November 1994
Iowa Soybean Promotion Board funds major precision agriculture project at Iowa
State University lasting six years. When the program ends, Iowa Soybean
Association/Iowa Soybean Promotion Board makes the tactical decision to hire staff
to execute programming in-house, not just fund projects proposed by
researchers.
August 2000
On-Farm Network® launched with Dr. Tracy Blackmer hired to lead the
effort.
December 2000
Iowa Soybean Promotion Board funds the first "GPS Research
Group" for $50,000.
February 2001
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship funds $159,000 for nitrogen
replicated strip trials as part of their Integrated Farm and Livestock Management
demonstration program.
February 2002
First On-Farm Network® Conference held in Ames, Iowa, with
approximately 50 in attendance
August 2002
First major corporate partnership working with John Deere to implement more than
150 in-line ripper trials over 2 years with tractor, GPS, and ripper provided by
John Deere.
September 2002
On-Farm Network® partners with ISA Environmental Program to collect
data in watershed projects.
October 2004
On-Farm Network® meets with Environmental Defense Fund and the two
groups apply together for, and receive, an NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant
amounting to $1,000,000. Partnership with EDF continues.
February 2005
The On-Farm Network® conference draws an audience of more than 500
attendees.
August 2005
The On-Farm Network® Advisory Council is developed. The first
decision made was for the program to accept corporate funding.
August 2006
First time work done in all Iowa counties. More than 400 strip trials completed.
September 2006
Dr. Peter Kyverega hired as Senior Research Associate.
November 2006
First year of work outside of Iowa with On-Farm Network forming in the Chesapeake Bay region of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware.
December 2006
On-Farm Network® Advisory Council recommends advancing the science by
publishing methodologies/results in scientific papers.
July 2007
On-Farm Network® Advisory Council recommends expanding work to other
states.
November 2007
First public posting of data. PDF files of trial reports created and posted in
On-Farm Network® website.
July 2008
Maumee On-Farm Network® formed in the western Lake Erie basin with
growers from Ohio, Indiana and Michigan.
August 2008
On-Farm Network® and five land grant universities meet with NRCS and
agree to work on incorporating Adaptive Management in the NRCS 590 standard.
March 2009
NEERA 1002, a USDA national coordinating committee, is formed. An adaptive
management community if formed within the committee.
July 2009
On-Farm Network® groups in Indiana and Virginia form.
November 2009
First peer-reviewed scientific paper by an Iowa Soybean Association employee is
accepted for publication in Agronomy Journal.
August 2010
Indiana State Department of Agriculture is awarded a Conservation Innovation
Grant by the NRCS. The grant established the Indiana On-Farm
Network®.
February 2011
Fungicide calculator developed by On-Farm Network® Senior Research
Associate Dr. Peter Keyeryga. The calculator uses results and economics from 282
replicated field trials to make probability based recommendations.
March 2011
Missouri becomes the 11th state to establish an On-Farm
Network®.
June 2011
Nutrient Benchmark project. Samples are collected from 500 corn and 500
soybean fields across Iowa's 99 counties for analysis.
