Agriculture meets techniculture
While many farmers and farm suppliers across America have found good use for recent years boosts in technology, no one might have seen the potential in online uploading.
Uploading is placing information, i.e.; videos, photos, files online for anyone who is looking to see. Possibly the best known upload internet site being YouTube, a nationally viewed site offering anyone the opportunity to place videos online.
Individuals have been using YouTube since its launch in 2005. However corporations have not been paying much attention to the site especially ag companies, most calling it a waste of time. But with the idea that upcoming generations of farmers will be technologically literate, trends are changing.
Monsanto is one of the agriculture companies trying to utilize present technology, joining the uploading community October of last year. A visit to Monsanto Company through YouTube will reveal multiple videos informing ag enthusiasts of recent studies, future plans, and ideas to be practiced on their own farms.
With the growth of bio-crops and the use of farmed resources in alternative applications people are looking for any audience available to share their opinions. Why ask one or two people what they think when you can ask an entire population of experienced growers. Just typing agriculture into the search line of YouTube will bring up literally thousands of videos offering planting tips, pesticide warnings, equipment suggestions and much more.
One of the drawbacks to using a source like this is the fact that you are never sure unless you do some research exactly who it is your listening to. While established businesses and resources are there, so are those who have nothing more to offer than a false report due to their desire to be heard. Weeding out the media seekers unfortunately comes with the new style of public forum.
Even with the leaps in technological awareness throughout rural America, we still seem behind in the bigger picture. Japanese scientists are currently developing rice planting robots, automating the entire planting process. Beyond this many new farming implements are becoming remote controlled in Japan due to the lack of interest in agriculture shown by younger generations.
Remote crop dusters, combines and planters are just a few examples of what is being developed, with the ultimate goal being the automation of an entire farm.