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Farm Bureau Recognizes Homegrown Innovators
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"Fertilizer
with a Brain" takes top honors
Farmers, by nature, are a curious and inventive lot. So it's no
surprise that every year, farmers find new ways to cut costs, become
more efficient, and improve the environment.
For the past 16 years, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF)
has honored these homegrown inventors at their annual meeting, which
was held this year in Hawaii. An innovative new fertilizer, developed
and patented by a Farm Bureau member from Portland, Oregon, earned
top honors in the 2004 Farmer Idea Exchange. The annual contest
is designed to encourage Farm Bureau members to share their original
new ideas with others in the industry. This year, 52 ideas from
16 states were entered in the competition.
Richard Hartmann earned the top award for developing a new stabilized
urea fertilizer called Stabl-U™. The core of each granule of
the new fertilizer is formed using a microchip-size granule of lime
nitrogen fertilizer. Stabl-U has shown promise for increasing net
profits and yields and reducing nitrate leaching to groundwater.
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AFBF President Bob Stallman congratulates Richard Hartman,
the top winner in the Farmer Idea Exchange contest, during
the AFBF's 2004 annual meeting in Hawaii.
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As the top innovator of 2004, Hartmann was awarded one year's free use
of an innovative tractor, a New Holland TV140 Bidirectional™.
Special Award Winners
In addition to the top honor, three special awards of distinction were
awarded by the AFBF.
Two of the special awards —“Most Innovative Idea” and
“Most Likely to Improve a Farmer’s Net Income”— went
to Edward Huffmeyer of Greensburg, Indiana. Huffmeyer uses his “Variable
Rate Via Slope” invention to vary the seeding rate for soybeans and
corn depending upon the slope of the land. The device uses a level that
attaches to the drill or planter. Whenever the slope of the land exceeds
the preset limit, the lower seeding rate kicks in for the corn, or the
higher rate kicks in for soybeans.
Keith Lamb of Gruver, Texas won the “Most Widely Usable Idea”
award for his “Better Mouse Trap”. The invention consists of
two recycled 2-1/2 gallon plastic containers and an electric fence charger.
Mice climb up the grounded metal ramp into the trap and touch the electrified
bait holder. One farmer who tried the invention reported trapping 56 mice
in two nights.
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Congratulations to individual category winners
of the Farmer Idea Exchange
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Category
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Title
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Winner
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Energy
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Biobased Vegetable Oil Extraction
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Aaron Harnar
Newton Falls, OH
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Equipment
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Seedsweeper
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Harry Thompson
Lohman, MO
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Farm Buildings
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Old Barn Modernized with Bi-Fold Doors
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Louis Wierenga, Jr.
Hastings, MI
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Farm Shop
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Roll-A-Light
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Einar Oftedal
Cottonwood, MN
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Input Efficiency
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Fertilizer with a Brain
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Richard Hartmann
Portland, OR
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Livestock
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Automatic Livestock Feeder
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Hugh Wayman
Oklahoma City, OK
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Marketing
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E-Z Roll Straw
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George Hubka
Dowling, MI
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Management Systems
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Variable Rate Via Slope
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Edward Huffmeyer
Greensburg, IN
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Safety and Handicap
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Breakaway Adjustable Mailbox
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Arvin DeCook
Sully, IA
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Tobacco
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Step Saver Wagon Hitch
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Keith & Lisa Herron
Falmouth, KY
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Wildlife
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“Inside Ledge” Bluebird Box
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Ginny Tarka
New Springfield, OH
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