technology vs. tradition: finding the right balance
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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: [email protected]• 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)