Computers and Agriculture

Overview Farming and agriculture might seem like low-tech enterprises, but these industries have benefited from computerization more than the casual observer might think. Farmers--both professional and hobbyists--benefit from online resources such as seed estimators and pest information sites. Professional farmers can use revenue estimators to help them plan which crops will produce the highest profits based on weather patterns, soil types, and current market values. Follow the below links to learn more about computers and agriculture.

General Information Visit the Prince Edward Island Forestry and Agriculture Information Center's Web site here.  The Alberta Agriculture Web site includes information on a variety of agricultural topics-- check it out at this link. The US Department of Agriculture maintains a Web site containing agricultural information, links to related pages, and copies of press releases at this link.

Specific Links The following links lead to more information about computers and agriculture.

  • Read about how technology is used in milk production here.
  • CowChip$ is software package designed to improve cow herds and increase revenues. Check it out at this link.
  • Find links to farm resources, chat boards, classified advertisements, and other farm-related information at this link.
  • The National Gardening Organization has information for both professional farmers and hobbyists. Visit its Web site here.
  • Interested in organic gardening? Check out this link.
  • Read about a GIS application for farmland assessment at this link.
  • Satellite land imagery can be used to predict what kinds of plants will grow well in a particular area. Look at satellite pictures and read about how they're produced and who uses them at both www.satimagingcorp.com/svc/agriculture.html or www.spaceref.com/.
  • Chat with farmers and other people interested in agricultural topics at www.agforum.info.
  • Browse through descriptions and reviews of agricultural software at this Google search page.
  • Read about alternative farming techniques at this link.

Additional Links Check out pictures of farms taken by a camera attached to a kite at this link. Looking for software to help you plan a garden or grow flowers? Check out this Yahoo search page.