4 ms·
Modern farms are high tech operations run by highly knowledgeable experts. In fact, the line in the article "...while farming might seem like an odd place for t
by polemic 14y ago
Modern farms are high tech operations run by highly knowledgeable experts. In fact, the line in the article "...while farming might seem like an odd place for tech investment.." is laughable. Many farmers in New Zealand, for example, have android tablets in their tractors feeding their GPS coordinates back to base, and giving them live information about rainfall for that paddock, etc. Every cow's hereditary is tracked, and individuals that produce interesting variants of milk are tested and studied.
So, the problem with the SaaS model is that selling to farmers is a lot like selling to a demanding enterprise customer. They know what they want, they have specific requirements and the benefits of a well-matched solution will pay for itself. That isn't, generally, where you want to be if you're looking to scale out a SaaS platform.
Be interesting to see how it goes.
- rogerbinns 14y agoFarmers in New Zealand have the advantage of clear transparent markets. In the US and EU markets are severely distorted due to subsidies and related regulations. http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/new-zealand-farmers-dont-want-subsidies http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/new-zealand-farm...
- eatmorekale 14y agoMore on technology in farming from an Atlantic piece from last summer: Continuous technological improvements have resulted in a system of crop farming that someone who left the countryside 20 years ago would be hard-pressed to recognize, and certainly couldn’t operate http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/the-triumph-of-the-family-farm/308998/ http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/the-triu...