Dave Hughes, who farms about 2,400 acres near Cambridge and at another location north of Wisconsin Rapids, can surf the Internet while he's spraying fertilizer on his soybean fields.

But he hasn't tried it.

"I have a hard enough time trying to control the equipment without daydreaming on the Internet," he said.

"Precision farming," which uses global positioning satellite systems, geographic information systems and other technology, has been around for more than a decade. With precision farming, producers pinpoint the placement of seeds, nutrients and pesticides.

By using a computer device in a tractor's cab, farmers can plant straighter rows (which increases yields) and control the precise depth and placement of seeds and chemicals. Computerized combines make harvesting more efficient.

Some of that technology will be displayed among the more than 600 exhibitors at the 2009 Wisconsin Farm Technology Days later this month. With milk and grain prices down from a year ago, however, it's likely more farmers at the show will be doing more dreaming than buying.

"I think it'll be a lot of window shopping -- taking ideas and developing positions for the future," said Charles Crave, whose Crave Brothers Farm near Waterloo will host the July 21-23 event.

The farm was selected for this year's show because of its innovations. The brothers built an on-site cheese processing plant in 2002 and were among the first Wisconsin farmers to use free-stall barns, total mixed-ration feed and bunker silos.

 

Manure digesters in Wisconsin

A centerpiece of the Crave Brothers Farm technology is the production of electricity from two anaerobic manure digesters.

The digesters were built through a partnership with Clear Horizons, a Milwaukee developer of biogas energy systems. They harvest methane that produces enough electricity to power 550 average Wisconsin homes and more than twice what the entire farm and its cheese factory need.

But if high-tech field or dairy equipment is too expensive this year for many farmers, multimillion-dollar manure digesters are even more out of reach. Nearly two dozen manure digesters operate in Wisconsin. Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk has proposed building a digester near Waunakee that would serve multiple farms.

"It's not a total (manure-handling) solution, but it's certainly a key cog in the whole process," Crave said. "It's just going to take the industry a while to come to grips with the payback and guarantees."

Farmers have responded to lower milk and grain prices by putting off equipment purchases.

The average milk price for Wisconsin farmers was expected to fall to $11.50 per hundredweight in June, which is $7.90 below a year ago, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Corn futures prices also dropped last week after a federal report said farmers planted more grain than estimated in March. Corn for September delivery fell 10.75 cents to $3.4575 a bushel on Thursday, the last day of trading during the holiday-shortened week. Average corn prices in 2008 were in the range of about $5 to 6 per bushel, although prices soared to record levels near $8 after last year's floods.

High-tech vs. traditional equipment

When prices were higher, farmers had to wait a year for delivery of a John Deere combine due to high demand, said Jeff Ditzenberger, a sales representative at Sloan Implement in Monroe. Now, he said, the wait is shorter.

Hay mowers and balers are in demand despite the slowdown in some high-tech equipment, said Brian Cupery, east-central Wisconsin sales manager for Ziegler Ag Equipment of Columbus, which will have a booth at the show.

"I think there's going to be some strong interest at this show," he said. "I really never go to one of these shows looking for orders. To me, it's purely promotional."

Ziegler, which also has offices in Iowa and Minnesota, sells tractors, combines and other equipment.

Farmers may be more interested in buying less-expensive tools, especially at a discount. The Wisconsin Farm Bureau will have a Grainger representative at its booth, emphasizing the discount members get on Grainger tools, said farm bureau public relations director Casey Langen.

There is little doubt that computerized technology in the field is the wave of the future.

"GPS saves money and time and helps with operator fatigue," Ditzenberger said. "The initial cost is more, but the long-term return on the investment is a lot quicker."

Cambridge farmer Hughes said he's still learning to use the high-tech Raven units he bought in April. He likes to tinker, so he installed the units himself on older equipment. They're portable so they can be used for more than one task.

Hughes said the units will save money by avoiding duplication that wastes seeds and chemicals.

"Our planting and harvesting are our biggest bang for the buck," he said.

IF YOU GO

What: 2009 Wisconsin Farm Technology Days

Where: Crave Brothers Farm, W11550 Torpy Road, Waterloo (near Highway I, north of Waterloo, in southern Dodge County)

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 21-22; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 23

Cost: $5 per person, free for children age 12 and under

Web sites: dodgefarmtech.com; wifarmtechnologydays.com

About the event: It’s considered Wisconsin’s premier agricultural technology exposition and the state’s largest outdoor agricultural show.

What you’ll see: Farm tours featuring a modern dairy, Crave Brothers Classics Farmstead cheese factory, field demonstrations, more than 600 commercial exhibitors, and presentations on recent research and educational programs.