If you are an experienced farmer, you have seen the changes firsthand in production agriculture.  Within three generations we have gone from horses plowing to tractors that can drive themselves.  Today we are within reach of an intelligent (smart) barn for livestock.  Barns that will be equipped for human assisted production. Maybe you thought you would not have seen the day that barns were called “smart”, particularly why talk about in these difficult times?  Traditionally livestock barns are solid structures made from wood, steel, and concrete.  They house the animals and materials that provide the “value add” opportunity for producing meat, milk, and eggs.   Now these seemingly inanimate objects are now being called smart.

What constitutes a “smart barn”?  Is this an overused buzzword?

The move of pigs indoors followed by wean to finish facilities were some of the most recent advances in disruptive technology that have occurred in the last thirty years.  These changes have allowed the pig industry to scale to what it is today.  These are common jobs that seem like second nature, but what will the digital revolution do to your “to-do” list?

Think about looking at a tablet or phone to identify all the above.  What could human-assisted facilities look like?  The introduction of sensor technology is propelling us into the future with smart alerts, smart sensors, and human-assisted production strategies.  The danger is that our imagination for the future outpaces our practicality to deliver the present.  Pig production fundamentals still need to be in play.  The need for pig-manship coupled with technology is the only way to succeed in bringing the digital transformation to pig production.  Sure, we won’t stop walking pens, nor should we. Pig production fundamentals will still be in play on a daily basis.

The genesis of human-assisted production will be an interactive process starting with the regulation of data from production information systems, controller, and daily observation processed into actionable insights.  These options will be available within months.  Total farm connectivity and the integration of actionable information will change the way we manage and build farms.  The next facility transformation will be the integration of an “operating system that will transform the building into a “SmartBarn”.

The development of synergistic tech platforms in collaboration with genetics, nutrition, facility, and health companies will propel value propositions to a new level.  These platforms will be devoted to maximizing the genetic expression of the animal in conjunction with the variables that inhibit optimal animal performance.

The goal of human-assisted production is to equip you and your team with the tools that you need to optimize business and production performance.  Start the process of equipping and optimizing your team for the present reality of the digital transformation and human-assisted production.

The tech platforms that make these barns smart are there to help the business but also to equip you and your team with the tools that you need to stay progressive in this transformational time.  Technologies are the future of our world.  Future generations will rely on the innovations that are being tested and integrated today.  Yes, these are trying times, yet it can be a pivotal point in businesses.