Who do You Trust for Agronomic Information?

Who do you trust for agronomic information?  During a recent on-line farmer panel discussion, the subject was who do you trust for seed and agronomic information. This time of year growers are getting a lot of it in farm publications and here on MAT.

For the farmers on the panel, their local product rep was their first choice. “I really like to work with a company rep who also uses the product on his farm,” said Jasper County, Indiana farmer Kendell Culp. ”It is nice to know they have some skin in the game. If there is a problem, I am calling my rep, not the company.”

Illinois farmer Kyle Bracey noted that he favored companies that had local reps with whom he had a relationship and who can come out and walk your fields with you.

Sarah Lovas, a farmer in North Dakota, said having a local rep is especially important for farmers who grow specialty crops, “It is really unfortunate when a company will pull their reps back to headquarters and you have to call in to talk to someone.”

Farm shows were a good place to gather data and meet with reps, but the pandemic shutdown made that impossible last year and that caused problems. Culp said, “At these events you can get a lot of information, meet with reps, and even talk with other farmers.” He added that, in 2020, farmers had to find new ways of getting this kind of information because most of the shows were cancelled.

This fall should see a resumption of in-person, farm, trade shows. For example, the Indiana Farm Equipment and Technology Expo is set for December 14-16 in Westfield, IN, just north of Indianapolis.

The panel discussion was sponsored by the J.L. Farmakis organization in conjunction with their Farmers Speak research that measurers growers purchasing trends and preferences.

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