Ag Innovation Over 50 Years - 1976-2026

A lot can happen in fifty years…

Fifty years ago, I was a toddler. We didn't have car seats, seat belts weren't mandatory, and helmets were something you saw on football fields—not on kids riding bikes. My parents smoked indoors (gasp!), and I rode on my grandpa's lap on the tractor or bounced around in the back of a pickup truck. It's amazing how much has changed—mostly for the better—thanks to research, education, and innovation.

Agriculture has transformed just as dramatically. In 1976, tractors "thinking for themselves" meant load control. Today, it means autonomous driving, precision farming, and AI-powered insights. We've gone from handwritten field notes to cloud-based analytics, from hoping for rain to managing irrigation with real-time data (but still hoping for rain).

So yes—a lot can happen in fifty years. And if the past is any indication, the next fifty will be even more extraordinary. And while my grandpa's tractor didn't drive itself—or even have a cup holder—it did have two things I still miss: him…and the stories he told of a different time.

So grab a cup of coffee from your fancy machine (bonus points if it talks to you), settle in, and enjoy this issue—full of memories from long ago, and a glimpse of the incredible future that's already rolling across the fields.