The Power is in the Question

Innovation is desperately needed for the agriculture industry to thrive.

by Kaci Foraker, editorial intern

BROOKINGS, S.D. (June 18, 2019) — Developing a different way of thinking opens up large opportunities for innovation in the livestock industry.

Innovation comes from two places: a pain point or an unhappy customer. Those two occurrences drive the need for innovation, said Tom Field, Paul Engler chair of agribusiness entrepreneurship at the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, during the Young Producers Symposium hosted with the 2019 Beef Improvement Federation research symposium June 18-21 in Brookings, S.D.

“The problem and unhappy customer by themselves don’t solve problems,” Field said. “Someone has to bring creativity to the table. But when we find the problem and customers with the problem and apply creativity to it, that’s when we get innovation.”

Design

Field said innovation lies in abstract designs. It’s finding ways to go around, under, over or through a wall to reach the other side.

In an example, Field compared an incubator for babies built in a high-tech environment and one in a developing country. Both countries needed to have a device that would help compromised babies survive. The high-tech incubator used electricity and needed qualified repairmen to fix. The developing country had no such way to get the high-tech device or repair it upon breakdown. The country had extremely efficient cars that could run without electricity. The country innovated with its resources by using headlights for warmers and a car horn for distress signals, said Field.

“They found how to use the resources available to them to solve the problem in a different way,” said Field.

Solution

Individuals just have to be willing to step out of their box and try, said Field. He proposes two options for someone to become more innovative.

Hitting the reset button on a person’s life is one way to start innovation. Field poses the questions: “What if what we do today wasn’t available to us? What if we had to start over from scratch?”

Starting over isn’t always common advice, but rethinking every aspect of an operation could spark innovation.

“It’s hard to start all over again, but if you don’t like that idea, try: What would it take to be the best in the world at what we do?” said Field.

The world can be defined in many different ways, but the idea of how to be the best in the world forces individuals to rethink their everyday practices. Field admits there isn’t one solution to start innovation in the agriculture industry, but innovation is desperately needed for the industry to thrive. Innovation comes in different ideas, and a person needs give oneself access to those ideas through different environments.

Another idea Field recommended was 30 seconds of courage. His idea is to think of this whenever a person is trying to step out of their comfort zone. Continually practicing this idea will make discovering innovation easier in personal life, business decisions and beyond.

“Innovation doesn’t have to be super high-tech at all, and it can be done in agriculture,” says Field. “A friend once said, ‘Every day on the farm has an Apollo 13 event.’ That’s why we have to be innovative to solve these problems.”

The 2019 BIF Annual Convention was hosted by South Dakota State University and the South Dakota Beef Breeds Council June 18-21 at the University Comfort Suites and Convention Center in Bookings. ANGUS MEDIA® provides comprehensive online coverage of the event at www.BIFconference.com. Visit the Newsroom for summaries, proceedings, PowerPoints, video and/or audio of the sessions and the Awards page for announcements and photos of award winners.

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