Global futurist Jack Uldrich offers practical advice for farmers on how to navigate the rapid pace of change.

Global futurist Jack Uldrich believes the most significant challenge facing Iowa’s farmers today is the accelerating rate of change itself. The global landscape is rapidly advancing, and the impact of technological change is profound — perhaps nowhere more evident than in agriculture.

“As a futurist, I’m advising you to step away and see how the world is changing,” Uldrich noted in an address to more than 500 young Iowa farmers at the Iowa Farm Bureau 2025 Young Farmer Conference in Des Moines Jan. 17-18. 

“You are in the most important industry in the world. One of the best ways to figure out what’s important is to just step away from all the news you are receiving ... and really think about this.  Is it artificial intelligence? Is it regenerative agriculture? Is it photovoltaics? Is it biologicals?  

“Just go slow … You don’t have to do everything today, what works best for your operation …, but...