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Profitability pacing technology adaptation

A pair of Illinois farmers say profitability concerns are the primary factor in adapting new technology.

“First and foremost, it’s the bottom line, and the cost, and what that rate of return might be?”

Illinois Farm Bureau vice president Evan Hultine, who farms in Bureau County, says it’s a balancing act.

“But I think we got to look long term too, right and evaluate things like soil health or just what the long-term benefits might be to our operation,” he says.

DeWitt County farmer John Klemm tells Brownfield…

“I never want to make a big jump because I want to make sure that when I do make a change, I’m able to be successful at it.”  He says, “So it’s kind of a sliding change to that.  An equipment change is certainly different than a product change. You can try a product on one or two farms, a few acres, you know, sample sizes.”

Both farmers say current commodity prices mean expenditures on the farm are under more scrutiny than the past several years.

Brownfield spoke with both at the Illinois Farm Bureau Ag Tech Innovation Showcase, in Normal, IL.

AUDIO: Evan Hultine – IFB vice president