Welcome to our first Signals article in a recurring column that will offer insight into the signs bubbling beneath the surface that foretell what’s headed your way.
Signals can be weak indicators — perhaps the first glimmer of changes on the horizon — or something stronger, such as trends gaining momentum. Both can challenge current assumptions and guide what decisions you make and actions you take on your farm.
Keeping an eye on signals can give you an advantage — if your interpretations are correct.
Is anyone as ready as they think they are?
Tuning in to and assessing signals is important to the ag industry — and specifically your farm — because the low-frequency signals of today may get louder, determining, for example, industry policies, adopted technologies and market preferences.
Shifting climate patterns is one example that has provided plenty of signals and brought up previously unasked questions. For instance, if coastal areas were flooded, to what degree would farmland area and food production be affected were people forced to move inland?
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