The Ag Data Transparent Board of Directors met in December. ASA is a founding member of the Ag Data Transparent (ADT) project, a nonprofit organization) to audit companies' ag data contracts. ADT was created after farm groups and ag tech providers in 2014 agreed upon “The Privacy and Security Principles for Farm Data,” or what today we call ag data's "Core Principles." These principles are a set of guidelines for companies collecting, storing, analyzing and using farmers’ ag data. Companies that go through the certification process are reviewed by an independent third-party and, when certified, are able to use the “Ag Data Transparent” seal.

There are now 22 ADT certified companies, ranging from My Dairy Dashboard and Farm Credit Canada to two companies certified in December: Valley Irrigation and GiSC (Growers Information Services Cooperative). In addition to ASA, other farm group board members represented corn, wheat, potatoes and pork, as well as the Farmers Union and Farm Bureau. Many certified companies were represented, including Winfield, John Deere and FarmMobile.

The Board reviewed successes and challenges for ag tech companies going through the certification process and spent most of the meeting discussing how to show farmers the value of the ADT seal. A full list of all 20 certified companies, along with their responses to 10 questions reflecting the Core Principles, can be found at agdatatransparent.com, as well as on the ASA website.