Precision Pays

Precision is the name of the game when it comes to farming these days. It’s getting hard to find a farmer anymore who doesn’t use auto steer at the very least – and the options to save resources, time and money just keep growing.

At the New Holland exhibit at Commodity Classic, I talked to Matt Ahrens about some of the products they offer for growers and a program they have that can help farmers see exactly how they can benefit from using different types of precision solutions on their own operations. “We have a website – PutYourFarmOnTheMap – and on that website we have a cost savings calculator and you can go in and put your input costs on their, how much fuel usage per acre depending on implement width, and you can see what kind of savings you can get,” Matt said. “The good thing with that is that it’s their numbers, their input costs, so they get to see what their savings are.”

Matt also demonstrates the new AgGPS® FM-1000™ integrated display working with the Trimble Field-IQ in the video below. You can find out more about New Holland’s product line-up and more on the website PutYourFarmOnTheMap.com.

Commodity Classic Photo Album

The New Holland Boomer 8N made its debut at the National Farm Machinery Show last year – but it was just as popular with young and old alike at this year’s show.

The Boomer 8N is a updated remake of the classic Ford 8N tractor, part of New Holland’s heritage. I talked about the Boomer’s first year with New Holland’s John Hundley. “The history of this project was basically a fusion between the old styling of the Ford 8N with new technology of today,” John said. Many of this first year’s sales have been to collectors or people who have fond memories of the legendary Ford 8N growing up on a farm in the 40s and 50s. “We have some people who are buying this tractor and parking it because they don’t want to use it, but this is a workhorse and we do have people buying it and running it in the field everyday.”

John says lots of people have stories to tell about the old classic tractor – and some have great stories about their new Boomer 8N. You can find out more on one of the Boomer 8N websites – myboomer.com features real people and real stories about Boomer tractors, and www.8N.com has information about the history and design of the tractor.

Listen to my interview with John about the Boomer 8N here:

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Green farm equipment apparel has gone pretty mainstream in the past several years, but if you see someone sporting a New Holland blue shirt or cap, you can be fairly certain they are a real farmer.

I talked with Glenn Brumley who was staffing the New Holland toys and merchandise display at the National Farm Machinery Show about some of the popular items at the big show. “Each year we have a special feature and this year it happens to be a combine in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of our twin rotor combine,” Glenn said. “So that’s been a popular item since every body likes to have something that’s dated from each farm show season.”

Glenn says the dated toys are always big sellers for collectors, but the kids like them, too! The little guy in the photo got a special deal on last year’s featured item. You can find some New Holland merchandise here on-line.

Listen to my interview with Glenn here:

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Just when hay bales thought they could remain anonymous forever, along comes New Holland to give them a personality–or at least a brand! CropID, an individual bale identification system for large square bales, uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology in the twine to track bale atributes.

This innovation enables commercial growers to uniquely tag and sort bales based on a wide range of criteria, so that shipments or storage can be arranged according to the hay types that best meet the clients’ needs. Identifying quality, moisture content, or other characteristics of specific bales is now a simple process, allowing growers to easily decide which bales are the best match for specific customers, or need to be set aside for further curing.

“The wealth of data provided by the CropID system offers a vast array of benefits that have a great value to both the farmer selling the bale and the customer purchasing it,” said Michael Cornman, New Holland Dairy & Livestock Marketing Segment Leader. “The system provides accurate documentation of bales for resale, the exact weight of bales for loading and shipping purposes, the ability to monitor and manage inventory via computer, and it provides customized records for customers.”

In addition to helping growers keep shipments and stacks consistent, the CropID system also has several other uses, such as tracking the amount of hay on hand from each field and cutting.

The CropID system works by encasing a microchip and its antenna in a tag that’s wrapped around the twine as the bale is tied. A precision information processor stores the bale’s information, which includes the bale number, the field number or name, the date and time it was baled, the high and average moisture content, the amount of preservative applied, if any, and the bale weight.

CropID bale tags can then be read by a hand-held scanner that shows information on a screen when held within five feet of a tag. The scanner can also be docked on a loader with the screen visible to the operator. The loader-mounted scanner has additional antennae and reads tags on up to three bales at a time at a distance of up to 10 feet without actually seeing the tag. The scanner creates lists of bales made in each field, and a removable USB memory device can be used to download the lists to a computer.

For hay producers, the verifiable records provided by the CropID system provide paybacks including increased customer satisfaction and the potential for higher sale prices. New Holland continues to work on further enhancements for the system.

New Holland has introduced a new utility vehicle called The Rustler. Daughter Carly got to take it for a drive which you can watch in the video below.

I spoke with Paul Trella, New Holland Product Manager, who says customers tell him, “It’s about time.” Of course you can get the new vehicles in New Holland blue but you can also customize them in camo or black or probably any color you’d like. I’ve got several photos of them in our photo album.

You can learn more about the new things from New Holland in my interview with Paul:
fps-09-nh-rustler.mp3

Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Precision Pays coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by: .

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Precision seed placement of small-seeded crops with an air hoe drill has been improved. With durability and innovation reflective of its Flexi-Coil heritage, New Holland’s new P2070 precision air hoe drill provides the ultimate in precision seed placement with adjustable individual opener depth control. It works up to 70-feet wide, yet folds into a compact, narrow package for transport.

“Everyone talks about how important seed placement is, especially with small-seeded crops,” says Ed Barry, New Holland Cash Crop Marketing Manager. “The P2070 places the product exactly where you want it, every time.”

Each opener on the P2070 follows terrain independently of the frame to closely follow the contours of the ground. Patented individual opener depth control provides 0″ to 2″ seeding depth in 1/8″ increments. A single bolt on each opener has an indexed slotted design which makes it easy to adjust depth.

Even in the toughest conditions, the true parallel link design maintains consistent seed depth through the complete operating range of each individual opener. Fully adjustable packing force (adjustable from 275 lbs. – 550 lbs.) and trip force (adjustable from 135 lbs. to 215 lbs.) provide the operator with exceptional control. The single-shank, double-shoot minimum disturbance opener provides 1-7/8″ lateral separation and 7/8″ vertical separation between seed and fertilizer. Spacious frame-to-ground clearance affords superior trash flow that is unmatched in the industry.

The P2070 is available in 50′, 60′ and 70′ working widths, with either 10″ or 12″ spacing. The P2070 air hoe drill’s innovative fold-back design allows it to be folded into a 17’9″ wide x 16’6″ high envelope equal to or smaller than the 4WD tractor pulling it for safe and easy transport.

A unique tow-behind hitch design allows the air cart to follow the same tracks created by a typical 4WD tractor in the field, as well as during transport. This smaller turning radius makes tight-implement turns at headland corners easier.

You could go to school and learn about precision land management in the New Holland booth at this year’s Commodity Classic. Mike Harvey was teaching when I stopped by. He says the mobile teaching trailer provides a place for growers to see their monitors and even operate a simulator.

The trailer can be configured in various ways and is also used for dealer and operation training. The trailer has heat and air conditioning so it can be used year round.

When it comes to this year’s Classic Mike says interaction with growers was great. He says they’re really impressed with the ability to look at a machine in their booth and then come into the trailer to learn about all the controls.

You can listen to my interview with Mike here: cc-09-harvey.mp3

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