Calling all precision agriculture geeks

C8
Sunday
Jan. 11, 2015
Business
“It is better to lead from behind
and to put others in front,
especially when you celebrate
victory when nice things occur.
You take the front line when
there is danger. Then people will
appreciate your leadership.”
Nelson Mandela
Calling all precision Buick carves out own auto show space
agriculture geeks
O
K, maybe I should say
precision agriculture
technology enthusiasts. If
you are one, or wishing to be
one, you might be interested
to know there is an association of farmers who meet
yearly called the Kansas Ag
Research and Technology
Association. As mentioned, it
is mainly a group of farmers, with a mix of university/
Extension and industry folks
from throughout the
state.
According to the
brochure, their conference is an applied
workshop consolidating information about
new and old technologies, with
tacy
a focus on
Agriculture
supporting
scientifically
valid on-farm research efforts
and increasing overall farm
business profitability. The
on-farm research actually is
done by the farmers in this
association and funds/grants
even are allocated to duespaying members conducting
on-farm research to help with
defraying possible expenses. If
grant money is received, the
recipient is expected to give a
formal report at the conference on the results of the
on-farm study.
This group is well-organized and has been around for
18 years, but my guess is a lot
of farmers don’t know it exists.
You can become a member
and pay annual dues plus the
conference fee, or even come
to the conference as a nonmember paying a little higher
conference fee and reap the
benefits of the information
S
DETROIT (TNS) — Buick, in
keeping with a quest to reach younger
affluent car buyers, has moved to a
more upscale neighborhood at the
2015 North American International
and networking opportunities. Auto Show floor. But the design of the
There are various vendors
new space stands out more than its
representing a broad spectrum address.
of agriculture technology
No longer tucked away in the Genservices, equipment and com- eral Motors corner with Chevrolet and
panies from large, well-known GMC, Buick’s stand for the first time
companies to the small startwill be located in the “luxury pod”
ups in the machinery shed.
near the center of the Cobo Center
I have attended the confer- hall, between Infiniti and Acura, and
ence and can say it is well
sharing a boundary with Cadillac.
worth the time and money.
The space is approximately 3,000
If you are a farmer that is
square feet smaller than what it
interested or wants to go
occupied in the GM corner. The
to the next level with
design, created by Chicago-based
JULIAN H. GONZALEZ • Tribune News Service
precision agriculture exhibit house Czarnowski, features
technologies and
Employees
work
under
the
featured
archway and inverted archway as they coma set of swooping arches that create
applying them to
plete
construction
of
the
Buick
display
area in preparation for the North Amerian amphitheater-like effect, with a
your own farm for
monochromatic frame of whites, grays can International Auto Show at Cobo Center in Detroit.
enhanced data coland silvers around an 82.5-foot wide
lection, profitability
lattice work of milled anthracite that is
and came away judging Buick’s space
high-resolution LED video screen.
or whatever the case
strong enough to support the weight on
as bland and “not in keeping with
A colorful collage of rural, urban
might be, this and other settings created by Jack
any Buick model.
where we want to take the brand.”
ampbell conference
Visitors at a walk-through saw
“We needed to be in and around our
Morton Worldwide and the Detroitand associafirsthand how much work must still be
based Mindfield film cycles in loops on competition,” Aldred said.
tion might be
done before the media preview begins
GM has gone further than most of
the screen with a soundtrack of soft,
a good fit. You could say it is
almost new-age music.
its competitors in allowing at least two Monday morning. The Buick logo and
a grassroots group of farmers
of its brands to create their own spaces shield were not yet mounted.
“We wanted to create a sense of
teaching and learning from
The process of assembling the stand
apart from the corporate base at large
calm and a ‘getting-to-know-Buick’
each other’s trial and errors.
began in early December with a conauto shows.
feel,” said Kevin Calabrese, one of
Just to give a sample of
voy of 27 trucks, each approixmately
Calabrese and Olena Sydorak,
Czarnowski’s designers who began
some of this year’s presentaanother Czarnowski designer, used the 53-feet long, that hauled the materials
working with General Motors’ exhibit
tions and speakers: “Precimarketing team shortly after last year’s arches and flowing panels behind them from Czarnowski’s studio in Atlanta.
sion Ag Perspective of a
“Now that I’ve seen it in the conto establish a sense of motion that acshow.
Researcher, Consultant and
struction stage, I’m absolutely delightThe push for bolder change came in centuates the horizontal dimension of
Farmer” by Chad Godsey of
ed,” Aldred said.
the stand. There is also a multi-layer
March when GM promoted Duncan
Godsey Precision Ag. Godsey Aldred to vice president of BuickWe’ll soon see if the general public
floor in which laminated surfaces are
was an Extension agronomist GMC. He attended the Detroit show
feels the same.
sandwiched around an asymmetrical
but went back to the farm
after his father’s sudden death
to continue the family farm
and is now helping others as a
consultant.
The two-day conference is
Jan. 22 to 23 at Salina AmbasSpecial to The Hays Daily News Bank invites the Hays comwill be available. Plus, the first than 20 communities in Kansador Hotel and Conference
munity to join them from 10 200 people through the door
sas with total assets exceeding
The finishing touches are
Center. You can attend one or
will get a Qdoba entree card. $1.5 billion. Emprise Bank is
complete, and the brand new a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday for a
both days. To find out more,
grand-opening celebration.
Headquartered in Wichita, FDIC insured. To learn more,
Emprise Bank at 1011 E.
visit www.kartaonline.org.
Snacks and refreshments
Emprise Bank serves more
visit EmpriseBank.com.
Stacy Campbell is Kansas 27th is open for business.
To celebrate the opening
State Research and Extension
agent for Ellis County. of the new branch, Emprise
C
Emprise Bank grand opening Friday in Hays
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