The 21st century farm has come a long way from a simple matter of sowing and reaping. To keep up with the future, notes NetNebraska,many farmers are employing business school techniques. For example, David Muth of Ames, Iowa, breaks down his farm operation into individual one-acre datasets. “Every individual acre's a unique production facility,” he explains. Muth compared each acre to a single store in a chain of coffee shops. Some locations are profitable, while others are less so. It’s his goal to ensure that no acre is operating at a loss.
Meanwhile, over in Ogden, Iowa, Andrew Heineman is trying a new crop on one of his lower-profit farms. Oats haven’t been seen on this land in a generation. But the risk could pay off.
And the oats will be harvested earlier than corn or soybeans, which will free up the field so he can put in more tile drainage before planting again.