what they're getting. It's going to add value for North Dakota farmers in terms of access to domestic and international markets. It's going to add value in terms of insuring consumers that the products are high quality and that they're going to do what we say they're going to do.
It's going to add value for North Dakota farmers in terms of access to domestic and international markets. It's going to add value in terms of ensuring consumers that the products are high quality and that they're going to do what we say they're going to do."
Because it's a facility where every major ag commodity in the state is going to have some research being done here, whether it's soybeans, spring wheat or beef cattle. It's going to add value to farmers, not just in Fargo, but farmers in Crosby and all over the state. What is it going to do for your average ag student attending NDSU? I think it opens up a lot of doors for opportunities for taking more courses in cereal science or meat science. I think it'll open up more employment opportunities with processing companies. We think this is going to help us grow our undergraduate and graduate programs in those areas. I think it's going to have a really positive impact for all of our ag students. Are there any other facilities like this around the country at other ag focused universities? Does this provide a major advantage for NDSU? There are a number of facilities that might focus on cereal science or meat science, but to bring it all together under one roof with the trade and promotion aspects with the Northern Crops Institute and the North Dakota Trade Office, I don't think there will be another facility like it with everything all under one roof. If you go to Kansas State, they have a great separate milling laboratory and a great separate meat science laboratory, but to bring it all together under one roof and have the agencies that are responsible for domestic and international trade and exports working in that same building, it's going to be very unique from that standpoint. What else should we know? This complex is sort of going to be the gateway to campus. The building location is going to be on the southwest portion of campus right off of 18th street. It's going to be a very prominent building to welcome visitors to campus. It's going to be something that's going to really showcase agriculture in this region and I think it's going to be something at our agriculture community is going to be very proud of.
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F
Future farming can have a variety of meanings, including an innovative farming technique or more personally, farming for future generations. For many landowners, the latter can inspire big changes on their land. Planting native grasses and forbs can offer a beauty that is unique to our state while offering a new use for land that is difficult to manage. Looking out into a prairie, one can enjoy a sea of grasses blowing in the wind displaying a range of reds, oranges, blues, and purples; however, this is often a memory for most, offering a bit of nostalgia from decades ago. Today, less than 1% of tallgrass native prairie remains in North Dakota, and our future generations might miss the opportunity to enjoy these scenic landscapes if we don’t begin to reseed North Dakota’s grasslands. It’s easy to think grasslands are dull and destitute, but they serve many necessary purposes for soil health, water filtration, and habitat for the many birds, mammals, and insects that depend on them for survival. Taking marginal cropland and turning it into grasslands will greatly serve future generations, not only for their enjoyment of the scenic views, but also for the environmental impacts sustained. In North Dakota producers and landowners interested in planting perennial grasses and forbs on their land can do so in a joint effort with conservation allies. An exciting new opportunity for landowners has emerged in North Dakota, the Conservation Forage Program (CFP) with Audubon Dakota and partners across the state. The Conservation Forage Program provides financial and technical assistance to plant
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Photo provided by
Evan Barrientos/Audobon
Growing Grasslands – a new opportunity in North Dakota
Benefiting people, wildlife, and our future.
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perennial grasses and forbs to increase forage availability for livestock producers and address natural resource concerns. Doing so will create profitable grazing land or hayland on marginal acres, thus adding value to their land. This project is made possible by the North Dakota Industrial Commission Outdoor Heritage Fund, which awarded a $6.9 million grant, the largest awarded by the Commission, aimed at grassland expansion. Audubon Dakota advocates for conservation efforts with the greatest benefit for bird conservation. CFP is designed for North Dakota's producers to plant marginal crop lands back to grasslands to improve forage availability and quality for grassland birds while increasing their habitat across the state. Enrolling land in this program gets producers one step closer to creating a landscape that future generations can enjoy. “CFP is an excellent example of how conservation, agriculture and producer partners can indeed come together for a common goal, in this case to improve forage availability and quality across the state. We are so fortunate to have the Outdoor Heritage Fund’s and partner support to make this innovative concept a reality," said Sarah Hewitt, Conservation Programs Manager for Audubon Dakota. The Conservation Forage Program will lead the restoration of grassland
habitat across North Dakota, not only for grassland bird species, but also for native pollinators, like monarch butterflies. Protecting these wildlife species offers a reward of wonderment and joy for families that appreciate the prairie. Developing land management techniques across private lands over a ten-year project period, landowners enrolled will improve forage availability and quality, wildlife habitat, and soil health. By planting perennial cover, producers improve soil health which can provide better water filtration, microbial diversity, soil carbon storage, and increase the supply of nutrients to plants. Perennial cover also provides habitat for wildlife including grouse, pheasants, and songbirds. This helps conservation efforts by improving habitat and forage quality for native wildlife and species to survive. Integrating grazing practices will further increase the landowner’s earning potential on the restored land through the value of the grazed forage. This provides an opportunity to increase land value especially for cropland that is environmentally sensitive and could be better utilized. “The biggest benefit of CFP, when compared to similar programs, is that the CFP offers increased management flexibility beyond year three for producers to graze, hay, and overall manage their land," said Josh Lefers, Working
Lands Program Manager for Audubon Dakota. Once seen as non-essential objective for many, conservation practices are now viewed as beneficial opportunity. While various programs exist to motivate landowners to adopt conservation practices, it can be expensive and time-consuming, and some programs are too competitive or have strict guidelines and restrictions prohibiting some from participating. CFP is a pilot program that provides the opportunity for interested landowners to convert cropland into perennial forage. Unlike similar programs, CFP encourages application from historically underserved farmers and ranchers in connection to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). Additionally, CFP has no minimum land requirement of land ownership, making this program a unique opportunity for new landowners often overlooked. The Conservation Forage Program provides financial assistance to growers to offset deferred income and assist with seed costs and other aspects of restoration management, including fencing and water infrastructure. Audubon Dakota and partners provide a technical assistance partner and one-on-on planning to ensure success. Producers enrolled will work with a
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program partner to develop a restoration management plan that will cover site preparation, seed composition, seeding rate, timing, and postplanting management. After implementation, participants will actively manage their land including weed control, haying, resting, and grazing. Developed and backed by Audubon Dakota, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Delta Waterfowl, North Dakota Game and Fish, North Dakota Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Natural Resources Conservation Service, the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust, and the North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts. Conservation is a team effort, and the expertise from each organization allows for project selection and assistance at a broader reach. “What makes the CFP unique is the ability for the producer to receive rental payments as the land is transitioned from marginal cropland to working grasslands,” said Kevin Kading, Private Lands Section Leader with North Dakota Game and Fish Department. “Unlike many similar programs, the producer receives an income on those acres during the critical time of establishment. Once the grass is fully established, the producer can utilize those grasslands for grazing. This is an appealing feature of the program, since through the life of the agreement, the producer is able to generate income off the property.” North America's grasslands are among the most imperiled ecosystems in the world. In
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North Dakota, restoring land back to native prairie not only contributes to conservation by creating natural habitats for native animals, birds, and insects, it reduces erosion and runoff, improving water filtration. Grassland bird species that rely on this habitat are among the most endangered group of birds in the United States. Since 1966, populations have declined more than 40 percent and for some species up to 80%. The majority of grasslands in North Dakota are on private lands, making private landowners major stewards of North American grasslands that play a key part in conservation collaboration to restore habitats for native bird species. The next enrollment period for the Conservation Forage Program opened November 15 with the goal of enrolling 18,000 acres. The benefit of programs like CFP can be measured economically, but what can’t be measured is the excitement and appreciation that generations to come will experience while enjoying the native prairie of their homeland. It’s priceless. The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon works throughout the Americas using science,
advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Audubon Dakota is the North and South Dakota state office of the National Audubon Society. Where birds thrive, people prosper -Audubon Dakota aims to connect with communities throughout North and South Dakota to demonstrate the importance of protecting and restoring native habitats for our bird species.
Conservation Forage Program Fast Facts Conservation Forage Program Goal:
Audubon Dakota’s Conservation Forage Program (CFP) is designed for North Dakota's producers to restore marginal crop lands back to grasslands to improve forage availability and quality for grassland birds. The CFP aims to accelerate grassland restoration and recover overall soil health and grassland bird habitat across the state. Learn more: Dakota.audubon.org
Term Agreement
10 Year
Payments
3 Year Established Payments • Based on the most recently published NASS rate for the year enrolled for your county
Cost Share
60% forage seed mix cost share based off EQUIP Rates for 2020 50% grazing infrastructure cost share (perimeter, water infrastructure)
Eligibility
Land is in North Dakota Land is currently cropland Landowner has authority to plant perennial forages • Land capability classes between a score of 4 through 8 on at least 25% of the priority given to land that meets that classification • Cannot be currently enrolled in CRP
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A BRIGHT FUTURE OF OPPORTUNITY FOR
THE AG INDUSTRY SUPPLY CHAIN AUGUST 2021 How Seed to Feed partners are reimagining the supply chain and revolutionizing agriculture If you read about Genesis Feed Technologies project “Seed to Feed” in a past issue of Future Farmer, you know that a large part of this project is to explore possibilities for transforming the supply chain. But what we haven’t talked about yet is… why? We spoke with Seed to Feed partners AgriDigital and AgLaunch about why they are focusing on transforming the supply chain. One of the main challenges, they agreed, is a lack of clear communication between all the players along the supply chain. “The challenge is that on farms, integrated systems aren’t talking to each other,” Connie Bowen, AgLaunch Director of Innovation and Investment, said. “We don’t have a common language.” Flaws in the supply chain were made abundantly clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. Logistical constraints and lack of communication resulted in farmers dumping unsellable milk—up to 3.7 million gallons a day according to Dairy Farmers of America— plowing vegetables, and burying perishable produce. At the same time, food shops ran out of stock and were forced to raise prices for expensive perishables such as eggs. Part of this could be solved by a more uniform communication system, Bowen said. Right now, for instance, some farm equipment companies don’t automatically integrate with climate. If the players and platforms along the supply chain could be more integrated, data could be more easily shared. This is referred to as data interoperability—the ability of systems and services that create,
exchange and consume data to have clear, shared expectations for the contents, context and meaning of that data. And this is what many agree is missing from ag industry supply chains. “Data interoperability remains a massive challenge in agtech,” Bowen said. “And while this problem is technically solvable, conflicting incentives throughout the supply chain make it difficult for a private technology company to integrate systems across many farms.” AgriDigital Head of Region for North America Katrina Stanislaw shared her agreement. “At present, if you look at the supply chain's big picture, they are opaque and complex,” Stanislaw said. The result is that value is lost for the farmer, Stanislaw said. In fact, a recent study showed that while many farmers don’t get very much of the food dollar, farmers in special product produce get 26% of food dollars. If farmers are able to track better data on their specific products through identity preservation, consumers may be willing to pay more. “Everyone on the supply chain wants to see the consumer pay more,” Bowen said. Right now, however, the way data is managed and aggregated in the supply chain keeps identity preservation from happening. This results in some farmers doing more work and producing a better product, yet seeing the same value as other farms producing a lower quality product. Data interoperability and identity preservation remain two major areas of growth for the supply chain. So, what are we doing about it? Bowen and Stanislaw pose some solutions, some of which are actively being tested in the Seed to Feed campaign.
One-shared communication platform + Blockchain. One way that agtech leaders are hoping to solve the data interoperability problem is through creating shared platforms where farmers can track…well, everything. For instance, AgriDigital recently launched their solution to data interoperability with a platform called Waypath. Waypath is a secure digital platform for managing everything from deliveries to invoices. The platform combines physical inventory management and workflows, supply chain data, and commodity backed inventory finance. It utilizes blockchain technology through their partnership with Geora (also a Seed to Feed partner.) “The average farmer has 40 harvests over the course of their career,” Stanislaw said. “That’s 40 shots to get it right. And right now, it’s typical for farmers to manage these complex operations with pen and paper, and Excel spreadsheets.” According to AgriDigital and Stanislaw—there is a better way. “Waypath is the tool to manage that harvest. It’s a way farmers can be sure they know exactly what’s going on with each harvest, where their grain goes, and the grain inventory they have on hand all year long,” Stanislaw said. It’s part of AgriDigital’s mission as a whole to transform the supply chain and put more value (and cash) back into the hands of farmers. “What we’re trying to do is provide tools for farmers to take advantage of new opportunities and be competitive in them,” Stanislaw said. “We’re automating and connecting inventories—tracking and tracing
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what is grown to the end seller. This is essential to get more margin back to the farmer, and build sustainable supply chains.” Let farmers keep their data. Part of returning value to farmers is by putting data back in their hands and integrating identity preservation as part of the supply chain. “The only way to ensure that the various tools and technologies in agtech can work together is to put the farmer at the center of the system,” Bowen said. “In ensuring that farmers have control over their data, we are creating an opportunity to actually unlock real value through cooperative efforts that handle farm data to the benefit of farmers in the same way that today's coops process and market commodities" It’s worth noting that even with farmercentered data management, a few challenges still remain in order to have complete traceability and identity preservation. One of them is the logistics of actually keeping one farmer’s product separated from another’s. “I can think about how we’re tracking everything and storing the data, but I struggle to think about how we are literally segregating grain,” Bowen said. “If we can do that, I think there’s an interesting opportunity to take the next step. Technically, physically, logistically we can do it. Economically, it has to make sense for all the players.” In the Seed to Feed project, we are using Waypath to track and trace the growth, soil quality, and nutrient profile of the soybeans. The goal is to have complete identity preservation documentation for the harvest that can then be used to increase the value of the product. Quality over quantity. The larger movement in ag—and a foundational part of the Seed to Feed campaign—is valuing quality over quantity. It’s no longer about how high your yield or how big your harvest; it must be about the quality of your products. “For the past 30 years, ag has been focused on how to maximize volume—and we’ve hit very high yields,” Stanislaw said. “Now, we’re looking at how to maximize the
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function or nutrition of a crop while keeping those yields. And, in turn, how to verify that and make it profitable for the farmer.” This, too, is an integral part of Genesis Feed Technologies’ platform, the Nutritional Value Calculator (NVC). With the NVC, ingredient buyers are able to see the nutrient profile of a product—right now, with the focus on soybeans. The ultimate vision is for farmers to use the NVC to list their premium products, using data management and even Blockchain to verify the premium nutrient profile, and allow them to charge a higher value for their product. “Increased visibility on metrics that matter will help players throughout the chain to increase profitability,” Peter Schott, CEO and co-founder of Genesis Feed Technologies said. “The NVC is starting to play an important part in that process, and we are thrilled about the future for everyone involved.” A bright future When it comes to transforming the ag industry supply chain, there is work to be done. However, with partners like those in the Seed to Feed campaign, such as AgriDigital’s innovative work utilizing new technology, and forward-thinking partnerships and investments like those we’re seeing with AgLaunch, the future is bright for the ag industry supply chain. Together, we’re building a future that’s better for farmers, consumers, and the ag industry as a whole. Follow along with the Seed to Feed project at seedtofeed.info (including live trail cam updates from the field!) About Seed to Feed Seed to Feed is a first-of-its-kind supply chain and traceability project by Genesis Feed Technologies and nine global partners. The project, hosted at the Grand Farm near Fargo, North Dakota, tracks the life of a soybean from seeds planted in the soil, all the way to being consumed by an animal. In the process, the project educates viewers about each step of the supply chain; while bringing up questions and possibilities for how the ag industry can make it better and bring more value to farmers.
SEED TO FEED:
UPDATE FROM THE FIELD By Cole Peterson, ProSeed Company Agronomist
1. How does the plot look? How are the soybeans growing? Everything is looking good as it can be. I’m very happy with our products, and happy with how they have performed despite the drought stress and heat stress. 2. Can you talk about the varieties on the plot? What are the characteristics, and why did you choose those? Varieties of the soybeans—90.80.3, 10.70.3 We chose soybeans with a maturity group that performs well for this region. The further north you are, maturity gets lower. Further south, maturity gets higher. These beans are .7 maturity and .8 maturity. That is in the right zone for this geographical plot. We also wanted to use beans with Enlist technology. Using Enlist, this particular seed is tolerant to 2,4-D, a low volatile chemical that helps us control weeds. This ensures that the product will be weed-free without being harmed by the chemicals. 3. How do they (these varieties) compare with the rest of the region? What are you seeing when you go to other fields? The Seed to Feed soybeans are performing very well, especially considering the conditions they were dealt. Some varieties of the same maturity and technology in this area are not performing as well. For example: A well-performing bean right now has plenty of bean sprouts, and looks
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healthy and lush. A bean under heat stress will show signs of wilting, leaf cupping, and won’t have as many pods or blossoms. 4. Overall, how is this year going for farmers? It’s very territorial. Down in South Dakota, things are going incredibly well for some. Up here in our area (North Dakota/Northern MN), it’s not where it could be as far as crop potential because of drought and heat stress. We’re not expecting bin-busting yields. We are praying for rain to help keep the yields that we have. But a lot of our product from ProSeed seem to be performing very well, and we are proud of that. In particular, the two products we contributed to the Genesis Feed Technologies’ Seed to Feed plot are doing well, despite the conditions we’ve been dealt. 5. What are some of the ways ProSeed works with growers to help be successful in their farming operation? We pride ourselves on customer service and quality product. For our seed, we do a lot of third party and in-house research on our products to be sure that we provide the best quality product we can. We want our products to be the best. We want the farmers to make money, to have a beautiful, bin-busting year. When they do better we do better. We also work with them to give them the best
customer service that you could ask for. We faithfully believe that business should be done in person and not over the phone. If a grower has questions or issues—we’ll be the first at their door to help them find a solution. Be it agronomic, financing, or any other farming question, ProSeed is right there to help you. This year, we’re helping farmers scout their fields and know what to expect. We’re working together to keep that light at the end of the tunnel. 6. What are some things growers should be thinking about, to finish the year as best they can? Right now we are in the point of the year where we are seeing certain insect pressure. If there is a nice crop out there, it’s important to be timely scouting your crop and taking care of issues immediately. Save what yield you have. And pray. Pray for rain. We’ve been joking with each other every day saying, “Before you go home do your rain dance.” And of course, if you need seed, think ProSeed.
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20 To Be Aware Of Written By Geneva Nodland With Information From explodingtopics.com
Exploding Topics, found at explodingtopics.com, is a trend research company that “analyzes millions of searches, conversations and mentions across the internet” to provide insights into the next big trends. Below you will find a list of 20 up and coming agricultural technology companies that you should know about. Maybe you’ll utilize their tech, maybe you’ll invest in them; but one thing is sure, knowledge is power. 30
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2. 4.
1.
To avoid negative effects on its users, high development costs and more, Vestarion’s technology focuses on “biological peptides” as a safer and more environmentally friendly option compared to chemical pesticides.
ProducePay offers technology for fresh produce growers, aiding in finances, insights on business and decisions related to the market. Their goal is to build relationships between all parties in the food supply chain.
3.
Using RNA, or ribonucleic acid, improves the health of plants, and GreenLight Biosciences’s technology has allowed them to create quality sustainable RNA. In turn, farmers can avoid chemical pesticides in their farming process.
Combyne offers a desktop and mobile app to track the marketing details of a farmer’s harvest. Their services range from tracking how many bushels are left to sell, adjusting the prices to buyers and even projecting future harvests from data.
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5. 6. 7. 8.
Through soil samples, Trace Genomics helps farmers make decisions for their land and crop. They will analyze the soil and provide insights to determine what might be the best next move for growers.
Using oxygen and temperature technology, BluWrap products control an environment’s climate so that proteins can safely travel from one place to another. Developing a technology like this eliminates the need for products that can harm the planet, and ultimately makes more profit for the supplier.
To see the different aspects of the food supply chain, FoodLogiQ developed a software where companies can access the product’s process, a place to manage that and much more. With this, users can track their products from the ground to the destination.
Like many other new technologies, Terramera offers plant-based pesticides. To skip the chemicals, they focus on their Actigate technology, a development that increases the performance of their natural product.
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9. 10. 11. 12.
Terviva is working to take normally unusable farmland to grow Pongamia trees. These plant’s seeds are rich with protein and oil, and give back to the environment where they’re grown. The company aims to feed the planet and people.
This company has developed technology for both growers and buyers to cover many aspects of the process, from the biology, to the market and even transportation. They use an online platform to connect both parties, making their process more efficient and in turn, profitable.
What sparked from frustration of “traditional” farming methods, became a journey to develop a sustainable, profitable system for farmers. Augmenta uses a VRA system that delivers 4k images and is easy to use.
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Mootral looked to cows. The average person might not know, but animals like cows release methane during the digestive process. They developed a feed for cows that is natural, reduces the amount of methane emissions and doesn’t affect milk or meat. FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM
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13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 34
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For the growers and insurers, Aerobotics offers tree and yield insights for farmers’ success and health of their land, as well as detailed data for crop insurers.
To rid crops of any pests, Rootwave developed a way to use electric “zaps” instead of chemicals. The company has taken a new look at technology and agriculture, and the process is safe for the user and the environment.
You don’t have to be a huge farming company to get your product on a wide market. Wefarm developed a platform for small-scale farmers to create a community where they sell and get advice from their peers. It is available through a mobile app and a SMS service, and it's free to use.
This company’s goal is to change the way farmers look at sustainable ways to feed their animals—through insects. Entocycle found not only are insects high in protein, but they save on materials and time compared to other sources of animal feed.
In an effort to reduce wasted produce, this company developed a way to extend the shelf life for food supply chains. Depending on the type of produce, Hazel has developed different natural formulas to ensure the delay of the ripening process, which leads to spoiled food.
18.
In North Dakota, we can forget that even in our biggest city, the nearest farmland can be found just 10 minutes from the busiest part of town. Not having direct access to produce in a place where it's in high demand can cause harm to the environment through transportation, packing and other distribution processes. Using climate controlled environments, Infarm can create urban farms anywhere and provide communities with fresh produce.
19.
This unique company took a look at the waste from packaging perishable foods and found a new, less harmful way. Using the peels, seeds and pulp of different fruits and vegetables, they found that they can create an edible protection peel that consumers can’t taste, see or smell. Apeel preserves the food and extends its longevity, while not sacrificing the environment.
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Whether you’re a one-man job or a large team, CIBO will help with regenerative agriculture. Through their data gathering, they aim to help farmland last through sustainable practices.
Future Farmer's Covers of 2021 By Brady Drake
Every other month, we take a peak at something great going on in Ag Tech. The hard part? There's so much that is new and exciting. With this in mind, it can be even harder to pick a cover story, much less a cover for the magazine. However, this is something we must do every month. Here is a look back at the covers Future Farmer put together in 2021. All of these magazines can be found at issuu.com/fmspotlight
SPONSORED CONTENT
As we begin to transition to a new year, there are a lot of exciting things in the works at the Grand Farm. In each issue of Future Farmer, Emerging Prairie offers up insight into what's new and notable in the cross-section of start-ups and agriculture. This month, we get insight into the potential impact of Bill 2345, a look at autonomous systems with Sabanto, IntelligentAg's belief in North Dakota, Soltech Wireless' vision for agriculture in the midwest and advice for a data-driven resource management strategy. 48
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CONTENTS
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50 Applauding Investment in North Dakota Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Technology
52 Autonomous Systems with Sabanto 54 IntelligentAg believes in North Dakota’s Potential
56 Creating the Midwest as an Agricultural Hub with Soiltech Wireless 58 Playing Chess, Not Checkers– 3 Moves to a Data-Driven Resource Management Strategy FUTUREFARMERMAG.COM
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Applauding Investment in North Dakota Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Technology
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Grand Farm, led by Emerging Prairie, applauds the work of the North Dakota Legislature and Governor Burgum to invest federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds into the state in ways that will support and bolster entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology through the passage and signing of State Senate Bill 2345. “It’s been amazing to see the collaboration around this by leaders across all levels of our government including Rep. Michael Howe and Sen. Ron Sorvaag and the state legislature, Governor Doug Burgum and his executive team, and Sen. John Hoeven and the North Dakota delegation,” said Greg Tehven, CEO of Emerging Prairie and Co-founder of Grand Farm. “This investment will have a transformative impact on the state’s future.” SB 2345 included an allocation of $10 million to the North Dakota Department of Commerce intended to invest in matching grants towards autonomous agricultural technology in
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the state. With a goal of championing the region’s potential in the agriculture and technology industries, Grand Farm was active in the process to further establish North Dakota as a leading agtech ecosystem. “North Dakota has the opportunity to be the epicenter of advanced agriculture technology with Grand Farm harboring unlimited potential for established businesses, aspiring companies, and entrepreneurs,” said State Representative Michael Howe (R-West Fargo). “The ARPA funds dedicated by the Legislature is the result of great enthusiasm
Michael Howe
by legislators from all corners of the state and a recognition that Grand Farm will be a large part of North Dakota agriculture as we move forward into the 21st Century.” Grand Farm empowers a neutral platform for industry, producers, higher education, and government to collaborate on autonomous and advanced agriculture technology. Grand Farm works regularly with companies and startups from North Dakota and around the world to better understand their products, provide capabilities for demonstration and development, and to amplify the technologies in North Dakota. It currently operates a test site on donated agricultural acres to demonstrate and test new and innovative ag technologies.
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Autonomous Systems with
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“I’ve always known Fargo to be a very strong ag tech community and I am reminded of the number of successful startups I’ve seen rise up out of the community,” says Craig Rupp, CEO of Sabanto, an agriculture technology provider focused on enabling autonomous field operations. He continues by saying, “I expect Grand Farm will spin off some exciting startups that will take the ag industry by storm.” Sabanto has partnered with Grand Farm with the donation of a robotic tractor. When discussing Grand Farm, North Dakota agriculture, and autonomy, Craig shared many points of view of what he sees on the horizon. “We’ve deployed multiple systems performing multiple field operations in multiple fields across multiple states,” said Craig. When asked what role Sabanto will be playing in the future of North Dakota
agriculture, he shared: “Sabanto will be partnering with technology providers in North Dakota, solving labor issues unique to North Dakota. I once met a 85-year-old man from York, ND who told me, ‘If you drive 100 miles in any direction, the agronomic practices change.’ Unlike the hats in agriculture, it’s not a one-size-fits-all. I expect these technology providers we work with will provide solutions specific to North Dakota.” When asked what the best part of partnering with Grand Farm has been, he answered, “The support from the local community. As I’ve said before, I’ve witnessed quite a lot of startup scenes across the country. Nothing compares to what I’ve seen in Fargo. I am honored to be a part of Grand Farm.”
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Believes in North Dakota’s Potential
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“We believe that Grand Farm is really going to become a major hub of ag-tech collaboration and Learning,” shares Joe Heilman, General Manager of Intelligent Ag. “The way we are able to bring together different companies doing very different and amazing things is a huge asset to a company like ours. Not only does it help give us more exposure, it also helps us connect with other companies to work more collaboratively.” Intelligent Ag develops state of the art flow monitoring and control solutions for seeding, fertilizer, and sprayer machinery. Partnered with Grand Farm since January 2021, Intelligent Ag has been involved in many events, including launching their own product at Grand Farm. “We were able to combine our product launch event with other aspects which helped draw a larger and broader audience for all entities versus all of us working alone. This is really where the value of Grand Farm becomes real.”
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When discussing the future of North Dakota, autonomy, and agriculture, Joe shared his vision of what lies ahead. “I believe Grand Farm will help attract the best ag-tech companies to the region. This, in turn, will help attract the best talent, equipment manufacturers, bio-tech, and chemistry companies to invest in this region as well. It will have a fly-wheel effect on the creation of new technologies and partnerships.” He ends by saying, “Ultimately, this will help all involved in the ag industry benefit tremendously and not only benefit the Midwest, but the world (maybe even outer space).” Intelligent Ag stands in a position that is making major contributions to the future of autonomy in agriculture. “To achieve autonomy, one of the very first requirements is to be able to measure the performance of the machine. You cannot control what you don’t measure. We have developed some of the most
unique, reliable, and accurate sensing technologies for measuring the flow of material such as seed, granular fertilizer, and liquid products. This will help enable closed-loop control of those materials over time and get one step closer to full autonomy.” Along with setting their sights to the future of agriculture, Intelligent Ag also sees all the opportunities that the state holds. “North Dakota is already unique on the global stage of agriculture. We already produce an extremely wide range of crops and livestock coupled with extremely diverse growing conditions. This diversity leads to an incredible opportunity to develop solutions and test them under a wide variety of conditions. Intelligent Ag is going to play a very key role in helping growers better understand and modify their machinery to optimize performance, accuracy, and profitability.”
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Creating the Midwest as an Agricultural Hub with soiltech wireless
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Soiltech Wireless is a complete farm management solution that enables sustainability and traceability. A partner of Grand Farm, Soiltech Wireless looks forward to the future of agriculture in the midwest and the impact Grand Farm will be making on it. Founder and CEO, Ehsan Soltan shares with Grand Farm “North Dakota can be the hub for midwest ag-tech developments thanks to the work being carried out by organizations like Grand Farm, Emerging Prairie and Plug and Play.” He continues by saying, “Soiltech hopes to complement these efforts and will endeavor to work closely with growers in the region to develop solutions for their specific problems because there is no ‘one size fits all’ for agriculture.”
has been the best part about partnering with the Grand Farm.” Soiltech Wireless has had their fair share of innovation in agriculture, especially with autonomy. “We have developed cost effective, easy to deploy and easy to use wireless sensors and software systems that enable decisions to be made remotely,” Eshan says. Soiltech Wireless is leading the charge in making autonomous agriculture a reality for all agriculturalists, and believes Grand Farm plays a role in this. When asked what changes he sees Grand Farm making to agriculture in the midwest, Eshan replied “De-mystifying the notion that all ag-tech is complex and designed only for big farms or companies.”
As the agriculture industry evolves, Soiltech Wireless aims to be alongside Grand Farm on the cutting edge of innovation. Eshan shares, “The Grand Farm is working tirelessly not only to source technology, but also to validate it on the farm and then make the necessary industry connections. They truly want to see innovations come to life in a commercial setting. This is what
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Playing Chess, Not Checkers– 3 Moves to a Data-Driven Resource Management Strategy
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About the Author:
Erin Hightower has worked in farm planning and agronomy for 15 years. As an Agronomist at RDO Equipment Co., Erin works with team members and growers, and focuses on education, training and conducting field trials. She is a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) and Certified USDA NRCS Nutrient Management Planner, Certified Conservation Planner and Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planner.
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The business of farming is a lot like the game of chess. Strategy. Skill. Staying a step ahead of the opponent – although, unlike chess, growers have multiple opponents including weather, pests, and other factors out of their control. Different resources like equipment and people are like different game pieces, each with their own functional abilities and rightful place in the field (on the board). Just as a grandmaster does not move a bishop or knight without a thoughtful reason, growers must use a strategic plan, factoring in all resources, and based on more than gut instincts and experience. And every decision made is ultimately for one, big-picture goal: protect the king. Of course, on the farm, the crop is king. Precision ag data is a useful tool to make good, informed decisions in playing the strategic game that is farming. Without good data, it is like only seeing half of the opponent’s pieces. It is important to see every piece of the board, not just the pawns and the rooks. I think we can all agree one of the biggest challenges of implementing a data-driven precision farming strategy is overcoming feelings of overwhelm. In my years of working with growers, one of the ways I have learned to address this challenge is to focus on smaller, more manageable areas. I have identified three key resources growers need to manage on a daily basis: people, equipment, and inputs.
Here are a few examples to show how good precision data can be helpful in these three areas and used to play chess, not checkers – that is, make strategic management decisions.
People Resources A company’s most valuable assets are its people. Each team member brings a unique blend of knowledge, skill, and personality. Like all assets, proper management of people is important to getting best results. Operator Jane’s data may show she runs her sprayer at a speed two miles-per-hour faster than operator John, while operator Bruce’s data demonstrates he has a quicker adoption period with new precision technology than operator Betty. By having good data on every operator, growers can align the right operator to the right task, the right machine, even the right field position to best bring out their strengths. Data can also be revealing about operators themselves, enabling adjustments to either behavior or the equipment. I recently worked with a grower who upgraded his older, slower sprayer to a faster ExactApply model. Upon reviewing initial operating data, it showed he was operating it at a faster speed than his previous sprayer and the nozzle size he thought he needed was no longer correct. Had he not collected and reviewed that data, he would not have changed his nozzles and may have continued to operate with the incorrect size, which was creating unstable droplets and not putting on enough chemistry. That brings us to the next key resource: equipment. There are more ways that data can help make the most out of equipment resources.
Machinery Resources While a farm’s most valuable assets are people, the most expensive ones are equipment. There are so many ways that good data can optimize a farm’s equipment management strategy.
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Regular preventative maintenance is the difference between a machine that operates without worry for hundreds of hours and one that is prone to breakdowns, often at the most inconvenient times. Technology offers a great way to track machine hours and maintenance intervals, removing any chance of human error using handwritten maintenance logs. Technology can also provide insight into a machine’s utilization that may be assumed otherwise. One of my growers recently commented that he was excited about two new windrowers he added to the operation. His operators shared his enthusiasm for these new machines – maybe too much. He quickly realized these two new machines were being used at a rate nearly double what he anticipated. Why? Because operators were choosing the new machines every time and rarely using the perfectly good, yet older models. He expected all the machines to be used at an even rate and created a maintenance plan to reflect equal hours. Realizing the two new machines were logging more hours, he was able to adjust the maintenance plan to be sure the higherutilized machines were getting appropriate TLC. Another way to use data for machine optimization comes when pairing tractors with implements. Different implements demand different RPMs out of the tractor.
Consider a piece of equipment that needs a higher RPM, like tillage, and one that needs less RPM, like a seeder. It is important to pair the tillage equipment with a tractor that has the horsepower to meet its needs, whereas a smaller tractor can be used to run the seeder. That is obvious, right? But this data is more valuable than one might initially think. I recently worked with a hay grower who realized he was oversizing RPMs significantly. Once he had the data to show just how wasteful this was, he updated his fleet to less expensive, smaller tractors that still met his power needs. Data can help take the optimization practice a step further. For example, consider the ability to track fuel and diesel exhaust fluid consumption. It is one thing to determine the least amount of horsepower an implement requires, then right-size the tractor in the most optimal way. Further optimize machine pairings by finding that sweet spot where the tractor meets the horsepower needs while using the lowest amount of fluid. That leads to the third resource to track and optimize: input resources.
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Input Resources Here is a question: which areas of your farm deliver the best return on investment. I will ask the question again, this time the answer cannot simply be, “The one with the highest yield.” A field may deliver the highest yield, but what if that field also requires more than one pass to get rid of the palmer amaranth? What if it requires more fertilizer than another because of its unique terrain and characteristics? Essentially, that top producing field may also be the top consumer of costly time and inputs. Data can be the secret to exposing truths about some fields and unlocking hidden potential in others.
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One way I have seen growers adapt to unique field needs is using variable rate practices. Whether seeding, nutrients or other inputs, a variable rate strategy is one of the best ways to control input costs and eliminate waste. It is also great advice for those who are struggling with how to produce more in the same amount of space. After all, it is easier to variable rate than it is to find new ground to farm. One way I help growers understand variable rate strategy is looking at it through the lens of a livestock farmer. When managing a herd, a farmer is constantly evaluating the cows throughout the year, paying attention to which cows get sick, which ones lose weight, which seem to have an easier time gaining
weight and so on. They address this by giving some more feed or medicine or, conversely, less. This is not a magical strategy; it is simple common sense. You would not feed all cows the same amount of food if some were gaining weight and others were not. You would not give them medicine if they did not get sick or withhold from the ones that did. You do not treat them exactly the same because they are not the same; each is unique and all have individual needs. The same is true of fields; every field has unique characteristics and needs, yet it always surprises me that it is not common practice to treat them differently. This is where a variable rate strategy comes into
play and doing it well is dependent on good data. Especially when it comes to in-field practices, I think it is common to do certain things or do them a certain way because that is the way it has been done. Data can help and encourage looking at situations more critically and determine what is necessary, what is right, and what can help get the best production with the lowest inputs.
Protecting the King If you play chess using the same strategy, the same set of moves every time because, “That is how I have always
done it,” I can almost guarantee you are not going to win. The opponent – weather, pests and all those factors out of your control – is not the same every time. They are going to throw out new moves, change it up, and, at times, be totally unpredictable.
Learn more about precision agriculture equipment, resources and support at www.RDOequipment.com.
Strive to be the grower who is playing chess, not checkers. If you are always thinking several steps ahead, doing your best to anticipate an opponent’s next move, and drawing on more than gut instincts to make the right decisions, you are more likely to avoid being caught in checkmate.
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