Working the National No-Tillage Conference this year with my colleagues from No-Till Farmer, I probably heard as many different opinions on the benefits and challenges associated with precision farming technology as there are brands of equipment on the market.
When our garage door opener recently decided to take a permanent vacation, I temporarily convinced my better half that we could survive with manual operation.
Having the opportunity to attend dealer events lets me attach faces to the names of precision farming specialists who I may have only known as a voice on the phone or a through a series of email exchanges.
When it comes to putting a price tag on precision service, dealers tell me they sometimes struggle with deciding on a dollar amount that ideally should boost the bottom line, but also avoid giving customers sticker shock.
Growing up, I was a fan of the so-called ‘spaghetti’ westerns, especially the ones where Clint Eastwood squinted his way through a series of prolonged gunfights with a lit cigar clenched between his teeth.
Although a relative newcomer to the Farm Progress Show experience — this year’s event being only my second — I have an appreciation for the stamina needed to navigate the grounds.
It’s planting season, which means a lot of the technology we spotlight on this program is being used in the field as we speak. I paid a visit to Eagle, Wis., farmer Tyler Troiola who’s using John Deere See and Spray for the first time this growing season. He says it took his dealer about 2 solid weeks to install the system on his 2018 John Deere sprayer.
The college offers an associate degree in Applied Science in Agriculture (60 credit hours). Students enrolled in this program may specialize in precision farming technology by selecting up to 15 credit hours in this area and agriculture business, sales and agronomy.
The college offers an AAS in Precision Agriculture and customized precision ag- related training for agricultural producers, insurance underwriters, equipment dealer and agricultural cooperative employees and others.
Offering training on Ag Leader, Trimble, Reichhardt, Norac and Integris Systems in twice yearly customer training events (spring/fall). Also offering individual training opportunities on any HTS Ag products and SMS software, year round.