14 minute read
Farmers help set national policies
New autonomous tractors offer farmers the ability to use a smartphone app to program an unmanned tractor that uses 360-degree cameras and GPS guidance to navigate and plow fields.
On the cutting edge
Virginia farmers employ new technology to improve efficiency and increase yields
BY ADAM CULLER
COURTESY OF JOHN DEERE
The global population is rapidly increasing, as is the demand for the food, fuel and fiber produced by Virginia farmers.
With farmland gradually decreasing across the U.S., farmers are being tasked with improving their outputs despite rising input costs and fluctuating commodity prices. They must be resourceful to break even.
Despite mounting challenges, they are finding ways to succeed with the help of modern technology that allows farmers to be more efficient, increase yields and even improve their bottom lines.
Autonomous machinery drives new opportunities for crop growers
The concept of precision agriculture is simple—farmers utilize technology that saves time, improves planting efficiency, decreases input costs and promotes sustainability, all while increasing crop yields. Integrating precision technology on their farms is a strategy many Virginia row crop farmers have adopted. The technology has helped produce bountiful crop yields in recent years, with a record-high soybean yield in 2021 being the most recent triumph.
Scott Mundie, who grows barley, corn, soybeans and wheat in Essex, Richmond and Westmoreland counties, has been using precision ag technology since 2010.
Mundie has precision technology fitted on his combine to aggregate yield data, on his fertilizer spreader and sprayer to reduce overlap on chemical applications, and on the planter to control seed depth and spacing.
The technology provides comprehensive data, which helps Mundie with crop management decisions that increase efficiency and productivity. He noted the speed at which advancements are being made can be dizzying, but with each passing year, the technology gets a little more accessible and user-friendly.
“Farming is always changing, and we have never accepted the ideology that you farm a certain way because we’ve always done it that way,” Mundie said. “We’re embracing the fact that the use of this technology is the future.”
While precision ag technology that helps farmers plant and harvest is part of modern farming, autonomous—or self-driving—machinery also is moving to the forefront.
In January, John Deere introduced the autonomous 8R tractor, an unmanned machine that uses 360º cameras and GPS guidance to navigate and plow fields. It is controlled with a smartphone app, so farmers simply drive the tractor to the field and configure it before turning it loose.
Marcus McDonald, an integrated solutions manager for James River Equipment in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, noted the tractor currently is limited to autonomous tillage.
However, McDonald said, that’s just the start of what’s to come.
“The machines can do a better job than we can ever do, because the grower fatigue and sitting in a machine 20 hours a day can wear on you,” he said. “[Autonomous equipment] would give the opportunity for the farmer to use a little less manpower. And if it can free up the operator to actually follow behind the planter to look at seed depth and those factors, that’s where the advantage is.
“It’s the small things that improve yields.”
Remote sensing technology paves way for improved crop management
At the Eastern Virginia Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Richmond County, superintendent Dr. Joseph Oakes and his team track the progress of up to 20,000 breeding plots annually.
The AREC conducts countless breeding trials on peanuts, soybeans, wheat and other small grains. Plant height, lodging, maturity date, heading date and flowering dates are among the data sets the AREC collects—a daunting task when measured manually.
Luckily, remote sensing technology spares Oakes and staff from “getting on their hands and knees” to collect the data. Instead, data is collected from the sky through a drone camera.
Drone-based data collection is just one application of remote sensing, which entails farmers monitoring and managing their crops without physically entering the field. This is achievable through technology that collects aerial images from satellites, manned aircraft or drones, or readings gathered through ground sensors placed in fields.
The images and sensed information effectively map the fields, which can be used to monitor crop health, as well as weather and soil patterns.
“What we can get is a quick view of the entire field,” Oakes explained. “If I’m going out and [collecting data] myself, I might miss a great spot or count a bad spot. With the data from the remote sensors, we can get the data for the entire field and standardize some of that data collection.”
Remote sensors also can identify crop damage and disease, pest and weed infestations, and water and nutrient deficiencies, and predict crop yields.
Though the technology itself isn’t new, technological advancements, cost effectiveness and availability of peripheral equipment needed for remote sensing have contributed to making the technology more accessible.
And, with the help of the research being conducted at the 11 ARECs in Virginia, data collection techniques are continually being streamlined, giving farmers tools to improve productivity.
“The goal for our crop management studies is to transfer the knowledge to growers,” Oakes said. “That way they can use it to improve their bottom lines.”
Remote sensing drones enable researchers at the Eastern Virginia Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Richmond County to track the progress of 20,000 plant breeding plots each year.
Invisible hazards
Be mindful of toxic gas exposure when working around manure pits
BY NICOLE ZEMA
and barley. Reservoirs hold the manure produced by 200-plus cows until the The expected smells were subdued at Home Place Dairy’s largest manure pit on a frigid February day. The fenced, concrete-lined ground is thawed and ready to absorb the nutrients, which improves soil fertility and minimizes runoff. While manure pits are essential to many farm operations, some gases released in the agitation process can open pit—16 feet deep with a 134-foot be toxic, incapacitating and sometimes diameter nestled in a hollow—had a deadly. semi-frozen layer of crust atop 12 feet Four family members and a farm of liquid manure that will be pumped in employee in Rockingham County were the spring. killed by methane gas poisoning during
A couple times each year, fourth-enclosed manure pit maintenance in generation dairy farmer Conrad 2007. A similar incident happened in Goering is tasked with emptying the Ohio last summer, killing three. Rockingham County farm’s three pits. The manure is spread on farm fields used to grow hay, rye, triticale, corn
These losses resonate in the dairy community, and it shouldn’t take another tragedy to be reminded to always practice manure pit safety, said Jeremy Daubert, Virginia Cooperative Extension dairy agent in Rockingham County.
Hydrogen sulfide is a heavy gas that stays at the bottom of the pit, he explained. “But when it’s agitated and stirred up a little bit, you’ve got to be more careful.”
Daubert recalled how, while working at a dairy years ago, he saw a child pass out while riding a bike near a manure pit when heavy gases settled low to the ground.
That invisible hazard is kept in mind at Home Place Dairy too, Goering said.
“Whenever we stir up the pit, we try not to hang out in the hollow down there, because the gas will find the lowest spot,” he said. “In the old days, you’d have to get out and stand on the wall and run the controls.”
Now, the farm is equipped with a manure spreader that agitates and pumps the fertilizer by remote control from a tractor cab.
“I can stay in the tractor and not be near the pit,” Goering said. “That’s how technology is keeping us safer.”
Dairy farmer Conrad Goering is tasked with emptying the Rockingham County farm's three manure pits. Pits store the cow manure until it can be spread on farm fields where hay, rye, corn and barley are grown. A fence around the pit keeps workers from getting too close to potentially noxious gases.
COURTESY OF MARYLAND & VIRGINIA MILK PRODUCERS COOPERATIVE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
• Move the victim to fresh air, away from the area if you can; but do not follow an incapacitated person into a pit. • Call 911, and tell the operator you have a manure pit emergency. • Is the victim breathing? Do they have circulation? If not, start hands-only CPR.
Safety measures
SUGGESTED SAFETY PROTOCOLS
• Use gas monitors, which are generally inexpensive and can give reliable readings on most hazardous farm gases. • Install a harness system that includes an approved fall arrest system, a rescue rope and pulley. • Utilize a supplied air respirator system that allows for 15-30 minutes of clean air. • Use a fan for ventilation. • Notify others when beginning manure pit maintenance.
SAFETY RESOURCE
Home Place Dairy is a member of the Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association Inc., which offers farm safety evaluation and preparation resources through the National Dairy FARM Program—Farmers Assuring Responsible Management at nationaldairyfarm.com. Visit bit.ly/3sJyfit to see a manure pit safety video produced by the co-op.
How to recognize manure pit gases
AMMONIA
• The smell is sharp and pungent. • NH3 is heavier than oxygen and stays low to the ground. • Long-term exposure can cause eye ulcerations and severe respiratory aggravation.
CARBON DIOXIDE
• CO2 is odorless and heavier than air. • The gas can replace oxygen in the blood. Moderate concentrations of CO2 can lead to shortness of breath and dizziness.
HYDROGEN SULFIDE
• It smells like rotten eggs and is more likely to occur when gypsum is used in animal bedding. • H2S is heavier than oxygen, and can resurface during agitation. • Those low to the ground are more susceptible to poisoning. • Certain levels of H2S can cause instant incapacitation, and death within minutes, especially in enclosed pits lacking ventilation.
METHANE
• CH4 is odorless and lighter than air. • Poorly ventilated pits can cause headaches and asphyxiation. • The explosive potential of CH4 is dangerous to nearby people and livestock.
Virtual seminars return to educate members about Medicare options
Following two years of growing popularity among members, virtual Medicare 101 seminars offered through Virginia Farm Bureau are here to stay.
“These seminars allow our staff to unpack how Medicare works and explain the differences between traditional Medicare, Medicare Supplements and Medicare Advantage plans,” said Tracy Cornatzer, sales manager for VFB Health Insurance division. “The seminars are educational and provide an excellent opportunity for those who attend to gather information that will help when looking for a plan that will fit their needs.”
Perhaps best of all, members can attend virtual seminars from the comfort of their own homes, and sessions can easily be accessed on a computer, smartphone or tablet.
The seminars typically last an hour, and a VFB Health Insurance representative will explain the plans. The presentations describe how Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and other related plans work. Eligibility, enrollment periods and plan timelines also will be covered.
For the third year of virtual seminars, sessions now include a third time slot: • Morning sessions will be held at 10 a.m. on May 3, June 7, July 7, Aug. 9 and Sept. 22. • Afternoon seminars will be held at 2 p.m. on April 19, May 24, June 16,
July 19, Aug. 18, Aug. 30 and Sept. 29 • Evening sessions will be held at 6 p.m. on April 7, May 10, June 28,
July 28 and Sept. 8.
To register, visit vafb.com/health/ medicare-seminars. Alternatively, you may RSVP by emailing your name, email address, and the date of the seminar you’d like to attend to MedicareSeminar@vafb.com, or contact your local Farm Bureau office. If you cannot attend a seminar and have questions about Medicare or need assistance signing up for a Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement or Part D plan, call 800-229-7779. You also can request a personalized quote at vafb.com/health.
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This policy has exclusions, limitations and terms under which the policy may be continued in force or discontinued. For more information on benefits, please contact your agent or the health plan. Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or the federal Medicare program. The purpose of this communication is the solicitation of insurance. Contact will be made by an insurance agent or insurance company. Anthem Health Plans of Virginia, Inc. trades as Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia, and its service area is all of Virginia except for the City of Fairfax, the Town of Vienna, and the area east of State Route 123. Independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. AADVOTH006M(15)-VA 55681VASENABS THOMAS
Richmond educator named AITC Teacher of the Year
Miriam Thomas, a fifth-grade teacher at Barack Obama Elementary School in the city of Richmond, has been named the Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom
Are you interested in helping children in your community learn about farming and the sources of their food? If so, the Agriculture in the Classroom’s Ambassador Program may be right for you.
AITC launched its ambassador program last fall. Its goal is to create a network of local ATIC representatives to create fun agricultural learning experiences for children and help them make connections with how agriculture touches their everyday lives.
“Our goal with this piece of our program is to have volunteers represent AITC in their communities,” said Tammy Maxey, AITC programs director. “We would love to have at least one ambassador in each county or city in Virginia.”
AITC ambassadors typically include Farm Bureau volunteers, 4-H agents and assistants, FFA advisers, teachers and others. Virtual ambassador meetings and trainings are held each quarter to collaborate, discuss ideas and receive new information on seasonal activities and events that can be shared with youth at community events.
After each meeting, AITC gives ambassadors toolkits with items needed to complete various activities.
“Through the support of our funders, AITC equips our ambassadors with items needed to share activities and facts about agriculture with children in their own communities.” Maxey explained. “AITC ambassadors have flexibility to execute the activities in ways that work best for them, their communities and the resources they have available.”
Past AITC ambassador activities included a fall ‘Thank a Farmer’ art contest, a pumpkin pudding pie recipe exercise, activities themed around Agricultural Literacy Week and projects connected with the Discover Dairy curriculum.
To learn more about the AITC Ambassador Program, email aitc@vafb.com or call 804-290-1143. 2022 Teacher of the Year. The award recognizes a Virginia educator for incorporating agriculture into their core curriculum. Thomas is a language arts and history teacher who grew up visiting her grandmother’s farm. Her own experiences with agriculture, along with the school’s inner city setting and knowledge that many of her students have little exposure to farming, led her to teach about the sources of their food and to explore how agriculture touches their lives. One of her projects was a literature study with the novel A Taste of Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan. The novel mentions a variety of fruits and vegetables, which Thomas brought to class. She discussed how they’re cultivated and which ones are grown in Virginia, and she described the farms that produce them. Students also learned how to cook and prepare the foods and took home recipe books for their parents and caregivers.
“Miriam strives to instill in her students a love and respect for agriculture and the environment,” said Tammy Maxey, Virginia AITC programs director. “A previous AITC grant winner in 2021, she has dedicated herself to providing meaningful handson learning and presents her students with opportunities to practice and develop lifetime skills.”
As Virginia AITC Teacher of the Year, Thomas will receive a scholarship to the 2022 National AITC Conference in June and a $500 cash award.
AITC Ambassador Program connects children with local agriculture
BY ALICE KEMP
AGRICULTURE IN THE CLASSROOM
AITC spring projects start in April
The ever-popular chef showdown challenge has returned. Partnering with the Virginia Egg Council, Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom is hosting the Eggscellent Young Chef Recipe Contest this April, during which Virginia students are invited to show off their culinary skills using their favorite egg recipes. Contestants will cook their culinary creations and submit a photo of the recipe with them eating it. Winning photos and recipes will be showcased on the Virginia AITC Facebook page.
May is National Beef Month and AITC is partnering with the Virginia Beef Industry Council to bring students a virtual beef farm tour. Sixthgeneration beef cattle farmer Morgan Messer will give students an inside look at what it’s like to run a beef cattle farm and explain why these animals are so important to us and our food system. The event will take place via Zoom during the school day, and advance registration is required.
To learn more about these programs, visit the AITC website at virginia. agclassroom.org or the Virginia AITC Facebook page.
