On the cusp of spring planting, dealerships are facing the dilemma of accepting the new reality of social distancing and self-quarantine, or taking advantage of the tools and talent they have to continue delivering high-quality service to farm customers.

On the cusp of spring planting in many areas, farmers are preparing to put their precision farming systems to the test. And in many cases, planter clinics have been cancelled or postponed this year, making it all the more important that farmers have alternative opportunities to get answers.

Immediately following the release of its 5-year plan to significantly increase its investment in autonomous ag technologies, Raven Industries acted on that strategic plan with the acquisition of 2 independent autonomous companies.

In today’s Precision Farming Dealer podcast, we share excerpts from our conversation with Patrick Christie, founder of Conservis, and Robert Lubben, digital lead for Rabo AgriFinance on some of the influential factors shaping the digital ag landscape, including the long-term strategy of precision partnerships and the outlook for data being the new cash crop.

Data sharing continues to be a source of both opportunity and irritation within the ag industry. While some farmers have pursued the potential advantages of sharing field data, others are reluctant to grant access, control or ownership of that information to third parties.

In today’s Precision Farming Dealer podcast, we share excerpts from my conversation with Andrew Olliver, marketing and communications leads for AEF who's covering the AEF’s short- and long-term plans for its increasing access to the compatibility database and improvements to its equipment conformance test.

Equipment compatibility continues to pose challenges for manufacturers, dealers and farmers. But for the last decade-plus, the Agricultural Electronics Foundation has worked to improve functionality between precision systems, while also increasing awareness of ISOBUS-certified components.

One of the reasons behind growing interest in optical sensor technologies, or in sensor technology as a whole, is increasing input costs, which are creating tighter margins for farmers. While there is still plenty of theoretical outcomes, farmers are most interested in practical impacts that sensing technology can provide, according to Dr. Ray Asebedo, agronomic consultant.

In today’s Precision Farming Dealer podcast, we share excerpts from my conversation with Jon Eis, COO and Eric Hagenow, precision farming specialist with Eis Implement, covering the origins and expansion of the precision team.

One of the most talked-about sessions looked at creating a culture of advancement and growth within a precision dealership. Skip Klinefelter, owner of Linco-Precision in El Paso, Ill., noted during his opening general session that success and survival of precision dealers will require continuous collaboration and internal problem-solving — both of which are cornerstones of stability.