Precision farming is a bit of a dichotomy between theory and practice for Alexander Young, who farms 4,000 acres of corn, wheat and double cropped soybeans with his father, John, near Herndon, Ky.

Steve Berning has spent quite a bit of time researching precision farming equipment. On his 1,700 acre operation in Warrensville, Ill., using a mix of technology and brands helps maintain accuracy for strip-till and variable-rate fertilizer application.

Unlike some farmers, Jonathan Gibbs has had success installing and using precision equipment on older, multi-branded equipment on his 1,000 acre farm near Fox Lake, Wis.

Internships offer many benefits to students and employers. Students get exposed to segments of agriculture they have not experienced, and employers benefit from quality, short-term help. University and trade school professionals share some tips that can help dealers set up a mutually beneficial internship program.

Nick Viney is a veteran user of precision farming technology on his 1,400 acre corn, soybean, rye and alfalfa operation near Evansville, Wis. But his experiences haven’t always been without hassle.

Jamie Blythe, who farms with her parents, Betty and Jim, and her sister, Ellen Fennel, operate a diversified cropping operation on 3,500 acres near Courtland, Ala.

Nechanicky Farms has a mix of extensively modified equipment used in its 500-acre operation, plus custom farm work in north central Iowa.

Mike Shuter and his sons are no strangers to variable-rate fertilization. Twenty years ago, they began to manually vary rates on high vs. low ground using Rawson drives on their dry fertilizer spreader.

For Paul Anderson, who farms with his father, Richard and runs Victoria Seed & Processing near Coleharbor, N.D., adapting their equipment to use precision farming technology has proven to be a frustrating experience due to cross-brand compatibility issues.

Trent Sanderson came back to the family farm after graduating college in 2011, and one of the first things he did was to dive into the data collected over the years from the operation’s precision equipment.