One of the traits of a trusted precision specialist is their ability to perform under pressure. Some might argue this is a daily occurrence for the profession and even the most mundane days force moments of innovation out of necessity.

The big questions for me when looking at whether a “swarm farming” concept has merit is: What problem is the swarm trying to solve? Does the swarm solve the problem?

Precision Farming Dealer assembled a geographically diverse group of 8 different precision farming managers to discuss their involvement and interaction in a virtual peer group to exchange ideas, problem-solve and provide a source of professional therapy.

The ownership of precision technology responsibilities has shifted in dealerships as precision technology becomes more integrated and standard equipment on farm equipment.

Precision agriculture allows producers and their trusted partners an excellent way to add production value through the collection of clean, calibrated data. The rubber meets the road when agronomic intelligence is combined with equipment data to create unique, informed management solutions for each farm customer.

Based on my conversations with dealers during the last few months, some have learned hard economic lessons due to an inability or unwillingness to arm themselves with the tools, training or talent to change with the times.

While in-person meetings provide valuable face-to-face contact, the chaotic schedules of precision managers don’t always allow for coordinated sessions. In 2018, a group of John Deere precision farming managers, organized by Phil Moskal from Mid-State Equipment, began communicating via text message to assist each other with troubleshooting in-field problems or trading insight on new products or services.