The data that farmers collect each year on their operation holds significant potential for helping them know exactly what their farm needs to increase yield. However, there are also many questions surrounding the use of this data and how to ensure the information on each farm is kept secure.

An upcoming workshop titled Big Data: Managing Your Farm’s Most Elusive Asset will address many of these issues and more. This event will be held Aug. 25, 2014, at the Scheman Center at Iowa State University. The workshop is hosted by the PrecisionAg Institute, an organization ASA joined earlier this year.

“I look forward to participating in this Big Data Workshop in August and encourage other farmers to attend,” said ASA President Ray Gaesser, a farmer from Corning, Iowa. “It’s important that farmers learn more about the data we collect on our farms and the potential this information holds in terms of improving our productivity, and also how we can protect this valuable data.”

Farmers who are members of ASA will receive a 10 percent discount if they enter the code AMSBD in the “discount code” box when registering for the event. Click here to sign up today! Please note, space for this event is limited, and no onsite registration will be available.

The Big Data Workshop is designed to provide growers with the information they need to begin to take more control over data, whether they are going it alone or enlisting the help of a trusted adviser. Industry experts will join growers who’ve made significant strides forward on data management for a full day of discussion, learning and networking.

The agenda will include sessions covering the following topics:

• Understanding The Value of Data
• Data Ownership And Privacy
• Best Practices and Continuous Improvement: Data + Sustainability
• The State of Data Standards in Agriculture
• Empowering Data-Driven Decisions: Better Yield and Beyond

Key cooperators in the development of the program agenda are Dr. Matthew Darr, Iowa State University, Dr. John Fulton, Auburn University, and Dr. Scott Shearer, The Ohio State University.

For more information, visit www.precisionag.com.