The archives of this newsletter
See: http://www.informatique-agricole.org/category/gazette-efita/


Jokes, Quotes and Anecdotes... an Anatomy of Wit
Mick Harkin, ex Secretary of EFITA, who has kept us amused with his Friday Jokes over the years, has published a book on Amazon entitled "Jokes, Quotes and Anecdotes... an Anatomy of Wit".
See: http://www.jokesquotesandanecdotes.com
Contact: Mick HARKIN
E-mail: harkin(a)iol.ie


Que bonito es no hacer nada y despues descansar
How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterward. - Spanish song


“Ossiach Declaration on the uptake of ICT for Agriculture, Forestry, Rural Viability and Environmental Management”
The “Club of Ossiach”, a group of agriculturists, agribusiness managers, agriculture technologists and agricultural ICT specialists from around the world, met at Ossiach between 17-19 June 2013 at the “AgriFuture Days” Conference. They reviewed current trends and possible discontinuities resulting from political, social, environmental and technological changes, potentially impacting on the future of agriculture, farming, rural viability, food and nutrition worldwide.
The declaration summarizes the status quo and prospects of ICT integration into the agricultural sector.
The experts concluded that:
- There is an urgent need for a holistic transformation to reduce hunger, poverty and advance food availability, quality, quantity and safety.
- The challenge of reducing hunger globally through improving agriculture can be met through a holistic approach that includes political, social and technological changes.
- Bringing this change, though being complex, is now essential for mankind. This change requires courage to face the complexity and willingness to understand it.
- Technology can bring abrupt discontinuities that while changing existing systems, organizations and structures can also lay the foundations for constructing new systems, organizations and structures. Destruction and construction are part of innovation and transformations.
- Technology needs to be applied with care and equity. A holistic approach ensures complete inclusion of all production chain and related members.
- Collaboration and cooperation is a key to universal benefit of innovative technology acceptance and application.
The Club of Ossiachexperts considered the adoption of the business model for a country-wide Agro-ICT-infrastructure solution introduced during the conference. The model demonstrates a feasible and acceptable approach to meet the above challenges. Requests for details elaborating the considerations will be welcome.
The Club of Ossiach plans to meet regularly and publicize its findings. Everyone sharing the values and visions of the Club may join the “Club” and contribute to its goals and progress.
See: http://www.ccss.cz/en/?menuID=35&articleID=127&action=article&presenter=Article


Intelligent Sensor Networks Conference. What about Sensors and Precision Agriculture?
12 November - High Tech Campus - EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands
See: http://www.isnconference.com/


Analysing the attitudes of farmers, as well as agricultural practitioners and experts towards two types of innovations…
Below you can find the links to a survey we have prepared in 4 languages (Italian, English, Greek, Turkish). It has been developed in the framework of the ICT-AGRI ROBOFARM project (http://robofarm.unibo.it), and it is aimed at analysing the attitudes of farmers, as well as agricultural practitioners and experts towards two types of innovations.

I would be grateful if you could help us to spread the word about the questionnaire and solicit colleagues to forward it to relevant contacts. If someone is willing to help translating the questionnaire in further languages, he/she will be welcome.

Italian: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RobofarmITAal
English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RobofarmITen
Greek: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/robofarmGRgr
Turkish: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/robofarmTRtr

Contact: Maurizio CANAVARI
E-mail : maurizio.canavari(a)unibo.it


Synel sur smartphone : “Que des avantages ! (in French)
Voir : http://www.agriculteur-normand.com/actualites/jean-christophe-trublet-eleveur-a-ponts-50-synel-sur-smartphone-que-des-avantages:9V81TXJQ.html


Progis Technology Overview
See: ftp://ftp.progis.com/public/PROGIS_Technology_Overview_01_2013.pdf


AgriNews: Advocates for agriculture requested to educate public
AgriNews covers topics that affect local farm families and their businesses in Illinois and Indiana. Some of those topics include: crop and livestock management, agribusiness and new products, market information and national and state political issues.
See: http://agrinews-pubs.com/Content/Farm-Family-Life/Farm-Family-Life/Article/Advocates-for-agriculture-requested-to-educate-public/10/8/7950


Growing GM crops on 'organic' farms: Is this the future of farming in Britain?
Two Sheffield-based academics believe that society will have to "rethink its attitudes" to genetic modification of food crops and accept the role of human excrement in producing more food. Dr Duncan Cameron and Jurriaan Ton of the University of Sheffield see both of these things as "inevitable" solutions to challenges facing agriculture, which include climate change, soil degradation, water shortages and a growing demand for food…
See: http://www.farming.co.uk/news/article/8682
See: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/fertilised-by-human-excrement-1.295358


Rothamsted and Syngenta announce multi-million pound scientific partnership
Rothamsted Research Institute and agribusiness Syngenta are set to pursue a public-private partnership aimed at developing high yielding new varieties of wheat.
See: http://www.farming.co.uk/news/article/8675


MyAgCentral Connects Producers, Advisors and Data
See: http://myagcentral.com/


New navigation gadget for people who are blind
See: http://www.isnconference.com/new-navigation-gadget-for-people-who-are-blind/


Re-industrialization, competitiveness, sustainable growth and new value chains EU’s Bioeconomy field is going to considerably change through a new...
See: http://codrinpo.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/how-does-european-bio-based-industry-foresee-its-future/


APPs
> iPad Mobile Farm Management app
- Works with Row Crops, Fresh Produce, Nuts, Fruits, Hay/sod, Forestry, and more.
- Track crops, soil, weeds, pest, fields, zones, work orders, and more.
- Develop Farm Plans to schedule planting, sampling, scouting, applications, and more.
- Analyze the data to run your farm more efficient and profitable.
- Report the results by HTML Dashboard, PDF, Email, Printer, CSV/XLS, FTP, and more.
See: http://www.icroptrak.com/overview/


> Fresh produce inspection software
Lotpath Quality is a web-based app for managing produce inspection data. Lotpath Inspector is an iPad app for performing inspections and capturing photos. Lotpath Inspector is available on the Apple App Store.
See: http://www.lotpath.com


> Grownote - new web-based management system for your orchard business, big or small
See: http://www.grownote.co.nz/feature-list.html


HACCP level sanitation and traceability standards and documentation for food transportation
See: http://sanitarycoldchain.com/documentation.html


Collecting daily interesting and important agriculture news items
See: http://www.scoop.it/t/agriculture-news-innovations

The golfer

A golfer playing in Atlanta hooked his drive into the woods. Looking for his ball, he found a little Pixie flat on his back, a big bump on his head and the golfer's ball beside him.

Horrified, the golfer got his water bottle from the cart and poured it over the little guy, reviving him.

'Arrgha! Begorrah ! What happened?' the Pixie asked (in a broad Irish accent...).

'I'm afraid I hit you with my golf ball,' the golfer says.

'Oh, I see. Well, ye got me fair and square. Ye get three wishes, so whaddya want?'

'Thank God, you're all right!' the golfer answers in relief. 'I don't want anything, I'm just glad you're OK, and I apologize.'

And the golfer walks off.

'What a nice guy,' the Pixie says to himself.

I have to do something for him. I'll give him the three things I would want... a great golf game, all the money he ever needs, and a fantastic sex life.'

A year goes by and the golfer is back.

On the same hole, he again hits a bad drive into the woods and the pixie is there waiting for him.

'Twas me that made ye hit the ball here, ' the little guy says. 'I just want to ask ye, how's yer golf game?'

'My game is fantastic!' the golfer answers. I'm an internationally famous golfer now.' He adds, 'By the way, it's good to see you're all right.'

'Oh, I'm fine now, thank ye. I did that fer yer golf game, you know. And tell me, how's yer money situation?'

'Why, it's just wonderful!' the golfer states.

'When I need cash, I just reach in my pocket and pull out $100 bills I didn't even know were there!'

'I did that fer ye also.' And tell me, how's yer s_x life?'

The golfer blushes, turns his head away in embarrassment, and says shyly, 'It's OK.'

C'mon, c'mon now,' urged the Pixie.

'I'm wanting to know if I did a good job. How many times a week?'

Blushing even more, the golfer looks around then whispers, 'Once, sometimes twice a week.'

'What??' responds the Pixie in shock.

'That's all? Only once or twice a week?'

'Well,' says the golfer, 'I figure that's not bad for a Catholic priest in a small parish.

Contact: Mick HARKIN
E-mail: harkin(a)iol.ie


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