THE buddy seat on Rick Kimberley’s combine-harvester is a fine vantage point from which to observe precision farming. The combine’s satellite navigation allows farmers to make the most of good weather and to reap in the dark during peak harvesting periods. It is precise enough to trace the most efficient path to scoop up yellow, crinkly corn stalks to within a couple of centimetres. This enables Mr Kimberley, a 67-year old who farms near Maxwell, Iowa, to harvest about 100 acres in a 14-hour day, helped only by a big trailer into which he discharges his corn.
Almost by accident, the silver-haired Mr Kimberley has become a sought-after ambassador for modern farming methods in China. He travels there regularly to talk about precision farming and other tricks of his trade. Mr Kimberley has been to 40 Chinese cities in ten provinces during more than a dozen visits in the past five years. In September he was in China to break ground on a “Friendship Farm” in Hebei province, which is...Continue reading
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