Farm Data Coalition Forms

Several ag-related companies, universities, and others have formed a coalition to establish a repository of information farmers capture through more sophisticated, electronic equipment.

The new organization—the Agricultural Data Coalition, or ADC—plans to help farmers better control, manage and maximize the value of their data. It is the product of years of planning by AGCO, the American Farm Bureau, Auburn University, CNH Industrial, Crop IMS, The Ohio State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Raven Industries, and Topcon Positioning Group.

Farmers will securely store data from their equipment and be able to scrub it, sync it, and transmit it.

“The key is that farmers are in complete control, and they decide who is allowed access to their data,” said ADC Executive Director Matt Bechdol. “That’s what sets ADC apart. This is not about profit for others, it’s about streamlining data management, establishing clear lines of control, and helping growers utilize their data in ways that ultimately benefit them.”

Bechdol says to understand ADC’s platform, it’s helpful to think of it like a bank.

“Farmers deposit their asset into a secure location,” he said. “They manage that asset through the equivalent of an online banking system, and then just like an ATM or an online transaction, ADC is able to transmit the data on the farmer’s behalf wherever the farmer wishes.” S