Regardless of where you fall on the adoption curve of farm technology, you need to have an intentional innovation strategy.
Your farm’s strategy should span management information, agronomic technology and equipment technology, says Brian Watkins of Watkins Farms in Ohio and CropZilla, a farm software provider.
To fully develop and capitalize on a technology strategy, you may want a chief technology officer (CTO) for your farm.
Don’t be intimidated by the title of chief technology officer, Watkins encourages. The job label isn’t important. Your goal is to have someone on the team at least spending part of their time evaluating technology options, determining what to buy into and chucking products or services that are not a fit.
Brian Watkins will speak at the 2022 Top Producer Summit, which takes place Feb. 14-16 in Nashville. Register now!
Listen in as Watkins visits with AgriTalk Host Chip Flory:
On his crop and livestock operation, Watkins focuses on using data to make sure it is as efficient as possible. A main focus is telemetry.
“We are tracking all the vehicles — trucks, tractors, sprayers, everything — to understand what’s driving costs,” he says. “Then when we make decisions about replacing machines, adding to our fleet or changing operations, we use data to drive those decisions.”
By having a baseline of speeds, acres covered, etc., Watkins says they can compare various fields and understand the cost of any sub-optimal operation.
Watkins looks at technology both from the strategic and operational sides. This allows them to answer questions such as:
- What is our competitive advantage?
- How are we going to be sustainable long-term?
- What are we good at, and what are we not good at?
- What processes do we need to improve?
Read More
Technology Is… Considering A CTO
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