Agriculture has changed. You used to plant your wheat or corn or beans at the exact times and in the exact order your grandfather did. The biggest thing to watch was the weather. But now it is much more complex.
From The Progressive Farmer (March 2014 issue)
1. Shifting Farm Structure (aging farm population, skyrocketing land valuation, increasing farm size)
2. Acceleration in Automation Technology (GPS, databases, data gathering instruments)
3. Biotechnology Strategy Evolves (GMOs, new chemicals, new biology techniques)
4. Customer Demand Specialization (eating local, industrial use, organic)
5. Resource Scarcity (arable land, water, food demand, changing weather)
6. Shifting Commodity, Risk-Management Environment (profit margins, government subsidies, regulations, export markets)
7. Meat Consumption: Global Growth, US Shift (developing countries want more meat, US wants to know about livestock origins and treatment)
8. Public Scrutiny of Livestock Treatment (animal welfare, transparency, costs)
9. Environmentalism’s Influence Grows (farm runoff, carbon offsets, water runoff)
10. Government Policy in Flux (continual uncertainty about policy and regulations)