Farmers have always been open to sharing ideas in the hope of learning something from someone else that might help them make better decisions in their own operation. Until recently, that sharing of ideas and data took place mostly at the local coffee shop.

Today, farmers can compare their operations to thousands of others across the country through an independent, online farmer-to-farmer information source. Launched in 2014, Farmers Business Network (FBN) collects precision agronomic data from millions of acres, analyzes the data and makes it available to its members.

"The concept came from the idea of farmers sharing information with each other, using precision data to make better decisions, based on the age-old tradition of farmer peer-grouping or getting together at the coffee shop to share information," says Charles Baron, Farmers Business Network co-founder.

Baron says FBN is a network of thousands of farmers working together sharing data on yields, prices, etc. on-line.

"Instead of just looking at my farm or talking...