Selecting Seeds When Every Acre Counts

Ringger Farms, headed by Jamin Ringger, is a 1,100 acre corn, soybean, and hog operation in central Illinois.

“I operate a relatively small operation, so every acre counts, especially when margins are tight. You get one chance to do it right, and it’s challenging to make sure that the right seed is on the right farm at the right population.“

Jamin had plenty of data, and he knew that there was real potential to increase yield by changing seeding populations and varieties, but his operation was simply not a big enough test plot to determine the best varieties. “We just don’t have the space to do it ourselves.”

Jamin needed a way to more effectively analyze his operation’s data and access a larger pool of local, real world performance data.

With FBN℠ Seed Finder, Jamin has access to unbiased information from thousands of corn and soybean fields in his area. By seeing what varieties, population rates, and practices are (and are not) working on nearby farms, Jamin is able to make more informed decisions on everything from changing nitrogen rates to variety placement in the field.

“In terms of improving yields, the information from FBN was valuable the day I signed up. And this wasn’t big, national-level information from the seed guys. This is data collected from Illinois corn and soybean farmers like us.”

Even in his first year with Farmer’s Business Network, Jamin has been able to put his data to work, adjusting and optimizing his seeding populations and better matching his seed varieties to his fields and soil types

“It’s hard to put a price on the information, but we’re definitely getting our money back. I would guess we’re looking at about $10 an acre worth of value.”

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