One of the major challenges I face every day is the fact that just over 2 years ago I had a stroke. It wasn’t a major debilitating stroke nor was it a TIA (transient ischemic attack). It was just powerful enough to wipe out a 1/4 of my eyesight and the quick recall area of the brain. This may not necessarily seem like a big issue but when it comes to farming, and life in general, it can be a challenge.
I have always prided myself on being the right-brained, big picture thinker that can recall just about anything I needed to. Even though we were keeping records, both written and electronic, from spraying to planting to irrigating to harvesting on the farm, I could most generally tell you what I had planted in any field, what we had sprayed (names and rates), and then at the end of the year recalled what each field yielded and probably what I approximately made per field. This worked great as we did research, met with seed dealers, discussed ideas with Extension, and worked with the Technology Association we are involved with because I did not have to carry around a big binder with all the information in it.
But in one 2 minute period on February 3rd, 2011 changed all of that. No longer do I have the privilege and ability to quickly recall the info I need. It is much like storing a file in the computer and then trying to locate it without remembering the name of the file, the name of the folder or even what drive you stored it in and the search function on the computer glitches out. The brain then has to compensate for that. How, I am not exactly sure, but brain overload happens a lot more frequently then it did in the past.
What does this have to do with farming or technology? Is wasn’t that many years ago, if I had a stroke, I would have been having to write things down and then remember where I left my notebook(s) and which one contained what information or if they all contained part of the information I need. Of course, it would help if I was naturally organized and left brained but that is another subject for another day. Now in farming we have so many tools that it keeps the information literally right at my fingertips. Yes, some of the apps are expensive as are some of the farm programs, but I can easily carry and access all the information that I used to store in my head. Does it frustrate me that I cannot remember what I want to when I need to or that I may have very unproductive and bad days? Of course it does, but now I am able to record and keep all the information I need at any time.
Even though my brain feels fried more than it should, I am now finally learning how to effectively utilize my iPhone (Informant Pro, Notes, GeoNotes, others), iPad (FieldView, JD Mobile Farm, Evernote, others) and laptop to make myself much more functional. Each of these apps serves a specific purpose. In the coming weeks I will look a little deeper at each of these plus others I am utilizing or will be utilizing on the farm. Stay tuned.
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions” —Albert Einstein
View from the Cab 