GarrettGreninger

Lesson2.3:RecommendationMemo

To: DarylGreningerandDavidThomsen
D&DFarms
From:GarrettGreninger
Subject:PrecisionAgTechnologyRecommendation
Date: February26th,2017

Purpose:
ThepurposeofthismemoistopresentmyimpressionsoftheJohnDeereGreenStar
PrecisionAgsystemandtheCaseIHAFSAccuguideprecisionAgsystem.Thegoalwas
todeterminewhichPrecisionAgsystemwouldbemorebeneficialifimplementedon
D&DFarms.

Summary:
DarylGreningerandDavidThomsenaretheownersofD&DFarmsandhavedecidedto
implementprecisionagriculturetechnologytothefarm.Duetotheequipmentmostly
beingeithermanufacturedbyJohnDeereorCaseIHtheoptionshavebeennarrowedto
JohnDeeresGreenStarandCaseIHAFSAccuguide.Thismemowillgoindepthinto
myrecommendationtoimplementtheJohnDeereGreenStarsystemontoD&DFarms.

BasedonfirsthandinterviewswithbothusersofAFSAccuguideandGreenStar,past
interactionsandrecentinterviewswiththestaffsofthelocalCaseIHandJohnDeere
dealershipsandtheonlineresearchIconductedIwasabletoformaneducated
recommendation.

Ingeneral,Iwasimpressedbythesectioncontrolcapabilities,theGPSaccuracyand
overalluserfriendlessnessoftheJohnDeereGreenStarsystems.Thecostof
implementingGreenStarissignificantlycheaperthanAFSAccuguide.Betweenthe
choicesofGreenStarandAFSAccuguideinrecommendD&DFarmsimplementsthe
GreenStartechnology.

Introduction:
Afterthe2016farmingseasonconcludedtheownersofD&DFarms,DarylGreninger
andDavidThomsenrealizedthatiftheyweregoingtocontinuefarmingtheyweregoing
tohavetomakeasignificanttransition.Withwheatpricesdownandexpenseshighthey
needtomakeaninvestmentonthefarmthatwouldreducecostwhilesustaininghigh
wheatyields.Ayieldisthemeasuredamountofproductionandtheyaredifferentforall
crops.Wheatismeasuredinbushelsandwecalculateourproductionofwheatbybushels
peracre.Soifwehavea100acrefieldandweharvest5000bushelsofthatfield,wetake
5000dividedby100acresandget50bushelsperAcre(bu/ac).
PrecisionAgriculturehadtobeimplementedpriortothe2017seasonbecauseitwould
cutcostsandallowthefarmtobeapartofgovernmentallyfundedprogramswhichwill
increaseprofitbeacrefarmed.Withthedecisionmadethatprecisionagriculturewould
beapartofthefutureforD&DFarms,theyhaveaskedme,thefarmsmanagerto
researchanddeterminewhetherCaseIHorJohnDeerestechnologywouldbebestfor
thefarmmovingforward.

ResearchMethodTasks:

1. ResearchJohnDeereGreenStarandCaseIHAccuguideIndependently
Theirrespectivewebsitespresentedmyselfwithanindepthbrochure,whichwas
abletodemonstratethePrecisionAgcapabilitiesofbothGreenStarandAFS
Accuguide.ByreadingtheJohnDeerebrochure(35pages)andtheCaseIH
brochure(27pages)bothcompaniesshowhowtheirtechnologyisapplicablein
allstagesafarmgoesthroughannually.Whilethebrochuresareintendedtosell
youtheirrespectiveproducttheyarebothabletodemonstrateuserfriendlinessfor
alloperators.
2. MeetwiththelocalCaseIHandJohnDeereSalesandTechnology
Departments
ImetwithEvergreenImplements(JohnDeereDealership)servicemanagerJim
BaergenandsalesmanDaveButler.IalsometwithOTC(CaseIH)service
managerZachKenneyandsalesmanJasonThomastodiscussquotes,benefitsand
whatitwouldcosttoimplementtheirtechnologyontoourfarm.Ilearnedthatour
JohnDeereEquipmentisntCaseIHcompatibleandthatmyinitialquoteto
installCaseIHprecisionAgintoourJohnDeereequipmentwasmoreexpensive
thanmyroughestimate.OnthecontraryinstallingJohnDeereGreenStar
technologyintoourCaseIHwascheaperthanmyroughestimate.Asfaras
determiningwhichdealershipwouldbeeasiertoworkwiththeybothseemfully
capabletoateducatingmeonusingthetechnology.
3. MeetwithourneighboringFarmers
Iconductedphoneinterviewswith2ofthefarmers(JasonTannebergandRick
Matthiesen)andIwasabletomeetwith2ofthefarmersinperson(CoryMoore
andDouglasPoole).
TheJohnDeereusers,JasonTannebergandDouglasPooleravedabouttheuser
friendlinessofGreenStar.Mr.Tanneberghasonehiredoperatorandheis65
yearsoldandhadnoissuerunningthetechnology.Mr.Poolehasmanyhired
operatorsonhisfarmandtheyallcomefromdifferenteducationalbackgrounds
andpossessvaryingintelligencelevels.Theyareallabletooperatethe
technologycorrectly,whichwouldbeasimilarsituationthatourfarmwould
encounter.Mr.Poolewasalsoabletoshowmerecordsproducedfromusingthe
GreenStartechnology.Theywereimpressive,organizedandshowedallaspectsof
hisrespectivefarmingoperation.
TheCaseIHusers,RickMatthiesenandCoryMoorewerepositivetowardstheir
systemaswell.TheybothownmainlyCaseIHequipmentsotheydidnthaveto
 payfortheconversionthatourJohnDeereequipmentwould.Bothhaveolderand
youngeremployeesoperatingtheirtechnologywithoutanydifficulty.Mr.
MooresrecordswereasimpressiveasMr.Poolessotherereallynodifference
whenitcomestotherecordkeepingcapabilities.
4. MakeachoiceandpurchasethePrecisionAgTechnology
Thistaskwasntcompletedduetothefactthisisarecommendationandisntmy
farm.

Results:

1. ResearchJohnDeereGreenStarandCaseIHAccuguideIndependently
Afterresearchingbothsystemstheybotharehighlyfunctionalandbothprovide
benefitsthatwouldimproveD&DFarmsimmediatelyandsetthemuptosucceed
fortheforeseeablefuture.Theybothpossesssectioncontroltechnology,which
willreduceoverapplicationofchemicalsandfertilizer.TheaccuracyoftheGPS
systemsareincredibleandwillreduceoverlapinalltillageoperationsand
seeding.
2. MeetwiththelocalCaseIHandJohnDeereSalesandTechnology
Departments
BothdealershipsarelocatedinCouleeCity,WAandwerebothveryfriendlyand
knowledgeableabouttheirrespectivesystems.Evergreen(JohnDeere)hasanice
conferenceroomwithaprojectorandIwasabletositdownwiththeservice
managerJimBaergenandhewasabletodemonstratetomehowtousethe
computerprogramthethatiscompatiblewithGreenStar.OTC(CaseIH)setup
foreducatingisntgreatasEvergreensbutitisserviceableandtheyarevery
friendlyandwouldbeapleasuretoworkwiththem.
3. MeetwithourneighboringFarmers
ThecaseIHfarmersweresatisfiedwiththeirproductandbelieveithastruly
benefittedtheirfarmingoperation.TheGreenStarfarmersravedaboutthe
GreenStartechnology,userfriendlinessandtheaccuracy.
4. MakeachoiceandpurchasethePrecisionAgTechnology
Noresultoccurredhereduetothefactthatitisntmyfarm.
Conclusions:
BothsystemsareabletoaccommodateanyfarmthatislookingtoimplementPrecision
Agtechnologyintotheirfarmingoperation.D&Disjustmoresetuptoimplement
GreenStarthanAFSAccuguide.Whenoperatingabusinessitisallaboutthebottomline,
andwhileAFSAccuguideisjustasefficientandserviceableitjustcostsmore.Ifwheat
priceswerehigherandtimeswerenttoughafarmercouldntreallymakeawrong
choice.DespitebothsystemsbeingfunctionaltheclearchoiceistoimplementJohn
DeereGreenStarduetothefactthatitischeapertoimplementintoD&DFarms
infrastructure.
Recommendation:
Myrecommendation,whichhasbeenforeshowedaboveistoimplementJohnDeere
GreenStartechnology.ThetechnologywillallowD&DFarmstoproceedintomodern
dayagriculturewhileallowingthemtoreducecoststhisyear.

WorksCited:
CaseIH(2016).CaseIHAgricultureADVANCEDFARMINGSERVICES.
https://d3u1quraki94yp.cloudfront.net/caseih/NAFTA/NAFTAASSETS/Products/Advanc
edFarmingSystems/Brochures/AFS_Brochure.pdf

JohnDeere(2016).JohnDeerePrecisionAgTechnology.Retrievedfrom
http://www.deere.com/en_US/docs/html/brochures/publication.html?id=004d03e7#1