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southern MN | I haven't jumped into the data sharing pool yet, but that is how I would do it also. They get some info on how my fields are doing, but not tied to exact Hybreds, chemicals, etc. probably quite easy to keep track of on my small farm.
With technology taking over steering wheels and three point hitch controls; with revenue insurance reducing ag risk to a known quantity; farming is rapidly becoming a simple manufacturing model. Bigger is better in that scenario, and we will turn into the old USSR ag model. Large coops or companies controlling the land, owning the data/info that improves farm model incrementally, and any sole operator will be locked out of the loop and marginalized. Ecconomy of scale in the short term replaces innovation and personal risk that small individual operations can offer with the new constants.
'Farmers' will be reduced to the fella or two that moves the machinery from feild to field and watches the iPad for problems in each 640 acre section for $15 an hour.
I can't and shouldn't and won't lay down in front of that progress and pretend I will stop it, but I don't have to race headfirst into putting myself and my neighbors out of business either by happily clicking menus and handing over detailed info on how to replace me more quickly. That info is the last part of the puzzle for the big to get mega big without having to do much to get even bigger.
Paul
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If Farmer’s Data has value…..
