John Detlor continues to slowly adopt precision farming technology into his 800-acre operation that he operates with his brother, James, near Wautoma, Wis. As he does, he’s finding dealer support is key to a successful transition.
Celebrating my dad’s birthday this past weekend with family, one of the gifts he asked for — and we gave him — was a mobile tablet. This was admittedly a journey into uncharted technology waters for someone who’s never owned a cell phone and still regularly watches VHS cassettes.
With a pair of GPS receiver globes resting on a shelf, an unopened touchscreen display tucked in the corner and a handy assortment of connectors and harnesses within arm’s reach, Joel Turrubiates’ office resembles that of most precision farming specialists.
One of the top takeaways from dealers during the marketing roundtable was the importance of online marketing. Mediums like video and social media help keep dealers connected to their customers when they’re not at the dealership.
Accepting precision farming as a necessary evil is an approach that some farm equipment dealers take to justify their investment in a business they perceive to be only a complement to machinery sales.
It’s increasingly common to hear dealers and other agricultural industry experts simply refer to precision farming as farming. With the ongoing integration of technology into machinery, auto-steer and GPS systems have become almost as standard as in-cab features as air conditioning.
Gary Mach can be considered a third-generation dryland crop farmer in Texas. The family’s longevity in the business is due to paying for things as they can afford them, an approach Mach calls “equity farming.”
Like many consumers, I’ve taken to doing most of my holiday shopping online. It’s more efficient than wandering the local mall waiting for commercial inspiration to strike and usually more economical.
Haug Implement Co., a Minnesota farm equipment dealer, is now supplying aerial surveying for Minnesota farmers with a company called Ag Pixel. Headquartered out of Willmar, Minn., Haug Implement Co. has been on the forefront of precision farming since 1994.
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.