{"id":338192,"date":"2025-12-10T21:10:53","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T21:10:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/agriculture\/how-mercer-landmark-separates-useful-ag-tech-from-the-hype\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T21:10:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T21:10:53","slug":"how-mercer-landmark-separates-useful-ag-tech-from-the-hype","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=338192","title":{"rendered":"How Mercer Landmark Separates Useful Ag Tech From the Hype"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\"Adam<\/p>\n

Adam Farmer (right), Chief Technology Officer at Mercer Landmark, joined CropLife<\/em> Editor Eric Sfiligoj for a Fireside Chat at the 2025 Tech Hub LIVE in Des Moines, IA.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

At the 2025 Tech Hub LIVE<\/a> event in Des Moines, IA, CropLife<\/em> sat down with Adam Farmer<\/a>, Chief Technology Officer at Mercer Landmark<\/a>, for a Fireside Chat<\/a> that delivered valuable insights for ag retailers navigating the fast-changing technology landscape. With a career shaped by both hands-on experience and strategic leadership, Farmer offered practical advice on how to evaluate ag tech platforms, avoid burnout from vendor overload, and prepare for what\u2019s next.<\/p>\n

For other ag retailers, Farmer\u2019s message was clear: success in ag tech doesn\u2019t come from chasing every innovation \u2014 it comes from aligning technology investments with the real-world needs of growers.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the biggest challenges we have in ag retail is the overwhelming number of companies that want us to help facilitate growers onto their platforms,\u201d said Farmer. \u201cYou walk through the trade floor and see so many great ideas. But as ag retailers, we have to determine which technologies will actually provide value for our specific growers \u2014 and that varies by region.\u201d<\/p>\n

From Skepticism to Success<\/h2>\n

Mercer Landmark, an agricultural cooperative based in northwest Ohio, is no stranger to technology. The company is diversified across agronomy, animal feed, and grain, and has long dabbled in technology, according to Farmer.<\/p>\n

He recalled his own entry into ag tech in the early days of yield monitors: \u201cWhen I was a kid, my dad volunteered to demo the Ag Leader Yield Monitor 2000. I had to help him figure it out. That was kind of my entry into ag technology.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fast forward to today, and Mercer Landmark is actively evaluating AI, machine learning, and advanced platforms \u2014 but always with a healthy dose of pragmatism. Farmer shared one success story that started with doubt.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a platform that provides tools for customers to view account info, pay bills, and interact with their data,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen I first heard the pitch, I thought, \u2018That sounds nice, but do we really need it?\u2019 But after sitting down and using it, I realized it was actually pretty useful.\u201d<\/p>\n

The platform in question \u2014 AgVend \u2014 eventually proved itself with both the Mercer team and their customers. \u201cOne of our first customers said it was \u2018Amazon easy\u2019 to use,\u201d Farmer noted. \u201cThat validated our decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trial, Error, and Continuous Improvement<\/h2>\n

Farmer emphasized that Mercer Landmark relies heavily on in-field trials to vet technologies before wide adoption.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe have growers that we know are the most innovative and would be the most open to new ideas,\u201d said Farmer. \u201cWe\u2019ll usually go to them first. If they see benefit from it, we know we\u2019re on to something.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

To stay ahead of the curve, Mercer Landmark also created an internal Continuous Improvement Task Force. The team regularly reviews current platforms, identifies pain points, and scouts for solutions that align with the company\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n

Managing Burnout and Keeping Focus<\/h2>\n

When asked how Mercer Landmark manages the nonstop stream of vendors pitching new tech solutions, Farmer was blunt.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIf all I did was talk to vendors who wanted meetings, that\u2019s all I\u2019d ever do,\u201d he said. \u201cYou need the whole team involved.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He added that the company relies on its salesforce to surface real grower challenges. Only when a solution aligns with a known problem does the team seriously engage. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot more effective than cold calls,\u201d Farmer explained. \u201cWalking the trade floor and identifying a solution for a specific issue\u2014that\u2019s where real progress happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Next: AI That Actually Works<\/h2>\n

Looking ahead, Farmer said he\u2019s most excited to see AI become genuinely useful for ag retailers and growers.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, there are so many AI-related companies saying they have solutions, but do they really solve the problems?\u201d he asked. \u201cEventually, we\u2019re going to go through that cycle \u2014 some disappointment, some failed experiments \u2014 but we\u2019ll come out of it with real, useful implementations.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThat might be more of a two-year horizon,\u201d he added, \u201cbut I think within the next year, we\u2019ll start to see meaningful applications that make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

For ag retailers looking to bring clarity to the noise of ag tech innovation, Farmer\u2019s approach offers a proven roadmap: start with grower needs, trial solutions before scaling, and prioritize continuous internal feedback. As the technology landscape grows more complex, that kind of grounded strategy might be just what the industry needs.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIn today\u2019s complex and fast-paced crop production sector, the team at\u00a0CROPLIFE<\/strong>\u00a0keeps 21,000 agricultural retailers, distributors and their suppliers up to date on such decidedly 21st century issues as seed technology, biotechnology, precision agriculture, customer service and retention, and business management.\t\t\t\t\t\tSee all author stories here.<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Adam Farmer (right), Chief Technology Officer at Mercer Landmark, joined CropLife Editor Eric Sfiligoj for a Fireside Chat at the 2025 Tech Hub LIVE in Des Moines, IA. At the 2025 Tech Hub LIVE event in Des Moines, IA, CropLife sat down with Adam Farmer, Chief Technology Officer at Mercer Landmark, for a Fireside Chat […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":338193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12026],"tags":[19147,10830,75422,162800,5107],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-338192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agriculture","tag-hype","tag-landmark","tag-mercer","tag-separates","tag-tech"],"yoast_head":"\nHow Mercer Landmark Separates Useful Ag Tech From the Hype - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=338192\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Mercer Landmark Separates Useful Ag Tech From the Hype - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Adam Farmer (right), Chief Technology Officer at Mercer Landmark, joined CropLife Editor Eric Sfiligoj for a Fireside Chat at the 2025 Tech Hub LIVE in Des Moines, IA. 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