Weather Stole the Spotlight at Fall Farm Shows | by Shannon Peterson

The fall farm shows are a big deal for manufacturers and growers alike. Shows like Farm Progress and Husker Harvest Days give the Valley team a chance to connect with growers, see what other ag companies are developing and reconnect with peers from other companies.

Growers who attend can talk to Valley representatives and dealers about new and existing products, and peruse other booths to gather information and ideas.

Plus, the shows include great food, such as homemade ice cream, steak sandwiches and turkey legs, free stuff from bags to hats; livestock; concerts; and drawings for iPads, end guns and cars. Whew!

But this year, all that was overshadowed by the weather. Everyone was glued to their smartphones, watching the radar as storms swirled around and over Boone, Iowa, and Wood River, Neb. There was rain and wind. Lightning shut down Farm Progress on its final day.

And then there was mud. Lots and lots of mud. Muddy parking lots, muddy booths, muddy roads, muddy khakis. Cars and trucks got stuck in the mud; four-wheelers and bigger trucks pushed them out of the mud.

Rain and mud shut down Husker Harvest on Wednesday. Thursday brought more rain and cold temperatures, but many visitors. A Valley Product Manager said he was so busy he didn't leave the booth all day. Meanwhile, one show attendee said his visit was the worst three hours of his life – that’s pretty telling, coming from a farmer!

In the end, we all muddled through, made some connections and generated ideas for next year’s show.

But we’re all hoping for a little sun at the upcoming Sunbelt Ag Expo, Oct. 14-15 in Moultrie, Ga. See you there!

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Shannon Peterson Marketing Content Editor Shannon joined Valley Irrigation in 2013. She writes and edits materials about irrigation equipment. Shannon enjoys traveling with her family, particularly to national parks, and she occasionally writes about her travels for tourism magazines. She also likes trying new restaurants, seeing movies, and watching Husker football and Creighton basketball.

Mobile Apps for BaseStation3 Keep Growers Connected | by John Campbell

Back when I worked on the original BaseStation™, a grower’s shop was the center of his operations. Everything that needed to happen was managed from that small but busy center of activity. That’s not the case now. A grower’s command center is really wherever the farmer happens to be. On the road, at home, in the field, or even on vacation, the smartphone that connects him to his farm never leaves his side. 

BaseStation3™ has mobile apps that were designed specifically for either Apple® iOS or Android® operation systems. That means that it was designed from the very beginning to work with those devices. 

The mobile apps for BaseStation3 are bright easy to see in the sun; have a clean, modern design; are intuitive to use; and give the grower the ability to stay informed and in control. Wherever. Whenever.

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Learn more about BaseStation3 in this interview with John Campbell, or stop by the Valley booth at Husker Harvest Days to meet John and see a BaseStation3 demo.

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John Campbell Advanced Technology Product Manager John Campbell coordinates all of the Valley remote control and monitoring technology products, including BaseStation3. John lives in north Omaha, where he pursues his many hobbies, including classic cars and running.

You Never Know What Husker Harvest Days (or Husker Football) Will Bring | by Brooke Stover

Valley booth at Husker Harvest Days 2013

You never know what the weather will be like for Husker Harvest Days in September. Welcome to Nebraska. (We never know what the weather will be, period.) I suppose it keeps us Nebraskans on our toes – as if the Huskers don’t do that to us already (maybe it’s all in the name). Everyone please keep your fingers crossed our defense steps it up this weekend in our last non-conference game.

But I digress, back to the topic at hand. Two years ago, at Husker Harvest Days, it was 45 degrees and rainy and I, of course, forgot to bring my parka and snow boots. In 2012, we shut down early on day two because of a wind storm, which wreaked havoc on many of the booths at the show and left us all covered in a thick layer of dirt. But this year we lucked out (awesome weather on day two this time). Sure, we had a little rain, but nothing to ruin the festivities. In fact, the rain brought in even more people. It was like a tailgate in the Valley_® building, but let’s be honest, it’s pretty much always a party!

Even though we can’t count on or make sure-footed bets on the weather at Husker Harvest Days, there is one thing we can count on – an amazing crowd! Being at this trade show is one of the most fun parts of my job because I get the chance to meet some of our customers and talk to our local dealers, all of whom are AWESOME! I’ve noticed that our customers have great relationships with our dealers, who have equally great relationships with Valley employees. It’s a great dynamic and creates a fun atmosphere even on a gloomy day.

All said and done, this year at Husker Harvest was a successful one – no frostbite, no dirt in our eyes, and a lot of great conversations with our dealers and customers. Let me sum it up by making another comparison between Husker Harvest Days and Husker football – sometimes the going is a little rough, but win or lose, our customers, dealers, and Valley employees make a great team!

If you’re on the fence about visiting a trade show this year, just go! It will give you the chance to be a part of the fun, meet our amazing Valley dealers, and see our products up close!

Next up on our trade show schedule:

• Sunbelt Ag Expo, Oct. 15-17, Moultrie, GA
• Irrigation Association’s Irrigation Show, Nov. 6-7, Austin, TX
• Amarillo Farm & Ranch Show, Dec. 3-5, Amarillo, TX
• Nebraska Power Farming Show, Dec. 10-12, Lincoln, NE

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Brooke Stover Global Marketing Coordinator Brooke has been with the Valley Irrigation Global Marketing department since 2011. She spends her free time taking pottery classes; though she thoroughly enjoys this, most of her stuff is a bit lopsided. Brooke also loves to read and listen to Frank Sinatra. She enjoys traveling and has been to 11 countries with the goal to make it to six more in the next six years!