Bringing Farm Life to the City | by Shannon Peterson

We're bringing farm life to the big city through our partnership with the Omaha Children's Museum. Families can explore the world of agriculture and learn where their food comes from in the Once Upon a Farm exhibit opening Oct. 18.

We began installing a miniature Valley_® center pivot at the museum Wednesday, so children will be able to learn about water and irrigation. And, Valley Authorized Provider Senninger Irrigation is creating a cool sprinkler exhibit. The museum will offer daily programming on different farm topics. 

We can't wait! If you're planning to be in the Omaha area over the next several months be sure to check out the exhibit.

Meanwhile, we wanted to share this special letter from Omaha Children's Museum Executive Director Lindy Hoyer:

Omaha Children's Museum
Executive Director Lindy Hoyer

I'm a small town girl raising a city kid. My worst fear as a child was to end up living on my cousin's farm bailing hay and milking cows before school each day. 

My regret as a mother of a city kid is not having my child spend as much time on the farm as I did growing up. Even so, my son has spent enough time on a farm to have actually seen how milk is gathered and produced, understands that the meat we have in the freezer came from the cow he saw on the farm and that most of the vegetables we eat were grown in the ground somewhere.

Omaha Children's Museum has partnered with multiple members of the agricultural industry in Nebraska to present our next community-engaged exhibit Once Upon a Farm. Our shared vision in creating this exhibit is to help the kids growing up in an urban environment make stronger connections to the origins of their food before it makes it to the shelves of the grocery store or farmers market. 

With agriculture as a leading industry in our state, it is vital for us to help our kids understand where their future lives will intersect with the people who work and manage our farms and ranches. Kids don't have to dream about milking their own cow or harvesting a field to find themselves a role in the agricultural industry.

We look forward to exploring the vast world of agriculture with our visitors this winter. Plan to spend some good, quality time on the farm with us and help us continue to narrate the story of Once Upon a Farm."

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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.

Lessons From a Farm Kid | by Jenna Olmer

Here at Valley_® my job is training. I design courses covering service, sales, parts, and everything irrigation. I have always found so much value in education and teaching others. But sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the adult learning theory, simulations, and exams that come with formal learning, and I forget where some of my most important lessons were learned – right on the farm.

I was reminded of this the other day as I looked over an essay for my 12-year-old brother. Jarrett was assigned to write stories about his life for every letter of the alphabet. As I looked through his stories, I noticed a mix of brother rivalry, family vacations, harvest, planting, spraying, and everything in between, and it reminded me how much farming is less of a "job that my dad does" and more of a family lifestyle.

One story in particular caught my attention. It reminded me of the same lessons I learned early in life and made me proud of the industry I have chosen to contribute to today. After all, it helps put food on the table.

I is for Irrigation
By Jarrett

When you are a farmer in Nebraska there is no telling what the weather is going to be like so you better have an irrigation system just in case of drought. There are many different options to irrigate including flood irrigation, drip irrigation, and spray irrigation. We use the spray irrigation method which involves a center pivot. Pivots are handy during a dry spell but they are high maintenance.

At the beginning of the season we have to grease all the zerks on the pivot, including the knuckles on each tower that have a very inconvenient cover over them. Also we have to replace the oil in the engine and fill the huge tank with gas. Next, we mow the driveways leading to the base tower of the pivots.

A couple days later we get the pivot running with water for the first time. Now we have to drive along the pipe and make sure all the sprinklers are functioning correctly. One time there were a couple sprinkler plugs that busted and water started shooting straight up in the air, we could see the water from half a mile away.

About half way through the summer we go back to re-oil the motors and touch up the mowing with a weed eater. Sometimes irrigating prevents us from going on certain trips because we can’t just make someone else irrigate for us. If we were to just leave our crops in the middle of the drought they would die and if our crops die we are done-for that is our main paycheck, gone, down the drain. I might as well plan on going hungry a couple nights out of the year because we’re going to have to cut spending big time. I hope this shows you how important irrigation is and how stressful the gamble of farming can be.

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Jarrett Jarrett is a eighth-grader and is rarely seen without a basketball or football in hand. He lives on a farm with his parents and older brother, Carson, where he helps out with the hogs, cattle, corn, and soybeans. His four sisters visit often, and he enjoys entertaining his six nieces and nephews.

Jenna Olmer Senior E-Learning Instructional Designer Jenna joined Valley in 2012. She has a passion for development through education and holds a master’s in instructional technology. She has spent time working in a variety of industries (farming, retail, food service, meat packing, broadcasting, publishing, and technology services – to name a few) and learning in a variety of countries (Mexico, China, and Spain). Now that she has settled down, she enjoys gardening, refurbishing old furniture, and spending time with her husband and new baby girl.

Looking for the Farm Mom of the Year | by Shannon Peterson

Mom – she holds a special place in your heart. And, a special place on the farm. Often the farm mom’s deeds go unheralded. It’s time to change all that.

Nominate your favorite farm mom for the America’s Farmers Mom of the Year contest and she could win $10,000!

Prepare a brief essay about how she contributes to her family, farm, community, and agriculture. Then click here to nominate her. The deadline is March 31.

So what does a farm mom contribute? A recent Twitter contest from Americas Farmers provided some fun insight:

• #FarmMom good cook, drives a big green tractor!
• Sleeping on the couch to be near my 9 year old son who is sleeping on the other couch to be near his 9 day old bottle goat.
• A #farmmom is a mom that can drive a tractor all day and popcorn and boardgames at night.
• A #farmmom is often in competition with the "other woman", #mothernature, but knows that's ok bc there are others to feed.
• ‏A #farmmom cares for the land like she cares for her kids-she wants the best future for both.
• #farmmom 
• Filthy clothes
• Lengthy hours
• Seeds to sow
• Hurried showers
• Lessons learned
• Values taught
• Kisses earned
• Joy sublime!

Head over to Twitter #farmmom to read more.


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Meanwhile, the AgChat Foundation is sponsoring the Social Media Farmer of the Year Award.

This award will recognize a farmer that has “incorporated social media, digital media, and Internet strategies to achieve business objectives including growing revenue, sharing information for more effective farming practices, and overall elevating the industry.”

Farmers can nominate themselves or a colleague at here. The deadline for nominations is March 31.

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Shannon Peterson Marketing Content Editor Shannon joined Valley Irrigation in 2013. She enjoys traveling with her family, particularly to national parks, and she occasionally writes about her travels for tourism magazines. Shannon also likes reading, trying new restaurants, seeing movies, and watching Husker football and Creighton basketball. However, she and her husband spend most of their free time chauffeuring their teenage son to activities and chasing their baby daughter.

Looking for Funding Assistance for Irrigation Equipment?

After water efficiency, the most common question about new irrigation technology is related to cost and financing. Marcos Perez, an engineer with the Natural Resources ConservationService (NRCS), recently discussed finances opportunities for center pivot irrigation equipment through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

“To qualify for financing, an applicant must be engaged in agricultural production, forestry management, or have an interest in the associated operation,” Perez said. “In addition toapplicant eligibility, the land represented in the application must be agricultural, non-industrial private forestland, or other land on which agricultural products, livestock, or forest-related products are produced.”

Available EQIP financing varies by year. In 2013, a center pivot longer than 600 feet could have been financed at $35.31 per linear foot, while a span less than 600 feet would have been financed at $29.47 per linear foot.

Local NRCS offices  are now accepting applications for 2014 EQIP funding. 

While funding is not guaranteed, applications are prioritized by the value and environmental benefit expected from the improvement, Perez says. For example, applicants looking to improve or even install center pivot irrigation equipment might want to highlight how the purchase would improve irrigation water management, such as reducing water use by transitioning from a flood to center pivot irrigation operation.

To learn more about EQUIP, check out these resources:

• NRCS offers Five Steps to Assistance, which includes a video offering step-by-step guidance.
• The national EQIP site provides an outline of information and state application information.
• And, of course, you can always contact Valley Irrigation or your local Valley dealer for more information and assistance.

A portion of this content was published in PivotPoint - The California Grower, 2013

Turning your Farm into a Tourism Site? | by Shannon Peterson

Did you know that millions of people take trips to rural destinations every year? They visit farms to pick apples, take hayrack rides, watch cows give birth, and experience rural life.

Nebraska's Roca Berry Farm offers U-pick
strawberries (Nebraska Tourism)

That’s right; people want to pay to do the things farm families do every day. It’s called agritourism and it is one of the fastest growing niches in the travel industry.

Expanding beyond traditional ag operations to offer farm experiences to visitors is also a way to supplement farm income and educate the public about agriculture. You don’t need to create the next big thing. You just need a little imagination and creativity, followed by some research and planning.

If you are considering opening your farm to the public, there is an abundance of resources to help you determine whether agritourism is right for your operation and family.

The USDA National Agriculture Library website includes a detailed guide on “Promoting Tourism in Rural America” that includes more than 50 links to how-to guides, manuals, and handbooks. The Rural Information Center’s Rural Tourism page provides additional resources including success stories, funding assistance programs, and links to even more information.

The Nebraska Tourism Commission has an excellent “Guide to Agri-Tourism and Eco-Tourism Development” that outlines what it takes to develop an agritourism business. It includes worksheets to evaluate your family’s values and expectations, set goals, outline a financial plan, and more. Many state tourism offices have agritourism consultants that can assist you as well.

If you’ve already done some research and are getting ready to take the next step, consider attending the Nebraska Agri/Eco-Tourism Workshop, Feb. 3-5, in Kearney, NE. The workshop can help you take advantage of your land and develop an attraction. Other states offer workshops too, contact your state tourism board or department of agriculture.

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Shannon Peterson Marketing Content Editor Shannon joined Valley Irrigation in 2013. She enjoys traveling with her family, particularly to national parks, and she occasionally writes about her travels for travel magazines. Shannon also likes reading, trying new restaurants, seeing movies, and watching Husker football and Creighton basketball. However, she and her husband spend most of their free time chauffeuring their teenage son to activities and chasing their baby daughter.

Everything is Big in Texas, Including the Irrigation Show | by Jerry Gerdes

When attending the Irrigation Association Irrigation Show & Education Conference, I always look forward to seeing friends and colleagues and catching up with what is going on in their lives, and also talking some business. This year’s meeting held special meaning for me.

Photo courtesy of Paige Electric

Last summer, I was nominated for an open position on the Irrigation Association Certification Board and in August received word that I had been selected to join the board after the 2013 meeting. I’m honored to represent the agricultural irrigation industry as a member of the board.

At last week’s meeting, I had the opportunity to meet the current board members and sit in on the board meetings. Everyone made me feel very welcome. I look forward to continuing the great work that has been done since the Certification Board was created 30 years ago.

The I.A. Certification Program allows people within the irrigation industry to demonstrate their knowledge by passing examinations and becoming certified in specific areas of irrigation. If you are interested in knowing more about the Certification Program, visit the I.A. website and click on certification.

The Valley_® display booth saw very good traffic throughout the show. Attendees from all around the world stopped to visit with us about the Valley center pivot and linear product lines. The show is also an excellent opportunity for me to find out what’s new in irrigation.

Texas State Capital Building

This year’s show was held in downtown Austin, TX, where the weather was quite comfortable compared to Nebraska in November.

This was my first visit to Austin, so I set aside a few hours to explore the downtown area. There are many restaurants to choose from, and I highly recommend the Vince Young Steakhouse on Second Street and Eddy V’s Prime Seafood on Fifth Street.

The Texas State Capital is in the downtown area and was one of the highlights of my visit to Austin. Like most things in Texas, it is very big!

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Jerry Gerdes Product Manager - Water Application Jerry, Nebraska-based Water Application Product Manager, contributes years of experience from his time working for a sprinkler manufacturer prior to joining Valley Irrigation. Currently working with different sprinkler manufacturers, Jerry develops the recommendations for the optimum water application package for a grower's operation.

Kickin’ It Down South at Sunbelt Ag Expo | by Kelly Cox

Taken outside during the Southern boil

In the chicken booth

At sunrise

I love the South. I just do, and I always have. Great food, great landscape, great people. In fact, the South is the only place on this planet where I am OK with being called “ma’am” (people in all other places can only “ma’am” me when I’m either 30 or a mother, whichever comes first).

Though I’ve spent plenty of time down South in my lifetime, last week was my first visit to Moultrie, GA. It was also my first time trying boiled peanuts (…very salty experience…), my first time eating dinner at a Southern boil, and my first time attending the Sunbelt Ag Expo.

Now, I didn’t know what to expect at this farm show, since it was my first time attending. But, I’ve got to say, I had an absolute whirlwind of a time! It was hot (90 degrees, humid), but it was preferable to what my husband described as “stupidly cold” back home in Omaha, NE (I even returned home with a suntan – who else in Nebraska can say that in mid-October?).

Three things stand out to me about this farm show:

1. Our dealers who attended the show were among the most hospitable people I’ve ever met. Thank you all for showing a Mid-Western girl how a farm show is done in the South!
2. There was food everywhere, ranging from homemade ice cream to pulled pork to (you guessed it) boiled peanuts.
3. Chickens, chickens, and more chickens. I found a booth showcasing various kinds of chickens, and, I must say, I’ve never been that close to a live chicken! To be honest, I think chickens are awesomely lurky and I took a ton of pictures.

A surprise from this show was the beautiful Valley® Precision Corner® on cotton just outside the show grounds. One early morning, a few of us got up early and took some photos of the field with the sun rising behind it – what an awesome, yet peaceful, impromptu photo shoot!

For those of you who attended one of our farm show booths this year in California, Kentucky, Illinois, Nebraska, or Georgia – thank you. Thank you for visiting us. Thank you for supporting center pivot irrigation. And thank you for feeding the world.

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Kelly Cox Global Digital Marketing Manager Kelly joined the Valley Irrigation Global Marketing Department in 2008. Her love of all things geek (steampunk furniture, anime, Doctor Who, and science fiction/fantasy literature, just to name a few) helped shape her appreciation for technology and the web. Kelly is a newlywed and new homeowner, where she shares her geekery with her husband and cat Kiba. She considers herself a wine connoisseur (though, 3 buck Chuck is delicious!) and has a love of painting, dance, and singing.

Big Iron (and a little rice) | by Kelly Downing

Last week I was in Fargo, ND, for the Big Iron Farm Show. It was a very enjoyable experience for several reasons. First, the weather was beautiful, with high temperatures near 80° F (27° C), while at home in Nebraska there were another few days of very hot (97° F, or more than 36° C) weather. Second, I got the opportunity to meet with several customers and potential customers from all over the world — North Dakota, other U.S. states, Kazakhstan, Liberia, etc. Third, farm shows are always fun. Fourth, and perhaps most important, I hadn’t had any cheese curds in quite some time — it was time for a treat!

The North Dakota Trade Organization (NDTO) does a great job promoting its state, which accounted for the large number of international visitors, and it was a great pleasure to meet so many wonderful people from all around the world. I also got to spend some quality time with a couple of neat guys. Our dealer in Fargo, Ken Storm, is always fun to be around. I also got to hang out with a valued coworker, Ben Soliev. He is from Uzbekistan, so was invaluable in our communication with all the Russian-speaking visitors. Ken helped with the translations for the North Dakotans. ☺ Plus, they are both just nice guys, and it is always a pleasure to spend time with them.

We were asked to get some representative photos from the show. Here is mine:

You might notice that our display span for the show looks a little “different” than a typical machine in the field. That’s because, the night before the show, somebody hit it with a forklift! If any of you read the comic strip “Family Circus,” you can probably guess the culprit: one of those two gremlins named “Ida Know” or “Not Me.”

Other than this minor distraction, the show went very well. There was quite a bit of rain just before the show began, which forced the cancellation and delay of some field events. However, it had been very dry, so the moisture was welcome. Unfortunately for me, I had to leave the show early and go to southern Missouri and Arkansas for the rest of the week. Not that those are bad places, but the temperature was much higher. And, as you might have deduced, I am really a “cold-weather” kind of guy.

It was nice seeing the harvest down south. Lots of corn coming out of the fields and rice, too. The rice harvest is delayed this year, due to the late spring, but the crop looks good. Here are a couple of photos of the Jeremy Baltz pivot rice, near Pocahontas, AR. He is closing in on harvest and anticipates a good result.

Although it has seemed like a long time coming, harvest is approaching at home, too. I even saw several corn fields cleaned out this weekend as I drove through eastern Nebraska to visit my mom. This reminds me that I want to wish you all a very safe, productive harvest season. Take extra care and don’t rush; I want you to enjoy the fruits of all your labors! Stay in touch.

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Kelly Downing International Ag Project Specialist Kelly, a Nebraska-based Irrigation Specialist, spent 10 years working on soil and water research projects for a major agricultural university, involving a variety of crops. His work focused on irrigation management, but also included other topics.  Since joining Valley Irrigation, he has worked in the fields of Service, Product Management, Product Reliability and Sales. Kelly focuses on developing projects in irrigation field management and providing recommendations for the Circles for Rice project. Kelly has traveled to several countries providing technical support, such as soil moisture monitoring and irrigation management training.

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!

2013 Farm Progress Show Was Sizzling this Year | by Jill Zwiener

I attended the 60th Annual Farm Progress Show last week in Decatur, IL. The weather was smokin’ hot and the crowds were plenty! It was my first time attending the show and I wasn’t disappointed.

The Farm Progress Show is the nation’s largest outdoor farm show. With more than 500 exhibitors, I put a lot of miles on my ASICS checking out the various vendors. The 86-acre exhibit field featured displays from the nation’s leading large and shortline equipment manufacturers, seed and crop protection companies, livestock equipment manufacturers, and many additional agriculture input suppliers.

The crowds were especially heavy the first two days. At the Valley_® booth, we had visitors from all over the world, including many from Brazil, interested in a variety of irrigation products. Some were new to irrigation and wanted to learn more about center pivots while others were seasoned pioneers looking for more information on our remote technology products, BaseStation™ and TrackNET™. Other visitors were interested in learning more about DropSpan™ and Bender160™, which were on display at our booth. And many people were excited to hear about the new Valley VFlex Corner™ being released in October. 

Because we had product managers and Valley dealers working the booth, it was the perfect opportunity for growers to learn more about why they should choose to invest in a Valley center pivot for their operation!

If you didn’t make it to the Farm Progress Show, you should make plans to attend its sister show, Husker Harvest Days, in Grand Island, NE, on Sept. 10-12. It’s another one-stop opportunity to see the latest in agriculture. Plus, we’ll be featuring some new products so you won’t want to miss it!


The Farm Progress Show - Did you Know?

• For the first time in 60 years, the field demonstrations were canceled because the crop wasn’t mature.
• The homemade ice cream on Third Street is amazing! I recommend the chocolate or half chocolate/half vanilla. Oh yes…I tried both.
• There are about a dozen air-conditioned tents at the show. Ours wasn’t, but, we did have free ice cold water!
• Country music singer Chris Cagle performed in concert after the show on Wednesday.
  

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Jill Zwiener Brand Manager Jill joined the Valley Irrigation team in 2011. She loves country music, fountain soda, food, college football, and the ski slopes of Colorado. She enjoys using photography to freeze the precious bits of time with her family into pictures that she can cherish for years.

Farming is in the Trail Blood

Originally published in Spring 2013 edition of PivotPoint.

Today, the two men and their wives work together very closely. Eventually, Rocky and Terrie plan to step back, taking more time off and traveling. For now, though, it is truly a family affair, as Rocky teaches Rusty all the nuances of farming the land, even as Rusty uses technology to get more out of that land with precision planning. meanwhile, Terrie and Jennifer work together on the books.

“We’ll be sitting around the dinner table at night with the kids, talking business,” says Rocky. “We make all of our decisions jointly. With us, it’s all family – all business.”

Working together to save money

Farming 2,200 acres in the hills and valleys of Idaho presents some challenges, one of which is how to irrigate their sugar beets, alfalfa, and winter wheat. They have always irrigated their land, mostly with hand lines, which requires a lot of labor.

Rocky explains, “The whole goal is to save on labor, and while pivots aren’t totally labor-free, they’re much better than hand line irrigation. It takes 10 guys to work with hand lines, but only three to work with pivots.”

The Trails decided to start the switch to pivot irrigation about 13 years ago. Valley dealer JTS Farm Store is about five miles away from Trail Farms and the Trails knew the owners, Jim and Lea Ann Schraeder, so it made sense to work with them.

Lea Ann Schraeder says, “Rock and Rusty are just great guys to work with. They’re very business-oriented, so they require a quality product and good service. Just because we’re close by doesn’t mean we’d keep their business if we didn’t come through for them.” Including two soon-to-be-delivered new pivots, the Trails have nine Valley pivots, covering nearly half of their land.

“Fifteen years ago, some of our land wasn’t considered suitable for pivots at all,” explains Rocky, “but by adapting to different water sources, we installed pivots on that land, and it’s working well. Using sprinklers on beets while they’re germinating is so much better,” Rocky says. “Pivots are very flexible for that, and hand lines really aren’t.”

”We were one of the first operations to use a reverse swing arm, which moves counter clockwise,” says Rusty.

The Trails keep up with technology when it makes sense. For example, they use auto-steer on their implements and they have Trackers on their irrigation systems, with all alerts going to Rusty’s smart phone. They’re also looking into purchasing a Valley BaseStation2-SM.

Will there be a fourth generation Trail farmer?

Rusty’s son Parker goes out on the tractors with them every year and loves it. “He says he wants to be a farmer, too,” says Rusty with a smile. “Of course, he’s eight, so we’ll have to wait and see.”