Perspective

Networth Farmer
July 16, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 17 minutes

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The cold water does not get warmer if you jump late.

~Anonymous

New In Ag-Tech

Farmers Unimpressed by AI Craze

Change can be like a surprise party, sometimes it’s great. But shaking things up without a plan might just leave everyone scratching their heads and wondering what went wrong. This has been the story of adoption of agricultural technology among the farming community. A farmer in Europe is like a highly sought after maiden in the AgriTech craze, bombarded by new and shiny toys! When you are gambling with climate change, seasonality of agriculture and a fancy tech product whose added value you do not quite see, adopting the product is of less importance. It is not that farmers are super conservative and rudimentary thinkers, not at all. Farmers figured out that the only thing worse than passing up a new opportunity is putting everything on the line for the wrong one. They look for proof, not pitches and when they find it, they move fast. Although not all European farmers are completely against AI, there is a wide range of opinions that differ by generation, farm size, and country. Various agri-policy papers and surveys such as those from the EU's farmers' lobby, Copa-Cogeca, and independent think tanks reveal three dominant farmer perspectives on AI:

A Cure For Labor Shortage: Particularly in Western Europe, where seasonal labor is expensive and difficult to procure, many farmers view AI-powered technologies (such as smart spraying, drones, and autonomous tractors) as a realistic solution to labor shortages. For instance, farmers in the Netherlands and Germany are really embracing AI for precision farming, greenhouse automation, and livestock monitoring. Elsewhere in the UK and Ireland, farmers embrace robotics as a means to maintain profitability following the labor changes brought about by Brexit.

Going Green: Younger farmers and forward-thinking cooperatives regard AI as an essential resource for sustainable agricultural practices in the face of climate change. For instance, farmers employ AI to apply fertilizer more accurately and cut down on emissions. AI is also used to monitor pests and soil health in real time. The adoption of these instruments is on the rise in areas where grants or training are available, as CAP reforms and Green Deal objectives actively promote their use.

Small yellow International tractor with belly mount mower

Photo by Roger Starnes Sr on Unsplash

Skepticism About Cost and Control: Small and medium-sized farmers are concerned about data privacy, high upfront expenses, and whether large tech companies would tighten their control over the supply chain. This is mostly common among farmers in Italy and some parts of France. Being "too dependent" on proprietary algorithms run by big equipment manufacturers (like John Deere or Bayer) is a growing concern. To avoid being "locked in" to pricey subscription arrangements, many people favor open-source or collaborative digital tools.

Windmills, selective breeding, and the heavy plow may be the most iconic digital products invented in Europe’s agrarian revolution and farmers see computers mostly as office technologies rather than paddock technologies. However, this is changing as computers get smaller and more integrated into water tanks, soil sensors, and in-paddock scales. As more data is collected from these sensors, AI systems will have a greater ability to assist farmers in making decisions. Farmers may learn to appreciate AI but how they use the technology will be just as important as how the engineers make it. "More automation, less features" is how a farmer might describe a digital product that fits their idea of a useful tech. And with investors’ penchant for on-farm practical innovations, we can almost imagine what agriculture technology will look like: simple, flexible, and dependable.

Brain Teaser

A man stands on one side of a river, his dog on the other. The man calls his dog, who immediately crosses the river without getting wet and without using a bridge or a boat. How did the dog do it?

Keeping The Buzz Alive

If you are a beekeeper, then you have embraced the fact that some honeybees from your hive will perish; call it natural attrition. Moreover, you need to do regular examinations and monitoring for anything ranging from climate change to the proper nutrition of your honeybees. You probably have a lot to worry about in your beekeeping business. Today, I want us to talk about how to keep the buzz alive with solutions that are within your control for the security of your bees amidst a plethora of threats.

The continued availability of food around the world is dependent on pollinators, particularly honeybees. Nevertheless, honeybees are highly vulnerable to current farming methods, especially when pesticides are used incorrectly. Pesticides originate from many different sources. The good news is, there are methods to reduce the negative impact of pesticides on honeybees, whether they come from agricultural sources in crops that are vulnerable to pests or from municipal sources in an effort to control insects that carry disease. These solutions can be as basic or sophisticated as you choose.

Bees have a knack for bumping into pesticides in all sorts of ways. It is as if they’re on a wild scavenger hunt for the latest buzz-worthy danger! One way is by honeybees getting up close and personal with plants that have been doused in pesticides, whether they’re the organic kind or the more traditional, systemic variety. As bees buzz around, they accidentally give a little kiss to the pesticide-soaked tissue with their tongue or body, picking up a not-so-sweet surprise in the process! This is the least dramatic way to make contact, as the infected bee dies in the field and doesn’t spread the toxin to the hive. On the flip side, it just takes one bee to taint nectar or pollen with an insecticide for the whole hive to be in danger. Because of this, beekeepers may have to rebuild the hive all over from the beginning if the hive dies. Even if nothing else bad happens, the bees' young will be affected.

Photo by Bianca Ackermann on Unsplash

Abstention is the simplest method to keep bees safe on your farm. Instead of spraying broad-spectrum insecticides, which kill off pests without selection, how about you do not use pesticides at all and instead cultivate a variety of nectar plants to attract natural predators. These are an all-natural, bee-safe method of pest control that targets certain pests.
Use cultural methods such as trap cropping, rotation, and companion planting to keep pests away. Another good way to keep pests down is to plant later. You might not even need to apply pesticides if you combine cultural techniques with insectary plants such as thyme, mint, oregano, rosemary just to name a few.
The timing is crucial. Before or after sunset, when honeybees are less busy and have returned to their hives, is the best time to apply pesticides. Bets are busiest foraging during the warm, sunny midday hours, so it's best not to spray during that time. When applying neem or insecticidal soaps, spray plants in the early morning or at sunset, when honeybees and other pollinators are inactive. A little mist is sufficient to saturate plant tissues. No need to overspray because the substance will not have time to dry before the bees start foraging. You might also need to keep an eye on the weather forecast. Never spray in windy circumstances, as pesticides can blow well beyond the target area.
Should your farm be situated next to an industrial farm that unsparingly splurges chemical pesticides, worry not. You can plant hedgerows to control the drift of pesticides into your farm and colony. Use multiple rows of native plants that are sufficiently spaced apart in your forage space. Native forbs, grasses, and shrubs create an easy-to-manage screen, benefits the local ecology and supports a diverse range of insects that keep pests at bay. With the appropriate canopy density, this is an efficient method of preventing pesticides from damaging your honeybee hives.
If you're stuck with pesticides, fear not! There are clever tricks to keep those helpful bugs and your hive safe from the chemical chaos. Your first line of defense is to unleash the power of OMRI-certified pesticides. These methods are like the gentle hugs of the farming world—kind to the bees and plants alike, making Mother Nature smile instead of rolling her eyes!

As we tackle the climate change crisis, we cannot continue taking the honeybees for granted. They make more honey and beeswax than they need, and they are almost necessary for pollinating essential crops including apples, blueberries, sunflowers, melons, and cucumbers. These endangered pollinators accomplish an estimated 80% of all plant pollination. Many fruit, vegetable, oilseed, and forage crops would have a hard time growing without bees, which would hurt both biodiversity and farm profitability. Applying different techniques to protect your honeybees from pesticides helps the bees' progeny and the colony as a whole live longer. And healthy bee populations mean better pollination, higher yields, and more resilient ecosystems. Let’s keep the buzz alive, one smart decision at a time.

📢 Tweet of The Week

🌎 Out & About

European eCommerce Trends: European cross-border eCommerce is growing due to the EU's harmonized single market and customer confidence in international online shopping. The 2024 European eCommerce Report found that Northern and Western European customers led cross-border internet sales. Foreign orders continue to increase, with some regions reaching 30% of eCommerce revenues from foreign orders. Epost has more.

A 12-Year Deal for 2.6 Million Soil Carbon Removal Credits: In a historic 12-year offtake agreement, Agoro Carbon committed to providing Microsoft with 2.6 million carbon reduction credits. This deal is one of the biggest commitments to removing carbon from soil so far, and it is a big step forward for climate solutions that are based on agriculture. Agoro Carbon's crop and rangeland projects in the United States, which are built using Verra's VM0042 Improved Agricultural Land Management technique, will produce the credits. In order to promote agricultural resilience, biodiversity, food security, water retention, and carbon sequestration, these programs use regenerative agriculture practices such cover cropping, improved grazing, and reduced tillage. “This agreement with Microsoft is the strongest endorsement of our quality-driven, farmer-focused approach to soil carbon sequestration,” stated Elliot Formal, CEO of Agoro Carbon. Find out more about how Agoro Carbon Alliance partners with farmers.

Photo by Constantin Wenning on Unsplash

Bluetongue Scare: Farmers are concerned about the increasing danger of Bluetongue in Ireland. The Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) released an update. Despite farmers concerns, the department says there has not been a case of bluetongue in Ireland. The department does not discuss suspected cases under investigation. “The department investigates suspect cases from time to time; so far, all have been negative.” DAFM commended farmers and vets who reported suspected Bluetongue instances, adding “Early detection would be key to effectively tackling any incursion”. See the Animal Health Surveillance page for the update by DAFM.

🎞Monthly Musing

The Battle For Bread

Muck-spreading, rat-gassing, and carrot-pulling are all part of the land girl's job! You're probably familiar with the land girls, a group of brave young women who rolled up their sleeves and kept Britain's farms functioning during WWII. The Women’s Land Army (WLA) sprang into action in 1917, rallying women to roll up their sleeves and dive into agriculture, all while the men were off playing soldier in the First World War. Who knew farming could be such a trendy career choice during a global crisis? The UK Government officials put in some serious elbow grease to coax women into joining the fun!

At its zenith in 1944, WLA comprised over 80,000 women. The individuals referred to as 'land girls' departed from urban centers throughout the nation to engage in agricultural work on the farms. As men ventured into the trenches to engage in combat, women were called upon to labor on the land, participating in what the Ministry of Information would later term the ‘Battle for Bread’.

So what was it like for a middle class city girl working with dirt for the first time? In November 1941, Mary Price documented her experiences of daily life on a farm in Cheshire. “06.30am. Our milking takes about two hours, operated both by hand and machine. After the cans have been washed I come in for breakfast, and then, donning a white apron, I make my appearance as a dairymaid....

Cheese-making to me is quite the most interesting creative work I have ever tried and is a very satisfying occupation after having sat on an office stool and pushed a pen for thirteen years.” This and many more women stories were documented in the Land Girl Magazine which began as an unofficial newspaper of the Women's Land Army to stop land girls from feeling isolated. The magazine was first sold on April 1, 1940, for about 2 pence. It went big, selling about 21,000 copies a week. The Ministry of Agriculture saw how popular it was and paid for its publication.

After being disbanded at the close of WWI, the Women's Land Army was re-established in 1939 with the commencement of WWII. At the commencement of World War II, people knew that women needed to be on the land far sooner. Therefore, the Women's Land Army of the Second World War was established in June 1939, three months prior to the declaration of war. Most of the women recruited were single and in their late teens or early 20s. Majority came from towns and cities, so they didn't know anything about working on the land. Some of them had never seen a cow before, and now they had to milk it for the first time.

During the Second World War, the Women's Land Army was often written about in national and local newspapers. This was often seen as a sign of British patriotism and support for the war effort. In their reports, they talked about protests that were often held to show how important women's work was and to dispel the idea that women weren't qualified to do their jobs. Common reads were of women taking proficiency tests, assessments that gave women credit for the new farming skills they had learned, like operating a tractor or working on a farm.

It all started with efforts by the government to counter the food scarcity when the German U-boat campaign was sinking ships carrying food from abroad in spring of 1917. Britain only had six weeks food supply left. At the start of the war, Britain got 70% of its food from other countries. By the end of the war, it was growing 70% of its own food, thanks to the Women's Land Army!

Answer to Brain Teaser

The river was frozen.