Randy Uhrmacher: Not Afraid to Try Something Different
During the mid-1980’s when many farmers were finding it hard to hang on, Nebraska native Randy Uhrmacher decided at the age of 18 that it was just the right time for him to dig in and make a go of it. As a fourth-generation farm kid, he knew he wanted to continue the legacy his family had started and when the opportunity to rent more land became available right out of high school, he seized it. Times were hard and the struggle was real, but so was Randy’s drive to make it work and that’s exactly what he’s done.
Change has never been a hindrance for the Uhrmacher farm, instead, it’s been a catalyst for growth. From what began as a multi-faceted operation with cattle, hogs and crops, today is a 4000-acre enterprise of solely corn and soybeans that Randy farms alongside with his brother and his son, Derek. When pressed as to why he thinks he’s been so successful, he attributes the lessons he learned through such a hard start and not being afraid to try new things along the way.
Randy isn’t different from a lot of other farmers in working the crops he grows, but he has had some different approaches to making his crops work better for him. With three-quarters of the land he farms being irrigated and the rest dry land, having a grasp on all agronomic aspects and moisture management are essential for raising and harvesting profitable crops.
Three years ago, Randy began hearing about a relatively new agronomy player in the field and he was intrigued enough to test the value he perceived they could bring. After having Farmers Edge on board with their operation for two full years now, Randy says they have brought value to the table since day one and it continues to grow and improve.
The Farmers Edge all-in-one approach combining Daily Satellite Imagery, on-farm weather stations, and variable rate mapping to their farm zones has made farming not only easier for Randy and his partners, but also more profitable and in the end that’s where the true value lies.
For someone who isn’t afraid to farm “different” when different means better, Randy is excited to try Farmers Edge new Soil Moisture Monitoring Service this growing season. Through what he saw using their test soil moisture probes last year, he’s ready to unleash this new technology across all their fields this year.
Across the board, from the complete data collected through FarmCommand, timely and friendly service from field reps, to state of the art moisture management tools that nobody else in the industry is offering, Randy sees his decision to join the Farmers Edge team of growers as a win-win.
Randy considers himself somewhere in the top third of farmers for being an early adopter to using new technology. He learned early on that by watching “pioneers” in farming who would try new things, he could learn from their successes and try to perfect their failures. That mindset and practice has gotten him through hard times and allowed his farm to continue to thrive. He has benefited from using Farmers Edge products the past few years and looks forward to continuing to benefit from the new and different ideas they keep bringing to the table. Different may be different, but it can also very much be forward.
