Precision Pays

Getting The AMS Overview

One of the people I spoke with at the National Farm Machinery Show was Kayla Reynolds, John Deere AMS. I asked her to give us an overview of the Ag Management Solutions division at John Deere. It’s a bigger operation than I thought. For example she says they’ve got about 250 people working in AMS in Des Moines. That includes engineering, testing, supply management, marketing, customer support and accounting.

Kayla says that AMS is all about creating solutions that help farmers better manage their business. It’s all about efficiency in the field. She says that their main focus is on agriculture but that they’re looking at some new opportunity areas like construction, forestry and even lawn and garden. Mowing straight lines on a golf course would be one good example of a precision application. I think it’s interesting how often new technology is developed for an agricultural purpose but is then used in other industries and precision is no different.

One of the main new products that Kayla talked to growers about is the Intelligent Total Equipment Control (ITEC) system they have for 8030 wheeled tractors which takes auto guidance to the next level by adding functions like auto turning at the end of a pass.

You can listen to my interview with Kayla here: Kayla Reynolds Interview (5 min. mp3)

Get Precision Ag Support 24/7 at John Deere Call Center

Service after the sale is something you hear a lot about and at the National Farm Machinery Show, John Deere Ag Management Solutions Representative, Kim Fletcher (left), says it’s something that she’s been talking to growers about.

Kim says that she thinks of support on two levels. The first one is with the local dealer who will have one or two AMS consultants available. The other is a customer call center which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year by toll free line that can be called to get questions answered from anywhere in the world.

**Note: Kim just called here to clarify that they do take a couple of days off - like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years - so its actually 362 days a year, or 363 in Leap Year!

You can listen to my interview with Kim here: Kim Fletcher Interview (3 min. mp3)

Growers Excited About Swath Control Pro For Planters

At this year’s National Farm Machinery Show farmers were asking lots of questions about the new Swath Control Pro for planters according to Kyle Collins, seen here with Tommy Johnson, a grower from Hopkinsville, KY. Kyle works in John Deere’s Ag Management Solutions division. He says that what growers are really interested in is how they can save on seed costs by using a precision planting system that reduces overlap just like it has with sprayers.

You can listen to my interview with Kyle here: Kyle Collins Interview (3 min. mp3)

I also spoke with Tommy Johnson who says he’s using precision equipment with both sprayers and planters. He says it works terrific.

You can listen to my interview with Tommy here: Tommy Johnson Interview (1 min. mp3)

John Deere Credit to Assist Precision Ag Purchases

For farmers who need a little assistance when making equipment purchases John Deere Credit is there to help. I spoke with Scotty Shipp, pictured on the right, at the National Farm Machinery Show about what the company offers to assist producers.

He says that John Deere Credit’s primary responsibility is to help dealers facilitate the sale of John Deere equipment. When it comes to precision ag equipment they can either include it in an original purchase or if after the fact, many dealers offer Farm Plan, a revolving credit plan that can be used to make purchases when needed like adding a new component to a precision system.

You can listen to my interview with Scotty here: Scotty Shipp Interview (3 min. mp3)

Customers Expressing Satisfaction at Farm Machinery Show

One of the new team members at John Deere Ag Management Solutions is Jeff Topel, seen here answering customer questions in their National Farm Machinery Show booth. This is Jeff’s first show where he’s not the farmer asking the questions and he says he’s really enjoying the interaction with people who are visiting.

Jeff says they’re trying to improve efficiency for farmers and provide solutions to their needs. Most of the people he’s spoken to seem to be very happy with their precision equipment. I asked him what he thought about the adoption rate in young vs. older farmers. He says young people are very excited about what precision offers and that once tentative more “seasoned” farmers try using these systems they find that it’s easier than they thought.

You can my interview with Jeff here: Jeff Topel Interview (3 min. mp3)

Precision on Display at National Farm Machinery Show

The National Farm Machinery Show is already in full swing here in Louisville, KY. John Deere has a lot on display and over the next couple days I’ll be bringing you some pictures and interviews focusing on precision agricultural products and services.

The show is getting off to a snowy start. Reminds me of last year although the sun was shining by now. It doesn’t seem to have affected traffic coming in though as a steady stream of vehicles and people are filing in.