This week, thousands of farmers from around the Midwest are traveling to the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill. This granddaddy of outdoor farm shows has become the place where companies bring out new products for the first time.
At this year’s show, John Deere will show off a whole new line of new green iron. Last week, Deere gave dealers and the media a firsthand look at the largest line of new products in the company’s history. What makes this new line-up spectacular is not what is on the outside, but what is inside.

Step into the cab of the new Deere S series combine and technology is everywhere. From the corner post touch screen to the hand-held controller that would excite even the most avid Xbox player, almost every operation on the combine can be controlled from the cab which even sports a refrigerator.
Information overload is the theme of the unit. Not only can you monitor almost every aspect of the combine’s performance, you can monitor your yield, map your exact location, even automatically sync the speed and location of the tractor and grain cart alongside the combine. Repairs can be diagnosed remotely at the dealership, and equipment operation can be monitored at the farm office. In short, this thing is full of all kinds of cool stuff.

This is just a small part of the technological evolution that is occurring in American agriculture today. The need to produce more food with less land and fewer resources is fostering the development of all kinds of new technology, from smarter machines to smarter seeds.

The day after my John Deere ride-and-drive, I was at the Beck’s Hybrids field day. Here, the latest research on crop genetics and agronomic performance was on display.

Again, higher grain prices and continued strong demand is allowing seed companies to foster innovation and is giving farmers the incentive to invest in this new technology. During the next few years, the crops we grow and the equipment we use to grow it will change dramatically.

Of course, all this depends on a couple of key factors: a continued strong farm economy, and the government keeping its hands off.

Judging by the price of corn and soybeans and the price of the land to grow them on, the farm economy is in good shape, especially compared to the rest of the economy.

As for Uncle Sam keeping his hands off agriculture, it depends on with whom you talk. During a tour of rural Iowa and Illinois President Obama told farmers not to worry about burdensome regulations, but that does not match reality. Farm groups point to a large number of rules being considered by the government to regulate a wide variety of activities and practices on the farm.
Another factor needed to insure the continued growth in agriculture is a pro-growth policy that fosters a market-driven economy and provides a safety net to farmers to better manage risk. But, in the current environment in Washington, this may be hard to achieve.

Non-farm policymakers see agriculture as a subsidized industry and a place to cut government spending.

Funds for conservation, research or market development will be next to impossible to find in the upcoming farm bill.

Agriculture has the tools and resources to determine its future. But outside forces have the power and incentive to alter that future. Our world needs the productivity and innovation that American farmers can provide. It remains to be seen if they will be allowed to realize that potential. Agriculture’s future holds great possibilities but also great peril.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Gary Truitt may write to him in care of this publication.