Farmers Mobile App and Online Savvy Increasing at a Staggering Rate

Think marketing to farmers doesn’t need to involve social media, mobile apps, and other types of digital marketing? Think again!

Turns out, farmers are looking for more Ag-centric mobile apps and online tools. This desire is what helped to fuel the USDA-Microsoft Innovation Challenge. This challenge encouraged the creation of mobile apps and online tools for the Ag industry. And the results were amazing.

In his article, Contest Gives New Digital Tools to Farmers, Ben Potter provides a brief description of some of the winning entries, including grand prize winner George Lee. Lee’s Farm Plenty app shows farmers data about other crops grown near them so they can make better decisions about their own crop mix.

Lee said he has talked to farmers over the past year and learned how tough it can be to make a living.

The USDA has a wealth of data on crops and prices that can help farmers. The challenge is making it relevant for their own local circumstances.

Other winning apps include:

Green Pastures: This app’s dashboard helps visualize a variety of data from agencies like the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

What’s Local: A tool which uses census data to connect the needs of urban centers with area farmers.

Farm Profit Calculator: An app that gives farmers information to allow them to make informed decisions when choosing what to spend money on.

This type of innovation in the Ag industry just goes to prove that farmers are way ahead of the curve when it comes to mobile apps, online innovation, and social media. Therefore, digital marketers don’t need to worry they will be talking over farmers’ heads, they need to worry farmers’ will have to wait for them to catch up!