Growing Value: What Ag Retailers Need to Know About Farmers and Technology Adoption

During a recent episode of CropLife Retail Week recorded live at Tech Hub LIVE 2026 in Des Moines, IA, host Eric Sfiligoj sat down with April Hemmes, owner of Hemmes Farms, and Amy Asmus, co-owner of Asmus Farm Supply, to discuss one of agriculture’s most important topics: technology adoption. Their conversation offered valuable insights for ag retailers looking to better understand how growers evaluate new tools, data platforms, AI applications, and precision technologies.

The message was clear: farmers are not resistant to technology. They are looking for technology that delivers value, fits their operations, and solves real-world problems.

Technology Must Deliver Value First

For retailers, one of the biggest takeaways from Hemmes’ comments is that growers increasingly view themselves as business managers as much as producers.

“I think a lot of farmers now are operating more like businesses, not like farmers,” Hemmes said. “Every decision we make has such an effect on our bottom line that we want to get those numbers right.”

That perspective shapes how technology is evaluated. While much of the industry’s discussion focuses on innovation, farmers are often asking a simpler question: What is the return?

Hemmes cautioned against viewing technology strictly through the lens of yield gains.

“Anything that’s going to bring value to my farm interests me,” she said. “I shouldn’t say yield. I should say value.”

For retailers, that means technology conversations should focus not only on production increases but also on labor savings, efficiency improvements, risk management, sustainability benefits, recordkeeping, and profitability. Growers want to understand how a tool will improve their operation, not simply what it does.

Simplicity and Portability Matter

One reason growers have embraced precision technologies such as auto-steer is that the benefits are obvious and immediate.

According to Hemmes, the most effective technologies are often the ones that are easiest to use.

“When people say, ‘What should we do?’ I go, ‘Put it on my phone.’ My phone is with me everywhere.”

For today’s farmers, mobility is critical. Whether checking markets, reviewing field data, or monitoring equipment, growers increasingly expect information to be available wherever they are.

Hemmes recalled explaining auto-steer technology to someone who questioned its value.

“By not steering my tractor, I can look up markets, watch things, see what’s happening in the world,” she said. “The more portable the technology, the better.”

Retailers evaluating digital platforms should consider whether solutions are accessible, intuitive, and mobile-friendly. Sophisticated technology has little value if growers cannot easily use it in the field.

Trusted Advisors Still Matter

As technology options continue to multiply, many growers are looking to their retail partners to help them sort through the noise.

Hemmes emphasized that ag retailers play an important role as both technology evaluators and advisors.

“My message to ag retailers is work. Find out the knowledge. Go out there and seek out knowledge,” she said.

She compared her trusted crop adviser to a close family partner.

“I call him my farming husband. He knows me better than anybody. He knows what I value, what I want, what I’ll use on my farm.”

That level of understanding creates an opportunity for retailers. Rather than simply presenting products, successful retailers can help growers identify which technologies fit their unique goals, acreage, budgets, and management styles.

“There’s so much I have to take in,” Hemmes said. “For you guys to filter it out and figure out what I need, that’s of value to me.”

Collaboration Drives Better Innovation

Both Hemmes and Asmus stressed that collaboration is becoming increasingly important throughout the technology development process.

“You talked about when you first sat down, it’s really a collaboration now,” Asmus said. “Not me versus you versus the guy next door.”

Asmus believes that opportunities such as Tech Hub LIVE are valuable because they bring technology providers, retailers, and growers together in the same room.

“I love it here because it’s geared toward the retailer, but there’s the farmer’s voice,” she said. “The farmer can hear what the retailer and the value of that retailer, and how does the tech come through that.”

That direct interaction can prevent companies from developing solutions that look good on paper but fail to address real farm challenges.

Hemmes noted that she frequently provides candid feedback to technology developers.

“I’ve talked with startups before,” she said. “They’re so excited, and then I’m like, ‘Okay, but that’s not going to work on my farm because X, Y, and Z.'”

Such feedback helps innovators refine products before they reach the marketplace and gives retailers a clearer understanding of what growers actually need.

Data Sharing Requires Trust

Technology adoption often hinges on another critical issue: data.

While growers recognize the value of sharing information, Hemmes said they also want a clear benefit in return.

“I’ll share it, but I better get something back out of it,” she said. “Whether that’s monetary or information or making me better, there has to be value there for me to share it.”

For retailers, that means transparency remains essential. Growers want to understand how data will be used, who has access to it, and what advantages they will receive in exchange.

The Future Belongs to Practical Innovation

Whether discussing AI, precision application, or the next generation of farming tools, Hemmes believes adoption ultimately comes down to one thing.

“Anything that makes us more efficient and better on every acre will help farming,” she said. “Farmers will adopt it if they see the value in it.”

For ag retailers, that may be the most important lesson of all. Growers are eager to embrace innovation, but they need trusted partners who can translate emerging technologies into practical business outcomes.

Asmus summed up the opportunity well.

“We need to have that back-and-forth conversation to say, ‘You’re close, but it needs to do this,'” she said. “That’s the understanding of what is actually needed by the boots on the ground.”

Watch the Full Conversation

Interested in hearing the complete discussion? Watch the full CropLife Retail Week episode recorded live from Tech Hub LIVE 2026 to hear more insights from April Hemmes and Amy Asmus on technology adoption, AI, data sharing, and the future of farmer-retailer collaboration.