By: Wade Barnes
There are days when I take a step back and look at where Farmers Edge is today and I am amazed. It has come a long way from a staff of two farm boys working in my basement to a team of over 350 employees, operating in 5 countries worldwide. But to be honest, it has been a journey, with lots of twists and turns along the way and a journey that the farmers who we work with continue to inspire.
On more than one occasion I have been asked what makes Farmers Edge successful, or where did I get the vision to lead? Like the farmers that we partner with to bring the world’s most innovative digital decision tools to agriculture, I get up early, roll up my sleeves and work hard-every day. I accept the world of organized chaos that is farming, – unpredictable days, adjusting to factors out of my control and relying on the passion that leads the determination to go that extra mile. You have to be brave. You need to take risks. You need to try new things. I have my early days on the farm to thank for giving me these insights that have driven my success. My grassroots passion for farming formed my work ethic – feet and hands in the dirt, long days in the field and rolling up my sleeves to do what is needed to get the job done, and done right. It still fuels me to this day.
Like many other success stories around the world, there was initial rejection. Back when I was first trying to show the value of Variable Rate Technology (VRT), my partner Curtis and I strongly believed in the benefits it would provide to farmers. Others may not have seen or believed in it, but we did, and decided to take the leap and start Farmers Edge with a determined vision to present a version of Precision Agronomy that would help farmers improve yields and reduce inputs.
Flash forward 12 years, with presence across the globe, on millions of acres, we are still leading that vision and the advancement of farming. Like the early days of working on the farm– with dirt under my nails and sweat on my brow, I can still say that I go to bed each and every day with the feeling and fulfillment that farming brings. I’ve been challenged, I’ve worked hard, and I am playing a part in sustainable food production and feeding people.
To this day, I still consider myself first and foremost a farmer. Although I may be driving technology rather than a tractor, I am, and always will be a farmer at heart. It was a decision that fate made for me the day I was born on a family farm, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I was made this way.
