Adam Drewelow ad­­mits that he doesn’t keep up with all the social-media trends. You won’t find him posting selfies on Facebook or Instagram like many millennials his age.

That’s because Drewelow says he doesn’t have the time to waste in front of a screen unless it is connected to his combine. Between managing his precision planting business, feeding cattle and raising four daughters, Drewelow doesn’t have an off-season as a young farmer.

"But I am a tech guy when it comes to (ag data)," Drewelow says. "If you ride with me, I have one monitor that steers the combine, another that steers the corn head on the combine. I have another monitor that tells me the yield and an iPad so I can track and record everything. I try to do a good job of recording data and then trying to use that data to become better."

Drewelow and his wife, Brooke, who farm near Fredericksburg, are one of three finalists for the Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Achievement Award. The winner will...