Potatoes and Technology Pt 2
I'm Bob Larson. Potato growers are making the most out of opportunities brought on by the changing technologies, improving production in ways they couldn't even dream of 30-20-even-5 years ago.
National Potato Council CEO John Keeling says they are a great group to work for and with ...
KEELING ... "The potato industry is an amazing industry. People enjoy each other's company. They enjoy each other's comradery. They enjoy sharing ideas."
Keeling says this high-tech world allows farmers to do much more, much faster ...
KEELING ... "The other thing about precision agriculture, it has a sustainability side too. Because when you're going through the field in that precise manner, you cover the field more quickly, you take less miles driving in a tractor to get the same job done, so it's improving your sustainability. So, what they do is pretty amazing. In fact, they read books in the tractor because the tractors doing all the work. In fact, when you want to call and talk to a farmer, you catch him when he's plowing the field, it's a great time for it."
And, Keeling says with the new gear comes new rules ...
KEELING ... "We are now involved in how drones will be regulated and what will be required to be used and we want to see sensible rules there so that farmers can them. The technology that's being developed to use with drones where they can sense and pick up, find diseased plants, all those kinds of things. It's just amazing where we're going to go with all that."
After 17 years of service to the potato industry, John
Keeling is retiring at the end of July. Thanks John!
