Rich Bradbury’s Post

I'll wake up, grab some coffee, and hit the road for the World Agri-Tech in San Fran. The AgTech world is farmer-centric. That's where the money is–ranching is an afterthought. But my gears are grinding—why does AgTech feel so different from the technology we actually use every day? My worldview is horseback, not tractor seat. This week, I'll use a hotel app, Uber, maps, email, AI, and other digital tools. Not once will I use AgTech—not directly or indirectly. That says a lot. Silicon Valley tech integrates seamlessly into life. It solves problems immediately, requires no major buy-in, and adapts to user needs. AgTech? Often, it feels designed for someone else—investors, corporations, and data collectors—but not the producers who are managing land and livestock. It really about the land. Despite my skepticism, there are AgTech companies worth watching—ones focused on real problems that look to benefit our operation. EarthOptics – Making soil health measurable, giving producers insight into compaction, organic matter, and carbon storage. Nofence – Virtual fencing that fits livestock operations—allowing better rotational grazing without miles of wire and labor costs. Grow United – A Web3 agriculture platform aiming to decentralize funding and financial infrastructure for producers. Edacious – Testing for nutrient density in food—because agriculture's end goal isn't just yield; it's nutrition and quality. These tools are straightforward services that are unhampered by how some outside of agriculture think agriculture should be run. Don't lock producers into subscriptions for a digital map showing their cows' locations. It is hard to lose track of a herd of cows. AgTech shouldn't add complexity; it should be about working with natural systems. Technology Should Serve Ranching, Not Try and Control It Good tools: ✔ Enhance observation—they don't replace human judgment. ✔ Work with natural systems. ✔ Reduce inputs, not make ranchers more dependent on external systems. ✔ Support flexibility, not force rigid models. ✔ Deliver real-world value, not dashboards (what up with dashboards?). Gabe Brown and Alan Savory didn't need dashboards to tell them how to build soil. They were the management algorithm—working and observing nature, stacking biological synergies, and making grounded decisions and nudges. Observation, adaptation, and working with natural systems deliver results. Technology should enhance these fundamentals, not replace them. In the past AgTech has contributed to a failing food system that’s burned through soil organic matter, increased chemical dependency, and driven a cycle of higher inputs with lower returns. But not the next era of agriculture. The best tech won’t manage the producer—it will be the kind that restores. It will prioritize regeneration over extraction, resilience over control, and empower producers to build a food system that lasts—not one that produces more, faster, and emptier.