Note: The sidebar below accompanies a story titled, "Cell phones changing the way farmers do business," and is reprinted with permission from the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier.

SHELL ROCK--Cellular phones might save farmers time and possibly make them money, but communication and agriculture experts say pitfalls do exist. Besides being an extra business expense, many farmers tout cell phones as a safety device. However, experts warn there is a time and place for using phones. Cell phones have been contributing factors in many traffic accidents. Imagine the damage a distracted farmer on a phone could cause while driving a large tractor with a field cultivator in tow. As long as farmers think before acting --- like not working around a whirling power take-off while talking on the phone --- Steve Johnson, Iowa State University Extension farm specialist based in Des Moines, said cell phones are a good thing. "I think the convenience and improving communication for personal and business use far outweighs the downsides," Johnson said. Michael Bugeja, director of the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at ISU, isn't so sure. He said phones are often purchased with good intentions, like in case of emergencies, but then are often used for other non-productive purposes. Bugeja recently wrote a book called the "Interpersonal Divide: The Search for Community in a Technological Age." The book points out some of the pitfalls that come with cell phones. "If a farmer is checking prices while in the cab while doing a chore that needs their full attention, that's a terrible use," Bugeja said. Cell phones allow farmers to work longer hours because of less down time due to mechanical failures. Farmers call for parts or a repairman from the field. Sometimes during harvest, whether farmers like it or not, a couple of hours break while running after a part is a good thing. Machinery and fatigue can be a deadly combination. Besides safety, Bugeja said farmers may spend too much time in virtual rather than real communities. Farmers may be missing out on human contact because they can conduct business on the go. "All I'm asking is people think about why they bought the device and how they're using it. If it's different, then re-evaluate it," he said. On the technical side, farmers need to do their homework to determine which cell phone provider will serve them best. Depending on the user's location, due to tower availability or topography, reception still isn't guaranteed across Northeast Iowa.