Ben Potter

Ben Potter writes about the many new on-farm technologies that make farmers better, faster, more efficient and more profitable. He has more than 9 years of experience writing for a cotton publication and an advertising agency serving agribusiness clients. This helped him build a strong foundation of agronomic and crop-protection knowledge for corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, rice, peanuts and a variety of specialty crops. Ben attended both the University of Missouri (journalism) and the University of Memphis (technical writing). Ben’s grandparents were corn and soybean farmers, and his father was a soil scientist with the USDA. Away from work, Ben keeps busy with a broad range of activities, whether it’s long-distance running, growing habanero peppers or spending quality time with his wife and two daughters.

Latest Stories
On March 30, acting deputy agriculture secretary Michael Young announced that a contract renewal signup for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is actively underway. Applications to renew expiring contracts are due May 5.
At great cost, phosphorus is laboriously mined and processed so it can be used by the agriculture industry. Some 27.6 million metric tons were removed from the earth in 2015. But an agtech UW-Madison spinoff has discovered another innovative way to collect this valuable mineral.
This mantra has been pounded into the agriculture industry for the past decade: “Food production must double by 2050 to feed the world’s growing population.” Just Google that statement and watch scores of results appear. There’s just one problem – this assertion isn’t supported by the latest data, according to research just published in the journal Bioscience.
Field to Market recently announced it is now able to integrate sustainability metrics and algorithms of its Fieldprint Platform with several leading precision ag and farm management software programs. This represents one of several moves the group hopes will help meet its ambitious goal of 50 million participating acres by 2020.
Farmers wanting to apply for funding through the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Conservation Stewardship Program still have a couple of weeks left to do so – the next application deadline is Feb. 3, 2017.
Erosion is a major problem on many farms – and one with a cascading effect. Not only does it deplete the farm of a valuable resource, it also creates downstream problems due to nutrient runoff. A new study from the University of Missouri shows that switchgrass could be a good option for curbing the negative effects of erosion, and may even prove to bring positive economic returns as a biofuel crop.
Cover crops are perhaps the most buzzworthy component of sustainable agriculture. But how many farmers are actually planting them on their operations?
The tech geeks of the world are all talking this week about a John Deere announcement and video that the company plans to unveil a fully electric, high-power tractor at next February’s Paris International Agribusiness Show. Company officials say the tractor has “the features and functionality of a classic tractor, while providing the benefits of electricity.”
When asked to imagine a lake, most people would think of something calm and relaxing. But trouble is brewing in 4 out of every 10 U.S. lakes, according to a recent assessment by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Digital tools save water, soil and more.