DATA STREAMS Adopting ag technology begins with a trusted cooperative partner. By Joel Schettler O n this bright morning in early May, Joe Ridl and his partners at Ridl Farms near Dickinson, N.D., work with an excited team of technicians to get new equipment into the fi eld for the fi rst time. The focus of attention: a Case IH model 2160, 36-row planter. Only seven were built and six were sold in the world this year, says Ridl. Like most modern farm machinery, the new model comes equipped with an assortment of sensors to gather data. This planter includes pneumatic down pressure kits to assess soil conditions, row cleaners and variable-rate meters for planting. “We’re really looking forward to getting out there and seeing what kind of data we can collect,” says Ridl. Ridl owns and operates the farm with his uncle Kurt and father Arthur. Younger brother Rusty and another uncle, Keith, also help run the operation, which has been in the family since the 1940s. This year, they planted nearly 4,200 acres of malting and food-grade barley and wheat, along with nearly 1,800 acres of sunfl owers. In addition to row crops, the family operates a large feedlot of Holstein steers, plus a cow-calf operation with 150 registered Black Angus cows. Early ag technology adopters have found information everywhere, collecting data from soil samples to weather to yield. But data comes easy; wisdom is hard-won. As manufacturers big and small work to bring technological advances to the farm, the bigger > Ridl Farms used this new Case IH model 2160 36-row planter this spring. Your CHS Connection 7