technology vs. tradition: finding the right balance

Finding the Right Balance: Technology vs. Tradition

New York Farm BureauYoung Farmers & Ranchers

Leadership ConferenceMarch 12, 2011

By Cari B. Rincker, Esq.

Finding the Right Balance• Agriculture industry has always used

technological advancements• This isn’t your grandfather’s industry anymore• Use the right technology according to your

needs• Technology is necessary to feed the world• The use of technology should not replace

traditional values

6 Revolutions of Crop Production• Mechanical – horsepower to tractor• Hybrid Seed- from 25 bu corn (1930’s) to 140

bu corn• Fertilizers- Ammunition plants built during

WWII were converted into factories for making nitrogen fertilizer

• Herbicides, Insecticides, & Fungicides- Used to control weeds, insects and diseases that reduce crop growth

• Biotechnology- insect, herbicide & disease resistant seeds

• Information Technology- computers, software, and satellites; precision agriculture (PA)

Iowa Farm

Changes in the Livestock Industry• Livestock operations have become

more specialized and efficient• Economics has driven change

– Cost of land– Labor costs– Capital Investment– Environmental regulations

• Computer technology has increased the amount and changed the way data is collected

Photograph taken at Marc King’s in Big Timber, Montana

Our Livestock Has Improved Over Time…

…So in a Sense, the Use of Technology in Agriculture Is Traditional

• Farmland erosion has reduced by 43% in the last 20 yrs

• In 1940, 1 farmer produced enough food for 19 people– In 1970, 1 farmer: 73 people– In 2010, 1 farmer: 155 people

• U.S. farmers provide 18% of the world’s food using 10% of our farmland

“The Times They Are A-Changin’”-Bob Dylan (1965)

• Generation Y currently out-numbers Baby-Boomers

• Adoption rates for internet-based applications such as social media are much faster than traditional technological adoption rates

• Shift in the exchange of information– Mobile data traffic will increase 39 fold by

2014– Smart phone usage in ag production is at

46% whereas the general public is at 25%

Younger Leadership

• Between 2007 and 2030, 80 million U.S. employees will retire

• A 2008 Iowa State University survey of Midwest Farm families revealed that 42% of farmers planned to retire within 5 years

• There will be a shift in leadership on our farms, ranches, and agribusiness

Use of Technology Does Not Mean We Are “Big Bad Corporate Agriculture”

• Use of technology can be viewed negatively to consumers and/or the international community– In the name of “sustainability,” Haitian zealots burnt donated non-GM

seed because it came from Monsanto• http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/200121/haitian-social-justice-groups-want-burn-aid/jeff-stier

We Need Technology To Feed A Growing Population

• According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (“FAO”) of the United Nations, global agriculture production must increase 70% by 2050 while adapting to climate change

• From 1970 to 2010, the population of the world doubled while farmland acreage stayed the same

Educating the Public About the Use of Technology in Agriculture

• Social media adds transparency and approachability

• Talking to your community about agriculture production– Church– School– Grocery Store

• Elevator speech

It Isn’t Us vs. Them• We are all Team Agriculture

– It isn’t Big Ag vs. Small Ag– It isn’t Organic vs. Non-Organic– It isn’t the Cattle Industry vs. Corn

Industry– It isn’t the slow food/local food

movement vs. conventional agriculture

• We need all kinds of agriculture to meet the food demands of growing world population

• We aren’t in a fight against the consumers- they are our customers

Photo of a Rooftop Community Garden in Brooklyn, New York

No Need To Keep Up with the Joneses

• Don’t use technology for the sake of using technology

• Use your business cap: make sure that the technology you choose is cost-effective

• Judicially decide what technology to use based on your specific operation, budget, brand, and client base

Technology Should Not Replace Common Sense

• Technology cannot replace knowledge and experience

• Technology cannot replace the 5 senses

Curt Rincker checking his turnips

Old Farmer Adages

• “Red Sky At Night, Sailor’s Delight; Red Sky at Morn, Sailor’s Be Warned”

– “Sundog in the morning, sailor’s take warning. Sundog at night, sailor’s delight.”

Photo of a Rural Nebraska Sundog

Like My Grandpa Said…

• “Ring Around the Moon, Rain Come Soon”– Star inside of the moon ring then it will

rain in one day

• “Thunder in January; Frost in May”• “If it rains while the sun is shining then it will

rain the same time tomorrow.”• “The longer it is dry the longer it will be wet.”• Wean cattle by the moon.• Don’t plant beans before May 1.

With the Use of Technology, Don’t Forget the Values That Make This Industry Great

• Agriculture is a community

• Family values• Hard work• Helping a neighbor

Cattle Brandings

Photo taken from a Crimm Bros. branding near Casper, Wyoming

Helping Neighbors Bail Hay

Barn Raisings

Photo of an Amish Barn Raising in Nebraska

Livestock Sales

Photo taken from the Illini Elite Cattle Sale at Rincker Simmentals in Shelbyville, Illinois

Livestock Shows Are a Family Affair

Photo taken at North Central American Junior Simmental Association Regional in Bloomington, Illinois

Don’t Forget Your Real Life Relationships

• With the use of social media, don’t forget to network with people face-to-face

• Be an advocate for agriculture online and in your community

• Don’t let technology adversely affect family-time

My Hope For the New Generation of Farmers and Agri-Business People

• Let’s be proud of our heritage yet not fear advances in technology

• Let’s be prepared to take over the farms and agribusinesses of our parents and grandparents

• Let’s help educate the public on positive attributes of technology in agriculture

• Let’s all work together for the betterment of the agriculture

Contact Me• Send Me Mail: 11 Broadway, Suite 615, New York, NY 10004• Call Me: (212) 427-2049 (office) or (646) 717-2659 (cellular)• Fax Me: (212) 202-60777• Email Me: cari@rinckerlaw.com• Visit My Website: www.rinckerlaw.com and www.rincker.com • Read My Food & Ag Law Blog: www.rinckerlaw.com/blog• Tweet Me: @CariRincker @RinckerLaw• Facebook Me: www.facebook.com/rinckerlaw and

www.facebook.com/cari.rincker• Link to Me: http://www.linkedin.com/in/caririncker • Skype Me: Cari.Rincker (646) 257-2105• IM me: Cari.Rincker (GChat), CariBrett (AIM), Cari.Rincker (iChat)