Miscellaneous

Tick Safety Guide: Preventing Alpha-Gal Syndrome and Lyme Disease

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 18:49:28 GMT

Increasing reports of alpha-gal syndrome, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other tick-related illnesses are a critical reminder why preparation is important before spending time outside in spring and summer, says University of Missouri and Lincoln University Extension urban entomologist Emily Althoff.

Ticks are the most important vectors of disease in domestic and wild animals throughout the world, and are second only to mosquitoes in transmitting disease in humans. As temperatures rise and people begin camping, fishing and farming, it’s more important than ever to be aware of the health dangers posed by ticks, she explains.

What is Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS)?

Bites from the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) or the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis, also called deer ticks) can trigger AGS. Alpha-gal is a sugar molecule found in most mammals. After eating mammalian meat, people who become allergic to alpha-gal may experience an hours-long delay in symptoms, which include hives, swelling of lips, face, tongue or throat, stomach pain and nausea, reports the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill . It can also cause restricted breathing and death.

deer_tick-Mizzou.jpg

(University of Missouri)

AGS diagnosis involves a combination of medical history, physical examination, allergy testing and symptom tracking.

Best Practices for Tick Prevention on the Farm

Although Lyme disease is treatable with antibiotics, there is currently no cure for AGS. Because of this, tick prevention is the best defense. Here are three tips for tick prevention

Dress to defend.
Ticks frequently attach to the lower legs of people and then crawl upward before embedding themselves in the skin to feed. They thrive in the humid, cool layer at the soil’s surface and often locate hosts using an ambush strategy known as “questing.”
The right choice of clothing can help you prevent you from picking up ticks, Althoff says. Choose light-colored garments. Tuck your shirt into your pants, and tuck your pants into your socks.

“This is where duct tape comes in handy,” she says. Duct tape the bottom of the pant legs closed to prevent ticks from getting to your skin.
Use DEET.
Always apply DEET-based insect repellent when visiting wooded areas or working on farms, says MU Extension health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch. Apply DEET only as directed to exposed skin or clothing. Avoid eyes, mouth, injured skin and children’s hands. Be careful not to inhale the product, and do not use it around food, she cautions. Wash treated skin and clothing thoroughly once you’re back indoors.
Search and destroy.
When you come inside after spending time in the outdoors, perform a full-body tick check. Look inside and behind the ears, along the hairline, the back of the neck, armpits, groin, legs, behind the knees and even between toes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends showering within two hours of being outdoors. If you find a tick, remove it with sturdy tweezers.

How to Safely Remove a Tick

Removing a tick can be challenging, but do not wait to go to a healthcare provider. Grasp the tick at the front of its body, as close to the skin as possible, and pull straight out. Avoid squeezing the rear of the tick, as this can cause it to expel gut contents into your skin, increasing the risk of infection. Clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, iodine or soap and water.

If you develop a rash or fever within several days to weeks after removing a tick, see your doctor.
Contrary to popular belief, CDC warns not to use petroleum jelly, heat, nail polish, or other substances to try and make the tick detach from the skin. This may agitate the tick and force infected fluid from the tick into the skin.

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Avoid Tick Testing

People who have removed a tick may wonder if they should have it tested to see if it is infected. CDC says testing is not recommended, even though some commercial groups offer it.

“Laboratories that conduct tick testing are not required to have the high standards of quality control used by clinical diagnostic laboratories,” CDC shares on its website. “Results of tick testing should not be used for treatment decisions. Positive results showing that the tick contains a disease-causing organism do not necessarily mean that you have been infected.”

If you have been infected, CDC says you will probably develop symptoms before results of the tick test are available.

If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your doctor. Learn more here.

Read More:
Researchers Close in on Alpha-Gal Syndrome Meat Allergy Mystery Linked to Ticks

The New Survival Skill: Build Like a Polymath, Lead Like a CEO

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:14:35 GMT

Have you been concerned about jobs being eliminated because of artificial intelligence (AI)? My exhortation is that, now more than ever, if you want to protect your position in the market, your company and your role, you must become more innovative and entrepreneurial with and through AI.

To lead, not just survive but thrive, you must become an AI-driven entrepreneurial polymath.

Some entrepreneurs dedicate their lives to building and scaling a single enterprise, but the most impactful among them — entrepreneurial polymaths (or serial entrepreneurs) — never stop creating. They build multiple ventures, innovate across disciplines and contribute to both industry and society.

Polymath comes from the Greek “polymathēs” — “having learned much.” Historically, polymaths like Leonardo da Vinci and Benjamin Franklin applied mastery across multiple fields. In an entrepreneurial context, a polymath entrepreneur blends adaptability and insatiable curiosity with the commercial instincts to turn knowledge and innovation into enterprises.

Where the typical entrepreneur may invest all energy into one idea, the polymath entrepreneur has a restless drive to solve problems repeatedly. With AI, this isn’t just easier; it has become essential for survival.

The question for you is: Are you a maintainer, a one-venture wonder, or do you have the capacity for ongoing leadership and innovation across multiple pursuits?

Leverage for Leaders

Over my career I have interacted with thousands of CEOs, hundreds of whom have been clients and many who have become friends. The most fascinating and fruitful among them have always been the polymath entrepreneurs.

Whether they wear the title of CEO, founder or simply manager, they are the true engines of progress. They see opportunities others overlook, and in an age of technological disruption and AI, they often find it easy to reinvent industries.

But vision and creativity alone are not enough. As Peter Drucker reminds us, “Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art. It is a practice.”

Entrepreneurs often have blind spots in the disciplines of management, strategy, innovation management, implementation, culture, resource allocation, productivity and sustainable value creation. Without these, even a polymath’s brilliance can stall.

One shortcut is leverage: Partner with external strategists who’ve implemented AI-driven innovations across many businesses, so you’re not learning everything the expensive way, through delays, misfires and internal politics.

When partnered with strong functional leadership, however, the polymath entrepreneur becomes nearly unstoppable. Their power multiplies when aligned with:

Operations leadership (chief operating officer/VP of operations) to translate vision into scalable systems.
Financial leadership (chief financial officer) to ensure disciplined capital allocation and risk management.
Specialized expertise (e.g., internal full-time or external consulting or fractional chief marketing officer, chief information officer or chief strategy officer) to deepen customer, technology or domain execution.

As Michael Porter taught: “The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” The polymath thrives because they can choose across domains, letting go of the old to seize the new. And as Joseph Schumpeter argued in “Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy,” the entrepreneur is the true agent of “creative destruction.” The polymath entrepreneur embodies this, not just once, but repeatedly, breaking down old models and building new ones.

Unlike the myth that entrepreneurship is a product of personality or charisma, whether Steve Jobs at Apple, Richard Branson at Virgin or Elon Musk with his many ventures, Drucker insisted that entrepreneurship is a discipline. It can be studied, replicated and managed. What separates polymath entrepreneurs is their repeated ability to master this discipline across domains.

Bottom line: The most successful will be those who will be applying the fast-evolving tools of AI to not just innovate and add new value through the optimization of your organization but also to create new solutions for your customer/market that innovate your industry — and often will create a new sustainable business faster and more value-creating than ever before.

Mark Faust (513-621-8000, mark@em1990.com) works with owners, CEOs and sales managers who want to grow their businesses. You can schedule a free profit improvement session with Mark by visiting calendly.com/markfaust . Read more ideas from him here .

What Farm Equipment Manufacturers Are Saying About 50% Steel and Aluminum Tariffs

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 17:15:53 GMT

Farm equipment manufacturers have spent the past nine months dealing with tariff fallout and implications. It’s an effort borne out of sheer necessity — that’s because the various tariff levels and targets have changed faster than a Kansas prairie headwind during spring planting.

It’s why we talked with executives from a handful of farm equipment manufacturers to learn more about how they are managing the situation. John Deere, for example, recently went as far as attaching a hard number to the tariff pain: a projected $600 million in balance sheet impact for 2025 is the figure shared by John Beal, director of investor relations, during Deere’s 2025 Q3 earnings call.

On Aug. 18, a 50% tariff on all foreign steel and aluminum imports into the U.S. went into effect. That alone has had a huge impact on the companies building farm machines here in the U.S. and abroad, and it’s even restricting the movement of used farm equipment across the border.

Almost All American Made

Case IH’s Kurt Coffey, who serves as the companies’ vice president of its North America division, says the executive team he is on meets daily to unpack global trade developments. Case IH is in a good position overall, he says, with 80% to 90% of its machines produced in one of four U.S. production facilities, and 95% of its machinery base material (i.e. steel) sourced domestically.

Related - From the Factory to Your Fields: Where Farm Equipment Is Made

(Case IH)

“What we’re trying to do is scale across our business to where there are impacts in the short term, in the transitory period, and make sure that we continue to flow product so we’re a reliable partner for our customers,” Coffey says. “But it is anybody’s guess where this is going. So, we’re maintaining focus on the customer and our supply flows.”

That supply flow is worth the extra effort in Racine, according to Coffey, due to this fact: Anywhere from 60% to 90% of Case IH machinery is presold, so a new tariff today means a big, unexpected extra cost tacked on the back end.

“We’re executing on product that was sold three, five or even eight months ago,” he adds. “So, no comment on [financial] impacts, but we’ve continued to focus on how we make sure our customers have what they need as they’re going to harvest.”

Coffey doesn’t come right out and say it, but reading between the lines, it seems clear that Case IH has had to flex its creative muscles and figure out how to manage, for example, a new 50% tariff bill on a brand-new AF-11 combine that was sold six months ago. That extra 50% wasn’t part of the equation when the deal was signed, so who pays for it?

More EU Than U.S.

While Case IH has a large manufacturing base in the U.S., German-based manufacturer Claas is a different story. While the company builds its Lexion combines and self-propelled corn detassler machine at a 250,000-sq.-ft. facility in Omaha, Neb., four-fifths (80%) of its row crop machinery portfolio is built over in Europe and shipped to dealer lots in the U.S.

In a Trump Tariff world, that means significantly higher production costs for Claas, and potentially, the farmers that buy their tractors and combines. That’s because tariffs are taxes, and most companies will pass that extra cost down the line to consumers in the form of higher retail prices.

Eric Raby, senior vice president of the Americas region, Claas, says his outfit is actually taking on some of those extra costs.

(Claas)

“From an EU [European Union] perspective, and in Canada and some other major countries, we’re pretty even keel right now on where the tariffs are, and I think the industry as a whole has pretty much absorbed [a lot of] those,” he says. “We’ve absorbed a lot, as well. We’re not passing all of it to the customer.”

The new-ish 50% tariff on steel and aluminum is a different story, however.

“We’re still working [on that] right now and trying to figure out the implications, because that really is going to affect our industry much more broadly than just the tariffs on a country of origin for a specific machine,” Raby says. “We’re always looking for local [material] suppliers as well, because our time to market gets shortened considerably. So, it’s much more efficient for us as well.”

One way to manage those costs is to onshore more of its material sourcing network here into the U.S. We visited Claas’ Omaha factory this summer, and efforts were already underway to find more suppliers in Nebraska and the Midwest.

“We’re always looking at broadening our supplier base,” Raby says. “If we go back to COVID, I think the whole industry suffered from a lack of versatility within the supply chain. So we’re always looking for different suppliers. And then obviously, with the tariffs now, we’re looking even more intently on sourcing locally.”

Nearly 50/50

New Holland is largely viewed as a Euro-brand in farm equipment circles, but it’s closer to an even split. The company manufactures about 50% of it’s row-crop machinery in the EU and 40% in North America, with the remaining 10% built in the Asia-Pacific region.

JEAN-MARC GIUBOUX PHOTOGRAPHY

(New Holland)

New Holland’s vice president of North America, Ryan Schaefer, has been in the leadership role for the brand’s domestic operations for about a year now. He says CNH Industrial has eight manufacturing plants in the U.S. as well as a significant presence in western Canada, but managing the tariff situation has been anything but easy, he says.

“We produce tractors and combines all over the world, as well, so we truly have a global footprint,” he says. “So really, I wouldn’t go so far as to call the situation difficult, but the challenges are something that many in our industry have never had to deal with firsthand. It’s been a learning experience for all manufacturers, I would say, throughout North America and the globe.”

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It's Hot Out There: Avoid Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion This Summer

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 20:22:43 GMT

As the temperatures begin to soar, we all know farm and ranch work never stops, even in the hot weather.

“Wear lightweight, long-sleeved, light-colored clothing, or a cooling vest and take short, frequent breaks in a shaded or cool area to stay cool while working outdoors,” says Tawnie Larson, a program manager in Kansas State University’s Carl and Melinda Helwig Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and the Kansas Agriculture Safety and Health Program.

She says technical cooling vests “are essentially like wearing air conditioning.”

“The vests use specialized fabric and fibers to circulate cooling products to keep body temperatures low during hot days,” she explains.

Larson also suggests using equipment with a canopy, such as a Rollover Protection Structure (ROPS) with a sunshade.

“Usually, the ROPS with canopies cannot be folded down, which in turn provides more safety for operators because the ROPS is always activated,” Larson says. “Equipment that has an enclosed cab often times comes with air conditioning and has a built-in ROPS. Both of these options provide safety from rollovers and can help prevent heat-related illness.”

Because each individual reacts to hot days different, it’s important to listen to your body, Larson says. Take frequent breaks and stay inside during the hottest part of the day if possible.

“Medication may also play a role in affecting one’s body’s ability to stay cool, making it harder to handle the heat,” Larson says. “Before working outside this summer, check with your doctor to see if you’re at higher risk for heat-related illness and whether you should take extra-precautions due to medication.”

Is it Heat Stroke or Heat Exhaustion?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends drinking 1 cup of water every 15-20 minutes, and before becoming thirsty. The CDC also recommends keeping sugary and alcoholic drinks to a minimum. Replace salt and minerals with snacks or a sports drink.

Heat stroke symptoms include high body temperature; hot, dry, red or damp skin; fast, strong pulse; headache; dizziness; nausea; confusion; and lack of consciousness.

If a person is suffering from heat stroke:

Call 9-1-1 immediately.
Move the person to a cooler place.
Lower the person’s temperature with cooler clothes.
Do not give the person anything to drink.

“Heat exhaustion is different and usually not as serious,” Larson says.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion may include:

heavy sweating
cold, pale and clammy skin
fast, weak pulse
nausea
tiredness
headache
fainting

“If this occurs, take action by moving to a cool place, loosen clothing, get cool, sip water and seek medical attention if symptoms last longer than an hour or get worse,” Larson says.

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From Omaha to Georgia: Inside the Farm Machinery Reshoring Boom

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 19:38:03 GMT

After releasing our “Where Farm Equipment Is Made” 2025 update in February , we circled back with farm equipment manufacturers to get a read on how tariffs will affect where machines are made.

Many companies across a wide range of industries are considering or even moving forward with plans to reshore production from overseas back into the United States. We’ve learned this process involves long-term, strategic investments in new facilities and/or expanding factories already established here in the States.

Although each manufacturer shared differing visions for how, when and where it plans to build out additional manufacturing capabilities in the years ahead, a common theme did emerge: farm equipment builders are investing big dollars into reshoring, and many have been for quite some time now.

Let’s hear what the machinery companies are planning:

AGCO Corp.

(AGCO Corp.)

The Duluth, Ga.-based equipment manufacturer says its dedication to American farmers and its own strategic investment plans are “key drivers of our overall growth strategy,” according to an AGCO spokesperson.

The rest of the statement from AGCO, which builds the Fendt and Massey Ferguson equipment brands along with its own AGCO machines, regarding U.S. expansion plans can be found below:

Since 2020, we have invested just under $3 billion in the U.S. across new and expanded manufacturing facilities, product innovations and the largest ag tech deal in the history of the industry. Our commitment has extended across our various brands, locations and Research & Development (R&D) efforts, including the notable 2024 joint venture establishing Colorado-based PTx Trimble, the inauguration of Fendt Lodge – the North American headquarters of Fendt – in Minnesota, a new precision ag production facility in Illinois, modernization of systems and technologies in one of our Kansas plants, and U.S.-based R&D for new sprayer and planter technology.

These investments, AGCO says, will not only enhance production at its U.S. facilities for years to come, but also ensure AGCO remains at the forefront of ag innovation around the world.

Claas

(Matthew J. Grassi)

Claas is still a somewhat fresh face to the North American farm equipment market, but the company has deep roots in Europe. It was founded over 100 years ago in a small German farming town, and today the company has global headquarters in Harsewinkel, Germany.

But you may not be aware that Claas has also built a significant manufacturing operation in America’s heartland. The company opened its Lexion combine production campus, located just south of downtown Omaha, Neb., in 1997. This year marks 10,000 Lexion combines rolling off the main production line inside the 120,000 sq. ft. facility.

(Photos: John Deere, Matthew J. Grassi, AGCO, Kubota)

Claas has significant expansion plans in place for its Omaha campus, including doubling its overall production footprint for the main manufacturing building as well as adding a new training and apprenticeship building.

Here is the statement Matthias Ristow, president & managing director of business administration – Claas Omaha, shared regarding the company’s expansion plans:

Claas is investing significantly in its production hub in the United States, and not only recently. Over the last five years, we have added to our production facility to provide a better location for our rework and reconfiguration areas, as well as a dedicated work area for our quality control department for the pre-delivery inspections each machine must go through before being shipped. This is part of our comprehensive quality assurance program.

We also have built a new service academy where we train all the technicians from our U.S. dealer network (we have a similar location in Canada) so we can keep their skills up to date and make sure they have the proper certifications to work on our machines. Technology updates and changes are trained there as well.

Furthermore, our new service academy houses our apprenticeship program where we train the future assembly technicians in a three-year rigorous training program, managed by the German Chamber of Commerce. The program has several advantages. Technicians receive a regular paycheck (“earn while you learn”), receive an associate’s degree from a community college we partner with, receive a certificate from the German Chamber and have a job when they graduate from the program debt free.

Farm Journal recently had the opportunity to tour Claas’ Omaha operation, where we learned the manufacturer is also expanding its partnerships with domestic material and component manufacturers. For example, it recently began working with a finished parts supplier local to Nebraska to fabricate the grain spout for each Lexion combine.

CNH Industrial (Case IH and New Holland)

(CNH Industrial)

Although short on specifics, CNH Industrial (Racine, Wisc.) confirms it plans to “continue to expand our footprint through capital investments in our U.S. facilities, partnerships with local suppliers and programs that strengthen the communities where we live and work.”

CNH adds it currently employs more than 9,000 people across 17 U.S. states, with 14 manufacturing facilities and 22 R&D centers active throughout North America.

And approximately 70% of the components used in CNH Industrial’s U.S. plants are sourced from domestic suppliers while 95% its steel is purchased from U.S.-based mills. It says this approach to domestic material sourcing supports thousands of suppliers’ jobs and reinforces its investment in American-made quality.

John Deere

(John Deere)

The farm equipment manufacturer with global headquarters in Moline, Ill., was first to share its future investment plans with Farm Journal. Back in May, the company announced a 10-year, $20 billion outlay plan for its U.S. production base. This year alone, Deere says it will pour $100 million into its U.S. operations.

John Deere says this initiative includes:

A 120,000 sq. ft. expansion of the company’s remanufacturing facility in Missouri.
Construction of a new excavator factory in Kernersville, N.C.
Expansion of its Greeneville, Tenn., turf equipment factory.
New assembly lines for 9RX high-horsepower tractor production in Waterloo, Iowa.

John Deere plans to invest a total of $22.5 billion into its U.S. manufacturing network once the 10-year project is complete.

Kubota North America

(Kubota North America)

Kubota Tractor Corporation (KTC) established its North America headquarters in Grapevine, TX., in 2017. The Japanese equipment manufacturer shared the following statement regarding U.S. expansion plans.

North America is critical for Kubota, and the U.S. is our largest market. We firmly believe in local production for local consumption and have made more than $1 billion in U.S. infrastructure investments in the last couple years to meet the growing needs of our dealers and customers. For example, we recently announced the opening of a new loader facility in Gainesville, Ga., (invested $190 million), a new Western Distribution Center in California (invested $72 million), and an R&D facility (invested $100 million) that’s also in Georgia. We have other network investment announcements in the works, and we plan to continue to invest over the next five to 10 years as we respond to market demands. Today, we are more than 7,000 American workers strong who market and sell, and fabricate, weld and assemble equipment with domestic and global parts.

Want to learn more about where your favorite farm machines are made? Check out “From the Factory to Your Fields: Where Farm Equipment Is Made”.

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Wienermobiles Will 'Haul Buns' to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Thu, 22 May 2025 13:27:42 GMT

Nothing kicks off the beginning of summer like a hot dog on the grill. The beloved American staple will be featured in full force during the “Wienie 500” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 23. The Wienie 500 marks the first “meat-up” of all six Wienermobiles in over a decade, the company says.

In this first-of-its-kind spectacle, the fleet of Wienermobiles will ‘haul buns’ to the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a race unlike any other, Oscar Meyer said in a release . This will be the first competitive race for the fleet.

Each Wienermobile will represent a different regional dog that you can cheer on in the race, including:

The Chi Dog (Midwest)
New York Dog (East)
Slaw Dog (Southeast)
Sonoran Dog (Southwest)
Chili Dog (South)
Seattle Dog (Northwest)

“From custom Hotdogger racing suits to a trophy presentation in the ‘Wiener’s Circle,’ complete with a condiment spray and hot dog for the wiener’s enjoyment, every moment of the race is designed to spark smiles, serving up a delightful racing event only Oscar Mayer can,” the company said.

The Indianapolis 500 draws more than 330,000 fans who consume nearly 30,000 hot dogs, the company said.

“The Indy 500 marks the unofficial kickoff of summer and the start of hot dog season,” Kelsey Rice, brand communications director at Oscar Mayer, said in a release. “As a brand known for sparking smiles in disarmingly delightful ways, it’s only fitting that we bring a race of epic proportions to the Speedway and celebrate a timeless tradition: delicious meats and a little friendly competition to kick off a summer of wieners.”

The Wienie 500 is part of a partnership between Oscar Mayer and IMS that names Oscar Mayer the “Official Hot Dog” of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500.

Editor’s Note: The race will be streamed live on Friday, May 23 at 2 p.m. ET on the FOX Sports app and across @INDYCARonFOX social accounts, and fans can catch highlights from the race during Sunday’s Indy 500 pre-race show on FOX.

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Missouri Farmer Calls Ford Out for Abandoning Ethanol Flex Fuel in New F-150 Trucks

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 20:23:50 GMT

Missouri Corn Growers Association CEO Bradley Schad, who still helps out around the family farm in his spare time, is calling on Ford Motor Company to reconsider a recent decision he believes will cause long-term harm to U.S. farmers.

“They stopped selling new flex fuel vehicles, so now they don’t have a single new engine platform option for growers to purchase,” Schad says. “The F-Series truck is one of the most important vehicles that we have on the farm today. They’re trying to change that (series) to an electric fleet, and we don’t like that.”

Farm Journal reached out to Ford for comment via a contact form for media on its website. We will update this post if we hear back from anyone at Ford Motor Company.

According to Schad, Ford’s F-150 is not only the top-selling truck in the U.S., but also the top-selling used vehicle in the top five corn-producing states: Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota and Indiana. It is also No. 1 in a handful of ag-friendly states like Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, the Dakotas and the Carolinas.

Model Year 2023 was the last iteration of the F-150 that Ford offered with the V8 5.0-liter Flex Fuel option. Schad, who is a longtime F-150 owner, says he’s not interested in criticizing Ford for the change. After all, recent regulations removed many of the manufacturer incentives that used to exist for flex fuel and E-85 vehicles.

Bradley Schad, Missouri Corn Growers Association

(Photo courtesy Missouri Corn Growers Association )

“We’re just trying to bring some awareness and work with Ford to change the legislation and regulations and help bring that (option) back,” Schad says. “We realize it’s not entirely their own fault necessarily, but work with us to pass some beneficial legislation that helps farmers and rural consumers purchase a more economical fuel and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

Schad says Ford is still supporting its higher-ethanol compatible engines in South America. Brazil, for example, has a minimum ethanol blend in its fuel of 27.5%.

The company’s chief truck-building rivals at GM still offer flex fuel as an engine option on new base models of the Chevy Silverado and the GMC Sierra. Ford, it would seem, is stepping away from the same farmers that helped catapult its trucks to the top of the auto industry, he argues.

(Photo courtesy Missouri Corn Growers Association)

“We need Ford to stand strong with farmers – the No. 1 customer base of F Series trucks in the nation. I don’t think there’s any business sector that buys more F Series trucks than the agriculture sector,” he says. “We need Ford to give us the option to use our own product and help build demand for corn-based ethanol.”

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Schad is optimistic a long-awaited-but-yet-to-be-passed new Farm Bill will include some type of carve out supporting ethanol-based fuels. Republican Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has also been advocating for year-round E-15 fuel availability for years. Grassley and Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer (R) reintroduced the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025 in February. If passed, that bill would enable year-round, nationwide sales of ethanol fuel blends up to 15%.

“We need permanency and predictability with ethanol and biodiesel,” Grassley recently told AgriTalk host Chip Flory.

And while Schad admits he has heard all the critiques of ethanol-based fuels - subpar performance, increased engine problems, etc. - his experience is that higher ethanol fuels are clean burning, high performing and safe.

“There’s nothing more helpful to a farmer than having a strong truck with a strong fuel providing more horsepower and torque in these engines,” Schad says. “Octane is key, and we want to make sure to partner with everyone we can. Hopefully Ford is willing to help us pass some beneficial legislation that brings ethanol the ability to be produced and consumed across the nation.”

Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced USDA will release funding under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) for 543 projects totaling $537 million in 29 states. Established at USDA Rural Development during President Trump’s first term, HBIIP helps expand the production of domestic biofuels by helping fueling stations install the pumps, storage containers and other necessary infrastructure needed to offer biofuel options at the pump.

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Machinery and Tech News: Updates From Ag Leader, John Deere, Kinze, Rantizo, Unverferth, Yamaha and More

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 17:36:18 GMT

Ag Leader announces RightPath implement guidance
Trailed implements are known for drifting even when using autosteer, resulting in imprecise placement of inputs and inconsistent guess rows. Ag Leader is introducing RightPath, a passive implement steering solution, to alleviate these problems.

In many cases, an implement can drift off its guidance line up to 10 inches or more, even on flat ground. Ag Leader says RightPath keeps implements centered on the guidance line via passive implement guidance, which the company says enables farmers to:

Place the implement – and therefore rows and inputs – in the right place.
Plant seed accurately relative to a previous operation.
Achieve consistent guess rows in all conditions.
Re-use the same guidance line in the next field.
Reduce stress and fatigue.

Both the tractor and implement require Ag Leader’s GPS 7500 to utilize RightPath, and the tractor needs to be equipped with TerraStar-C, TerraStar-X, or RTK. It is designed to operate through Ag Leader’s InCommand Go displays. RightPath is compatible with both SteerCommand Z2 and SteadySteer.

RightPath will be available in late fall 2025 through a single purchase unlock, and there will be no recurring subscription fee.

Learn more at AgLeader.com.

Greeneye Precision Spraying system available for cotton
Greeneye Technology announces the expansion of its retrofit, selective smart spraying system to include cotton for 2025.

(Greeneye)

Greeneye’s AI-enabled system addresses the numerous weed management challenges facing cotton farmers today by precisely targeting herbicide application to weeds using real-time, sub-millimeter precision. The company says its technology significantly reduces herbicide usage, lowers input costs, and enhances weed control efficacy while providing flexibility for both pre- and post-emergence applications.

The retrofit solution is engineered to integrate with any commercial sprayer, regardless of brand, model, or size, according to the company.

Greeneye has already secured multiple sales with cotton farmers in the U.S., who will begin using the system at the start of the 2025 growing season.

Learn more at Greeneye.ag.

John Deere adds electric seed meters to Precision Upgrades lineup
John Deere is releasing two new planter retrofit kits to supplement its Ultimate Planter Upgrade program. Now, farmers can either replace individual seed metering row units as they wish, or they can opt-in to the full planter upgrade program.

(Nate Luke/John Deere)

For farmers that just want to upgrade to new seed meters, the MaxEmerge 5e and ExactEmerge electric drive seed Meter Upgrade kits are available for model year 2015 and newer planters. Deere says the seed meters optimize planting productivity and help farmers plant faster with pinpoint population and spacing accuracy.

Deere’s Ultimate Planter Upgrade program is a complete factory row replacement for 2005 and newer planters that include the following features:

ExactEmerge or MaxEmerge 5e electric meters.
IRHD and active pneumatic downforce.
Standard or spoked gauge wheels.
SeedStar 5 monitoring.
One year factory warranty.

Additional options for the Ultimate Planter Upgrade include ExactRate or ExactShot liquid fertilizer systems, ExactChem granular insecticide, easy-adjust pneumatic row cleaners or pneumatic closing wheels.

Learn more at deere.com.

Kinze announces model year 2026 releases
Kinze Manufacturing is introducing the following innovations as part of its model year updates for next year:

A new dual product fertilizer system on all configurations of its popular 5900 front fold planter. The new system features row-by-row section control, and fertilizer products can be applied at two different rates and are fully controlled by the Blue Vantage display.
Two new configurations and an additional seed meter for the recently released 5670 pivot-fold, split-row planter. Now a 12-row 30" and a 16-row 30" will be available for next season. And all configurations can be ordered with the True Speed electric high speed seed meter to plant at 3 to 12 mph. The 5670 fertilizer system will also be available with rear fertilizer drop tubes.
Several new alerts, counters, and reports have been added to enhance its Blue Vantage displays, along with the ability to replant over a skipped area. In addition, both the John Deere Operations Center and Ag Leader AgFiniti have been linked to Blue Vantage so data can be easily uploaded through a Wi-Fi connection.
Harvest Commander Grain Cart models will offer the Scale-Tec POINT scale indicator for scale monitoring and data collection. The scale indicator is Bluetooth enabled and ISOBUS compatible, and provides scale readout information to mobile devices up to 1,000 ft. away and on an externally mounted readout on the cart.
New Offset-Pivot Hydraulic Doors will be available in 40' to 120' widths and heights up to 30'. The door options have been built for production facilities, machine sheds, and aircraft hangars.

For additional information, farmers can visit Kinze.com or contact their local Kinze dealer.

Manitou Group announces new MLT 850 telehandler
Manitou is launching an all-new agricultural telehandler to the North American market: the MLT 850.

The new model features heavy-duty parts and components similar to its existing MLT 961 while retaining a relatively smaller footprint more similar to its MLT 841.

(Manitou Group, Inc.)

The machine features a max lift height of 24 feet, 11 inches and a maximum lifting capacity of 11,021 pounds (4,410 pounds capacity at maximum lift height). The ability to easily change between dozens of attachments offers versatility for tasks including loading bulk into a trailer, loading silage and manure, loading a feed mixer wagon, stacking straw and hay bales, handling and filling bags, and loading compost and wood chips.

MLT 850 also features a double U-shaped boom built for ground engaging work and to have comparable strength and performance to front-end loaders.

Learn more about the Manitou MLT 850 here.

RELATED: Read up on more machinery news that you might’ve missed: https://www.agweb.com/news/machinery/machinery-news-new-john-deere-retrofit-kit-grain-bag-baler-telehandler-line-alfalf

Morton Building’s 3D Studio tool helps farmers design the new barn of their dreams
Morton Buildings is introducing its new 3D Studio online tool that enables users to design their own Morton building.

When working in the 3D Studio, farmers can zoom in and move around the building to fully engage in the design. They can save their building color choices and finished product with the “save” button, digitally share with others and print out the selections.

(Morton Buildings)

A unique feature of the 3D Studio allows farmers to determine the ideal dimensions for their buildings based on the specific size of the machinery, vehicles and equipment they plan to store.

To try out the new tool, visit mortonbuildings.com/3d-studio.

Rantizo, Climate FieldView now connected via new API
Iowa-based spray drone service provider Rantizo says its proprietary AcreConnect software is now connected with Climate FieldView, Bayer’s digital farming platform.

Rantizo’s AcreConnect software can share application maps with Climate FieldView accounts.

(Rantizo)

The owner of the largest spray drone network in the U.S. says this connection allows retail agronomists and growers that use these digital platforms to have a more comprehensive view of operations by including spray drone application records and maps.

Now spray drone operators can easily share those application maps with agronomists and growers directly via their FieldView account. This ensures that spray records are included with other application information and field data, giving farmers and retailers a comprehensive view of their field operations.

To learn more about AcreConnect, visit Rantizo.com/AcreConnect.

Unverferth unveils new Parker Seed tender model
The Parker Seed Chariot seed tender lineup is adding a new model, the 3620R, that offers a longer 21’ conveyor for filling central-fill planters and drills. The split compartment tank can haul multiple seed varieties and has a combined capacity of 360 seed units.

(Unverferth)

All 3620R Parker Seed Chariot tenders feature an 8” tubular style conveyor powered by an industrial-grade gasoline engine with electric start. All controls are housed in a weather-tight compartment located on the driver’s side.

For transport the 3620R features a tri-axle undercarriage with 7,000 lb. capacity torsion axles and new 235/85 x 16 highway-rated tires with electric braking on all axles.

You can learn more about Parker 3620R Seed Chariot tender by visiting the nearest Parker Seed Chariot dealer, or parkerequip.com.

Yamaha Motor Co. launches Yamaha Agriculture, a precision ag and autonomy spinoff
Yamaha Motor Co., the Japanese company that launched the first unmanned aerial application vehicles for agriculture over 40 years ago, is launching Yamaha Agriculture, a new company that will focus on delivering autonomous equipment and AI-powered digital solutions for the specialty crop market.

The new venture is being formed through strategic acquisitions of Robotics Plus and The Yield, according to a press release from the company.

Robotics Plus’ robot Prospr spraying in a New Zealand vineyard.

(Robotics Plus)

Robotics Plus provides an autonomous hybrid vehicle capable of multiple activities including spraying and weed control, while The Yield brings AI-powered yield modeling and data analytics.

Yamaha Agriculture plans to provide robotics solutions for spraying, weeding and other field operations for growers of wine grapes, apples and other specialty crops in key markets like North America and Australia.

You can learn more at yamaha-agriculture.com.

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Iowa Man Reveals Best Tenderloin from 99-County Tour

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 16:26:59 GMT

After a ‘whirlwind of a sandwich odyssey’ in Iowa, JayJay Goodvin, chief explorer of the Iowa Gallivant, revealed his favorite tenderloin from his 99-county tour.

Just over 10 months ago, Goodvin started a quest to eat a tenderloin in all 99 counties in Iowa. With more than 28 million views of his videos across his social media platforms, the response to his journey left him speechless.

After thoughtful analysis and some soul-searching, Goodvin announced the winner to a live WHO 13 News audience on Feb. 13. The winning tenderloin was served by The Landmark Bistro of Grundy Center, Iowa.

What set this tasty tenderloin apart from the other 98?

“It was a beautiful tenderloin – they really did a great job with the mustard,” Goodvin says. “It was bigger than your compact tenderloin, but it wasn’t huge. The breading was crunchy, but didn’t overpower the flavor of the pork, which was very important. They had great seasoning in that breading.”

Most importantly the staff did a great job, he points out. They were busy, but they got the food out expeditiously. Most importantly, it was served scorching hot.

“It doesn’t matter what style of pork tenderloin you like, it’s got to come out scorching hot,” Goodvin told Farm Journal’s PORK in an earlier interview . “Whether you like them thin, thick, breaded, battered, small or huge elephant ears, it must come out hot. After that, it’s all up to the consumer on what style is their favorite.”

He notes there is a wide spectrum of tenderloins available.

“There is more variety than people realize,” he says. “You can get them battered, broiled, breaded, even served with a wheelbarrow of gravy over mashed potatoes on it.”

Where is the Iowa Gallivant off to next? He says he is starting a project called “99 Specials.” He will be going throughout the entire state of Iowa trying a “special” in every county. He’s hopeful he’ll be able to find 99 different specials from ham balls to hot beef sandwiches and everything in between.

Follow his journey here.

Your Next Read: Mission Complete: Iowa Man Eats a Pork Tenderloin in All 99 Iowa Counties

BREAKING: FTC Files Right to Repair Lawsuit, John Deere Issues Statement

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 18:37:23 GMT

It is bone-chillingly cold throughout the Midwest, yet the Right to Repair issue is heating up once again.

Farm Journal Washington correspondent Jim Wiesemeyer learned early Wednesday morning that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is filing a lawsuit against Deere & Co. for allegedly violating U.S. competition laws.

The lawsuit was filed on Jan. 15, 2025, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Western Division. You can review the redacted filing by clicking here.

Update (6:31 pm CST): John Deere has released a statement vowing to fight the lawsuit, characterizing the FTC’s claims as “baseless” and “meritless.” It can be viewed here.

Wiesemeyer shared the following summary of key points from Deere’s response:

Commitment to repair access: John Deere emphasized its long-standing dedication to customer self-repair, noting its history of publishing manuals, selling parts directly, and providing digital tools like Customer Service ADVISOR.
Defense of innovation: The company stated that the lawsuit “punishes innovation and pro-competitive product design.”
Settlement efforts: John Deere disclosed ongoing settlement negotiations with the FTC prior to the lawsuit and criticized the agency for relying on “inaccurate information and assumptions.”
Recent initiatives: Highlights included the launch of Equipment Mobile in 2023, upcoming upgrades to the John Deere Operations Center, and a pilot program to enhance farmer’s repair options.

RELATED: What Does Right to Repair Really Mean?

What happens next?
According to a post at FTC.gov, once the agency files a lawsuit the respondent – in this case, John Deere – has the right to contest the charges. FTC may then issue a final order, which can be appealed to the courts. The agency may also seek civil (i.e. financial) damages or request an injunction against Deere.

According to the Jan. 15 filing, Plaintiff’s counsel has asked for an injunction against John Deere. The lawsuit requests “a permanent injunction and other equitable relief against Deere to prevent its unlawful conduct in or affecting commerce in violation of Section 5(a) of the FTC Act” along with several state statutes in Illinois and Minnesota.

Farm Journal has reached out to its contacts in the ag law realm to find out what the implications are if an injunction is granted against Deere in Illinois and Minnesota, and what that would mean for Deere customers in those states. We’ll update with more information as soon as we have it.

Why is FTC filing against Deere?
Reuters and other news sources confirm the agency has been actively investigating John Deere since 2021 .

Weisemeyer has been following the situation closely. He has learned the agency claims Deere’s equipment design often necessitates proprietary software available only to authorized dealers, which in turn limits farmers and independent repair shop’s ability to perform repairs.

Deere had previously agreed in January 2023, through an accord with the American Farm Bureau Federation, to expand access to its repair tools, but according to Weisemeyer and reporting from Bloomberg, concerns over compliance with that agreement persist.

According to reporting from online publication Agriculture Dive, a court last year ruled against the heavy equipment giant’s bid to dismiss a similar lawsuit from a group of farmers.

In yet another twist in this ongoing saga, FTC Commissioner Andrew N. Ferguson has issued a dissenting opinion, which is cosigned by FTC Commissioner Melissa Holyoak. President Trump announced on Dec. 10 that Ferguson will serve as the new Chair of the FTC under his administration.

You can review that dissenting opinion here.

Deere’s news release on expanding self-repair solutions
On Jan., 14, 2025, John Deere issued a news release outlining its commitment to expanding access to various digital tools and resources to help independent repair technicians and farmers diagnose equipment and make repairs.

The full statement is posted to Deere’s online newsroom.

The statement details what Deere calls its “Commitment to Repairability” and includes a list of tools that are available today to “support customers throughout their machine ownership and repair journey.”

Deere also writes that a “latest addition to Deere’s suite of digital solutions will further empower customers and independent repair technicians by, among other things, enabling them to reprogram Deere-manufactured electronic controllers.” The new capabilities are being integrated into the John Deere Operation’s Center, Deere adds, and will “offer more comprehensive solutions for diagnosing and repairing equipment while ensuring machine reliability, safety, and compliance.”

The manufacturer also says it will have additional announcements regarding a “customer and independent repair technician pilot” which is due to launch in the U.S. and Canada by the second half of 2025.

The news release directs interested parties to visit Deere.com/repair for more information.

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John Deere Introducing Next Generation Perception Autonomy Kits

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 20:46:44 GMT

John Deere is taking a step forward in autonomy and the technology retrofit market.

Chief Technology Officer Jahmy Hindman describes the effort as “real purpose, real autonomy”. He says the manufacturer is responding to the ongoing labor crunch that is causing headaches across the agriculture industry both domestically and abroad.

To help its users continue to farm with less reliance on human labor, John Deere has announced a suite of new retrofit autonomy kits for tractors and tillage implements, orchard sprayers, and even for the commercial landscape and construction equipment segments.

The kits feature redesigned camera arrays and rugged NVIDIA processing units paired with Blue River Technology’s machine learning algorithms, enabling John Deere machines to autonomously mimic how a human operator would react in the driver’s seat, without anyone actually sitting in the driver’s seat.

Let’s dive in and learn more about what John Deere is launching this week at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada.

What’s New for Tractors?
John Deere and its integrated Blue River Technologies team have re-architected what it is calling its Next Generation Perception System autonomy retrofit kits. The kits are made for model year 2022 and newer 9R and 9RX tractors, and model year 20.5 and newer 8R and 8RX tractors. Also coming from John Deere is autonomy on its 5ML Series tractors.

To go along with its autonomous tractor kits, there are retrofit kits that outfit select 2017 and newer John Deere tillage implements with additional lighting, a GPS receiver mast, and harnessing for fully autonomous tiling. These autonomy ready features are factory installed as a base package for select model year 2025 tillage tools. Today, the system is only compatible with John Deere tillage implements with the autonomy kits installed, but in the future Deere is working towards compatibility with third-party tillage tools.

The new autonomy kits are made for model year 2022 and newer 9R and 9RX tractors , and model year 20.5 and newer 8R and 8RX tractors, as well as select John Deere tillage tools.

(Photos courtesy of John Deere)

Both autonomy kits will be sold within John Deere’s Precision Upgrades product segment, which the company re-branded in 2023. So far, the kits have been field tested across thousands of acres of cropland. John Deere representatives anticipate the kits will one day be compatible with planting, harvesting, and broad acre application machines. But today, autonomous field tillage is the first domino to fall.

“This expands our autonomous capabilities dramatically,” says Willy Pell, CEO, Blue River Technologies. “Farmers should not have to buy a new tractor to experience autonomy.

Pell adds the kits were designed with ease of installation in mind, especially for tractors and implements that come autonomy ready from the factory.

Let’s dive deeper into some of the components that enable autonomous capabilities within the Next Generation Perception Kits.

Let’s start with the kit’s redesigned camera arrays, which are installed onto the top of a compatible tractor model’s cab and wired into the control module. Within that new camera array are 16 stereo cameras that shoot continuously at triple overlap, giving the system a 360-degree field of vision around the tractor with plenty of redundancy for sensing crops, obstacles, potential humans and other hazards in the field.

What those cameras “see” is processed on ruggedized NVIDIA Jetson GPUs that can withstand temperatures down to -40 degrees F. With the cameras operating as the eyes of the system, the Jetson units serve as the brains and connective tissue, using edge processing to read, react, and fire off commands to the machine just as a human operator would.

Farmers that experienced John Deere’s tractor autonomy kits in the past – this version represents the second evolution of the technology since John Deere introduced it in 2022 – told the company they wanted the driver-less machines to cover more acres in a day, or night. John Deere made that happen, increasing speeds 40% to 12 mph with this iteration, and lighting kits have been added on to allow around-the-clock field work.

“We want to meet customers where they’re at today; our customers across the Midwest want to customize their tillage setups with various tools of different sizes and configurations, and we want to make as many of those tools autonomy capable with one system as possible, and that’s what we’ve done with the Generation 2 Perception System,” says Aaron Wells, Engineering and AI Systems, Blue River Technologies. “This is real autonomy that I can set, forget, and run in the field or monitor using John Deere Operations Center Mobile.”

Local John Deere dealers will have a limited number of kits available for 2025 with a full launch tabbed for 2026.

Orchard tractors and sprayers
The Next Generation Perception System kit has been slightly tweaked for permanent orchard crop growers. Those growers generally use lower horsepower machines with narrower footprints to complete tasks between trellised rows of grapes, tree nuts, and other orchard crops like apples.

In California’s massive specialty crop industry, John Deere says that over 50% of machine operator jobs posted by farming operations are going unfilled. John Deere believes its autonomy kits can lessen that reliance on seasonal labor and help farmers hit tight production windows in order to maximize yields.

The Next Generation Perception kit for orchard tractors and sprayers features fewer camera arrays than the row crop kit but adds an integrated LiDAR sensor to 3D image tree canopies and orchard trellising in real-time.

(Photos courtesy of John Deere)

Whether we’re talking about the large tractor autonomy kits or the orchard tractor-sprayer kit, the systems share many common components. Rather than needing 16 stereo cameras, the autonomous orchard tractor kit deploys seven cameras alongside three LiDAR sensors. The LiDAR sensors provide a real-time 3D image of vine and orchard crops as the tractor moves around the orchard, giving the machine the ability to tell the pull-behind sprayer implement where to apply and where not to apply.

The 5ML Specialty Tractor, along with the key Precision Essentials technology that will enable autonomy, JDLink Modem, StarFire Receiver, G5 Display, and John Deere Operations Center are all available today, with the autonomy kit being available in limited quantities in 2026.

“We’ve developed this incredible second-generation technology that allows us to scale across different crops and new industries,” says Igino Cafiero, CEO and founder, Bear Flag Robotics. John Deere acquired Bear Flag in 2021 for $250 million.

Something for your side hustle?
I have no data to back this up, but I would guess there might be some row crop farmers out there that might own commercial landscaping, construction, or excavation businesses in addition to farming full time.

For the commercial landscape segment, John Deere has extended its next Generation Perception kit to automate a new green and yellow autonomous battery electric zero-turn mower.

This autonomous battery powered commercial lawn mower remains in the concept stage today but John Deere anticipates it being available for landscape professionals in the future.

(Photos courtesy of John Deere)

While still in the concept stage of development, the commercial mower can be programmed to autonomously cut common professional landscaping patterns while its operator monitors the machine from nearby with what looks and feels like a beefed-up Xbox controller. There is also a rear standing deck that can be flipped down, with dedicated operator controls on the machine, in case the operator feels like hopping onboard and steering the mower.

And for the construction world, John Deere has applied the next Generation perception kit to create a driverless commercial dump truck. The truck can autonomously move material from Point A to Point B and even know exactly where it needs to dump its load. Site workers can use the John Deere Operations Center to define ideal routes and start, stop, and unload the giant diesel-powered machines from outside of the cab.

Again, like their row crop and specialty crop farming brethren, commercial landscape and construction firms are also feeling the squeeze of the labor shortage.

“There’s no better story, I think, than using technology for the benefit of humanity. It is our purpose and what pulls all of this together,” Hindman says. “Our number one mission in developing these kits is to help reduce the dependency on unskilled labor. We think autonomy is a significant answer to solving that dilemma for our customers.”

To learn more about the Next Generation Perception System head to Deere.com/autonomy

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Texas-Sized Drone: Rotor Unveils Sprayhawk, Announces Retrofit Kit and 2025 Availability

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 18:32:00 GMT

Farm Journal first encountered Rotor Technologies’ Sprayhawk at the Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems Open House outside of Seneca, Kan., this summer. The impressive aircraft spent the day on the ground at that event, but last week the New Hampshire-based startup successfully demonstrated Sprayhawk’s air worthiness for a large group of ag aviation professionals at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport.

First Look: Kelly Hills Unmanned Unveils Massive Made In The USA Spray Drone

The gas-powered autonomous helicopters are equipped with a 33-foot spray boom and a 110-gal. tank. Rotor CEO Hector Xu says the autonomous choppers can cover 240 acres per hour - a vast leap forward over many of the spray drone technologies on the market today.

Comparison data on the Rotor website claims Sprayhawk costs about $2 per acre to operate and can be safely flown with a two person crew consisting of a remote pilot-in-charge and a visual observer.

FAA regulatory approval, via a 44807 Exemption for Commercial Agricultural Operations, will be included with purchase, according to Rotor. The company will also provide in-person operator training to ensure a smooth integration.

Pricing-wise, the R550 Ready to Spray package currently sits at $1,500,000. A Sprayhawk retrofit Ready to Spray kit, which converts an existing Robinson R44 chopper into a flying autonomous sprayer, would set you back $700,000.

Drone Wars: Agriculture Caught In The Middle Of Global Tension

There is also an “early adopter” discount available until December 15 if you’re sold and want one of these bad boys in your hangar asap. The press release announcing pricing and availability for 2025 does not specifically mention any financing options, but we did reach out and confirm with VP of Partnerships Nicholas Coates the startup is currently working on securing financing and insurance partners.

“With Sprayhawk, we’re bringing a new standard in agricultural UAVs, merging large payload capacity with cutting-edge autonomy to support safety, precision agriculture, and sustainability,” said CEO Hector Xu.

So far, two Sprayhawk production prototypes are undergoing flight testing ahead of joint operations with a select number of operators across the U.S. who will be participating in Rotor’s Joint Development Program this growing season.

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Inside AgRevolution: AGCO’s Bold Mobile Service Play Pledges ‘Farmers First’

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 20:54:58 GMT

Intent on building out a new dealer service strategy for its family of equipment brands, AGCO quietly approached equipment industry pro Stacy Anthony to see if he’d be willing to take on the reimagined dealer network’s CEO role.

The affable-yet-intense farm kid from Kansas was undoubtedly interested, but he wasn’t going to be an easy sell. Anthony recalls three non-negotiables he shared with AGCO executives before agreeing to put pen to paper and go all-in:

The project had to be “something different” than the traditional equipment dealer business model.
He wanted to take the repair and maintenance aspects of the dealer business “straight to the farm, and even to a farmer’s field.”
The new business model needed to embrace an “all makes mindset.”

AGCO president and CEO Eric Hansotia huddled his team of executives and eventually they agreed Anthony was the man for the job.

(Related - Planting A Flag: AGCO All-In On Mixed-Fleet Aftermarket Ag Tech)

A New Era of On-Farm Service
AgRevolution was officially launched in 2021, a time when the world was slowly but surely crawling out from underneath the soul-crushing weight of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fast forward three years and AgRevolution today features 13 dealer locations dispatching service technicians in shiny, well-appointed half ton pickups around the Ohio Valley region to diagnose and wrench on machines.

Anthony says roughly 90% of the jobs his service technicians undertake are finished either on-farm or right there in the farmer’s field. That age-old logistical nightmare of how to get this giant but currently inoperable machine several miles up the road to the nearest dealer shop, has been taken off the broad shoulders of the farmers who call on AgRevolution for repairs and service.

AgRevolution field service tech Steve Bowers uploads a firmware update to a customer’s Fendt 940 tractor on a farm just outside of Urbana, Ohio, in October.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

The concept got off to a shaky start though, not unlike most rookie campaigns. AGCO’s finance team projected the business would lose $1 million. Anthony and his team did what most farmers do in times of peril: they tightened their belts and focused on what they could do to effect positive change. It all eventually worked out and the AgRev team ended up flipping that dismal profit projection on its head, creating a surprise profit that most in the company didn’t think possible at the time.

Today, AgRevolution has invested $7-million-plus into a fleet of over 50 mobile service trucks, and the initiative just expanded into Ohio with five locations around the Buckeye State. Overall AgRevolution revenues are up 400% since year one, Anthony says, and revenues are up 49% from last year.

While it was his ideation that birthed this innovative service model, the humble Kansas native is quick to deflect credit to the guys in the AgRev hats out in the field everyday.

AgRev field service techs (above left) complete 90% of their tasks on-farm with a fleet of well-appointed mobile service trucks.

(AGCO/AgRevolution)

“Our service technicians and the relationships they have with farmers, that’s what has really helped us grow and expand,” Anthony says as we walk around AgRevolution’s newest location in Urbana, Ohio.

Even before its Nov. 1 grand opening, service technicians and sales pros out of the Urbana, Ohio, office were servicing local farmers’ machines for a couple months as they worked on getting the main office ready.

Going on a Service Call
Steve Bowers, a field service technician and Ohio farm kid, let Farm Journal tag along on a quick service call to get a feel for how it all worked. He says farmers in his community love the responsiveness and ease of doing business with AgRevolution, not to mention the fact that AgRev techs are brand agnostic: They’ll come out and fix your Fendt combine, or your Massey Ferguson tractor, and if you’ve got a broken down John Deere sprayer you can’t get to the local dealer, they’ll fix that, too.

The service call we witnessed was routine: Bowers needed to update the operating system on the farmer’s Fendt 940 tractor because the machine was having trouble maintaining connectivity. The adjustment handle on the cab air seat had also been broken off and needed replaced.

AgRevolution field service tech Steve Bowers let Farm Journal tag along as he diagnosed and repaired a couple minor issues on this Fendt 940 tractor.

(Matthew J. Grassi )

Bowers said he would order the new seat handle at the end of day, and it would show up either later that night or first thing the next morning at his house. With the part in hand, he can go straight to the customer’s farm to fix the seat before heading off on his service calls for the day. AgRevolution can also send larger parts straight to the farm so they’re waiting for Bowers when he arrives.

Hear It Straight From a Service Tech
We asked Bowers if there are repair jobs he prefers over others, as one would guess doing software updates might not rank very highly. Bowers said his favorite machines to work on are combines. Since there are so many moving parts and systems, it’s more of a brain stimulating challenge than some other jobs.

As we climbed out of the tractor cab after Bowers completed his work, Anthony didn’t mince words when asked what he thinks puts the “Rev” (think vroom vroom) behind the AgRevolution brand.

“It’s guys like Steve here, the guy wants to service a customer no matter what it takes, because he lives in this community and doesn’t want to leave a neighbor hanging,” Anthony says. “Before his service truck even arrived, I got a picture from one of the guys and it’s Steve out in a field standing on the roof of his wife’s minivan working on a combine.

“That’s the heart of what trust, commitment and resilience is, to do whatever you have to do at any cost to take care of the farmer,” he adds. “Guys like Steve help us build companies like this; you can’t do it without people like that and they’re highly, highly sought after.”

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New Products: AGCO, Bayer, Case IH, Firestone Ag, Great Plains, New Holland, PTx Trimble and Solinftec

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:30:07 GMT

AGCO Launches Fendt 600 Vario Tractor, Massey Ferguson 9S Series Tractor, Gleaner T Series Combines

Fendt’s 600 Vario Tractor series is available now for order in North America and features four models (614 Vario, 616 Vario, 618 Vario and 620 Vario) ranging from 149 to 209 rated-engine hp. The tractors are powered by the all-new AGCO Power CORE50 4-cylinder, 5-liter engine.

The Massey Ferguson 9S Series tractor is also available now in North America. The machine features a duo 8.4-liter AGCO Power engine, Dyna-VT transmission and Massey Ferguson’s Protect-U cab design. AGCO says operators have experienced up to a 15% reduction in fuel consumption with the 9S Series.

The Gleaner® T Series combines are available in 322-430 horsepower configurations (depending on model) and feature 4 bushel per second unloading rates as well as improvements in control and comfort, AGCO says. Its Dura Drive feature reportedly improves performance and productivity by allowing faster harvesting speeds of up to 25 mph.

Learn more from AGCO here.

Bayer FieldView Drive 2.0 Available Now

Bayer has unveiled FieldView Drive 2.0, a small plug-and-play device that farmers can use to connect, monitor and record activities across different farm equipment types and brands.

The multinational crop protection company says FieldView Drive 2.0 provides more processing power, data storage, and in-field connection stability than its previous iteration.

Bayer says hundreds of farmers have field tested the device and it will begin shipping the new hardware in the U.S. starting early next year.

Learn more about FieldView Drive 2.0 here.

Case IH Announces New Tech Solutions, Equipment Innovations

Case IH is launching a wide range of farm equipment and technology solutions that pair precision technology and equipment to make operations easier, more efficient and more productive, the company says in a recent press release.

Among the new introductions and releases:

The all-new FieldOps mobile and web application, which it says redefines the way farmers connect, view and manage operations. Expanded API integrations allow farmers to connect with third party providers and manage mixed fleets.
Connectivity Included eliminates subscriptions on new qualifying equipment (various machines) while precision technology packages simplify the technology purchase experience.
New AF9 and AF10 (pictured above) combines, which Case IH says are both redesigned from the ground up to maximize capacity and crop flow with efficient horsepower and simplified maintenance. The single-rotor AF9 (634 hp) and AF10 (775 hp) complete the new AF series, which launched earlier in 2024 with the AF1. The AF series offers a full suite of precision technology, as well.
A new C500 corn head series, which pairs with the AF and 260 series combines.
For Model Year 2025, Soil Command will be factory-fitted on select sizes of the Case IH Speed-Tiller 475 high-speed disk and VT-Flex 435 vertical tillage tool and will work on any ISO-compatible tractor.
Case IH Active Implement Guidance is available now and gives farmers access to an easy-to-use, plug-and-play system to correct implement drift while navigating planting, tillage and side-dressing.
Model Year 2025 Puma series tractors, for 185 to 260 models, have been upgraded to provide flexibility to manage row crop and livestock tasks on diversified farms.
New Model Year 2025 Steiger Series Tractors that Case IH says elevate the operator’s experience all around with powerful tools like Connectivity Included and farmer-centric functionality.
Case IH is expanding the Early Riser 2000 series planter lineup to bring more accuracy, customization and productivity to operations utilizing 20" and 22" row spacings with the new Early Riser 2160 48-row configurations.
For Model Year 2025, the Patriot 50 series sprayer and the Trident 5550 combination applicator include a new all-aluminum boom with factory-installed Boom Recirculation, increasing efficiency and chemical use.
For Model Year 2025, the Trident 5550 combination applicator also includes a new Dry Hi-Flow option, boosting product output and hydraulic flow.

More information on Case IH products and services can be found online at https://www.caseih.com

Firestone Ag Announces Bridgestone Availability In North America

Firestone Ag is bringing its Bridgestone tractor tires to U.S. and Canadian farmers, according to a press release from the company.

All three ag tires in the Bridgestone lineup feature triple-defense rubber engineered to resist wear, protect against stubble and enhance durability. Firestone’s patented Involute lug design is said to maximize traction and minimize soil disturbance and energy loss caused by tire slip, helping farmers reduce fuel costs.

In field trials, the Bridgestone VX-TRACTOR tire delivered 45% more wear life than a competitor, the company claims. Bridgestone tractor tires are backed by a 10-year limited warranty.

Contact your local Firestone Ag dealer or visit FirestoneAg.com to learn more.

Great Plains Ag Enhances Field Cultivators for High Speed Tillage

Great Plains Ag has enhanced its line of field cultivator implements with a new frame design, new shank system, and new finishing attachments.

The new CT8400 and CT8410 cultivators reportedly offer greater leveling, weed control, and residue management capabilities at faster operating speeds.

Available in 24' to 51' working widths, the new cultivators are offered with two hitch options:

The CT8400 features a constant-level hitch for operation on flat ground and open fields
The CT8410 is a floating hitch model for rougher terrain or fields with lots of variation.

Both implements are ready to order for the 2025 season.

Learn more about the CT8400/8410 Field Cultivators at www.GreatPlainsAg.com.

New Holland Announces CR10 Combine, Many New Innovations

New Holland Agriculture is launching the new CR10 combine (shown at top of article). The CR10 joins the previously launched CR11 and is set to maximize output, minimize grain loss and address operational economics in a platform that features the next generation of harvesting technology, the company says in a recent press release.

CR10 is powered by a 12.9-liter FPT Cursor 13 engine, delivering 635 horsepower. Paired with a 455-bushel grain tank with a grain unload rate of 4.5 bushels per second, the CR10 drives harvest efficiency.

Extended Twin Rotors provide threshing and separation performance, and the CR10 features a TwinClean cleaning shoe, which incorporates two sieve systems and automation sensors that continuously monitor and adjust for even material distribution and grain loss.

The CR10 is also compatible with a range of existing and new headers and features a redesigned operator cab.

CR10 will be available for 2025 harvest.

The manufacturer also announced the following developments:

A new FieldOps mobile app is now available for download. New Holland says it is a versatile farm management tool with over 40 API connections. Customers can use the app to view and monitor connected machines, and existing MyPLM Connect users can transition to FieldOps and their data will be there when they log in.
“Connectivity Included” grants customers limitless connectiviy with no recurring subscription fees on new connected machines built on or after October 1, 2024.
Connectivity Included is one key aspect of New Holland’s new Technology Packages, which the manufacturer hopes will make access to precision technology easier for farmers. Now available in select markets, packages come in three options on qualifying machines: Value, Core and Advanced.
Active Implement Guidance is a new plug-and-play aftermarket solution designed to be installed and link up guidance lines between the tractor and the implement. Use of this solution greatly reduces or stops implement drift, resulting in more reliable product placement, according to the company.
Model year 2025 New Holland FR Forage Cruiser self-propelled forage harvesters are receiving multiple upgrades. This includes an enhanced cab interior with new controls and electronics, a new system to reduce the risk of machine overload and blockage, and the CustomSteer system, which New Holland says speeds up headland turns. The new FR Forage Cruisers are available to order for availability in 2025.
New Holland has extended the Power Command full powershift transmission as an option for the T7.270 Long Wheelbase (LWB) tractor. New to the tractor are 60-inch tire settings, a quick-hitch frame, and PLM Intelligence solutions and digital technologies. Order writing for the T7 LWB is available now with deliveries starting in October 2024.
Several features aimed to increase operator productivity have been added to the new TH Series telehandlers. These include a redesigned operator cab, distinct operating modes such as Forklift mode, Loading mode, Transport mode, and Active Bucket Shake. Under the hood is a Stage V-compliant 4.5-liter, 4-cylinder engine built by FPT Industrial.

To learn more about New Holland’s new digital technology solutions and Iron releases, visit www.newholland.com.

PTx Trimble Introduces Autonomous Retrofit Grain Cart For Mixed Fleets

PTx Trimble is ready to introduce OutRun, its first commercially available autonomous retrofit grain cart solution.

Farm Journal viewed OutRun back in June at AGCO’s Tech Days event in Salina, Kansas. You can read more about that here.

OutRun is a self-contained retrofit kit that enables autonomous grain cart operation on John Deere 8R or 8000R tractors with IVT. The grain cart can be staged or be called for unloading without the need for another driver. The combine operator can also send the grain cart to a predefined truck unload zone for manual unload.

OutRun will be available for production release in 2025. The company is accepting beta customers in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri for 2024.

For more information, visit outrun.ag.

Robotic Sprayer Adds Docking And Filling Station

Solinftec has announced its newest development in the field of agricultural robotics: the autonomous docking station. The filling station will allow Solix Ag Robotics to operate 100% autonomously throughout the season, without the need for a manual refill.

The docking station is autonomous, solar-powered and integrated with the Solix platform, enabling continuous field management by ensuring the robot has unfettered access to products for 24/7 operations. The station incorporates scouting data obtained throughout the growing season to ensure the right products are available for day-to-day executions.

Solinftec is validating final features and concepts as the docking station nears production.

Learn more about Solinftec here.

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John Deere Dismissing Significant Portion of Global Salaried Workforce

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 18:45:25 GMT

(Editor’s Note: This article’s original headline contained information that could not be substantiated and has been edited.)

As a depressed farm economy continues to roll on – many ag economists are projecting bearish demand for equipment, commodities and inputs to last well into 2025 – salaried employees with John Deere are anxiously awaiting news regarding their employment status with the equipment manufacturer today.

Many employees were instructed to work from home through July 26, and online sources on the Reddit thread r/johndeere are sharing the unfortunate news that John Deere is moving forward today with another round of mass layoffs.

Online sources say the layoffs cut across a wide swath of John Deere global corporate and administrative divisions.

John Deere recently shared the company “employs approximately 30,000 people in more than 60 U.S.-based facilities across 16 states.” The manufacturer is also moving skid steer and compact track loader manufacturing units from Dubuque, Iowa, to Mexico to curb its manufacturing costs.

Online speculation in the run-up to today’s virtual layoff meetings suggested that most of the job cuts would target the highest tenured and highest compensated salary workers, but sources thus far are reporting that the layoffs run the spectrum from recent hires to long time employees and everyone in between.

Farm Journal’s own U.S. Farm Report host Tyne Morgan is scheduled to conduct an interview discussing the situation at John Deere with executive Cory Reed.

Stay tuned in the coming days to catch her sit down with Reed.

UPDATE: WQAD-8 ABC in Moline, Illinois, is reporting John Deere has confirmed that reductions in their global salaried workforce have begun.

John Deere Dream Job: Brock Purdy Leads Chief Tractor Officer Search

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 20:33:09 GMT

If you’re heading across the country on I-80 anytime soon, keep an eye out for Americas’ favorite underdog QB in a John Deere 3 Series tractor.

After saving a Bay Area reporter and her pooch from a prowling coyote , the former Iowa State Cyclone signal caller and NFL Draft Mr. Irrelevant is helping John Deere launch a nationwide search for a new ag equipment influencer: the company’s first-ever Chief Tractor Officer (CTO). Purdy assured The Pat McAfee Show that the job is, indeed, a real job. With a real salary.

Purdy is no stranger to boots-on-the-ground agriculture: he famously returned to his in-laws’ farm in Iowa during the bye week of his rookie year to help get that seasons’ corn crop out of the ground. A couple months later, he was leading the San Francisco 49ers to the NFC Championship game, where an unfortunate first quarter injury knocked him from the game and the 49ers from the postseason. Purdy followed up that remarkable rookie campaign with an NFC Championship and Super Bowl appearance, eventually bowing out to the Taylor Swift-backed Kansas City Chiefs.

To apply, candidates must submit a short-form video with their pitch for the position, showing the creativity, humor, and passion they’d bring to the job. Candidates are also encouraged to publish their entries to TikTok and/or Instagram by tagging @JohnDeere.

“The role of the Chief Tractor Officer isn’t just about creating content, it’s about creating compelling stories about the people and industries supporting all of us,” says Jen Hartmann, global director of strategic public relations and enterprise social media.

Head on over to www.JohnDeereCTO.com to shoot your shot at scoring the best job ever...now through April 29, 2024.

Check out the video below, and good luck to all who apply for this unique and fun opportunity!

AGCO and Trimble Close $2 Billion Deal, Launch PTx Trimble Brand

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 14:41:18 GMT

AGCO and Trimble have announced the close of its joint venture transaction , resulting in the launch of PTx Trimble.

The new brand will serve farmers with factory fit and retrofit applications in the mixed-fleet precision agriculture market.

Terms of the deal state that AGCO has acquired an 85% stake in PTx Trimble, and Trimble will hold a 15% stake going forward.

“PTx Trimble will provide farmers greater access to next-generation precision ag tools, no matter what brands of tractors and implements they operate,” says Eric Hansotia, AGCO chairman, president and CEO.

The formation of PTx Trimble will build upon AGCO’s OEM and retrofit technology offerings, according to a recent joint press release.

“Farmers are the real winners here,” says Rob Painter, Trimble president and CEO. “Our customers will benefit from tech solutions available across a broad range of tractor and implement brands.”

AGCO’s consolidated precision ag revenue is now expected to exceed $2.0 billion by 2028.

Selective Spraying: Consider This Before You Go All-In

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 13:37:08 GMT

Selective spray application technology (See & Spray, green on green, etc.) represents the ideal fusion of advanced technology with sustainability and efficiency.

Growers reduce herbicide usage and save resources while killing off weeds in their fields, and the environment and soil have less exposure to crop protection chemicals.

Much has been written about selective spraying and what it could mean to farmers. This year represents a high-water mark for the technology. It appears selective spraying systems will be in greater distribution this season than ever before.

“For anyone still skeptical about this technology, it’s abundantly clear it works,” says Andrew Selck, partner, Kearney. “It’s about the stakeholders and will it create value for the farmers? A lot of different people in the ag ecosystem will need to act to make this technology successful.”

Those stakeholders include farmers, equipment manufacturers, ag retailers, and crop input manufacturers. For now, we’ll focus on the farmer and some of the questions that will inevitably come up as selective spray kits hit the farm.

Selck advises farmers think through the following based on their own unique on-farm use cases:

Do I go with a price per acre subscription or purchase a system outright?
How effective is the technology vs. traditional broad acre application?
How do I know what to spray, when to spray, and what to put in the tank? Can I still do fall burn down with this technology? What about in-furrow weed applications in the spring?
How much will the machine spray? And what happens when the sprayer comes back with a third of the tank still full of product, but with no acreage left to spray? Do I dispose of that tank mix? Can I pump it into nurse tanks and use it later?
Who do I call when there is an issue? The equipment company that sold me the selective spraying tech? The chemical company? And how do I prove one is directly responsible for a misapplication or chemical failure versus the other?
And, perhaps most importantly, how do I pencil out this technology to confirm it’s a good investment for my farm?

Selck has some data that applies there.

A 2024 Iowa State production analysis report predicted that Iowa farmers will apply 25% less chemicals this year than in year’s past. Those same farmers average $55 per acre spent on crop protection annually. Which raises yet another question: What do I do with that $11.25 per acre I am now able to shave off my annual chemical bill?

Selective spraying is here to stay, but some of these questions need to be answered before farmers fully commit.

Gripp Garners Top Honor at Top Producer Summit 2024

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 21:18:00 GMT

Farm Journal’s Smart Farming Week is an annual week-long emphasis on innovation in agriculture. The goal is to encourage you to explore and prioritize the technology, tools and practices that will help you farm smarter. Innovation today ensures an efficient, productive and sustainable tomorrow.

Gripp.ag was selected as the “Farmer’s Choice Award” by audience vote at the 2024 Top Producer Summit in February. Clearly, farmers saw value in having all their machine maintenance and operator feedback information digitized and accessible to stakeholders in an easy-to-use mobile app.

“We’re very honored to win the Farmer’s Choice Award with so many great AgLaunch companies, it really validates Gripp’s approach to be selected for this award by such a high caliber audience,” Wiedmeyer says. “Our core mission is resonating with farmers of all shapes and sizes.”

Wiedmeyer himself found value in the networking aspects at Top Producer Summit, noting the impressive makeup of attendees and exhibitors.

“There was a level of quiet sophistication that was refreshing to see, which is a real testament to the Top Producer event and its ability to draw some of the most down to earth, elite farmers in the country,” he adds.

Currently, the startup’s digital product is being deployed to farms across the country.

“We have an aggressive set of capabilities coming in March and April based on farmer input, so the struggles of manual record keeping and tracking bottlenecks left to one person on the farm are a thing of the past this upcoming season,” Wiedmeyer says, noting the release of new pricing tiers for small farms and the startup’s recent decision to remove the long-term upfront commitment for farmers who want to try out the system.

What is Gripp.ag?

Gripp.ag is an AgLaunch 2024 startup that is on a mission to digitize and streamline equipment and asset tracking needs for farmers. Founded by Tracey Wiedmeyer, the group hopes to accomplish its mission via its mobile-optimized, digital interface and integrated QR code technology.

Gripp was incubated out of Purdue University’s DIAL Ventures, which works to connect entrepreneurs to the leading challenges across agriculture’s constantly evolving landscape.

“Tracking farm equipment historically has been focused on the maintenance of ‘things on tires’, but we’ve widened our sights to virtually anything that a farm operator relies on to be successful,” Wiedmeyer tells Farm Journal. “The options for today’s farmers range from costly and complex software that wasn’t built for ag, or more commonly, relying on unreliable memory, shop whiteboards, and, on a good day, paper forms, notebooks, sticky notes, and sharpies.”

To learn more head over to Gripp.ag.

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Step Away From The Notepad! Gripp Launches Digital Equipment Management App

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Step Away From The Notepad! Gripp Launches Digital Equipment Management App

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 21:56:20 GMT

As part of our renewed effort to bring you the latest information on cutting edge technology and machinery we’re featuring regular Q&A discussions with several handpicked ag tech startups.

For this iteration, we’re connecting with Gripp co-founder Tracey Wiedmeyer. Wiedmeyer grew up on a farm and through the years amassed a fleet of equipment. He noticed that asset tracking for both driven and non-driven farm equipment was lacking in synergy and integration across different paint colors and product lines.

According to Wiedmeyer, the core premise of Gripp is solving unmet tracking needs across agriculture. The startup accomplishes this via QR code technology that is easy for farm workers and operators to use.

Farm Journal (FJ): How does Gripp “help farmers digitize their operations, improve efficiency, and increase productivity?”

Tracey Wiedmeyer (TW), cofounder: We’ve focused Gripp on making it the easiest way for farmers to enable everyone on their farm to store small pieces of information at the moment of truth - when they’re in front of their equipment and the information is fresh. Gripp leverages familiar user experiences from everyday social media and chat platforms, encouraging the information collected to be casual and media heavy since we all know pictures & videos say a thousand words. We’re removing the friction of collection from using thumbs on a mobile keyboard to leveraging natural forms of input, enriching the captured information to be the most valuable – it’s the nuances that are worth remembering. We can transcribe, translate, and summarize nearly all captured information, bringing on farm communications to the 21st century, a level very few farmers imagined – and consolidating all those on-farm activities and conversations in one place means you can get rid of the app-soup of voice, text, WhatsApp, Facetime, and numerous others - simplifying the whole operation.

Another area we’ve focused on is making Gripp as accessible as possible across the entire farm, giving full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers the ability to track information without requiring an app, user account or password – regardless of their native language. That’s something owners love because historically tracking is left to 1 or 2 people on the farm, usually the owner or farm manager, and most of the time important activities don’t make it to them at the end of the day or they arrive with so little detail, it leaves more work for your most expensive resources to fill in the gaps. With Gripp, those that know your equipment best now have a voice, freeing owners to be more productive with their time.

The labor savings and improved communication increases productivity, and the information collected is able to remove operational blind spots, making the day-to-day more efficient - a hidden cost on the bottom line that most farms don’t track – because it’s always been a pain to do.

FJ: How does a product like Gripp enable farmers to continue to manage their operations/improve decision making as farms consolidate and grow larger?

TW: The unique aspects of Gripp play very well as operations grow. We’ve spent a lot of time designing Gripp through the eyes of the operators in the field and on the front line. In addition to leveraging familiar interface design, Gripp remains easy for anyone to use and doesn’t require a “re-training” event every time Gripp is accessed. Everyone understands how to scan a QR code and take a picture or record a video – a basic activity that scales across an operation, even as acquisitions and consolidation continues.

We also have a unique pricing model. We don’t ask you to pay by user or piece of equipment so you’re able to avoid the mental gymnastics of determining if a certain person “deserves” a seat or if a certain piece of equipment is “worth” tracking. We have a simple all you can eat model, with monthly pricing that we stand behind. No multi-year commitments or service contracts that lock you in - if Gripp doesn’t work for you, you simply cut the cord anytime you’d like.

Lastly when we talk about analysis by paralysis, this is where we expect Gripp to shine. Most tracking software, if you’re even using software, asks you to sit in front of a shiny dashboard and create reports to determine how successful you’ve been. I’ve yet to meet a farmer that has time for that. Using the unstructured, natural language information we’re collecting, and using AI with a ChatGPT-like interface, you’ll soon be able to uncover trends across your operation using simple natural language questions, something never seen before in Ag.

This means Gripp scales as the farming operation does with minimal incremental costs. As your farm grows there’s no additional burden for more reporting, complexity, training or analysis, it just works.

FJ: Skilled labor is another limiting factor in agriculture operations. How does a product like Gripp help a farmer set his hired help up for success?

TW: Farm labor is more transient than ever, the farms we work with see upwards of 40% year over year turn over in seasonal staff, many coming from non-English speaking countries. Empowering this workforce to be productive as fast as possible and throughout the season is a massive challenge – things like training are often conducted in unproductive group settings where you end up wasting a lot of time getting the least experienced up to speed. Using the tribal knowledge collected in Gripp, previously collected pictures and videos can form the basis for very targeted training for the entire workforce, even per user thanks to translations, rather than one-size-fits-all. This allows the least skilled and experienced to become productive very quickly while also making sure that institutional farm information and know-how doesn’t leave the farm when your workers do.

FJ: How did Gripp get its start?

TW: Gripp was incubated out of Purdue University’s DIAL Ventures, which works to connect entrepreneurs to the leading challenges across agriculture’s constantly evolving landscape. The core premise of Gripp is solving unmet tracking needs across agriculture which has historically been focused on the maintenance of “things on tires”, but we’ve widened our sights to virtually anything that a farm operator relies on to be successful. The options for today’s farmers range from costly and complex software that wasn’t built for Ag, or more commonly, relying on unreliable memory, shop whiteboards, and, on a good day, paper forms, notebooks, sticky notes, and sharpies.

Having grown up on a farm and still owning lots of equipment, it’s been a problem I’ve experienced my entire life, so when I got involved with Purdue it was a natural pairing with my tech-heavy background. I own a couple back hoes and tractors, a dump truck, skid steer, countless attachments, a telehandler, and lots of other things that aren’t on tires – finding the information I need when I need it is difficult, even for a small timer like me who grew up as a software engineer and surrounded by technology. It just gets exponentially worse for farmers as the size of their operation grows.

FJ: Is there anything else you’d like to share about Gripp?

TW: Gripp will begin conducting wide scale farm trails starting in March in the Midwest and South through our AgLaunch partnership, we’d love you to get-a-Gripp on your farm, join the revolution!

Learn more about this equipment tracking startup at www.gripp.ag.

Additional Smart Farming Q&As to check out --->

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Plants That Talk: Coming Soon To A Field Near You

Equipment Update: Sales Continue to Fall As Demand Softness Sets In

U.S. sales of tractors decreased 19% in September 2024 compared to the year before, according to new data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Sales of combines also fell during the month, dropping 41% compared to 2023.

U.S. sales of Ag tractors decreased 19% in September 2024 and combine sales dropped by 41%, according to newly reported AEM sales data.

(Association of Equipment Manufacturers )

“September’s sales of Ag tractors and combines follows a summer that showed a cyclical slowdown in sales,” said AEM Senior Vice President Curt Blades. “These declines point to the overall softness in the ag economy.”

Canadian sales of Ag tractors also dropped in September 2024, finishing the month 24% behind 2023’s sales, while combine sales fell 52% compared to the year before.

With equipment sales lagging, manufacturers are once again having to make some difficult decisions regarding domestic production and workforces.

AGCO announced layoffs at its Hesston, Kansas, facility last week, while John Deere announced a 120,000 square foot expansion of one of its production facilities in Strafford, Missouri, where the company remanufactures parts and components.

John Deere was also on the receiving end of some presidential campaign rhetoric from former president and current Republican nominee Donald Trump. The ex-president threatened to slap Deere products imported into the U.S. with a 200% tariff due to the manufacturer shifting some of its production footprint to a facility in Mexico. Deere has said that facility manufactures tractor cabs and other components and has been in operation since the 1950s.

RELATED: Trump Threatens 200% Tariff If Deere Moves Manufacturing to Mexico

For its part, Case IH has launched the largest combine lineup in the farm equipment industry despite seeing its own sales drop 20% in Q2. Net profits were also down 19% compared to Q2 2023.

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Miscellaneous

Tick Safety Guide: Preventing Alpha-Gal Syndrome and Lyme Disease

What is Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS)?

Best Practices for Tick Prevention on the Farm

Dress to defend.

Use DEET.

Search and destroy.

How to Safely Remove a Tick

Avoid Tick Testing

The New Survival Skill: Build Like a Polymath, Lead Like a CEO

Leverage for Leaders

What Farm Equipment Manufacturers Are Saying About 50% Steel and Aluminum Tariffs

Almost All American Made

More EU Than U.S.

Nearly 50/50

It's Hot Out There: Avoid Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion This Summer

From Omaha to Georgia: Inside the Farm Machinery Reshoring Boom

Wienermobiles Will 'Haul Buns' to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Missouri Farmer Calls Ford Out for Abandoning Ethanol Flex Fuel in New F-150 Trucks

Machinery and Tech News: Updates From Ag Leader, John Deere, Kinze, Rantizo, Unverferth, Yamaha and More

Iowa Man Reveals Best Tenderloin from 99-County Tour

BREAKING: FTC Files Right to Repair Lawsuit, John Deere Issues Statement

John Deere Introducing Next Generation Perception Autonomy Kits

Texas-Sized Drone: Rotor Unveils Sprayhawk, Announces Retrofit Kit and 2025 Availability

Inside AgRevolution: AGCO’s Bold Mobile Service Play Pledges ‘Farmers First’

New Products: AGCO, Bayer, Case IH, Firestone Ag, Great Plains, New Holland, PTx Trimble and Solinftec

John Deere Dismissing Significant Portion of Global Salaried Workforce

John Deere Dream Job: Brock Purdy Leads Chief Tractor Officer Search

AGCO and Trimble Close $2 Billion Deal, Launch PTx Trimble Brand

Selective Spraying: Consider This Before You Go All-In

More Smart Farming Stories:

Gripp Garners Top Honor at Top Producer Summit 2024

What is Gripp.ag?

Step Away From The Notepad! Gripp Launches Digital Equipment Management App

Additional Smart Farming Q&As to check out --->

Equipment Update: Sales Continue to Fall As Demand Softness Sets In