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Monday, July 06, 2009

Social networking and other Internet connectivity catching on among farmers

Twitter and Facebook may seem alien to the agricultural world, but experts say the tide is turning. Farmers are beginning to give into the appeal of ‘tech gadgets’ and online social networking, and many are finding them a welcome companion in the fields, Jeff Caldwell reports for Agriculture Online.

Among the most coveted devices are smartphones, whose applications are increasingly finding more uses on the farm. University of Illinois extension soybean specialist Vince Davis says the smartphone has shifted how he handles weather and crop data with field-station transmitters. "It allows me to get better and more timely information for me to make decisions," he told Caldwell. "Better info equals better decisions. Also, because it is seamless, I do not need to 'go to the office' to check e-mail -- this helps to free up time to keep me in the field."

Social networking can provide information for marketing and farm practices. Andy Kleinschmidt, who runs his own agriculture blog, sees an almost limitless partnership growing between farmers and technology. “I see a neat opportunity for a farmer to snap a photo of a weed, bug or plant lesion and immediately e-mail to their agronomist for ID and recommendation from the field.” (Read more)

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