No One-Size-Fits-All Ag Tech for Farming Operations
The session “One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Vetting New Tools and Technologies for Your Operations” was one of many popular panel discussions at Tech Hub LIVE in Indianapolis, IN.
The best advice a farmer can give to a retailer or technology provider looking to sell him something is to at least understand that farming is a lifestyle as much as a business.
“I am shocked how many people try to sell me something have never been on a farm,” said Minnesota farmer Todd Golly on the Tech Hub LIVE panel “One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Vetting New Tools and Technologies for Your Operations”, which was one of the most popular sessions of the event.
Panel moderator Steve Pitstick, a farmer from Illinois and chair of the Illinois Soybean Association, said company representatives need to understand that farmers are very unique, just like their operations. “Every farmer has a personality, every field has a personality,” Pitstick said.
Ben White, Regional Manager of Ag Technologies for GreenPoint Ag Holdings, works with farmers in the Southeast growing crops like cotton and rice so vetting tech tools and understanding farmers’ needs is top priority for him to help them get the most out of the technology for the long term.
As Chief Operating Officer for Mercer Landmark cooperative in Northwest Ohio, Neal Horrom is focused on delivering value to producers by leveraging digital solutions across all segments of business. He says retailers and providers need to keep flexibility at the forefront when serving different types of farmer customers.
When it comes to return on investment, Golly said ease of use and quality of life may be even more important to a farmer than an economic ROI. “We’re doing as much or more as we were ten years ago with less people,” he said.
Pitstick encouraged providers to find that pain point for their growers. “If you ride with me in the combine and you hear me say a bad word, if you can fix that, I will buy it.”
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