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News Release

For Immediate Release
August 28, 2009

CROP FARMING GOES “HANDS-FREE” AT EFS DEMO DAY

Palmerston, ON – August 27, 2009 – Local producers experience first-hand “hands-free” GPS technology for crop production. EFS Precision, the GPS precision guidance and crop data management division of Elmira Farm Service (EFS) held its annual Field Demo Day at Fotheringham Agra Ltd., just outside Palmerston. The event featured personal, in-cab demonstrations of John Deere’s GreenStar™, Trimble and AgLeader GPS systems, tailored not only for John Deere equipment but other manufacturers such as Fendt, CASE, New Holland and AGCO as well.

EFS Precision showcased a number of solutions starting with assisted steering light bars – that light-up to tell the operator which direction to steer to ensure minimum overlap and optimum performance, but the real stars of the show were the completely “hands-free” automated steering and implement control systems offered by both John Deere and Trimble.

Demo Day attendees were impressed by the abilities of the systems to control the tractors and the implements. With only the throttle in their control, attendees rode along while the machines they “drove” demonstrated self steering, automatic raising or lowering of implements, and turning off/on individual sections of spraying or seeding equipment (avoiding overlap). The ultimate experience was watching the machine automatically turning around in the headlands to line-up perfectly for the
next pass - with sub-inch accuracy – depending on the system and programming.  

 “Success for today’s farmers depends on managing inputs and time to reduce costs,” says Dave Petheram, EFS Precision Manager.  “Our customers are dealing with variables, constantly. Input and fuel costs, and especially in a year like this, the weather, challenges every aspect of growing a crop. These systems allow our customers an edge on managing the variables. Fewer passes over the field, less fuel, less soil compaction, and better/less use of fertilizers or crop protection products all add up to more efficient harvests and better conservation of soil and the environment,” says Petheram. “Add the benefit of being able to lengthen days by reducing operator fatigue and the ability to till/seed/harvest in the dark with sub-inch accuracy – we’ve increased the opportunity for our customers to get that crop in the ground or off the field before the weather hits. Net result – better crop, less cost, happy farmer.”

As an added feature to the event, EFS Precision staff wanted to show how accurate the systems could be. They redefined ‘crop circle’ by
using the technology to till
the EFS logo into field on the demo site. “It’s accurate
within an inch” says Larry Prong of EFS Precision, speaking of the circular portion which sprawls over 15 acres. “This is obviously an extreme of what the technology can do. We programmed the machines to
work like a plotter or printer would, to automatically till
the logo into the soil,” says Prong. “What this means for producers, especially in eastern Canada, is that these systems have the capability
to get the most from
our fields regardless of size, topography, shape or obstacles. Once programmed, there’s not much they can’t do.”

For several years
EFS Precision has been installing and providing advice and service on John Deere GreenStar™, Trimble and AgLeader GPS precision systems to clients in the agriculture and tile drainage sectors. Elmira Farm Service is a leading provider of crop, livestock and landscape equipment with locations in Elmira, Listowel, Mount Forest, Shelburne and Ospringe.

For more information about EFS Precision please contact:

Dave Petheram (519) 669 5535, dave.petheram@elmirafarmservice.com, www.efsprecision.com