Technology is now part of everyday life on the farm
By Farms.com
If you didn’t attend the 7th annual Farms.com Precision Agriculture Conference & Ag Technology Showcase on January 29-30, 2020 at the RBC Place Convention Centre in London, Ontario, here are some quick video updates on some of the topics you may have missed.
One of the keynote presentations during the conference was from Climate FieldView. Following the presentation, Andrew Elgersma from Climate FieldView spoke with Farms.com about the Climate FieldView Farm Data Management Platform. The goal of the platform is to help farmers bring all their data into one place. Climate FieldView geo-references the data coming off from every equipment pass, which enables farmers to look at that data remotely as well as provide detailed analysis tools to show what is driving yield variances. Complimented by Satellite field imagery during the growing season, Climate FieldView technology enables farmers to be proactive while scouting their fields.
A recent University of Guelph survey revealed that a large majority of farmers who have started adopting precision agriculture, were using the Climate FieldView Farm Data Management Platform.
Jordan Wallace from GPS Ontario exhibited and gave a well-received breakout presentations at the conference. In the video below, Wallace discusses precision ag technology and new equipment from Trimble GPS Equipment, as well as GPS Ontario’s new product lineup, including the GFX 350 and the dawn strip till system, new hardware and software developments, new Bluetooth implement recognition tag, autosteer systems, and more.
Proagrica also exhibited at the conference. Ryan Hoffman, Proagrica Territory Sales Manager - Eastern Corn Belt, spoke with Farms.com about data connectivity. He underlined that data can provide valuable insights to farmers to make improvements in workflows, which can lead to greater profitability.
The A & L Canada Laboratories breakout session was standing room only while Greg Patterson, CEO & Founder, spoke about the company's newest technologies, including the TerraSite Platform - a highly integrated remote sensing system that takes in information from multiple sources. The information can then be interpreted to help farmers make precision agriculture choices.
The Kearney Planters exhibit showcased the use of technology in today's planting systems. Kearney Planters carries more than 50 aftermarket brands, as well as building and remanufacturing corn and bean planters, with various sensing and control systems.
The 2020 Conference also featured Dairy Ag Tech. Brittany Todd from Grober Nutrition gave an excellent presentation at the conference reviewing Precision Dairy Farming by using both new and old technology.
Zoetis SmartBow was a highlight for dairy farmers. Bethany Muir from Zoetis, spoke with Farms.com about SmartBow, one of the most advanced cow monitoring technology on the market today. SmartBow uses a simple ear tag that transmits data to a hardwired antenna located in the barn. The data then provides real-time digital information to enable farmers to make confident decisions based on the animal's current status, such as heat detection for insemination purposes. Farmers can also monitor rumination to help tell if a cow is healthy or sick, comfortable or not, for example.
One of the Dairy exhibitors at the show was CowKühlerZ. Nancy Vander Byl from CowKühlerZ sat down with Farms.com to provide an overview of the CowKühlerZ system - a precisely automated heat prevention system that prevents heat stress in dairy cattle before it even becomes an issue. With simple and easy-to-use controllers, the fan and misting system is ideal for dairy farmers as it can monitor the THI (temperature humidity index) in a dairy barn continuously.
Some non-precision agriculture exhibitors also drew attention at the show.
Financial and tax planning is a challenge for any farmer, and Sylvia Warchulski, tax consultant at FBC was at the show to connect with farmers on this complex issue. In this video, Sylvia discusses the benefits of specialized tax consulting and tax preparation for farmers and small businesses.
Josefa Michaelson from Canada's Energy Citizens - Canada's largest pro-oil and gas grassroots advocacy movement, spoke with Farms.com about the importance of supporting the agricultural sector and other natural resource industries. Energy Citizens gives a voice to the silent majority who support oil and natural gas developed in an environmentally-responsible way under one of the most-stringent regulatory environments in the world.
One of the most innovative exhibits at the Precision Agriculture Technology Showcase, was the University of Guelph "grow room". The grow room featured many tropical plants from around the globe in a bid to provoke discussion about digital agriculture, food, food sources, and more.
The 2020 Western Canada Farms.com Precision Agriculture Conference and Ag Technology Showcase will be held November 23 & 24th in Red Deer, Alberta.
The 2021 Eastern Canada Farms.com Precision Agriculture Conference and Ag Technology Showcase will be held January 27-28 in London, Ontario.