A friend of mine recently discovered Taylor Swift. I have a hard time wrapping my head around that.
When she admitted this, it was tough to know if she was serious. How does a person discover Taylor Swift in 2024? I’m not sure, but for this friend, that was the truth.
As confusing as this is – because honestly, I still do not understand how this is possible when we are bombarded with her songs and image across all forms of media – it reminds me of technology and its role in our lives. Whether you turn on the radio or scroll through social media, Taylor Swift is everywhere. Technology is just as pervasive, from the smartphones in our pockets to the software running our farms.
I remember one summer when I was about 12, my grandmother asked me to write down detailed instructions on how to attach an image to an email. At this point, I had only sent a handful of emails in my life, but because I grew up with computers as part of my daily life, the process was so intuitive to me that I did not know how to write instructions with the level of detail my grandmother required.
Although most people now understand the basics of sharing photos and sending emails, I am often reminded of how technology features very differently in different peoples' lives, particularly for different generations. What is intuitive to me is perplexing to others, and still there are masses of people with a much more profound knowledge of technology than me.
Sometimes, unfortunately, people take advantage of these knowledge gaps, like in the case of the cyber attackers I describe in my article “Is your herd safe? Cybersecurity essentials for dairy farms.” As technology creeps further into our daily lives and the management of Canadian dairies, it invariably brings with it new risks, so staying abreast of these – no matter your technological know-how – is more crucial than ever.
Maybe you have someone on your farm who has that baseline intuition around computers that allows them to anticipate threats and opportunities. Contributor Emily Rolli calls this your dairy’s “tech champion” in her article “Who is your dairy’s tech champion?,” where she offers tips on how to find your farm’s tech vision. If you’re like my grandmother and technology does not scare you, but you need some help understanding how it can work better for you, Evan Platte shares a few ways it makes your job easier, both physically and mentally, in his article “The human side of technology: Three ways monitoring makes life easier.”
Just as it's hard to imagine someone in 2024 not knowing Taylor Swift, it's equally challenging to run a modern farm without integrating technology. Embracing technology keeps you connected, ensuring your farm remains competitive and resilient.
P.S.: I am excited to share that I am embarking on the next step in my career journey and will be moving on from my role at Progressive Dairy. While you may see some of my articles in the upcoming issues, this will be my last issue as an editor. Going forward, I hope to continue serving Canadian agriculture and look forward to seeing how Progressive Dairy continues to elevate dairy voices and provide invaluable content to Canada’s dairy sector.
