Precision Pays

The maker of Apache sprayers, Equipment Technologies, just announced the addition of SpraySmarter.com to its business.

SpraySmarter.com is an online culmination of years of sprayer manufacturing and customer support expertise. The site offers brands like Hypro, TeeJet, Banjo and Raven precision-ag products combined with an intuitive shopping experience and an array of application-focused tools intended to supplement the visitor’s spraying knowledge including tip selection calculators, video tutorials, a spray-focused forum and more. Matt Hays, CEO of Equipment Technologies and SpraySmarter.com, explains, “Our goal with SpraySmarter.com is to transfer the vast spraying expertise of ET to an online shopping experience that doesn’t simply sell sprayer parts; it gives the user an experience that is as close to the traditional parts counter as possible.” Hays adds, “The tools on our site act as an aid in the online buying process, provide a place for applicators to collaborate online and really position SpraySmarter.com as a destination.”

ET boasts a same-day fulfillment rate of 98% on all parts orders and many of those orders come from the thousands of calls received by ET sprayer support specialists. Kevin Covey, parts and service manager for Equipment Technologies and SpraySmarter.com, commented, “Through the volume of calls we receive and our just-in-time inventory philosophy, we have taken the traditional manufacturer support model and turned it into a true competitive advantage.” Covey adds, “We are constantly in touch with applicators; we know it is time to take our competitive advantage to the internet – it’s just a natural progression.”

www.ETsprayers.com

www.SpraySmarter.com

Claimed to work better than any current home networking solution, the roof-mounted Ayrstone AyrMesh wireless network can make your whole farmstead wireless, as reported this week in Ag Weekly Online.

Bill Moffitt wants to offer farmers and ranchers the ability to open up a laptop computer anywhere on their homestead and have Internet connectivity.

Recently Moffitt, the founder and president of Ayrstone Productivity, LLC, announced that an affordable system is now available.

The Ayrstone AyrMesh wireless network makes it possible to conduct Internet-based tasks within visual range of an AyrMesh Hub in the office or in the yard.

Priced at $249, the AyrMesh Hub is about the size and weight of a small transistor radio and designed for indoor or outdoor mounting.

It’s 40 times as powerful as the Wireless Local Area Network (Wi-Fi) routers usually found in homes. Moffit says the AyrMesh Hub is as powerful a Wi-Fi device as allowed in the United States.

“The networking solutions that have been available for agriculture have tended to be very expensive and difficult to put into place,” Moffitt said. “We wanted to offer a network originating in the homestead that builds a wireless network that people can afford and use easily.”

To learn more about the history and how this system works, read the story.

I don’t know how many of our Precision Pays readers are aware of AgChat or have participated but perhaps it’s time you check it out. AgChat is a weekly Twitter conversation from 8-10pm eastern. All you have to do is follow the Twitter hashtag, #AgChat, and feel free to join in. AgChat is nearing its one year anniversary and it has helped energize and inspire many farmers to engage online to agvocate for their industry using social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook. If you’re using precision technology then you’ll find using social networking tools very easy to adopt.

Last week the AgChat Foundation was announced. This farmer led group “is designed to empower more farmers to leverage social media as a tool to tell agriculture’s story. The Foundation will educate and equip farmers and ranchers with the skill set needed to effectively engage on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, YouTube, Linkedin and other social media services. It will give them knowledge to unlock new tools to effectively tell their story. Research shows that social media is a growing opportunity for farmers to have a stronger voice in educating people about the business of growing food, fuel, feed and fiber.” You can find more information on the AgChat Foundation website.

Let’s meet board member Mike Haley. Mike is a fifth generation grain and cattle farmer in northern Ohio. Mike believes not only in raising healthy crops and animals, but also working to ensure that future generations will be able to continue to do the same. This not only means that Mike must continuously work to ensure that his farm is operating in a sustainable way, but also that others understand what farmers are doing on a daily basis to ensure that they are acting in a socially acceptable manner. “Social media is a valuable tool that allows us to communicate with others across the country about our farming operation while we are working on daily tasks.” In my interview with Mike we talk about farmer use of social media and what we hope to accomplish with the AgChat Foundation.

You can listen to my interview with Mike here.

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Precision agriculture technology is on display all over the AG CONNECT Expo show floor. I don’t think I’ve seen quite so many exhibits outside of a show dedicated to this growing technology application. Raven Industries is one of the companies exhibiting something new here at the show.

I spoke with Marketing Manager, Ryan Molitor,about Slingshot. He says Slingshot represents a breakthrough in connectivity, online services and hardware. It can deliver advanced RTK correction signal technology and high speed internet using wireless in the cab.

You can listen to my interview with Ryan below:

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

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