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Company News

Kristi Lofton: Back to her Roots

Kristi Lofton works in agricultural technologies. A graduate of Tech901’s Code 1.0 course, Kristi works as a software engineer for The Seam, a locally based software company focused on agricultural commodities trading and sustainability efforts. I’ll get back to the concept of “agricultural technologies” a little later on (it’s a big deal, I promise).

Until her current job at The Seam, Kristi’s issue wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy her job. She just felt like she could be doing more: “Everyone has to figure out their life,” she told me. “I was always interested in a lot of things- but not interested enough.”

You see, Kristi had mastered the pivot long before she made the shift from Vet Tech to IT. Kristi Lofton grew up in Hughes Arkansas, just 40 minutes outside of Memphis. She worked for her father during farming season, helping with the soy beans and wheat their family grew.  Her father and mother still own the farm to this day. 

I drove a tractor on my father’s farm growing up, and I always told myself that’s not what I want.

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AgTech

Breaking Barriers Between Supply and Demand Using Technology

The economic law of supply and demand explains the relationship between products and the desire for consumers to purchase them. It outlines how each factor affects the other, and how this relationship determines the price of goods and services. When it comes to agriculture, this principle is a driving force behind technology in the supply chain.

When demand exceeds supply, prices tend to rise. And when supply exceeds demand, you can expect to see prices fall. These shifts can be difficult to measure and prepare for. However, with technological advancements in today’s market, there is more room for predication and more time for preparation.

Shifts in a supply curve can sometimes be the result of advances in technology that reduce the cost of production. If the cost of production goes down, sellers will often lower prices. This plays into the world of agriculture as agritech companies continue to improve the quality of their products and tools. As these companies work to perfect their technologies, and as farmers implement them in the field, they are able to offer products to consumers at a lower price. As a result, farmers and agriculture professionals can invest in more agritech developments, causing the supply curve to shift.

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AgTech

How Technology Is Shifting Our View of Agriculture

Innovation is at the heart of agriculture. From the beginning, farmers have continually invented new techniques to improve the efficiency of planting and harvesting crops, and recording data to help inform those techniques. Today, the landscape of agriculture is changing at an exponential rate. This is largely due to the wide scope of digital technologies that are now transforming the agritech industry.

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AgTech

In-The Know: Bi-Weekly Agritech Round-Up (May 10, 2019)

The world of agritech is changing every day. Check out our bi-weekly round-up to stay in-the-know on the evolving world that is agriculture technology.

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AgTech

Innovation in Agriculture: Why it Matters

As industries across the globe evolve and adapt to new operational landscapes, it is important for the agriculture industry to take note. As the supply chain changes and becomes more technologically advanced, there is an opportunity for growth in agriculture.

Changing tradition doesn’t have to feel daunting. Consider how innovation could benefit agribusinesses and how they fit into the evolving environment of global agriculture.

The Purpose of Innovation in Agriculture

Innovation in agriculture is meant to modernize farmers’ processes and help farms operate as efficiently as possible. New ideas and operations are also needed to help protect farmers against unpredictable variables such as weather patterns, labor shortages and loss of profit. With the help of innovation, industry leaders can adapt quickly and seamlessly when something changes.

The private sector continually invests in research and development to keep up with demand and create new products that excite consumers, while also improving their quality of life. Agriculture is no exception to these trends. Whether it’s using data standards to measure the quality of crops, introducing automated farming equipment, or improving food sustainability, innovation in agriculture doesn’t have to be a foreign concept. The future of agriculture is now, and it requires collaboration and next-step thinking.

The Future of Agriculture

There is so much to learn about modern farming. Investing in agritech is one way to take the next leap in innovation. Partnering with companies that are developing technologies to make farming and selling crops easier on the farmer can improve efficiency in business operations and ensure high-quality products are reaching customers.

The demand for traceability and transparency by consumers is at an all-time high. People want to know what they are investing in and how it is going to benefit them. Solutions like blockchain technology are becoming crucial to business practices. Innovation in agriculture is not going to slow down anytime soon, and deciding to take part in the evolution can save time, money and resources.

When you combine the hardworking nature of farmers and new scientific research, a promising foundation for the future of agriculture is formed. Being a part of agricultural change not only benefits the farmers of today, but it also sets up a prosperous future for generations to come.

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AgTech

In-The Know: Bi-Weekly Agritech Round-Up (April 26, 2019)

The world of agritech is changing every day. Check out our bi-weekly round-up to stay in-the-know on the evolving world that is agriculture technology.

Categories
AgTech Sustainability

In the Know: Bi-Weekly Agritech Round Up (April 12, 2019)

The world of agritech is changing every day. Check out our bi-weekly round-up to stay in-the-know on the evolving world that is agriculture technology.

Categories
AgTech

The Importance of Data Standards

Today’s agritech landscape consists of digital tools that gather and record data about crops and commodities in order to serve a growing number of consumers. Two manufacturers may purchase the same commodity and utilize it differently, but they must both be able to share and access information about the same product. This is where data standards come into play, providing streamlined processes and guidelines that all players in an industry can follow in order to exchange information and conduct business more efficiently. In agriculture, data standards also reinforce transparency and immutability in the digital supply chain.

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AgTech

In the Know: Bi-Weekly Agritech Round Up (March 29, 2019)

The world of agritech is changing every day. Check out our bi-weekly round-up to stay in-the-know on the evolving world that is agriculture technology.

Categories
AgTech Sustainability

Where to Invest in Agritech

Whether you are a farmer looking for the latest tools to help your crop production, or a business professional looking for the next leap in innovation, there is no better time to invest in agritech. Agriculture and technology have been melding together over the last decade, and now is the time to make the most of the industry’s growth.

The following solutions have shown tremendous progress, and are not looking to slow down any time soon.