Vision Tech Perspectives

Policies and programs have been a part of agriculture for years, but they seem to be taking on a more significant role in today's operations as we need to navigate, not just the farm bill, but the more political programs, such as the Inflation Reduction Act 45Z and Carbon Sequestration as an example. Do you know what is going on with policy and programs that will affect your operation? Doug and Dave discuss some of the key topics of policies and programs in this episode of Vision Tech Perspectives.

In this episode, Doug and Dave discuss the fast-paced Ag Technology market. Today, a lot is going on with mergers & acquisitions, buyouts, VC investments and a whole slew of start ups. But what does that mean for the customer, agribusiness or grower? What do they buy? Who do they trust for a longer-term relationship? These questions and more in this episode of Vision Tech Perspectives.

Landlords, Tenants & Farm Management companies. How is this dynamic changing in the industry? In this episode, Doug and Dave discuss what is happening with land rental auctions, dealing with the absentee landlords and working with the respective farm management companies. Enjoy the conversation!

There are so many things going on with Carbon Sequestration and the contracts that are available in the market today, Doug and Dave discuss some of the things that are going on and what to keep on eye on when considering entering the carbon market.

This is Part #3 of our conversation with Dr. Jay Akridge, Purdue University, talking about the Land Grant university's role in today's fast-pace ag industry and its still-vital role in research and education.

This is Part #2 of our conversation with Dr. Jay Akridge, Purdue University, talking about the Land Grant university's role in today's fast-pace ag industry and its still-vital role in research and education.

Where does the Land Grant University fit in today's fast moving ag tech industry? Our guest for this episode is Dr. Jay Akridge, former Dean of the College of Agriculture and former Provost of Purdue University. Currently, Jay is back on the faculty in Agricultural Economics at Purdue We had the opportunity to talk with Jay about Land Grant Universities and its place in today’s industry. With the changes in the industry from when the land grant system was created, the access of information from the industry as well as the internet and the speed the industry is changing, we wanted to better understand where the Land Grants fit and how we can take advantage of the resources available from all sources in our industry. This is Part One of the conversation with Dr. Jay Akridge.

Our culture is inundated with acronyms. It has become a norm for agriculture as well. The latest acronym that we're now seeing is EIQ (Environmental Impact Quotient). In this episode, Doug and Dave discuss EIQ and how it intersects with ESG (Environmental, Social Governance) and how we will run our operations in the future. Join us in the conversation and share your questions and thoughts in the comments below.

We continue our conversation with Alan Hoskins. However, we change the subject to a sideline of Alan's. Used farm equipment. That used to be a fairly simple topic. Evaluate what you need. Find options, whether at your local dealership or another farmer who is ready to sell. Make sure that the piece of equipment is sound and there are no surprises. And you make the purchase. Today, it can be a little more complicated. A farmer or rancher still takes the above into consideration, but they now need to evaluate the technology that is on the used piece that is being considered. Hours and price are not all that you need to know. Some things that need to be taken into consideration. Does the equipment have the same level of technology. For example. If your operation is using RTK correction for automatic steering, then you need to make sure that the used equipment has RTK or the upgrade to RTK is included in the purchase. This is just the start of the conversation in the next episode of Vision Tech Perspectives. We continue our conversation with Alan Hoskins, President and National Sales Manager for American Farm Mortgage & Financial Services. Alan is a bit of a used equipment guy and we discuss the used equipment and the technology that we need to be aware of when we purchase used equipment.

Historically, there are aspects of business, even outside of agriculture, that we have tended not to question. We find someone we like to work with and then we continue to do business with them. Without question. Without checking with other vendors to make sure we are getting what we need. One of those, outside of agriculture, tends to be a real estate agent (at least for me). The other, and the topic of this episode, is your ag banker. In this episode, we welcome a special guest, Alan Hoskins, President & National Sales Director of American Farm Mortgage & Financial Services. We'll talk with Alan concerning the should you and how should you question your banker. Alan also offers other things that you should be expecting from your banker that can be very important to your operation.

We've seen the commercials about "impossible burgers," "beyond meat" and plant-based burgers. These are products that are using plant-based products to replicate the texture, the look and the taste of a beef hamburger. When we talk about "Lab-Raised Meat," we are not talking about a plant-based product. We will be talking about meat raised from meat in a lab. What are the drivers behind these initiatives? What are the implications to production agriculture? Join us in the discussion on Lab-Raised Meat and learn with us!

You're in a conversation and, at some point, you realize that you're not really talking about the same things. Yes, you are using the same terms, but you realize that your definitions of those terms are different. Now there's confusion. That's really where we are, and have been in ag technology. Even when I was with AGCO and Southern States, we had a glossary for our team to refer to so that there was no confusion among us. There are newer terms and acronyms in the ag industry that seem to have multiple definitions and are causing confusion. In this episode, Doug and Dave will dig a little deeper into some of those terms to, hopefully, give a better understanding to these terms and acronyms. We hope you enjoy the next episode of Vision Tech Perspectives!

With all of the technology in the market and so much new technology being released every day, how do you discern between the Urgent vs. the Important? We talk about the noise of the industry and looking at what is Urgent vs. Important on your operation. Not your neighbor's or competitor's operation. Not the industry as a whole. What's Urgent vs. Important on YOUR operation. Join us for this episode and we will discuss how to look at the differences between the two and how to discern between the two.

We have an expectation in everything we do. From going to an event, to going on a date, to making personal and business purchases. But when we make a purchase, what do we really expect from that purchase? Doug and Dave will discuss expectations of technology tools. Enjoy and please comment below to start the conversation.

We all want to look at the new, shiny widgets and toys. That's what's cool. We all talk about something that we see and say "I need that for my operation." But do we really need it...or do we just want it? Wanting something for the operation is fine, if we know that it is a "want" and plan accordingly. In this episode, we talk about the wants vs. the needs on an operation and some of the things we need to consider when deciding between the two and how it will truly benefit the operation and have a return on investment.

When evaluating tools, services and programs, how do you decide what to address. In this episode we'll discuss The Barrell Theory. The law of limiting factors. Join us and see how the Barrell Theory can be used on your operation to evaluate your technology.

What is the most expensive tool on your operation? It's the one that you are paying for, but not using or getting the full use of the functionality and the return on investment. What are you doing to best make use of the tools you have so that they meet your expectations? We talk about the things to think about when considering technology and then some initial ways to implement into your operation.

When you are evaluating technology tools, services and programs, you need to focus on the context of your operation and not worry about the media or hype of the respective product.