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.

Five Years Equals a Lifetime in Remote Farm Management | by Steve Sveum

Recently, we at AgSense^® were very excited to release our Field Commander^® Ultimate remote precision irrigation package. The package combines various AgSense technologies into one kit that allows for total control and monitoring of an entire irrigation system from the Web or a smartphone.

Learn more about Field Commander Ultimate

This is our latest (and certainly not our last) in a series of new product introductions. As I approach my five year anniversary with AgSense, it is interesting for me to reflect on how far our technology, both hardware and software, has come during that time. Five years represents about 10 percent of my lifetime (give or take), but several generations in the life of our remote irrigation technology and software.

In 2010, we had just started selling our Field Commander product for pivot monitor and control. That replaced our Pivot Point product, which simply monitored and allowed for remote stop of a pivot, similar to what our Field Commander Lite does today. Field Commander added single end gun, remote speed programming and remote start capabilities for most pivots and panels. It now includes two end guns or pump control, wire theft monitoring, and the ability to read and report precipitation.

Also since 2010, we expanded our hardware and software capabilities to include SDI (drip irrigation), soil moisture monitoring, the Precision Link digital interface into the T-L Precision Point III Panel, and a whole host of weather and agronomic condition sensors, putting all that critical data and control literally at growers’ fingertips via our smartphone apps and Web interface.

Speaking of the WagNet^® app, it was released in 2013. It has been wildly popular, and our statistics show that today 70 percent of the commands sent to and through AgSense devices are sent from growers’ smartphones or tablets.

We are proud to be one of the pioneers in remote precision irrigation programming and control. WagNet software is compatible with several major suppliers of irrigation prescription and scheduling software, allowing for very quick and easy uploading of prescriptions into pivots. Again, most of this capability has been developed since 2010 and is available for any electric pivot, regardless of brand, age or panel type.

As the technology has grown and evolved, so has the business itself. Our biggest month of shipping in 2015 will be represent more units than we shipped all year my first year. My office near Minneapolis was the first AgSense location outside of the home office in South Dakota. We now have four remote offices around the country (Minnesota, Kentucky, Nebraska and Idaho) where our regional managers work from.

Our international business has also grown significantly, thanks in large part to our OEM agreements with pivot manufacturers such as Valley, which purchased part of AgSense in 2014. We currently have active devices in more than 20 countries around the world.

The way things are going, it looks like the next five years may be even more exciting than the last! Stay tuned and THANK YOU to all the growers, dealers and industry partners that have helped us get here! Many of you have been with us since nearly the beginning.

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Steve Sveum Vice President – Sales and Marketing AgSense, LLC Steve has been involved in agriculture most of his life. He was raised near Omaha in eastern Nebraska, and spent most of his summers working for farmers in that area, as well as in northeast South Dakota near his family’s homestead farm. Steve developed a passion for agriculture during those years and went on to receive an agricultural business degree from South Dakota State University. His 25-year career in the ag industry has been spent in leadership roles, primarily in the application and precision ag segments. Steve particularly enjoys projects developing new businesses and markets. He now makes his home in Centerville, Minn., with his wife and two children.

Visiting Our Growers | by Matt Ondrejko

One of the great things about my job is having the opportunity to spend time with our Valley_® dealers and growers talking about products, business and their general outlook on things. 

In early February, I was fortunate enough to be invited down to southwest Indiana to spend time with Scates Valley Irrigation. The Scates team services growers in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky, and boy does the team do a great job. 

Scates Valley Open House

I spent one day visiting large growers from the Scates territory, all farming 10,000 acres or more. It was awesome to hear firsthand how Valley products have made a difference in their operations for many years and often generations. The area is a hotbed for irrigation, and the growers certainly know the power of getting water efficiently and effectively to the crops. This area tends to be heavy in soybeans and corn and has very sandy soils due to its proximity to the Wabash River.

The really interesting thing for me was the amount of farms using remote management products such as Valley BaseStation™ and AgSense^® Field Commanders^®. Even though most of the center pivots are in relatively close proximity to each other, on average a 5- to 10-mile radius, the benefits of using these products are too valuable to ignore. One grower told me that he was able to eliminate putting 200 miles per week on each of his trucks because he didn’t have to physically go to every machine, every day. Instead of driving out to every machine every day, he could plan his day and week in a more methodical way. While the upfront cost of these products is a large investment, the payoff is swift, and the tangible benefits are quickly realized.

The acceleration of technology and its benefits continue to seep in to farming. Whether it is remote monitoring solutions for irrigation, soil moisture monitoring or bin management, technology makes farming more efficient and creates true economic benefit for these growers.

Scates Valley Irrigation hosted an Open House while I was visiting that attracted more than 100 local farmers interested in learning about these technologies and discussing “what’s new” in the industry. The sophistication of growers continues to evolve, and finding solutions to their needs is what keeps me up at night. What a great trip!

Scates Valley Open House

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Matt Ondrejko VP Global Marketing The one word that can sum up Matt is "enthusiasm!" He likes to be on-the-go and have fun along the way. Matt loves music and the 1980s era. He is a child of the MTV generation and has a deep appreciation of all music genres (specifically, he is a huge Dave Matthews Band groupie). Matt has traveled to more than 70 countries around the world and enjoys learning about different cultures and people. He spent three years living with his family in Leuven, Belgium, trying to enjoy as many of the 700+ beers they brew there.

Try Our New BaseStation3 Mobile App Demo | by John Campbell

 "See?" Try to count how many times you say that in one day and you'll probably lose track before dinner. Our lives revolve around what we can see. So even though I have been telling everyone how great the mobile app for Valley_® BaseStation3™ is, you really need to see it to believe it. 

Now that’s possible even if you don't own BaseStation3 yet. We added a "Demo" mode that enables anyone to experience the bright, clean layout, the intuitive design and the powerful control our app offers.

Search the correct App store for phone apps (or use these links: iOS or Android) for "Basestation3", download the App and at the bottom of the main screen you'll see the "Demo" button. Selecting that will take you into an interactive simulation of a BaseStation3-connected farm with several pieces of equipment; two Pro2 panels, one Select2 panel and one AuxLink.

With the Demo, you can see the pivot move at an accelerated rate, execute commands, change end gun angles, and try out the Step Program Editor and the Notes feature.

And, even though the App is for phone devices, it was carefully designed so it looks great on a tablet also.

Try the app out and see what all the fuss is about. Then give your Valley dealer a call so he can request a quote to install BaseStation3 at your farm.

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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.

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.

Google Maps Makes BaseStation3 Even More User Friendly

Irrigators who use Valley BaseStation3™ to remotely monitor and control their pivots are thrilled with how easy it is to use and the time it saves. However, Valley isn’t resting on its laurels. Instead, Valley is already making updates to further simplify life for growers by integrating Google Maps™ into BaseStation3. 

John Campbell, Valley advanced technology product manager, says BaseStation3 will now come equipped with the software for Google Maps. Existing BaseStation3 users only need a simple software update to take advantage of this new feature, available in December. 

Campbell says Google Maps is a natural fit for BaseStation3 and is very easy to use. Growers no longer have to draw their maps, which saves time during the initial setup. 

"All the grower has to do is enter the latitude and longitude of the machines, along with their lengths, and this software will place the machines on a map for easy viewing," Campbell explains. "This is especially helpful for growers who have larger operations that are spread out. They can see as much or as little as they want – the broader view or the details." 

Growers can view their machines on any Web browser and can zoom in and out of the high-resolution image, showing smaller areas or entire operations. As the image zooms out, machines are grouped into pins. Go out even farther, and colored circles show the number of machines in an area. 

"Google Maps is updated constantly, so growers are getting information that’s up-to-date," says Campbell. "And the grower can edit or tweak the location of the machines on the map, if they aren’t in exactly the correct spot."

Campbell says Valley developed this software update because customers asked for it. 

"We also think we’ll be able to integrate other features down the road, conceivably topographical information and weather," he says. "This integration gives us more options for the long-term."

Reprinted from Valley PivotPoint magazine, Winter2014

BaseStation3 Offers Option of No Recurring Fees | by John Campbell

I’ve been showing BaseStation3™ at a lot of ag shows, open houses and customer visits. Each time the audiences’ interest is focused on a different unique feature of BaseStation3. 

One grower or group might be particularly interested in the mobile app; its clean design and intuitive operation. A different group may focus on the user configurability that no other product offers. Yet another group likes the fact that an Internet connection isn’t required for BaseStation3 to work.

Of all the things that makes it “best in class,” when I tell growers that BaseStation3 is the only product on the market that offers the option of no monthly or annual fees, I always get their undivided attention.

The only product that offers unprecedented user configuration; the only product that doesn’t require access to the Internet; the only product that allows over-the-air transfer of Variable Rate Irrigation prescriptions; the only product that allows a combination of different communication links to the field and the option of no recurring fees.

How can it get any better than that?

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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.

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.

Taking Irrigation Management to the Next Level with BaseStation3

The latest product that can improve growers' daily lives is coming soon. Valley_®  BaseStation3™ will  provide growers with a simple, customizable irrigation management solution.

“This product is designed to be very graphical and intuitive,” explains Vice President of Engineering and Strategic Technology Development Craig Malsam, who was in on the ground floor of the development of BaseStation3. “It should be intuitively easy to use; like an ATM – no user’s manual needed. It’s basically plug and play, right off the shelf.”

Product Manager John Campbell says people are really excited about this product.

BaseStation3 will allow growers to use a dedicated radio or cellular network to monitor and manage their irrigation machines remotely, through a tablet, smartphone, laptop, personal desktop computer, or just about any device that has a Web browser. Growers will be able to view more information in one place, from in-field moisture conditions to weather, and download native apps for iOS or Android devices.

This irrigation management solution will accommodate any type of installation and management practice, and not just for pivots. Growers will be able to control any brand of linears, solid set systems, and other irrigation machines. 

“We designed it to grow with the farming operation,” explains Campbell. “We’re very excited to provide growers with such a user-friendly, time-saving product.”





Text published in PivotPoint Fall 2013

Valley Technology Is Changing the Way You Farm

Originally published in PivotPoint Fall 2013

Who could have predicted that technology like tablets and smartphones could improve the way we farm?

Love them or hate them, there’s no denying that those smart devices have changed our lives – from the way we communicate to the way we entertain ourselves. For many growers, it doesn't stop there.

According to Valley_® Product Manager John Campbell, the nearly universal adoption of smart devices – even more than the use of laptops – has driven the high level of adoption of remote tracking and control.

“Growers have more confidence in technology now, and with the Tracker products, they see a very real payback,” he said.

As proof, Campbell says TrackNET^® sales are rising significantly every year. “They’re reliable,” he said, “and our dealers and growers have real confidence in these products. They make life so much easier and save a lot of time for the grower.

“Everyone who purchases a TrackNET product comments that they don’t know how they ever got along without it. That’s the best testimonial there is. After all, a grower can see what’s happening from the office, the kitchen table – or even from the beach!”

As TrackNET sales have increased, so have the service and support provided for the products.

“We want to make sure the growers have everything they need, so they can remain confident that their products will keep doing the job for many years,” Campbell said.

Find out which Tracker product is right for you or take our demo for a spin.

Happy Earth Day: Environmental Benefits of Pivot Rice | by Kelly Downing

As I sit in the office and watch the snow fall outside in the middle of April, it is amazing to remember that last year many field operations were complete by now. This year, hardly anyone has begun, at least in my neighborhood. What a difference a year makes! A popular response to unexpected (or unwelcome) cold weather is to say “What happened to global warming?” (there it is…that essential segue into the topic of the post!). Today is Earth Day, when the media run lots of stories about the environment, global warming and similar topics. I must admit, when I was asked to write about this topic, I didn’t think too much about it, even when thinking back to the first Earth Day. But then I did a little reflection and simple math and realized that this event is more than 40 years old, and I can remember the first one. Okay, now I feel bad.

Rice under center pivot irrigation

Anyway, this seems as good a time as any to do a brief, if self-serving, review of some of the environmental benefits of pivot rice. During the past several years, several things have become clear. First, we have the potential to save lots of water. Our experience shows that we can grow very similar yields of rice to that obtained by flooding, using only 40 – 60% of the water. Second, we can save significant amounts of labor. No levees to build, no special planting operations for flat vs. levee areas, no gates to install, no flush to manage. Irrigating can be as simple as pushing a button, or even just clicking a mouse. In addition to these two primary benefits, there are others that are often overlooked, but exist nonetheless.

Depending on the level of technology used on the pivot, you may be able to check fields electronically, instead of burning fuel driving field to field. There is no concern about levees breaking and flooding adjacent fields or ditches. Herbicides can be more effective when all it takes to activate them is a quick pass with the pivot, instead of flushing the field. Applying fertilizer through the pivot greatly enhances its efficiency, and keeping the root zone unsaturated minimizes both leaching and volatilization losses of nitrogen. Application of chemicals through the pivot, whether fertilizer, herbicide, fungicide, or insecticide (when labeled for the practice) is much more uniform than via airplane, so effectiveness and efficiency is enhanced. This minimizes movement to off-site (unintended) locations.

Albert Einstein said, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.” I think we have a tendency to work hard on the first part of this adage, and to forget the second. All major issues, including environmental issues, are too complicated, and too important, to be viewed as only “two sides” and via five-second sound bites. So, this Earth Day, let’s focus less on catchy slogans and momentary video clips. Instead, let’s work in practical ways to be the best stewards possible of the resources we have inherited. As I saw it (well) put once, let’s become “active environmentalists, rather than trying to be environmental activists." Have a great spring and a safe, prosperous crop year, and stay in touch.

For more information on Earth Day, visit www.EarthDay.org.

	Kelly Downing Global Irrigation Specialist Kelly, 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.