It’s Your Data — Why Aren’t You Using It Now?
April 22, 2026 When I thought about this topic, it reminded me of an old, I think, obnoxious but obviously affective J.G. Wentworth commercial dealing in structured settlements and the unforgettable tagline:
“It’s my money, and I need it now!”
With today’s economy and key decisions that we need to be making, isn’t that what we should be thinking about our data? For years, the promise of ag technology has been that “your data is going to be the new ‘cash crop.’” You’re going to be able to benchmark your operation against the industry and gain more insights and value within your operation. I heard that back in the late 1990s.
Nearly three decades later, very few growers or agribusinesses have truly cashed in. A few companies tried to build benchmarking or monetization platforms. Most made valiant efforts that disappeared just as quickly as they started. And customers — both growers and agribusinesses — are still left wondering what their data is actually worth in this proverbial marketplace.
Even after 29 years in ag technology, I still wrestle with that question.
It seems to me that everyone is still waiting on that one perfect opportunity to cash in on their data. Again, that proverbial cash crop of their operation, but in the 29 years that I’ve been in ag technology, I haven’t seen very many cash that check.
So, what are you waiting for? If you are waiting for someone to hand you a big wad of cash (yes, I’m still old school; I’m waiting for cash or a check, not bitcoin), you’re probably going to continue waiting. The cash crop is in your field. The value of your data is in your operation … right now!
This is the year to start thinking differently. As I wrote in a previous column, think “Moneyball.” You can’t solve today’s problems with yesterday’s practices. The markets, products, practices, technologies, etc., are all different from one, three, five, and 25 years ago.
So, why are we still using old answers for new questions?
Take high-priced inputs. The first thing everyone wants to do is cut their inputs. How? The answers vary, but most will cut by a percentage of their budget across the board, except for, maybe, nitrogen.
However, those cuts are usually driven by cash flow pressure — not by economics.
As a friend of mine tells me on a regular basis: “Agronomy is really based on economics, not necessarily agronomics.” And he’s right! The cuts aren’t made based on the crop needs, but on the wallet limitation.
Now, let’s look at it from a real economics perspective rather than just a cash-flow perspective. This is where your data starts paying off. This is where your data becomes a cash crop. Now we’re going to make decisions based on maximum economic yield, basing this off real data and information. With better data and information, we can ask much more pointed questions on resource allocation we know won’t greatly affect our production and enable us to apply inputs that will have a greater return on our investment.
As an example, I recently met with a client who had field-level data analyzed based on a specialty product he had used over the years. He had the data that showed that when he applied that product, his production went up and he was more profitable.
This wasn’t a gut feeling. This wasn’t a sales pitch. This was real, on-farm data and information from his operation. This enabled him to make the best business decision.
This grower has the historical data and information to make decisions based on opportunity cost — where
to invest more and where he can safely cut without hurting yield.
It’s his data, and he’s using it now!
Will someone eventually create a scalable model that allows growers to monetize their data externally?
Probably.
Like I said, the markets, products, technologies, and economics have changed and will be different tomorrow than they are today.
But I don’t think today is that day.
Today is the day you monetize your data internally. Especially in this economic environment.
Because the real value of your data isn’t in selling it.
It’s in using it to make better decisions — right now.
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