A Game Changer for Retail Agronomy

Just two decades ago, gps and RTK helped farmers leverage acres in a more productive and meaningful way. Today, agriculture is on the verge of a new revolution: AI-driven insights. And much like the precision revolution, those operations who make the management decision to adopt early will see the marked benefits. 

Our Taranis marketing team had a chance to catch up with southwest Wisconsin’s Premier Cooperative’s Bloomington-based Sales Agronomist, Phil Thony, who has made a career out of building relationships. 

While Thony has only been with Premier for eight months, he has more than a decade of experience in agriculture. His daily role adds crop input recommendations, technology, and product logistics to scouting and the customer service Premier is known for. 

As a team newbie, Thony’s previous experience with many ag technologies positions him well to weigh in on the impact Taranis will make for Premier’s customers.

The Shift to Digital Scouting

Thony says that the most significant change he has observed in agricultural technology is the shift toward data and digital management. 

“The biggest change I’ve noticed has been around data and digital,” he explains, describing how the use of apps for tracking maps, application methods, and planning prescriptions has become more prevalent and sophisticated. “Imagery has also become more reliable within the last few years. Today you can look at a Taranis image and see exactly what’s happening in the field with nothing left to the imagination.”

Taranis: A Game Changer in Field Management

“Just having the ability to scout fields, from wherever you happen to be… the ability to look through reports and pinpoint problem areas – that’s huge,” he says. In the past, the ability to look at every acre wasn’t a possibility. The management recommendations Thony made were based off spot-checking, the standard practice in traditional scouting. 

The integration of Taranis to help the agronomy team streamline crop intelligence and the conversations they were having with customers couldn’t have come soon enough for Thony. His excitement is palpable, noting the saved time, elevated service opportunity, and, most of all, the ability to help farmers drill into the “little things that make a big difference”. 

“You can easily spend an entire day checking fields for a larger grower. Taranis changes that. You can look at literally thousands of acres, generate a report, and present scenarios and options that drastically improve a management plan,” says Thony.

Prospects and Implementation

Looking ahead, Thony is excited about the broader implications of Taranis for the agricultural industry. He sees it as a comprehensive digital platform that could integrate various aspects of farm management, from order placements to payment processes. 

Despite his personal enthusiasm, Thony acknowledges the mixed reactions within his team—and amongst most diverse teams—regarding the adoption of new technologies like Taranis. He notes that while some of his own team members are skeptical of new ag tech, he shares that there is a core group within the company that is eager to see the benefits in action – benefits he knows will alleviate the question of adoption.  

As Thony and his team at Premier look forward to their first season using Taranis, he says that he is looking forward to watching the AI-powered insights deliver the information that will help their team strengthen customer relationships.