Today I present to you “Keith’s 10 rules of Planting Corn in the Western Corn Belt.” I have borrowed a couple from another list I saw, but mainly these are rules that I myself, or other agronomists here at CVA, have been promoting for several years.

The shifting nature of precision farming demands a foundation for employee commitment, yet the unique structure of any given dealership eliminates the possibility for any universal blueprint. Rarely does the perfect formula come from direct replication or an unhinged maverick move, but the best plans often fall somewhere in between.

When it comes to new Precision Ag technology and hardware, there is often a bit of anxiety about being the first to try it. I think it goes back to the tongue in cheek adage, “The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”

I have a drill press in my shed at home. It is a common tool that I use all of the time. It has a lot of functionality and works better than a handheld drill for most things. But for as valuable a tool as my drill-press is, it is worthless without drill bits.

I can assure you that in Agriculture, trends are every bit as present as they are in any other walk of life. Our challenge when it comes to being a technology group is that we are constantly looking at new gadgets, gizmos, and concepts. Some of them are obviously great new tools, some are sketchy, half-baked things doomed to failure, and some are questionable.

When it comes to new Precision Ag technology and hardware, there is often a bit of anxiety about being the first to try it. I think it goes back to the tongue in cheek adage, “The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”

To imply that any Agronomic Advisor that has built a program that has proven itself to bring value your operation over the years has any intention of selling Tons vs. enabling your long-term success is irresponsible.