The American Soybean Association (ASA) and FarmLink have joined forces to help farmers close the $11 billion gap between what they harvested in 2013 and what they could harvest annually.
The partnership is called “Operation Benchmark” and it gives producers the opportunity to benefit from FarmLink’s benchmarking capability while at the same time supporting ASA and state association grower initiatives. The program is available nationally and will be promoted initially seven leading soybean states – Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Missouri.
The service, called TrueHarvest, is a new benchmarking service that for the first time accurately shows farmers the full range of performance potential for fields, down to a 150 square foot micro-field level. This, in turn, allows farmers to determine the true potential of their land and to identify where to invest—or not invest—to optimize productivity and profitability. The TrueHarvest service provides a baseline that supports the farmers’ and their consultants’ and input providers’ expertise, while still respecting the integrity and privacy of a farmer’s data.
“Our members understand that one of the most important tools to increase yields is the application of data to their farming practices,” said ASA Director and Ag Data Working Group Chair Ron Moore, a soybean farmer from Roseville, Ill. “But growers want to make sure their data is applied in such a way to increase their profits and provide greater returns on their investments. We have chosen to partner with FarmLink on this particular initiative because they are independent and completely aligned with growers’ interests.”
Farmers interested in participating can visit www.farmlink.com/Promotion/ASA for more information.