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Farmer leaders AGree ag data innovation is needed

Farmer leaders say data innovation is needed for agriculture to make the most out of all the data being collected on farms.

American Soybean Association CEO and former USDA official Steve Censky says farmers need agronomic, ecological AND economic benefits from sustainable practices and data is the key, “Because without the data you’re just guessing.”

Jon Doggett, CEO of National Corn Growers says there has to be more than just a “snapshot” of data, “If the trendline is heading in the right direction, we need to celebrate that. That’s what’s really important is to have that broader picture that has quite a bit of context around it as we talk about this stuff.”

And former USDA official Bill Northey says the yield monitor he started using in the ‘90s gave a wealth of information for each of his fields, but he supports innovations that provide data and guidance for the whole farm.

Laura Wood Peterson, executive director of the National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research, says more federal funding is needed for not just ag data research but all ag research.

All four were on a panel discussion hosted by AGree.