Thankful 30 - Day 6, technology

We live in a technology society. Advancements are happening quickly, especially for agricultural production. At the AFA Leaders Conference and a session for the AFA Alliance Forum, I had discussions with college students and agricultural professional peers about technology.

Everyone know it is expanding. New iPhones, iWatches, drones, data management software are just the beginning. What is next? Programs to coordinate health systems, soil metric measuring developments? Who knows. All I know is, there is a lot to learn in a short amount of time.

Lucky for us, we can be thankful for what we have now. Internet connections, email, cell phones, cable, cloud storage, GPS, field mapping, computers and countless other devices that I cannot remember. But there is more to come. How will we enhance it to make the most of agriculture, medicine and life? I guess we shall see. There is a lot of opportunity for my generation. :)

The evil emotion: fear.

I do not like to admit it, but I have fears. Everyone does, including you. The chemical changes in our human brains control our emotions, like fear. They allow us to interpret thoughts and actions and since everyone thinks and feels differently, we have different fears (if you keep reading, you might discover mine at the end of this post.)

People "Don't Do Vaccines"

A common fear is of the unknown or a threat. Imagine you approach a dark tunnel. Is it intimidating to look at the pitch black and not know what is there? Where does it lead? Where is the end? Anything could be there. That unknown factor impacts the situations and decisions people make on a regular basis.

"The Scarecrow" scare tactic

The scarecrow is an original creature used to prevent pests like birds and small mammals from harming crops in farm fields. This old school scare tactic has been outdated as farmers and ranchers have adapted and integrated new protective actions like nets and aluminum "reflectors".

However, there is another business that is trying to reinvent the scarecrow as a scare tactic. Chipotle, the Mexican food chain restaurant, has created a new application for iPhone and iPad called The Scarecrow. This app allows users to portray a Scarecrow and "join the quest for wholesome, sustainable food." Please watch the video below that depicts the backstory of the game.