Something For Everyone
April 1, 2007 
This year’s World Ag Expo, held as always in Tulare, CA, just south of Fresno, had a little bit of everything. The show opened with a distinct political flavor, as “America’s Mayor,” Rudy Giuliani dropped by to learn a thing or two about agriculture. Giuliani, who most remember as the mayor of New York City on 9/11, delivered remarks at the opening of the show, which was celebrating its 40th anniversary.
Giuliani then toured the grounds with show Chairman Bruce Shannon before holding a brief press conference at the Case IH booth. What happened next created a bit of a stir. Asked if he was indeed running for president, as had been widely rumored, Giuliani declared “Yes, I am.”
Shannon said he was impressed by the urban mayor’s willingness to learn about agriculture. “He was really interested in what the show had to offer, what exhibitors were selling, and what it all means to farmers,” said Shannon.
It’s A Record
The world’s largest ag show also set a record on opening day. For the first time in show history, a total of 565 international visitors attended, representing a whopping 57 countries. “This record one-day attendance is a true testament to the global atmosphere of agriculture,” said Jana Hopper, the expo’s director of international marketing.
In all, more than 100,000 people from 66 different countries visited the show, which had a total of 1600 exhibitors. Here is a look at some of the new products that might be of interest to vegetable growers.
No-Turn-Design Tomato Harvester
California Tomato Machinery’s new NTD (No-Turn-Design) Tomato Harvester uses a straight-through material flow for gathering, separating, shaking, cleaning, and sorting processing tomatoes. The NTD provides an improved uniformity of fruit flow, allowing for more efficient cleaning and optical sorting.
This cost-effective design reduces the number of conveyors by 30%, providing benefits in simplified machine cleaning and servicing, and a reduction in annual overhaul costs. The NTD also employs fewer drops and turns in the material flow than existing harvesters, resulting in less fruit damage.
For more information, contact California Tomato Machinery at 559-577-1806; [email protected]; www.tomatoharvester.com.
AgCam Video System
If you ever wished you had eyes in the back of your head — or your tractor — this unit from Smucker Manufacturing, Inc., is for you. You can monitor the spray tips on the back of the 10-foot section of your spray boom that isn’t visible from the cab, use it for security, and even monitor the camera via the Internet. You can also use it to back up to a trailer hitch — or basically any area of your operation where you need a second set of eyes.
The AgCam also has three features you won’t see in most cameras in the market: Infrared night vision (allowing you to see 50 to 70 feet in pitch black), the ability to be completely submerged in water, and the exclusive “auto shading lens” that allows for “direct into sunlight” viewing and even allows you to video someone while they are welding.
For more information, contact Smucker Manufacturing at 800-333-4503; www.smucker.net.
Early Riser 1200 Series Planters
Case IH unveiled two new six-row units as part of its Early Riser 12200 Series planter line. Growers benefit from the ability to accurately place valuable seed in a timely fashion, says Alan Forbes, Case IH product marketing manager for planters.
“Hitting weather windows and planting accuracy isn’t a ‘pick one’ proposition. That’s why Early Riser planters are engineered for both speed and accuracy,” says Forbes. The new six-row units are designed in row widths to fit the needs of vegetable crops for intermediate-sized row-crop growers. There is both a wide configuration, with 36-, 38-, and 40-inch row spacings, and a narrow 30-inch row configuration.
For more information, contact Case IH at 262-636-6011; www.caseih.com.
Brass Impact Sprinkler Series
Storm Manufacturing Group, Inc., introduced the Buckner 170 series brass impact sprinkler that features four models with spray ranges between 59 feet and 80 feet, depending on the pressure. The Buckner 170 series is one of the original rotating sprinklers designed specifically for agricultural use. The sprinklers feature a single nozzle and die-cast lever, which offer strength and consistent performance.
For more information, contact Storm Manufacturing at 800-210-2525; [email protected].
TH1-High Clearance Tractor
The TH1, from GK Machine, Inc., is an over-the-row, high-clearance tractor with hydraulic width adjustability. The tractor allows for variable row spacing and is mounted on a solid undercarriage, which floats across the ground on 12-inch-wide rubber tracks.
This machine offers incredibly low ground compaction, low center of gravity, narrow row profile width, and a high row and ground clearance. With these credentials, this unit makes the perfect machine for a variety of crops and industries including beets and vegetable seed. The tractor handles a multitude of implements and attachments including air blast and pressurized drop boom sprayers.
For more information, contact GK Machine at 503-678-5525; www.gkmachine.com.
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