Ron Bates:>> So today is our 4th edition of
MSU Agriculture Innovation Day, with our theme
being "Focus on Precision Technology That
Pays".
Ag Innovation Day is an event that travels
about the state to try to address cutting
edge issues that various segments of Michigan
agriculture are facing.
So today we're talking about how precision
technology can be used to improve farm business
management, as well as improve sustainability.
So the various topics we're talking about
will all relate to how can we do a better
job of placing the nutrients in the right
location that the plant needs so we reduce
leaching, and reduce the amount of nutrients
loss into the waters of the state.
So certainly Michigan agriculture is struggling
in so many different phases, and so what's
very unique about this event as well as many
of the events that we're hosting, farmers
have to be able to understand what their input
costs are and how to best stretch their input
dollar, so that they can remain in business
over the long term.
So events like this emphasize that so that
we can help farmers understand the cost of
implementation and how that will impact profitability.
Agriculture Innovation Day is not the only
thing that MSU Extension does.
So this is certainly a first class showcase
event for the College of Agriculture and MSU
Extension, but what we do throughout the year
is take information like we have today, as
well as other emerging information, and be
able to put that into a form that farmers
can utilize and adapt in their business at
a cost effective manner.
