Wheeler Talks About Joining AgTM, Future Of Farm Technology, More

In July, Washington State University announced that Tadd Wheeler was joining the Agricultural Technology and Production Management [AgTM] Program, transitioning to the lead position with the upcoming retirement of James Durfey. Wheeler said joining the AgTM program is a great opportunity for him personal, and allows him to make a big impact on farming now and into the future. He noted that Ag technology is evolving rapidly.

“It’s really easy to get caught up in the movement to get caught up in the technology and all of the bells and whistles and the latest and greatest.  But if you don’t have a solid foundation underneath that to help you make decisions and help you understand what it is that the technology is telling you, a lot of it is just pretty pictures.”

And for him, one of the goals of the AgTM program is ensuring farmers and producers of any size have an opportunity to view that technology, and see the potential on their operation. With many of the boots on the ground reluctant to incorporate the latest technology, education will be a vital part of their effort. Wheeler noted larger industries and developers embrace this technology and use it, but it’s not necessarily trickling down to smaller farms.

“It seems either out priced or out of reach or the technology is too steep, and so exposing those students to that technology as it evolves and keeping that newer technology in the program, really gives them an opportunity to see what the potential is for their agriculture operation or where they want to go out into agriculture and contribute.”

So, where does Wheeler see some of the greatest focus or developments into the future?

“As the agricultural footprint starts to shrink, because of urban sprawl, and things like that, we’ve got to grow more and more food in a smaller space, so we’ve got to find alternative spaces so that may be something we see in the next decade or so, is more work into these alternative spaces, whether it’s vertical farming, or other crazy places to grow stuff.”

Click Here to learn more about WSU's AgTM program.

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