Moving the Needle on Digital Connectivity at MYM

Portfolio Management Center

Moving the Needle Digital on Connectivity at MYM

By Jeremy Wilson, Chief Operating Officer/North American Director

It’s Wednesday evening on May 11th, 2022, around 6:45 PM. You are about 36 hours into your work week, and it’s looking like this will be an 80-hour work week by Saturday night.

You normally work in a different role with a retailer, but during the busy spring season you are being sent to “a location” to “help out.” You got the call immediately after having driven 45 minutes to pick up seed at another location for a Grower who is in danger of running out by tomorrow afternoon.

You have been dreaming about dinner with your family since about 4:45, and you know for sure your family is watching your favorite show on TV. You spent about 20 minutes checking every weather app on your smart phone to see if it really will rain early on Saturday morning and get you a day off -- maybe even enough moisture to keep the farmer out the field for a couple days over the weekend.

Question: Can anyone relate??? Another question: Is a lack of operational efficiency making your difficult situation worse?

Let me challenge you to spend some time thinking about your efficiency pain points, and how AgGateway can help you streamline the process within “a location” – or the entire organization – to help Spring run smoother. Streamlining the process not only helps improve profitability, but it also enables your employees to be more efficient and possibly offer them more time doing things they enjoy.

As you find your process pain points, AgGateway can get you started on the road to improved operational efficiency. Our new Portfolio Manager, Ben Craker, is looking forward to hearing your suggestions and concerns, and to scheduling a meet up to discuss the pain points with other members. He officially starts in this role as the Mid-Year Meeting kicks off, so please find time to connect with him in Altoona.

The Portfolio Management Committee is working on several projects leading up to the Mid-Year, including the following:

  • The WG01 In Field Product ID is undergoing a pilot program that’s logging data during planting season. I am collecting data on my own farm this spring along with two growers in Iowa. The Data Linking subcommittee is using this Spring pilot to build use cases for the step in their work.
  • WG13 Closed Loop Spray had their second meeting on 19 May and had a great discussion on harmonization of chemical labels globally and working to standardize as much as possible.
  • We have a team of volunteers working on enhancements to ADAPT over the next few months.

Getting Ready for MYM

Having a plan of attack is key to maximizing the value of your Mid-Year Meeting experience. As you lay out a schedule for your time, I would ask you consider the following sessions in Altoona:

  1. Please make time for the Opening General Session. Matt Carstens, President, and CEO of Landus Ag will be our Keynote speaker talking about value of innovation and how we can unlock the full potential of ag data.
  2. Find a Meet-Up to attend. Feedback at the Annual Meeting was that “it’s harder to find a ‘home’ in the new structure.” The meet-up structure is your “new” home in AgGateway and allows for improved discussion and vetting of common problems across industry segments.
  3. Get in on the Future of ADAPT. The ADAPT Oversight Committee will be discussing the progress of the ADAPT ADM standardization and opportunities. This is going to be a significant project for AgGateway in the months ahead.
  4. Field Boundary Subcommittee Launch Session. We had the first Meet-Up at the Annual Meeting with great attendance and support. A smaller group has worked since the Annual developing use case and formed a Subcommittee to start the work to standardize field boundaries.
  5. Venture into Animal Health. The Animal Heath Meet-Up is scheduled to start the discussion around standardizing data related to animal health. If you are a member who offers animal health products or services, please consider attending.

Thank You for all you do for AgGateway, and I look forward to visiting with you at the Mid-Year Meeting!