The Post Conference Tour is a great way to complete your time at the 16th International Conference On Precision Agriculture.
Tour Overview
Following the ICPA Conference sessions on Wednesday 24 July, join us for our post conference tour. The tour will stop at Veris Technologies, Inc, Brian and Lori Martin's family farm, and Liquid Art Winery. Buses will leave the Manhattan Conference Center at 12:30pm and return at 8:30pm. The cost of the tour is $100 and a boxed lunch, two drink tickets, and reception hors d'oeuvres are included in the tour registration price.
You may register for the Post Conference Tour as a part of your conference registration or email info@ispag.org to add the tour to your existing conference registration.
Post Conference Tour registrants, please complete the following survey to select your preferred meal for the boxed lunch.
The following itinerary times are approximations and are subject to change:
16th ICPA Post Conference Tour Itinerary |
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12:30pm |
Board the Buses at the Manhattan Conference Center (box lunch on board) |
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2:00pm |
Arrive at Veris Technologies, Inc. for a tour and demonstrations |
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4:15pm |
Arrive at Brian and Lori Martin's Farm for discussion and demonstrations |
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6:15pm |
Arrive at Liquid Art Winery and Estate for tour and reception |
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8:30pm |
Return to Manhattan Conference Center |
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Veris Technologies, Inc.
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While touring the Veris facilities, attendees will learn about real-time soil sensors currently deployed in over 55 countries around the world. They will also see demonstrations of new soil profile scanning technology and get a glimpse into Veris’ R&D pipeline.
Brian and Lori Martin's Farm
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From there, we will travel to Brian and Lori Martin's farm in Clay Center, KS for a discussion and Q&A about the tie between research, industry and the farmer. Following the discussion, Kansas State University will lead a series of demonstrations.
Brian and Lori Martin’s Colonial home constructed in 1867, and adjacent farmland sit in the picturesque Republican River Valley in North Central Kansas. The Martin’s use no-till practices to grow soybeans, corn and wheat on dryland and utilize irrigation as needed. Brian’s background with Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) with the USDA has set the foundation for his use of crop rotation practices on his 2,000 acre farm.
As a third-generation steward of the land, the Martins pay close attention to soil quality and use technology to make smart choices. Keeping crop rotation at one-third to one -fourth of each crop works well with their grid Nutri-Track™ system by MFA to optimize nutrient management in crop production. The Martins have always been open to new approaches to farming, in 1985 they introduced terraces, waterways and ponds into their crop land and became 100% no-till in the 1990s.
During his time with NRCS, Brian promoted Field Days to endorse no-till; and over the last 10 years has worked with Dr. Ajay Sharda, Professor in Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Kansas State University to participate in precision ag planting and spraying to advance research through FarmsLab. The Martin’s use GPS systems, and machine systems to accomplish farming operations. They look forward to future research and development for Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Dr. Sharda and his cohort at KSU.
Brian is the oldest of three children, so it was a natural fit for him to return to the family farm after playing college football in Nebraska. Although Brian was a finance major in college, his comprehension of farming runs deep. Besides understanding agronomy and agriculture equipment, Brian believes that farmers need to follow politics, export policies, be engaged in the community, follow markets – when to buy fuel and seed, understanding economics and weather patterns is also a must to be successful in the agriculture sector.
Brian is a conservationist at heart and recalls the words of his grandma – “waste not want not”.
Liquid Art Winery and Estate
Liquid Art Winery and Estate will be our third and final stop on the post-conference tour. While at Liquid Art, attendees will take a tour of the vineyard, bottling center, and winery. The tour will give an overview of the history of the company and why they chose Kansas as the location of their vineyard. It will also cover the varieties of grapes on the property, the soil chemistry and growing conditions needed for their specialty crops, and the journey from vine to bottle. The evening will wrap up with a reception in the Liquid Art Event Center. Each tour attendee will receive two drink tickets to try the wine and cider made on-site, and food will be provided.