Spending quite a bit of time on the road the last few years, I only recently thought about how reliant I’ve become on electronic navigation to plot my course.

When visiting with precision dealers, it’s evident that most enjoy the freedom and independence that comes with the job. The good ones tend to be a rare breed — a hybrid of technical know-how and sales savvy.

Returning from two successful, yet distinctly different agricultural events our company organized in Cincinnati, I came away with some common precision farming themes which flowed through both the second Dealership Minds Summit and the 23rd National No-Tillage Conference.

This time of year, I preach to my young children the benefits of good behavior and the impact their decisions can have on holiday rewards. The threat of consequences can be a powerful tool, but it also offers a valuable teaching opportunity.

Rules governing the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in agriculture — or any other commercial industry — remain as clear as a Wisconsin blizzard.

One of the most enjoyable, and challenging aspects of precision farming technology is keeping up with it. When visiting dealerships, it’s apparent how passionate precision specialists are about the work they do, which is often diverse.

Talking with farmers, there seems to be a distinct divide between those who are embracing the big data revolution and those who are skeptical of it. One farmer colorfully likened the risk of independent companies or government agencies accessing his data without permission as “a sign of the apocalypse.”

It’s no secret that many farm equipment dealers are forecasting a slowdown in sales of large ag machinery in the coming year, to correlate with slipping commodity prices.