Farmers routinely handle high-dollar transactions — and the nature of the payments, often through unsecure methods, leaves them susceptible to foul play.

“The next three, maybe four, weeks or so are warming up quite a bit in central Brazil and drier too,” says Kirk Hinz, a BAM meteorologist. If the area had seen favorable conditions until this point, the month ahead might not be as critical, but central Brazil has been facing above-average temperatures and isolated, scattered rainfall, he says.

Innovations that cross the farm gate often start down the path to commercialization as high-minded prototypes. Here are some early stage concepts with potential to drive profit and efficiency.

One might think Colorado Governor Jared Polis would scale back his anti-ag campaign after his tone-deaf proclamation of Meat-Out Day in 2021. But despite that PR fiasco, the governor has again thumbed his nose at ranchers with the recent release of five wolves.