The Next Era of Ag Gains

The Scoop asked a handful of big thinkers to describe the transformative power of technology. Give these thought leaders a read. Some of the challenges they highlight or questions they raise may get you on your own soapbox about how to do things differently. You can find these authors on Substack and Twitter to continue the dialogue. 

Written by Tyler McGee

We’ve bioengineered traits into our seeds, optimized our chemistry and inputs, and our equipment is on the verge of driving itself around the field - what’s left?

A lot, actually. It always really surprises me when people talk about the farm economy as if we’re close to being “done” with the relentless drive to optimize. While a lot of the inputs we use on our farms has seen a dramatic advancement and improvement in the last two decades, the way we manage our farms really hasn’t changed much since the 1970’s and 80’s. 

I was talking with a large grower in the midwest last year about how their operation handles the day to day of keeping workers on track and he pulled out a paper work order that had been typed into Microsoft Excel, printed out, and given to the worker to fill in with a pen before being stashed on a pile somewhere in the farm office. He joked that the only part of the equation that had changed in 40 years was color printing. And from all of my experience in working with farms and farmers, this is pretty much the norm. 

Once you really stand back and look at how our farms run - all of the endless phone calls, scraps of paper, catch up conversations and check ins, it seems completely disconnected from the same industry that is constantly pushing for more, faster, better. It’s how we made American agriculture into the efficiency machine it is today, and yet it’s no wonder why we hear year after year that there is a labor shortage. 

This is the core of what we’re working to make better with Shepherd. What if we thought about labor like we do everything else in agriculture? Do we really just need more workers? Or is that a lot like asking for more horses at the advent of mechanization? 

Imagine what 15% greater “yield” would look like. That’s the kind of impact that’s at stake here.

Agriculture labor is one of those funny challenges that sounds almost boring at first but once you dive in, you realize it’s one of the most fascinating parts of our industry. It’s clear to me that solving this challenge is going to be the next frontier in efficiency gains in agriculture.

Connect with Tyler McGee, Founder / CEO, Shepherd Farming
@ty_406 
@ShepherdFarming