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What does the futurehold for precisionagriculture? How willAg Leader contribute to it? Noneed to seek out a fortuneteller.Al Myers, the founder andPresident of Ag LeaderTechnology, has a clear vision.And here’s what he has to sayabout it:Where do you see thefuture of precisionagriculture headed?AM: Precision products andpractices have been adoptedby a significant number ofgrowers. It’s now to the pointwhere it can be consideredmainstream technology that isbeing adopted by the “practicalmajority.” In the future, it will berequired technology, which mustbe used to maintain a profitableoperation over a long-term basis.The next revolution in precisiontechnologies will be real-timeconnectivity between machinesin the field, between fieldmachines and the office, orbetween machines and the farmowner, manager, consultantor supplier. This will happenthrough wireless communicationtechnologies being built intonew machines or retrofittedonto older machines. Just aseveryone in a modern officecan communicate with anyassociate on-site or in otherlocations through the internet,field machinery will be able tocommunicate with any othermachine, person or computerwhich needs to know what it’sdoing, or needs to send it data orretrieve data from it.What are the top thingsyou’d like to accomplish(or see happen in theindustry) in the future?AM: My number-one objectiveis to keep Ag Leader on asensible and profitable growthpath so that it continues to bea viable independent companythat can stay independentforever. I want to see Ag Leadercontinue to strengthen itsposition as a full line supplierof precision products. Myobjective is to have the bestand most complete line ofprecision products available tothe market. Ag Leader alwayshas been a supplier of premiumproducts, and we will continueto be that kind of a supplier. Iwant us to be able to supplythe best of everything that agrower may need in the way ofprecision technologies.I would also like to see AgLeader continue to increaseits global presence. We havedone business internationallyfor many years, but we arestarting to make investmentsin major foreign markets byhiring employees in several ofthe major overseas ag markets,such as Europe, Australia andSouth America.Do you ever see yourselfcompletely “retiring”?AM: I have no plans to completelyretire. I love what I have createdwith Ag Leader too much to everconsider walking away from anyinvolvement with it. However,I do continue to grow a capablestaff and I trust them to run theday-to-day operations. In the last20 years, my role has changedfrom that of doing a fair amountof detailed work myself, to thatof making sure the organizationis properly staffed, managed andworking on the right objectives.If you could say one thingto every grower aboutprecision farming, whatwould you say?AM: Precision farming practicesare here to stay and are goingto be required for growerswho make their primary livingon the farm to grow and beprofitable. Whether you enjoyusing the technology or not, youneed it to stay profitable in theface of rising costs. If you needassistance making it all workfor you, make sure you alignyourself with a local dealer orconsultant who can keep it allworking smoothly.Since I started Ag Leader 20years ago, there is a wholenew generation of young folkswho grew up with technologyand love to work with it. Thevalue of keeping your precisiontechnology working properlyand expanding the ways youuse it has great potential value,and you need to make sure itis giving you the return that itshould. Gradually expand youruse of precision technologies,rather than holding backand waiting to make the bigjump someday. If you adopt itgradually, your transition willbe easier.“My objective is to have the bestand most complete line of precisionproducts available to the market.Ag Leader always has been a supplierof premium products, and we willcontinue to be that kind of a supplier.”Summer 2012 | Insights Magazine | 23