With all the advanced technology today, some people still ask “Why the Internet?”

According to Ed Winkle, a crop consultant with Hymark Crop Consulting in Blanchester, Ohio, the Internet, “Saves time and its one-stop shopping. You can buy about anything you want on the Internet.”

Saving Money

Winkle says one of the best ways to utilize the Internet on your farm is to use price information you get from it for leverage to get a better price with your local stores. He’s heard of people getting a better price on Roundup Ready soybeans, innoculant, fertilizer or seed corn.

“It offers you a bargaining tool that we didn’t have before. It can also save you some money because there is no tax on Internet purchases,” Winkle says. “You have more choices and you’re not limited to local suppliers. Plus, the Internet is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

What’s Out There

When asked who’s buying and selling on the Internet, Winkle says, everyone, including businesses, industry, government, schools and more.

Farm families can find items including parts, equipment, computer hardware, software, precision agriculture, chemicals, clothing, books, videos and education online. He says Texas A&M is now offering a master’s program for farmers on the Internet.

One example Winkle offers is a radiator he’d found on radiator.com. “Their prices were about $50 under the area prices for a radiator,” he says. Though Winkle enjoys a good deal as much as the next guy, he doesn’t always order from the…