Ag Data Transparent: Helping Farmers Understand What They're Signing


By Tara Desmond July 16, 2026

Farm equipment today generates an enormous amount of data.  Yield monitors track harvest results acre by acre, application records log fertilizer rates and timing, and planters record seeding populations down to the row. That data gets shared through contracts farmers sign with equipment manufacturers, software platforms, and service providers, and those contracts aren't always easy to interpret.


That's the problem Ag Data Transparent (ADT) was built to solve. On the latest episode of IL Corn TV, host Laura Gentry, Director of Water Quality Science for IL Corn, spoke with Todd Jansen, founder of Jansen Schroeder Agricultural Law and current president of the ADT board, about how the organization got started and why it matters to farmers today.


A Decade of Data Questions

Jansen, who grew up on a beef cattle and hay operation in south central Kansas before becoming an agricultural attorney, explained that ADT emerged from farmer concerns roughly ten years ago. American Farm Bureau organized roundtable discussions that produced a set of core principles for how companies should handle data collected from farms. When it became clear that getting companies to agree to those principles in theory didn't always translate into contracts that reflected them in practice, ADT was formed to certify that companies' actual contract language lived up to the standards.


How Certification Works

Over 50 companies have gone through the ADT certification process, with more than 30 currently active members. The list spans small ag-tech startups paying a modest certification fee up to major players like John Deere's Operations Center and Bayer's FieldView platform.  The nonprofit is overseen by a board representing major farm organizations, including National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, and American Farm Bureau, along with commodity groups for sorghum, wheat, and now the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.


Transparency, Not Restriction

Jansen was clear that ADT certification doesn't tell companies what they can or can't do with farm data — it simply requires them to be upfront about it. He pointed to two early ADT members as an example of how differently companies can approach data: Beck's Hybrids' Farm Server platform kept data siloed unless a farmer chose to share it elsewhere, while Farmers Business Network was built specifically for farmer-to-farmer benchmarking. Both approaches are valid under ADT's standards, as long as farmers understand which one they're signing up for.


For farmers who don't have time to read every line of a data contract, Jansen said, ADT's website offers a shortcut to see how a company has answered core questions about data use without wading through legal language. Still, he encouraged farmers to read their contracts fully whenever possible.


Not a member?

Become one today!

SHARE THIS

Latest Posts

Person crouching in a green field, inspecting crops by hand under bright sunlight
By Lyndi Allen September 10, 2026
The IRS released guidance to provide farmers with more clarity on the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit and its role in supporting domestic biofuel production.
interactive game
By Tara Desmond September 10, 2026
See how corn travels the world in this new interactive game!
Citroniq
By Radicle Growth September 10, 2026
Citroniq and Future Origins Selected to Receive Investment Through Competition Designed to Drive New Demand for Corn
unshucked thumbnail with Tara and corn blowing out her ears
By Tara Desmond September 9, 2026
Meet Pervis Ellis: 104-Degree Harvest, No-Till, and White Corn for Mexico
Ron Miller on his farm
By Tara Desmond September 9, 2026
From Illinois fields to African villages, Ron Miller shares the farming lessons, friendships and one life-changing story he’ll never forget.
Evan Blind at NCERC
By Tara Desmond September 8, 2026
Step inside NCERC to see how Illinois corn growers are helping drive research into ethanol, new technologies and the next big opportunities for corn.
Lou Lamoreux Farm
By Tara Desmond September 3, 2026
Livestock farmer Lou Lamoreux talks about his farming operation.
captain Cornelius at shake it up cocktail lounge
By Tara Desmond September 3, 2026
4.29M bushels of U.S. corn fueled beverage alcohol production in July 2026 alone — up 54% from July 2025. Corn's in your Labor Day toast!
aerial view of short corn
By Tara Desmond September 3, 2026
Illinois farmer Steve Fourez tests short stature corn against conventional hybrids, exploring yield potential and late-season management benefits.
USDA building
By Lyndi Allen September 3, 2026
This week, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Data Modernization Plan to put Farmers First, reduce unnecessary burdens on producers, and improve the timeliness, accuracy, and usefulness of the data that informs agricultural decisions. USDA data informs crop and livestock estimates, risk-management tools, disaster assistance, and critical business decisions made by farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses, researchers, and policymakers. In February 2026, Secretary Rollins issued a Request for Information seeking feedback on the opportunities, challenges, and emerging areas in USDA data. That feedback helped shape the USDA Data Modernization Plan and its four pillars: Modernize the Data Reporting Experience: USDA will expand use of administrative data, improve mobile access to surveys, explore opportunities to use prefilled information where appropriate, and strengthen coordination across the Department. These changes will reduce duplicative requests and limit the amount of time producers spend reporting information. Enhance Acreage and Yield Estimation: USDA will conduct a pilot to evaluate the use of improved satellite imagery, geospatial tools, crop models, and other emerging technologies combined with essential producer-reported information to enhance acreage and yield estimations. USDA will also assess the use of optional field inputs to enhance and ground truth yield estimates and continue advancing yield research through collaboration with agricultural partners and land-grant universities. Integrate Data and Technology Platforms: USDA will modernize its technology infrastructure, expand secure data-sharing capabilities, and evaluate the responsible use of tools such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. Better integrated systems will improve efficiency, reduce duplication, and allow USDA to produce more timely and useful information. Expand Trust and Transparency with Producers: USDA will protect producer privacy, clearly explain why information is requested and how it is used, and create additional opportunities for producers to provide feedback. USDA will also improve communication surrounding reports, methodologies, response rates, and data limitations. USDA will begin implementing actions under the plan immediately and will continue engaging farmers, ranchers, and agricultural stakeholders throughout the process. The Department will evaluate new approaches carefully, protect privacy and confidentiality, and publish clear methodologies and supporting information to maintain the integrity of USDA’s agricultural statistics. See USDA’s Full Data Modernization Plan
Show More