Roundy’s Steve Jarzombek shares his passion for farmers at the Local/Regional Food Summit. page 5
Seventeen county Farm Bureaus donate $50,000 to a new Springfield Kidzeum farm exhibit. page 11
Group agrees to ‘Big Data’ principles Monday, November 17, 2014
BY DEANA STROISCH FarmWeek
A group of major farm organizations and ag technology providers (ATPs) reached agreement last week on how to protect farm data. The agreement, titled “Privacy and Security Principles for Farm Data,” addresses concerns ranging from data ownership to third-party access and use of farm information. Those signing the agreement effective Nov. 13 include: American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, Beck’s Hybrids, Dow AgroSciences LLC, DuPont Pioneer, John Deere, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Corn Growers Association, Raven Industries, The Climate Corp. (a division of Monsanto) and USA Rice Federation. Doug Yoder, Illinois Farm Bureau’s senior director of affiliate and risk management, said the agreement addresses nearly all concerns outlined in IFB policy. It doesn’t, however, specify that producers should receive fair compensation for their data. “If this is implemented to a large degree across the agribusiness world, I think that would greatly ease farmers’ minds and allow them to adopt these new technologies faster,” Yoder said.
Periodicals: Time Valued
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Thomas Titus of Elkhart joins a group of five new Faces of Farming and Ranching. page 2
Two sections Volume 42, No. 46
Among the principles agreed to: • Ownership: Farmers own information generated on their farming operations. It’s the farmer’s responsibility to agree upon data use and sharing with the other stakeholders (such as the tenant, landowner, cooperative, owner of the precision agriculture system hardware, and/or ATP.) The farmer contracting with the ATP must make sure only the data they own or have permission to use is included in the account. • Collection, access and control: An ATP’s collection, access and use of farm data should be granted only with the affirmative and explicit consent of the farmer through contract agreements, whether signed or digital. • Notice: Farmers must be notified their data is being collected and about how the farm data will be disclosed and used. This notice must be provided in an easily located and readily accessible format. • Third-party access and use: Farmers and ranchers also need to know who, if anyone, will have access to their data beyond the primary ATP and how they will use it. • Transparency and consistency: ATPs shall notify farmers about why they are collecting farm data. Farmers also should be given informa-
tion about how to contact the ATP, the types of third parties to which they disclose the data, and the choices the ATP offers for limiting its use and disclosure. An ATP’s principles, policies and practices should be transparent and fully consistent with the terms and conditions
in their legal contracts. An ATP will not change the customer’s contract without his or her agreement. • Choice: ATPs should explain the effects and abilities of a farmer’s decision to opt in, opt out or disable the availability of services and features
offered by the ATP. If multiple options are offered, farmers should be able to choose some, all or none of the options offered. ATPs should provide farmers with a clear understanding of what services and See Data, page 4
PLOWING THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY
Lori and Terry Parkin of Manito head their Farmall 450 tractor toward a plowing line during a recent antique tractor plowing bee near Minier. The Parkins celebrated their fourth year of participating in the annual event founded in 2002 by Tazewell County farmer Louis Weishaupt. About 30 antique tractor owners participated. (Photo by Ken Kashian)
Drop in farm prices, rising debt concerning BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek
Despite the plunge in crop prices, the financial position on many farms remains strong by historical standards. The debt-to-asset ratio on U.S. farms this year hovers around 10.8 percent, one of the lowest levels since the 1970s when the ratio averaged around 15 percent, according to USDA. The default rate on ag loans through 2013 (1.4 percent) also ranked among the lowest since the 1970s, according to Allen Featherstone, ag economist at Kansas State University. Farmers and ag bankers, however, shouldn’t get too comfortable with recent economic performance. The drop in crop prices and rising debt in the ag industry pose reasons
for concern, according to Featherstone and other economists last week at the National Agricultural Bankers Conference in Omaha, Neb. “The default rate (on farm loans) is the lowest since the early 1970s,” Featherstone said. “But this can change quickly.” Farmers simply need to flash back 35 years for a reminder of how quickly their financial positions can change. Allen Farmers’ repayment capacity on loans Featherstone crashed from 152.8 percent in 1979 to just 16.3 percent in 1981. The situation was caused by a run-up See Debt, page 4
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