Owings & Sons, Inc.
Technology
The latest in farming technology uses satellites. Satellites are used to guide farm equipment in the fields and also to apply only the exact amount of fertilizer and chemicals needed to grow a successful crop. This is called Precision Farming" and "variable rate" application, and Casey was an early adapter.
The Owings and Sons planters, tractors, sprayers, you name it are ll outfitted and guided by GPS. It reduces Casey's production costs while also helping the environment. Again with the "less is more" philosophy, leveraging technology is good for farming, and good for the land.
At the end of the year, Casey reviews his field yield maps like the one pictured. He determines if there are any "problem spots" and addresses the issues during the next growing season. These maps also help his landowners "visualize" their fields and how they are doing yield wise.
Casey also has participated in research projects helping to perfect this precision farming technology. Working with the Chester River Association and their Greenseeker program, Casey outfitted his sprayer with sensors which calculated a plant's nutrient needs on-the-fly. The sprayer would then apply just the right amount of fertilizer that the plant required.
It's this precision/small scale thinking that helps Casey gain the big yields that are possible today.