Reflections on Another Year

Reflections on Another Year

Janzen Ag Law has hit another milestone as we enter our third year. Every small business knows that each anniversary is special. As I reflect back on the past year, here is a blog post from the past that reflects my thoughts today: Leadership is Hard Work.

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Can an Ag Tech Provider Collect Data without Your Consent?

Can an Ag Tech Provider Collect Data without Your Consent?

During a recent webinar, an audience member asked:  "Can a machine track and send data to the manufacturer without the owner's consent?"  I think you could even broaden this question to ask: "Can a machine can send data to a manufacturer without the owners' knowledge?"

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US Senate Testimony: Technology in Ag: Data-Driven Farming

US Senate Testimony: Technology in Ag: Data-Driven Farming

On November 14, 2017, I will be testifying before the US Senate's Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance and Data Security.

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When will ag data's Equifax moment arrive?

When will ag data's Equifax moment arrive?

Like you, my personal information was compromised in the recent Equifax data breach. Are ag tech providers prepared for the day when this happens to them?

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LinkedIn Case Shows the Limits of Data Ownership

LinkedIn Case Shows the Limits of Data Ownership

A recent ruling on a case involving LinkedIn's collection of user data helps answers some, but not all, of our questions about how the law will ultimately treat ag data. 

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10 Minute Lunch Break Webcast: Becoming Ag Data Transparent

10 Minute Lunch Break Webcast: Becoming Ag Data Transparent

We are launching a series of short, informative webinars on a variety of ag law topics.  Our first video is about becoming Ag Data Transparent. 

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What's Old is New Again: What New Holland's Methane Tractor Means for Ag

What's Old is New Again: What New Holland's Methane Tractor Means for Ag

At the Farm Progess Show this summer, New Holland rolled out a new concept tractor that appeared mostly conventional but had one stand out feature--it runs on methane rather than diesel.  My first impression when seeing this was--didn't we have this same concept 50 years ago?

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When your ag tech provider is sold, what happens to your ag data?

When your ag tech provider is sold, what happens to your ag data?

DuPont Pioneer's acquisition of Silicon Valley based Granular might have you wondering: what happens to all that data you tech provider collects when its sold?  

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Dicamba will show us the promise--and limitations--of big data in 2017

Dicamba will show us the promise--and limitations--of big data in 2017

Dicamba complaints are soaring in the US this summer. Big data is going to answer a lot of our questions about who is to blame, but also show us the limits of what ag data can tell us today.

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Putting Farmers in Control of Ag Data-RFD TV

Putting Farmers in Control of Ag Data-RFD TV

RFD-TV covered the hearing before the US House Committee on Agriculture's subcommittee on general farm commodities. Please check out the report by Sarah Mock below.  

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Rural Broadband: Possibility or Pipe Dream?

Rural Broadband: Possibility or Pipe Dream?

Last week I testified before a US House Ag subcommittee about farmers' ag data privacy, transparency, and ownership concerns. Although not on the agenda, Congressional representatives repeatedly asked questions about how to bring rural broadband to US farmers. Considering the number of times this subject came up during the hearing, I thought it was worth a deeper look.

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The Future of Farming: Technological Innovations, Opportunities, and Challenges for Producers

The Future of Farming: Technological Innovations, Opportunities, and Challenges for Producers

I am honored to testify before the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, on July 13, 2017 at 10:00 a.m..   

 

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Ag Data Ownership

Ag Data Ownership

An in depth look at what means to say the farmer "owns" their ag data.

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Unlawfully "Tying" Ag Data Platforms Together

Unlawfully "Tying" Ag Data Platforms Together

You just spent six figures on a new piece of farm equipment. Now you read the fine print and realize that you must also sign-up with the equipment manufacturer's cloud based data platform. You want the equipment, but not the proprietary data platform that comes with it. What do you do?

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John Deere and Precision Planting Merger Ends Before It Begins

John Deere and Precision Planting Merger Ends Before It Begins

If you haven't heard from now, Monsanto has terminated its agreement to sell its Precision Planting division to John Deere.  Only those inside these companies really know what led to the end of this agreement, but the press releases help us piece together what happened.

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Are You Liable if Your Big Data Platform is Negligent?

Are You Liable if Your Big Data Platform is Negligent?

Who is responsible when an ag data platform recommends to a farmer that he do something wrong?

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Sorry, Right to Repair Advocates: You may be right, but John Deere is on the Winning Side of History

Sorry, Right to Repair Advocates: You may be right, but John Deere is on the Winning Side of History

My response to the Motherboard Right to Repair article: Why American Farmers are Hacking Their Tractors with Ukrainian Firmware. 

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Ag Data and Price Fixing

Ag Data and Price Fixing

As more ag data moves from farmers' tractors and computers into the cloud, the temptation for companies to use this data to price fix will only grow.

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Elon Musk and Agriculture

Elon Musk and Agriculture

What will Elon Musk's impact be on agriculture? This is what I kept thinking after reading his biography: Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, by Ashlee Vance.

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Ag Data Transparency Evaluator Launches New Website

Ag Data Transparency Evaluator Launches New Website

The Ag Data Transparency Evaluator has launched a new website to help farmers better understand their technology contracts. 

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