Embracing Ag Tech Pt 3

Embracing Ag Tech Pt 3

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
With today's Fruit Grower Report, I'm Bob Larson. We talked yesterday about how technology continues to change the way growers, and everyone else, does their jobs.

Colby AgTech founder Chad Colby says with all the new high-tech gadgets, these are fascinating times ...

COLBY ... "Now, you've got sensors in the field so now you can track the stuff in real time. That's where this is going, and it's pretty exciting. Whether you're using drones or sensors in the field, you're going to use all that data to make real good, real time decisions. It's hard not to get excited about that."

He says updating our technology is well worth the investment ...

COLBY ... "So, when I talk to producers, I spin it the other way. I say, you can't afford not to. You have a $400-thousand combine and your i-Pad is 3-years old. The new i-Pad has better GPS, it has better antennas for coverage, I could go on and on and on, and you know why the producer didn't buy it? Because he didn't know."

Colby says the expenses are there, but they pay off ...

COLBY ... "Yes, the costs are a lot. I get that. But, on a device like this, to roll them every year, if you want to call it that, this is the first phone I bought, and I'll buy them as soon as they come out, and they bought my other one back because I kept it for a year. They charge me whatever, $40 a month, usually I buy them, and I was like, why do I want to do that? Do the math, you know. $45 a month, times 12, and in 12 months I'm going to buy the new ... I'm just saying, keeping up with the technology though is really, really important. But, we've gotta kind of force

that hand a little bit."

Colby says with all the work lawmakers are doing to improve rural broadband, our high-tech world is only going to get better.

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