Data Security

Who Really Owns Your Farm's Data?

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:37:03 GMT

Smart technology is becoming a bigger part of farming every year. From robotic milkers and GPS-guided sprayers to soil sensors and drones, today’s farms are filled with tech that quietly collects data, often without the farmer fully realizing just how much.

According to Bill Oemichen, professor of practice law and local government law educator at UW-Madison Extension, understanding the difference between the types of data being collected is critical.

“Small data is what comes directly from your farm,” he says. “That’s your yield records, soil samples, herd info and so on. It’s useful — but on its own, it doesn’t show the full picture. Big data is what happens when that small data gets combined with other farms’ data — plus weather records, land use history and more.”

And big data is where the real money is. Tech companies collect and store small data, then work with global tech firms like Amazon Web Services or Google Ventures to aggregate, analyze and monetize it. When Oemichen first learned Amazon was interested in ag data, he was surprised.

“I thought, why would Amazon care? But now it’s obvious. There’s huge value in knowing what’s happening on farms at a national scale,” he says.

Ashley Ellixson, an extension legal specialist at the University of Maryland, draws attention to some of the risks associated with this.

“The issue of farm data has been a contentious point of debate with respect to ownership rights and impacts when access rights are misappropriated,” she explains. “Although no specific laws or precedence exists, the possibility of trade secrets is examined and ramifications for damages are discussed.”

That legal gray area becomes even more complicated when you consider how farm data differs from traditional, tangible assets, she notes.

“Farm data are not a tangible asset, like a bushel of grain,” she says. “Instead, ownership should be considered in terms of rights and responsibilities of the parties with access to the data.”

That value stretches far beyond simple crop recommendations. It influences land prices, marketing strategies, artificial intelligence tools and even investment trends. Hedge funds are now using farm data to evaluate the productivity of farmland and outbid farmers for it.

“They’re putting a number on your land based on what the data says it could produce,” Oemichen explains. “That number may not match how you see your land. But to an investor, it tells them how much they’re willing to pay. And that information is often based on your own data.”

Ownership is One Thing, Control is Another
While many ag tech agreements state farmers own their data, that doesn’t mean they have full control over how it’s used. In practice, signing a user agreement often grants the company broad rights to analyze and share the data, similar to what happens on platforms like Facebook.

“You might technically own your posts, but you still gave the platform permission to use, analyze and sell that data,” Oemichen says. “The same thing is happening in ag.”

Companies and platforms like Bayer’s Climate FieldView, WinField United, Farm Business Network, Syngenta, John Deere, Corteva and Cargill all collect and use U.S. farm data, according to Oemichen. Bayer alone is believed to hold more than half of the world’s ag data, thanks in part to its partnership with Amazon Web Services.

And with scale comes leverage. Despite the immense value farm data can create, farmers typically aren’t being compensated for it.

“You might get better seed recommendations,” Oemichen notes. “But you’re not seeing a check for the value your data is creating in the marketplace.”

The Legal Gap
To be clear, data-driven tools offer undeniable benefits. Farmers are using them to boost efficiency, improve decision-making and solve problems faster. Agronomists and seed reps now show up with drone maps, pest forecasts and application schedules all powered by data.

Still, important questions remain:

Who controls your data?
Who profits from it?
What protections do you actually have?

Surveys show farmers are concerned. Data privacy and transparency are top-of-mind, especially with ag tech consolidation on the rise. Interestingly, according to Oemichen, many farmers say they trust cooperatives more than private companies to handle their data responsibly.

“That’s not surprising,” he adds. “Farmers own the co-op. They can sit on the board, and they know the data isn’t being sold to outside companies.”

Several organizations are already testing farmer-first models. The Farm Credit System has policies against sharing farmers’ data with outsiders. Texas-based Grower Information Services Cooperative and the Ag Data Coalition are exploring similar models.

But there’s a larger problem: the law hasn’t kept up.

“There is no law defining who owns farm data,” Oemichen says. “It all comes down to the fine print in contracts.”

And those contracts? Most farmers don’t read them.

“You download the app, check the box and boom — you just gave them permission to collect and share your data,” Oemichen says. “Even as an attorney, I’ve reviewed thousands of contracts. They’re hard to follow.”

He warns these agreements often allow companies to de-identify data (removing names and specific details) and combine it with other data — something they can then profit from. Once the user clicks “accept,” companies usually don’t need to ask again.

Ellixson points out how courts often struggle when applying existing laws to rapidly advancing technology like farm data.

“History shows the law rarely keeps up with technology, and farm data are no exception,” she says.

She also argues farm data should be considered intellectual property, specifically, trade secrets.

“Broadly speaking, any confidential business information providing an individual or enterprise with a competitive edge may be considered a trade secret,” Ellixson explains.

Can Farmers Take Back Control?
So, what power do farmers really have to push back or negotiate?

“The horse is out of the barn,” Oemichen says bluntly. “Most farms lack the size or legal support to negotiate with ag tech giants. Only the biggest players might get a voice. For smaller and mid-size farms, meaningful change will likely require policy reform.”

Unfortunately, regulation is lagging in the U.S. While Canada and California are beginning to explore protections for farm data, most states have little to no framework in place. Even intellectual property law offers limited support. Raw data isn’t copyrightable and trade secret protection requires special agreements most farmers don’t have the time or legal counsel to pursue.

There are a few bright spots. One is the Ag Data Transparent certification, a voluntary program that signals a company’s commitment to transparent data use. Companies that meet the program’s criteria earn the Ag Data Transparent seal.

“If you’re working with a vendor and they have that seal, that’s a good sign,” Oemichen says. “At least you’ll know what they’re doing with your data.”

Ultimately, he believes farmer co-ops could lead the way in protecting and leveraging farm data. If farmers already trust co-ops, why not build data-sharing systems that serve their members instead of selling access to third parties?

Creating these systems won’t be easy, but it is doable. And with so much at stake, Oemichen says farmers can’t afford to stay passive.

“This issue is growing fast,” he says. “It’s tough to stay ahead of it. But the more you know, the better chance you have to protect yourself and your farm in the digital age.”

His final advice? Read the contracts. Ask questions. And look for the seal.

Is Dairy Data the New ‘Oil’?

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 04:13:01 GMT

Dairy producers are increasingly aware of the value of the data on the farm. Just as oil flows from wells and milk from cows, it seems that data has the potential to inform or overwhelm farmers with more information than they can comprehend. 

Dairy producers have had a series of platforms to choose from, including:  

Dairy Comp is the original of the species and the largest and first of its type in the dairy herd management software space. Dairy Comp is the first to truly offer producers the ability to collect and manage data on milk and cow health at an individual level. While it is sometimes described as a ‘legacy system’, suggesting it hasn’t been updated from its original format, this is not a fair characterization as they have invested heavily in creating a new cloud-based system called VAS-Pulse. Industry estimates are that more than 60% of the U.S. herd are currently using Dairy Comp, which in turn has driven the desire of other new technologies. For example, wearables, robotic milkers and smart artificial cameras to find ways to integrate their data with this software.  
Amelicor  by my estimates (in cow numbers) is the second largest herd management software in the U.S. market and is widely used in herds west of the Mississippi. They have four products for herd management (DHI-Plus), feed management (EZFeed), commodity tracking and dairy records management.  
BoviSync is an award-winning platform, and its growth is fueled by its use of unique cloud-based software and innovations, such as its ability to aggregate and analyze data for groups of cows, allowing management of cows at pen level. 
Vyla is a new platform backed by Nestle, Land O’Lakes and Lely and supported by other industry players. Offering something like a “Facebook for farmers” makes it easy to integrate information from any system in a single open app, including feed management, parlor software and combine milk prices and weather.

Mydairydashboard.com owned by Dairy.com has a similar concept, bringing together farm, market, and weather data under one roof.  
The MILC Group has continued to add more and more data streams under the umbrella of their ONE platform, to manage feeding and sensor alerts for milking facilities.

If farms don’t capitalize on the increasing availability of information flows from sensors and other novel technologies on the dairy, data platforms may become a bottleneck preventing livestock from achieving the promise and profitability of smart precision farming. Dairy farmers, especially the largest producers, recognize that data-driven farming could provide multiple benefits, such as optimizing inventory, precise feed formulation and reducing feed costs, enabling better milk production through precision nutrition, responding better to consumer demands.

In short, what the milk supply chain needs is for all moving parts to work symbiotically through shared data or data interoperability as it is known in the technology world. Data interoperability allows different systems to communicate their data with each other on a shared interface. It allows systems to not only create, exchange and consume data, but create shared expectations and understanding of the data presented. 

In healthcare, we have seen how patients’ medical records may be shared by many doctors, labs, and insurers within a network. Patients benefit from the convenience of not having to provide lab results and recount medical history when visiting a new doctor within the network. More generally, data interoperability prevents one company from monopolizing the data, incentivizes the players involved to improve their products given the competitive nature of the shared platform, and results in a better result for the end-user. For the food supply chain, this means that instead of multi-generation long relationships, external publications and word-of-mouth communication, data from raw material analysis to animal performance will be tracked and communicated throughout the entire process making the supply chain integrated, not segregated. 

Ultimately, data interoperability and digital transformation benefit the end consumers. Users of Facebook and Google demand increased transparency and accountability for big tech companies. Likewise, consumers are demanding transparency and control over their food and the ingredients involved in the making of it. Consumers (‘prosumers’) are becoming more conscious about their diets and personal ethical and sustainability goals, so dairy producers need to find ways to respond to those preferences and deliver better products while remaining an integral element of the food supply chain. 

Questions about the future of dairy data and who owns it? Leading food companies such as Nestle, Danone, Dairy Farmers of America, Parmalat potentially might invest or take stakes in leading data players. But how soon before Amazon, Google, Apple, IBM or Microsoft decide they want to be part of the dairy data ‘land grab’?

How do farmers benefit from this? Consumers accept sharing their emails, their location and travel data with big data companies in return for free and valuable services. How can dairy producers gain from their willingness to share data?  

Is dairy data the new oil? The choice of data platform is yours, but just like landowners sitting on oil reserves, we may not know its real value until we allow others in the supply chain to ‘drill’ into it. 

The Three Things You Need to Know to Keep Your Farm Data Safe

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 21:55:32 GMT

Cybercrime has become an increasing threat to today’s farmers. Ransomware and cyberattacks targeting the food and agriculture sector has been on the rise, and unfortunately, no operation, whether large or small, is immune from this risk.

According to dataprise, an IT management and consultant business, the infrastructure in the agriculture industry is becoming more enticing to cybercriminals because the sector has adopted more smart technologies that open doors to other crime opportunities.

Experts warn that as an industry, agriculture has a very soft digital underbelly that’s easily breached due to very limited investment in cybersecurity to date. While it’s easy to think, “That will never happen on my farm,” cyberattacks happen every single day, and they’re creeping into rural America.

Doug Jacobson and Ally Frickel, electrical and computer engineering specialists at Iowa State University, offer these tips to help prevent cybercrime from happening on your operation.

Keep an Eye on Your Email

“Email is a huge opportunity for attackers to trick victims into downloading malware,” the pair state. “This tactic is called phishing. In emails, senders will disguise themselves to sound like someone important to the victim. In regard to farmers, attackers may pretend to be a cooperative, supplier, implement dealer - anyone that is critical to farmers’ jobs.”

For a phishing attack to work, it requires the email recipient to click on a link or attachment that is connected to the malware. This will cause the computer to download and install harmful technology to their device.

To prevent this from happening, Jacobson and Frickel suggest the following: “Trust your instincts. If the email looks fishy, it probably is. Do not trust unfamiliar email addresses. If you suspect an email is a phishing email, do not click on any link or attachment. Delete the email.”

Protect Your Passwords

We’re all guilty of using the same password over and over again, but this can be a dangerous practice for your operation.

When creating a password, the duo encourages farmers to focus on password strength. This means creating a password no one can guess. Additionally, this may also mean creating dozens of different, hard-to-remember passwords for various websites and programs.

“It’s understandable to be a bit overwhelmed,” the team shares. “One suggestion is to write the passwords down in a small notebook and keep it in a safe place. Do not create a document on your computer with account information and passwords.”

Lastly, it’s important to not share passwords with others. This may seem obvious but think about all of the different people involved in your operation. If the password is shared amongst other, it may put your farm’s private information in jeopardy.

Backup Your Data

If a cybercrime were to happen on your farm, it’s possible you could lose valuable information forever.

“To prevent losing this data, perform a periodic archive to secure storage,” the duo adds. “The point to backing data up to a secure storage - the cloud - is to be able to recover the data later.”

Another way to help make sure your information isn’t lost is to backup data via cloud storage or via a USB device. However, the key to making sure information isn’t lost is to backup data on a routine basis. Don’t wait until it is already lost!

To learn more on how to prevent a cyberattack, read:

Dairy Report: Schreiber Foods Hit by Ransomware Attack

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 17:00:00 GMT

Another ag related company has been hit by a possible ransomware attack. The Wisconsin State Farmer reporting that Schreiber Foods in Green Bay, Wis., was targeted late last month.

The company, which is one of the state’s largest milk processors, was able to start accepting milk deliveries last week. It said it was back producing and shipping products just five days after the cyber event halted operations. It’s rumored the hackers demanded $2.5 million.

Schreiber Foods makes a variety of dairy and cheese products. It’s employee owned with more than 30 locations around the world.

Dairy Good for More than Just Bones

We’ve heard that dairy can be good for our bones, but some researchers are taking that a step further to say it may also reduce the risk of falls and broken bones in older adults.

The findings were recently published in the British Medical Journal. Researchers conducted a two year trial that involved more than 7,000 people in Australia. They averaged 86-years-old. The researchers found that improving calcium and protein intakes by using dairy foods is a readily accessible intervention that reduces the risk of falls and fractures that commonly in older adults. They reported a 27% risk reduction in all fractures and a 44% reduction in hip fractures specifically. There was also an 11% reduction in falls.

Yogurt Trade Secrets in Court

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 05:54:33 GMT

(Bloomberg) -- The war between established yogurt makers and upstarts intensified when Dannon Co. sued a former senior vice president for allegedly taking confidential information and trade secrets to his new job at Chobani LLC.

Federico Muyshondt is accused of stealing details of Dannon’s business strategies, plans for future products and customer lists before resigning in January to take a position with Chobani, according to a complaint filed Wednesday in federal court in White Plains, New York.

The suit illustrates how competitive the yogurt business has become and highlights the proliferation in the corporate world of non-compete clauses in workers’ contracts that restrain them from going to work for rival employers. Just last week, International Business Machines Corp. called foul on Microsoft Corp.’s hiring of its former chief diversity officer in a case that elevated the recruiting and promotion of a diverse workforce to the level of protecting proprietary technology.

Muyshondt started working in 2010 for Dannon, a unit of Paris-based Danone SA, as a manager in the sales department and was promoted last year to senior vice president in charge of sales for the eastern U.S. and Kroger supermarkets, according to the suit. Dannon says he began forwarding documents to his personal email account starting in August 2017 and downloaded thousands of files containing trade secrets and confidential information, including details on the salaries of sales employees and their non-competition agreements.

“The only logical explanation for why Muyshondt would have obtained the latter information is that he wanted to assist his new employer in luring away Dannon’s other valued members of its sales teams,” Dannon said in the complaint.

Chobani, which wasn’t named as a defendant in the suit, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Muyshondt couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.

Copyright 2018, Bloomberg