Technology Advances Solutions

The Last Word: Editor’s Notes by Ann Clinton

As we wrap up this issue of the Iowa Soybean Review and prepare to send it off to the printer, the World Health Organization just declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic.

No matter how you feel about the world’s perception and reaction to the virus, there’s no disputing the fact that adjustments to everyday life will have to be made. By the time you read this column, I’m sure there will have been many changes that I can’t begin to predict right now.

For my family, changes are starting immediately. My oldest daughter, Grace, who is a student at Iowa State University, just learned her classes would be moved on-line. There are still many questions yet to be answered, but we are quickly processing the information and moving forward. She’ll be transitioning out of the dorms and back home much sooner than anticipated. Grace is sad. She loves living on campus and going to classes.

“What would have happened in this situation when you were in college?” Grace asked. I told her I had no idea. We didn’t have the capability to learn remotely. “Why?” she asked. Simple. The technology didn’t exist. At least not to the full capacity that it does today. While it may be frustrating, Grace will be able to finish her freshman year remotely, if need be. That’s pretty amazing.

In this issue of the Iowa Soybean Review, we researched ways technology is transforming agriculture during a time of so many unknowns. From renewable energy to satellites and drones, unprecedented advancements have been made in the way you farm day-to-day. Challenges you have today may very well be solved with ideas you can’t even fathom tomorrow. That’s what’s so exciting and sometimes nerve-wracking about the speed in which technology moves.

We will be taking a more indepth look in our next edition of the Review about how the novel coronavirus has impacted world markets. For now, I am grateful for the power of technology in our lives.

Shoot me a note and let me know your thoughts about the role of technology as it relates to overcoming challenges yet to be defined. I’m interested in your perspective.

Stay well, my friends.

aclinton@iasoybeans.com