How can the same computer you are using be used by a farmer?

Child at the debut of first Family Farm Website

Lauren Johnson helps a child at the debut
of the original Family Farm Project website
Photo by John Seavolt

The Hathaway family uses computers on their farm. Kim Hathaway describes the system. "It's a database system that we can use to go to the board of trades. We can go down and see what corn is trading for right now. We just got the upgrade system about three years ago that has the weather."
In the future more farmers will be using computer technology. Farmers use computers to get information on farm markets, weather, and other farming information. We would like you to use the internet and explore some of the same websites that farmers use.
In this exercise, answer the following questions by clicking on the icons.

1. Find today's weather for the city nearest you by clicking on the weather icon.
Type in the nearest major city in the box labeled search.

a) What is today's temperature?
b) What does the 3 day extended forecast predict?
c) Would a farmer be able to plant his crops today?
(Remember that farmers plant their crops in the Spring. To plant crops, the ground must not be frozen or wet.)
d) Would a dairy farmer milk cows today? Why or why not?

2. Learn about new advances in farming technology by clicking on the tractor icon.
Click on NEW AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY in the first paragraph.
Then click on one of the new pieces of equipment listed below. Make sure it is either a tractor, a combine, a cultivator or a planter.

a) What is this piece of equipment used for?
b) List two of the new features on this piece of equipment.

3. Learn more about farm markets by clicking on the globe icon.

Follow the light back to New Agricultural Technology.