Iowa State University will be partnering with other Midwest agricultural leaders in providing workshops on precision agriculture in 1998. The More Information...More Control Workshops will give producers hands-on experience in working with precision agriculture data. Partners for these workshops with ISU will be John Deere, Growmark/FS, Farmland, Cenex/Land O Lakes, and Countrymark CO-OP.

Geared for the newcomer to precision agriculture and for those with some experience working with yield monitors, these all day workshops will help you:

• Use a cost-benefit analysis model in your evaluation of new technologies
• Draw conclusions about primary factors currently affecting your yield
• Set realistic short- and long-term goals for your farm business
• Learn from experiences of other precision agriculture farmers in your area
• Make analytical decisions tomorrow by taking the right steps today
• Develop the skills to do reliable research in your fields

Precision agriculture is more than new equipment, software, computers, and maps. These workshops will help you figure out how precision agriculture can fit into your farming situation. The workshop does not promote specific equipment and products.

Workshops will be held statewide wherever we can get a group of 15 to 20 producers who want to come together. Trained ISU Extension instructors are Joel DeJong, John Creswell, Bill Lotz, Virgil Schmitt, and Carroll Olsen. Cost is $109 per participant if you register at least two weeks in advance and includes lunch and all take-home materials.

Plan to attend a workshop later this year. You might even recruit a group of your friends and neighbors who are interested in precision agriculture issues or just want to learn more. Call 1-888-258-0208 (toll-free) to register or for more information.