Class III – Seminar with Helena Chemical Company

After only our second seminar, VALOR is proving to be just as amazing as I had hoped.

During one of our stops in November, we had the pleasure of meeting Tommy Savage and Kyle Sturgis with Helena Chemical Company.  According to their website http://www.helenachemical.com, Helena Chemical “has grown to be one of the nation’s foremost agricultural and specialty formulators and distributors in the United States.” Their products and services range from specialized nutrients, seed and seed treatments to fertilizer and fertilizer application services.

We were treated to a presentation on AGRIntelligence, best described as “field intelligence that helps you make the best agronomic decisions for your crops,” which is an excellent example of a precision ag program.  The term precision ag is often mentioned in conversations, producer meetings and workshops across our state, and usually has just as many definitions but according to the NRCS report “Agronomy Technical Note No. 1 from June 2007, precision ag is a “management system that is information and technology based, is site specific and uses one or more of the following sources of date: soils, crops, nutrients, pests, moisture, or yield, for optimum profitability, sustainability and protection of the environment (adapted from Precision Ag. 2003).”

The essence of the presentation confirmed that although two things that farmers cannot change, elevation and soil type, there are services and programs available to assist a farmer is controlling his inputs (costs) that can help manage the output (profits) that can make a positive impact on the land.  I believe that AGRIntelligence is one of many tools available to farmers today.  I also believe that I could have listened for hours to Tommy and Kyle.

Another thought, precision ag with its basis in technology may prove to be an important key to attracting young people to agriculture.  Just a thought but maybe one worth some further discussion.

Thank you to Helena Chemical Company, Tommy and Kyle – my only wish is for more time to talk through ARGIntelligence and its possibilities!