The Rural Voice, 1980-03, Page 6The TRS -80 computer sold in Radio Shack stores, is
one microcomputer which can be used on the farm. The
items shown here include a video monitor, cassette
recorder and a keyboard.
Computers on the farm?
One expert says they'll be common in the 1990's
BY ALICE GBB
Our space age technology has vastly
changed the business of farming in the
past two decades, now that technology
has made another tool available to farmers
- the home computer. This latest electronic
wizardry will ultimately be able to assist
the farmer with everything from keeping
his books to recording which cows are in
heat or to determining problems in his
herd. Computers are no longer solely the
property of Targe corporations and edu-
cational institutions; instead technology
has advanced to the point where they're
available in the neighbourhood appliance
stores. Home computers range in price
from $1,000 to S10,000 and can provide the
farmer with a complex piece of equipment
which can be programmed to do everything
from keeping herd health records to
charting projected cash flow for the coming
year.
Wayne Pfeiffer, who teaches agricultural
economics at the University of Guelph, is a
strong proponent of on-farm computers.
PG. 4 THE RURAL VOICE/MARCH 1980
He said "Pfeiffer's fearless forecast" is
that farmers who can program a computer
will become as common in the 1990's as
farmers who could weld became in the
1960's. The professor added his 20 year
projection is that by the turn of the century,
farmers who can build their own computers
out of the available hardware components,
as well as program it to meet the needs of
their operation, will be as common as the
welding farmers.
The new technology which has made
on-farm computers possible is only about
five years old, but already there are over 70
companies manufacturing the machines.
Wayne Pfeiffer said the space program
necessitated the miniaturization of com-
puter components and once this technology
existed, it was possible to even further
miniaturize the circuitry and create today's
micro -computers.
Today computers, not unlike stereos,
come with a variety of components or extra
features like a larger memory size to store
more information, or printers which can
produce high quality printouts. But, as
Wayne Pfeiffer points out, "wires and
circuitry do not a computer make." What
makes the machine is the material fed into
computers which directs them to do
specific jobs such as estimating feed
rations or fertilizer needs. The industry
calls this "software" and the cost and
availability of software' remains the com-
puter industry's main problem in reaching
the farmer.
Right now, with the programs available,
Mr. Pfeiffer said the farmer purchasing a
home computer is basically getting a
bookkeeping system and "might have the
chance of encountering a feed rationing
program." However, agricultural consult-
ing firms and related businesses are
developing other computer programs for
the farm community, and Mr. Pfeiffer said
in the near future farmers will be able to
purchase programs on herd health man-
agement, cash flow analysis, estate
planning and fertilizer applications.
He said already some farmers can write