Ag Uncensored with Nathan Faleide

Robots and automation are growing and growing in Ag. I saw some of that this last week and I'll say I'm a little more optimistic in their abilities. At the same time, mixed with AI there are some dire realities to think through as well. More on this to say the least... 

We've created so many things that are specific to Ag, but at the same time it uses similar processes to the largest tech companies out there that most use. Should we be building things in our own realm as much or should we use what they have and build with it? More on this. 

In times of uncertainty, sometimes the best thing one can do is call someone up and just talk and figure out a way to help each other. That's what AgTech needs to do right now and it works. I've experienced it. So, that's what I'm talking about this week.

While there are countless options and solutions out there that one can use on a farm, some just don't. Some things just don't work well together either or in certain areas due to the types of crops and even lay of the land. I discuss more on this. 

I talk about something Elon came up with (I think) called the Idiot Index. It's the cost the make a product divided by the cost of the raw materials to make it. Basically the higher the ratio the more opportunity exists for value to shift things. AgTech is high right now, but it's changing too. More on that here.

It's pretty much in the title, but this is one of the big AgTech shows of the year and it's where I known the most people. Here is my highlights and thoughts from the show. 

We can talk and talk about all the great and weird things AI can do in Agriculture and yes it's real and not going away, but there is also a lot more to it then just what it is capable of doing. We have to trust it and feel comfortable using it much like the internet itself. There is more emotion tied to it though than I think most think. That's what I'm talking about in this episode.

We often all have great ideas to solve big problems and Ag in no different. When we bridge tech in the mix it gets fun as you can fake it make it sort of a lot easier than say making a tractor. Well, let's talk about it then...

The title says most of it, but more or less farming is about the senses and it doesn't make sense to most farmers using software the way it's been built. Maybe we need to talk to it, get it to react to the way Ag thinks and acts. Maybe GenAI is the answer. Anyway, more on that here. 

There’s this constant tension building between the people who use AgTech stuff and the people who build it. Farmers versus programmers. Agronomists versus developers. Call it what you want—but it’s everywhere now, and it’s getting worse. I dive into that and a little more in this episode. 

In this episode, I talk through the chaos and realities of AgTech during the busy season and where all the flashy features and promises don’t mean a thing if the tools don’t actually work when farmers need them most. I dig into why data resolution often gets oversold, especially when your equipment can’t even apply changes at that scale, and how we keep falling into the trap of complexity over practicality. 

This week I talk through a write up Ben Voss did about what's going on with tech entrenched in OEM Ag Machinery and how that relates to the AgTech software world with FMIS. Also, another pickup ride which I think I'm staying with. Enjoy!

While there are plenty of great things being built in AgTech, we are also in a downsizing phase and a reset. With that comes likely an inbound of new consultants coming into play while some try and find new career paths. I talk more on that and how some could navigate that while trying to make sure we understand all the nuance around it all.