Outback Crop Circles | by Alex Mills

On a stretch of highway between Port Hedland to Broome in northern Western Australia, three big green circles stand out against the plains of red dirt, the latest project of my 23-year-strong cattle breeding family company. 

Our first pivot crop.

When we acquired the Kimberly coast property in late 2013, it came with an artesian bore with enough water pressure to supply three 47-hectare (116-acre) pivots without additional pumping.

Being cattlemen and not farmers, we stepped lightly into the world of center pivots and after much research and many discussions with other pivot farmers and experts, decided on the Valley_® brand. In early 2014, three pre-owned Valley pivots arrived at the property ready to be assembled under the supervision of new Pivot Manager Simon Scott. 

The goal of the project was to effectively drought proof the two properties, which hold 30,000 cattle collectively. Two pivots grow sorghum which is cut, baled and silage wrapped approximately every 30 days, while the third is reserved for 'stand and graze,’ where cattle are cell grazed to eat directly off the pivot before sale.

The pivot site is over 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the homestead, so it quickly became clear that we would need remote control and monitoring of the pivots. The age of the pivots meant that we were unable to use the new Valley BaseStation3™. After researching some possible alternatives, the task was handed to me. I quit my job at the end of 2014 to start working on AgConnect.

Head of the new controller.

The existing Valley control panel already contains 99 percent of the electronics required, so I selected a Siemens programmable logic controller, which, combined with a series of relays, enabled me to control the pivot over a Wi-Fi network. I learned to program the controller in two days and had the full pivot program ready by the end of the week. 

A new digital resolver installed in each pivot provides accurate position information to the controller. I installed a fully redundant server in the shed office that connects the three pivots, weather station and soil probes to the AgConnect web app.

AgConnect running on an iPhone.

I built the AgConnect app to constantly monitor the network, pivot state, weather station and soil probes, alerting the user with a notification if a system issue or alert occurs. The latest sensor readings are displayed visually for the user and sent periodically to our Agronomist for accurate fertilizer recipes. Data is sent to and from the pivot in real time so the user always knows exactly what is happening and can make machine changes right from the app.

For safety and security reasons, all 'safety-override' movements must be made on-site using the Valley control panel.

In the future, the user will be able to create schedules and sub-divide the pivots into sections for more detailed control over the irrigation. The next step is to connect the chemigation and solar power systems for complete control and monitoring over the entire site. 

This has been a considerable undertaking for Warrawagine Cattle Co., and I'm proud of what we have been able to achieve so far. It's exciting to be able to help shape the future of the growing pivot irrigation industry here in Australia.

Apple^® and iPhone^® are registered trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

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Alex Mills Software Developer Alex is a guest writer for the Growing the Conversation blog by Valley. He is a self-taught software developer and designer with a passion for electronics and solving technical challenges. Raised on an outback cattle ranch, Alex has always been fascinated by technology in the bush and its future applications in agriculture.

Visiting the Home Base of AgSense | by Rob Smith

Recently, I made a trip to the home base of AgSense^® in Huron, S.D. I have to admit that in early January there are a lot of places I’d rather visit than South Dakota. That being said, I was greeted by a warm welcome from the friendly folks at AgSense. 

A lot of innovative ideas and products come from small towns. Valley_® Irrigation and AgSense both have this in common. When you come from this type of environment, everyone in the company has to wear multiple hats. 

It’s great to see a company working as a team. Everyone at AgSense is cross trained and can do anything from answering the phone to helping on the assembly line. Don’t be surprised when Terry (the president of AgSense) answers the phone and helps a farmer with a technical question.

This type of hands-on approach allows AgSense to provide immediate, focused customer service. Not only does this benefit the customer, but the feedback from the customer can be applied to product improvement, fostering innovation and development. I’ve heard from many farmers how friendly and helpful the people at AgSense are when responding to phone calls and questions. 

It may sound cliché, but there really is a family atmosphere at AgSense. You can tell its people care about each other and the business on a very personal level. We, here at Valley, are very glad to have them on our team.

(Note: Valmont_® Industries, the parent company of Valley Irrigation, recently acquired a majority interest in South Dakota-based AgSense. Read more here.)

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Rob Smith Product Application Manager Rob Smith works with remote control and monitoring technology products including AgSense®, TrackerSP and BaseStation3™.  Rob lives in Fremont, Neb., where he and his wife do their best to keep up with their two boys’ sports activities, mainly hockey.

Valley Is Even Better at 60 | by Kelly Cox

A lot of things are really good at 50 years, but are even better at 60. For instance, wine. Or cheese (well, that may be stretching it). The same can be said of a strong company. 

This year, we celebrate the 60th anniversary of Valley_® Irrigation, which has remained the leader in precision irrigation for its entire existence. Let’s reflect on a few of the many great milestones Valley has accomplished through the past 60 years:

1954	Valley introduced the first center pivot irrigation machine to the irrigation market.
1960s	Valley began to hot dip galvanize their center pivots as a continuous improvement effort.
1970s	The overseas markets opened a new world to Valley Irrigation, thus forming Valmont International. The first linear and corner machines were also introduced.
1980s	The Valmonitor was introduced, opening doors to the remote control and management technology sector.
1990s	The Valley ControlsTM Pro Panel and Valley Controls Base Station were first introduced to the market, increasing pivot control from the panel and from home. Valley PolySpan® also made its first appearance in the ‘90s.
2000s	A plethora of new technology peppered the center pivot irrigation marketplace: Valley Tracker remote communication product line; GPS Position and GPS Guidance; Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI); Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS); and BaseStation3.

To help commemorate this great achievement, as well as to help celebrate all of the milestones and thought leadership that Valley has brought to the agriculture industry over the years, we are going to be taking our social media followers behind the scenes at Valley, as well as participate in the well-known Thursday social media activity Throwback Thursday (#TBT, for those who are familiar).

Each month, we will share a new story of a Valley employee, showcasing the people behind the pivot. As they happen, we will also post about Valley employees who retire this year, sharing their story and congratulating them on their tenure at Valley Irrigation.

Each Thursday (Throwback Thursday - #TBT), we will share a historical picture that helps craft the story of Valley Irrigation. 

So, what can YOU do to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Valley Irrigation? Engage with us on:

• Facebook
• Google+
• Twitter
• YouTube

...and, of course, on this blog! Please share and Retweet our posts on your social media channels, so that we can collaboratively share the story that is “Valley.”

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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. She considers herself a wine connoisseur (though, 3 buck Chuck is delicious!) and has a love of painting, dance, and singing.

Meet Us at a Trade Show

Valley Irrigation team members will be spreading out across the country to attend trade shows in February.

2013 National Farm Machinery Show

These shows allow us to highlight our innovations and technology, and showcase new products that increase farm efficiency and yields. 

More importantly, the shows give us an opportunity to discuss irrigation solutions with our key customers, as well as build relationships with potential customers.

Next up on our trade show schedule:

•         World Ag Expo, Feb. 11-13, Tulare, CA
•         National Farm Machinery Show, Feb. 12-15, Louisville, KY,
•         Commodity Classic, Feb. 27-March 1, San Antonio, TX
•         Mid-South Farm and Gin, Feb. 28-March 1, Memphis, TN

If you find yourself at one of these shows, be sure to stop by the Valley booth and say hello. You can meet us, meet our dedicated Valley dealers, and see our products up close.  See you at the shows!