Welcome to the future of farming — where tractors receive commands from outer space, grain carts drive themselves and the data from combine yield monitors tell row-crop sprayers where chemicals are needed most. Is your dealership ready to sell and support this rapidly evolving technology?

Rising input costs, impending environmental regulations and more intelligent and robust electronics ensures that the demand for precision farming practices will continue to grow throughout North America.

Since 2005, Farm Equipment's Dealer Business Outlook & Trends report has seen GPS technology place at the top of the list of equipment categories most likely to increase sales revenues in the year ahead. It's occupied the top spot for seven consecutive years.

To further reinforce the impact precision farming is having on agriculture, 19% of the dealers who responded to the 2012 survey said they would be hiring a precision farming specialist this year.

But as the technology advances and becomes more commonplace, the work that's required to sell and service precision farming products has grown beyond setting aside room on a showroom shelf. Is your dealership ready to support farmers who want more from their equipment? If not, how will you get ready?

Over the past year, as  Lessiter Publication's Ag Division staffers talked with dealers and farmers throughout North America, we saw a significant opportunity to help farm equipment dealers understand the technology of precision farming and better communicate it to farmers. As one farmer told us, "Dealers can sell it, but they don't know how it works. It's very annoying."

As dealers work to provide a greater service to their farm customers, we saw a need to assist dealers who were working on building a precision farming department, including hiring the right people and making money  from it.

With those opportunities in mind, Precision Farming Dealer was born.

From here on out, every other week, our mission is to help your dealership grow and profit with precision farming. In covering the subject, we'll write for the novice dealer who knows he "needs to start thinking about precision," as well as profiling the operations that have been running successful precision farming departments for years. There will be new products, news and lots of "best practices."

Drop us a line and tell us what you think.