Always Evolving to Answer Member Needs

From the President

Always Evolving to Answer Member Needs

By Brent Kemp, President and CEO

My home state, Virginia, has a long tradition of agriculture, with all of history’s beauty and ugliness. I recently spent time in Surry, VA, not far from Smithfield (of ham fame) and visited what is now Chippokes State Park. The property overlooks the James River and is immediately across from Jamestown Island. The land has been in continuous use since 1619, making it one of the oldest farming operations in the United States.

Today the farming operation is managed by the Commonwealth of Virginia through a partnership between the Department of Wildlife Resources and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It also hosts an exhibit on the history of agriculture and farming, including some representative planting, harvesting, and packing equipment from the 1800s.

The counterpoint to this exhibit was the combine, grain cart, and transfer to 18-wheeler taking place on the other side of the farm. Corn was being harvested while we watched, with a speed and efficiency that would have astonished those who first worked the land there. Standing in the shade of some trees and watching the operation prompted me to think about evolved tools supporting improved practices, and what may come next.

For AgGateway, those “evolving tools” include enhancements to AGIIS, publication of messages like Dealer Lookup Request and Response, and incorporation of additional testing processes to Modus. Resource enhancements are informed by conversations between members and their trading partners, or by staff and members.

The bottom line, though, is that it’s the people who use the standards and guidelines, and who implement the resources developed, who come up with those next iterations. They discover additional value propositions, or the tweaks that can help extend a message to cover another use case. As you implement and identify those next needs, we’re ready to bring the industry together to move forward.

As we look to the coming months, AgGateway will be rolling out a website refresh, enabling those who are curious about who we are and what we do to get that information quickly. It will also more efficiently connect members to current resources, working groups, and other information.

We are engaged in international efforts to understand the impact AI will have on interoperable data and evaluating how AI and AI tools may have a role in our own operations. This will be a significant topic of discussion throughout the upcoming Annual Meeting and Conference in Clearwater Beach, FL. And, of course, we will be rolling out the details of our 2026-2030 strategic plan at the meeting as well.

The docent who managed our tour of the mansion at Chippokes said that the final owners wanted three things: that there would always be cows; that the land would be maintained; and that guests would always be welcomed. At AgGateway we are similarly committed to our mission – developing resources and relationships that drive digital connectivity in agriculture. We will work together to create and implement tools that save time and reduce technical barriers to the efficient and effective use of data in your operations. Anyone who is likeminded is welcome to join and participate.

We’ll see you in the field – there’s work to be done.