Futurist • Author • Agriculture Keynote Speaker

THE FUTURE
OF AGRICULTURE

Faster science. Smarter farms. Relentless opportunity.

For more than three decades, Jim Carroll has helped farmers, growers, ranchers, agricultural companies, cooperatives, lenders and food organizations understand what comes next - and what to do about it.

Grab the 20-page agriculture PDF →
Jim Carroll speaking at DTN Agriculture
30+Years
2M+People reached
5Continents
25–50+Hours of custom research
A sector in acceleration

THIS IS NOT GRANDDAD'S FARM.

Agriculture is becoming one of the world's most technologically and scientifically sophisticated industries.

Artificial intelligence, robotics, machine vision, genomics, autonomous equipment, connected livestock, advanced weather intelligence, soil sensing and new production models are changing what it means to farm.

Yesterday's farm ran on daylight. Tomorrow's farm runs on data.
Grab the full 20-page PDF →
Jim Carroll on stage at DTN Agriculture
DTN Agriculture / Progressive FarmerDownload the PDF →
The innovation agenda

GROWTH. EFFICIENCY. NEW SCIENCE.

Successful agricultural organizations increasingly innovate around three overlapping needs.

01

GROWTH

New markets, new crops, value-added products, new revenue models and new customer relationships.

02

EFFICIENCY

Automation, better data, precision inputs, smarter water use, predictive insight and intelligent operations.

03

NEW SCIENCE

Genomics, biology, artificial intelligence and rapidly evolving agricultural knowledge that must be absorbed faster than ever.

Potential keynote directions

ONE KEYNOTE. MULTIPLE WAYS INTO THE FUTURE.

These are not six off-the-shelf speeches. They are possible directions for a deeply customized agriculture keynote, selected and blended around the audience, event theme and strategic issues in the room.

01

The Future of Agriculture

Faster science. Smarter farms. Relentless opportunity.

02

Farming 2036

Resilience at the speed of change.

03

Agriculture at the Speed of AI

What happens when intelligence comes to the farm.

04

24-Hour Farming

Robotics, autonomy and the intelligent farm.

05

The Future-Positive Farmer

Innovation, opportunity and the world's oldest profession.

06

Design for Resilience, Not Just Yield

Building the adaptive farm of tomorrow.

A recurring theme

TWO FARMERS. SAME FUTURE. VERY DIFFERENT OUTCOME.

The difference is less about technology than mindset. The same trend can look like a threat to one person and an opportunity to another.

The stuck skeptic

“Why would I change?”

  • Protects yesterday's assumptions
  • Waits for certainty before acting
  • Sees new science and technology mainly as risk
  • Defaults to familiar advice and familiar methods
The future-positive farmer

“What can I do with this?”

  • Experiments and learns continuously
  • Builds optionality before it is needed
  • Treats science and technology as tools
  • Looks for growth, efficiency and new value
The future doesn't happen to the future-positive farmer. They participate in building it.
Resilient Agriculture

RESILIENCE IS NOT RECOVERY.

It is the ability to continuously sense, adapt, learn and redesign before the next disruption arrives.

Healthy Soil

Cover crops, reduced tillage, organic matter and soil biology improve water retention, input efficiency and recovery.

Crop Diversity

Diversity becomes a risk strategy across genetics, production models, markets, revenue streams and supply chains.

Integrated Livestock

Managed grazing can improve root depth and nutrient cycling while connected livestock adds measurable insight.

Agroforestry

Trees, shelterbelts, hedgerows and perennial buffers can strengthen erosion control, water, shade, biodiversity and microclimate.

Water Intelligence

Microclimate data, moisture sensing and predictive irrigation turn water management into a strategic capability.

Economic Optionality

New revenue streams, value-added production, energy and diversified markets create choices when conditions change.

THE RESILIENT FARM IS THE FARM WITH CHOICES.
Beyond the field

THE FARM BECOMES AN ENERGY PLATFORM.

Solar, storage, biogas, manure-to-energy, electrification and microgrids create a new role for agricultural operations in distributed energy systems.

Produce

Distributed solar, wind and biological feedstocks create new energy resources.

Store

Falling battery costs create resilience and increase operational flexibility.

Manage

Microgrids and intelligent controls allow farms to optimize when and how power is used.

Supply chain & business model

YOU CAN GROW THE PERFECT CROP AND STILL LOSE TO A BROKEN SYSTEM.

Trade, logistics, traceability, packaging, cold chain, retail, geopolitics and consumer expectations now sit inside the agriculture strategy.

Resilience is now measured from seed to shelf.

The business model of farming changes

The future is not only about growing more. It is about capturing more value through value-added agriculture, direct-to-consumer models, specialty production, controlled environments, agritourism, biomaterials, energy and new crop applications.

THE RESILIENT FARM IS THE FARM WITH CHOICES.
Client Stories

DIFFERENT ROOM. DIFFERENT ISSUE. DIFFERENT KEYNOTE.

Actual agricultural stages. Actual industry audiences. Different strategic questions every time.

Jim Carroll at DTN Agriculture
DTN Agriculture / Progressive Farmer

Agriculture 2045

More than 700 farmers and agricultural professionals. Robotics, autonomous operations, drone-based spatial analysis and the transition toward 24-hour farming.

See the full agriculture PDF →
Jim Carroll at CattleCon
CattleCon 2024

3,000 Ranchers. A Fast-Moving Future.

AI, connected livestock, predictive herd management, technology adoption and the acceleration of the ranching supply chain.

Download the agriculture brief →
Jim Carroll speaking for Purina
Purina

Rethinking the Agricultural Co-op

More than 500 dealers. Precision agriculture, genomics, drones, generational change, data insight and the potential Amazonification of the dealer model.

Jim Carroll speaking for Simplot
Simplot

Food, Agriculture, Retail & Consumer Behaviour

More than 400 executives across marketing, product, legal, finance and supply chain - connecting agricultural science to changing consumer and food-market realities.

Jim Carroll at Western Growers
Western Growers

AI in Agriculture

Near- and long-term implications of AI for growers, including virtualized farms, weed-zapping robots, genomics and machine-vision crop intelligence.

Jim Carroll at Northwest Farm Credit
Northwest Farm Credit

Agriculture 2025

Genomic science, intelligent packaging, drones and location intelligence - and what accelerating change means for farmers, producers and agricultural finance.

What clients say

THE PROOF IS IN THE ROOM.

Agriculture-specific feedback sits alongside a long record of client comments about customization, relevance and delivery.

“You certainly challenged us as to the pace of change... at the same time that you inspired us to embrace its opportunities. You were outstanding!”
Texas Cattle Feeders Association
“Ranchers are pretty conservative - particularly here in Texas - but you were the best speaker we've ever had at our event!”
Texas Cattle Feeders Association
“We selected Jim because of his accessibility and passion to tailor his expertise to fit our vision. This combination produced exceptional results.”
AmstedRail
“I can think of no greater keynote speaker presentation through which I've sat... the thought leadership and action-provoking sentiments he evokes are truly remarkable.”
SAP
Watch Jim talk agriculture

THE FUTURE OF FARMING, ON STAGE.

Deep sector research delivered with a fast, visual style designed to make complex trends understandable, relevant and memorable.

Grab the agriculture PDF →
Experience

THREE DECADES INSIDE AGRICULTURAL CHANGE.

Jim was speaking about digital agriculture, biotechnology, precision farming and online activism in the 1990s. The technologies changed. The central question did not.

1990s

The Connected Farm

Internet disruption, biotechnology, bio-ethics, precision agriculture, e-commerce and online activism.

2000s

Fast Science

Precision farming, rapid science, smart manure management, genetics, changing markets and new agricultural knowledge.

2010s

Autonomy & Data

Drones, robotics, driverless tractors, genomic science, connected livestock and real-time agricultural intelligence.

2020s

AI & Resilience

AI agronomy, 24-hour farming, machine vision, climate adaptation, regenerative systems and resilient supply chains.

2030s

The Adaptive Farm

Continuous sensing, accelerated science, autonomous systems, distributed energy and increasingly programmable production.

“How long have you been a farmer?”

That question from an attendee after one crop-protection keynote remains one of Jim's favourite compliments - and the simplest explanation of what deep customization looks like.

Deep customization

BUILT FROM YOUR INDUSTRY OUTWARD.

Not from a generic speech inward.

25–50+
hours of customized research

Deep customization is not a slogan.

A major keynote can involve client calls, industry reports, research papers, current news, agenda analysis, audience issues and sector-specific examples. No two presentations are the same.

LISTEN → RESEARCH → MAP THE TRENDS → BUILD THE STORY → CONNECT THE ROOM → LEAVE A PLAYBOOK

Agriculture client experience

ACROSS THE ENTIRE VALUE CHAIN.

Representative agriculture, food, producer, financial and supply-chain organizations that have engaged Jim.

Crop science, inputs & equipment: Nutrien • Syngenta • Monsanto • FMC Agriculture • DuPont • Wilbur-Ellis • Simplot • Mosaic • Reinke • CropLife / GrowCanada • United Suppliers Technology Exchange
Co-ops, producers & farm credit: CHS • Land O'Lakes • Purina • United Soybean Board • Western Growers • AgFirst Farm Credit Bank • Northwest Farm Credit Cooperative • Farm Credit Bank of Texas
Livestock & dairy: CattleCon • Texas Cattle Feeders Association • Colorado Cattle Feeders Association • 4C Summit • dairy and animal-health audiences
Agricultural media & data: DTN Agriculture / The Progressive Farmer • Farm Journal
Food, produce & supply chain: Canadian Produce Marketing Association • Produce Marketing Association • American Cotton Shippers Association • Potato Expo • major food and packaging organizations
Additional organizations: Elanco • USDA • American Nursery & Landscape Association • Hunter Industries • Wegner Group • and many more.

Start with a conversation

WHAT DOES YOUR AGRICULTURAL AUDIENCE NEED TO UNDERSTAND NEXT?

Tell Jim who is in the room, what is changing around them and what you want them thinking about when they leave. He will help shape the right direction around the audience, event theme and business objective.

Event & audience

Who is attending? What kind of meeting is it? What matters most to them?

Keynote direction

Explore the trends, themes and stories that should form the core of the session.

Customization

Discuss research, stakeholder calls, agenda integration and how deeply the keynote should be tailored.

Practical details

Timing, format, fees, travel, logistics and the best next step.

Direct access to Jim

You do not need a finished brief before getting in touch.

Jim is always pleased to jump on a quick exploratory Zoom or phone call to learn more about the audience and talk through possibilities.

Contact JimGrab the PDF