Time is running out to register for The Ag Data Conference, which will help you make informed decisions when selecting data systems for your operation.

The number of companies that specialize in farm-based data products has increased the past few years. They all offer useful tools to help you farm better, shop for inputs better and market your crops better.

However, a common complaint is that each company provides one or two services, rather than a wide selection. This has farmers either hooking up with a number of them or shying away entirely. To help you select the right company or companies, we created The Ag Data Conference.

Time is running out to register for The Ag Data Conference, which will help you make informed decisions when selecting data systems for your operation. (Photo: solarseven/Thinkstock)

The conference, designed by Corn+Soybean Digest, Farm Futures and Farm Industry News, will be Nov. 29-30 at the Coralville Marriott Hotel & Convention Center near Iowa City, Iowa.

All-star lineup

The meeting will include speakers who will challenge grower thinking. Here’s a sneak peek:

Kip Pendleton, president of Pendleton Group, has been immersed in ag and innovation, with leadership roles from seed genetics to biotech commercialization to ag tech startups. His industry data perspective of “system of systems,” combined with an appreciation for farmer ROI, will challenge you to think through strategies. 

Dan Frieberg, president of Premier Crop Systems and Data Decisions columnist for Corn+Soybean Digest, will discuss how to turn specific field data into smart profitable decisions with “enhanced learning blocks.” Freiberg has helped many agronomic advisers and farmers since 1999 to “think deeper” to identify and correct yield-limiting factors in their fields — all based around sound data.

Scott Kirk, vice president of Technology Crossover Ventures, will tell you why huge amounts of venture capital have flowed into ag technologies. His background in Silicon Valley’s tech investment community covers companies that specialize in the internet, software and business services sectors, financing, and M&A transactions.

Craig Poling, chief technology officer for Sentek Systems, will share how UAVs can optimize farming through data and analytics. He has worked with drones, sensors and camera technology, and data since early military-use days. He will present new data on nitrogen management and outline how UAVs will optimize farming.

Tom McGraw, founder of Midwest Independent Soil Samplers, will deliver a real-world soil management assessment of grids, zones, soil map accuracy, nitrate testing and big data. McGraw works with agronomy service providers to intensively sample over 1 million acres a year across 10 states.

John Fulton, ag engineer at Ohio State University, is an authoritative voice on farm data. He will discuss how to build the best-quality data layers to optimize management decisions, and cover the pros and cons of sharing and storing practices. His Ohio family farm background is combined with his passionate research work on all things precision agriculture and big data.

Real-world experiences

Breakout sessions will dive into practical solutions and experiences from other farmers, so attendees can immediately apply new ideas to their business. Attendees will learn best practices from peers, their advisers, consultants and technology providers. The speaker teams will address these key topics:

• best farm data collection strategies

• how to optimize field zones with quality data

• farm data ownership, including contracts, sharing, services and aggregation

• data to improve soil and water quality

• best use of weather data to optimize decisions

• how to improve seed selection, placement and rates with data

• how to take fertility management to a higher level with data

• finding ROI with best data layers and advanced agronomic field analysis

• best plug ’n’ play visual data system for young farmers

Go to TheAgDataConference.com to register, view agenda and book your hotel. Plan to attend and gain valuable data skills you can apply to your farm business today.