AgLaunch continues to expand its farm-centric innovation platform to accelerate the process of bringing new ideas into agriculture. The organization offers a one-stop shop for researchers, farmers, logistic providers, processors, non-profits, investors and corporate partners to help validate and grow new ideas in the agricultural space.

Online registration is now open for the American Farm Bureau Federation's 96th Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show, which will be held Jan. 10-14, 2015, in San Diego.

Reflecting the increasing importance of data usage and privacy issues to America’s farmers, the American Farm Bureau Federation has joined AgGateway, the non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, enabling and expanding eBusiness in agriculture.

Immigration reform and water regulations are typically among the most important matters in American agriculture, but during a recent meeting in Washington, a new, more shadowy issue emerged: growing unease about how the largest seed companies are gathering a vast amount of data from sensors on tractors, combines and other farm equipment.

“Big data” is a term that’s been getting bigger lately. With groups like Farm Bureau and companies such as Monsanto and John Deere adopting positions, more dialog will come and standards will be sought.